Bound Friends Pt. 10

"So do you go back often?" Lea said receiving a blank stare back.

"Look, you want a detailed background check or something? Some kind of Homeland Security screening?" Zainab replied in her more usual animated (if sarcastic) tone.

"Calm down, I think she's just nervous," Andrea said as she reached her cuffed arms out and grabbed Zainab's arm. "You can be kind of intimidating sometimes and I think she's just trying to ease in," Andrea said as she pulled Zainab back and looked her in the eyes.

"You're right," Zainab said after giving Andrea a quick kiss and returning to face Lea. "So, let's just go at your pace, what do you want?

Lea fought hard to not let any of it show, but she was not having a good time. She might have considered her infatuation on the wane, but clearly not gone enough to not get jealous. And yet she hated herself for feeling it, she just couldn't help but see the whole thing as petty. A wicked smile crossed her face. "Well if I'm going too slow, how about I jump a few steps. Have you ever been tied yourself or have you always been the one doing the tying?" she said as she moved one hand over to the coil of yellow rope that sat at the side of her costume's belt.

"I.. I'm not really," Zainab began to say before looking over at Andrea. Andrea's eyes were encouraging, the look of someone just wanting their two fighting friends to get along. "If you want to I guess I'm game then," she said looking back at Lea.

Lea knew this was probably going to fail, but she wanted to give it a shot anyway. As she had dressed, she tied one end of the rope into the characteristic lasso. She twirled it out and attempted to throw it Zainab's way. It ended up hitting Megan nearly in the eye instead. "Well.. don't let that be an indicator of how I normally am with ropes," Lea said as she embarrassingly pulled back her rope to untie the knot. Zainab and Andrea were both quite clearly working to hold in a laugh. "Oh shut up, I'd like to see how well you do on a first try!"

She had brought her bag up earlier since presumably she was having the guest room that night, and she opened up one of her bags to reveal the coils of rope she had with her.

"Hehe, so I guess I walked into that one then didn't I? Oh well, I stand by what I say. I'll let you have this one," Zainab said as she scooted forward onto the floor halfway between the couch she had been sitting on and the chair Lea was currently sitting on.

Lea began at the legs, wrapping coils around the ankles, above and below the knees and, apparently for good measure, her upper thigh. She flipped Zainab onto her chest and held her hands up against her back. She tied her palms touching in a reverse prayer, before wrapping a rope around her chest pinning the arms to the chest. Then, turning her to her side, Lea brought Zainab's knees up to her chest. Using the extra rope she left from the wrist tie she ran the rope over both sides of the neck and to the coil of rope above the knees. She pulled and tightened several times until the only way to move her legs off her chest was to raise her hands even more to do so.

"Wow.. heh, so this is really tight," Zainab nervously joked. "No, really," she said as she began to fidget. "Nothing above the knee can move even a full inch," she was trying her best to hide it, but Megan and Andrea could tell she seemed nervous, and she almost never got nervous.

Lea fastened one more rope to Zainab's ankle bindings and began pulling those close into the ball as well. She ran the rope under all the chest harness ropes and continued to pull until Zainab's feet were resting against her ass.

"You know.. I was just thinkinrrr, rrarro" Zainab began to say before Lea pulled the rope over her mouth from both sides.

"You talk too much sometimes.." Lea said as she started to tie the rope off behind the back of her head. Zainab had to bend her head back in order for her legs to move off her own ass. Lea smirked as she sat back and watched Zainab look around, trying to get accustomed to her new restricted movement. She tried jerking one way or another, but it was never enough to make her move.

Lea got up and started very slowly walking around the tiny bound woman. Zainab tried following with her eyes when Lea was in front of her. Lea knelt down to get a closer look. Zainab began to look back in fear, she was suddenly very intimidated as Lea was free to run the back of her hand across her face while holding her head with the other hand. Zainab tried pulling away but couldn't even move her head enough to do that. Her whole body began to shake as she looked over towards Andrea for help.

"OK Lea, I think that's enough," Andrea said. Lea simply ignored it, lost in the self-satisfaction of looking over Zainab's helpless and shivering form. "Lea did you hear me?" Andrea asked again a little louder.

