Cold Vow

                Annette and Larry had been friends for a while.  To clarify what I mean by “friends,” it is not that they called each other and hung out, it was just that they would see each other at random Greek functions and hang out at that function.  It continued like this for many years until Larry graduated high school, he was going to graduation parties and at his friend’s Damon’s he realized that he liked Annette.  Annette had short brown hair stood at 5’6” a nice body and a pretty face.  She did not drink any alcoholic beverage nor smoked any product in her life.  This made her more of a straightedge than Larry.  Larry had never smoked anything except for seven cigars spread out amongst special occasions.  The occasions being one when his dad bought them for him and his two brothers after his older brother won his first Crew regatta.  He smoked a Cuban cigar that his godfather bought him for his 16^th birthday. On his 18^th birthday he had one because his friend offered him to smoke with him for his birthday. On the last day of classes, the seniors walked outside and smoked a cigar celebrating the end of high school.  The next day, the same friend asked him to return the favor and smoke a cigar with him on his 18^th birthday.  Larry actually smoked three on this day.  Larry drank approximately once a month, but with graduation parties it was turning into twice.  A week later Larry saw Annette at his graduation party in which he was highly drunk.  The next two days saw two more graduation parties that Annette and Larry both attended.  The third one Larry asked Annette for her number using the excuse that he wanted to call her on her birthday which was five days from then.  Larry did call her on her birthday but then continually called her to try to do something but Annette always made an excuse on why she couldn’t.  Larry didn’t think anything was wrong.  Annette worked in the mornings went to summer school in the afternoon and had to baby-sit frequently in the evenings, she was too busy.  These stories did check out but then Larry went to a Greek wedding that Annette was also at.  At the wedding, Larry realized that his advancements had turned Annette off to him.  The assigned tables had Larry and Annette at the same table but Annette sat furthest away as possible from Larry.  During Greek dancing, Annette avoided being next to Larry at all costs and when she took breaks, if Larry tried to talk to her, she tried to kill the conversation and her brother and cousins would come to occupy her time.  Larry accepted this and stopped calling hoping that later they could be the friends they once were. 

                The wedding was on Saturday, and it was currently Tuesday.  After classes Annette planned to go to a late movie with two friends.  When they left the movie, the parking lot was deserted due to the neighboring mall being closed and it being one of the last movies to exit.  In addition to that, not many people attended her movie.  Suddenly three guys, all medium built and around 6’ tall, one with blond hair, the other brown and the third red surrounded Annette and grabbed her arm and the blond said, “Hey baby, what are you doing tonight?”

                Annette’s friends backed up a bit in fear.  Annette responded, “Nothing with you.” As she jerked her arm away and tried walking toward her friends.  The brown haired boy grabbed her and shoved her into the wall with his hand over her mouth and said, “Let me correct you, you weren’t planning on doing anything with us, but you will get on all of us tonight.”

                One of her friends screamed out, “Leave her alone!”

                The red head backhanded her across the face and yelled, “Shut up bitch.”

                The girl fell to the ground as the third looked on in horror.  The redhead turned toward her and as their eyes met, she ran off, the girl that was backhanded stood up and scurried close behind.  The other two kids watched on and the brown haired boy said, “Looks like your friends won’t be joining us, now if I let go of your mouth will you scream? If you say no, and do, we’ll beat the shit out of you before the cops arrive and by the time they do, you’ll feel violated sexually and physically, I guarantee it.”

                Annette shook her head no and the brown-haired kid lowered his hand.  He said again, “Now do you want to go back to my place and have some fun?”

                “Do I have an option?”

                “Not really.”

                “Well to be honest, you can go fuck yourself.”

                The brown-haired kid backhanded her across the face but grabbed her keeping her from falling.  He straightened her up as Annette let out a short yelp of both pain and terror.  Another movie was getting out but there were only four people.  Larry was one of them, he recognized Annette as the girl being pinned against the wall.  The other three people walked by as if nothing was happening.  Larry raced toward them and the blond and redhead turned around, Larry dropped his shoulder and drove it into the blond’s stomach, wrapped his arms around and chopped at his legs tackling him to the ground.  He shot up and punched the redhead in the stomach.  The brown haired kid punched Larry in the kidneys and threw him into the wall.  He drilled him three more times in the stomach with his fists and then nailed him in the face.  He hit with so much force that his hand hurt, Larry remained standing and took a few steps to the side only to be lifted up by the redhead and slammed to the ground on his back and back of the head and neck.  Annette backed off the wall but curiosity stopped her from dashing to her car.  All three boys stomped at Larry’s chest and kicked him in the side.  They grabbed his arms and helped him to his feet.  The blond taunted, “You shouldn’t have messed in our business” as he slapped him in the face.

                Larry turned his head and slammed it into the blond’s face but the redhead punched him in the stomach and shoved him into the wall.  The brown-haired boy backed up to a distance while the redhead repeatedly punched Larry in the stomach and snapped his head back into the brick wall.  The brown haired boy came running and the redhead stepped out of the way as the brown haired boy jumped twisted and sandwiched Larry between his back and the wall.  The blond was following right after him repeating the same jump followed by the redhead with the same maneuver.  Larry bent over coughing, the back of his head and his lips had blood flowing out.  The brown haired boy put Larry’s head between his legs, wrapped his arms around his waist, lifted Larry up so both of his shoulders bent over the brown-haired shoulders and then shoved him off as Larry landed on the back of his neck and head.  Larry stirred and pushed himself to his feet.  He stood poised the blond ran forward jumped to the side and shoved his knee into Larry’s solar plexus He put him in a headlock and thrusted his knee into his face.  The redhead walked around and kicked Larry in the stomach repeatedly while the brown haired kid kicked at his legs. After two kicks, Larry dropped to his knees but the blond still held the hold, just lowered his arms but continued slamming Larry’s face into his knee.  The brown-haired boy now stomped at his shins and hamstrings.  They did this repeatedly as Annette looked on in horror.  They threw Larry to the ground and he landed on his stomach.  Larry rolled over to his back and his entire face was covered in blood.  The brown haired boy and the redhead walked up to him and stomped his thighs giving him a Charlie horse.    Larry rolled some more and the fact that he was conscious shocked the men.  The brown-haired boy stepped on his back so Larry remained lying on his stomach, and then the three of them stomped at Larry’s back and legs repeatedly.  They helped him up and once again stuck Larry’s head in between the brown haired boy’s legs. He slipped his hands under Larry’s elbows and interlocked them over Larry’s back so that Larry’s hands were trapped above his back; he then, with the help of the other two, lifted Larry up and forced him down.  In this position when picked up, the body’s natural reaction is to bend the knees, Larry did this but when he was forced down he landed directly on them.  They got up exhausted from their attack on Larry.  Larry continued to stir and rose to his feet smiling.  The redhead walked behind Larry and slipped his arms under and interlocked them forcing Larry in a full nelson.  The brown-haired boy punched Larry across the jaw.  Larry’s head shot right back and continued to smile he yelled out, “Hit me again”

                The brown-haired boy punched him again and Larry laughed and said, “Dude, you hit like a girl.”

The brown-haired boy took a few steps back and walked forward and punched Larry twice in the face alternating hands.  Larry laughed some more and said, “You can’t hurt me”

                The blond haired boy grabbed Annette, and called out to Larry right after the brown-haired punched him once more. He said, “Look I got your girl right here.”

                The blond had Annette by the arms forcing her to walk toward them.  Larry said, “Now you’re pissing me off, let her go, or else I’m going to kick all your asses.”

The blond brought his hands over Annette’s and forced them behind her with his arms pushing down on her back.  This is a half nelson, and he yelled out, “Look I’m doing her doggy style.” 

The brown haired kid went for another punch but Larry kicked him in the stomach bending him over. He straightened his arms directly over his head and dropped to a seated position slipping out of the hold.  As he dropped, The brown-haired boy rose and swung his fists straight accidentally nailing the redhead in the nose.  Larry then shot up and uppercutted the brown-haired boy sending him back and to the ground.  He then grabbed the redhead’s arm and pulled him toward him as he moved to the side and forced his knee into his solar plexus and slammed his head back onto the pavement.  He turned toward the blond who released the half nelson and just held Annette in front of him.  Larry walked toward them and the blond shoved Annette at him, Larry grabbed Annette by the waist, swung around forcing Annette’s feet in the air and kept twisting until Annette’s feet drilled the blond in the face knocking him to the ground.  He stood her up and reached at his waist and pulled out two pocketknives that have a waist clip and clipped them on Annette’s waist and whispered, “Just in case.”

The blond got up but Larry tackled him to the ground again and repeatedly punched him in the face.  Larry then rolled off him as the redhead’s foot came down and collided with the blond’s stomach.  The blond rolled on the ground with his face bloody and his arms holding his stomach.  Larry punched the redhead in the face and then in the stomach.  When he bent over he put the redhead in a headlock and turned to the side so he could see both the brown-haired kid and the blond.  He then drove the redhead’s face into his knees repeatedly.  The brown haired boy walked toward him, Larry threw the redhead to the ground and ran at the brown-haired kid.  He jumped to the side and smacked his knee into his solar plexus.  He then put him in a headlock and ran backward toward the wall.  When Larry collided with the wall he forced the brown-haired kid’s head into it as well.  Larry let go and the brown-haired boy fell to the ground barely conscious.  Larry jumped and landed with both feet on the brown-haired kid’s chest.  He spit up blood and then his eyes glazed over in unconsciousness.  The blond got up and saw this and his eyes widened in fear.  The redhead still lay on the ground holding his face.  Larry ran at the blond and tackled him to the ground again.  He then stomped at his midsection and his legs repeatedly.   He then jumped and landed knees first on his solar plexus causing the blond to spit blood and scream for mercy.  The redhead made his way to his feet and Larry walked toward him, the kid put out his hands and shook his head panting the words, “No more.”

Larry put him in a headlock and then fell back driving the kid’s head into the ground but he lay on his stomach.  Larry stomped at his back and legs and then grabbed the kid’s hair and slammed it repeatedly into the ground until he was unconscious.  The blond was on all four limbs coughing; Larry sprinted toward him and jumped on his back as if he were a horse.  The blond collapsed to the ground instantly.  Larry helped him up and grabbed his golden hair and led him to the brick wall and slammed his face into it with every syllable as he said, “I told you not to touch her, or else I’ll kick your ass.”

The blond’s eyes glazed over in unconsciousness and Larry threw him to the ground.  All four members had blood all over their face from various shots into the wall, a fist, the floor, or from spitting out blood.  Larry and the blond had blood on the back of their heads from hitting it on the ground after being tackled or thrown in Larry’s case.  The three boys still lay unconscious as Larry bent over panting as his adrenaline slowed down.  He kept his eyes up and watched as Annette approached with a confused look on her face.  She started, “Larry…umm”

Larry interrupted, “Are you okay?”

“Yea thanks to you.”

“Alright good, I’m going home.”

“Are you okay to drive home?”

“I think so”

“Larry….. ummm…..well look at you.”

“I can’t see my face Annette, but you can, I know there is blood because I see it dripping but I don’t know as well as you do how bad it is.  So I’m not going to sit here and lie to you and say I’m 100% because obviously I’m not but don’t worry, I think I have enough adrenaline to drive home.”

“But Larry…..”

“Look Annette, this is hard for you to say, so I’m going to explain to you the whole situation because I don’t have time to wait, I’m exhausted from fighting off three people for you so here it goes.  We were friends, you know we saw each other every now and then at Greek functions and we had conversations, some longer than others, whenever we happened to see each other.  Then at Damon’s party I developed a crush for you, I got your number and when I started calling you just to talk you realized that I like you more than a friend.  This scared you so you made excuses so that you couldn’t do anything with me.  Now they may all have been true, all false or a combination of the two, frankly, I don’t care, that’s the situation.  You then vowed that if you were ever to see me, you’d act completely cold around me and blow me off since I scared you with my advancement.  This was evidenced at the wedding when every time I tried to start a conversation with you, you tried to kill the conversation, told me to dance, or got Taki, Peter or Dean to come to help you out.  Also when Greek dancing, if people left the line and it ended up that me and you were next to each other, you either immediately left or had Taki in between the two of us (Taki is her brother and Peter and Dean are her first cousins). Now, I assume you weren’t here by yourself, but apparently the people you were with left, I saw you in trouble and I helped you out.  In doing so, I got my ass kicked and busted open, so you feel bad keeping to your cold vow but you don’t want to break it either so you’re torn between the two.  I’m glad that you’re okay and I could help.  Now I can barely stand so I need to get to my car so I can sit down and drive.”

Annette nodded and then slapped Larry across the face sending him to the ground.  Larry rolled onto his back but Annette stopped him from getting up by placing her foot on his chest.  She smiled and said, “That was a lovely speech. You got slapped because you were kind of right, but let me tell you something right now, you’re going to my house, I’m going to clean you up and you’re going to sleep over and I’ll take you home in the morning.  Okay.”

“Do you have your car?”

“Yes”

“Do you feel comfortable with having blood on the seats?”

