Lydia and Me 6

story continues from part five

Chapter Six - My Girlfriend's Best Friend

“You think I never liked you, don’t you, Ray?” 

The question surprised me just a bit more than the fact that there was someone in the house. I was just coming back from my client’s where I’d introduced Lydia, managed to avoid telling the security guy what an idiot I thought he was, and found that with my code in hand they had little reason for me to be there any longer. So I excused myself properly and headed for home so that I could get ready for the meeting that had been pushed to tomorrow with Jack on his Customer Management portal. I had barely cleared the door when Jane had asked it, looking at me over her coffee mug as she sat at the kitchen table. 

I hesitated, then walked over to the table myself, where I dropped my laptop bag. I didn’t know what to say in response and didn’t want to get myself in trouble with Lydia by talking too plainly. As I tried to figure out what to do, I headed for the coffee pot myself and poured the last of it into the mug I’d left on the counter. 

“It’s OK if you think that. You’re both right and wrong.” 

I turned back towards her, stirring in a bit of sugar and still stunned that this conversation was happening. For one, I hadn’t expected Jane to be here since she and Debbie were supposed to out taking in the sights at a state park about an hour from here. When that thought crossed my mind, my slightly stunted social skills latched on to it and I asked, “Weren’t you going out for the day?” 

She’d smiled and laughed a little. “You’d prefer to be eaten by dogs than have this conversation, wouldn’t you?” 

I finally figured out that there could actually be an upside to having this talk, since I was sure to see more of Jane in the future. She and Lydia were too close for that not to happen. So I sat down opposite her and said, “It’s not one I was planning on having. And not one I’m sure I want to have with Debbie around.” 

She folded her paper and said, “She’s out and probably will be until dinner time. Jet lag got to me and she headed off on her own, which means shopping. If we don’t remind her to come home and eat, she’d probably be gone most of the night.” 

So I’d taken the bull by the horns and said, “No, I never did think you liked me. You certainly never gave me a reason to think otherwise.” 

She’d nodded as she straightened the rest of the paper up a bit. “You’re right. I didn’t think you were good for Lydia.” 

Now, that particular thought had never crossed my mind but it made more than a bit of sense. If Lydia and Debbie were best friends, Lydia and Jane were the sisters that neither actually had. In college, just about every moment she didn’t spend with me socially was spent with Jane. 

I leaned back in the chair and let that one sink in for a minute as I sipped my coffee. Then I finally asked, “Why the hell not?” 

“Don’t get defensive, I’m not calling you a serial murderer or anything. I can see now that I was wrong. But she told me you tied her up and I didn’t like that at all.” 

At that moment, I was glad for two things. The first was that my jaw was physically attached to my body or I might have lost it from hitting the floor with immense force. The second was that I had already finished the coffee I’d just drunk or there was every possibility that Jane would have needed to change shirts. 

“I beg your pardon?” I managed to muster. 

“Ray, you didn’t think she’d tell me? She tells me everything. Well, she used to. She’s pretty coy about how you two found each other again and what you’ve been up to since.” 

The thought that this was somehow shared information had never crossed my mind and I wasn’t really sure how to react. Fortunately, she kept talking so I didn’t have to figure it out quite yet. 

“Remember, I was on a semester abroad when the two of you met, so I didn’t get to know you ‘before’ you started doing whatever it was you were doing. All I knew was she had a guy and she liked him. I don’t think even she knew where things would take the two of you then, and when summer rolled around we lost touch a bit since I was backpacking around Europe. 

“So I only got the story from her after your summer of lust. And I didn’t like the idea. It sounded more like abuse to me. Did she ever tell you about Alan?” 

This one I could at least respond to without too much thought – my head was still recovering from this entire exchange. 

“She mentioned his name a few times, usually mixed with various curses and prayers that he be in pain.” 

Jane nodded and walked into the kitchen to rinse out her mug. I turned in my chair so I could follow what she said better. 

“He was a junior and an asshole. She was a doe-eyed freshman and easily impressed. You wouldn’t believe the self-confidence she picked up in her first year away from home because the Lydia I roomed with is not the Lydia you’re marrying. 

