“Lost Super Bowl Bet” Part 1
*This is a custom story requested by a TMF member. Please keep all comments positive and enjoy!
New York City, February
The wind was biting as it swirled flurries of fresh snow across the nearly empty street. Four well-dressed couples were braced against the cold as they walked hastily along the sidewalk. They had just left a gaudy wedding at a vintage banquet hall and were now walking hastily through the cold evening air on their way to a nearby sports bar.
The groom was a good friend of the men in the group. They had known Cameron since middle school, but lost touch a little when he moved to New York City to put his business degree to good use. The group had still remained close friends despite the distance between them. In fact, all four of Cameron’s buddies had been groomsmen in the ceremony. The friends and their wives had flown to New York to attend the wedding.
The four couples all resided in the suburbs of Philadelphia, so they could easily meet for dinners and hangouts. But visiting Cameron in New York was a much rarer occasion. And they had hardly met his wife, Vivian, before they were married. The four couples were staying in a nice hotel this weekend for the wedding. But the guys were extremely irritated with their friend because he allowed Vivian to plan their wedding day on the same day as the NFL Super Bowl. They razzed Cameron endlessly about it, calling him whipped and spineless for having his wedding on Super Bowl Sunday.
Cameron argued back that it was the only day available to reserve the venue Vivian had her heart set on, but his friends didn’t care. They teased him that he should have put his foot down. The guys all knew Cameron was infatuated with Vivian and would do anything to please her. But it didn’t change the fact that now they were staying in a hotel in New York away from the comfort of their homes during the Super Bowl.
The men had come up with a plan though. Since the wedding had started early enough, they were leaving the reception just in time to catch the start of the game. They looked up a sports bar that was only a few blocks away from the banquet hall, easily within walking distance. They could head there right after the wedding and still enjoy the Super Bowl while taking in the experience of a lively New York bar in the city. Plus it beat watching the game in the hotel.
So the couples trudged forth through the blistering wind until they reached the front door of the sports bar. As soon as they stepped inside, the warmth and chatter of the bustling scene greeted them. A hundred noisy, indistinguishable conversations were going on at once. Waitresses maneuvered through the heavy crowd carrying handfuls of frothing beer mugs and fried appetizers. Men yelled at the walls of televisions, every one of them tuned into the big game.
The couples waded through the crowd hoping to find somewhere to sit down. They couldn’t have been luckier. A few older couples were just finishing up and decided that hanging around this scene for the Super Bowl was not going to be as enjoyable as they first though. Just as they were leaving their table, the friend group quickly sat down and excitedly basked in their good fortune. The women were especially happy to sit since they had all worn high heels to the wedding.
Seth assisted his wife, Kara, by slipping off her heavy coat and hanging it on the back of her chair as he pushed it in for her. Kara Sellers was wearing a classic black dress with very thin shoulder straps and black, close-toed pumps that came to a distinct point in front. The sleeveless dress came down to just above her knees and beautifully highlighted her lean, 5’ 7” frame. Kara had thick, dark hair that she had done up in a styled bun for the wedding and bright red lipstick emphasized her radiant smile while perfectly accenting her dark hair and pale skin. Kara didn’t even glance at a menu. She sat very ladylike in her chair and politely asked the waitress for a cosmopolitan. The waitress thought the order was a little unusual at a sports bar, but jotted it down.
Kara Sellers worked in the Human Resources Department of a large hospital in Philadelphia and usually wore stylish business attire and heels to work. She was a sweet person generally and enjoyed reading and attending her yoga classes three times a week after work. Kara was in her mid-thirties and although she remained faithful to her husband Seth, she would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the attention she got from some of the doctors and other male coworkers in her office. Kara always made sure her outfits accentuated her lean figure and her large collection of pricy high heels emboldened her when she strolled around the hallways in full view of her male colleagues. And even the compliments she received about her figure from other ladies in her yoga class helped reinforce her sense of self-confidence.
Sitting next to Kara was Katie Hicks and her husband Neal. Katie had shrugged off her own coat and draped it on the back of her chair. She had on a lovely blue dress that covered her shoulders but left her tanned arms bare. The dress hugged her impressively fit physique and stopped high above her knees. Katie was wearing tan, closed-toe platform heels that were clearly brand new for the wedding. Katie’s style was not nearly as sophisticated as her friend’s. She much rather preferred to be comfortable, often sporting more athletic-type wear. Which suited her just fine since she played soccer in college, enjoyed doing kickboxing classes for her cardio, and signed up for a few of those muddy obstacle course races every year.
Katie Hicks was 31 years old, stood 5’ 7” tall, and had dirty blonde hair that was partially braided for the wedding. She was pretty laid back except when it came to sports. Katie had a very genuine, easygoing smile and wore small stud earrings. She never liked earrings that dangled down. Thought they were too girly. Katie worked as an assistant district manager for a large gym chain and usually wore a company polo shirt, thin black pants that showed off her toned butt, and comfortable tennis shoes to work. That environment was great for her bubbly, enthusiastic personality. Katie looked at the drink menu for a second and then just went with a beer.
Across from Katie was their friend Christiana Dalton, a dark-haired, curvy beauty. She had eyes the color of chocolate, pouting pink lips, and wore large dangling earrings. Her knee-length, black dress came to a deep V in the middle, framing plenty of hefty cleavage after she slid her heavy coat off and sat down. Christiana wore a long silver necklace with a small cross at the end, which rested almost between her two massive beasts. She was 30 years old and about 5’ 5” with a naturally athletic body. Christiana used to play soccer and volleyball in school before going on to study finance in college.
Christiana Dalton and her husband, Owen, looked over the drink menu. Christiana asked for a vodka soda and then started in on a critique of Vivian and Cameron’s wedding. On the surface, Christiana was a devout Evangelical Christian and mother of two beautiful children. But if you spent ten minutes with her, it became clear she could be very judgmental and gossipy. Christina worked at a large bank as a loan officer. She often wore women’s business suits to work along with a variety of classy high heels she owned. Tonight she had on black pointy pumps with a very high heel to them. They made Christiana much taller seeming and made her calves look great in her dress.
