WIP: Harem House Chapter 22 Part 4

Arthur checked the remote vibrator app while Kelly got ready in the bathroom. The app had a cycle that would loop, increasing intensity while shortening duration and then increasing duration while lessening intensity. That would continue until he changed the setting or the batteries ran out. He figured if the girls came before, they’d turn them off or take them out. He wondered why he had no texts or messages from them or Mindy. He knew Mindy was working a restaurant delivery shift tonight, but he’d see them all in the morning anyway.

He fired off a message to Selene, just in case.

Master: I hope you all got to the bar okay. Have fun tonight! And you have permission to cum as many times as you can. Just let me know when you do.

He awaited a response, but Selene was probably too busy to notice her phone buzz in her purse. He thought about cleaning up, but if he remembered correctly, Kelly wanted to do that. He thought about getting some quick reading done, but there wasn’t time for that. Kelly couldn’t take too much longer in the bathroom.

As if picking up his thought cues, Kelly called out from the other side of the closed bathroom door. “Arthur?”

“Yeah?” Arthur got up from the couch immediately and made his way over to the bathroom door. “You okay?” He asked.

“I’m good.” Kelly called back. “I need you to go outside, count to ten, and come back in again. Like you’re coming home from work.”

Arthur smirked and nodded. Then he realized she couldn’t see him nod through the bathroom door, so he answered her verbally. “Okay.” He called back. “I’ll head out now. Just let me grab something first.”

“Okay.” Kelly called.

Arthur slipped his shoes on, grabbed his suit jacket, keys, and phone, and then ducked outside, closing his front door behind him. He counted to ten as slowly as possible, checking his phone as he did so, but there was still no response from Selene. When Arthur finished his count, he turned around and faced his door. He stepped in place a few times with growing strength to mimic the sound of approaching footsteps, and then he approached for real, opening his front door to see what Kelly might have prepared for him.

He closed the door quickly behind him. Kelly stood there, looking gorgeous. She’d touched up her makeup and freshly applied some stunningly bright red lipstick. She wore a surprisingly modest French Maid uniform, but it was still incredibly sexy. It was a cinched fit and flare dress with a strapless sweetheart neckline. Even so, it was a higher neckline than he expected, covering most of her cleavage, but thankfully not all.

Over it, she wore a shouldered frilly white apron that was narrow on her upper body and broader after the waist, which tied behind her with white ribbons. The lace around the frilly, semi-transparent apron was intricate.

Under it, she had put on a pair of white fishnet stockings that disappeared up the skirt, which fell two inches above her knees. She was taller than before, wearing black high heels that made her appear on tiptoe.

She wore white silk gloves that ended just above her elbows. They were tough to see because she stood with her arms behind her back, her left hand gripping her right wrist. The gloves and apron matched the black and white frilled headband, which swept her wavy red hair away from her face but kept it down so it fell behind her shoulders. Additionally, she wore a black velvet collar with a frilled white ribbon bow on the front.

While modest compared to the French Maid lingerie he’d seen before, it was still a mind-numbingly sexy outfit. It was more of a costume than an underwear set. He had difficulty lifting his eyes from it. Yet the card-shaped envelope in her perfect white teeth and ruby-red lips drew his attention. She held it in her mouth, and her green eyes looked at him with bright mischief behind them. He threw his suit jacket over the arm of the sofa and slipped out of his shoes as if he’d just come home from a day at the office.

“What’s this then?” He asked as he stepped forward. “My secretary didn’t say anything about hiring a new maid.” He was starting to get into character a little. Kelly liked old-fashioned scenarios and old movies like he did, and Arthur knew enough of them to get into the swing of things. “Kelly?” He called out as he looked into the kitchen. “Hm…” He mused to himself. “And my wife seems to have disappeared for the evening. She must be out walking the dog.” He shrugged. “I hope she’s careful. Selene likes to pull on her leash a little too hard sometimes.”

Kelly’s eyes were bright, and they followed him as he walked around her as best she could, but she didn’t turn her head or move her body at all, even when he let his hand graze the back of her skirt. Finally, he took the envelope from her lips, and she opened her mouth just enough to let him take it.

He read the front of the envelope, which had a surprisingly legible cursive. It simply said: Arthur. He flipped it over to see it was sealed, with a lipstick kiss over the corner of the flap like a wax seal. He smiled. As far as props went, this was a good one. He almost felt bad opening it but was ravenously curious about what was inside. Kelly watched him from where she was as he walked over to the sofa, plopped, put his feet on the coffee table, and opened the envelope.

