The Bridesmaids' Revenge

"Hi Harold," she said to me "I hope there's no hard feelings?"

"What I felt wasn't hard" I replied, barely realising what an unusual and daring response this was for me.

"How about going out to dinner with me sometime?" I continued.

"Sure, Harold. Next Friday evening do?"

"Yes - shall I meet you at eight?" I suggested.

"OK - you know where my shop is; press the bellpush beside the shop door and I'll come down."

"Thanks - see you Friday."

As Lisa left my legs suddenly started shaking uncontrollably. I staggered to a nearby bench and sat down. What had I done? What would Mother say? Her version would be that I had asked out a girl who had humiliated me in public in an obscene sexual display. Even so, I had a warm feeling inside that I was going to see Lisa again but maybe not quite so closely.

As I sat there, recovering, some of the other girls came out followed by Jane on her own.

"Hi Harold," quietly said Jane sitting down beside me "still getting over Lisa's tackle? She certainly used her biggest assets on you. Thomas and I thought that this year's match should be memorable. I'd say you and Lisa were the star turn. You've got two good reasons to remember, haven't you?"

"Don't joke about it, please Jane." I replied "What will Mother say when she hears about it? She'll make my life a misery for at least a month."

"It seems to me that your mother has always had too much say in your life, Harold. It's about time you cut yourself free from her apron strings." said Jane.

"I know," I whispered "but it isn't as easy to do as that. She'll hit the roof when she knows I've asked Lisa out."

"You've done what! Asked Lisa out? That's great. I didn't think you had that much independence left."

"But Jane, I wanted to do it. I'll pay for it for weeks. Either that or I'll have to lie and invent an appointment to satisfy my mother."

"Don't do that. Tell the truth. You know Lisa is a great person and I'm proud to have her as a friend. Even though she was Thomas' girlfriend before me, we've never fallen out over anything. She's probably the best thing for you. She won't hurt you like some girls might. She might organise your life for you but you've been used to that. It's about time some girl took you away from your mother and showed you how to live. Just don't let her down."

"I won't, Jane. I just can't believe what I've done. I'm over the moon and terrified all at once."

"Come here, Harold," said Jane putting her arms around me. "You've got to make the break with your mother sometime and Lisa can help you. I and many of the other girls will be backing you and Lisa. You know we're your friends. You've helped most of us out from time to time with taxes and accounts, and the ladies' team couldn't have kept going last year except for your hard work sorting out our money. Some of the men may resent us but we know that you believe that women are just as capable as men. You've asked us for advice as well as giving it and you've always treated us as if we were intelligent and worthwhile people first and women second. You may behave like a wimp - but you've got the potential to be some woman's best mate - once you sort out your mother. If I didn't love Thomas I might try for you myself."

She kissed me on the forehead and said "Now go and tell your mother about the match and Lisa before she hears about it from some of her friends. It'll be all over the town tomorrow."

"I know." I said "I'll have to tell her first. She wouldn't find out about our date until afterwards, but her friends will take great delight in telling her about the end of the match."

I stood up, lifting Jane by her hand. "Thank you, Jane. You've helped a lot. I feel calmer and ready to face Mum even if I'm scared stiff. I'm sure Lisa will be worth it."

"I know she is" replied Jane "and even if she wasn't, anyone who made you defy your mother will have helped you. Go and get it over with."

***** I remember that day vividly. It ended with Mother sobbing herself to sleep after accusing me of betraying and abandoning her for a slut who was a disgrace to the town.

Friday night's date went well and slowly. Lisa and I became an item despite Mother's occasional outbursts. Lisa treated me gently but I never again experienced the sweet surrender that had made such an impact at the soccer match. Some part of me wished to re-live it, but my new-found independence was too fragile to seek to give it up to another woman. Eventually I even found sex with Lisa threatening since in the moment of release I seemed to be losing myself. This had led to the recent trial separation since both had realised that the relationship was not moving on. I had almost freed myself from Mother, but had not had the courage to make a complete break from the past and build a new life with a partner. I couldn't believe that I could commit myself to another without risking my identity again.

I realise how much I miss Lisa. I want her to wrap her arms around me and smother me in her cleavage. Dare I let myself go that much?

