The rain was coming down in sheets as Ted fought his way along the lonely country back road. The darkness surrounding him was complete except for the brilliant slice of light that the headlights of the BMW threw in front of him. A dull throb was giving birth to a monstrous headache as he tried to concentrate on the twisting road ahead of him.
He glanced over at the passenger seat and saw that Diane was still sleeping. He was glad that she had finally drifted off. Her constant nagging about his navigational ignorance, in tandem with the blinding rain, had caused him to yell at her. A form of communication, he thought, that they were sharing with each other more and more.
It hadn't always been this way, he remembered. And he allowed himself a brief moment of relaxation as he thought of the happier times they'd spent together. His mind strolled back through his memory until it stopped in France. They had spent their honeymoon there and the days and nights were filled with passion and excitement, two things that seemed to have gotten lost in the shuffle. He wanted desperately to see things put back in order again, but honestly didn't know where to start.
"Son of a bitch!" he said out loud, as his mind came reeling back and he slammed his foot down on the brake pedal. During his mental absence, the road had taken a sharp turn to the left and some primordial instinct began ringing the wake-up bell only seconds before it would have been too late.
The car responded amazingly well as he jerked the steering wheel to the left. He felt the tires on the right side slide off the wet asphalt as he came to a stop. Diane quickly sat up and looked around.
"What happened?" she asked, her head still foggy from sleep.
Ted remained quiet as he stared out the windshield, his little headache now full-blown. He tried to ignore the windshield wipers as they rushed back and forth.
"Ted, I asked you what happened?" Her voice was now a bit more insistent.
"I must have dozed off… I almost missed that turn."
Diane rearranged herself in her seat and ran her fingers through her dark brown hair. "Well," she said sarcastically, "are we going to stay here all night or what?
Ted looked her way and gave serious thought about putting her out right here, but decided he'd give her another chance, or two. He faced forward, put the car in gear and eased it back onto the road. As he picked up some speed, he wished that the rain would stop. Thirty minutes of uneasy silence passed before Diane started on him, again.
"You know, I haven't seen another car since we got on this road. Are you sure you know where you're going?"
"No, I'm not sure where I'm going!" she sighed. "But, I am sure that this is the road that Bill said for us to take."
"Bill… I wonder about that guy," she said.
"Well, I'll let you in on a little secret, Diane. Bill wonders about you, too!" He knew immediately that was a mistake.
Diane twisted in her seat and he could feel her eyes staring holes into the side of his skull.
"Now, just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Her words came out like icicles.
"Nothing, Diane. Just forget I said anything, okay?"
"Look," she said, "this little trip to Bill's cabin was your idea, not mine. I've got about a million things that I needed to do this weekend, and none of them included being criticized by our buddy Bill.
"He wasn't criticizing you. He just thought that we needed some time together and I happened to agree with him. So, let's make the most out of this. It'll be fun."
"Well, fun or no fun, I have to go to the bathroom. Let's stop at the next place we see. That is, if we see any place!. Another ten minutes went by before they saw a little white sign rush past them.
"Did you see that sign? What'd it say?" Diane asked
"I don't know. We went by too quick." Ted was finding it hard to believe that it was raining even harder now than it was a short time ago. He took one hand off the wheel and rubbed his eyes. They felt like they had sand in them. As he put his hand back on the wheel, he noticed that Diane was squeezing her thighs together. It wasn't nice, but he couldn't stop a silent chuckle.
"Ted, I'm telling you that if you don't find some place really quick, I am going to christen your new BMW." He took note that it was said earnestly.
He became a man with a mission. Carefully, he pushed down on the accelerator and brought the car up to fifty. His eyes darted from one side of the road to the other until finally, in the distance, he thought he saw another sign ahead. Diane was making some kind of moaning noise that he'd never heard before as he slowed the car down. His vision felt blurred as he tried to read the sign that he was approaching. It was difficult. The windshield seemed to fill with new water within microseconds of the wiper pushing the old water off.
