The Kingdom: Chapter 11 -

[southrook]

CHAPTER 11 – WINDOW SHOPPING

 

The cool morning air gave me goosebumps as I s***d-walked down Court Street toward the Inns. Like the morning prior, I seemed to be the only person up at this hour. I hadn’t informed Katie that I was leaving, but judging by volume of her snores when I left, I doubted she’d even notice my absence.

 

I’d hardly slept at all that night. In the hours following Alpha’s warning about Katie, my mind ricocheted from one conspiracy theory to the next. Despite our amazing evening together, I was now just as unsettled and anxious as I was before Katie arrived. But even after Alpha’s message, my instinct was to trust her. Whatever happened with her profile, Katie just didn’t seem like the manipulative type. Quite frankly, it was hard to imagine her even telling a fib without blushing. The more logical explanation was that this was all an administrative mistake and she knew nothing about it.

 

But to make completely sure, I’d gotten up at the butt-crack of dawn to pay a visit to a… specialist. Stopping in front of room 213 at Inn number 4, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

 

Moments later, the Asian girl named June answered the door wearing a skimpy silk nightdress. “Hi Jodie!” She said perkily.

 

“Hello again,” I replied with a ***d smile.

 

“It’s good to see you!” she responded, stepping forward and embracing me in a hug. I blinked in surprise, awkwardly returning her random gesture with a pat on the back. June’s cheerful demeanor was a sharp contrast to the rebel rouser I’d originally encountered in the woods. The June I’d first met was the stone-cold fighter who’d lunged herself at Eric and given him a ***y nose.

 

“Likewise,” I replied.

 

“Come in,” June said, motioning inside. The room was a pigsty and was littered with laundry and empty food boxes. “Master is on the toilet, but he should be out momentarily,” she said. Her emphasis on the word master sounded sarcastic, almost as if she was telling me an inside joke.

 

“Ulm not on luh hoilet!” I heard Eric’s voice call out from the bathroom. Just then, Eric leaned out from the bathroom door, his toothbrush sticking out of his mouth. “A’ll be light owt!”

 

“Make yourself at home,” June said, clearing a pile of dirty clothes off of the armchair in the corner of the room. “We’ve got muffins, if you’d like any,” she added, gesturing over toward the counter on the opposite wall. “The orange raspberry ones are out of this world.”

 

“I’m good actually. But thanks,” I replied courteously, taking a seat. June disappeared into the bathroom and a split second later, Eric exited wearing a tank top, gym shorts, and a bathrobe.

 

“Jodie O’Connell. Top of the marnin’ to ya!” Eric said cheerfully in a terrible Irish accent, tipping an imaginary top hat.

 

“Nice,” I answered dryly. The both of them were far too caffeinated for my tastes this morning…

 

“So, how’s life?” Eric asked, taking a seat on the foot of his bed. “You end up getting a new slave after blondie?”

 

“I… did,” I answered, looking away awkwardly. The words “getting a new slave” didn’t jive well with my soul. Being awarded custody wasn’t much better, but at least it sounded a bit more consensual.

 

“No kidding,” Eric replied, looking impressed. “Who is she?”

 

“Um, her name’s Katie,” I answered, shifting uncomfortably in my seat. Eric continued staring at me with his eyebrows raised, clearly hoping that I’d offer more details. I shook my head dismissively, replying, “It’s… complicated,” I said. The less Eric knew about my chaotic circumstances the better.

 

Eric frowned in disappointment. “You’re no fun,” he conceded. “I guess I’ll just add it the to the list of explanations you owe me.”

 

“What explanations do I owe you?” I asked defensively.

 

“You still haven’t told me why you ditched the blonde in the first place,” he clarified. “I’m kinda bummed out about that, by the way! I was hoping I’d be able to convince you to swap her out with June for a night,” Eric clarified.

 

“Rude!” I heard June call out from the bathroom.

 

Eric ignored her and continued, “I’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to dominate someone who could bench-press me.” His eyes stared over my shoulder as if imagining his fantasy. There was an awkward silence where neither of us said anything. Eventually, I cleared my throat to Eric out of his daydream.

 

Eric blinked and looked back at me. “So, what’s goin’ on?” he asked. “Your DM’s sounded… vague.” It’s true. I’d written Eric several times over the night requesting to meet, but refused to elaborate further.

 

“Yeah,” I responded hesitantly. “So, um- I think I remember you telling me that you’re a computer guy?”

 

“Correct,” Eric replied, “I run a cyber security company.”

 

“Well, I’m hoping you can take a look at this for me,” I said, pulling out my phone and opening the document that Alpha had sent to me earlier. I handed it to Eric. “Does anything stick out to you as abnormal about this?”

 

Eric furrowed his brow as he examined Katie’s profile. “What am I looking for, exactly?” he asked.

 

“Honestly, I don’t know,” I replied. “I was hoping you might be able to tell if it was like… forged or something.”

 

“Wait- this isn’t the Kingdom app,” Eric said, looking confused. After scrolling back to the top, he looked up at me. “How’re you viewing this in your browser?”

 

I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. “Why is that significant?”

 

“It’s significant because it means you’re accessing the domain,” Eric mansplained, bluntly. I saw him tap the refresh button, reloading Katie’s profile. “Which raises the obvious question…” he continued, “How did you gain clearance into the Kingdom’s domain?”

 

I blinked, unsure if his question was rhetorical. “I don’t know,” I answered. “I just clicked a link.”

 

“A link?” Eric asked.

 

“From… the app,” I lied. “Under Katie’s name.”

 

Eric returned to the home screen and opened the Kingdom app. Once he found Katie’s profile, he scrolled down to the end.

 

“Well, it’s not here anymore,” Eric muttered.

 

“Yeah,” I replied. “But what you see there isn’t the same as what’s in the link.”

 

“How so?” Eric asked, cocking his eyebrow.

 

“Well, the one from the link says that Katie has no allergies,” I explained. “The one that’s now on the app says that she’s allergic to peaches.”

 

“Hmm,” Eric said, clearly deep in thought. “Well, that part doesn’t seem odd to me. This place employs hundreds of women. They’re bound to make a few clerical slip-ups.” He exited the app and returned to the browser. I felt my soul sigh with relief. This was the conclusion that I’d hoped Eric would reach. Hearing him sum the error up as coincidence made my trust in Katie feel considerably less irresponsible. “What I find bizarre, though,” he continued, “is how you managed to access what appears like an archived file on what should be a secure domain.” He rubbed his chin contemplatively. “There’s no reason why you or anyone else should be able to see this... Strikes me as a security red flag.”

 

Standing to his feet, Eric grabbed his phone off his nightstand. “I’m gonna jot down the URL and look into this later.” After he finished typing the address into his phone, he handed my phone back to me. “Very odd,” he mused to himself. “I’ll let you know what I find.”

 

“Thanks,” I said, already feeling more relaxed.

 

Eric stepped over to the counter next to me and grabbed a muffin. “Was that all you needed?” he asked, before taking a big bite of his muffin.

 

“Um, yeah pretty much,” I replied awkwardly. “Actually… no!” I said, remembering my second request. “I know I probably sound paranoid at this point, but… I think I may be getting spied on.”

 

Eric’s eyebrows rose. “Hy would oo shay dat?” he asked with a full mouth.

 

“Um… It’s mostly just a feeling, I guess,” I lied. “Can’t shake the sense that I’m being watched.”

 

Eric gulped down his bite of muffin. “Honestly, I’d be surprised if you weren’t being watched,” he replied matter-of-factly.

 

I tilted my head in confusion. “Huh?”

 

“Well, after your appearance on stage at the auction, people know who you are,” he explained. “I’m betting there are some who’d love nothing more than to see you slip up and get a collar slapped around your neck. With you out of the picture, the castle suite could go back on the market.”

 

“That’s comforting,” I replied sarcastically. Eric’s honesty was both off-putting and refreshing. Despite the fact that I sensed he could be annoying, I got the feeling that he was genuine and meant what he said.