Sure enough, inside was a folded note. The handwriting matched the envelope in that elegant, yet legible, script.

“My dearest husband,

I’m sorry I had to leave early for the teacher’s conference and will be gone all weekend. I know we didn’t discuss it, but I saved some of my allowance and took the liberty of hiring a service while I’m away. The girl’s name is Megan, and she’ll take good care of you. I chose her specifically to your tastes and preferences. She should be well trained, but I happen to know she can’t afford another negative review, so she’s agreed to submit to any punishments you might have for her instead of reporting her to the agency.

You’ll be happy to know that the agency I hired her from prides itself on full service. She should be eager and willing to see to any and all of your needs while I’m away. She should be able to do anything you would typically have me do for you. Anything.

Enjoy her, Mister. I hope she keeps your stomach full and your balls empty until I can get home and resume my wifely duties. Have a great weekend!

Your loving wife,

Kelly

XOXO

P.S. I miss you already.”

Arthur was impressed. She’d obviously put a lot of thought into this scenario, and she’d come prepared. He would have to up his game the next time it was his turn to set things up for them to play. For now, though, he decided to have some fun. It was time to introduce himself to this new girl his wife had hired for the weekend.

“Megan, is it?” Arthur asked sharply as he folded the letter again and returned it to its envelope. He was definitely keeping it as a memento.

“Yes, Sir.” Kelly, er, Megan, said unsteadily.

Arthur looked up at her, standing still with her hands behind her as though she were already in trouble.

“Do you know what’s in the letter from my wife?” Arthur asked.

“I haven’t read it.” Megan shook her head. “But we discussed it before she left.”

“So you’re familiar with its contents?” He asked. “And it’s true? You’re here to service all of my needs for the weekend?”

“Yes, Sir.” Megan nodded. “Anything you need.”

“Anything at all?” Arthur asked. “Even the duties typically reserved for a wife to her husband?”

Megan nodded again. “Yes, Sir. Even that. Anything you need.” This time, she unmistakably emphasized the ‘anything’.

“Well, well…” Arthur chuckled to himself.

“Just tell me what it is you need, Master.” Megan urged him. “What do you need me to do first?”

“Are you any good with laundry?” Arthur asked.

Megan smiled. “Yes, Sir.”

“And cleaning?” Arthur asked.

“And cleaning. And dishes. I could straighten up, dust, and vacuum too.” Megan added. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”

“You can start with the laundry.” Arthur decided.

“Excellent, Master.” Megan curtseyed in a perfect curtsey, lifting the sides of her skirt as she did so to give a tantalizing glimpse of her toned thighs all the way up to her hips, showing that her fishnet stockings went all the way up but not showing the line of any underwear Arthur could see during the quick preview. “Where is your washer and dryer?”

“Downstairs.” Arthur answered. “In the basement.”

Megan froze, and alarm flared in her eyes for a moment.

“Too scared to go into the basement?” Arthur asked.

“N-No, Sir.” Megan shook her head. “I can do it. I just… didn’t realize it wasn’t in the apartment.”

Arthur sighed. “I’ll show you where it is.” He said as he stood up and put his shoes back on. “You best get the hamper. It’s in the bedroom there.” He pointed toward the door as if she’d never been there before.

Megan went into the room he pointed to and opened the door. The bedroom was a bit of a mess. Knowing that she told him not to clean up for tonight, he hadn’t made his bed. The bedding on it needed to be washed anyway. So did all of his blankets and a good portion of his clothes. Given that he could probably get a max of three, maybe four, loads done before leaving for homecoming in the morning… it wasn’t all going to get done. He’d have to finish it up on Sunday.

The hamper was tall and full, though some of that was sheets. Kelly picked it up effortlessly and carried it in front of her by the handles as she followed Arthur to the back door in the nook just past the blank wall with the eye hooks in it in his main room. The rear stairwell was more narrow, and the landings were little more than strips wide enough for the doors to open. Arthur went first, just to make sure that they had a straight shot without anyone else. When they got to the basement, the washers and dryers were empty, though Kelly was surprised to find they were coin-operated.

Arthur set the coins into all four available washing machines, and he went to his locker and got out his detergent. Kelly, er, Megan, took it from him and threw his sheets into one washer, a blanket into another, and his clothes into the other two. The washers were surprisingly large, so she was surprised to see it had taken most of them out of the hamper.