Tomorrow Lisa and I will be together of necessity for most of the day. The success of the wedding depends on the two of us. Jane and Thomas are good friends to both of us. If the Best Man and Chief Bridesmaid can, we will make the day happy and memorable for the Bride and Groom. Will the day bring me closer to Lisa again? I hope so, but I know that our relationship can't go back as it was. We have to move on and I know that I will have to be the one to change.

I finish the final draft of my speech. I know that it will conventional, boring and typically Harold-like, but someone has to preserve the decencies. I will have to read out the messages from absent friends and those are usually salacious. My speech should bring decorum back to the proceedings just before the dancing starts.

I start to go to bed. I know that I will dream of Lisa - I usually do - and that delicious ten minutes.

*****

Prologue Alison, Frances and Sandra

The other three bridesmaids are staying together in Alison's flat which is close to Jane's house. After helping her prepare they will walk to Lisa's shop and flat to dress themselves.

Tonight they were recalling the Hen-party (but that's another story) when Sandra suddenly said "It's a shame about the bridesmaids' sashes."

"What on earth are you on about?" said Frances. "We've got sashes for tomorrow, they drape beautifully and look effective. What's the problem?"

"Didn't you see the potential of the original sashes?" asked Sandra.

"What potential? What do you mean? They were soft and floppy." said Alison. "The new ones are much better."

"Better for display maybe, but not for use. I tried an offcut of the first material. It made great knots that were really hard to undo and didn't slip. Can't you imagine what we could do with a twelve foot long by one foot wide piece of soft silky material that knots beautifully?" asked Sandra "One sash would easily fold up into your purse."

"Why on earth would you put a sash in your purse? Are you out of your mind?" Frances queried.

"You two are slow tonight. Potential for men, of course. If you've hidden a soft, silky sash that is impregnated with your perfume, what guy is going to suspect that you're armed with a concealed lethal weapon even when you coyly drape it round his neck? With that length and width you could blindfold him, gag him and perhaps even hog-tie him before he realises what it is." Sandra added. "He could just about breathe through it but he'd be gasping for breath and completely at your mercy."

"So that's why you wanted them impregnated with perfume." said Alison. "I thought that idea was over the top even for you. When we are dancing the heat would make our perfume spread without the need for smelly sashes. You had other ideas. You wanted to condition a helpless man to your perfume alone."

"Why not? Perfume helps to overwhelm him. If he can't see, can't talk, can't move and can only breathe in your smell he's lost the battle, hasn't he?" Sandra's eyes flashed with excitement. "And you've won - just with one twelve foot sash. They've got more potential than a silk scarf."

"I see what you're getting at." said Frances "I hope Lisa's kept those sashes. I'd love to try one out."

"She has - I asked her to." replied Sandra. "She knew I wanted them so they'll be hanging next to our dresses tomorrow. Perhaps we'll get a chance to use them soon."

Frances continued "I'd only seen the potential of the dresses. It's really heavy material in the skirts and so much of it. You could lose a guy or two underneath with the hoops fully expanded. You could be eaten back and front with no one else knowing. And you could drop the skirt over a seated guy's head and snuff him out like a candle. He'd have a hard job getting out from under and if you wrapped your legs round him he'd be completely controlled and all with just a dress that he'd not think is to be his prison."

Sandra interrupted "Didn't Lisa tell us something about the hooped petticoats? Do either of you remember what she said? Wasn't there some potential in the adjustable hoops?"

"I'm not surprised you've forgotten." said Alison "Lisa only mentioned it when we were all there but I asked her about it later. Lisa was quite excited about them. The hoops are adjusted from the outside, usually before you put the petticoat on, stepping into it. They are held in position with Velcro strips which have to be peeled outwards. Once the skirt or another petticoat is over the hoops you can't move them at all. They just won't slide smaller or bigger once fixed. They're effectively locked in position.

The petticoat will concertina down to a very thin disk about two inches high and as wide as the largest adjusted hoop. If you contract them as much as possible the disk is about twelve inches in diameter - fairly easy to store or carry but then you've got to adjust each hoop in succession to the right size BEFORE putting the petticoat on. That's what Lisa told us about.