 

“You sounded really good up there, by the way,” Eric added. “I dig the Irish accent.”

 

Ignoring his compliment, I shifted back to the topic at hand. “So, more than being physically watched, I’m worried about… surveillance.” Eric looked at me thoughtfully as he chewed another bite of muffin. “Like, audio and video. Do you know anything about stuff like that?”

 

A grin spread across Eric’s face. “You’ve come to the right place,” Eric replied before shoving the remainder of the muffin in his mouth. Wiping his fingers on his robe, he turned and walked over to the closet where he pulled out a briefcase. Dropping it on the foot of the bed, he opened its lid to reveal a series of electronic devices.

 

“I brought ahn anti-turveillance kit wif me,” he explained proudly as he swallowed the last bite. “I happen to be pretty paranoid too. Which is why I run a sweep every day. Several times a day, in fact.” Eric smiled as he noticed the impressed expression on my face. “I’ve seen too much to be naïve,” he added.

 

I stood up and approached the briefcase to get a closer look. “What does it do exactly?”

 

“Well, there are several devices here,” Eric explained. “But basically, they scan a room in search of any electronic signals. Most kits only detect radio and infrared-based devices. This finds everything, heat-sensing technology, fiber optics, you name it. And they’ve all got killer ranges so they can even detect through walls.”

 

“Brilliant,” I mused. “How long does it take?”

 

“A room this size? Less than ten minutes,” Eric replied.

 

“So… what are the odds of me persuading you to… run a sweep at my suite?” I asked.

 

“Hmm…” Eric replied, stroking an imaginary beard on his chin. “I think I could make that work. For say… unlimited access to your pool?”

 

“One pool visit,” I countered without hesitation. “One sweep for one swim.”

 

Eric squinted contemplatively at me. “You run a hard bargain,” Eric answered in a dramatic voice. “Fine,” he added, stretching out his hand. When I reached out to shake, he pulled back, suddenly sticking up his index finger. “With the understanding that your suite may need… weekly sweeps,” he added.

 

I smiled, rolling my eyes. “Deal,” I said.

 

Eric grinned and shook my outstretched hand. “So, when were you thinking?” he asked.

 

“Honestly, if it could be done right away, that’d be great,” I answered.

 

“Like… as in now?” Eric asked, surprised.

 

“Well, I’d need to figure out a way to get Katie out of the suite first, but yeah,” I replied.

 

“Why?” Eric asked, confused

 

“She can come to the spa with me,” June suddenly interjected as she stepped out of the bathroom.

 

I hesitated, considering the offer. “Um, yeah. I guess that could work,” I replied.

 

“Why can’t she be in the suite?” Eric pressed, looking suspicious.

 

“Someone told me that probation collars can act as a wiretap,” I responded truthfully. “If anyone’s listening, I’d rather not advertise what you’re doing in my suite.”

 

“She’s on probation?!” Eric laughed, completely missing the point. “What’d she do?!”

 

I rolled my eyes dismissively. “What time are you going to the spa?” I asked over to June.

 

“Nine,” June answered. “And it’s a three hour session.”

 

I looked down at my phone which read 7:47am. “That… would be perfect, actually,” I said, half to myself.

 

“It’s by appointment only but you can reserve a spot through the app,” June added. “It’s called Harmony Lodge.”

 

“Wait, back up!” Eric interjected, clearly not wanting to move on. “If you’re worried about the Kingdom spying on you, but your slave’s already wearing a wiretapped collar, then what’s the point of me doing a sweep?”

 

Letting out a sigh of frustration, I turned to give him my full attention. “I’d like to know the extent to which I’m being spied on,” I explained tersely, trying not to let my irritation show. “I don’t know who’s doing the spying. I’m just generally distrustful at the moment and would love to be able to take my clothes off in peace.”

 

“Makes sense,” Eric agreed, probably sensing the stress in my voice. “Okay then. So, you want me to come over at 9?”

 

“Let’s make it 8:45,” I countered as I started to exit. “I’ll come up with a way to get Katie out early.”

 

“Sir, yes sir,” Eric replied as I pulled open the door.

 

Sensing that I may have not shown Eric the appreciation he deserved, I stopped and turned back to face him. “Thank you, Eric,” I said earnestly. “I really appreciate your help.”

 

“Happy to help,” he replied with a smile. “If anything changes, message me.”

 

“Will do. Oh, and June?” I called over to her. “If you can keep all this on the down-low when you see Katie, that’d be great.”

 

From across the room, June gave a wink and turned an imaginary key across her lips.

 

“Thanks. See ya in a bit,” I added to Eric before closing the door behind me. Cold air once again filled my lungs, making me shiver. Lifting my jacket collar to block the wind, I headed back toward the castle.

 

As I walked, I pulled out my phone and looked through the Kingdom app for Harmony Lodge on the digital map. Once I found it, I opened its page and filled out a reservation for 9:00. Just before I reached the top of the steps to the suite, I tapped “CONFIRM”, finalizing Katie’s appointment.

 

Opening the door to the suite, I saw Katie standing in the kitchen wearing her bathrobe. She turned to face me holding a mug of coffee.

 

“Hey there, early bird!” she chirped in caffeinated fashion. She was clearly another morning person.

 

“Hey,” I replied with a smile. Seeing Katie was still a mixed bag of emotions. Eric’s conclusion had certainly eased some of my anxiety, but I still couldn’t shake the annoying voice of doubt in the back of my head. On one hand, Katie was the adorkable girl who I’d grown fond enough of to sleep with on our first night together. But on the other hand, she was the wiretapped former Kingdom employee who may or may not have tricked me into believing that she was allergic to peaches…

 

“You’re up early,” Katie noted. “Are you one of those morning strollers?”

 

“Occasionally,” I lied with a fake smile. If there was anything I enjoyed less than waking up early in the morning, it would be waking up early in the morning to go for a walk in the cold. I removed my jacket and tossed it over a chair.

 

“Here, take mine,” Katie said, offering me her freshly made cup of coffee.

 

“Oh, thanks,” I replied, caught off-guard by the kind gesture. As I grabbed the mug, Katie leaned in and kissed me softly on the lips. For a brief moment, every suspicious bone in my body ceased to exist.

 

I’d never thought of myself as a *** person. In fact, I had always been someone who scoffed at those people who allowed themselves to be cat-fished. But as Katie’s lips caressed mine, I suddenly understood how easy it would be for a predator to exploit a person’s emotions. In that moment, I literally had to stop myself from pulling her closer into me and removing her robe.

 

With a great deal of will power I broke off the kiss. “So, I hope you don’t mind, but I got you something,” I said, changing the subject.

 

Katie’s face suddenly lit up. “You did?”

 

“I know it’s last minute, but there was an opening for the 9 o’clock time slot at the Harmony Lodge spa, so I made a reservation,” I said. “You interested?”

 

Katie’s face lit up. “Oh, wow. That sounds amazing!” Katie responded. “Of course.”

 

“I figured you could use some pampering after all the chaos at the health clinic and the kennel before that,” I explained. I couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty about misrepresenting my intentions for getting Katie out of the suite.

 

“That’s… really really sweet of you,” Katie said, her face blushing adorably. “Thank you.”

 

“Don’t mention it,” I replied.

 

“Are you coming too?” Katie asked.

 

“Actually, I’ve got a few errands I need to run,” I lied. As far as lies went, this one was particularly weak. What possible errands would I need to run at a place like this?

 

“Darn,” Katie said obliviously with a pouty face.

 

“Also,” I added, reaching into my jacket pocket. “I activated the second key card for you. Since all you’ve got is your employee uniform, I figured you might want to head out early to get some new clothes before the spa.” I pulled out the card and handed it to her.

 

“Oh- are you sure?” Katie asked bashfully. “I hate spending your ***.”

 

“Katie,” I laughed dismissively. “I won a million dollars from the hunt. I think I can swing it.”

 

“Oh, that’s right,” Katie chuckled, taking the card from my outstretched hand. “I keep forgetting you’re a millionaire.”