By this time the three boys were all awake but had yet to stand up but lay there dazed and trying to gain their breath in no mood to continue the fight.  Annette responded, “We can take your car.”

“I don’t let anyone drive my car but me.”

She looked back and forth trying to think and said, “I’m not getting in the car with you.”

“I had a feeling since you think I can’t make it home because of the ass kicking I received”

“It’s pretty logical to me.”
                “I never said it wasn’t”

“We need to compromise”

“You’re a smart girl, figure it out”

“You know?”

“Yes”

Annette looked into the parking lot and realized that her car and Larry’s were facing each other.  She said, “What’s the compromise?”

“That’s what you have to figure out.”

“I think you don’t know”

“Get a paper and a pen, I’ll write it down”

Annette took a paper from her purse and walked the 500 feet to her car and got a pen.  She gave it to Larry and he wrote, “Either take clothes from the back seat of my car or your own and place them on the seat, that way the clothes get stained not the car.”

Larry folded the paper and put it in his pocket, Annette said, “Give me a hint”

“You wont’ find it in your car”

Annette walked to Larry’s car and looked in searching for what he was talking about, after a little bit she realized she could use the clothes.  She came back and told Larry she needed his keys.  While she was gone, Larry tried getting to his feet but his adrenaline ceased pumping and he could only sit up.  Annette helped him up and helped him to his car, the blood on Larry’s face rubbed off on Annette but Annette didn’t mind.  She took Larry’s keys and leaned him against her car.  He took out the clothes from the backseat and locked the doors before shutting the opened one.  She then put Larry’s keys in her pocket and took hers and unlocked her car.  She opened the door and covered Larry’s seat in the clothes including the back and headrest.  She walked around and helped Larry in the car.  The cuts on Larry closed and most of the blood had dried so not much rubbed off on Annette.  She then drove Larry to her house.  Larry lay straight with his head against the rest dazed.  Larry wasn’t sure if he would have been able to drive home but was glad that he wasn’t going to find out.  On the way Larry said, “Annette I have something to tell you.”

Annette’s mouth opened as she was worried what he would say but responded, “Okay”

“Just because today I won a fight against three guys and you beat me up, doesn’t mean you can beat three guys so please don’t’ try it.”

Annette laughed, “Okay I won’t”

When they got to Annette’s house, she dragged him out of the car and put his arm around her shoulder and helped him to the nearest bathroom in the house.  She lied Larry in the bathtub and ran the sink water.  She wiped the blood from Larry’s face and poured rubbing alcohol on the cuts.  When all that remained were cuts, she took off his shirt remembering how he had taken shots to the chest and stomach.  His chest and sternum were bruised; she looked down and noticed that Larry’s shins were bleeding from being slammed into the pavement.  She wiped that blood and put some rubbing alcohol on it.  She remembered the Charlie horses so she took off his shorts and he did have bruises on both of them.  She couldn’t do anything about the bruises so she was done.  She said to him, “I bet you wished I’d undress you for a while now.”

“I’m not going to lie; I thought it would be cool.” He said with a smile

“Yea but don’t get too excited, I still like you as a friend.”

Annette also washed the small amount of blood off her and helped Larry get dressed.  She led him to a couch and laid him there.  She covered him with a blanket and headed toward bed.  Larry called out, “Annette,” she turned around and he continued, “thanks for cleaning me up.”

“Thanks for rescuing me today.”

The next day Annette took Larry to his car and returned the knives to him.  Larry was extremely sore but he felt a lot better.  Annette said, “Since you figured out what I was doing when I found out you liked me and used a tone of disgust, what else could I do, keeping in mind that I only like you as a friend.”

“You had a couple options.  One you could have kept making excuses why you couldn’t do anything, but kept it like it’s always been that every now and then we see each other we talk.  And if you get sick of me asking, we do something but Taki or someone comes with us.  You could, and I’m not recommending this one, tease me and flirt back but if I ever try to bring it forward shut me down.  Or do exactly what you did and be cold.  Personally I think the way it was would have been the best way of going about it but that’s me.”

“You do have a point.”

They arrived at the theater and Larry walked out of the car and thanked Annette for the ride.  Annette got out as well and hugged Larry and gave him a European kiss (cheeks together and kiss the air).  She said, “Larry, thank you so much for last night, I don’t know what would have happened had you not have shown up.”

“Your welcome”

They then got in their cars and drove to their houses.  Annette and Larry from then on were as they had been before Larry had a crush on her.  They never told anyone about what happened but Larry did admit that he got the cuts in a fight.  He just embellished how the fight started. 

Power of Suggestion

                Larry is not very good with women.  He went on to college at New York University (NYU) still a virgin, which society had always told him was pathetic.  He was always a dork, a little socially awkward but had a good heart and most would say he was a nice guy.  This nice guy persona went completely against what was needed to lure women.  While at NYU, Larry met a student by the name of Shantaram.  Shantaram was an Indian guy that had a class with Larry.  He was heavily involved in the model united nations club.  Larry loved other cultures and debating but wasn’t too interested to join this club.  During a meeting at Model UN, it was determined that not enough students were available to go to a conference in Philadelphia so the student officers were asked if they knew anyone interested.  Shantaram called Larry and told him to come by the office.   Larry was at a bar at the time and had been drinking heavily.  He drunkenly signed up for the conference and was given the option to choose which country he was to represent, Cote D’Ivoire or the Dominican Republic.  Larry had many Dominican friends so naturally he thought he had chosen the Dominican Republic when Shantaram told him what he had signed up for. Shantaram came over to Larry’s dorm and told him what websites to research his country’s position on topics so he could make an informed imprint at the conference.  Larry was a man of his word and even if he gave it drunk, he was going to carry it through.

                After cursory research, Larry was set to go to UPENN for the UPMUNC conference.  He made Shantaram promise that he would room with him because he didn’t really like new people.  Larry went to an all boy’s Jesuit high school and his experience still had him make some false assumptions that weren’t true at other schools.  One aspect that never occurred to him was co-ed rooms.  Shantaram and Larry were indeed sharing a room, but they were also sharing it with one girl and another Indian guy. The Model UN at NYU didn’t have a large budget so they took four trains to get down there and fit many people to one room.  The other girl’s name was Heather.  She was an Italian-American with long black hair, petite frame, brown eyes and protruding mouth with slight buck teeth and olive colored skin more indicative of Southern Italy.  Larry thought she was extremely attractive and made sure to sit next to her at the conferences.  Suddenly, Larry didn’t really care about rooming with Shantaram, he wanted to get to know Heather and now that they were sharing a room together, it was the ideal place to make that happen.  Heather shared a bed with an Indian guy, Anish as he had brought Heather the same way Shantaram brought Larry; a friend doing a favor for another friend.  Larry didn’t take the conference seriously, especially when he found out that he chose Cote D’Ivoire and not the Dominican Republic that he had researched on.  He ended up cutting the conference to site see in Philadelphia with another member of Model UN.  Heather also didn’t take the conferences too seriously but her and Larry hit it off and they found out they were both psychology majors so their paths would probably cross again.

                After the conference, Larry and Heather innocently flirted with each other.  They were in a large class called Intro to Psychology.  Larry was sitting in the front row, and Heather was in the third row.  During the lecture she crumpled up pieces of paper and threw it at Larry knowing that he didn’t realize she was in the class too.  Larry turned to look and smiled when he saw Heather.  He got up from his desk and went over to her playfully accusing her of throwing things at him.  Heather innocently and playfully denied it and they took turns listening to the professor and talking.  Larry would follow Heather around and she tolerated his obvious flirtation but never gave in to actually going to dinner or drinks with him.  Larry didn’t really know how to play the game.  You never want to make yourself seem too interested.  If you are, however, you need the confidence and the guts to actually make a move.  Larry never went in for a kiss or touched an erogenous zone to get in trouble only to keep pursuing it like you’re supposed to.  Heather wasn’t going to be the one to make the move so she just innocently flirted back almost waiting for Larry to make the move. 

                On one particular day, Larry called Heather and she answered the phone.  Larry said, “Hey Heather”

                Larry had called her sporadically to invite her places so Heather didn’t think it was odd that he called.  She was beginning to like Larry’s advances and thought maybe she should give him a chance.  He was just so corky though.  She answered, “Hey Larry, what’s up?”

                “Not much, I really wanted to see a movie today, do you want to see it with me?”

                “Umm, I’m not sure what’s going on today, but I’ll think about it.  I’ll let you know later”

                “Alright cool, I’ll talk to you later.”

                Larry hung up the phone convinced that there was no way Heather was coming.  He immediately called his friend Julio and invited him to the movie.  Julio said he would and asked if he wanted to go to Washington Heights, where he lived, afterward and help him with a paper.  Larry said he would.  Pretty much every time he hung out with Julio, Julio wanted him to go to Washington Heights or to his mom’s house in Long Island.  He would get Larry very drunk to the point that he couldn’t really function and Larry would just wake up in one of the two houses.  Larry liked not sleeping in the same place all the time, so he didn’t mind it too much but it was a little annoying that Julio was too lonely to go home alone. 

                A couple hours later, Heather called Larry.  Larry answered the phone ready for the rejection, “Hey Heather”

                “Hey Larry”

                “What’s up?”

                “I decided I’ll go to the movie.”

                Larry was stunned but he masked it in his voice and said, “Awesome, I’ll meet you there at 7:30”

                “Alright cool, see you there.”

                Larry called Julio and said, “Hey Julio, change of plans.  That girl I like actually said yes to the movie, so I’m going to go with her.”

                “Oh come on man, I really wanted to see that movie.  And you said you’d help me with my paper”

                Unlike all of Larry’s other friends, Julio was the only one that used his integrity in always keeping his word against him.  Larry felt bad blowing off Julio and said, “Julio, it’s weird if you come with me.  I like this girl, it can’t be the three of us.”

                “Oh come on man.  Bros before hoes”

                Larry felt bad so decided he needed to solve this problem.  He said, “Fine, you can come, I’ll figure it out.”

                Most of Larry’s friends at NYU were girls.  He actually met Julio through a female friend of his. They all liked him platonically as Larry was an expert at getting into the friend’s zone.  He called one of his friends and explained to her the situation.  He ended it with saying, “So I really need you to come to the movie to make it look like a double date.”

                Larry’s friend, AJ, knew Julio and didn’t like him.  She lived in a dorm a block away from Heather’s dorm.  AJ said, “Oh man, alright fine, I’ll do it, but you owe me.”

                “Fine, thank you”

                The four of them went to the movie and enjoyed it.  Before going, Larry told Julio he wouldn’t be going to Washington Heights with him.  Julio turned to the group and said, “Hey, do you guys want to come over for some drinks?”

                Washington Heights is about 45 minutes by the express A train from Greenwich Village.  If it’s late night, it’s an hour and a half.  It is not a safe neighborhood and women should be wary to go there alone.  Larry had lent Julio his copy of Scent of a Woman as Larry loved that movie and told Julio he had to watch it.  Julio suggested that the four of them should go watch it at his apartment.  Larry turned to Heather and asked if she wanted to go.  Heather put her head down and said shyly, “Well, I wasn’t told that there was anything after the movie.  I didn’t plan on going to Washington Heights tonight but whatever.”

                Larry was hoping she’d just say ‘no’ to get him out of it.  Heather wanted Larry to man up and stand up to his friend and tell him ‘no’ for her.  She wasn’t too subtle in hinting she didn’t want to go but instead Larry said, “Alright, let’s go”

                AJ didn’t really mind.  They went to the subway station and headed to Washington Heights.  All four of them drank heavily while they watched the movie.  During the tango scene, Larry offered his hand to Heather and said at the exact same time as Al Pacino in the movie, “Do you want to learn to dance the tango darling?”

                Like the girl in the movie, Heather said yes.  Unlike the movie, Larry had never danced the tango before and his only lesson in it is having seen the movie several times.  They danced and Larry is sure that he wasn’t good but Heather was a good sport about it.  The night got late, and it was time for the girls to go home.  Larry would be sleeping at Julio’s that night.  He was highly inebriated while the other three were fine.  Julio and Larry walked AJ and Heather to the train station and Larry gave AJ his pocket knife just in case.  This alerted AJ that it wasn’t safe.  She took the knife and when Larry swiped his card, he got the message “insufficient fare”

                Since Larry wasn’t actually taking the subway, he remained on his side of the turnstile rather than putting more money on it to wait on the platform with them.  Julio was on the platform with the two girls and waited for the train.  When it arrived, the girls got on and Julio left the station to help Larry home who could barely walk from how drunk he was. 

                AJ listened to Heather complain about Larry the entire train ride.  Since their dorms were in the financial district they were literally going from the northern most point in Manhattan to the Southern point.  As it was late, it was a local train so AJ got an ear full for about 1 hour and 45 minutes as the financial district is 15 minutes from Greenwich Village.  Heather was infuriated that Larry lured her to Washington Heights, didn’t even wait with her, and got so drunk.  AJ tried to calm her down and defend Larry but it was useless.  Larry had blown his chance.