Diane began thumping her heels against the carpeted floorboard in some ancient and forgotten rhythm as Ted began to decipher the message on the sign.
"Arnold's… something… something cafe. There's an arrow pointing to the right. I can't make it all out."
"Cafe! That's all I need to hear," Diane said in a voice that Ted thought sounded very shrill.
He pushed on the gas and drove a few yards before seeing the little road that went to the right.
"You know, this place may not be open," he said as he made the turn and followed the slick-looking black line that was the road.
"All I can say is it better be open!" Ted drove a little faster.
A huge gravel parking lot came into view. At the back of it sat Arnold's Cafe.
Ted wheeled the car up to the large wooden building and was immensely grateful that there were lights burning inside. The parking lot itself was empty except for his BMW, but he thought he saw someone pass in front of one of the windows. It was well after midnight, but perhaps he could at least persuade them to let Diane use the ladies' room.
"Damn, it's about time, Ted!" Diane said in her 'You-pissed-me-off-again' voice."
Like a shot, she was out off the care before it even stopped. He watched her as she raced to the weather-beaten screen door and threw it open. Before he'd killed the engine, she was inside the cafe. Wishing he'd brought an umbrella, he jumped out of the care and ran for the cafe.
As soon as he entered the cafe, he felt something sweep over him. It was a strange feeling, to say the least, but not at all uncomfortable. He felt warm and tingly all over and perhaps even a bit giddy. It reminded him of the feeling that he got, as a child, on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas morning. It felt good.
He stood in the doorway of the cafe and looked around. The place looked like it came out of a different time, like some kind of animated Norman Rockwell scene. There was a long sit-down counter to his left, and to his right a long row of red-leather and chrome booths. The floor appeared to be whit marble and was remarkably shiny. Looking at the counter, he was impressed with the stacks of white porcelain dished and crystal-clear glasses that lined the back wall. It didn't seem to bother him that he was the only person in the room. He walked over to one of the booths and slid comfortably into it.
"Hey there, stranger!" A voice rang out.
Ted jumped at the sound and quickly looked toward the counter. Standing behind it was a man who, to him anyway, looked a lot like Burl Ives. Or perhaps a Santa Claus in kitchen-white tee shirt and apron. But, instead of making toys for all the good little boys and girls, this gentleman was simply wiping a glass with a very white hand towel.
"I didn't hear you come in," Ted stammered.
The man smiled at him and set the sparkling glass down on the counter. He picked up another from the back wall and started working on it.
"Yeah, I'm kind of light on my feet," the old man said in a pleasant voice. "Sure glad you folks stopped in. It's been awful quiet tonight. But, it usually is this time of night, 'specially when it's raining like this."
Ted smiled at the old man, for some reason feeling very comfortable with him. "My wife had to go to the bathroom, that's why we stopped." He felt like a complete idiot as soon as the words left his mouth. Blushing, he said, "well, I mean that's one reason we stopped . . . It's not the only reason, you understand."
The old man raised his towel-covered hand and smiled again. "No need to explain your actions to me, Ted. I know why you stopped. Oh, by the way, my name's Arnold."
Ted started to look away, when it dawned on him that he hadn't told Arnold his name. He turned back. "Excuse me, Arnold, but, a-h, how did you know my name?"
"Makes you wonder, doesn't it, son?" Arnold's embracing smile never faltered.
Ted let out a half-laugh. "I don't understand," he said. "You got ESP or something?"
Arnold set the second glass down and put both hands on the counter. "You know something, Ted? I might just have ESP or something."
Ted noticed a definite change in Arnold's tone of voice. He wasn't at all sure if it was good.
"But," Arnold continued in a much lighter way, "chances are your wife told me!"
Ted sighed a bit as Arnold's warm and friendly smile returned. And, he couldn't help but notice the glimmer in the man's eye knowing he had gotten one over on him.