 

“Yeah, I’m kind of a big shot now,” I replied with a wink.

 

“Hell yes you are,” Katie answered softly as she stepped in for another kiss. Once again, my defenses were rendered ineffective by the curly-haired girl’s advances.

 

As much as I wanted to get to the bottom of Alpha’s allegations, I seriously despised him adding uncertainty into my relationship with Katie. In contrast to the anxiety I currently felt, ignorance truly was bliss.

 

ping me back to reality, Katie suddenly leaned back and asked, “Wait, what time is it now?”

 

I pulled out my phone to check the time. “Um, It’s… 8:11,” I replied. “Which means, you may wanna head out soon if you’re gonna hit up some shops before hand.”

 

“Good point,” she concurred, spinning suddenly away from me. “It’ll only take a minute to get ready,” she added as she walked briskly walked out of the kitchen.

 

I snickered at her cuteness as she disappeared into the bedroom. As much as I enjoyed Katie’s company, the sooner she left, the sooner I could give Eric the all clear to come over. I finished my coffee and proceeded to make Katie a to-go cup from the Keurig machine.

 

A few minutes later, Katie came out of the bedroom dressed in her Kingdom issued uniform and wearing her backpack. Her hair had been pulled back and tied into a frizzy ponytail.

 

“Okey dokey,” she chirped. “Anything else you want me to pick up while I’m out?” she asked suggestively.

 

“Mmmm,” I chuckled. “I trust your judgment.”

 

Katie flashed a devious grin as she leaned in for a last small kiss. “Thanks for this,” she added softly. “It really was sweet of you to put this together.”

 

“You’re welcome,” I replied, trying my very best to not look guilty. “I’ll meet you back here when you’re done and we can grab some lunch.”

 

“It’s a date,” Katie said with a smile before turning to leave.

 

“Don’t forget your caffeine,” I replied, holding out the cup of coffee I’d just made for her.

 

“My gosh, you’re seriously amazing!” Katie responded as she took the cup from me. When she reached the doorway, she turned back and smiled. “See you in a bit.”

 

“Have fun,” I replied.

 

And with that, Katie exited the suite.

 

No sooner did the door click shut, I yanked out my phone and opened the Kingdom app to write Eric:

 

“Coast is clear.”

 

Moments later, Eric wrote back:

 

             “Be there in 10.”

 

I stowed my phone in my pants pocket and looked around to see if anything needed to be done to the place before Eric’s arrival. To my pleasant surprise, Katie appeared to have already straightened everything up. The trash from the previous night’s dinner had all been disposed of. The bathroom was in perfect condition and the bed had been tightly made. Katie had even placed the uneaten chocolate mints back on the pillows. The perks of having custody over a former hotel maid, I thought.

 

Having nothing else to do, I seized the moment to read a bit more of the Kingdom Handbook while I quickly used the restroom.

 

Exactly 10 minutes after Eric’s text, I heard a knock at the suite’s door.

 

“Pool boy, at your service,” Eric greeted enthusiastically as I pulled the door open.

 

“Hey,” I replied awkwardly, stepping aside so he could enter. Eric wore a bright orange and green bathing suite, flip-flops, and a tank top. Over his shoulder was a large duffle bag.

 

“Man, it’s way colder outside than I thought it was,” Eric said shivering as he stepped inside. “The pool better be at least 80 degrees!”

 

“So, how long do you think this’ll take?” I asked as I closed the door behind him.

 

Eric made an impressed whistling noise as dipped his fingers into the heated pool. Like a kid in a candy store, he walked around the suite exploring the space. “Once I’m all set up- between the great room and kitchen, it shouldn’t take more than… ehhh 20-25 minutes.” Disappearing into the bedroom, Eric continued, “And then maybe another 10 for the bedroom and bathroom!” A few seconds later, he reemerged, chewing a one of the chocolate mints that Katie had left on the pillows.

 

“So, around 35 minutes?” I asked

 

“More or less,” Eric replied with a smile. He stepped into the kitchen and began unloading the contents of his duffle bag onto the table. I stood awkwardly beside the table as I watched him set up his laptop and the complicated array of devices.

 

“Can I… help with anything?” I asked.

 

“I don’t think so,” Eric replied without looking up from his work. “Actually-” he corrected himself. “If you could power off all the Wi-Tricity coils, that’d be helpful. EMF causes too much interference.”

 

I blinked in confusion. “Uh, what?” I asked.

 

“The Wi-Tricity coils,” Eric repeated, looking up at me as if I was supposed to know what that meant. I merely shrugged back at him. “The copper-colored lamps like... that one over there by the sofa,” He pointed to the end table where a tall modern-looking lamp sat. “Should be another one in the bedroom as well.”

 

I stepped over to take a closer look. I was surprised that I hadn’t noticed the lamp before. Seeing it now, I could tell that it was clearly different from the lighting fixtures I’d chosen when I designed the suite.

 

“There’s an off-switch on the base in the back,” Eric clarified.

 

The neck of the lamp was basically a tall glass vase with thick copper wires coiling up the inside. I circled the end table and located a switch just above the power cord on its base. I flicked the switch to its off-setting, but nothing happened. The lamp remained lit.

 

“Um, and what does the off-switch do, exactly?” I asked, perplexed.

 

“Stops it from emitting electromagnetic waves,” Eric said, keeping his focus on the instruments in front of him.

 

“And… why was it emitting electromagnetic waves?” I asked, suddenly feeling intellectually stunted.

 

Eric turned to face me, wearing an incredulous expression. “Seriously?”

 

“Dude, you’re speaking a different language right now,” I laughed. “I have difficulty working the toaster oven.”

 

“How do you think collars are powered?” Eric asked.

 

I blinked at him as I contemplated his words. “Wait- are you’re saying that these lamps charge devices over thin air?”

 

“Of course!” Eric laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “I thought this was your second year at the Kingdom,” he added. “Didn’t you ever wonder why the batteries in your collar never needed to be changed?”

 

“I… honestly never thought about it,” I replied, shaking my head in amazement. “That’s incredible!” Flicking the switch on and off again, I examined the lamp closer. I had no idea that this technology even existed!

 

“It’s a brave new world, red,” Eric chuckled as he stood to his feet holding a scope-looking device up to his eye. Squinting, he ***red through its lens, scanning the room.

 

I was about to ask him what this new contraption was, but the phone suddenly rang across the room.

 

I walked quickly into the kitchen and picked up the receiver on the wall. “Hello?” I asked.

 

“Hello, is this Jodie O’Connell?” asked a low monotone voice.

 

“Yes,” I replied shortly.

 

“Hi, this is Roger Felton from Sycamore Market,” the voice explained. I suddenly recognized the voice as the market employee who had barged in on me naked the day prior. “I’m sorry to call under these circumstances, but we have your slave in custody. I’m afraid Miss Huff was caught shoplifting.”

 

“What?!” I asked loudly, making Eric jump and turn toward me. “Bullshit!”

“I witnessed it personally, ma’am,” the man named Roger replied in his annoying monotone voice. “Seeing as how she has a probation collar, I figured I’d pay you the courtesy of contacting you before security.”

 

I could feel my *** pressure spiking. There was simply no chance that his allegations were true. She was obviously being set up! “Where is she now?” I asked.

 

“We’re holding her at the checkout counter,” he responded.

 

“Okay, do not touch her,” I warned him. “I’ll be right there.” It took every ounce of restraint I possessed not to cuss him out right then over the phone. Before I gave him a chance to answer, I hung up on him and slammed the phone down on the receiver.

 

“Everything okay?” Eric asked, his face looked concerned.

 

I let out a frustrated sigh, shaking my head in disbelief. “No, I- I gotta go,” I replied bluntly, grabbing my jacket from the kitchen chair.

 

“O-okay,” Eric replied, clearly unsure of how to respond. “Do you want me to pick this up another time?”

 

“No,” I answered, as I walked past him. “Please finish what you’re doing… I just… I- I’m sorry, I’ve gotta go.”