                Every day for the next week, Larry called Heather leaving apologetic voice mails.  Heather refused to call back.  Larry went out with his friends disgusted with himself.  His friends tried to tell him that maybe Heather wasn’t mad and she was just busy.  One night at a bar, Larry just tried calling Heather and got her voicemail.  His friend offered to call Heather from her phone just to see if she answered to prove to Larry that it wasn’t him.  She called and Heather answered quickly.  Larry’s friend said, “Sorry wrong number” and hung up the phone.  Her shoulders dropped as she had to deliver the news to Larry.  She simply said, “Well she picked up”

                Larry took a long sip from his alcoholic beverage and balled his hands in a fist so tightly that his nails dug into his palm.  This only made Larry squeeze harder trying to draw blood.  Throughout this entire thing, he never blamed Heather or was mad at her.  He was mad at himself for not standing up to Julio.  He should have just stood his ground that he was going to the movie without Julio and went with Heather.  Then he made the problem worse and worse.  When he recapped this in his head, he concluded that barring from hitting Heather or doing something else that one could press charges on, Larry couldn’t have messed up his opportunity any more than he had.

                Heather no longer flirted with Larry and they grew apart from there.  Larry remained involved in Model UN but Heather did not. 

 

                Larry was ten years removed from graduating NYU.  He did a pretty good job of keeping in touch with his friends from NYU.  One friend he kept in contact with sporadically was Anish.  Anish stayed in touch with Heather and let Larry know how she went on to get her masters in Psychology, was a psychologist and now lived in Turkey with her husband.  Larry didn’t pursue psychology after college; he worked in accounting at an HVAC company.  Larry found out that he loved spreadsheets and decided to play craps in his apartment keeping data on different strategies on a spreadsheet.  He had completely moved on from Heather.  After he lost his virginity in college, he was disillusioned by the event that he had stressed over so much.  It was boring to him so he vowed to not do it.  So far, he was doing a good job of it as he lost it 11 years ago and still didn’t pursue girls.  Larry was into gambling at casinos.  He especially loved playing craps.  Over the years, many people have told him about craps strategies and since he had a lot of time on his hands, he would play craps in his apartment keeping a spreadsheet of the different strategies and how well they did.  While doing this, he developed his own strategy based on the data.  Everyone told him he was crazy and that the casinos have much better algorithms and much smarter people to ensure that no advantage can ever be had.  He figured this was true.  What people didn’t understand about gambling was that when done right, it’s just playing a game.  Kind of like going to an arcade.  The only difference is, it is theoretically possible to win money at a given table.  You automatically lose money at an arcade.  Sure, overall you will probably be down but you can have fun and the rare occasions you do walk away with more than you came with make it that much better.  The weird thing was, as the trials entered the triple digits, Larry’s strategy was still profitable.  He decided to try this at casinos.  He was up over $1,000 playing ten dollar tables.  He figured it was a fluke and it would correct itself later so he only went to casinos when someone else invited him.  When he did, he actually avoided the craps tables because he wanted to preserve his record.

                Another thing Larry enjoyed doing was travelling.  He had just bought a groupon to go to Thailand for 11 days and then have a week stay in Hong Kong as an extension of the trip.  Larry always wanted to go to Macau hearing it blew Vegas out of the water.  Larry made annual trips to Vegas so the allure of a bigger Vegas pleased him.  Since he was on vacation, he was more willing to splurge so he decided to play craps.  In Macau, the limits were higher than in Vegas but he was doing well financially so he decided to play.  What this simple decision would lead to, he couldn’t possibly have imagined.

                Heather was taking a trip to Hong Kong.  It wasn’t too far from her current home in Turkey. She figured that since she didn’t know how long she would be living on this side of the world, she might as well do some travelling while here.  Her husband was supportive of her travelling but didn’t share her love of seeing new places.  Heather was fine travelling alone.  People often times didn’t like travelling with her because she needed every detail planned before hand and most people like going where the wind takes them on vacation.   Travelling alone allowed her to keep to her schedule without anyone messing up her plan.  She went to the drinking area of Hong Kong and got a drink.  It didn’t take long for a guy to hit on her.  After all, an American looking woman is exotic to those in Hong Kong and just like anywhere else in the world, exoticness was attractive.  Heather innocently flirted just enough to get a drink bought for her but she was open about her being married and off limits.  It didn’t really scare of the guys as they still thought they had a chance but she could control herself and them.  After a couple drinks, she left the bar and refused offered rides and alternate places to stay besides her hotel.  Heather was doing quite well for herself financially so opted to stay in a nice hotel as she felt safer there.  She got out her key and her mind thought back to the Star Ferry she took from central in the heart of Hong Kong to the touristy area of Hong Kong.  The city looked beautiful from the water and it made her a little nostalgic as it was more similar to where she grew up in New York than her current residence in Istanbul.  Suddenly, she felt a prick in her neck and then everything went dark as a man’s arms wrapped around her.

                Osama was an Arab that worked for a Saudi billionaire sheik.  He was paid very handsomely to travel with the sheik and find a way to accommodate anything he wanted.  The money he was given made it easy for him to ignore the moral dilemmas he may have had.  His job wasn’t difficult.  He arrived in a new country found the best places to eat and go and waved some cash around to make the owners accommodate the sheik and their entourage, which he was a part of.  That part of the job he was fine with.  It got ridiculous, however, when the sheik forced him to do things like getting foods sent in to a given country because the food he wanted wasn’t sold in said country.  Today’s request, however, was where he may have had a moral dilemma.  The sheik believed that women only existed to serve men.  He had a good collection of prostitutes that he had purchased for his harem but he always wanted more.  He asked for an American girl.  The problem with doing it in America was that there were so many cameras in America and the police were really good.  Even if you made it out of the country, the CIA and FBI had divisions that travelled the world looking for Americans that got into trouble.  Making this request in Hong Kong was odd but at least an American would stand out in Hong Kong.  He went to the drinking area in Central located in the heart of Hong Kong and drank seltzer pretending to be drinking.  There were a couple of Americans but one girl caught his eye.  It wasn’t that she was attractive, there were plenty of attractive Americans at the bar, it was that she said she had moved to Turkey and had gotten her citizenship.  He first noticed her taking out a Turkish passport to show ID at the bar.  Being able to kidnap an emigrated American made it much less risky to snag her.  This was his target.  He followed her back to her hotel room.  At first, he thought he was being a little too obvious but the American didn’t notice.  He pretended he was going to a room passed Heather’s but memorized her room number.  He went down to the front desk and asked the front desk if the room next to Heather’s was open.  He was told it was occupied so he asked for any available room.  He got a room and then he went back up the elevator and knocked on the door next to Heather.  He heard a man approach the door but didn’t open it. Instead, he asked, “Who is it?”

                Osama had come prepared and already had a printed card.  He merely said, “Look at the note” as he slid it under the door. 

                After a brief pause, the man said, “How do I know this isn’t a trick?”

                “I’m going to go downstairs. Come to the new room and see for yourself.  Then come down to the lobby and find me.  Look through the peep hole so you know what I look like”

                “Why don’t I just come to the lobby and we’ll tell the front desk we’re switching rooms?”

                “Even better”

                “Alright, I’ll need 10 minutes to pack up but I want triple”

                “I will agree on the condition you stop the negotiation now, otherwise no deal”

                “Deal”

                The note simply offered him twice his money for the room.  Osama went downstairs and five minutes later a man came down with a suitcase.  He came to the front desk and looked at him.  Osama knew this was his cue to change rooms.  They made the switch and swapped keys and Osama went to the room next to Heather’s.  American girls are way too chatty.  He already knew she was staying for a week and figured she would be going to the same area tomorrow for drinks.  Sure enough, she had.  He loaded a syringe filled with a sedative and waited for Heather from his hotel room via a tiny camera he put on top of her door.  When Heather came up, he creaked open the door, jammed the syringe into her neck and pushed on the plunger as he wrapped his offhand around her.  Heather collapsed into his arms and he dragged her into his room and threw her on the bed.  Now came the fun part.  Luckily for him, the sheik didn’t mind sloppy seconds.  In fact, his job was to rape the women first, break their spirit and then bring them to him already docile and submissive.  The next couple of days would be fun. 

                Heather woke up a little groggy and disoriented.  She looked at the walls to find egg crates and wondered where she was and how she got there.  As she shook off the cloud of sleep, she realized something even more disconcerting.  There was duck tape over her mouth and she was bound to a bed.  She struggled with the constraints and then she saw the figure of a man she had never seen before.  The man spoke, “Don’t worry, soon I will cut you loose.  I just have to explain the rules of your new life first.  Right now you have been given the honor of joining in Sheik Mahmoud’s harem.  Now, I fully understand that I need to earn it, however, it would be in your best interest not to resist and accept the honor.  The strange walls you see have acted to sound proof the room so nobody will hear you scream.  With all that said, I’m going to remove your gag so you can give me your decision”

                Osama removed the gag and Heather screamed out, “Fuck you asshole”

                “Well, I take that for you don’t accept.  Keep in mind the offer never expires.  I’m going to strip you and you’re going to try to stop me.  I will limit myself to one move per article of clothing.”

                “It’s not too late to let me go”

                “I know, but it’s about to be.”

                Osama untied Heather’s restraints and she immediately bolted for the door.  While trying to unlock the deadbolts, Osama came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.  He hoisted her up and fell back snapping Heather’s body with his slamming the back of her head and neck against the ground as her legs folded over her head.  Osama didn’t get up; he twirled his body from the ground, grabbed Heather’s right leg and wrapped his legs around it holding it in place.  He untied her shoe and pulled it off.  Heather screamed but Osama had done this before.  He told the front desk he wanted the entire floor to himself and when people checked out they would book the remaining people on different floors.  The sound proofing was enough but you can never be too careful and during the day most people are out of their hotel rooms.  Osama released the hold and stood up calmly and said, “Get up, 1-0 me”

                Heather got up and looked at him incredulously.  She knew she couldn’t beat him in a fight but she was a psychologist so maybe she could talk him out of it.  She said, “Look, whatever happened in your past was not your fault.  If you were hurt by a woman you care about, that’s on her.  You don’t have to punish all women for it.  I can help you.  I’m a great listener.  Tell me what’s wrong.”

                Osama walked towards her and Heather didn’t move.  For a second there, she thought the shot in the dark worked but instead Osama bent over threw Heather over his shoulder, pulled her legs to his chest and shoved the upper half of her body against the ground again.  He again put her in a leg lock, this time on her left leg and removed her shoe and tossed it to the side.  This time when Osama got up, Heather rolled onto her stomach grabbing her head in pain.  Osama contemplated the people a floor below may complain about the banging, but they would just go to the front desk that he could easily bribe.  Osama said, “Are you willing to submit?”

                Heather got up on all fours.  She again tried to plead with him but to no avail.  Osama lifted her to her feet and shoved on the bed.  Heather started kicking her legs but Osama wrapped his arms around both of her legs lifted and turned her onto her stomach bending both legs back towards her head.  Heather’s legs stilled and Osama took off her right sock.  Heather pulled herself to the front of the bed and jumped towards Osama.  Osama caught her with ease and tossed her back onto the bed.  He lied on top of her and pulled his right arms under her hamstrings and brought her left knee to her left shoulder.  He reached his right arm across as Heather squirmed and removed the left sock.  He tossed it aside and said, “Now the worthless clothing is off, it’s much more fun after this.”

                Osama got up and waited for Heather.  Heather got up hunched over holding her back as the first move creates a lot of pressure on the lower back.  She said, “Okay, you win”

                Osama walked over to him as Heather approached him with her head down.  When he approached, she grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him towards her as she lifted her knee towards his crotch.  Osama anticipated this and moved his right thigh to take the blow.  Heather knew she missed and looked up to a smiling Osama.  Osama shoved her back, grabbed her right arm and pulled her towards him again while he sidestepped lifting his right knee up slamming Heather midsection into his knee.  Heather grabbed her stomach and dropped to her knees gasping for air.  Osama grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head.  Heather started crying.  Osama picked her up to her feet and she wrapped her arms around his neck for support instinctively.  Osama picked her up and tossed her onto the bed.  He knelt over her legs and unbuttoned her shorts.  He grabbed the two sides that were previously held together by the button and yanked them apart snapping the zipper down.  He yanked off the shorts and stood over Heather.  Her resistance was getting less and less.  Heather crawled to the head of the bed again and sat up hugging her knees wearing nothing but her bra and panties.  Osama crawled towards her on the bed.  Heather kicked at his head but Osama easily dodged it.  He grabbed her by the hair and stood on the bed forcing Heather to rise with him.  He turned her around and kneed her in the hamstrings forcing her to her knees.  He said, “Are you ready to submit?”

                Heather said through tear strained voice, “Please, I’ll do anything, just let me go.”

                Osama undid her bra and pulled the straps off her shoulder and let the bra fall to the ground.  He wrapped his right forearm around Heather’s neck and pulled her body back as he eased his right knee into her back bending Heather’s back over it.  He gripped his pants to make it more difficult for Heather to pull his arm off her as if he needed to.  Heather moaned in pain but aside from grabbing his arm with her hands, did nothing to stop it.  Osama said, “If you’d do anything, that means you’ll be our bitch and accept our offer to join the harem.”