She measured out the detergent and then dutifully pushed the coins in, bending at the waist as she did so to reach over the washing machines and lift the back of her skirt up just a little each time, giving Arthur a show of the back of her thighs covered in the wide criss-cross mesh pattern of her fishnets.

Arthur watched and then gestured to the stairs. “That’ll give us about a half hour.” He said.

Megan picked up the laundry hamper and followed him back up the stairs. She was thankful that no one else had spotted them. Her outfit was modest enough that it wouldn’t have been scandalous if she had been spotted, but the last thing she wanted was another altercation with Arthur’s neighbors to ruin the mood. Still, it was kind of exciting, being outside the apartment in something she wore specifically to arouse Arthur. She wondered if this was how Selene felt all the time.

“What should I do next, Master?” Megan asked after they returned to the apartment.

“Well, I have some things I want you to clean for me. But they need a special cleaner, and I’ll have to set it all up for you at the coffee table.” Arthur said after some consideration. “Why don’t you do the dishes while I gather that for you.”

“If you wish.” Megan curtseyed again. “Would you like to remove my gloves?” She asked as she offered up her hands. “They’re good for laundry but not for dishes.” She explained.

“Sure.” Arthur agreed. “Come here.”

Megan lifted her hands in front of her, offering them to Arthur. Arthur took one at a time, gripping her hand with his left and rolling the gloves up from above her elbow to her wrist before pulling them off. First, he did the left hand, then the right, letting the silk slide over her bare skin and then tossing the gloves carelessly to the floor as he walked toward the bedroom.

Megan bent over at the waist twice, picking up each glove with a noticeable motion to draw Arthur’s attention. She succeeded. Showing him more skin each time, but with her skirt still dangling low enough to cover her ass cheeks. Arthur watched, and Megan smiled back at him over her shoulder before heading into the kitchen.

Arthur went into the bedroom and dragged out the trunk. The old black traveling trunk looked like something out of a stage show or Victorian luggage. It wasn’t quite that old, but it was theatrical, and its metal clasps and lock took time to open after he dragged it to the coffee table. Then he fetched a briefcase, which he set on the trunk. Then he sat back down on the sofa and waited.

Megan the Maid came around the corner after a minute. “May I fetch you a beer, Sir?” She asked.

“Sure.” Arthur nodded. “No.” He corrected himself. “On second thought, I’ll take a whiskey.”

“Of course.” Megan smiled and disappeared back into the kitchen. She reappeared a moment later with a glass of whiskey in her hand. “Ice?” She asked.

“One.” Arthur answered. It dulled the edge of the whiskey a little bit, but it chilled it, which was worth it. It gave it a smoother taste. The only real drawback to ice was that if you didn’t drink fast enough, it watered down the whiskey too much. One ice cube wouldn’t ruin the drink before he could drink it. Two would.

Megan returned with the whiskey in a glass with one ice cube. She walked over to him and gave him a show down the front of her dress as she bent over at the waist to hand it to him, putting her bare hand on his thigh for balance as Arthur took the glass from her other hand.

“And what is it you wanted me to clean… sir?” Megan asked, looking at the briefcase and trunk.

“Open the briefcase.” Arthur instructed. “And you’ll see.”

Megan knelt on the other side of the coffee table, facing Arthur. She picked up the briefcase, placed it on the table, and opened it. Her eyes went wide.

"There's more in the trunk." Arthur assured her. "In the linen closet, you'll find two bottles on the top shelf. One is for the metal parts, and the other is for the leather. You'll need two rags, some towels, and a clean space to lay out the pieces to dry." He instructed. "Oh, you can keep the apron on, but you should take off that dress."

Megan nodded and stood up. She reached behind her with enticing flexibility and pulled down the zipper of her dress. Leaving the apron tied and its straps over her shoulders, she pushed the dress down her body to reveal the lingerie beneath it.

She wore a strapless teddy made entirely of black lace that looked a little like a swimsuit without any modesty to it. Its panty lines rode way up over hips, near the waist, before plunging low into a narrow strip that covered her ginger bush. On top of it, she wore a two-piece French Maid lingerie set with a black and white strapless tube top and a flared black and white micro-skirt with a built-in apron. The two pieces were thin satin and preserved her modesty, even if the skirt was only long enough to be considered a belt. Fortunately, the skirt only covered the uppermost portions of her perfectly heart-shaped ass, which he saw as she spun around to present the outfit to Arthur.