The last girl friend in their group was Erin Nettle, a truly sweet and bubbly youth gymnastics teacher that always brought positivity to the group. Erin was about 37 years old, had tanned skin, and straight shoulder length blonde hair. She had a thin face and nose with a brilliantly warm smile that cheered anyone up. Erin was petite at 5’5” and had a very slim build, like you would expect of a gymnastics instructor.
Erin Nettle’s husband Justin ordered a beer as she continued to skim the drink menu. She was so excited to be in New York hanging out with her friends that she almost squealed a little trying to decide which drink she wanted. Erin didn’t care for football, but was naturally an extrovert and loved the atmosphere of the bar. Erin asked politely for a Sex on the Beach and then handed the menu over. Erin had on a floral dress that was mostly various shades of pink, green, and tan. Thin, stringy shoulder straps rested on her lean frame. The dress hung loosely down just above her knees. Erin was wearing tall platform, closed-toe shoes that were a dusty-pink color, almost tan.
The football game was well into the 1st quarter now. The entire bar was rooting for the New York Giants, one of the teams playing. The women’s husbands were all from Philadelphia, so they naturally hated their rival, the Giants. They automatically were rooting for the opposing team, the Pittsburg Steelers. But they seemed to be the only ones cheering for the Steelers amidst the sea of Giants fans. But luckily, the Steelers had gotten ahead early and were managing to keep their lead as both teams continued to score. The women were just trying to chat about the wedding, even though they had to talk just shy of shouting to even be heard amongst their own table.
At one of the tables next to the friend group, a group of middle-aged guys all wearing Giants jerseys were cursing at the televisions as a Giant’s receiver dropped a long pass. Kara and Katie could see them from where they were seated. They didn’t think much of them. In fact, Katie made a comment about how those guys seemed kind of nerdy looking to be watching the Super Bowl in a bar. Indeed the four Giants fans were not your typical macho football fans. They were about ten years older than the women’s husbands. They were all fairly lean, not muscular. And the expensive watches, fresh jerseys, and dapper haircuts gave the impression that they all had a bit of money and were just out enjoying the game. Kara thought they must be stockbrokers or something out having a good time.
Seth, Neal, Owen, and Justin all shouted with delight as the Steelers scored another touchdown, bringing on halftime shortly after. The Giants were trailing far behind now and the Steelers would get the ball back to begin the second half. Since the women’s husbands were starting to get drunk and were feeling cocky about the game, they began throwing out little comments to the table next to them. The four nerdy looking gents were not the most imposing bunch, but in typical New York fashion, they fired back with their own insults toward the husbands.
The two tables exchanged biting, but playful, insults in jest as both sides argued about who had the better team. The husbands had no real attachment to the Steelers, yet they felt emboldened because their team was quite a bit ahead now. As the drinks flowed, they started getting more belligerent about how poorly the Giants were playing. They even went so far as to start trash talking New York City, which was going too far given that it was unprovoked. Their wives had to get on them to not cause a scene in a bar full of New Yorkers.
The locals however, had faith in their cherished Giants. They threw out the idea of amping the game up by putting some money on it. The table of stockbrokers sensed the hesitation of the other table and laughed. To them, putting down a large sum of money on a football game was nothing. They roughly teased the husbands for not wanting to back up their trash talk with a real wager. Things began to get heated between the two groups. Finally, the husbands started pulling out any money they had in their wallets and flashing it as they loudly challenged the locals to back up their bet. The four nerdy stockbrokers laughed in amusement that the men were willing to bet. They too pulled out large sums of cash and raised them in the air at the other table.
Kara and Seth looked at each other as she elbowed him in the side. She exclaimed, “Seth, what are you thinking?! No! Leave those guys alone and watch the game! I don’t want you betting anything!” Seth was dismissive of her warning and replied that the game was almost a sure thing. They could take a ton of money from these guys and they looked like they were good for it too.
Christiana gripped Owen by his arm and gave him a firm yank. She talked to him in a low, no-nonsense voice, “Baby, what do you think you’re doing? I don’t want you making bets in a bar while we’re all here trying to have a good time. You wouldn’t want me to be upset, would you?” Owen looked at his wife with hesitation. She was trying to hide her anger because they were in public, but Christiana’s eyes were burning through him.
Erin sat in her seat as quiet as a mouse as things heated up. She stirred her drink with the cheap plastic straw and looked around timidly with concern. Erin didn’t want to say anything to Justin. She didn’t like confrontation and was hoping this would just pass without any further drama.
Katie took another drink and then looked at Neal as she raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t want to tell him what to do but she was trying to make it clear what she thought. Neal put an arm around her and asked her what that look was about. Katie looked at him with an annoyed expression and answered, “I just don’t think you should be doing this. But do what you want I guess.”
The moment passed and both tables continued watching the game in relative peace. The wives continued their own conversation, completely disinterested in the game. Except for Katie, who enjoyed sports. She sipped her beer and watched the televisions. Occasionally they would get her attention to chime in on something they were discussing. At one point between talking with her girlfriends and watching the game, something caught her eye. She noticed one of the stockbroker guys looking up like he was watching the game, but his eyes were glancing over and down at Christiana. At first Katie thought the man was just checking out her friend’s cheeky butt. But that didn’t make any sense because Christiana’s coat was hanging off the back of it. There was no way he could see her peachy figure through that. But as Katie kept a subtle eye on him, she concluded that he must be looking down at her high heels!