                Heather shook her head but said nothing.  Osama let go and watch as Heather leaned forward onto her stomach.  The fight was out of her.  Now, he just wanted to toy with her some more.  He stripped himself naked as the American just cried into the bed sheets.  He got off the bed and went around to Heather’s head.  He placed her head in between his knees and squashed his knees against her temples.  He grabbed the waist line of her panties and pulled towards her head wedging the fabric in between her anus exposing her cheeks.  He smacked both hands against her butt and yanked at the waistline again.  He heard the sound of fabric tearing as the waistband ripped from the rest of her panties.  He took the circular waist band and put it around his neck.  He sat next to Heather’s body and pulled her across his lap.  He used his right leg to wrap Heather’s legs holding her in place.  He gripped her hair in his left hand and pulled as he slapped his right hand across her butt with all his might.  Heather sighed in pain and Osama said, “Are you ready to submit?”

                “Please…”          

                Heather was cut short by another spank then the same question came.  This repeated for four more slaps until Heather said, “Yes”

                Osama said, “Tell me you’re my bitch.”

                “I’m your bitch”

                “Prove it” as he shoved her off him to the floor.  “Crawl around and bark like a dog for me.”

                Heather pulled herself onto all fours and crawled around barking.   Osama said, “Sit”

                Heather said, “Do we really have to go through all this?  You already won, just take your Julioy.”

                Osama grabbed Heather by the hips and lunged his penis into her vagina from the rear feeling Heather’s whole body tense.  He reached his arms around her body and grabbed her breasts hard.  He humped her as blood emulated from her vagina and dripped onto the floor.  He said, “I will take my Julioy any way I want to.  You will learn to obey.  Anything I command, you will do.”

                Heather said, “Ok, I’m sorry, I’ll do whatever you ask.”

                Osama pulled out and said, “sit”

                Heather let her butt fall onto her thighs and sat like a dog.  Osama came over and made her shake with each hand, stay, come to him, lie down and roll over.  Each time rubbing her head saying “Good girl.”

                Osama told her to roll back over and lie down.  Heather agreed.  He took a bottle of lubrication and said, “Since you’ve been such a good girl, I’m going to give you a treat.  When I take you from behind, you will be lubricated first.”

                Heather cringed at this but didn’t dare protest.  Osama rubbed the lubrication generously on her anus and hovered over her.  He pummeled her butt driving his penis into her rectum repeatedly.  He stood up and told Heather to get up on her knees.  Heather did as she was told and Osama slapped her in the face by rotating his hips and letting his penis collide with her cheeks.  He said, “Now, let’s see if you were lying.”

                Heather opened her mouth and reached around inserting Osama’s penis into her mouth.  Osama grabbed her hair with his right hand and guided her back and forth shoving his penis to the back of her throat.  Biting down didn’t even occur to Heather anymore.  There was something about being forcefully penetrated that sucked the life out of you.  Osama said, “Smother by penis in between your breasts”

                Heather did so and Osama made her put his scrotum in her mouth.  This is the part that Osama feared the most.  He knew that he would still be strong enough to attack her if she tried anything but it still hurt.  He needed to ensure that Heather wouldn’t do it to the sheik though.  This was her test and his sacrifice.  Some girls had tried it and it ended very badly for them.  This girl, however, lived too privileged a life to not be shocked straight from the rape.  He told her to rise and Heather did holding on to him for support.  Osama grabbed lubrication and rubbed it against Heather’s groin bloodying his fingers as Heather was still bleeding.  He reached around and grabbed her butt picking her up.  Heather wrapped her legs around Osama’s waist as he drove her against the wall violently thrusting his pelvis into her slamming her against the wall with each thrust as he kissed her neck and cheeks.  He pulled his lips over her and Heather avoiding opening her mouth for a second but all it took was Osama to squeeze her butt harder for Heather to open her mouth and protrude her tongue.  He twirled her around and undid her arms leaning her back.  He massaged her breast and lied on the ground penetrating her in the missionary position before lifting her legs over his shoulder to penetrate her deeper.  He switched positions sporadically until semen exploded from his penis into Heather.  He saw it coming so made sure he was in her rectum when he did.  He wasn’t worried about pregnancy.  For one, a woman’s body closes up when being raped so it’s harder to become impregnated.  Also, if she did get pregnant, they would sedate her and give her a forced abortion. 

                Osama spooned with Heather and went to sleep.  The door was bolted and he placed an anklet with bells around Heather’s ankle to wake him up if she tried to escape. The next morning, Heather hadn’t moved.  Osama said, “Take a shower then give me a lap dance.”

                Heather got up and limped to the bathroom.  She took a shower and relished as the water felt good against her wounds.  She washed herself and found Osama come into the shower with her destroying the last piece of freedom she thought she would get.  She should have known better.  Osama said, “Wash me bitch.”

                Heather poured soap into her hands and rubbed it over Osama’s body liberally.  Osama walked into the shower stream and got the soap off.  Heather then shampooed his hair and Osama walked out of the shower grabbing a towel.  He said, “Finish up, I want my lap dance.”

                Heather shut off the water and brushed her teeth and put on deodorant.  Osama had brought it over from her room when she was bound.  The familiar routine comforted her.  She looked into the mirror and saw a change.  She didn’t see a strong woman but a submissive, defeated victim.  She walked out of the bathroom and straddled Osama and gave him a lap dance.  Osama raped her afterwards and then bound her to the bed again and ordered room service for Heather’s room next door.  Osama went into Heather’s room and waited for room service before wheeling it over to his room with Heather on the bed.  After a week, Osama no longer had to bind Heather.  She was completely broken and even when the room service knocked and brought the food in, she made no outburst for help or motion to the door.  Osama knew he could bribe the employee but this was a test.  Heather passed.  After the week, Osama walked out of the hotel with Heather at his side.  He had his arm around her as Heather still needed his support to work normally.  He had the sheik’s chauffeur pick them up and he returned to the sheik’s hotel to present him with his new addition to his harem.

 

                Larry stood at a craps table and analyzed the numbers coming out adjusting his strategy to what he saw.  Most people believed that mathematically nothing changes in craps since history means nothing.  This is mostly true but Larry found an angle that math missed.  It’s not that the math was wrong it’s applying the wrong algorithms and formulas to an event.  The show “Mythbusters” enjoyed 12 seasons confirming or busting similar thoughts based on mathematicians and scientists.  This, however, was the first time he was playing the equivalent to a 25 dollar table.  He played 15 once but the swings were more than he cared to handle.  Since he was on a vacation and in a better financial state than then, he was okay with it.  He was there with his friend who had never played craps before.  He believed in beginner’s luck and thus far a girl that had never played craps before was paying off consistently.  When he left, he was approached by a Middle Eastern man.  The man said, “You played well.”

                Larry once tried to tell people his strategy but he was just mocked.  He decided he’d play the part everyone plays when they win and just say he got lucky.  He said, “Yea, the table was hot, I got lucky today but overall you still lose.”

                “Actually, you pulled back when the table was cold and then bet more when the table got hot.  You seemed to know when to bet big and when not to.”

                Larry was shocked.  He had heard about back room beatings for winners.  This is why he tried to keep his winnings to good enough for him but not big enough to raise awareness from pit bosses.  Although he found that the Vegas stories were myths, outside of America, the back alley beatings were very real.  Still though, $ 2,000 was chump change.  They made much more than that with the other people at the table that lost during the cold periods.  He didn’t know what to do but his thoughts were on protecting his friend.  His friend was Hispanic so he said in Spanish “Run, stay in public areas.”

                His friend did so and the Middle Easterner looked on and nodded his head in understanding.  “I think you misunderstood sir.  I don’t work for the casino.  I wanted to invite you to the high stakes area to play for my boss.  He is offering you 15% of your profits for him.  If you lose, you owe him nothing.  You merely leave and meet your friend.  Larry moved to an area where it was safe to use a cell phone.  He didn’t want to contact his friend directly just in case they can trace phone numbers.  Instead, he texted a mutual friend and told her that he had gotten into trouble and to check if their friend was okay.  Larry said, “How much is the table?”

                “7.5 million”

                Larry knew this was in Hong Kong Dollars.  He pulled out his phone and put the number in the conversion knowing it had to be really large.  The calculation came back, “963,617.14.”  Larry sighed and said, “In order to do this, you will need at least 300 million dollars (HKD)”

                “That is acceptable”

                “Also, you’re sheik needs to be worth at least six billion Hong Kong Dollars”

                The Middle Easterner laughed.  He said, “That is insultingly low for how much the Sheik is worth.” 

Larry figured that he just asked if the sheik was a billionaire and put it in his converter app to clarify that’s what he meant.  Turns out he was wrong; it was almost 771 million US dollars not a billion.  Still makes him wealthier than some sports team owners.  He knew these sheiks had a lot of money but he never actually met one before.  This made it believable that one he wasn’t going to get in trouble for losing the money and two that the sheik really did have this money.  He said, “One more condition”

“Name it”

“I’m not doing a damn thing until I know my friend is safe in America”

“When’s your flight?”

“Tomorrow”

“Meet me here tomorrow then”

“I lied, I have more conditions”

“Okay”

“Get me a hotel for the night.”

“If this goes well my friend, you will learn you can trust us.  You think I’m going to follow you and hurt you and your friend.  I can understand that.  But, what stops you from leaving on the flight with her at the airport tomorrow?”

“You know where I’m staying.  You work for a very wealthy man.  I’m sure you can afford lookouts to spy on me and see where I go.  I probably won’t even notice them so if I try to double cross you, you know where to find me.”

The Middle Easterner looked at Larry and said, “We will do none of those things.  In order for you to trust us, we will make the first gesture to trust you.”

“Just so you know I don’t trust anyone so if that’s a deal breaker for you than we should end these talks now.”

“If you produce for us, your personal feelings for us is of no consequence”

Larry smiled, “On that, we can agree.”

The Middle Easterner took out his cell phone and dialed a number.  He spoke on the phone reserving a room for the week.  Larry heard ‘suite’ and wondered if it was the type of hotel that called all their rooms suites.  He hung up the phone and said, “I hope you and your friend are not staying at the Wynn palace because that is where I booked you.”

While the Middle Easterner was on the phone, Larry texted his mutual friend in America and explained to her the situation.  The friend told Larry to turn him down but the intrigue of playing for over $900,000 units allured him.  Larry knew that the Wynn in Vegas was the most expensive hotel in Vegas and assumed that Macau was no different.  This guy wanted to show him he had money.  The truth was Larry wasn’t even staying in Macau.  Their hotel was in Hong Kong.  He accepted a limousine to the Wynn Palace and checked in.  He wondered why he didn’t have to give the Middle Easterner his name but he booked it in his name and just gave Larry the keys when he checked in.  Larry had been texting his friend back and forth and being told he was an idiot.  Larry had seen 34 countries and didn’t want a wife and kids.  He was ready to die but he wasn’t going to kill himself.  This stemmed from his best friend dying shortly after his 18^th birthday.  Oddly, on January 1, 2003, Larry was officially older than his friend when he died.  It was at this precise moment, he no longer feared death.  That lack of fear allowed him to see the world and do incredible things he never would have done if he was.  This, he saw, was just one more risk.  Now that it was 2017, he was on much borrowed time.  He told his friend to text the girl he was travelling with that he was okay and that he wouldn’t be flying home with her the next day.  It dawned on Larry that missing his flight meant that he would have to pay for his own.  He looked at his equivalent of 2,000 American dollars he won at the casino and decided that it would help.  He knew one way international flights were ridiculously expensive but $2,000 head start was good.  He decided he could always ask.  The Middle Easterner gave him his phone number so he picked up the room phone and called.  After all, the room wasn’t in his name so it would be charged to the Sheik.  The man picked up and Larry said, “If I lose, how am I going to get back to the states?” 

“If you lose, we will pay for your flight home but it is our hope that we will pay for your flight home as a fraction of your winnings for us.  We don’t like being wrong.”

“Thank you sir”

“You’re quite welcome.  Does the room meet your satisfaction?”

Larry held back from scoffing at the question.  The “suite” that the Middle Easterner procured was more of like a huge apartment.  There were six bedrooms, champagne on ice, a hot tub and a gorgeous view of Macau.  He was told he could order more drinks but he wasn’t going to do that.  The bed was made with satin sheets that almost massaged him as he lay in it.  He said, “Definitely, thank you again” unable to conceal the smile in his voice.