 

“Okay,” Eric replied, dumbfounded. “Good luck!”

 

I didn’t respond as I stormed out of the suite. I was definitely seeing red as I ran down the stone stairway and shoved my arms into my jacket. I cursed under my breath, livid that I once again found myself in the middle of another shit storm.

 

Less than a minute later, out of breath, I ran up to the Sycamore Market and stormed inside. The market was almost entirely empty and, like the day prior, loud rock music blared from the overhead speakers. To my left, I saw the fat tou***’d asshole named Roger typing on a checkout computer. My heart dropped as I saw Katie sitting on a chair behind him with her hands behind her back, most likely restrained. I could tell that her eyes were red and she’d been crying.

 

“Ah, Miss O’Connell,” The man named Roger said upon my entrance. “Thank you for coming so quickly.”

 

“Let’s cut right to the chase,” I said ***fully, storming straight over to him “Whatever you thought you saw, you were mistaken. Katie wouldn’t steal anything.”

 

“I admire your loyalty to your slave but I know what I saw,” he replied calmly. “When Miss Huff arrived, I noticed she seemed tense and kept looking over her shoulder. Almost immediately, I witnessed her discretely putting items of clothing into her backpack.”

 

“Okay,” I replied dismissively. “Katie, what actually happened?” Katie opened her mouth, her eyes nervously glancing back and forth between Roger and me. “You clearly didn’t do this,” I coached her. “So, what were you doing that he mistook for shoplifting.” Katie’s mouth quivered, almost as if she were scared to speak. She was clearly having difficulty weighing a response.

 

“Katie,” I pressed her ***fully. “Just tell the truth.”

 

Unable to stall anymore, Katie replied in a meek voice, “I wasn’t taking anything. I was… putting things back.”

 

My heart suddenly dropped in my chest as the puzzle pieces all came together. Dammit Katie, I thought. The dumb ditz wasn’t stealing anything. She was caught returning the clothing that I’d accidentally stolen the day prior!

 

My face softened, indicating to Katie that I understood what she’d done. Katie’s hesitation to defend herself was out of the *** of implicating me! I took a deep breath, quickly devising an explanation to offer Roger.

 

“That… makes more sense,” I broke the silence in a soft voice. Turning to Roger, I took at deep breath and attempted to deliver my explanation in a less combative tone. “After you barged in on me naked yesterday, I was… understandably flustered and I left here in a hurry. It wasn’t until I got back to my room that I realized that I’d accidentally taken some of the outfits I’d tried on in the fitting room.” Roger’s eye widened. “Katie was clearly trying to do the right thing by returning the items.”

 

Roger paused for several seconds, staring at me with a dumb blank expression. “So, just to be clear,” he replied in monotone, “You’re confessing that you were actually the one who shoplifted these items?”

 

“I didn’t shoplift anything,” I responded, feeling my combative side quickly resurfacing. “Like I said- I forgot they were still in my bag when I left. I was still recovering from the shock of having my privacy violated.”

 

“And you decided to wait… until the next day to return the items?” Roger asked skeptically.

 

“I didn’t realize I still had the outfits until last night when I saw Katie try one on,” I countered.

 

“You used the outfits?” Roger asked looking surprised

 

“No!” I replied defensively. “She just tried on the catwoman suit. And then she took it right back off. It was on her for like, two minutes, tops.”

 

“Well, then we can’t take it back,” Roger retorted.

 

“Fine,” I replied angrily. “I’ll pay for it. I’ll pay for everything. Look- it was an honest mistake. And, quite frankly, one that would never have happened had my privacy actually been respected in the first place.”

 

Roger said nothing for a few moments and merely stared creepily at me. Finally, he reached across the counter toward the phone. “I think this circumstance will probably be best handled by security.”

 

My hands instinctively shot up to my hips. “Seriously?” I asked, louder than I’d intended. “You’re gonna call security over this? Over Katie trying to return items?”

 

“Look, we take shoplifting very seriously here,” he replied, picking up the phone. “It’s important that we document it on our ends by contacting the authorities.”

 

My jaw dropped open in disbelief. I wanted nothing more than to give the bastard a black eye. I looked over at a distraught Katie who was still seated behind the counter with her hands behind her back. My heart broke for her as I saw her struggling to hold back tears. The poor girl was just trying to look out for me… again.

 

As I stared at her, my eyes came to rest on the red probation collar around her neck. More than anything else, her probationary status made this situation far more dangerous for her. After just having reread large portions of the handbook, I’d become aware of all the detriments of probation. Just like in the real world, there was far less leniency given to rule-breakers with probationary status. The reason why a person had been placed on probation was insignificant. The red collar was essentially the scarlet letter of the land and its wearers got one strike as opposed to three. With Katie on probation, security was more likely to throw the book at her than to exercise any semblance of grace…

 

It was in this moment that I reached across the counter and pressed my finger onto the phone’s switch, ending his call. Roger looked up at me in surprise.

 

“Miss O’Connell?” He asked.

 

“No,” I said definitively. “No. I’m not gonna let you call security over something so absurd.”

 

Roger paused before replying,” Miss O’Connell, I’m going to have to ask you to desist.”

 

“What do you want?” I asked, keeping my finger pressed down on the phone switch.

 

“Excuse me?” Roger asked.

 

“I said, what do you want?” I reiterated. “What’s it gonna take for you to move on from this?”

 

He responded, as if a broken record, “Like I said, we take matters of shoplift-”

 

“Yes, I know. You take shoplifting very seriously,” I interjected sarcastically. “But we both know that’s not what this was. So, I repeat- what is it that you really want?”

 

The both of us just stared at each other for several seconds until Roger slowly placed the phone back on the receiver.

 

“There is one arrangement that could work,” he replied in a low voice as he leaned forward. I was instantly putt off by his creepy shift in tone and demeanor. “One of our residency employees called in sick this morning. Her shift was from 8 to noon. If your slave was willing to fill in for her shift, I suppose we could overlook this.”

 

“Shift doing what?” I asked skeptically.

 

“Modeling,” Roger replied, nodding over my shoulder. I turned around to see a latex-clad living manikin, locked into a star position at the end of the aisle.

 

“No fucking way,” I replied bluntly as I turned back toward him. “That’s not happening.”

 

Roger leaned in closer to me, causing me to wince from his bad coffee breath. “In that case,” he countered, “I guess I’ll be calling security.”

 

“What other options are there?” I asked, ***fully. “I’d be happy to join her. You’ll essentially have two free employees for the morning shift. Put us to work. Modeling’s out of the question, but I’m sure there are other jobs to be done.”

 

“None that I’d entrust to thieves,” he replied coldly. “Those are your options. The girl models on the floor for three hours, or I let security sort this out. Take your pick.”

 

I could feel my heart racing as I glared at the asshole’s ugly-ass face. Finally, I made up my mind.

 

“I’ll do it,” I said between gritted teeth. “Katie walks out of here right now and I’ll be your model.”

 

“What?” Katie interjected. “Jodie, no.” Without looking away from Roger, I held up my index finger toward Katie, signaling her to be quiet.

 

Roger’s mouth widened into a grin, revealing a mouthful of crooked teeth. “Looks like you found door number three after all,” he said in an impressed tone. He continued staring at me contemplatively for several seconds before straightening up and concluding, “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

 

“No!” Katie said more ***fully, standing to her feet.

 

“It’ll be fine,” I said to her reassuringly. “It’s just three hours.”

 

“You don’t need to do this,” she pleaded as she stepped over to me. “Just let him call security.”

 

I ***d a smile, attempting to put her mind at ease. “I don’t trust them,” I replied. “Look- just go to the spa, relax, and then we’ll meet up for lunch, as planned.”

 

“Jodie. No,” Katie argued, shaking her head.

 

“That’s an order,” I replied with a wink. Katie pursed her lips, exhaling in disapproval.