“Alan liked his women to do things for him and wait on him and be at his beck and call. Controlling little snot – he used to give Lydia a hard time about spending time with me and Debbie instead of waiting on him. And when he figured out she was smarter than him, he had her tutoring him in math, which frequently meant doing his homework for him. 

“I hated him,” the word hated had a tone to it I was glad hadn’t been associated with my name. “My dad was an abuser and my mom didn’t figure it out how to get out of that situation until I was twelve. Alan reminded me of my dad before he’d get drunk or angry and start slapping people.” 

She turned back towards me and leaned against the counter. I was going to interject something to keep the conversation going, but she didn’t need the encouragement. 

“It took Lydia about four months to figure it out and she was pretty much a wreck at the end of it. But after she told him to shove off, she’d started to change dramatically. That strong and confident woman with the gooey, romantic interior you know finally showed up around the end of the year and was really in place by the time sophomore year started.” 

Having never heard this story, I was both a bit pleased to learn a bit more about her past and a bit disappointed she hadn’t told me herself. But then I thought that she probably didn’t feel all that great about having allowed the situation to happen and certainly didn’t want to be reminded of the person she’d been then, and I decided that wasn’t important. 

“Why are you telling me this?” I asked. 

Jane grabbed an orange from the basket on the counter and headed back to the table. She talked as she walked and peeled it. 

“Because I think I was wrong about a whole lot of things and I know you’re not Alan’s clone now. She’s too happy and too strong to do that again. And I figure we’re going to have to find some common ground.” 

She paused and looked up at me as she said, “And I was the one that never really gave you a chance.” 

Just with those words, Jane had moved up about four rungs on my ladder of respect. I can be downright awful about admitting when I’m wrong – it can be like I was confessing to a murder on the record for me. So I was extremely impressed that someone could say that in such a direct and matter-of-fact way. 

My proposal was forgotten, the meeting a thing to worry about tomorrow. We talked about our pasts, made some lunch and talked about some of our dreams and desires. It was getting to be about two o’clock and we’d covered a lot of ground. We were both starting to see each other in a new light and figuring out that we really were both good human beings. I have to admit, I liked the “new Jane” that I was getting a chance to know. 

Then the phone rang. It was Debbie who, surprisingly enough, had actually passed up on shopping to go to the state park. She was calling to see if Jane was OK and to let her know that she had seen an outlet mall on the way out and would be stopping by there before heading off to the serious stores. 

I laughed, both at how right Jane was and predictable Debbie was. Jane hung up the phone and said, “I told her I’d grab a cab and meet her for dinner. You two have been great and deserve a night to yourselves.” 

I suppose I should mention that Lydia had waited until her friends were in bed before she’d returned to me in the closet. I’d been there close to nine hours and was really stewing by that point. She’d cut me loose from the pole and freed enough of me to get me to the bed, where some very aerobic exercises had gone on both before and after the wrap had come off. Then she’d told me that she was going to tell them I’d actually made it to Vegas before Andy reached me and I’d just stayed there long enough to have something to eat, lose $200 bucks, and get the next available flight out booked. Then I’d grabbed a cab rather than wake everyone up at 1:00AM to ask for a ride. So Jane was none the wiser that we’d already had our night alone and I wasn’t about to disabuse her of that notion. 

“That’s really nice of you, but not necessary,” I’d said. She’d smiled. 

“As much as you and I didn’t get along, you can’t stand Debbie at all. We both know it.” 

I had to nod – there was no sense doing otherwise. Even when we were in the same room the two of us could barely get a polite word out to each other. 

“No, I’ll get her out of your hair until about 9:00. Then we can all get smashed.” 

I laughed and commented that I’d be the first one passed out on the floor and she’d laughed at that too. My lack of tolerance is legendary. 

Things got a bit quiet for a moment then, as though we were looking for a way to thread the conversation before the phone rang back together. Jane gave up on that idea and asked, “Do you enjoy it when she ties you up? She did tell me that too.” 