"So, tell me, Ted, what seems to be the trouble? Is it your job, or are you having some marital problems."
"Oh, it's definitely marital." The words rolling easily out of his mouth. And he suddenly felt as if a great weight had been lifted from his back, even though he had no idea why he would share that information with a complete stranger.
"Well, Ted, you came to the right place. We can handle it." Arnold stood up and looked toward a side door that was at the far end of the counter. He cocked his head to one side and in a loud, clear voice said, "One martial problem… for here!"
Ted sat gape-mouthed as the door opened. From behind it emerged the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen in his life. His mouth felt dry and sticky as his eyes followed her around the end of the counter.
What was ecstasy, became something more as she rounded the counter, and he beheld her in full view. As if on cue, she stopped and stood motionless as he drank her in. Her hair was long and brown and her face was simply perfect. He felt no shame as he allowed his eyes to study her full breasts. Her tight, red sweater clung enviously to her body. A short black leather skirt embraced her slender hips. And her legs, to him the best part, were absolutely artful. They were perfectly curved and proportional to one another as they journeyed toward her black high-heeled shoes.
The spell was broken as she began to walk slowly toward him. Still, he could not take his eyes away from her. He had the thought that he ought to be feeling like a slack-jawed idiot, but it vanished completely when she stopped at his table and smiled at him.
"Hello. My name is Marilyn. I'll be serving you tonight."
Her voice sounded like music. He tried to say something, but his tongue was stuck fast to the top of his mouth. The best he could do was say something like, ". . . ggahhg."
Her eyes swallowed him as she played her instrument again. "You must be Ted. I've heard a lot about you."
"Yes, I'm Ted." Still, he could not take his eyes from her.
"I understand that you have martial problems. Is that correct?"
He bobbed his head up and down like one of those silly dog-dolls you used to see in the back of cars. He watched transfixed as she took a small order pad and pen from her hip pocket.
"Tell me, Ted, would you say that your marital problem is caused by another man or woman?"
"No, that's not it," he said quietly.
"Would you say that it's a sexual problem?" Her eyes never left him as she scribbled something on the pad.
"Well, it could be," he said in a small voice. "We haven't made love in a long, long time."
"Ohhh, that's not good, Ted. I'd better make a note of that." And she did.
"Could it be, Ted, that you and Diane simply don't spend as much time together as you should?"
Something clicked inside his head. "Yes, Marilyn, I think that could be the reason we're having some troubles. We both have careers and there just doesn't seem to be any time left for us.
Her smile widened as she wrote on her pad. "I think that's it, Ted. Well, you came to the right place. We can handle that!"
He watched her as she now cocked her head toward the faraway door.
"One martial problem… not enough time! Hold the cheater, poor sex on the side!" her voice seemed to ring out like a bell.
"Now, would you like to try the hamburger steak? It's the best around."
Again, feeling almost hypnotized, he simply nodded his head.
Marilyn began writing again on her little pad. Her voice took on a more businesslike tone. "Baked potato or fries?"
"Fries," he mumbled.
"Green beans, corn or peas?" she smiled again.
"Ah… peas, I guess." His brain was beginning to feel a little foggy.
Marilyn flipped her order sheet over and in a matter-of-fact way said, "Hamburger steak comes with bound and gagged wife. Now, would you like a tape gag, cloth gag, or ball gag.
"Ah… ball gag, please," he said as if that was only natural.
"Good, would yo like her bound standing, sitting, laying, or hogtied?"
"What's hogtied?" he asked.
"Oh, it's a good choice, Ted. The hands are tied firmly behind her back, her ankles are bound together, and her legs are bent at the knees, and then her ankles are secured to her wrists. It presents a very nice package."
"Well, I guess that'll be all right." Then, it came to him. He must be dreaming. And he felt completely relaxed.
"Finally, Ted, what kind of dressing would you like? We have lingerie, leather or lace, or completely nude.
"Lingerie, please… with stockings!" His voice tingled with excitement now.