Katie played it cool for a while. And the longer she kept an eye on the other table, the more guys she saw stealing glances over their way. Their eyes were aimed low, down underneath the table. Katie thought, “They must be looking at all our high heeled feet! Swinging and crossing over underneath the table.” Katie decided to test her theory. She crossed her ankles and began slowly rubbing her heels together. One of the men was watching. Then she popped off the back of one of her heels. The guy looked pleased and elbowed his buddy subtly. Katie was right! Those guys totally had a thing for women’s feet! Katie contemplated telling the other wives, but decided against it. It would be very hard to say it in such a loud place without yelling. And they were safe enough. No way those guys would do anything creepy besides stealing glances with their husbands around in a crowded bar. Katie let it go for now and planned on telling her friends when they left to go back to the hotel.
There was still heavy tension in the air between the groups. The 3rd quarter was well underway and the Steelers still had the lead. But the Giants just scored, which helped close some the gap. The nerdy stockbrokers again began razzing the husbands, asking if their wives had given them permission to actually put a bet down yet. The men began to get angry as the insults kept coming their way. It was quite embarrassing to be scolded by their wives in the middle of a bar during the Super Bowl.
Seth had enough and slapped his money down on his table. That helped shut the locals up a little. Seth’s buddies followed suit. They practically emptied their wallets of any cash they had. The Steelers were up and had been all game. There wasn’t a huge chance that they would lose this bet anyway and it felt good to not be controlled by their wives in public. Kara, Christiana, Katie, and Erin all started griping to each other about their idiot husbands. Why on Earth would they care what some drunken assholes from New York thought?
The four buddies had put up several hundreds of dollars, nearly a grand in total. But the nerdy locals pulled out their cash clips and easily matched it. They looked like they might even double the bet, but then just laughed and put their remaining money away. It felt like a slap in the face still even though the friend group had actually put all the money they had with them down.
Katie: “Oh my God, Neal! Don’t consult me or anything before you throw out hundreds of dollars of OUR money! Jesus!”
Christiana: “Have you lost your mind?! That’s MY money too! Owen, I wanted to go shopping tomorrow! Are you crazy? What if you lose?!”
Erin: “Oh Honey! I don’t know if that was such a good idea. Oh...this is making me so nervous. Can you just ask them if we can call off the bet? Justin? Can you do that?”
Kara: “See this is exactly why I didn’t want to go to a bar after the wedding. I knew you and your buddies would get too wound up about the game! Is this a joke, Seth? That was a lot of money! We’re already spending a fortune coming out here!”
The game continued only now the Steelers didn’t seem to be doing as well as they had been. They couldn’t seem to find the end zone to save their lives. And now the Giants were creeping back up the scoreboard. A fumble here, an interception there and the New York Giants suddenly ahead. And then...the Steelers quarterback went down. Taken out of the game as he was clenching his left knee in pain.
“FUCK!!” was the general consensus from the husbands as they flung their arms up. They knew it was over for their team. There went a huge bet. And the embarrassment in front of their wives to boot.
Seth couldn’t go back to the hotel with his wallet totally cleaned out like that. He subtly palmed the money on the table. Owen saw him and instantly knew what he was intending to do. Owen leaned in and told the rest of the group, “Hey, listen up! It’s getting crazy outside. We’re going to go outside to try and hail a couple cabs before they’re all taken. Ladies, stay here until we call you. Then come out. Listen, don’t stop and talk to those nerds. Got it?”
Christiana: “But what about your bet? Didn’t you guys lose?”
Owen: “Ah, fuck ‘em. Those fucking nerds don’t need the money.”
With that, the husbands pushed their way through the crowd toward the door while the rest of the bar was in a trance watching the final minutes of the Super Bowl.
The wives sat there a little confused by all this sneaking out business. It felt wrong, but their husbands were drunk and set on skipping out before the end of the game. They decided to all go to the restroom together before they went back out into the frigid weather. The wives left their coats hanging on the backs of their chairs and walked to the end of the bar, their heels clicking on the hardwood floor. The restroom was located in a secluded cutout near a side door. The lightbulb that would have normally illuminated that area was burnt out, creating a dark nook. What the ladies didn’t realize when they walked in was that they were being watched by the gentlemen from the other table, who had figured out that they were being cheated.
The restroom was currently empty. Christiana and Erin were the first two to go in the stalls. Katie and Kara checked their makeup in the mirror as they waited patiently. As Erin finished up and washed her hands, she offered to go out and call Justin to see if they had any luck with the cabs.
Erin couldn’t have known that the four men had followed the women over to the restroom and were waiting in the dark corner of the cutout for the ladies to come out. The guys had quickly checked out a storage closet that was across the cutout from the restroom. Inside they found several strands of white rope that had been used to bundle some supplies together to keep the room organized. The men simply untied the ropes and took them for their own use. They also found a stack of new, black cloth napkins. With the help of a box cutter sitting on a shelf nearby, the guys were able to slice one of the large cloth napkins into long strips to be used as gags.
When Erin came out with her head down looking at her phone, she had no idea what awaited her. A hand clasped over the petite blonde’s mouth, stifling her instinctual scream of surprise. Erin’s eyes lit up with terrible surprise as she let out muffled squeals and whines. Her arms were easily wrestled behind her back and bound with a length of the rope. Then another strand was tied securely around her ankles as she whimpered. Finally, the man holding her mouth moved his hand. Erin tried to take advantage of that moment by opening her mouth to yell for help, but when she did a black strip of cloth napkin was shoved between her lips and pulled tight. The tiny youth gymnastics teacher grunted as she was awkwardly cut off from screaming by a tight cleave gag.
Just as the men were finishing up with her, Christiana exited the restroom. She was stopped cold by the sight of her friend bound and gagged with several men around her in the dark cutout. Christiana’s hesitation cost her. When she opened her mouth to shout for help, a man was already throwing a gag around her head and then pulling it tight between her teeth. It pressed into Christiana’s cheeks as she reached up to pull it down. The only noise she could make was a dull, guttural moan as she fought back. But two more men subdued her hands and forced them behind her back to be tied. Christiana stomped her heels on the ground in frustration as she too was bound like a helpless damsel.