I’d grinned a stupid grin, sliding back into I-don’t-know-what-to-say mode, then managed to force out, “What exactly did she tell you?” 

“Just that you took turns and had silly games. Nothing you’d find in a bad novel or porn movie. She’s open with me, but not that open. Do you like it?” 

I leaned back on the sofa (we’d moved to the living room a while ago) and thought about how to answer that one. I finally decided that I’d just tell it straight and let the chips fall where they may. I talked about the fun of being tied in the first place, how the act itself is an aphrodisiac. I told her how it was amazing to have someone totally focused on teasing and tickling and taunting you to the edge of ecstasy but only letting you go when they felt like it. I talked about how the exchange of power seemed to make the relationship even deeper, reflecting a trust that you didn’t often find, even in a lover. And I told her about how the climax to the scenes could be even more unbelievable when the lust and that exchange of power finally converged. 

She’d listened quietly, nodding sometimes, giving me a bit of a funny look others. I just let it all pass and told the story as best I could. Maybe I’d told her too much, but I’d thrown caution to the wind. 

When I was done, she’d sat quietly for a moment, then said, “I don’t think I’ve ever trusted anyone that much.” 

At that moment, the phone for my home office rang. I’d hurriedly excused myself and found Jack on the other line. I put him on hold for a minute and told Jane I had to take this, then grabbed my laptop and headed to the desk in the master bedroom. She’d nodded and turned on the television. 

It was almost an hour before I was off the phone. Jack had some executives he reported to who wanted some specific things that hadn’t been in the original scope and he’d wanted to talk about them with me before the meeting tomorrow. Somewhere in the middle the other line had rung, but Jane answered before I even could ask him to hold on. When we’d finished discussing the changes, I’d told him there shouldn’t be a problem but I wanted to cover them in detail the next day. We moved the meeting again to lunch time so that the players could all attend, and that was the end of that. 

I glanced at the clock as I headed to the bathroom, noting it was a bit after 3:00, and then to the kitchen for a soda. Jane turned off the TV and said, “Lydia called. She’ll be back around 5:30. I told her she’d have a surprise waiting but wouldn’t tell her what. I think she’ll like the time alone with you since she sounded a bit stressed.” 

I chuckled at the thought of numnuts driving Lydia crazy as they reviewed the code and architecture and was about to go flip on CNN for a quick update when Jane had asked, “So can you escape if you try hard enough? And are your toys in that locked cupboard where I tried to get a towel this morning?” 

I laughed at the quick return to the previous subject and said, “Curious, huh? No, I can’t escape if I want to and neither can Lydia. Well, most times – it depends on the scene and the way we’re tied. And do I really need to answer that last question?” 

She’d grinned and said, “I don’t just want an answer, I want to see ‘em. I’m curious to know what I’ve been missing.” 

I’d looked at her a bit funny and said, “Jane, I’m not going to…” 

She responded with a “Well, duh!” stare and said, “I don’t want to have sex with you and I’m certainly not getting naked for you. You’ve just gone where I haven’t and I’m intrigued. Particularly since you’d never guess from the way you two act in public.” 

I smiled and produced my keys, and we’d headed off to the hallway. She made me show her literally everything and asked questions like we were at the science museum. She’d held the breather gag up with a “What the...” look until I told her how it worked. She gave the same look over my little torture device and laughed when I told her how we used it. She’d even triggered the remote and giggled. 

What she really latched onto was the straightjacket, though. It was new, so new that Lydia and I hadn’t even used it on each other yet. It was a good leather one I picked up on e-Bay as a bit of a lark when “You’re driving me crazy” had seemed to be the theme for a week. It arrived the Wednesday before Jane & Debbie and hadn’t even seen action yet. Jane latched on to the numerous D-rings on the front, back, and sleeves and asked if that was a bondage fashion statement. 

I laughed and took her back into the living room, she still carrying the jacket. I pointed to the plants and light fixture and explained you could attach ropes or chains or whatever to the rings that they hung from, then to the D-rings to hold your prisoner in place. She’d looked at me in a sort of awe and said, “You guys can get serious, huh? How’s this thing feel?” 