All of that beneath the semi-transparent white lace apron enticed Arthur’s eye. It looked like she had plenty to remove before she'd be nude, but he enjoyed all of it. The new outfit was a delightful surprise, and it still worked with the white fishnet stockings.

"My wife sure knows how to pick them." Arthur smiled slightly, but the look in his eyes was hungry, even though she knew his stomach was full. “Put the gloves back on.”

Megan nodded, giving Arthur a smile. She reached over and delicately put the white silk gloves back on from her kneeling position on the floor. Then she stood up and allowed him to appreciate the black silk panty lines wedgied into a thong under her skirt as she walked over to the bathroom’s linen closet and gathered the supplies he’d mentioned.

Arthur sipped his whiskey and watched as Megan got to work after gathering her supplies and wiping down the coffee table with a vigorous enthusiasm that did tantalizing things to her chest. His eyes never left her as she reached into the briefcase and started to clean.

The pair of metal handcuffs she pulled from the briefcase were shiny when she finished cleaning them. Then she set them down and laid them out on the table. Next was the paddle, an instrument that made her bite her lip and look up shyly at Arthur as he watched her wipe it down and place it next to the cuffs. Then her look changed from lust to confusion as she pulled out a small metal instrument that looked medical rather than sexy. A small metal handle was attached to a small spiked wheel.

“Problem?” Arthur asked.

“No.” Megan answered. “But uh… what is this?” She asked as she cleaned it.

“A Wartenberg wheel.” Arthur answered patiently.

“It looks sharp.” She observed just before gingerly pressing the pad of her finger against the spikes on the wheel. They were narrow and felt sharp, but when she drew her finger away, there was no blood, and she saw the tips weren’t sharp enough to pierce the skin.

“It’s a device used for the pleasure of the sensation.” Arthur explained. “Rolling it lightly, or even firmly, over sensitive areas during foreplay can add to the experience.”

Megan looked thoughtful but finished cleaning it and then put it down.

“You look doubtful. Perhaps later, I’ll demonstrate it to you, and you can see how pleasurable it is.” Arthur mused.

“If you wish, Sir.” Megan emphasized her words to remind him she was doing this for his pleasure as much as hers. She smiled at the thought of laying herself out on the floor, with Arthur running the spokes of the wheel along the curves of her body, massaging her frame with it until he made her gasp at its touch.

Next out of the briefcase came a bundle of rope, which she had to ponder how to clean.

“Don’t you know how to clean rope?” Arthur asked.

“I’ve never had to before.” Megan explained. “I’m sorry, Sir.”

“Such ignorance.” Arthur scoffed. Megan bowed her head in deference and shame, but she couldn’t entirely hide the smirk that appeared when Arthur continued. “I’ll have to punish you for that later. For now, get a bowl of hot water and a clean rag. You won’t need soap, just hot water and scrubbing to clean the rope.”

Megan excused herself to the kitchen momentarily and returned with a large bowl of what appeared to be hot water. She wet a new rag, wrung it out, and then used it to wash the rope. She ran the cord through the rag, squeezing it with the rag hand immersed in the bowl.

“Is there a place I can hang out the rope to dry?” She asked curiously when she finished the first pull-through.

“The shower curtain rod should work.” Arthur said dismissively, though he watched as Megan walked away to deliver it and watched as she came back and knelt facing him once more. The tube top of her costume lingerie was enticingly narrow, and the amount of cleavage it showed, combined with the looseness of the top, seemed to threaten a glimpse of her perfect quarter-sized pink nipples with every step and every jostling movement as she wiped and washed.

It wasn’t until she opened the trunk that he had to rouse her back to life with speech. She knelt in front of it, the lid open her profile to Arthur as she stared into it and searched through it with her eyes, cataloging its contents.

“Everything okay?” Arthur asked.

“Yes, Sir.” Megan replied. “I just… wasn’t expecting so many instruments of uh…” She held up a paddle much like the one she’d cleaned before, but this one had hearts on it that stood out from the flat panel of the paddle.

“My wife and I enjoy our little diversions.” Arthur explained.

“You use this on her?” Megan asked.

“At least once a week, just to remind her who the head of the household is.” Arthur said nonchalantly. “Sometimes more if she earns a spanking, or if one of my girls deserves one, or if I feel like having fun with it.”

“Is this what you use to punish her when she burns your dinner or fails you in some other way?” Megan asked.

Arthur laughed softly. “No.” He shook his head. “The paddles are more for fun-ishment. For true punishment, I use something else.”