One of the men pulled the two captured women into the supply room out of sight of anyone else coming out of the restroom. The next women to come out was Katie. As soon as she stepped out, someone pulled her forward by her arm. Katie stumbled forward and felt someone reach around and clasp their hand over her mouth. Katie’s eyes shot open as she screamed into the hand and wiggled to break free. It was very difficult to put up a good fight in a dress and heels though. Katie tried to pull her arms free, but soon they were twisted behind her back and tied together. Then the men forced her ankles together and bound them with rope as well. Katie managed to shout once as the man moved his hand so the gag could be put in, but her voice was covered by an eruption of noise from the bar patrons. The gag was slid into Katie’s mouth and tied in a neat knot behind her head. She too was shoved into the supply closet out of sight.
Kara came out last. She didn’t see her friends waiting for her and figured they were back at the table. She didn’t notice the men hiding off to the side. Kara was grabbed from behind and pulled back into the waiting arms of her captors. A gag was quickly forced into her mouth and pulled tightly around behind her head. The black cloth curved around her bright red lips as it pushed into her cheeks. Kara grumbled and tried to squirm free, but the men held her in place. They pulled her arms behind her and bound her wrists together. Kara tried to look back and watch as they tied her. She shook her head in discontent and whined into her gag. Kara even threw her head back and sighed in frustration as they tied her ankles together. Then they made her hop into the supply closet like the others. Kara was shocked when she saw the rest of her friends bound and gagged like she was.
One of the guys told the others to stay with the women until he could pull his SUV around to the side door.
LATER THAT NIGHT...
Katie, Christiana, Erin, and Kara all squirmed and shouted muffled pleas as they were carried up the rear stairwell to an upscale penthouse. One of the men lived there and was able to sneak them all in through the back door of the building, where the maids usually came and went for their shifts. The four men were not the biggest or strongest, but these women were in shape and not overly heavy. The women cried and whined in their dresses and high heels still as the men shouldered them and hauled them up the flights of stairs. Lucky for the men, the penthouse was only on the 3rd floor.
Once they snuck the women inside the penthouse, they gently laid them on the living room floor. The black cleave gags had been getting soaked from their drool. Now the men were using even more rope to bind them in a hogtie position.
Erin Nettle whined and pouted as her legs were pulled up behind her and tied to her hands. She laid her head on the carpet in defeat as she whimpered. The man tying her wrists and ankles together was named Bryson. The helpless gymnastics coach he was securing reminded him so much of a petite little cheerleader he used to have a crush on way back in high school. Erin didn’t want to cause any more problems than what they already had. She laid there in her floral dress and faint pink platform heels completely cooperative as she was tied up further. A thin string of drool trailed from the corner of her mouth onto the floor.
Not all of the women were as compliant as Erin though. Christiana Dalton had been squirming the entire way as she was carried up the stairs. Her full rump was shaking as she screamed and cursed into her gag all the way up until she was laid down on the ground in the living room. Gavin had wiry strength and managed to wrestle her ankles up to her wrists. He lassoed her limbs together as she grunted in frustration. Christiana knew she was fighting a losing battle as he eventually bound her in a strict hogtie, leaving the banking loan officer and proud mother a drooling, pathetic victim in her black dress and pointy black pumps.
Things weren’t going well for Katie Hicks either. She was trying to outmuscle her captor, but Alex finally managed to tie a length of rope around her ankles and leverage her feet closer to her hands. Katie whined as her legs were forced up behind her and then secured to her wrists. The sporty gym manager found herself stuck in the hogtie position. Wearing a girly blue dress and tan platform heels to boot, which made her feel even more embarrassed because she hardly ever dressed up like this. Drool was running off Katie’s gag and down her chin as she tried pulling herself free.
Kara Sellers couldn’t believe this was happening to her and her friends. The man who carried her up to the penthouse was named Caleb, and it was actually his place that he rented. The place was clean and well furnished, something Kara could admire under different circumstances. But being brought here as a prisoner essentially was not what she had planned for the night. Kara whined as she too was hogtied. The Human Resources administrator huffed and grumbled into her cleave gag as it rubbed her bright red lipstick away at the corners of her mouth. Her tight black dress was riding up a bit around her thighs as she kicked her pointy black pumps hopelessly.
After Caleb finished tying Kara, he addressed the women. He told them, “Alright ladies, I’m sure you’re scared and wondering why we’ve brought you here. Let me assure you, we don’t intend to harm you. But your cowardly husbands backed out of a bet and stole money from us. The same husbands that left you fine ladies as they ran away with the cash. I personally don’t think they deserve you if they’re willing to do that.”
The wives grumbled into their gags but they knew it was halfway true. Their husbands had left them in the bar so as not to draw suspicion while they left to flag down cabs. Caleb continued, “We will remove the gags now. Don’t bother trying to scream for help. I promise you it won’t do you any good. These walls are so insulated that no noise will get through. Nobody but us will hear you. And if you annoy us with screaming, you’ll be gagged again. Do you understand?”
The women begrudgingly nodded their heads in compliance, indicating they all understood. Once the gags were unknotted, Christiana was one of the first ones to speak out. She furiously demanded to know why they had been kidnapped. Christiana yelled, “Why did you take us and why are we here?! Your problem is with our husbands, not us! You better free us this instant or you’ll be in big trouble! What were you planning to do with us, anyway?”
The four men smiled at each other and spoke too quietly amongst themselves for the women to hear. Then Caleb addressed them again. He explained, “You’re here because your husbands refused to pay what was agreed upon. Something they owed us. And if your dishonorable husbands aren’t willing to pay up, then their wives will serve as payment.”
Kara chimed in, “But what does that mean?! Serve as payment? You still haven’t given us a clear answer!”
Caleb cooly answered her, “Well...we hope you ladies don’t mind if we have some fun with your feet for now. I mean...you do kind of owe us still. It’s only fair.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
*This is a custom story requested by a TMF member. Please keep all comments positive and enjoy!