“We haven’t used it yet, actually, “I’d replied. “You and Debbie showed up just after it did.” 

“Well, now we have to get out of your hair for the night. Can I try it on?” 

The first part slid right by me as the question hit. 

“Huh?” 

“Can I try it on. Over my clothes, I mean. I want to see what it’s like.” 

So we’d undone the straps and zipper and she’d slid into the jacket as it’s first official wearer in the house. I zipped and tightened and adjusted, fixing both crotch straps firmly and tying the lacing adjustments that ran up the sides. It probably was good practice for me, since I might want to be able to do it faster with Lydia. She’d held still and pretty quiet except for a “No ideas, mister,” when I’d gone to buckle the crotch straps. Then I remembered a flaw in the design that I knew how to fix. 

“Be right back – there’s one more thing to make it really inescapable.” She’d just grinned and struggled a little bit. 

I went back to the toys and returned with a short and thin leather strap. This particular straight jacket didn’t have a strap to pin the arms to the wearer’s belly, and I figured that with enough pulling someone could get their arms over their head and maybe escape. That strap plus the D-rings down the front plus D-rings on the sleeves ended that particular option for good. 

“Now you’re dressed for success,” I told her. She’d taken the hint and started to struggle for all she was worth. While Jane’s attractive and I am a man, but I’m proud to say that I didn’t get turned on by watching her try to get free. At least, not until I pictured Lydia in the same position. I took some pride in that as I sat down to let Jane do her thing. She finally gave up and said, “Let me out?” 

So I obliged. As I did, she noticed that I had managed to get little excited and started to scold me. But when I told her what had really happened she’d gotten quiet for a moment before saying. “That’s OK, then.” 

The jacket came off and she fanned herself. “It gets warm in there.” 

I laughed as I turned to take it back to the other toys. Lydia was due in about an hour and I didn’t think her finding us doing this was necessarily what she’d like. Then Jane had surprised me again. 

“You want to try it on?” 

That stopped me. I’d been dying to get strapped into the thing since it arrived but the timing was just plain wrong and Lydia had wanted to use wrap the day they’d shown up. I turned around to say something and she said, “Oh, come on. I’ll bet you're dying to. Take off your shirt so I’m not getting you sweaty and stinky for my friend and I’ll fix you up for a bit.” 

I didn’t need to be asked twice. I took off my shirt and walked back over and we’d fitted the jacket around me. I’d been worried that one size would work for Lydia and I both, but Jane was just a bit taller than she and a bit shorter than I, and it’d fit very well. A little bit of room in the arms, but not much. Now I learned that it was a good fit for me as well. The fact that I don’t have breasts protruding from my chests and there were so many adjustments made it work. Nine straps and two sets of laces later, I was stuck. 

“So is it safe for you to be gagged while you’re tied up? What if something’s going wrong?” 

I told her about safewords and humming a song. She giggled a bit and asked, “Do the gags really work? That breather thing looks like you could spit it out if you really wanted to.” 

That led to an explanation about the half rolls of wrap and she’d nodded. Then she’d gone and returned with the breather and one of the rolls. 

“Can I try it on you? I’m dying to know what it sounds like when you talk.” 

So suddenly I was standing in the middle of my living room in the new straightjacket and gagged. I was starting to get excited, but with no Lydia about it wasn’t the same. I grunted and gurgled for Jane and she’d laughed at how silly it sounded, then said, “Let me get a good look at you. I’m beginning to understand the turn-on.” 

I glanced at the clock and noted that it was 4:55. I’d need to get free soon if I was going to make dinner, but I wasn’t worried. Jane had circled me once and was on her second trip when I felt the handcuffs snap around my foot. Before I could react properly, the other was secured as well. She walked back into my field of view. 

“I’ll tell you a secret, Ray. One that even Lydia doesn’t know. Part of the reason I was so standoffish is I was a bit disappointed I hadn’t met you myself.” 