You remember Candice's wedding? She used the first of Lisa's hooped petticoats. Lisa was about to try the dress on Candice for fit over the petticoat when she was called downstairs to the workroom to sort out a problem. While she was away Candice thought that she'd put the hooped petticoat on to speed things up. That was a really big mistake!

The top seam of that petticoat was a drawstring waist. It should be let it out to pull it UP over your hips, then adjusted to fit your waist. Candice thought it was an elasticated waist that stretched to fit. She also thought that the hoops adjusted themselves. Wrong again! She made a third and nearly fatal mistake. She had changed from her bra and pantyhose to white basque and stockings. She put the bra down but didn't know where to put the pantyhose because there were so many pins around that might have snagged them. She stuffed the pantyhose in her mouth just until she'd slipped into the hooped petticoat. Can't you remember what Lisa told us happened then?"

Frances replied "I think Candice dropped the hoops - was that it?"

"No," said Alison "that wasn't the point of the story. Candice picked the petticoat up, lowered it over her head and started to pull the hem down. She still had the pantyhose in her mouth. The hoops hadn't been expanded - she thought they would adjust themselves - they stuck, so she pulled harder. The hoops slid over her shoulders pinning her elbows as her head moved into the waist section. She pulled harder expecting the waist to expand. It couldn't and stuck on her head, forcing the pantyhose into her mouth. The hoops had trapped her arms completely. Candice was gagged, blindfolded and virtually mummified and she'd done it all to herself in a matter of seconds. If Lisa hadn't come back Candice might have really suffocated."

"What did Lisa do?" asked Sandra

"At first she just laughed because she couldn't see the pantyhose." replied Alison "Candice was standing there in white stockings, no panties and sealed from muff to forehead in a tightly banded parcel. Just in time Lisa noticed that Candice's forehead was turning blue. She untied the waistband, slid it down and pulled the pantyhose out of Candice's mouth. Candice was hysterical, hyperventilating, and fighting for breath. It took Lisa nearly a quarter of an hour to calm her down enough to loosen the petticoat hoops and get Candice out."

Alison added "So just remember girls - always pull the hooped petticoat up and never ever pull it down over your head. You really do need someone else to help you put it on."

"Lisa mentioned that when Candice had calmed down she saw the funny side of her imprisonment." continued Alison "I'm sure there's more to Candice's story that Lisa isn't telling us. Perhaps we can ask her tomorrow night when we're all at her flat." The Bridesmaids' Revenge: Lisa and Harold's story Frances said "I hope that she won't have time for that tomorrow night. Sandra and I have got a plan to help Lisa and Harold. We all like Harold. He's a good-looking guy and really knows how to look after a girl on a formal date. We've all used him as an escort for company dinner dances and other formal events. He knows how to make a girl feel like a lady and treats her with respect ..."

"Too much respect!" interrupted Sandra "With the other guys you know you're going to get kissed at least on the way home. Harold helps you out of the car, escorts you to the door and then kisses your hand! I want kissing in other places too! You know that Harold would never dare take liberties with you. I know that's why he's so useful for formals - he'd never let you down or do anything to embarrass you in public. The trouble is he doesn't do anything in private either except listen to you as if you're the most intelligent and fascinating person he's ever met. It's a devastating technique because you find that you can talk to him about anything. I'm sure he knows all the town's secrets including yours and mine but he never tells. He's so sympathetic I've found myself crying on his shoulder about problems with other guys."

"Me too" said Frances. "And me" said Alison

"That's the point" said Frances "We all treat him as a friend, use him, take our problems to him and yet he's really unhappy. We know that he and Lisa should marry because they're great together but Harold is so uptight he's driven Lisa away. She's been really gentle with him for nearly three years and it hasn't worked. Lisa's frustrated with her lack of progress with Harold. We need to shake Harold out of himself and realise that loving women can do things to him that female "friends" can't do. That's what Sandra and I plan to do tomorrow evening with your help, Alison."

"What's your idea?" asked Alison.

"You know that Lisa is taking Jane and Thomas to the airport after the reception ..."

"No, I didn't know that. I thought that they were driving to the West Country for the honeymoon." said Alison.