Megan seemed curious but didn’t push the issue as she continued to take item after item: restraints, paddles, a riding crop, rope, a long whip, a leather flogger, and more. She dutifully cleaned each piece until she pulled out a long, thin wooden dowel with a padded leather handle at one end. It looked a little like a magic wand but was far too long for that.

Arthur nodded toward the cane in her hands. “That’s what I use for true punishment.”

“You spank your wife with this?” Megan asked.

“Well, I suppose the proper term would be caning rather than spanking, but yes. Only when she displeases me, though. The thinner the rod, the more sting there is to it, and that’s where the true pain comes from. The paddles are more impactful, less sting, which is better for a more pleasurable spanking.” Arthur explained. “Unless I use a quick wrist flicking to make them sting, which can be fun.”

“Would you not use this?” Megan asked, and she held up the leather whip with multiple strips of leather coming off the end of it. The flogger looked like it was meant to cause pain.

“Sometimes.” Arthur shrugged. “That’s good for when I want to take my time and enjoy myself.” He explained. “Though if I wanted to use it for punishment, I would use it to flog her tits.”

Megan’s eyes went wide, and her shoulders hunched, almost as if to protect her chest from the flogger in her hands. “That sounds like it would hurt a lot.” Megan admitted.

“Oh, it does.” Arthur agreed. “But at a certain point, when the foreplay is good, pain crosses that threshold into pure sensation, and either way, it all activates the same dopamine. It gives you a natural high, not unlike that of an athlete who pushes their body to the limit. I rather enjoy pushing someone to that limit and then throwing them over it, making them cum like nothing else.”

Megan was silent as she imagined enduring such torture and bliss at Arthur’s hands. She looked up at him from her knees and blushed, immediately looking away from the Adonis gazing down at her.

"I might like that, then." She confessed. "I work out a lot, and it’s kind of the same, pushing yourself, enduring, and reaching that high. I enjoy pushing my body to its limits regularly." She smiled knowingly. “Do you push your wife to her limit with these toys?”

“Tools.” Arthur corrected. He was severe in his tone and insistent on the difference. “That dildo in there is a toy, but most of what you’ve cleaned already are tools, not toys.”

“Forgive me, Sir.” Megan bowed her head. She presented a demure and apologetic expression with doe-eyed innocence when she lifted her green eyes to his. “But, what is the difference?”

“The difference between a toy and a tool?” Arthur mused. “Toys are meant for fun and pleasure. It’s their only use. Tools have wider functionality and can cause real damage if misused.” He explained. “This is why they should only be used by someone who knows the difference, knows what they are doing, and takes the precautions to ensure that the only hurt inflicted is intentional, pleasurable, and within limits their partner can handle. Never let an ignorant master strike you.”

Megan’s breathing had changed somewhere during his explanation, and she was biting her lip surprisingly hard. “And do you know what you are doing?” She asked.

“Oh yes.” Arthur nodded. “You’d have to ask my wife, of course, but from what I understand, she’d be willing to testify that I am quite skilled with all the tools and toys in my collection.”

Megan swallowed. “Perhaps a… demonstration is called for?” She asked hesitantly.

“When you’ve finished cleaning the items, I’ll inspect your work.” Arthur informed her. “Then, if you’ve done a good job, I’ll demonstrate how pleasurable these tools can be when used correctly after I punish you for your ignorance.”