Marilyn smiled again and put her little pad and pen away. "I'll be right back, Ted." He continued to watch her as she flowed away back into the kitchen.
He was startled as Diane flopped into the opposite bench. Quickly, he turned and looked at her. She looked awfully tired. Her hair was a bit out of place and that unbecoming scowl, which she wore so often these days, was prominently displayed on her face.
"Oh, Diane," he said, "you startled me."
It appeared that she didn't hear him as she fumbled in her pocketbook. Miffed because she couldn't find whatever it was that she was looking for, she closed the purse and looked straight at him.
"Are you ready to go?" she asked.
"Go?!" The very idea seemed foreign and utterly impossible. "We can't go yet, I just ordered."
"Ordered," she said in an exasperated voice. "What'd you order? Is it going to take long?"
Ted chuckled, "I… I must have been dreaming or something, but I ordered a hamburger steak with bound and gagged wife."
Diane's eyes opened a bit as she said, "Oh, yeah. Bound and gagged wife? Well, you let me know how it is, 'cause if it's good, I'll order the roast beef with black and blue husband." She shook her head and looked around the cafe.
Ted felt like laughing, so he did. "Bound and gagged wife! Can you imagine?"
He was still giggling when he heard a series of clicks coming from behind him. He turned and noticed that Arnold wasn't in the serving area. He shrugged it off as he saw Marilyn and two other women walking toward the table.
What struck him first was Marilyn's warm and embracing smile. What struck him second was the complete beauty of the other two women. They wore outfits similar to Marilyn's and each had a hand on an inappropriately large serving cart. Marilyn carried a covered dish.
Ted didn't bother to turn around as he head Diane say, "What did you order? A horse?"
The trio stopped at their table. Marilyn set his plate down and Ted couldn't help but savor the sweet aroma of her breasts as she leaned over him. Her smile seemed endless.
"There you go, Ted. I hope you enjoy it." Marilyn stood up and gave a quick glance to the other women.
They pushed the silver cart up to the table and stood at attention. Marilyn looked over at Diane and smiled at her, too. "You must be Diane? We've heard so much about you.
Diane feigned a poor excuse of a smile, but remained silent. Ted picked up his fork. He took the lid off the dish and began cutting his meat.
Marilyn looked pleased as Ted took a bite and nodded his head in approval. "He seems to have a good appetite," she said to her partners. "Now… lets see about that bound and gagged wife!"
Diane's eyes popped open. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was no match for the two women Marilyn had brought. One hurried around to the seat behind Diane. She grabbed Diane's shoulders and held her fast as the other woman took a shiny, black rubber ball, with a leather strap through it, and popped it behind Diane's teeth, buckling the strap tightly at the back of her neck. Diane's protests seemed to go unheard. Her eyes darted around the crew that surrounded her and finally stopped at Ted.
He appeared interested in the activity that was happening in front of him, but he was also interested in his peas. Marilyn placed Diane's hands behind her back and looked over at Ted. "That was hogtied, wasn't it?"
Ted had just shoveled a fork-full of peas into his mouth, so his words were a bit muffled as he shook his head up and down and said, "Mmmm… 'og-tied, tha's right."
Diane was now thrashing around in the booth and it was obvious that behind the silencing ball gag an armies of profanities were trying to escape. The woman who still stood by Marilyn quickly reached into the bottom of the cart and produced a handful of stout rope. She placed the rope on the table and stepped out toward Diane. With an amazing amount of grace, the two women pulled Diane from the booth and lifted up. They placed the struggling wife face-down on the top of the serving cart.
Between bites, Ted watched as the two women quickly bound Diane. One of the concentrated on tying her hands together behind her back. The other worked just as efficiently as she bound Diane's kicking ankles together. Together, the two of them connected her feet and wrists. Diane's pleas were ignored.
Marilyn stepped over to the cart and made a careful examination of the knots. She placed her hand on Diane's back as the indignant wife was just about to struggle herself off onto the floor. Marilyn looked at Ted.