Frances carried on ... "That's the story for the men. They might decorate Thomas' car but it won't matter. Actually Jane and Thomas are honeymooning in the Bahamas. Lisa will drive them to London Heathrow where they've booked into a hotel for one night before catching their flight the next day. Lisa should be back about two or three hours after the bride and groom go away from the reception."

"We and Harold stay at the reception to the end when Harold brings us back here in the club's new minibus. He will then drive the minibus back to the ground and collect his car which will be loaded with his gear for the hiking trip he's going on - alone."

"He intends to go to the Peak District but he doesn't know where he's going to stay until he gets there. It's most un-Harold like. He's just going to disappear, no one knows where, and come back a week later. I think it shows that Harold really wants to change."

"Three years ago he'd have planned his holiday to the last little detail and know the exact roads he'd take, how long each trip would take, what he'd do each day ... it was almost an obsession with him. Now he proposes to just go and see what turns up."

"And that gave us the opportunity for our plan." said Sandra "Harold's just going to disappear after the reception and we're going to be the last people to see him for a week. If WE made him disappear no one would know or suspect. No one would even ask until a week later."

"We're NOT going to KIDNAP him!" exclaimed Alison.

"Oh yes we are!" chorused Frances and Sandra.

"But we can't keep him for a week! We've all got to go to work on Monday." protested Alison.

"WE can't - but LISA can!" shouted Frances "She's closed the shop all next week. She was going on holiday with Harold next week until they had the row that led to the trial separation. SHE could keep Harold in her flat and no one would know. She wouldn't even have to hide. She could just tell people she'd decided to stay at home for the week. All she'd have to do is keep Harold out of sight - tied to her bed perhaps!"

"Have you thought how Harold will react to being kidnapped by us?" asked Alison "Wouldn't he resent us ever after? I wouldn't want to lose Harold as a friend."

"It's worth the risk for Lisa and Harold's sake." Frances said to Alison "If he really hates it Lisa can 'rescue' him from us ..."

"I don't think that'll be necessary" said Alison " I'm sure he will love it. I did a trial run of what you two have planned when I got 'drunk' at your party just before they split up."

Frances mused "I thought you were overdoing it then. We thought it was unlike you to get drunk. I remember that Harold had to take you home and he was gone a long time."

Alison replied "I'd planned that evening as part of the campaign when Lisa had asked us to flirt with him to try to loosen him up. He took me to the party since Lisa was in London on business. Normally that would have been just another evening of Harold doing his gentlemanly stuff but I planned a different ending. Because I was 'drunk' Harold had to help me into my flat. Once inside I asked him to make me some black coffee. Do you remember what I was wearing?"

"Wasn't it that black silky wrapover blouse with back ties over scarlet lycra leggings?" suggested Sandra.

Frances said "That's right. I thought you were overdoing the sex appeal particularly with your Wonderbra pushing your cleavage in everyone's face."

"All for Harold's sake," replied Alison "You know how he likes Lisa's breasts. I couldn't match them but I did the best I could. When Harold went to make the coffee I undid the back ties, loosened my blouse and waited.

When he came in with the coffee I asked him to put it down and help me up as I needed to go to the bathroom. He didn't suspect. As he pulled me upright my blouse swung open. Even Harold couldn't resist looking. While he was distracted I whipped the blouse's ties behind him, crossed them and pulled them tight. I swung him round and pushed him onto the settee, sliding myself up him so that his face was in my cleavage.

He was tied there and all I had to do was grab his hands to keep him still. Then I started doing press-ups, or rather press-downs, alternately smothering and then releasing him. I may not have Lisa's breasts but Harold was really enjoying himself. I could feel his excitement growing between my legs. I thought I had succeeded. It was obvious that Harold liked being overpowered and breast-smothered. If I could get him aroused so easily, how much more could Lisa do?"

"Go on" pleaded Frances "Don't keep us in suspense!"

"I thought that I'd solved Harold and Lisa's problem. All I had to do was tell her what I'd proved and leave it to her to act forcefully with him." Alison continued "But then Harold realised what was happening. He said quietly to me that I'd better stop and that we should both forget what had happened. I nearly laughed out loud because this reasoned speech had to be spaced out in between his disappearances between my breasts.