It dawned on Larry that it may be a trap to lure his friend to him.  As if to say, ‘hey look what I got’ but Larry wouldn’t fall for that trick.  Instead he took pictures of the suite and if he made it back to the states, he’d deal with his friend’s reaction then.  Larry went site seeing and bungee jumped from the top of the Macau tower and enjoyed museums in Macau and the Portuguese cuisine.  He got the confirmation from his mutual friend that the girl he was travelling with made it to the airport and had boarded the plane in the morning.  That was this morning; Larry was going to wait until she landed in the states.  It occurred to him that it’s a 15 hour flight so it would have to be pretty late Macau time.  Still though, he needed confirmation.  It would still be tonight, it would just be early the next morning.  He was communicating via text with the Middle Easterner.  He didn’t let him know what time his friend was arriving in the states until after her flight took off.  A simple flight status check told him that it had taken off on time.  The Middle Easterner didn’t seem too upset but advised Larry to get his rest for it looked like he’d be starting very late and he needed him to be at his best.  Larry agreed.  He got back to the hotel at around 8:00PM and took a nap.  At 11:00 he woke up and got the urge to go to the casino.  He specifically wanted to avoid this but drinking alone at a bar wasn’t appealing to him and he’s in the gambling capital of the world.  He decided he’d just go around to the different casinos.  Macau has three strips of casinos and he only explored one the day before.  He decided he’d see the other ones.  He walked around for a couple hours always accessing the wifi from a hotel to see if he’d heard from his friend.  He made it back to the hotel to meet the Middle Easterner an hour after his friend was scheduled to arrive.  That was the agreed upon time and Larry had already gotten the confirmation that she was safe in the States.  Larry had bought a calling card earlier and used a payphone to make the call using the card.  He called the friend he was travelling with.  He figured that if they could get to the states, they could get to the mutual friend, which would lead him to the one he was travelling with.  At that point, Larry just may commit suicide.  He never wanted his friends to get in trouble.  The travelling friend told him he was being an idiot just like the other one did but confirmed she was in the States safe and took a picture of her standing in front of her apartment with her I-pad displaying the date and sent it to Larry.  Larry was satisfied and met the Middle Easterner.

The Middle Easterner said, “Are you ready?”

“Yes”

                “Excellent, here is your buy in.”

                Larry was given a duffel bag.  He didn’t bother counting it.  That was the dealer’s job.  He had no doubt that 300 million Hong Kong Dollars was in it.  He said, “I’m just going to clarify one thing.  I’m not going to win every time.  I can’t guarantee success.  So far, my strategy has been profitable but it can always correct”

“And if it does today, your services will no longer be needed.” 

“That’s fine, but I want to be clear, I’m not guaranteeing anything”

“Understood”

They arrived in the high stakes area and Larry gave the bag to the dealer and was stunned that they had no reaction as they gave him 1 million and 500,000 chips to play with.  Larry had already written on a paper the units to make the point numbers divide evenly in a 7.5 million unit table.  He had it in front of him.  He ordered a drink and the Middle Easterner frowned.  Larry said, “I know technically I’m not risking any money here, but it’s hard to ignore the amount of money I’m going to be playing with.  I need something to calm the nerves.”

“As long as you limit yourself.  We know how you Americans love your drinks and are unable to quit once you get a taste.”

“I will not be having more than three.”

“That seems excessive.”

“Observe me and see if I seem inebriated to you.  It’s your money, you can tell me to quit playing whenever you want.”

“I will do that if I’m right in assuming you can’t stop yourself.”

“Okay”

Larry only did have the one drink.  By the time he finished it, he was high on the adrenaline.  He was observing the Middle Easterner during seven outs, or when you hit a point number and then hit a seven.  It was the worst thing that could happen and a lot of money is lost.  The swings in craps are huge and Larry had to ensure the Middle Easterner could handle them.  If the sheik was really as wealthy as he said he was, the 300 million Hong Kong Dollars was nothing to him.  As the swings happened, the Middle Easterner looked on passively.  The Middle Easterners perceived calmness did more to calm Larry’s nerves than the drink did.  The drink, however, did need him to get to the point where he could observe the Middle Easterner’s demeanor.  He cashed out and realized that he had doubled his buy in.  With his 15 percent cut, Larry was given 45,000,000 Hong Kong Dollars, which made him a millionaire.  It was almost 5.8 million US dollars.  Although this was proportionally half of what he made in his run the night before when compared to the buy in, it was much sweeter.  Last night he tripled his buy in.  Larry had heard that in Macau, the amount of money that switches hands in the high stakes area is larger than most countries’ Gross Domestic Product or GDP.  With that, his 45 million Hong Kong dollars was not going to be missed.  The Middle Easterner handed the money to Larry and said, “This is yours per our agreement.”

“Thank you” was all Larry could muster to say.  Somehow, ‘thank you’ seemed a little too insufficient for 5.8 million dollars but he didn’t know what would be sufficient.  The Middle Easterner told him his itinerary back to the states and Larry thanked him and left.  He took the ferry back to Hong Kong and spent the day going to five different banks to open an account and deposit his money.  Four of them he picked ones he never heard of because he didn’t want a branch to be in America.  The last one was HSBC just in case the previous four were scams.  This is how he hedged the risk of being taxed on his winnings and getting scammed by a bank that was beyond the protection of international law.  When the time came to do his taxes, he’d tell his accountant everything and see what he could get away with.  He told the Middle Easterner he lived in Washington DC knowing he could take a train ride to New York City where he really lived.  The cell phone number was a New York number but people didn’t necessarily live in the area code their phone was attached.  This made it harder to be tracked down.  Larry returned to work and told nobody of his millionaire status now.  He put the equivalent of a million dollars in each of the four Hong Kong only banks.  He kept the equivalent of $ 9,000 on him to avoid being illegal according to customs and deposited the rest in HSBC fully willing to deal with the red flags it arose.  In a way, he wanted to be questioned because maybe the authorities knew something he didn’t about this scam.  If it was a scam, he’d deal with it later.  The FBI did contact him and he told them everything except the four million he had spread in other banks.  The FBI told him that there was nothing illegal about it but he had to pay the tax on the 1.8 million, which Larry readily agreed to.  They told him to be careful and Larry said he didn’t know what else to do to do that.  The FBI agent gave him his card and said to call him if he gets in trouble.  Larry agreed and meant it.

A couple months later, Larry got a call from the Middle Easterner.  He was being invited to MonteCarlo to try his hand in craps again.  Larry responded, “I don’t really have vacation days at work, so I’ll have to leave Friday night and return Sunday, so I really can only play on Saturday and maybe a little before Sunday depending on my flight.”

“You’re still working when you were paid over five million dollars”

“Yes, like I said, I don’t trust anybody.  Is it a problem that I remain employed?  I mean if this arrangement goes the way it has so far, I’m definitely willing to take some unpaid working days but keep in mind, it is gambling and nothing is guaranteed.”

“If that’s the way it goes, then so be it.  I will book you an afternoon flight and return late Sunday”

“Thank You”

Larry set up an e-mail account specifically for this guy.  That’s the e-mail he sent the itinerary to and was on the airport’s list.  He wasn’t too careful though.  After all, his frequent flyer numbers, name, and Global Entry number were all real.  If they had looked into him, though, he hadn’t noticed.  The itinerary was out of DC.  He would have to take the train again.  Either they didn’t know he lived in New York or were pretending he was getting away with it.  Just like last time, he was given a Penthouse suite in Montecarlo.  He knew there was a dress code so he packed a suit and gave it to the front desk to get it ironed for the next day.  He had to take Friday off work to make it to DC in time for the flight.  He arrived early Saturday morning and went to the hotel to drop his bags off.  He thought he would have problems since check in was normally in the early afternoon but apparently this was thought about because the room was booked the night before and he was told he was expected that day.  He put the bags in his room and sent his suit to be ironed.  He was told it would be back to him within a couple hours.  Larry also found a cell phone waiting for him.  This was so he could call the Middle Easterner and stop the texting through wifi.  Larry wasn’t used to being a millionaire so he didn’t think of these things.  He called the Middle Easterner and told him he had arrived.  The Middle Easterner asked if he wanted to take a nap to which Larry declined.  He said he’d meet up with him after dinner at 7:00PM.  Larry went site seeing for the next three hours and then went back to his hotel and got his suit.  He went to the casino and sat down at a poker table.  He played poker for a couple of hours, talked with the players to find out the best place to eat, and had a great dinner before meeting up to play craps.  Montecarlo is located on the border of France so the French Cuisine there is exquisite.   Larry used his nice meal to counter his annoyance of having to wear a suit to gamble.  He always figured gambling should be done comfortably and casually but Montecarlo disagreed.  He met up with the Middle Easterner and he greeted him and said, “Who’s this?”

He was referring to a red headed girl Larry had next to him.  He said, “This is Amy. I play better when I have a girl who never has played craps before”

Larry had met Amy at the casino earlier in the day.  He offered her free drinks and dinner if she’d play craps with him.  Larry had made the offer to other girls but they were suspicious.  Amy figured that they would always be in public areas so she felt safer.  Amy loved being wined and dined and felt it was a small price to play to throw dice.  The Middle Easterner handed Larry the duffel bag and they went to the high stakes room.  Larry noticed that the denominations were about the same as in Macau, between 900,000 and a million US dollars.  It was here that he realized his mistake.  He only had enough for his buy in.  If Amy was to roll she needed a buy in.  He asked the Pit Boss if it was okay for her to roll for him knowing that in any casino the answer was ‘no.’  Something told him though when you bought in for millions instead of $400, they may be more accommodating.  They were.  They had no problem with Amy rolling for him.  To make it easier, we will use United States Dollar equivalents from here.  When they were done, Larry had made about 120 million dollars for the sheik, which gave him approximately 18 million dollars.  He gave Amy the same 15% deal she was owed and she was floored by her 2.7 million dollars.  It was 11:00PM now so banks were closed.  He gave the casino wiring information and they wired his 15.3 million dollars to his five banks in Hong Kong spread equally.  Amy flirted with Larry but Larry said he had to go back to the States and he’d call her if he was back in town.  Amy was from London.  Larry regretted his word choice once he did but corrected himself and said ‘London.’  Amy was surprised Larry didn’t try to take her home.  To Larry though, he was still on high alert and sex never appealed to him.  He went back to the hotel unloaded his $ 9,000 he kept in case his banks were wiped clean and relaxed at the hotel.

Larry was surprised by a knock on the door.  The phone the Middle Easterner gave him buzzed and he looked at the text message and it said, “A little thank you for tonight.”

Larry felt like an idiot when he opened the door.  What he found was a series of good looking women of various shapes and sizes parade in.  One spoke and said, “Choose one of us….or more than one if you think you can handle it”

Larry looked at the parade of women.  He didn’t like sex but somehow now he was willing to try again.  All of them were scantily clad.  He looked each girl up and down; they all had their heads down and smiling.  One caught his eye.  He stared at her for a while and then it hit him.  He chose her and the other girls left just as they came.  The girl looked up at Larry with a blank stare but a large fake smile.  Larry said, “Hey Heather”

The smile faded and Heather scared incredulously at Larry.  The last time Heather had seen Larry; he had an afro and was extremely skinny.  This was much different to this husky bald headed man.  Larry understood this and said, “It’s Larry.”  Heather blinked a few times.  She had spent a lot of time forgetting her old life.  Larry was a huge blast from the past.  Larry continued, “We went to NYU together.  You’re friends with Anish, you got married and lived in Turkey last I heard.”

Larry was beginning to doubt if this really was Heather.  She looked pretty similar to her but with her confusion, he didn’t know if he was right.  Heather looked up and said, “Shut up.”

Larry chuckled, “Okay”

Heather started crying.  She said, “What I mean is, don’t remind me of all that.  This is my life now.”

“What happened?”

Heather burst into tears and sat on the bed.  Larry wondered if there were cameras in the room but decided he didn’t care.  Heather said, “It’s a long story.”

“Well, I think I have you all night.”

Heather shook her head and hugged Larry crying on his shoulder.  She said, “About a year ago, I went to Hong Kong for vacation.  I was kidnapped and raped and forced into prostitution for a wealthy sheik.” Heather pulled away and looked Larry in the eye and said, “You have to help me.”

Larry sighed.  He said, “Heather, let me tell you where I’m at.  I gamble for the sheik.  He has given me over 20 million dollars just to play craps for him.  I’m sorry to say but it’s asking a lot to give up.  I mean, I’m not even so sure you remember me.”

Heather let go of him and gave him a serious look and said, “We met at Model UN, we went to psychology classes together and you’re friends with Anish.  He let me know how you were doing just as how he probably told you about where I was.”

“True”

Heather started crying again and took off her bra and panties and stood there nude.  She said rather dejectedly, “Alright, let do this then.”

Larry stared at her and said, “I’m not sure if I feel right about this.”

“Come on Larry, you just said you weren’t going to help me, so this is how it’s gotta be.  You got to fuck me just like the sheik wants.”

“Isn’t it a little risky to let you stay with someone?  I mean what if you run from the hotel.  What if you ask someone to help you?”

“Kind of like I just tried?”  Larry said nothing.  He got the point, “Yea, I tried that.” Heather continued  “They have people waiting by the doors.  They scoop you up and beat you.  They put you in various holds so that you’re in pain but you’re physical appearance is preserved.  Then they rape you into submission.  If that doesn’t work, you’re heavily drugged when you see a John.  Me, I don’t want to be drugged so I go along with it.  I never ask for help, never run, after all what’s the point?  There’s no escape.  They got resources.  I lost hope long ago.  You knowing me gave me a sliver, but I was stupid to think you’d help me.  Now, I really know it’s hopeless because you are probably my best shot unless somehow my husband starts working for him.”