"This is the hogtie, Ted. A somewhat vulgar name for what is truly a work of art. Do you approve?"
Ted set his fork down and wiped his lips with his napkin. He shifted his head and took a studious look at his wife. Diane, seeing his total lack of compassion, flopped her head down and breathed heavily through her nose.
"I like it," he said after a moment. "That's not too uncomfortable, is it Diane?"
Diane raised her head and gave him a muffled chewing-out. Ted smiled at her and returned to his dinner. Marilyn motioned to the two women and they started pushing the cart toward the kitchen. Diane fought her bonds admirably, but to no avail.
"She'll be ready shortly, Ted. You finish your dinner and Arnold will fetch you when it's time." Ted put another bite into his mouth and smiled.
As Marilyn turned to walk away, he motioned to her, "Uhh, what comes next?" he asked.
"Oh, Arnold will explain all that. You enjoy your meal."
Ted started back to his meal when he suddenly stopped and looked at Marilyn. "Lingerie... with stockings, right?"
"Of course," she cooed, "that's the best way."
"Great!" he said. His attention now focused on his fries. Ted popped the last french fry into his mouth and gobbled it down. He sat back in the bench and stretched his arms. His belly full, his headache gone, and the quiet of the cafe all brought about a sense of inner peace that he hadn't felt for a long time. He let out a deep, relaxed breath and looked out the window. It was still raining, but he didn't care.
"Mind if I join you?"
It was Arnold. He was standing by the table, a large, old book embraced by his strong arms.
"No, of course not!" Ted said, sitting up.
Arnold slid into the bench seat and laid the book on top of the table. "How was your dinner?"
Ted smiled and nodded his head. "It was great, Arnold. Best meal I've had in years."
"Well, I'm glad you liked it, Ted. What say we get down to business, now?"
"Sure. What's on your mind?"
"It's simple really. You and your missus are having problems. You need some time together and you need to talk to her. You do want to talk to her, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do. If we don't get some answers soon, there's no telling what will happen. But, I don't think it'll be good."
Arnold smiled at him. "I'm glad you feel that way. Marriage is a sacred obligation and a body needs to do all that it can to keep it together."
Ted nodded as he listened.
"This little cafe serves good chow, but it also serves dreams. You need time with your wife, and now you've got it. The only problem is what you're going do?"
"I'm not sure, Arnold."
"I know you aren't, and that's why I brought you this book. It's full of good ideas and instructions. You follow it and I think you'll see the beginning of your solution. 'Course, it's only a book. The real effort has to come from you and Diane."
Ted reached over and pulled the old volume toward him. "How do I use it?"
"Simple," Arnold said, "you turn to the chapter on Marital Problems: Not Enough Time with Bound and Gagged Wife."
Ted grinned. "That sounds easy enough."
"Sure it is… come on, I think Diane is about ready."
They slid out of their seats and Arnold led the way toward the kitchen, the book cradled gently in Ted's arms. They entered the huge kitchen and Ted was astounded at the cleanliness of it. Their footsteps echoed as they moved across the large expanse and entered a hallway at the far end. As they continued down the hallway, Ted noticed that it too was extremely clean, but not the sterile kind of clean that the kitchen was. He also noticed that they were passing many doors. All of them with small numbers attached. It reminded him of a hotel. They stopped at the last door.
"Well, Ted, this is your room. You go on in, and get things right. Follow that book and stay as long as you like, and if you need anything… just holler." Arnold turned and walked quietly away.
Ted heard a faint sound come from behind the door. He put his hand on the knob and turned it. Slowly, he opened the door, and stuck his head tentatively inside. No doubt about it, he thought, they were in a hotel. The room was not very large, but looked cozy. It looked like every hotel room hat he had ever been in. The little wooden desk was there and the fake-wood dresser was there and at the far end stood the quietly rumbling air-conditioner. A dark set of drapes covered what was probably a window. The bathroom was to his immediate left and further into the room, also on the left, was the bed and Diane.