"No, I think she looks just fine. A nice little wrapped up present, isn't that right?" Lea said looking intently into Zainab's eyes. Zainab began to breathe faster and dart her eyes back in the direction of the other two, staying quiet but symbolically screaming for help. Lea began to run a hand down Zainab's fishnet-clad legs working her way slowly down towards her ass.

"I said that's enough!" Andrea shouted as she rushed over and physically pushed Lea off of Zainab. "Do you want out?" Andrea asked looking into Zainab's eyes, holding her head in her cuffed hands. Zainab began frantically nodding her head as much as she was able.

"What the hell is wrong with you Lea?" Andrea shouted angrily as she shuffled around to untie the rope holding Zainab's mouth open. Zainab quickly bent her legs forward and just started saying "my arms, my arms," until Andrea was able to loosen them from her leg. As soon as that was free she instantly stretched out and began to moan and grunt. Andrea continued untying her hands which she could now see were so tight they were beginning to discolor. Once she did, Zainab began to grunt and whimper in rather obvious pain as the blood rushed back in causing painful and powerful pins and needles all over her hands and down her arms. Zainab moved over, laid her head on Andrea's knees and hugged her legs as best as the ropes still around her chest would allow. "Are you OK?" Andrea quietly whispered as Zainab started to shake her head no.

"So what the hell was that all about Lea?" Andrea finally asked after a few moments of quietly stroking Zainab's hair. "Do you have any kind of explanation?"

Lea tried searching for one, but they all seemed to come back to the perverse thrill of watching her suffer, which she judged not to be an at all acceptable answer. So she just kind of shook her head and looked down at the floor.

"I think you should probably go. I'm sorry to do this on your birthday, but this just wasn't ok. I don't know what's going on but I think it would be best if you just weren't here." Andrea said before checking if Zainab agreed, she slowly but decidedly nodded her head.

Lea couldn't think of any defence. She couldn't think of any reason that would seem to satisfy Andrea. Now she started to feel bad. She let her jealousy get in the way because it really seemed that she hurt Andrea, something she didn't at all want to do. So she grabbed her bag and started to leave. She didn't bother collecting the rope, figured that was a bridge too far.

"Sorry it worked out like this," Megan said as Lea walked towards the door. "Here, let me walk you out at least."

"Huh?" Lea said turning back to watch Megan shuffle forward in her shackles while Andrea and Zainab were still holding each other on the floor. "Oh, sure, that would be nice. Bye you two, sorry it ended up like this," Lea said as she waited for Megan to get out of the room before closing the door behind both of them.

"So are you alright? You don't look it," Megan said as they began to walk, cutting right to the chase.

"I don't know. It's a lot of things I guess. Not really liking college, not really meeting many people. Kind of realizing I don't have any friends up there, about the only people who even talk to me are those random creeps who are only interested in me once they recognize me from those damn videos. Wish that would just die already," Lea started ranting.

"Seriously, tell me about it. Recently tried Andrea's move and dyed my hair black, even tried going by 'Meg,' but then I wouldn't recognize it when people tried to call to me 'Meg.' But sorry, back to you, didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's fine. Anyway, David's still ducking me, I don't know how long it's supposed to be to get over getting turned on by a video of your little sister, but it hasn't been long enough yet apparently. I hadn't heard from Andrea for almost a month, and even Sophia seems to be avoiding me."

"You too?" Megan asked as they both stepped out into the cold outdoors. "Last I heard we were supposed to talk back on the 6th. She never makes it, which has happened, but then she never attempted to reach out for another time since."

"Yeah, that's the same for me. I was supposed to talk to her that exact night and never heard from her. Hope she's alright."

"Yeah, but from what she's said in the past she seems to really be making the best of it," Megan said. "I'm sure she's fine. Anyway, sorry this all got so messed up."

"Well that's probably mostly my fault anyway. Good seeing you again though," Lea said as she hugged Megan, who hugged back as best as she could. "And could you apologize to Andrea for me when she's calmed down a bit would you?"

"Of course. Goodnight, safe travels," Megan said as Lea got in her van.

Lea shut the door and turned on the car. "Take me to the Baiae Resort in Atlantic City," she instructed, causing her van to start the three hour journey to see if she couldn't find out what exactly happened to Sophia.