 

I leaned around her to see that a zip-tie was what restrained her wrists. Grabbing a pair of scissors from off the counter, I leaned over and cut her hands free. The zip-tie fell to the ground revealing ***ful cut marks on her outsides of her wrists. I suppressed the guttural urge to cuss at Roger for cinching the zip-tie so unnecessarily tight.

 

“I’m so sorry, Jodie,” Katie said in a whisper, clearly holding back tears.

 

“Katie,” I chuckled, taking her face in my hands. “It’s three hours. That’s 48 minutes less than the runtime of the Fellowship of the Ring.” A weak smile spread across Katie’s face. “I’ll be fine.” I looked down at my phone that read 8:56am. “You’ve got four minutes before your spa appointment starts. Scram.”

 

“Thank you,” Katie whispered.

 

“Alright,” Roger interjected ping us out of our moment. Once his register was closed, he began walking away toward the back of the market. “Miss Huff, you’re free to leave. Miss O’Connell, follow me, please.”

 

“See you back at the suite around noon,” I said with a smile. Katie nodded as I turned and walked away.

 

My confident façade vanished the instant that Katie could no longer see my face. Three hours was a terrifying length of time to be bound, gagged, and sexually ***ed. If the information placards in front of each model were accurate, I’d be wearing a vibrator, anal-spreading pear plug, and TENS patches over each nipple. Each purchase made would trigger these devices to activate simultaneously for a duration that reflects the dollar amount spent.

 

No sooner did we reach the end of the center aisle, a chorus of high-pitched moans and protests suddenly filled the large room, indicating that a purchase had just been made.

 

Against the wall by the water fountain, a shiny pink manikin threw her head backward in visible distress. My eyes caught a glimpse of her gloved fingers frantically groping the air as I passed her. My face flushed with rage as I contemplated the misery of joining these women in their ***s…

 

I followed Roger through the “STAFF ONLY” door, past the rows of inventory-filled cardboard boxes, and into the employee break room. I noticed that there was now a partition down the center of the room, essentially dividing the space in a locker room on one side and a workshop of sorts on the other. On the workshop side were several large ominous pipe structures that I’d never seen before.

 

“First things first,” Roger broke the silence, “You won’t be able to use the bathroom until the end of your shift, so you’ll need to evacuate your bowels and bladder now.”

 

“I’m good,” I replied bluntly.

 

“Oookay,” Roger replied, seemingly unconvinced. “Because it’s a three hour shift-”

 

“For fuck sake,” I replied louder than I intended, “I went before I left.”

 

“Fine,” he replied, raising his hands defensively as he turned away. He then began sorting through a cardboard boxes stacked against the workshop wall. “Let’s see, you look to be about a size small, correct?”

 

“Depends on the day,” I muttered curtly. Roger looked over to me, unsatisfied with my answer. “Yes, I’m a small,” I clarified, rolling my eyes.

 

“This’ll do,” Roger said, as he lifted a plastic-wrapped package and brought it over to me. I took it from him and pulled out a gold latex catsuit. “Alright. Now remove your clothes and get greased up,” he continued. “You can store your belongings in locker number nine.”

 

“Greased up?” I asked, confused.

 

“With lubricant,” he answered. “Located in the dispensers on the wall. It’ll help the latex slide on.”

 

I stepped over to the locker room side of the break room and began removing my socks and shoes. I shook my head in disbelief that I was actually going along with this. How the hell was I so predicament-prone?! Adding to my disgust, I could feel Roger’s eyes burning into my backside as I hesitantly undressed, marking the second time in two days that the asshole had enjoyed the pleasure of seeing me naked.

 

There were so many expletive-laced objections I wanted to voice in this moment. But instead of giving into temptation, I ***d myself to think of Katie. As odd as it was, I was able to find a bit of peace knowing that I was saving her from three hours of ***.

 

Once I was completely nude, I placed all of my belongings inside the locker, and stepped over to the nearest lubricant dispenser. I shivered as I applied the cold greasy substance over my body.

 

“In the top of your locker, you’ll find a mesh bag filled with velcro straps,” Roger explained. “Before you put on your catsuit, apply the straps to each of your ankles, wrists, knees, elbows, and shoulders. And make sure the metal clips are all positioned behind you so they’ll line up with the slits on your catsuit.”

 

I located the mesh bag in the locker and began the process of accessorizing my joints with velcro straps. Each strap was labeled with its corresponding body part, leaving little room for error.

 

Once every strap was secure and each metal clip was rotated to my backside, I began the uncomfortable task of tugging the skin-tight latex catsuit over me. After a few minutes of hard work and perseverance, I finally managed to zip everything up and pull each metal clips through the adjacent slits.

 

“Okay,” Roger said. “Now we get you locked to your podium. This way.”

 

Following him over to the workshop side, we stepped up to a bizarre pipe structure that stood roughly 5 feet high. I stared at what he called my podium, wondering what the hell I was even looking at… It almost looked like a piece of a modern art you’d find in a fancy lobby.

 

Basically, it was a curved stripper pole extending upwards from a wooden platform. At its center, poles branched out from both sides to roughly mimic a figure-8. After studying it for a few more seconds, I noticed that the whole product appeared to resemble a human being. A sort of stick figure squatting low to the ground with its arms over its head.

 

Just then, everything clicked. Similar to the manikin I’d inspected by the checkout, this pipe sculpture was actually a frame. An outline for a person to be secured to. I was to be strapped to the pipe structure at each of my joints, locking me into the same figure-8 position as the stick figure…

 

Roger knelt down to his knees and began adjusting one of the pipes. The longer I stared at the device, the more I dreaded what the next three hours would entail. My mind suddenly began racing to think of a way out of this predicament. What if I tried to seduce Roger? Would he even go for it? I never fancied myself as much of a seductress, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to try. As distasteful as it might have seemed, I’d much rather give the fat bastard a blow job than spend the next three hours in restrictive bondage. I quickly brainstormed on how to best pursue this objective…

 

“So, basically I just… stand here three hours?” I asked. Roger didn’t reply but rather continued fidgeting with the base of the pipe structure. “Doesn’t sound very exciting,” I said taking a step toward him.

 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Roger chuckled, standing up straight. To my frustration, he didn’t seem to notice my proximity and remained focused on the device. “It’ll get plenty exciting for you once the customers start arriving.”

 

“Well, what about for you?” I asked, taking another step closer to him. It was at this moment that he noticed how close I was to him and he gave me a surprised double-take. “Wouldn’t you rather I do something a bit more… mutually beneficial?”

 

Roger cleared his throat uncomfortably and turned away to avert my gaze. I took one last step toward him, pressing my latex-clad body against his. “What if I could make your shift more exciting?”

 

“And how might you do that?” a husky voice suddenly said from behind me. Surprised, I spun around to see a large unattractive woman with frizzy hair approaching. I recognized her as the woman who was operating the other register the day prior. She was wearing a maroon polo shirt that matched Roger’s and had a nametag that read BRIDGET. Standing nearly a foot taller than me, her broad shoulders and body mass index made her quite an intimidating sight.

 

“What’s going on here, Roger?” She asked, folding her large arms across her chest.

 

Roger suddenly straightened up and placed his hands by his sides, almost as if a drill sergeant was addressing him. “Nothing,” he replied, clearing his throat. “Nothing. Um, this is Jodie. She decided to take her slave’s place for number nine’s shift.

 

The woman named Bridget walked over to the two of us wearing a suspicious look on her face.

 

“Mm-hmm,” she muttered. “And is that why you’ve grown yourself a little erection?”

 

Roger shifted uncomfortably in his stance. “No- I don’t have a- it’s a… It’s just the way I’m standing… Ma’am.”

 

Bridget stepped in closer to Roger and reached out to cup his crotch with her hand. “You’re a little liar,” she whispered.

 

Roger didn’t respond, but I could see that his face had suddenly grown beet red.

 

“Go put on your chastity cage and I’ll handle the girl from here,” she said in a low voice.

 

“Yes, ma’am,” Roger replied pathetically, hanging his head.