“Heather, I don’t know what to say.  I don’t really feel comfortable with this.  What do you want me to do?  Go out, fight the watchers, kill them so you can go free.  They probably can fight a lot better than I can.  You want me to go back to the States?  Tell the authorities about your predicament.  All I have is a phone number for a middle man.  He would surely go to jail for the sheik.  I can’t help you even if I wanted to.”

“So stop talking and fuck me.”

Larry chuckled.  The bluntness was shocking to him.  How badly did he want to hear those words in college?  Now, not so much.  He was pained but he was having trouble resisting.  “Heather I…”

Heather interrupted him with a kiss.  Larry made out with her for a little bit and Heather pulled away and said, “Larry, this is one of my better days.  At least I know you; at least we were friendly in a past life.  Fucking you is about as good as I’m going to get.”

“This is coming from someone whose job it is to seduce men.”

“It’s not seduction.  They choose me, they fuck me, this is the closest thing I’ve had to a conversation with a guy.”

“Sorry to ask but….”

“We are regularly tested.  It’s bad for business if one of their business associates gets sick.”

This made sense to Larry.  He leaned in and kissed Heather again.  She leaned back onto her back and Larry mounted her.  He removed his clothing and Heather handed him a condom.  He was already erect.  He put the condom on and drove it into Heather kissing her neck and mouth.  He sucked on her breasts and Heather moaned in pleasure.  Larry used his arms to caress her legs and butt.  It took him a little bit before he got into it.  He had Heather roll over and he penetrated her from behind.  It took a little while to get over his guilt and let his baser instincts take over.  The sex was long and Heather told him what to do.  Basically, she reenacted the experience with Osama.  Osama was the first person that ever had sex with her anally.  She wanted one time to let someone do it that she had feelings for once.  It was the best she was going to get.  She and Larry weren’t close but at least he wasn’t a stranger.  Finally Larry ejaculated as he was kneeling on the bed with Heather’s legs crossed over his shoulders deeply penetrating her.  Larry called the front desk and ordered a bottle of tequila, salt and lemon.  While waiting for it to come up, he lied facing Heather.  Heather said, “So, you haven’t really done that before.”

“Once. I’m glad that it showed.” He said sarcastically. 

Heather smiled sincerely.  She said, “It’s okay.  You got what you wanted all those years ago.”

Larry smiled back, “Are you supposed to be taunting me?”

“Only if you like it” she said with a wider smile.

“Heather…” Larry tilted his head and said in a mock tone “Are you flirting with me”  Larry made it sound like Al Pacino’s line in Scent of a Woman when he goes, “Charlie, are you fucking with me?”

Heather had only seen the movie that one time and didn’t remember it so didn’t get the reference.  She responded, “Yes, I guess I am.”

The tequila came and Larry said, “I want to take a body shot off your ass.”

“Okay”

                “No, not okay.  I want you to honestly tell me if you’re okay with it.  When you’re with me, you’re a free woman.  You can say ‘no.’ I’m not going to rat you out.  I will tell them whatever they want although they probably have cameras in here.

                “They don’t”

                “What do you mean?”

                “They don’t really trust you guys either.  Women are commodities to them.  You studied Economics in school.  Think about it.  It’s a rental business.  You pay to borrow something then you give it back.  If the client destroys the thing you buy, you have to replace it right?  Take rental cars.  No matter how much background they do requiring credit cards and driver’s license.  Every now and again, they get people who use fake identities and use their cars for drugs and other illegal activity.  They return the car, the rental car company hands over the information that leads nowhere and the car gets confiscated and searched for evidence.  Meanwhile, that’s one less car you have.  If a John brings out any blades or scarring weapons, we push down on our wrists to alert the watchers to come in and stop it.  The people that work for the sheik are very paranoid and rich.  They have their rooms searched for bugs but they never think to search the women.”

                “So they injected a tracker?”

                “Yes”

                “What happens if I grab your wrist or if you touch it accidentally?”

                “It’s linked to my finger print or else it doesn’t work.  It’s not a natural motion, you have to grab your middle finger and pull it towards your wrist.  It’s not something I do accidentally and not a position guys normally put their women in.”

                Larry nodded and tested it on his own hand.  He said, “So, will you let me do it?”

                “Yes, of course”

                “Are you saying that because you have to?”

                “How could you ever know for sure?”

                Larry nodded his head.  She was right.  There was no way to know.  He said, “Alright well lay on your stomach.”

                Heather smiled and did so.  Larry licked her right butt cheek and poured salt over it.  He poured a shot of tequila and placed it in her butt.  He licked the salt off her butt and gripped the shot glass in his mouth and snapped his head back downing the tequila down his throat.  He did the same thing to her left butt cheek and then bit into a lemon slice.  Heather rolled over and said, “I would like some of that tequila though.”

                “Larry handed her the bottle and she took a swag of it right from the bottle.  Larry got up and got cups provided by the hotel.  He put in ice that came with the tequila and poured tequila on the rocks handing Heather a cup.  Larry took his own cup and sipped it.  Heather said, “I need to catch up.”  She licked her hand and put salt on it.  She licked the salt off and took a shot of tequila and bit into a lemon slice.  She looked at Larry and said, “Do you want me to lick the salt off you?”

                “No, that’s okay”

                Heather shrugged her shoulders poured herself a shot and went through the routine again.  Her and Larry ended up finishing the bottle of tequila and then Larry lied down.  Heather turned away from him and scooted herself into him jamming her butt into his crotch.  Larry put his left arm under her neck as an extension of the pillow and his right arm over her and rested it on her stomach.  He was upset that he gave in and his mind raced for what he could do.  The truth was he wasn’t close with her.  He wasn’t going to go to hero mode and try to fight his way out with her.  The sheik made him a millionaire but still his conscious ate at him.  He didn’t get much sleep but he never removed his arms from their position as to not disturb Heather who was sleeping soundly for reasons he could only assume was being used to this, which only made him feel worse.”

                Heather was drunk when they finished the bottle of tequila.  She noticed Larry was pretty tipsy but not completely gone.  When Larry moved his hands into position to cuddle with her she was moved.  No guy had ever done that before.  In fact, this really was much different than the other times she was picked.  Larry may have put her in positions to fuck her hard but he always held back so it was more like making love, something she hadn’t done in over a year and seriously missed.  She knew he was inexperienced but thought it was kind of cute.  Though she felt that she may be grasping at straws, she had to take what she could get.  Despite Larry’s assurances that he wasn’t going to help her, she felt safe in his arms.  His gentle touch on her made her feel more secure than she had felt in a long time.  It’s because of this as well as the excessive alcohol that she fell asleep quickly.  The next morning there was a knock on the door and a man came to gather Heather.  Heather put her lingerie back on and the robe provided and walked out without looking back at Larry.  Larry was groggy and feigned he was still sleeping to avoid having to watch it.  The door closed and Larry got up.  He immediately checked for his 9,000 dollars and it hadn’t been touched.  He received a text shortly after from the Middle Easterner telling him to contact him when he woke up.  Larry took a shower, packed his things and checked out of the hotel.  His flight was at night so he left his bags at the hotel and had breakfast before calling the Middle Easterner.  The Middle Easterner invited him to lunch and sat down.  He said with a big smile on his face, “So, how was your little thank you gift last night?”

                “Bitter sweet” One thing Larry didn’t do was lie.  He wasn’t so sure that Heather was right about there not being any cameras and after spooning with her and the amount of talking they did, he wondered if the Middle Easterner already knew.”

                “Oh?  Why?  Was she not satisfying?”

                “No, she was amazing.  It’s just that…well….I know her.”

                The Middle Easterner dropped his fork and knife when Larry said it.  Apparently he had no idea.  He looked up and said, “What do you mean?”

                “I went to college with her.  It’s a strange coincidence I know” Larry kept his voice nonchalant and shrugged his shoulders to beat home the point that this wasn’t an accusation.

                “Quite.  So, what does that mean for our business arrangement?”

                “Craps is based on positive energy.  The travelling, nice hotels, and nice meals with a pretty girl on my arm help me be in the proper mood.  I admit knowing what you’re doing to her does give me a little hesitance but as you probably are about to counter with, the money makes it easier to ignore these things.  She and I were friends in college.  I flirted with her, she turned me down we lost touch after that.  I should thank you for letting me have my second chance and succeeding where I failed over a decade ago.  Still though, I don’t hate her so I wouldn’t really wish this upon her.”

                There was a long silence before the Middle Easterner spoke again.  He said, “Well, I think it comes down to what you want to do; throw away millions of dollars potentially for a bitch that turned you down or continue with this knowledge?  At least, that is what I hope you’re contemplating.  I would advise you going to the authorities to try to help her will fail.  As you should know, money buys many things including security.  Maybe you’re FBI and CIA will get to her.  Probably not, but maybe.  The mistake you made was alerting us. Now that we are alerted, we know what to look out for and if we get any indication of something going afoul, we have the girl and we can hurt her.”

                “If I was going to the authorities, I wouldn’t have told you.  Given how all our conversations are laced with me reminding you that I don’t trust you, I don’t blame you for not trusting me.  Let’s just spare the threats though.  The girl means nothing to you.  She means a little bit to me.  I’ll ask you to let her go.  You’ve had your taste of her.  She’s damaged goods.  You can get a replacement; plenty of dumb drunk American sluts travel the world.  You can replace her like that” as he snapped his fingers “at least then it wouldn’t be someone I know.  It’s a simple request.  I’m making no ultimatums.  I will continue to play craps for the sheik for as long as he wants me to.  Just pass along the message.  For she means less than whale shit to you”

                The Middle Easterner relaxed his tone and said, “You make an interesting proposal.  I will pass along your message but I guarantee nothing.”

                Larry smiled, “I’d expect nothing less.  After all, I don’t guarantee anything for you either.”

                “Yes, yet you have delivered nonetheless”

                “So far”

                “Yes, we are in agreement on that.”

                The Middle Easterner paid the bill and Larry went to the airport and flew to DC.  When he got into the cab he let out a huge breath and wondered what would happen from here.  It was a long flight but he immediately checked the bank accounts and they hadn’t been touched.  He spent the next week on edge that someone would come visit him and attack him but it never happened.  There seemed to be no consequences from his conversation.  A couple months later, Larry was called again.  He was invited to another country to play craps for the sheik.  He agreed.  When he arrived early local time on Saturday, he turned on his business phone and found the Middle Easterner asking him to meet him at the hotel.  Larry did so and Larry walked in and saw Heather in a man he had never met’s lap with the Middle Easterner standing next to him.  Larry took a deep breath and stared at all three people.  Heather’s eyes were focused on the man whose lap she was in looking at him with her arms around his neck.  The two men stared at Larry.  The Middle Easterner said, “Larry, this is the sheik”

                Larry nodded and said, “Nice to meet you.”

                The Middle Easterner said something to the sheik in a foreign language and Larry figured the sheik didn’t speak English.  This was the first time he met the sheik.  The sheik ran his hands slowly up and down Heather’s legs.  He said something to Larry and the Middle Easterner said, “The Sheik says he has been informed of your request and he wants you to confirm you want us to set her free.”

                “Yes, if you’re willing sir….” He turned toward the Middle Easterner and said, “How do you address him?”

                “I’ll translate with the proper respect”

                “Thank You”

                The Sheik said through the translator, “No, she is mine and I’m not going to give her up” he pulled back on Heather’s hair and kissed her on the neck staring at Larry.

                Larry nodded and said, “Alright, worth a shot” and turned to leave the room.

                The Sheik shoved Heather off his lap and onto the floor and screamed something out.  The translator said, “Where are you going?”

                Larry turned and said, “I was very clear.  You letting her go has nothing to do with me playing craps for you.  I made a simple request.  It was my understanding that I was working for you as a free man.  You don’t pay me a salary, you pay me a commission.  I don’t win, I get nothing.  Since I’m free, I’m free to walk out that door and do whatever I want until I play craps with your associate tonight.  In the meantime, I have to find a girl as that strategy worked better last time then when I played alone.  She is your property.  You can do what you want with her.  But I don’t have to watch you do it.  I’m afraid making me watch you do it is a deal breaker for me.  If I’m wrong and I’m not free, then I’m fucked already so I’ll stop now and face the consequences.”

                The Middle Easterner translated the speech word for word.  As he did, Larry walked out the door without waiting for the response.  The sheik insisted on exact translations and he had accustomed himself to memorizing long passages verbatim.  The Sheik dismissed Heather and an escort came to take her to the room with the other prostitutes that weren’t being used.  The Middle Easterner said, “So what do you think?”

                “I saw no distress on his face with me touching her.  He didn’t even react when I shoved her off me.  I don’t think this is a husband or someone close to her.  Reach out to him and tell him to tell you everything he knows about the whore.  Then ask her the same questions and see if they check out.  It’s possible they got their story straight in the room together, but it’s been months since they were together.”