He entered the room and closed the door quietly behind him. He stepped over to the desk and grabbed the chair that was there. He dragged the chair to the side of the bed and sat down. He balanced the big book on his knees and looked at Diane.
For a moment, he expected her to fuss and fight, but she didn't, and he was glad because that might have broken the spell that he was under. His immediate thought was that he had never seen her as lovely as she was at that very minute. In all their years together, he had never felt such a strong desire for her. He looked at her feet first. They were enveloped in soft, shimmering nylon. Her toes were slightly pointed as she held her feet perfectly together. The cord that held them fast was painstakingly wrapped around her ankles. Each of its four wraps carefully touched the one before and after, and a smaller cord was used to cinch the larger one.
Slowly, he followed her ankles down to her calves and then up toward her thighs. She was still hogtied, but much, much more carefully now. He noticed that someone had added a rope around her knees. It did not displease him. His eyes stopped and studied the little hasps that connected her stockings to the frilly white corset she wore. He was most grateful for this opportunity.
He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he looked at her hands. Her wrists were still bound behind her back, but again, they had been retied. Her palms were facing each another and Diane had made small fists with her fingers. He noticed that all the cord was of the same type.
His eyes then followed the thin rope that was connecting her wrists and feet. He followed it back and forth, judging its length at just a few inches. He slowly moved his eyes up her back. The corset she was wearing was provocative. He wanted to see her other side, but that had to wait. He told himself. Finally, his eyes came to rest on her face.
The ball gag and strap had been removed, but was replaced by one with multiple straps. There was the normal strap buckled behind her neck, but the others created a harness of straps. Straps connected to the neck strap on each side of Diane's mouth, merged above the bridge of her nose and a single strap continued on over her head and fastened on the neck strap behind her head. And, there were straps buckled under her chin, forcing her mouth to close tight around the ball.
Diane raised her head up to look at Ted, and as she did, Ted noticed that this tightened the gag strap forcing the ball deeper into her mouth. For some reason he could not take his eyes off her gag. He felt one side of the book rise from his lap due to a natural bodily occurrence. Ted watched her with baited breath as she worked her mouth, chewing on the hard rubber ball. He put his hands on the book, lest it might fall from his lap. Diane made a soft, low moaning sound and Ted quickly put his hand up.
Ted noticed something under the edge of the pillow Diane's head had been resting on. He reached, and retrieved the items, some rope that matched that binding Diane's wrists and ankles, and a sealed envelope with his name hand lettered on one side. Opening the envelope, Ted found a note.
Ted,
Thought you might like to finish the hogtie. There's a rope to bind her elbows, and a shorter piece to connect between the elbow tie and the ring at the top of the gag's harness. If you take all the slack out, you will have her undivided attention!
Arnold
Ted refolded the note and slipped it back in the envelope, and looked at the pieces of rope he was holding in his hand. He looked at Diane and decided that, yes, the hogtie was incomplete. He carefully wrapped the rope around her arms just above her elbows. He drew the loops tight and her elbows came close to being together. After five wraps, Ted turned the remaining ends ninety degrees and made two loops between her arms cinching her arms even closer. Then, Ted fastened the last piece of rope to the ring her Diane's gag harness, and raised her head and secured the other end to her elbow ropes. Diane couldn't lower her head anymore.
He reached over and gently brushed her cheek. Ted's eyes met Diane's again, and for a second, he felt as if she were actually a part of him. An extension of his body, his reality.
"I have this book," he said to her. "Arnold tells me that it has a lot of good advice in it. He also told me that we have as long as we need. I really hope that this works!"
Note: It was noted in the published version that the story was to be continued in the next issue of
Love Bondage Treasures, which I did not have access to. So, if anyone has "
Love Bondage Treasures", No.39, or access to it's pages, I would really appreciate hearing from you so we might add the final part to the story.