Megan swallowed, excitement dancing across her eyes, and started to clean more quickly than before.

~~~

"This is torture!" Selene whispered harshly.

"He has to be doing it on purpose." Kat spat. "Every time I start to enjoy it, it turns off."

Selene gripped the table's edge, trying to look and act normally despite her white knuckles. The noise from the band washed out most other sounds with how close they were sitting now. She, Kat, and Rani had joined the college guys with Katelyn and migrated from their booth to the larger section of the boys with multiple tables shoved together.

“He’s definitely doing it on purpose.” Selene agreed. “Gah. I just need it to stay on a little longer…”

“It’s getting shorter every time.” Kat shook her head, practically speaking at ‘normal volume’ in Selene’s ear to approximate a whisper. “I think we’re nearing the end. The battery has to run out eventually.”

Selene sighed. “I think it’s getting longer instead of shorter now.”

“Ugh.” Kat grunted, then decided a subject change might help her hold off embarrassing herself in public. “Do you like any of these guys?”

“I’m not planning on fucking any of them.” Selene shrugged. “That’s why I followed your example and told them I have a boyfriend. But they’re fine, I guess. They seem nice enough, and hanging out with people for a change is nice. Are you having any fun?”

“Yeah, it’s okay.” Kat shrugged. “I’m not really into any of the guys, but I’m glad Katelyn’s having fun.”

Selene smiled at her sister. “I’m proud of you for thinking of Arthur as your boyfriend.”

“Well, he is.” Katerine shrugged. “I mean, I know we’re more casual than you and he are, and that’s okay–” she added immediately. “-But it wouldn’t be fair to get drinks with a guy if he thinks it might lead somewhere I don’t intend to go.”

Selene nodded. She didn’t need to speak for Kat to understand she felt the same way. Selene was totally head over heels for Arthur, and regardless of how many women might catch her eye as part of her cuckquean fantasies, she only seemed to have eyes for one guy. Any of these guys could have been the perfect man, but none were as hot as Arthur, nor did they seem as good as he was.

“Katelyn needs to slow down, I think. She’s had a lot of drinks.” Selene commented as she looked over at Katelyn.

Katelyn was sitting so close to Terry that she practically cuddled him while he had his arm on the back of her chair. Selene and Kat huddled at the other end of the pushed-together tables. Rani was in the middle of the tables, doing her best to toy with each boy besides the one Katelyn had picked.

“Rani moves fast.” Selene commented with a tone of disapproval. The closer Rani came to getting with someone outside the harem, the less accepting Selene appeared to be of the idea. If Mindy had been here, she might have suggested Mindy flirt with her to distract Rani, but Selene was considering throwing herself at Rani instead since she was working. It might be a good idea for her to learn how to be with a woman from someone who knew what they were doing, for Master's sake. She loved going down on the others at her Master's command and pleasing him with her performance.

That's all it was to her. She knew, objectively, Rani was attractive, but Selene didn't get aroused imagining her naked, in bed, her legs spread and slick cunt glistening. Not unless that mental image was accompanied by her master's voice telling her to pleasure Rani, to offer Selene as a sex toy anyone in the harem might use. Arthur was her Master, and she was his fuck toy, whether he used her for himself or on the others. That idea, combined with the vibe between her legs and the plug in her ass, nearly made her orgasm right there. She might have if it weren't for the distractingly loud music and the whisper of Kat's voice in her ear over it.

“This from the girl whose nickname is Slut?” Kat whispered and laughed at the same time. “You moved pretty fast with Arthur.”

The guys, as they’d come to call the group of young men, were Terry, the big caucasian one, Justin the average-looking but fit black guy; Ron (short for Ronaldo), the Hispanic jock who thought no one else here knew Spanish; Kevin the skinny caucasian one, and Alek (short for Aleksander) the handsome one that Rani seemed to take a liking to immediately. She’d already slept with Kevin, apparently, sometime last year. She was a sexually liberated woman long before she’d joined the harem, but she seemed to flirt twice as hard with the butt plug in her ass, app-controlled vibrator in her cunt, and the collar around her neck.

Ron took an interest in Selene, who had no interest in him. The table of guys already knew that Kat had a boyfriend, so none of them attempted to seduce her, but Justin still flirted with her for practice.

“No.” Rani shook her head and tried to explain for the third time. “It’s an open relationship. I can still sleep with whoever I want.”

Selene rolled her eyes.

“But if you’re in that kind of relationship-” Alek pointed out. “Then you’re not available to be someone else’s girlfriend? You’d only be available for a one-night stand or friends with benefits?”

“Is that a problem for you?” Rani sounded surprised. “It’s just sex.”

“But what if I wanted your heart?” Alek asked.

“Aw.” Rani cupped his face and patted his cheek in a sweet but condescending gesture. “Baby, that was never on the table. I’m only interested in fun. I'm not looking for a ring unless it's on your cock.”