 

“Quickly!” she ped loudly at him, the sound of her voice echoing off the walls. Roger flinched at her command and began jogging away. “And then relieve Alex at register one!” A few moments later, the woman and I were alone.

 

Bridget turned back to face me. “So,” she said curtly, “Your slave’s the one who tried to steal from us, huh?”

 

“No,” I said, taking a deep breath to compose my explanation. “She was trying to return something that I’d taken by accident.” Bridget’s overgrown eyebrows rose in surprise. “Yesterday, your employee barged in on me in the fitting room when I was naked. As a result, I was flustered and forgot that I still had stuff in my bag when I left.”

 

“Ahhhh,” she said dramatically. “So, it was his fault that you chose to steal from us?”

 

I exhaled slowly, trying to compose myself before I accidentally head-butted the bitch. With ***d restraint, I explained, “I purchased something else, but I forgot that I still had more in my-”

 

“Psssssh!!!” Bridget cut me off loudly, holding up her index finger. “I don’t care why you did it. My only interest is rectifying the offense.”

 

I sighed, recognizing the futility of arguing with this bitch.

 

“Whatever your story is, my husband made you an offer and you accepted it,” Bridget replied, placing her hands on her hips. “Period.” The fact that these ugly fucks were married was generally unsurprising. I shuddered to imagine the hideous gene pool they’d pass to their offspring if they ever conceived.

 

Bridget then pulled a cell phone out of her pocket and lifted it toward my neck. But a split second later, her smug expression vanished and she pulled her phone backwards.

 

“Where’s your collar?” she asked, sounding alarmed.

 

“I… don’t have one,” I replied.

 

“Your slave’s collar,” She corrected herself impatiently. “Did she not leave it with you when you took her spot?”

 

“Uh, no,” I replied, taken off-guard. “Was she supposed to?”

 

Bridget sighed. “Roger should have made that clear,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Welp, in that case, you’ll be modeling one of our collars.” Moving right along, she stepped past me grabbed the vertical pole of the pipe structure I was to be secured to. “Step up to the podium and place the balls of your feet on the red circles.”

 

I begrudgingly followed her orders and stepped onto the base of the pipe structure. Crouching down, Bridget grabbed my calf and fiddled with the clip attached to my ankle strap. For a split second, I contemplated kneeing the woman in the head. A good hard hit to the temple might’ve been enough to level her... But I ruled out the idea almost as quickly as I thought of it. I’d essentially be trading 3 hours here for several days in the kennel on *** charges. At this point, the best option available to me was to grit and bear what was about to happen.

 

My window of opportunity officially closed as I felt each of my ankles get secured tightly to the pipes behind them.

 

“Squat,” Bridget ordered. I followed her command and squatted low until my hamstrings and ass came to rest on the corresponding pipes. Making her way up, she repeated the process of securing the straps at each knee, shoulder, elbow, and wrist. The end result was me- frozen in place against the pipe structure. My legs were spread wide and bent in a squatting position. My back was kept arched and my hands were secured over my head to the top of the vertical pole.

 

While this position would undoubtedly been quite stressful to sustain under normal circumstances, the piping beneath and behind me allowed me to rest my weight comfortably. What it would feel like three hours from now, I couldn’t say. But at the present, I felt no immediate discomfort. This, unfortunately, was all about to change.

 

“Lovely,” she mused as she straightened up. “This position suits your body frame nicely.”

“Great,” I replied, sarcastically.

 

“Wait a minute!” Bridget interjected, suddenly looking taken aback. “I recognize you, now! You’re the champion of the hunt!”

 

I nodded my head unenthusiastically. “Yep,” I replied.

 

“Wow!” Bridget exclaimed, laughing. “Well, isn’t this a treat! It’s not every day we have a celebrity model for us.”

 

I ***d my face to remain expressionless, trying not to appear concerned by her excitement.

 

“Well, now that I know who you are, I’ll definitely have to find you a featured spot on the floor. Perhaps even the front window!”

 

I could feel my *** pressure rising with each word she spoke.

 

“And we’ll skip the hood, for sure,” she continued giddily, sticking her hand into her back pocket. “A face as recognizable as yours needs to be seen!” I maintained my cool as she produced a hair tie and began running her hands through my hair. After a few moments, my hair was tied into a ponytail at the back of my head.

 

Bridget then turned and stepped over to my locker. While she was looking away, I seized the opportunity to test my restraints. After a few seconds of tugging, I sighed in defeat, recognizing how secure I was.

 

From my locker, Bridget retrieved a grey plastic bin and carried it back over to me. Crouching down in front of me, she removed the lid to reveal the items that I dreaded most. Inside was a large ribbed dildo, metallic butt-plug, and several coils of wires. Picking up the dildo, she connected an electrical cord to its base and then ***led off a condom, revealing a phallus that had been pre-lubricated. She used her free hand to unzip the crotch of my catsuit and find my pussy lips with her sausage-sized fingers.

 

Without warning, she positioned the dildo at my clit and shoved upward. I gasped as the large cock ***d its way deep inside me. Good GOD it was big! And long!!! My eyes closed, as I fought off the arousal that accompanied the unwelcome invasion. Once the shaft was completely submerged, I slowly opened my eyes. My catsuit was already starting to feel tighter around my breasts as I began to breath deeply.

 

“Do not let that fall out,” she ordered, prompting me to clench my abdominal muscles. Not that I needed to. Even with the lubricant, the dildo was far too wide and ribbed to go anywhere on its own.

 

Next, Bridget picked up the metal butt-plug and connected an electrical cord to its base. Like the dildo, the bulb of the plug was also protected by a condom. As she ***led it off, I could see that it, too, was slick with lubricant. Twisted as these sick fucks were, the use of condoms to pre-lubricate the toys was certainly efficient and sanitary.

 

Lifting it up to her face, she used her thumb to press a button at the base of the plug. My jaw suddenly dropped as I watched the bulb suddenly split into three sections and spread to twice its original size.

 

“Ever used an anal-spreading pear plug before?” Bridget asked. I didn’t reply as I stared in horror at the device.

 

She laughed at my expression as she lowered the object toward my sex. “I’ll take that as a no,” she said. “You’re in for quite a stretch, champion.”

 

“Wait,” I said, uselessly tugging on my restraints. Bridget ignored me and proceeded to position the plug beneath my asshole. “Wait, wait-wait-wait!” I said more ***fully.

 

Bridget stopped and leaned back to meet my gaze. Her ugly face suddenly looked unnervingly pleased by my display of resistance. “You’re on the clock,” she said coyly. “Stalling won’t help you now. This is going in your ass whether you like it or not.”

 

“Wait- can we talk about this for a second?” I asked desperately. “This is crazy.”

 

Bridget chuckled as she leaned back toward me and repositioned the plug beneath my anus.

 

“Do you want ***?!” I continued frantically. “I can pay- I can invest in your busi-aaaauooouch FUUUUUCK!!!” My fingernails dug into my palms as the plug ***fully ***d its way into my ass.

 

“Don’t fight it,” she warned in a singsong voice. “Just take it. A little further, aaaaand we’re in.”

 

“SHIIIIT!!!” I screamed. Once the bulb made its way passed my sphincter, the intense *** had ceased. But the discomfort and *** of having my ass plugged remained. I gave a small test push to see how secure the plug really was. I exhaled in defeat as I came to grips with its permanence. I growled softly through clenched teeth, glaring at the floor in *** frustration.

 

Then, Bridget zipped the catsuit back up over my sex, effectively locking the devices inside my body. The only visible evidence of their existence were the electrical cords dangling from the back of the zipper.

 

“Not so bad now, is it?” Bridget asked patronizingly. Stooping down further, she pulled the cords behind the vertical pole and plugged them into receptacles at its base. “You wait-” she continued, “By the time your shift ends, you’ll be sad to see it go.” I literally bit my tongue to keep from cussing her out.

 

Then, she stood upright and unzipped the top my catsuit down to my belly button. Without reservation, she reached both hands inside of my lapels and pulled out my breasts.