New York City, February
The wind was biting as it swirled flurries of fresh snow across the nearly empty street. Four well-dressed couples were braced against the cold as they walked hastily along the sidewalk. They had just left a gaudy wedding at a vintage banquet hall and were now walking hastily through the cold evening air on their way to a nearby sports bar.
The groom was a good friend of the men in the group. They had known Cameron since middle school, but lost touch a little when he moved to New York City to put his business degree to good use. The group had still remained close friends despite the distance between them. In fact, all four of Cameron’s buddies had been groomsmen in the ceremony. The friends and their wives had flown to New York to attend the wedding.
The four couples all resided in the suburbs of Philadelphia, so they could easily meet for dinners and hangouts. But visiting Cameron in New York was a much rarer occasion. And they had hardly met his wife, Vivian, before they were married. The four couples were staying in a nice hotel this weekend for the wedding. But the guys were extremely irritated with their friend because he allowed Vivian to plan their wedding day on the same day as the NFL Super Bowl. They razzed Cameron endlessly about it, calling him whipped and spineless for having his wedding on Super Bowl Sunday.
Cameron argued back that it was the only day available to reserve the venue Vivian had her heart set on, but his friends didn’t care. They teased him that he should have put his foot down. The guys all knew Cameron was infatuated with Vivian and would do anything to please her. But it didn’t change the fact that now they were staying in a hotel in New York away from the comfort of their homes during the Super Bowl.
The men had come up with a plan though. Since the wedding had started early enough, they were leaving the reception just in time to catch the start of the game. They looked up a sports bar that was only a few blocks away from the banquet hall, easily within walking distance. They could head there right after the wedding and still enjoy the Super Bowl while taking in the experience of a lively New York bar in the city. Plus it beat watching the game in the hotel.
So the couples trudged forth through the blistering wind until they reached the front door of the sports bar. As soon as they stepped inside, the warmth and chatter of the bustling scene greeted them. A hundred noisy, indistinguishable conversations were going on at once. Waitresses maneuvered through the heavy crowd carrying handfuls of frothing beer mugs and fried appetizers. Men yelled at the walls of televisions, every one of them tuned into the big game.
The couples waded through the crowd hoping to find somewhere to sit down. They couldn’t have been luckier. A few older couples were just finishing up and decided that hanging around this scene for the Super Bowl was not going to be as enjoyable as they first though. Just as they were leaving their table, the friend group quickly sat down and excitedly basked in their good fortune. The women were especially happy to sit since they had all worn high heels to the wedding.
Seth assisted his wife, Kara, by slipping off her heavy coat and hanging it on the back of her chair as he pushed it in for her. Kara Sellers was wearing a classic black dress with very thin shoulder straps and black, close-toed pumps that came to a distinct point in front. The sleeveless dress came down to just above her knees and beautifully highlighted her lean, 5’ 7” frame. Kara had thick, dark hair that she had done up in a styled bun for the wedding and bright red lipstick emphasized her radiant smile while perfectly accenting her dark hair and pale skin. Kara didn’t even glance at a menu. She sat very ladylike in her chair and politely asked the waitress for a cosmopolitan. The waitress thought the order was a little unusual at a sports bar, but jotted it down.
Kara Sellers worked in the Human Resources Department of a large hospital in Philadelphia and usually wore stylish business attire and heels to work. She was a sweet person generally and enjoyed reading and attending her yoga classes three times a week after work. Kara was in her mid-thirties and although she remained faithful to her husband Seth, she would be lying if she said she didn’t enjoy the attention she got from some of the doctors and other male coworkers in her office. Kara always made sure her outfits accentuated her lean figure and her large collection of pricy high heels emboldened her when she strolled around the hallways in full view of her male colleagues. And even the compliments she received about her figure from other ladies in her yoga class helped reinforce her sense of self-confidence.
Sitting next to Kara was Katie Hicks and her husband Neal. Katie had shrugged off her own coat and draped it on the back of her chair. She had on a lovely blue dress that covered her shoulders but left her tanned arms bare. The dress hugged her impressively fit physique and stopped high above her knees. Katie was wearing tan, closed-toe platform heels that were clearly brand new for the wedding. Katie’s style was not nearly as sophisticated as her friend’s. She much rather preferred to be comfortable, often sporting more athletic-type wear. Which suited her just fine since she played soccer in college, enjoyed doing kickboxing classes for her cardio, and signed up for a few of those muddy obstacle course races every year.
Katie Hicks was 31 years old, stood 5’ 7” tall, and had dirty blonde hair that was partially braided for the wedding. She was pretty laid back except when it came to sports. Katie had a very genuine, easygoing smile and wore small stud earrings. She never liked earrings that dangled down. Thought they were too girly. Katie worked as an assistant district manager for a large gym chain and usually wore a company polo shirt, thin black pants that showed off her toned butt, and comfortable tennis shoes to work. That environment was great for her bubbly, enthusiastic personality. Katie looked at the drink menu for a second and then just went with a beer.
Across from Katie was their friend Christiana Dalton, a dark-haired, curvy beauty. She had eyes the color of chocolate, pouting pink lips, and wore large dangling earrings. Her knee-length, black dress came to a deep V in the middle, framing plenty of hefty cleavage after she slid her heavy coat off and sat down. Christiana wore a long silver necklace with a small cross at the end, which rested almost between her two massive beasts. She was 30 years old and about 5’ 5” with a naturally athletic body. Christiana used to play soccer and volleyball in school before going on to study finance in college.
Christiana Dalton and her husband, Owen, looked over the drink menu. Christiana asked for a vodka soda and then started in on a critique of Vivian and Cameron’s wedding. On the surface, Christiana was a devout Evangelical Christian and mother of two beautiful children. But if you spent ten minutes with her, it became clear she could be very judgmental and gossipy. Christina worked at a large bank as a loan officer. She often wore women’s business suits to work along with a variety of classy high heels she owned. Tonight she had on black pointy pumps with a very high heel to them. They made Christiana much taller seeming and made her calves look great in her dress.