                The Middle Easterner texted Larry and invited him to dinner to talk.  Larry readily accepted for waiting to see what will happen was killing him.  At dinner, Larry told him the little he knew about her.  He couldn’t remember if Heather had a brother but he thought she did.  He mentioned what part of New York they were from, where they went to school, what she studied and where she lived now.  The Middle Easterner already knew the Turkey part.  To him, it wasn’t much information.  He asked Heather the same questions and she was more convincing than Larry was.  She answered them all the same way Larry did but was surprised with how much he remembered about her given that they hadn’t seen each other in about 13 years.  Her apparent shock did more to convince the Middle Easterner than getting the questions right.  For the first time since being raped, Heather was hopeful.  Finding out this information humanized her.  It’s much harder to enslave someone when you humanize them.  She kept telling herself not to get her hopes up but she felt better than she had in a long time.  After contemplating it, she decided that they had no incentive to let her go.  Larry was still going to work for them no matter what they decided.  Why would they let her go?”

                Larry found a girl to accept his offer and play craps with him.  He left the table up three million dollars.  That was a little more than three bets.  That gave Larry $ 450,000.00.  He was still up but far short from his last two performances.  Still three winning trips in a row made him feel he was due for a loss.  He wanted to know how they would handle it.  After making the usual transfers, he went back to the hotel.  There was a knock at the door and he opened it to find Heather in a robe.  Larry was almost insulted by it.  It’s almost like they were taunting him with her.  He decided that it could be in good faith. They knew he liked her so they assumed he’d want her.  The Middle Easterner had heard the story of how Larry blew his chance with her.  Heather was a lot less harsh than Larry was on himself for it.  This also made him believe especially because Heather didn’t remember much of that night.  Heather took this as failing the test but in reality it helped her story.  If both had the same story it would have been suspicious.  To Heather, it was just one more guy she turned down.  It’s much worse for the guy.  Larry closed the door behind her and Heather removed her robe.  Larry said, “Heather, I’m not fucking you tonight.”

                Heather rolled her eyes, “Are we going to do this every time?”

                “No, last time was a mistake.  I got it out of my system and I felt really fucking dirty about it.  I’ve decided that the only thing I can do for you is to give you one safe night where you don’t have to be forced to fuck someone.  You can have a friend in a life where you have none.  That’s what I’m offering to you.”

                Heather started crying and ran at Larry and gave him a hug.  Larry hugged back and Heather said, “I don’t mind if you fuck me.  Like I said before, fucking you is the best I can get.”

                “False, not fucking is better.  Being with someone you’re friendly with is better.  Someone that is going to respect that you’re married.  Spooning isn’t cheating.”

                Heather’s body relaxed and she said, “You’re right but you can change your mind if you want to.  I know you have your needs.”

                “You’re mine for the night, so you have to do what I say.  What I say is you let me hold you for the night.”

                Heather smiled, “I can do that.”

                Larry and Heather talked some more, had drinks and dessert from room service and went to bed.  Larry did what he said he was going to do and held her all night long.  This time they both fell asleep quickly and Larry was amazed how relaxed Heather’s body felt in his arms.  The next day, two escorts came to collect Heather.  This time Larry sat up.  Heather kissed him on the cheek and whispered, “You’re a good man” and got out of bed and put her robe on.

                Larry watched them head to the door and Larry said, “If I was a good man, would I hold you all night as if it was all going to be okay and then just hand you over to your captors without a fight?”

                These words pierced Heather’s soul because she took them the wrong way.  Her legs buckled and if the escorts didn’t have her by the arms, she would have collapsed onto the floor.  They held her up but made no motion to leave as they enjoyed how hurt she seemed.  Heather took the comment that Larry set her up.  Gave her a false sense of security but really didn’t give a shit about her.  It dawned on her after the initial reaction that that wasn’t what he meant.  He still felt guilty.  She took a deep breath and composed herself and said, “Yes….because if the situation was reversed”  Heather turned to look at Larry and said, “I would have done less for you.”

                Heather walked out the room after that.  Larry looked back and forth and it finally struck him what Heather saw.  Larry actually made the request from someone that had given him millions of dollars.  Larry jeopardized all that for her.  To Larry, he was used to the movies where guys fight their way through huge well funded organizations taking down entire crime families or gangs to get the girl back.  What he did was much less.  He saw the heroes giving ultimatums and carrying it out after all, Hollywood does its best to teach you that money means nothing; meanwhile everyone in Hollywood is a multi-millionaire.  This was the real world.  What he did may not be as heroic as what they do in the movies but it’s not the movies and it certainly isn’t something to feel guilty about.  Larry left that day for the States with a clear conscious.

                It was tax time.  Larry told his accountant everything and she made checks into his social security and credit score searching for anything in the system with his other four bank accounts.  She found none.  Larry paid the taxes on the HSBC account and his accountant marked him down with a second occupation as professional gambler.  She told him to say it was poker and not craps so that it was more believable for people knew that people made a living playing poker.  He was advised to sit at some poker tables just in case.  Larry did that anyway.  It looked like Larry was going to get away with it.  To Larry though, the four other bank accounts were rainy day funds.  He didn’t have expensive tastes.  With his new found wealth, he bought a modest $300,000 house in New Jersey.  He took the train to work like everyone else but he kept under the radar.  He also got himself two German Shepherds figuring he could afford to have a dog sitter come to the house to watch them when he travelled.  All in all, life was good.  It had been a few months before he got a call to come back to Macau.  Larry agreed and went taking the full week off work.  He went to Macau and found himself looking forward to playing some craps again. 

 

                Heather was called in by the Middle Easterner.  She readily obeyed and sat down in her robe.  The Middle Easterner said, “You are going to play with Larry tomorrow.”

                Heather was stunned.  She managed to say, “Wait? What?”

                “The sheik has decided to let your freedom go to chance.  If you win with Larry, you go free.  You, however, must not tell Larry of this.  We are going to pass it off as he needs a beginner girl to roll.  Have you ever played craps before?”

                “No”

                “Excellent then you fit his criteria”

                “Okay”

                “I want you to know that this is not my idea.  Keep in mind we have lookouts all over Macau.  We feel safer here than in the west, that is why you get this chance here.  If you try to escape or look for help, you will fail.  You will not get away.  Do you think you can handle that?  Larry is 3-0, which means that he’s due to lose.  The last time out was by far his worst performance.  Though if Allah wills you to go, he will steer the dice to lead to your freedom.”

                Heather was a Christian so didn’t believe that Allah helped in gambling or in Allah at all under that name.  She was happy with the chance though.  She was stunned.  All she said was, “Thank you”

                “Don’t thank me.  You represent the sheik now so you will wear what we give you.”

                “Yes master”

                “Here is your room key.  Rest up and be ready by 9:00PM.  You will be visited by your beauticians later.”

                “Yes Master”

                Heather went to her room.  The entire time she was concealing her excitement and didn’t even smile.  Now, she let it all go.  She pumped her fists and shrieked with joy.  She started jumping up and down and then composed herself.  She told herself to calm down; it wasn’t for sure.  The house always wins.  It’s more likely that nothing will happen than she will be free.  Still though, the odds had just gotten better for her for before it was pretty much zero.  She opened the closet to find a sparkling black dress.  She knew this gown had to be worth thousands of dollars.  She ran her fingers along it and felt the silk slide between her fingers.  She looked down and found a pair of Louis Vutton shoes.  They easily cost $1,000.  When Osama said that she would wear the clothes they chose for her, she thought it would be rags.  She figured then it was better than the lingerie and robe she usually wore.  She never would have imagined this.  She hung out at the hotel watching TV for the first time in over a year. At 7:00, she took a shower and put the dress on with the heels.  She looked into the mirror and smiled.  Even after all she had been through, expensive fashionable clothing still made her feel good.  There was a knock on her door and she opened it to find women she recognized.  They were the women that waxed her and did her make up regularly to make her appealing for the men she would service.  Usually they made her makeup look trashy as it fit a prostitute.  This time, they showed their skill making the makeup match the dress.  They let her hair down and did it as the dress dictated.  When they finished, Heather looked in the mirror.  What she saw blew the previous reflection out of the water.  The dress was a halter top with a silver pendant necklace coming down from a gold choker.  Her bracelets hugged her arms and her diamond earrings sparkled.  Heather would hate to admit it, but she thought it was the best she’d ever looked.  That included her wedding day.  The entire outfit was worth thousands of dollars.  She took the elevator down and saw Larry.  She walked over to him as Larry was with Osama with his back to her.  She walked over with a genuine smile anticipating his reaction.

 

                Larry landed in Hong Kong and took the ferry from the airport to Macau.  He checked into the hotel and this time took it easy as he had already seen the sites.  He got lunch and then went to the casino to play poker.  Normally, he would try to find a girl that hadn’t played craps to wine and dine but he didn’t this time because the Middle Easterner told him a girl would be provided for him.  Larry thought to ask for it before but felt he was pushing his luck with these people as it was.  He was surprised he got what he wanted without asking but he said nothing.  He played poker for a couple of hours then played craps at a forty dollar table.  He bought in for $1,600 and he lost all of it.  He rolled his eyes and thought that this was an indication of how the day would go.  He had played craps on his own in Atlantic City and Vegas the past year.  He was still up over all but when he lost; he never continued playing the same day.  He was happy that he hadn’t had any losing days yet with the sheik.  He wondered how they’d react.  So far, they were very reasonable and didn’t prove to be sensitive.  He doubted money would be something that they would get angry about; they had a ton of it.  He got the meeting point at 8:30.  He liked being early.  The meeting point was at a bar so he ordered a drink and sat waiting for the Middle Easterner.  He showed up at 8:45.  They greeted each other and the Middle Easterner said, “Your girl should be arriving shortly.”

                “Okay”

                It didn’t occur to Larry that it would be Heather.  He figured this was too risky for them.  A girl tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to face her.  Larry’s eyes widened as he took in the site.  Heather looked stunning.  His eyes scanned her from head to toe a few times and Heather smiled back.  He said, “Man, Heather, you look amazing!  What? Why? What’s going on?” turning towards the Middle Easterner.

                He replied, “She has never played craps.  You said you needed someone who has never played craps.  We figure she would be the most logical choice of all the girls we have.”

                Larry nodded, “I would agree”

                Heather smiled and said, “You’re going to have to tell me what to do”

                “Very simple directions baby, don’t think, just roll.”

                Heather smiled and bent her head down but maintained eye contact with a surprised look.  Larry caught it too.  He called her ‘baby’ for the first time.  She seemed to like it though.  Heather said, “I can do that.”

                This time they each got a duffel bag containing the buy in.  They were both going to play.  Larry got nervous; they were doubling down on him.  He wasn’t going to play this the way they wanted though.  He was going to play very conservatively for Heather and keep his strategy for himself.  Larry played and Heather rolled very well and Larry’s rolls were not too much worse.  The table oscillated back and forth as Heather just made one bet that everyone makes with the minimum every time.  Despite her conservative play, she lost 10 million dollars.  Larry, on the other hand, made 75 million dollars.  The Middle Easterner collected the money and gave Larry 15% of the combined profit or 65 million dollars, giving Larry 9.75 million dollars. The Middle Easterner gave Larry the room key and said to Heather, “You must leave the dress and the jewelry in the room.  You have everything you need there as well.  You will be the one to tell him.”

                Heather glared at him and wanted to ask if it meant she was free.  She lost but Larry won so is it combined or not?  She wasn’t sure.  She went back to the room with Larry and found her Turkish passport on the bed.  Inside of it was a flight back to New York.  Larry had the same ticket sitting next to her.  He wondered if they figured out he lived in New York.  Heather sat on the bed and stared at her passport.  She figured it meant she was free.  She burst into tears and Larry sat next to her.  He said, “What’s wrong?” as he put his arm around her.

                “Nothing, these are tears of joy.”

                “What’s going on?”

                “They said they if we won, I could go free.  I don’t know if it counts because I lost and you won.  I think with this” referring to the passport and tickets, “it means that it did count.”

                Larry said, “So you’re free?”

                “Yes, I think so”

                “Well then let’s find out” as he pulled the business phone out of his pocket

                Heather stared at him fearfully and Larry looked back sternly.  Heather tried to protest but didn’t.  She wanted confirmation too but was afraid of the answer.  If the answer was’ no,’ however, trying to flee would make it worse.  This was the better option.  Larry texted the Middle Easterner, “The girl says she’s free, is that true?”

                “Yes, she is flying with you tomorrow.  I am sending someone to you to remove the tracker in her arm.”

                He showed the phone to Heather and she leapt up and wrapped her arms and legs around Larry squeezing tightly and kissing him on the cheek repeatedly.  Larry smiled but said nothing.  Heather said, “Thank you so much, you rescued me.”

                “Hardly, I mean it’s not like I pulled some vigilante killing spree”

                “The end result is the same”

                “That’s true.”