Alek coughed, and Rani laughed, as did a few others.

“What if you find something better?” Ron challenged. “A better lay than this cuck in your open relationship?”

“He’s not a cuckold.” Rani, Selene, and Kat said simultaneously. They looked at each other and laughed as though the idea of Arthur being anything other than a bull was insane.

“He’s a bull.” Rani explained. “And I doubt any one of you can fuck better than he can, but if you’d like to try…”

The guys looked at each other briefly, but none seemed keen on the idea. Whether it was cultural peer pressure not to take sloppy seconds, because none of them were the type to want to be the cuckold in a relationship, or because they were not the type of guy who wanted casual sex with a gorgeous woman, they all came to the same conclusion. Alek shook his head and turned away from Rani toward the band.

Rani knew she’d struck out. She frowned, trying to think up a way to regain their attention and interest, when her eyes landed on the mechanical bull.

“Are you manly men interested in showing off and riding the mechanical bull?” Rani asked.

Kevin scoffed, but Justin seemed interested. “Are you interested?” Justin asked. “I’m sure they’ll let you ride.”

“I’ll do it if you will.” Rani suggested.

“I don’t know…” Justin considered it but looked past Rani toward Selene at the end of the table.

“Girls!” Rani raised her drink and shouted at Kat and Selene. “The guys here are trying to convince us to ride the mechanical bull.” She nudged Alek in the ribs. “But I say I’ll only do it if they will. What do you say?”

Kat and Selene looked at each other and shrugged. The mechanical bull had been ridden a total of once during their time here, and the guy who rode it tried to egg his buddies to do the same, but no one seemed keen on it. The operator had put out a sign offering a $100 reward for anyone who could break the record.

“I’d do it.” Selene volunteered. “Kat?”

Kat thought about it, the plug in her ass and the vibe stuffed into her that could turn on or off at any moment. Adding a mechanical bull to that mixture seemed ill-advised. Selene looked like she thought it might make it that much more fun, and so did Rani. Though Rani was the type to egg the guys on to do stupid things rather than do something stupid herself.

“I’m doing it!” Katelyn volunteered as she stood up. “I want to see how long I can hold on with my thighs.”

"Is that a good idea?" Kat asked it like a question, but Selene knew the tone well enough to recognize it as one of Kat's warning shots. As an older sister, Kat had perfected the art of asking questions that were more statements than inquiries.

"I'm fine." Katelyn said defensively. "I know my limit. And yeah, I'm a little buzzed, but I'm not like slurring or anything. I'm fine." She took another shot in open defiance to prove her point. She wobbled a bit as she walked away, but Kat's objections were drowned out by whoops of encouragement from the guys. Only Terry looked a little apprehensive and tried to agree with Kat. Katelyn had been drinking a lot. She was tall but skinny, and Terry was as doubtful of her alcohol tolerance as the others. His fears seemed valid as she had to lean on him while commuting from their table to the mechanical bullpit.

“No way they’ll let her do that.” Kat said, confident in the responsible nature of bar workers to protect pretty young women that, to her disappointment, immediately proved unfounded.

The man working the mechanical bull guided Katelyn on and gave her a hand onto it to the whoops and hollers of those nearby. He mimed some advice, telling her to hold onto the grip with one hand and raise her other in the air for balance. The girls and guys immediately made for the ring. A low half-wall enclosed the space, and the interior was entirely padded except for the giant mechanical bull in its center.

“This is going to end so badly.” Kat whined. Katelyn was too drunk for this and hadn’t eaten nearly enough food to balance it out. Best case scenario? She was going to get sick. Katelyn was always running headfirst into bad decisions, and Kat was starting to resent that.

“I know!” Rani nearly shouted over the music. “This is gonna be great!” To her credit, the worst she figured could happen was Katelyn might get sick, and all that would do would give them a funny, slightly embarrassing story to tell their friends. Katelyn was fun, and Rani seemed to like her for that.

Selene rolled her eyes but laughed a little. Rani was embracing the chaos, funneling that energy from the crowd around the bull pit that cheered on the skinny girl holding on to the faux-back of a bull with every bit of leg and core strength she possessed as it started to slowly rock back and forth.

Kat gripped the edge of the low wall as she crossed her legs while standing and kept her eyes open and on Katelyn as best she could. Standing beside Kat, Terry looked nervously at Katelyn but tried his best to encourage her by giving her two thumbs up. Selene whooped and cheered with Rani, and the other guys joined in.

The slowly rocking mechanical bull only went slow for a few seconds before it started to jerk, twist, and tilt forward suddenly as though it were trying to buck Katelyn off its back. It went through a series of rocking spins and jerky stutters, but Katelyn seemed to enjoy it, showing off her hip movements and leg strength. She winked at Terry every time she managed to make eye contact. When Katelyn couldn’t see him, she whooped, hollered, and managed to hold on for a little over ten seconds, and then two things happened very quickly.