The last girl friend in their group was Erin Nettle, a truly sweet and bubbly youth gymnastics teacher that always brought positivity to the group. Erin was about 37 years old, had tanned skin, and straight shoulder length blonde hair. She had a thin face and nose with a brilliantly warm smile that cheered anyone up. Erin was petite at 5’5” and had a very slim build, like you would expect of a gymnastics instructor.
Erin Nettle’s husband Justin ordered a beer as she continued to skim the drink menu. She was so excited to be in New York hanging out with her friends that she almost squealed a little trying to decide which drink she wanted. Erin didn’t care for football, but was naturally an extrovert and loved the atmosphere of the bar. Erin asked politely for a Sex on the Beach and then handed the menu over. Erin had on a floral dress that was mostly various shades of pink, green, and tan. Thin, stringy shoulder straps rested on her lean frame. The dress hung loosely down just above her knees. Erin was wearing tall platform, closed-toe shoes that were a dusty-pink color, almost tan.
The football game was well into the 1st quarter now. The entire bar was rooting for the New York Giants, one of the teams playing. The women’s husbands were all from Philadelphia, so they naturally hated their rival, the Giants. They automatically were rooting for the opposing team, the Pittsburg Steelers. But they seemed to be the only ones cheering for the Steelers amidst the sea of Giants fans. But luckily, the Steelers had gotten ahead early and were managing to keep their lead as both teams continued to score. The women were just trying to chat about the wedding, even though they had to talk just shy of shouting to even be heard amongst their own table.
At one of the tables next to the friend group, a group of middle-aged guys all wearing Giants jerseys were cursing at the televisions as a Giant’s receiver dropped a long pass. Kara and Katie could see them from where they were seated. They didn’t think much of them. In fact, Katie made a comment about how those guys seemed kind of nerdy looking to be watching the Super Bowl in a bar. Indeed the four Giants fans were not your typical macho football fans. They were about ten years older than the women’s husbands. They were all fairly lean, not muscular. And the expensive watches, fresh jerseys, and dapper haircuts gave the impression that they all had a bit of money and were just out enjoying the game. Kara thought they must be stockbrokers or something out having a good time.
Seth, Neal, Owen, and Justin all shouted with delight as the Steelers scored another touchdown, bringing on halftime shortly after. The Giants were trailing far behind now and the Steelers would get the ball back to begin the second half. Since the women’s husbands were starting to get drunk and were feeling cocky about the game, they began throwing out little comments to the table next to them. The four nerdy looking gents were not the most imposing bunch, but in typical New York fashion, they fired back with their own insults toward the husbands.
The two tables exchanged biting, but playful, insults in jest as both sides argued about who had the better team. The husbands had no real attachment to the Steelers, yet they felt emboldened because their team was quite a bit ahead now. As the drinks flowed, they started getting more belligerent about how poorly the Giants were playing. They even went so far as to start trash talking New York City, which was going too far given that it was unprovoked. Their wives had to get on them to not cause a scene in a bar full of New Yorkers.
The locals however, had faith in their cherished Giants. They threw out the idea of amping the game up by putting some money on it. The table of stockbrokers sensed the hesitation of the other table and laughed. To them, putting down a large sum of money on a football game was nothing. They roughly teased the husbands for not wanting to back up their trash talk with a real wager. Things began to get heated between the two groups. Finally, the husbands started pulling out any money they had in their wallets and flashing it as they loudly challenged the locals to back up their bet. The four nerdy stockbrokers laughed in amusement that the men were willing to bet. They too pulled out large sums of cash and raised them in the air at the other table.
Kara and Seth looked at each other as she elbowed him in the side. She exclaimed, “Seth, what are you thinking?! No! Leave those guys alone and watch the game! I don’t want you betting anything!” Seth was dismissive of her warning and replied that the game was almost a sure thing. They could take a ton of money from these guys and they looked like they were good for it too.
Christiana gripped Owen by his arm and gave him a firm yank. She talked to him in a low, no-nonsense voice, “Baby, what do you think you’re doing? I don’t want you making bets in a bar while we’re all here trying to have a good time. You wouldn’t want me to be upset, would you?” Owen looked at his wife with hesitation. She was trying to hide her anger because they were in public, but Christiana’s eyes were burning through him.
Erin sat in her seat as quiet as a mouse as things heated up. She stirred her drink with the cheap plastic straw and looked around timidly with concern. Erin didn’t want to say anything to Justin. She didn’t like confrontation and was hoping this would just pass without any further drama.
Katie took another drink and then looked at Neal as she raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t want to tell him what to do but she was trying to make it clear what she thought. Neal put an arm around her and asked her what that look was about. Katie looked at him with an annoyed expression and answered, “I just don’t think you should be doing this. But do what you want I guess.”
The moment passed and both tables continued watching the game in relative peace. The wives continued their own conversation, completely disinterested in the game. Except for Katie, who enjoyed sports. She sipped her beer and watched the televisions. Occasionally they would get her attention to chime in on something they were discussing. At one point between talking with her girlfriends and watching the game, something caught her eye. She noticed one of the stockbroker guys looking up like he was watching the game, but his eyes were glancing over and down at Christiana. At first Katie thought the man was just checking out her friend’s cheeky butt. But that didn’t make any sense because Christiana’s coat was hanging off the back of it. There was no way he could see her peachy figure through that. But as Katie kept a subtle eye on him, she concluded that he must be looking down at her high heels!