****

Lea took the time of the drive to book a room and change out of her costume, she'd had enough of that for the night. It was just shy of midnight by the time she arrived. She contemplated just going to bed and looking for Sophia starting tomorrow when she was more likely awake, but in her check-in packet it mentioned that this weekend was the opening of a newly redone section of the hotel. The small ad was sensationalist but vague. Lea thought that if something was changing and Sophia was a part of it that might explain where she had been. After dropping off her bags and using the bathroom she went right back downstairs to see what this "Nemi Festum" was.

She had not remembered what used to be in the space, but she was amazed at what she saw. The entranceway was, at least on the surface, a real stone archway complete with chiseled frieze. It opened to a small round room encircling a large decorative fountain. Beyond it, the only other way to go, curved so that only the entranceway could be seen from the outside floor. On the wall before the curve, carved into the stone, was a warning that the Nemi Festum contains activities some may find offensive. Now Lea was both curious and worried as to what they might have Sophia doing.

As she rounded the corner, the building opened into a single massive room with doors along all the walls. Throughout the main floor were what looked like merchant stands, and in every direction she could see she saw beautiful women dressed in often little more than a silken loin cloth but they all wore the same kind of a metal collar with a large metal disk hanging from it. She saw some of these women chained to a single post, with a man dressed in a toga beside them presumably negotiating for their use with one of the guests.

"Hello," said a stunning woman wearing an elaborate but revealing outfit. It covered only one breast and was made a translucent blue fabric held together only by a black rope. "My name's Valeria, is this your first time here?" She said as she moved incredibly close and placed an arm on Lea's shoulder. She flicked her curly, dirty blonde hair to one side flirtatiously, giving Lea a captivating smile.

"Um.. yea.. what is all this?" Lea said as she couldn't help but marvel at the woman's stunning appearance.

"Well this is the market hall. These doors around you are ours, and I would be happy to share mine with you," she said, coming in with a bit of a hard sell but with such a deliriously sultry voice it was hard to get annoyed by it.

"Well that's.." Lea said, briefly getting lost in thought as Valeria came in closer.

"Tell me, what's your name?" She said as she began to lead Lea away from the entrance and towards one of the stalls.

"Sorry, it's Lea. I'm actually here looking for someone," Lea said trying to get herself under control.

"Perhaps I can be that someone, or I can at least help you look.." She said as she arrived at a small stand with another man standing by in a toga holding what is meant to look like a ledger book but at the right angle can be seen as clearly a tablet covered by a fake book.

"Well my friend works here.. maybe. She might be working somewhere else in the casino."

"What's your room number?" the man in the toga asked.

"Oh no.. I don't need.. um.." Lea said before getting distracted by the feel of a soft finger running down her arm. She looked over to see Valeria's smiling face and could almost hear her resolve weaken. "OK sure, 1109." Lea said as she handed the man her keycard.

"OK, Lea, you're all set, enjoy," he said like he just sold her a sandwich.

"So," Lea said as she put her arm around Valeria's smooth skin. "I'm really just looking for a friend who's contracted to the casino so I have no idea where she might be assigned but she hasn't been returning anyone's messages so I'm starting to get worried."

"Well what kind of contract? Only level 8s and up work in here." Valeria said, with a decidedly more curious and less sensual tone.

"Level 9, her name's Sophia Ladas."

"Ohhh.. yeah that's why you wouldn't have heard from her," Valeria said as she subtly began to open one of the doors Lea hadn't even noticed they were heading to. She walked inside and began to untie the rope that was about the only thing holding her dress together. "Perhaps we could talk in here?" she said as the last shred of covering dropped to the ground.

Lea leered, she did not usually do that, but she was doing it now. She decided there was no reason they couldn't talk inside. As the door closed several artificial candles turned on, illuminating the room with a low, flickering yellow light. "Now wait a second," she said as Valeria slowly guided her back towards the bed. "Wait, I do actually want to make sure she's ok."

"Well, any of us working here are in total emersion. I don't know a Sophia personally but we are also given different names to use while we work here, you know to make sure there's no one in a toga named Ted or some such. However, if she's in a level nine contract she's probably around here somewhere. Between this expansion and the other casino's expansion, there's a major shortfall of bodies. Anyone they can get their hands on that can go to a place like this, does. And while we work, none of us get to leave or have contact with the outside world, that insane new boss thinks it keeps things 'more real.'" Valeria whispered very quietly into Lea's ear. "But I'm really not supposed to be breaking character to talk about this."