Katelyn flew sideways off the bull as it spun suddenly around. Her hand on the grip was the last part of her to let go, jerking her violently in the air as the grip wrenched away from her. The second noticeable event was she vomited mid-air, which made everyone flinch as she and the vomit hit the mat. She landed in almost a face-plant between the bull and the wall where her friends stood, her butt in the air.

The attendant immediately turned off the bull. Kat started, moving forward to help her, but stopped when Katelyn rolled over, clutching her arm and crying. She twisted up to her knees, and some of the crowd muttered, and others hissed in their next breath as they realized the problem. She’d dislocated her left shoulder, the one she’d tried to hold onto the bull with and then landed on.

“Fuck.” Rani’s expression changed like the flip of a coin from chaos party goblin to get-shit-done mode. She, Selene, and Kat were over the half wall instantly, even as the attendant tried to hold them back with one arm as he looked Katelyn over and tried to help her up. She was unsteady on her feet again with so much padding under them. She wobbled and belch-vomited a second time, splattering the man who was trying to help her.

Selene and Kat made the same face and flinched away, but Rani seemed undisturbed. Out of all of them, she was clearly the only one who’d experienced drunk-girl chaos, and she was in command of the scene like a sailor who’d come through the storm before.

“She’s with us.” Rani explained to the attendant as she supported Katelyn’s good side. “We need to get her to the car.” Rani said to Kat.

Kat started moving, her purse already in hand. Selene was unsteady on her feet with how thick the padding was beneath them but held up her hands as Terry and Alek approached, trying to help.

“I can pop it back in.” Alek offered.

“Are you an EMT or a med student or something?” Rani asked.

“No.” Alek shook his head.

“Then fuck off.” Rani snapped. “This ain’t amateur hour.” She said as she carried Katelyn off the mat and out of the ring. Selene grabbed their things and did her best to help Rani, who was a little unsteady.

“Is this an urgent care thing or a hospital thing?” Selene asked.

“Hospital.” Rani answered as Katelyn’s head fell back. She was crying, and although the alcohol was blurring the pain, she still felt some of it, and she knew she was hurt. Also, she was embarrassed, and there was vomit on the front of her shirt.

“Urgent care.” Katelyn managed through her tears. “I’m not paying hospital rates.”

“Fair enough.” Rani sighed but was reasonably confident they would send them to the ER anyway.

Terry cleared the way for them like a fucking bull-dozer, moving ahead and getting the doors for them as they went. The bar manager came up, and everyone seemed interested in the commotion. Selene hung back, paid their tab, got their shit, and then followed them out the door as Kat, Rani, and Terry loaded Katelyn into the back of Kat and Selene’s car.

“Let me come with you.” Terry suggested.

“No room for you, big boy.” Rani patted his arm. “Go back in and have fun with your friends. When she comes to, I’ll give her your number.” Rani said as she handed him her phone.

“Okay.” Terry nodded and put his number into the new contact Rani had started.

“I’m sorry.” Katelyn whined from inside the car. “I just wanted to-”

“I know.” Rani shushed her. “Kat? Start the car. Selene? Where the fuck is-” She stopped when she saw Selene jogging up. “Let’s go, Slut.” She nodded toward the car.

Selene hopped into the passenger seat as Kat started the car, and Rani climbed into the back with Katelyn. They were out of the parking lot in record time, leaving Terry on the asphalt watching them go.

"Should we call Kelly?" Selene asked, uncertain.

"No." Katelyn was crying in the backseat. "Please, no. Don't call her. She'll hate me for ruining her date, and I’ll never live this down if she finds out."

Selene hesitated. That didn't sound like the Kelly she knew, but she was also worried that Kelly would be angry with the rest of them, and if she was mad at Selene for failing to look out for Katelyn, it might harm her relationship with Arthur. Kelly was the girl who had the greatest claim on Arthur’s heart, after all. At least, that's what Selene believed. Kelly was the girl he chose before the harem even started. She was the one he admired, maybe even loved, even if Arthur told Selene he loved her. It usually might excite her to think of that, but panic had driven away all arousal from the vibe and plug.

"If she wasn't in the middle of a date right now, I'd call her, but we've got this. There's nothing she could do but meet us at the urgent care and worry. And with luck, it will just be a quick thing for the nurse to pop her arm back in." Kat said authoritatively.

Katelyn threw up again, directly into her purse.

Rani made a disgusted face and then tried to turn her attention back to the front seat. "Yeah, she's probably a little… tied up right now."

Nobody laughed.

“Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.” Rani sighed. “Can we roll down a window?”

Katelyn projectile vomited against the back of the passenger seat, causing Kat to look back into the backseat as she drove.

Selene suddenly pointed forward. "Lookout!"