Katie played it cool for a while. And the longer she kept an eye on the other table, the more guys she saw stealing glances over their way. Their eyes were aimed low, down underneath the table. Katie thought, “They must be looking at all our high heeled feet! Swinging and crossing over underneath the table.” Katie decided to test her theory. She crossed her ankles and began slowly rubbing her heels together. One of the men was watching. Then she popped off the back of one of her heels. The guy looked pleased and elbowed his buddy subtly. Katie was right! Those guys totally had a thing for women’s feet! Katie contemplated telling the other wives, but decided against it. It would be very hard to say it in such a loud place without yelling. And they were safe enough. No way those guys would do anything creepy besides stealing glances with their husbands around in a crowded bar. Katie let it go for now and planned on telling her friends when they left to go back to the hotel.
There was still heavy tension in the air between the groups. The 3rd quarter was well underway and the Steelers still had the lead. But the Giants just scored, which helped close some the gap. The nerdy stockbrokers again began razzing the husbands, asking if their wives had given them permission to actually put a bet down yet. The men began to get angry as the insults kept coming their way. It was quite embarrassing to be scolded by their wives in the middle of a bar during the Super Bowl.
Seth had enough and slapped his money down on his table. That helped shut the locals up a little. Seth’s buddies followed suit. They practically emptied their wallets of any cash they had. The Steelers were up and had been all game. There wasn’t a huge chance that they would lose this bet anyway and it felt good to not be controlled by their wives in public. Kara, Christiana, Katie, and Erin all started griping to each other about their idiot husbands. Why on Earth would they care what some drunken assholes from New York thought?
The four buddies had put up several hundreds of dollars, nearly a grand in total. But the nerdy locals pulled out their cash clips and easily matched it. They looked like they might even double the bet, but then just laughed and put their remaining money away. It felt like a slap in the face still even though the friend group had actually put all the money they had with them down.
Katie: “Oh my God, Neal! Don’t consult me or anything before you throw out hundreds of dollars of OUR money! Jesus!”
Christiana: “Have you lost your mind?! That’s MY money too! Owen, I wanted to go shopping tomorrow! Are you crazy? What if you lose?!”
Erin: “Oh Honey! I don’t know if that was such a good idea. Oh...this is making me so nervous. Can you just ask them if we can call off the bet? Justin? Can you do that?”
Kara: “See this is exactly why I didn’t want to go to a bar after the wedding. I knew you and your buddies would get too wound up about the game! Is this a joke, Seth? That was a lot of money! We’re already spending a fortune coming out here!”
The game continued only now the Steelers didn’t seem to be doing as well as they had been. They couldn’t seem to find the end zone to save their lives. And now the Giants were creeping back up the scoreboard. A fumble here, an interception there and the New York Giants suddenly ahead. And then...the Steelers quarterback went down. Taken out of the game as he was clenching his left knee in pain.
“FUCK!!” was the general consensus from the husbands as they flung their arms up. They knew it was over for their team. There went a huge bet. And the embarrassment in front of their wives to boot.
Seth couldn’t go back to the hotel with his wallet totally cleaned out like that. He subtly palmed the money on the table. Owen saw him and instantly knew what he was intending to do. Owen leaned in and told the rest of the group, “Hey, listen up! It’s getting crazy outside. We’re going to go outside to try and hail a couple cabs before they’re all taken. Ladies, stay here until we call you. Then come out. Listen, don’t stop and talk to those nerds. Got it?”
Christiana: “But what about your bet? Didn’t you guys lose?”
Owen: “Ah, fuck ‘em. Those fucking nerds don’t need the money.”
With that, the husbands pushed their way through the crowd toward the door while the rest of the bar was in a trance watching the final minutes of the Super Bowl.
The wives sat there a little confused by all this sneaking out business. It felt wrong, but their husbands were drunk and set on skipping out before the end of the game. They decided to all go to the restroom together before they went back out into the frigid weather. The wives left their coats hanging on the backs of their chairs and walked to the end of the bar, their heels clicking on the hardwood floor. The restroom was located in a secluded cutout near a side door. The lightbulb that would have normally illuminated that area was burnt out, creating a dark nook. What the ladies didn’t realize when they walked in was that they were being watched by the gentlemen from the other table, who had figured out that they were being cheated.
The restroom was currently empty. Christiana and Erin were the first two to go in the stalls. Katie and Kara checked their makeup in the mirror as they waited patiently. As Erin finished up and washed her hands, she offered to go out and call Justin to see if they had any luck with the cabs.
Erin couldn’t have known that the four men had followed the women over to the restroom and were waiting in the dark corner of the cutout for the ladies to come out. The guys had quickly checked out a storage closet that was across the cutout from the restroom. Inside they found several strands of white rope that had been used to bundle some supplies together to keep the room organized. The men simply untied the ropes and took them for their own use. They also found a stack of new, black cloth napkins. With the help of a box cutter sitting on a shelf nearby, the guys were able to slice one of the large cloth napkins into long strips to be used as gags.
When Erin came out with her head down looking at her phone, she had no idea what awaited her. A hand clasped over the petite blonde’s mouth, stifling her instinctual scream of surprise. Erin’s eyes lit up with terrible surprise as she let out muffled squeals and whines. Her arms were easily wrestled behind her back and bound with a length of the rope. Then another strand was tied securely around her ankles as she whimpered. Finally, the man holding her mouth moved his hand. Erin tried to take advantage of that moment by opening her mouth to yell for help, but when she did a black strip of cloth napkin was shoved between her lips and pulled tight. The tiny youth gymnastics teacher grunted as she was awkwardly cut off from screaming by a tight cleave gag.
Just as the men were finishing up with her, Christiana exited the restroom. She was stopped cold by the sight of her friend bound and gagged with several men around her in the dark cutout. Christiana’s hesitation cost her. When she opened her mouth to shout for help, a man was already throwing a gag around her head and then pulling it tight between her teeth. It pressed into Christiana’s cheeks as she reached up to pull it down. The only noise she could make was a dull, guttural moan as she fought back. But two more men subdued her hands and forced them behind her back to be tied. Christiana stomped her heels on the ground in frustration as she too was bound like a helpless damsel.