 

“My, what perfect C’s you, have,” she cooed condescendingly as she lifted my breasts up and allowed them fall back down. I scowled at her, loathing her sense of entitlement. Blackmailing me into working a shift as a bondage model was bad enough without having my body handled. Once again, my head danced with fantasies of head-butting the fat bitch.

 

Next, Bridget reached into the bin and withdrew two long wires. Attached to the end of each wire was what looked like two half-dollar sized, donut-shaped stickers. ***ling off the stickers’ clear plastic backing, she carefully applied them to my each of my breasts. Given the stickers’ donut shape, both of my exposed nipples poked through the hole in the center.

 

Pulling the nipple wires up my chest, she laid one over each shoulder and ran them around my neck to meet at the rear. Then, she pulled my catsuit’s lapels together and zipped me back up. Grabbing the wires that protruded from the nape of my catsuit, Bridget swiftly connected them to what I guessed was a receptacle on the pole behind me.

 

Looking pleased, she stepped back to admire her work. Appearing to remember something, she suddenly ped her fingers and spun toward the shelves behind her. Moments later, she returned holding a black posture collar. Without speaking, she lifted the rigid collar to my neck and began lacing it from the back. When she finished, I could barely move my head and my chin was trapped in a lifted position.

 

“All set,” she said, apparently satisfied with the final product. “And just in time for morning rush hour!”

 

I rolled my eyes as Bridget then produced a huge black bit-gag to my mouth. “Open wide,” she ordered. Failing to see the upside of resisting, I obliged. Moments later, the large cylindrical rubber gag was wedged between my teeth and the strap was buckled tightly behind my head.

 

“Alright, let’s get you out there, champion,” Bridget said as she stepped behind me. I let out a muffled squeal as I found myself being angled backwards. The entire platform was tilted until I was practically looking straight up at the ceiling. Then, as if on a dolly, Bridget began to roll me from the break room and through the overstock bay.

 

Passing through the STAFF ONLY doors, I winced at the return of the loud rock music that blared overhead. My eyes began to dart around the market, surprised and horrified to see the many customers that had arrived in the 15 minutes I’d spent getting ready. Several male customers stopped what they were doing to ogle at me as I passed.

 

“Whoa- is that…” one customer began.

 

“The champion of the hunt?” Bridget interjected loudly. “You bet it is! Just joined our staff this morning.” I rolled my eyes at how evidently proud she was with herself. “Roger!” she called to the front of the market. “Clear a path for me to wheel our new model into the front display!” she called over to the register.

 

“Yes ma’am,” Roger replied from behind an empty register, springing to action and jogging over to the window by the entrance. Working quickly, Roger managed to move and rearrange all of the featured products away from the center just before I was rolled up.

 

“Here we are,” Bridget announced as she rolled me as close as I could get to the glass. I gasped as she abruptly dropped the front of the platform to rest flat on the floor. “Perfect visibility for all our prospective customers.”

 

The streets and sidewalks were now busy with pedestrians. Similar to my reaction the day prior, several passersby did a surprised double-take once they realized that I was actually a real person as opposed to a plastic manikin.

 

One guy even stopped in his tracks and backed up in order to take a closer look at me. I rolled my eyes as he scanned me up and down. After a several seconds of creepily staring at me, he then leaned over to inspect a sign that was suction-cupped to the inside of the window. Following his gaze, I recognized it as the laminated pricing scale that I’d read the day prior.

 

Reading the letters in reverse, I refreshed myself on what I had to look forward to each time a sale was made. $1 to $49 in purchases would result in 15 seconds of stimulation, $50 to $99 would result in 45 seconds, and over $100 would result in 3 minutes.

 

“Alright, champion,” Bridget cooed at me as she stood upright. Grabbing my chin with her chubby fingers, she turned my face toward her. I winced in discomfort from the strain on my posture-collared neck. “You’ve got the next three hours to be spectated and over-stimulated. Since you’re not wearing a smart collar that monitors your vitals, I’ll have to check in on you a bit more frequently.” I rolled my eyes, silently lamenting the idea of having to deal with regular patronizing visits from this bitch.

 

“And since we never did put our arrangement in writing, maybe we’ll even stretch your time to a double shift.”

 

These words made my eyes shoot wide open in rage. “Mmph ullph mph mmmphrrrr!” I objected angrily at her causing her to belly laugh.

 

“Don’t you worry your pretty little head about it,” she chuckled, patting my cheek. “I’ll determine whether or not you’re up to the challenge.”

 

“Mmph uuuulph!!” I protested. Bridget ignored me as she gave my restraints one last once-over. “MMMMMMPHHHH!!!” I reiterated desperately.

 

“Oh hush,” she replied, condescendingly. “Roger and I both pulled triple shifts back when we were testing the concept for the store. You’ll be more than fine for a double.”

 

I scowled hatefully at the fat skank as I tried to control my breathing through my nose. In hindsight, I so regretted not head-butting the bitch when I had the chance.

 

“And if your slave shows back up,” Bridget continued smiling, “I could always rig her up right next to you! Based on my own experience on the podium next to Roger for 9 hours, I’m certain the two of you would appreciate the bonding time.”

 

Instead of protesting further, I merely glared at her. The more she spoke, the more I came to wonder if she was actually bluffing. She seemed like just the type that would delight in a good mind-fuck. There was no way she could follow through on such threats without consent… was there?

 

All of the sudden, my world was flipped upside down as my bodily stimulants simultaneously sprang to life. My expression instantly changed from one of anger to sheer terror as I felt the vibrating dildo turn on full blast, the stickers over my nipples begin to course with strong electrical current, and the butt plug in my ass began to expand.

 

“Mmmmmph uuuurph Mmmmlllphuuuuuurrrr!!!!!!” I shrieked into my gag as my eyes clamped shut. Holy SHIT, the ensemble of sensations was intense! I tugged ferociously at my bonds, clenching my fists, flexing my toes, and tossing my head back and forth as much as the posture collar would allow in a hysterical show of discomfort and rage.

 

Bridget howled with laughter at my plight. “Pace yourself, champion,” she said. “You’ll need to conserve your energy if you’re gonna make it through a double-shift.”

 

As terrifying as the thought of 6 hours was, I was far too preoccupied with everything else that was happening to me. The worst of it, by far, was the now monstrous butt-plug that occupied my anus. I’d used plugs before, but nothing that was even remotely this large. And to make matters worse, the now-expanded butt-plug added significant pressure to my vagina, making the ribbed dildo feel even bigger.

 

Despite my intense opposition, I felt myself inching rapidly toward orgasm.

 

Opening my eyes, I realized that Bridget was no longer beside me. Struggling against my posture collar, I craned my head to the side, eager to catch a glimpse of the purchase that had triggered my stimulations. But from my position, I had no view of any checkout counters. I growled in frustration as I realized that there would be no way of knowing how long each bout of *** would last.

 

Roughly 45 seconds after it began, all of the devices suddenly powered off. The donut stickers stopped electrocuting my nipples, the vibrating dildo ceased it’s pounding on my pussy, and the butt-plug slowly shrank back down to it’s original size. I let out a muffled sight of relief.

 

Holy fuck! I thought. I honestly hadn’t imagined it being this intense. I ignored the smiling streetwalkers in front of me as my chest heaved up and down to catch my breath.

 

Several minutes passed until the second purchase was made. This time, however, the stimulants only ***ed my *** body for 15 seconds. While it still was no walk in the park, at least it didn’t bring me to the brink of orgasm.

 

Once those 15 seconds were over, I opened my eyes to the sight of Bridget holding a bucket on the other side of the glass. Reaching inside the bucket, she pulled out a large florescent pink magic marker and began to write on the window above my head.

 

Still panting, I read each letter in reverse. Once I realized what she was writing, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

 

             Jodie O’Connell, CHAMPION OF THE HUNT

 

Oh, for fuck sake, I thought to myself. How much more *** did this whore need to inflict upon me?