I pulled mightily at the jacket then, figuring she’d gone around the bend somehow. She must have figured that out and she laughed, taking my head in her hands. 

“Don’t worry, hun. I’m not stalking you and out to use you for myself. I just promised Lydia a surprise and you’re going to be it. I’d never do anything to screw things up between you.” 

That calmed me down, though I still wasn’t sure I liked where this was going. She went back to the hall and returned with rope, thigh and ankle cuffs, and a blindfold in her hands. The light fixture was removed from the ceiling ring and she moved me back underneath it. Then she’d tied the rope through the D-rings at my shoulders and up through the ring where she tied it off, using a kitchen chair as a ladder. While she did this, she spoke to me. 

“You’re an excellent teacher, Ray. You ought to consider that if the consulting career gets too boring or hectic for you. Just a few hours and I think I already know enough to do this right.” 

Then she’d undone the crotch straps and reached for my belt and I knew she was, indeed, a very quick study. I couldn’t move much due to the rope and if I just tried falling to the floor to get out of the jacket with the straps undone, I might choke on the collar strap. If I lifted my arms, she could just grab the crotch straps and hold the front of the jacket down if the rope didn’t prevent me from getting my arms up high enough. 

So I’d had to stand there as she undid my pants and slid them down to my knees, followed by my underwear. Mr. Happy wasn’t as hard as if Lydia was here, but he was showing interest. She ignored him except to make sure he wasn’t crushed as she re-secured the crotch straps. 

The thigh cuffs were next, each of which were locked with a small brass padlock from out of her pocket. Then the handcuffs at my ankles had come off and she’d gotten rid of shoes, socks, pants, and underwear. Ankle cuffs followed and were also locked on. Then she’d surprised the hell out of me. My implement of torture appeared. 

“I think Lydia will forgive me for what I’m about to do. I hope you will.” 

She wrapped it in the plastic wrap like I explained, then secured it to my semi-rigid shaft. I held very still, not quite convinced she’d meant what she’d said before, but not worried enough to cause a ruckus. She stood back a moment, then made a circle around me. 

“You know, I can see the fun in doing this to someone. You’re royally screwed if I want you to be, aren’t you?” 

Then she’d laughed and said, “Or royally not screwed if that’s the choice, huh?” 

She reappeared on my left and said, “I won’t leave you alone long. That wouldn’t be safe. It’s about 5:15 right now, let’s see where she is, shall we?”

She grabbed the phone and dialed. Once again, I got one side of a conversation. 

“Hey, hun. Where are you? About ten minutes away? Great. No, things are fine here. I just have something cooking and wanted to time things right. No, no I don’t need anything and you don’t need to rush. The surprise? Not until you get here. I’d give the phone to Ray but somebody named Jack called and he’s a bit busy now. Yeah, I’ll tell him. Right. See ya!” 

She hung up and grinned as she tidied up a bit and grabbed my keys and her purse. She wrote a note and continuously ignored my grunts and groans. She’d been off the phone with Lydia for about six minutes when she walked back over to me, smiling. 

“You never used your safeword, Ray. So I was free to do what I wanted, right?” 

She smiled as she walked towards the garage with the vibrator remote, note, and car keys in hand. I couldn’t do anything but stand there. It was just a few minutes after I heard the garage door close from her departure that it opened again. And then just a minute more before Lydia walked into view through the kitchen with the note and remote in hand to catch sight of me. I struggled madly as she looked at me, more than a bit confused. I was trying to explain through the gag and completely failing to do so. Then she’d started to laugh. She put down her purse and computer case, triggered the remote, and walked over to me. 

She held the paper to my face so I could read: 
 

“Lydia, 

You’re right, Ray’s great. He’s also a bit of a sucker. I’ve left you a toy, but I didn’t play with it myself. I’ll take care of Debbie and keep her out until at least 10:00. I’ll call before we head back just in case. 

Tell Ray this was the best present I could think to give you, but I’ll find something more conventional for the shower. 

Jane.”

 

27.02.05