                Heather took off her jewelry and dress and hung the dress up neatly in the closet.  A man arrived shortly after and removed the tracker from Heather’s arm.  After he left, Heather turned towards Larry and said, “I need to borrow clothes”

                “Well, you just made over 4.8 million dollars so I can go shopping for you and get you some stuff before our flight.”

                “What?”

                “Well normally, I give the girl 15% of my winning but since it’s you, I’m giving you half.”

                “Holy shit, so a couple days ago I was a prostitute slave for some rich sheik and now I’m free and a millionaire?”

                “Yes”

                “This can’t be happening.  There’s got to be some catch.”

                “That’s what I thought when I became a millionaire. So far, nope”

                Heather took a deep breath and said, “I’m going to get ready for bed.”

                She took her makeup off and removed her bra.  She went to bed topless and Larry slept next to her.  Heather looked on the night stand and saw her wedding ring they had before she was abducted. She had no idea why they kept it but was glad they did.  Larry had her back to her but Heather grabbed his arm and motioned him to turn around.  He did so and she turned her back to him placing his hand on her stomach.  Larry slid the other arm underneath her neck as an extension and felt her body relax.  She said, “Now you know that I was okay with it even as a free woman”

                “This is true”

                The next day, Larry gave Heather a T-shirt and elastic shorts.  She looked ridiculous but she didn’t care.  Larry told her to go to the banks he started out with and open an account.  Heather wanted to go shopping first.  She bought a nice outfit and she changed in a bathroom handing Larry back his clothes.  Larry offered to go back to the hotel to change but she said she refused to go back.  At this point in her life, she was moving forward.  They took the ferry to Hong Kong and Heather got in a little trouble since she didn’t have an entry card.  She talked her way out of it and played the dumb tourist role and the guy let her through.  Luckily, the United States didn’t have a similar protocol.  Heather opened an account in the same five banks Larry did.  At this time, Larry had bank accounts in Switzerland as well trying not to keep more than a million dollars in any one bank.  He spent a couple days just transferring money from one account to another.  He was a rich man but nobody knew it.  After the banks, Heather went on a shopping spree around Hong Kong buying clothing and a suitcase to go back to America.  When they got to the airport, Larry joked, “You might need the entire flight just to fill out the customs card”

                Heather smiled and said, “Well, good thing I got some time.”

                Even though Heather seemed to be enjoying herself, Larry got the feeling that something was in the back of her mind.  They boarded the plane and it took off on time.  Larry was in a window seat and Heather was next to him in the middle seat.  The wheels lifted up and Heather’s shoulders dropped two full inches.  She undid her seat belt and straddled Larry wrapping her arms around him resting her head on his chest.  All she could say was, “It’s over.”

                Larry hugged back and glanced around at everyone on the plane that could see them.  He was a little embarrassed but he understood.  Heather didn’t care that all the people were staring.  She was free. She went back to her seat eventually and watched movies and slept.  Larry was exhausted from following Heather around on her shopping spree so he fell asleep rather quickly.  It was an eventless flight and they landed in New York.  Larry had global entry so skipped the passport line and waited for his bag.  Heather met him there and they grabbed their bags.  Larry said, “Well, I guess this is good bye”

                “Oh no, I’m staying with you tonight.”

                Larry looked at her embarrassed.  “You don’t want to stay with your parents?  Do they still live in Westchester (county just north of New York City).”

                “Yes, they do, and tomorrow I will go over there.”

                “Did you tell them you were okay?”

                “Yes, but I told them I was coming in tomorrow”

                “Why?”

                Heather shook her head, “Damn, you really are fucking oblivious aren’t you?”

                “Yes I am”

                “I need to properly thank you before I go back to my life.”

                “Not necessary”

                “Yes, Larry, it is.  I want the last fucking experience of that fucked up Sheik and his posse to be fucking you.”

                “You’re married”

                “Tomorrow I will be, tonight I’m not.”

                “Heather, you don’t owe me this”

                “Yes Larry, I do”

                “Well I don’t want you to do it because you owe me.”

                “Fine, I want to do it.”

                “I feel bad”

                “Why?  Because you rescued me and made me a millionaire?  Tell me, what do you have to feel bad about?”

                “That I’m treating you just like they did.”

                “Oh really?  In the morning, are you going to let me leave?”

                “Yes, of course”

                “Are you going to make me fuck your friends or other people as a thank you gift?”

                “No”

                “So how is it like them again?”

                “I guess it’s not”

                “God, it’s so fucking ridiculous you make me beg to fuck you.”

                Larry was heading towards the air train.  Heather said, “Where are you going?”

                “Air train”

                “No, we’re millionaires, we’re taking a cab”

                Larry rolled his eyes.  They got a cab and took it to his house in New Jersey.  He said hello to his dogs and paid the dog sitter.  They warmed up to Heather right away.  They went to Larry’s room and Heather undressed herself.  She kissed Larry on the lips and she tore his clothes off him.  Larry backed up and sat on the bed as Heather straddled him.  She grabbed him by the back of the head and shoved his face into her breasts.  Larry opened her mouth and sucked on them.  She pulled his head back and slapped him across the face.  She said, “That’s for making me beg for this.”

                They both smiled and Larry stood up and slammed her against the wall with his hands on her butt.  He humped her vigorously and drove himself into her.  He let her down and bent her over the bed and penetrated her from behind while reaching around and fondling her breasts.  He kissed her neck and Heather turned her head to make out with him as he did her from behind.  Larry got some Vaseline and rubbed it on Heather’s anus and darted his penis into her rectum.  He pulled her legs back and wrapped them around his waist.  He hoisted Heather up and she reached back grabbing the back of his head.  Larry used one hand to fondle her breasts and the other hand to massage her clitoris.  When Heather climaxed he switched hands.  When she moaned loudly again, Larry let her down and Heather grabbed his wrists and sucked his fingers that were behind her labial walls.  She then wrapped her arms around his waist and grabbed his butt pulling her towards her and inserting his penis in her mouth.  Larry rested his hand behind her head and Heather bobbed back and forth driving Larry’s penis to the back of her mouth.  She used one hand to fondle his testicles and alternated between sucking on his penis and wedging it in between her breasts.  Semen shot out of Larry’s penis into her mouth and Heather looked up at him and made eye contact as she swallowed theatrically.  She said, “How long till you can go again?”

                Larry laughed, “An hour”

                Heather said, “You have half that.”

                They lied next to each other and a half hour later, Heather rolled on top of Larry and inserted him into her.  She rode him hard and fast as he felt Larry’s penis elongate inside her.  She slid her body up rubbing her legs along his crotch one by one.  Larry grabbed her and spun her around so he was on top.  He told her to roll over as he preferred doing it from behind.  She obeyed.  Larry inserted his penis from behind and wrapped her legs around his waist again.  He hoisted her up again and placed his hands in the same position.  The double penetration and stimulation to her vagina made her indicate orgasm much quicker this time.  Like before, Larry switched hands.  He let her down and Heather wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately.  Larry hoisted her and bent her over his shoulder slapping her butt as he carried her to the shower.  They took turns putting soap on each other and then Heather hopped enveloping his body in her limbs.  Larry pinned her against the wall and then turned around.  Heather leaned back and allowed the suds to careen off her upper body as Larry ran his hand over her midsection and breasts.  Larry bent her over the bath tub and used soap to lubricate her anus and jammed himself into her.  He pulled her arms behind her back as her cheek lay against the bathroom floor.  He immediately ejaculated.  Heather wrapped her legs around his calves and shook her butt up and down refusing to let Larry pull out of her.  Larry squirmed but he didn’t dare hit Heather to make her stop.  His body desperately wanted to go into the limp phase but Heather wasn’t letting him.  She loved the control she had over him even in this vulnerable position.  She pushed herself up to add more torque and said, “You going to do this again in a half hour?” in a threatening tone.

                Larry weakly said, “Yes”

                “Heather undid her legs and crawled forward forcing Larry out of her.  Larry panted and sat down kicking the water off.”

                Heather sat on the floor of the bathroom and stared at Larry.  She said, “Any more tricks?”

                “You’re the expert”

                “Oh I know” was all Heather said with a smile

                A half hour later, they were back in the bed.  Larry was on top and Heather’s legs were pinned behind her head.  She crossed her legs back and forth sporadically, which Larry loved.  He pulled out and she turned around and Larry put her in a leg lock with his arms and pulled her back into him penetrating her vagina from behind and resting his hands on her butt squeezing hard.  Heather felt the familiar pain in her lower back and had a flashback to the rape.  She welcomed it though because now Osama wasn’t the last person that put her in the hold.  Heather said, “Do you know any other holds?”

                “I know a lot of them”

                “Show me”

                “I’m not going through all of them.  A lot of them are choke holds”

                “Use them”

                Larry was too turned on to protest.  He reached around and slid his right forearm underneath Heather’s neck.  He reached back and grabbed his left bicep as he placed his left four fingers on Heather’s right temple.  He humped her in the ass and felt Heather’s body relax in unconsciousness while he was still inside her.  The feeling made him orgasm again.  Heather woke up almost as soon as Larry released the hold.  Larry said, “I don’t know if I can handle you.”

                Heather said, “You know any more?”

                “Next one, you’re going to choke me out.”

                “Oooo, I like it” she said seductively. 

                After 15 minutes, Larry said, “Lay on your back.”

                Heather did.  Larry instructed her to push his right arm in and kick her left leg to his shoulder.  She then kicked off his left hip with her right leg and twisted her body to the left making her left leg parallel with the ground along the back of Larry’s head.  She pulled Larry’s left arm across her body and tucked it into her left arm pit pinning it down with her arms.  She kicked her right leg up and interlocked her ankles while flexing her calves and her feet.  Larry’s penis was inside of her at the start.  She reached with both forearms on the back of his head and pulled down.  Larry squirmed a little in the grip but continued thrusting.  Heather and Larry climaxed at the same time and then Larry’s eyes glazed over in unconsciousness. Larry awoke shortly after Heather released the hold and they cuddled in each other’s arms.  Heather said, “You know, that move could have been useful about a year ago.”

                “Well now you know in case it happens again.”

                “Yup, man, I loved the look on Osama’s face when he had to tell me to go to the hotel.”

                “Oh that’s his name?”

                Heather looked up at him and said, “You didn’t know his name?”

                “No, I never asked.  He’s saved in the phone that he gave me as ‘Sheik’s man.’  I never asked him because I figured the less I know about him the better.”

                “Yea, well that’s his name”

                “Alright then”

                Heather turned around and let Larry spoon with her.  The next morning, Larry woke up first and got ready.  Heather showered for a very long time and put on some clean clothes.  Larry gave Heather some cereal for breakfast.  When they were done, Heather said, “Larry, I’m going home now.  You will never see me again.”

                Larry chuckled, “Alright”

                “It’s not that I’m not grateful, it’s just that I know you’re going to continue working for them and seeing you will always remind me of my time with them.”

                “I understand Heather”

                Heather had a pleading tone.  “Don’t be mad”

                “I’m not”

                “Okay, thank you so much for everything you did.”

                “I asked a question Heather, hardly heroic”

                “You risked a lot to ask that question”

                Larry shook his head and said, “Yes and no, I mean I was still a millionaire”

                “You were in a room they paid for, they could get to you”

                “True, whatever, you’re welcome, my pleasure, glad I could help.”

                Larry got up and Heather gave him a big hug.  He hugged back and went cheek to cheek kissing the air.  Heather did the same.  She called her parents and Larry called an Uber for her as she didn’t have a phone yet.  The Uber took her to Westchester to see her parents.  Obviously they were thrilled to see her alive and well.  She cried when she got there but was scarce on details.  She booked her flight to Turkey for the next day and returned to her husband.  She never mentioned Larry in the story.  To her, she just escaped.  She mentioned no names nor anything she knew.  She knew her husband would go after them but she wanted to never think about it again. It took every ounce of her psychology training to get over the mental trauma of her experience and she used some professional colleagues for help.  She recovered fully physically and dedicated her life to helping victims of sexual assault.

                Larry continued working for the sheik.  He never spoke of Heather with Osama.  The very next time he played craps for the sheik, he lost the full buy in.  They didn’t mind which eased his mind.  He continued to play for them and his strategy did well.  He was pulled into a back alley one time and one time only.  The sheik’s body guards came and brutally beat the casino’s men.  He always wondered why casinos never flagged him.  He figured it was because he lost sometimes too.  Surely though, they had to know that overall he was up big.  He rode it until the sheik passed away five years later.  He never quit his job though he did take a lot of unpaid days off.  He kept his work with the sheik a secret from his friends successfully.  When the sheik died, he focused on his first job.  He had a nice retirement fund set up and all he had to do was not blow it.  He still didn’t have expensive tastes so this would prove easy.  He eventually bought a place in the city so he could commute to work easier.  He brought his dogs back and forth spending weekdays in Manhattan and weekends in Jersey.  Despite the sheik’s men studying his bets, nobody could figure out his method and he refused to tell anyone.  He just kept saying it was luck.  As for Heather, he never heard from her again just like she said.