One of the men pulled the two captured women into the supply room out of sight of anyone else coming out of the restroom. The next women to come out was Katie. As soon as she stepped out, someone pulled her forward by her arm. Katie stumbled forward and felt someone reach around and clasp their hand over her mouth. Katie’s eyes shot open as she screamed into the hand and wiggled to break free. It was very difficult to put up a good fight in a dress and heels though. Katie tried to pull her arms free, but soon they were twisted behind her back and tied together. Then the men forced her ankles together and bound them with rope as well. Katie managed to shout once as the man moved his hand so the gag could be put in, but her voice was covered by an eruption of noise from the bar patrons. The gag was slid into Katie’s mouth and tied in a neat knot behind her head. She too was shoved into the supply closet out of sight.
Kara came out last. She didn’t see her friends waiting for her and figured they were back at the table. She didn’t notice the men hiding off to the side. Kara was grabbed from behind and pulled back into the waiting arms of her captors. A gag was quickly forced into her mouth and pulled tightly around behind her head. The black cloth curved around her bright red lips as it pushed into her cheeks. Kara grumbled and tried to squirm free, but the men held her in place. They pulled her arms behind her and bound her wrists together. Kara tried to look back and watch as they tied her. She shook her head in discontent and whined into her gag. Kara even threw her head back and sighed in frustration as they tied her ankles together. Then they made her hop into the supply closet like the others. Kara was shocked when she saw the rest of her friends bound and gagged like she was.
One of the guys told the others to stay with the women until he could pull his SUV around to the side door.
LATER THAT NIGHT...
Katie, Christiana, Erin, and Kara all squirmed and shouted muffled pleas as they were carried up the rear stairwell to an upscale penthouse. One of the men lived there and was able to sneak them all in through the back door of the building, where the maids usually came and went for their shifts. The four men were not the biggest or strongest, but these women were in shape and not overly heavy. The women cried and whined in their dresses and high heels still as the men shouldered them and hauled them up the flights of stairs. Lucky for the men, the penthouse was only on the 3rd floor.
Once they snuck the women inside the penthouse, they gently laid them on the living room floor. The black cleave gags had been getting soaked from their drool. Now the men were using even more rope to bind them in a hogtie position.
Erin Nettle whined and pouted as her legs were pulled up behind her and tied to her hands. She laid her head on the carpet in defeat as she whimpered. The man tying her wrists and ankles together was named Bryson. The helpless gymnastics coach he was securing reminded him so much of a petite little cheerleader he used to have a crush on way back in high school. Erin didn’t want to cause any more problems than what they already had. She laid there in her floral dress and faint pink platform heels completely cooperative as she was tied up further. A thin string of drool trailed from the corner of her mouth onto the floor.
Not all of the women were as compliant as Erin though. Christiana Dalton had been squirming the entire way as she was carried up the stairs. Her full rump was shaking as she screamed and cursed into her gag all the way up until she was laid down on the ground in the living room. Gavin had wiry strength and managed to wrestle her ankles up to her wrists. He lassoed her limbs together as she grunted in frustration. Christiana knew she was fighting a losing battle as he eventually bound her in a strict hogtie, leaving the banking loan officer and proud mother a drooling, pathetic victim in her black dress and pointy black pumps.
Things weren’t going well for Katie Hicks either. She was trying to outmuscle her captor, but Alex finally managed to tie a length of rope around her ankles and leverage her feet closer to her hands. Katie whined as her legs were forced up behind her and then secured to her wrists. The sporty gym manager found herself stuck in the hogtie position. Wearing a girly blue dress and tan platform heels to boot, which made her feel even more embarrassed because she hardly ever dressed up like this. Drool was running off Katie’s gag and down her chin as she tried pulling herself free.
Kara Sellers couldn’t believe this was happening to her and her friends. The man who carried her up to the penthouse was named Caleb, and it was actually his place that he rented. The place was clean and well furnished, something Kara could admire under different circumstances. But being brought here as a prisoner essentially was not what she had planned for the night. Kara whined as she too was hogtied. The Human Resources administrator huffed and grumbled into her cleave gag as it rubbed her bright red lipstick away at the corners of her mouth. Her tight black dress was riding up a bit around her thighs as she kicked her pointy black pumps hopelessly.
After Caleb finished tying Kara, he addressed the women. He told them, “Alright ladies, I’m sure you’re scared and wondering why we’ve brought you here. Let me assure you, we don’t intend to harm you. But your cowardly husbands backed out of a bet and stole money from us. The same husbands that left you fine ladies as they ran away with the cash. I personally don’t think they deserve you if they’re willing to do that.”
The wives grumbled into their gags but they knew it was halfway true. Their husbands had left them in the bar so as not to draw suspicion while they left to flag down cabs. Caleb continued, “We will remove the gags now. Don’t bother trying to scream for help. I promise you it won’t do you any good. These walls are so insulated that no noise will get through. Nobody but us will hear you. And if you annoy us with screaming, you’ll be gagged again. Do you understand?”
The women begrudgingly nodded their heads in compliance, indicating they all understood. Once the gags were unknotted, Christiana was one of the first ones to speak out. She furiously demanded to know why they had been kidnapped. Christiana yelled, “Why did you take us and why are we here?! Your problem is with our husbands, not us! You better free us this instant or you’ll be in big trouble! What were you planning to do with us, anyway?”
The four men smiled at each other and spoke too quietly amongst themselves for the women to hear. Then Caleb addressed them again. He explained, “You’re here because your husbands refused to pay what was agreed upon. Something they owed us. And if your dishonorable husbands aren’t willing to pay up, then their wives will serve as payment.”
Kara chimed in, “But what does that mean?! Serve as payment? You still haven’t given us a clear answer!”
Caleb cooly answered her, “Well...we hope you ladies don’t mind if we have some fun with your feet for now. I mean...you do kind of owe us still. It’s only fair.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