 

No sooner did I ask myself the question, Bridget stooped down and drew a circle around the pricing scale sign that was suction-cupped to my side of the window. Above the circle, she wrote the words:

 

             Double the fun! For a limited time, all sales extend the Champ’s durations 2X!!

 

After I finished deciphering the letters in reverse, my eyes nearly bulged out of my head in shock. Taking notice of my reaction of sheer horror, Bridget gave a toothy grin and flashed me a thumbs up sign. What the actual FUCK!!!!

 

“NNNNNRRRRRPPPPPPPPPPHHH!!!!!!” I screamed in rage. I was beside myself. I officially lost my shit! I pulled, tugged, and twisted with all my might, desperate to free myself from my predicament. She couldn’t do this to me, dammit! I thought. SHE COULDN’T DO THIS!!!!!

 

Several people on the sidewalk had stopped in front of the window to observe the show I was putting on. Undaunted by their apparent enjoyment, I continued throwing a royal fit as Bridget reentered the market.

 

“Keep it up, champion,” Bridget said antagonistically as she stepped up beside me. “The bigger the show, the better the profits.” I continued to writhe and sputter unintelligibly as she knelt down and fidgeted with something at the back of my platform. A few seconds later, she stood back up, but remained hunched over so that we were eye level.

 

“So, as you’re clearly aware, your shift just got a little bit more interesting,” she said.

 

“Rrrrmph mph nppphmurm FRRURMPH!” I replied angrily, evoking audible laughter from onlookers on the other side of the glass.

 

“15 seconds will now be 30 seconds. 45 seconds will be minute and a half. And 3 minutes will be 6,” she explained calmly. “But what your adoring fans out there don’t know is that I’ve also increased the intensity of your nipple stims from 80hz to 120hz.”

 

Before I could express my objections, all of my stimulants suddenly sprang to back to life again.

 

“GGGGGGRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMUUULLLLMMMMPPPH!!!!” I howled in misery. As horrible as the expanding butt-plug was, the electrical stimulation pads over my nipples quickly became my new greatest foils. The electrical current was now noticeably stronger than before and felt like a hundreds small needles stabbing each nipple.

 

“Okay, I’ll leave you to it,” Bridget said as she patted my thigh. “Don’t fight it. Just let go and enjoy the ride.”

 

I opened my eyes to shoot her the nastiest glare I could muster, but she’d already turned and started to walk away. Cursing unintelligibly, I directed my undivided attention toward fending off the unwanted orgasm that inched closer and closer.

 

I knew it was only a matter of time before I’d eventually succumb to the vibrating dildo’s *** on my pussy. But if my experience on the extractor taught me anything, it was how imperative it would be to fight off my first climax for as long as humanly possible. Because once the first orgasm hit, it would be virtually impossible to stop or even delay any orgasm thereafter.

But to my shame, I could feel my resolve slowly weakening. Passing what felt to be the first minute and a half mark, my stimulations continued on at full s***d ahead. This could only mean one thing. I took a deep breath and prepared myself for a full 6 minutes of continuous stimulation.

 

Eyes closed, toes curled, and fists balled, I dug deep as I valiantly warded off my intensifying state of arousal. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, I thought out loud as I felt my mind making concessions to my body. Digging my fingernails into my palms, I shook my head back and forth in willful determination.

 

Another minute passed, but 6 minutes of resistance was beginning to resemble a pipe dream. The vibrations were just too violent. The butt-plug was too big. The nipple electricity, too strong. I clenched my abdominal muscles in a last ditch effort to fight.

 

After what felt like nearly 4 minutes of abstention, I was no longer able to delay my climax. I screamed in a mixture of guilt and ecstasy as I came like I’d never cum before. Every muscle in my body seemed to convulse simultaneously as flood of electrical impulses fired from my brain.

 

Quivering uncontrollably, I could do nothing but continue clenching my fingers and toes until the orgasm passed. But even after my climax ceased, my stimulants did not. I moaned pitifully as I wondered how much time I still had on the clock.

 

I swallowed in an attempt to suppress the sob that I felt creeping up the back of my throat. I despised myself for cumming. And I was ashamed of the part of me that actually enjoyed my sexual release. There was simply nothing worse than the feeling of having your mind hijacked against your will. Losing your mobility to bondage is one thing. But losing your cognitive freedom… It’s the epitome of demoralizing.

 

Not wanting to see the smiling faces of those on the other side of the glass, I kept my eyes closed and braced myself for my continued sexual ***s. But moments later, just as I felt myself building toward a second orgasm, my stimulants all subsided.

 

I let out a long sigh and flexed my fingers in relief. My palms felt raw as my fingernails slowly retracted from them. Rolling my shoulders back, I attempted to stretch, angling my head back as far as the posture collar would allow. Fuck, I thought. This was certain to become the longest day of my young life.

 

To my relief, nearly 10 minutes passed before the next purchase was made. And given the fact that it only lasted 30 seconds, I was successfully able to fend off a second orgasm.

 

As awful as the extractor had been during my time at the kennel, my current predicament was shaping up to be unfathomably worse. Unlike the extractor, the built-in breaks that accompanied these timed intervals weren’t likely to afford me the opportunity to pass out. Losing consciousness would have been ideal right about now…

For a while, purchases became sparse and sporadic. To my relief, most turned out to be smaller, “30-second” purchases that kept me from cumming. But as I quickly discovered, the universe always had a sinister way of balancing itself out. Roughly a half-hour in, I was hit with back-to-back-to-back “minute and a half” purchases that each claimed its own orgasm.

 

45 minutes in, I’d been reduced to a slobbering, sputtering mess. I’d lost count of the number of orgasms I’d experienced and my entire body felt like jello. If I hadn’t been secured to the pipe structure, I’d have surely collapsed to the ground like a limp fish. Periodically, Bridget would stop over to “check on me”, which consisted of antagonizing me with sadistic one-liners. But I was too exhausted and overwhelmed to even issue her a protest-glare.

 

My “shift” continued unpredictably until out of the clear blue, the loud rock music playing from the market’s overhead speakers suddenly turned off. My eyes shot open in surprise as the brief silence was broken by the sound of ear-shattering sirens. To my right, the sound of shouting could be heard, prompting me to turn my head.

 

Standing by the metal detectors at the front of the market was a blond-haired security guard with a military buzz-cut. Cupping his mouth in both hands, he appeared to be shouting instructions to the market’s guests. I strained my ears to make out what he was saying, but his voice was drowned out by the sirens blaring from the nearest speaker. Once he finished speaking, everyone in the market began making their way toward the exit.

 

My eyes darted around nervously, suddenly ***ing that a fire may have broken out or something. As the customers passed by me, I saw Bridget approach the security guard and begin conversing with him. The guard appeared to speak urgently to her, at several times pointing his finger around the large room.

 

After a brief conversation, Bridget turned and walked briskly away and the guard began walking towards me. Not making eye contact, he walked up to the window in front of me and began pulling a cord that drew the shades closed. Perplexed by what was happening, I watched patiently as the shades slowly covered the large window.

 

Once the window was dark, the guard turned and faced me, finally meeting my gaze. It was at this moment that my *** ran cold with the dread. Whether it was female intuition or just plain paranoia, I somehow knew something was off.

 

I furrowed my brow contemplatively as I tried to get a read on him. Unlike every other person I’d come into contact with over the past week, there was something off about this man. His face was expressionless and his eyes looked almost… dead. The two of us shared a chilling moment of silence before the man reached into his pants pocket and withdrew a syringe.

 

I had no time react before he removed the syringe’s cap and stabbed the needle into my neck below my posture collar. I howled in *** as the contents of the needle were quickly injected into my jugular vein. Almost instantly, my vision grew foggy and I felt the room begin to spin around me. I blinked several times, feeling my consciousness rapidly slipping away from me. Knowing I had mere seconds left, I spent my last ounce of energy contorting my face into a scowl. The last things I saw before everything went dark were the security guard’s cold emotionless eyes…