"Fine, but.. wait new boss?" Lea asked, though being careful to match Valeria's hushed tone.

Valeria pushed Lea down onto the bed and flipped her legs up before crawling on top of her. "Sorry, these rooms have cameras. Yeah, Carl Olsen died a few weeks ago, you didn't hear? His son inherited everything so now he's running things."

Lea found it very difficult to not react to that bombshell. But as Valeria began to nibble on her earlobe and kiss the side of her neck she was able to calm herself. She tried to get herself to get back to the topic at hand but Valeria knew what buttons to push to make her forget. "No, I need to go," Lea finally had the strength to say, sitting up as Valeria had descended down and was beginning to remove Lea's shirt.

"Oh, you can't think of one reason you haven't earned this?" Valeria said as she sat up and pressed her flawless breasts between Lea's head. "Would it really be so bad to stay a while first?" She said as she once again began to remove Lea's shirt, this time without the same resistance. "Come now, you're on vacation I imagine aren't you?"

Lea tried to rationalize a reason to stop and continue looking for Sophia, but her reason wasn't winning. "Well.. it.. um.. it is my birthday."

"Of course it is," Valeria murmured under her breath as she began to unhook Lea's bra. "Then in that case," she said in a much more normal voice. "Let me give you a present," she said as she moved in and began to play with Lea's pierced nipples with her tongue.

Lea began to moan, but she had enough of her rational mind left that it was bugging her that Valeria didn't believe her. "No, really, in my pocket," she said, questioning why she cared if Valeria believed her. Valeria withdrew from Lea's breasts to go down to her pants. She decided, of course, that it would be far simpler to simply remove the pants in question and check the wallet more freely.

"Oh, I apologize for ever doubting you," Valeria said as she draped the pants over a chair and crawled between Lea's legs. "Here, let me make it up to you."

Her face disappeared from view, leaving only the sight of the top of a head of dark blonde hair. Lea felt her panties simply moved to one side as her tongue made contact. Lea reached down and grabbed the sheets. The sensations went racing around bouncing off of every inch of skin and returning to their place of origin between her legs. She looked down at the curly blonde hair and her rational mind suddenly created an annoying cold shower thought. It tried to remind her that Sophia has curly hair too, and that this woman between her legs may no more want to be there than if it were Sophia pleasuring some random out of towner.

"Shit.. no stop for a second," Lea said as she pushed Valeria's head away with both hands.

Valeria crawled up , and laid her naked body atop Lea's. "What's wrong baby," she asked as she placed her head beside Lea's.

"Do you even want to be doing this?" Lea asked as she placed an arm across Valeria's back. "I mean.. I just had this.. like.. passing thought. I thought about my friend who might be doing what you're doing and hating it. I'm not like.. taking advantage or something?"

She smiled and gave Lea a few pats on the side of the cheek. "It's nice that you care, but no you're not taking advantage. Hell, you didn't even try to pull the whole, 'it's my birthday so I should get something extra for free. No I'm doing this because it pays well and most of the time it's still a lot better than a lot of jobs. So no, there's no advantage being taken. But why'd your friend sign up if she didn't want to do this? Is she a penal contract?"

"Not quite, it's a long story, but basically she didn't think she had a choice but to sign so now she's stuck in it.

"That's terrible. Look, after you I'm supposed to just get a break. You seem like a good person and so if you want I can help you look."

"That's nice of you to offer but I don't want to take your break away like that. Just give me a rundown of where to look and that would be fine. Especially since you can't go very far, right?" Lea said, reminding Valeria of her situation.

"Well, if it weren't a break I could still accompany you everywhere I'm allowed to go," Valeria said seductively.

As Valeria continued to tease her in silence, Lea found it hard to say no to this woman. "Ok that sounds fine. But why don't you just.. as you said 'finish up' first?"

"Oh, there's no hurry on that," Valeria said softly into Lea's ear. "I like to stretch things out for people I like. You've only just seen the start," she added before kissing the side of Lea's neck causing her to sigh in pleasure, both at the sensation caused by this beautiful woman and the implication of how much more there was to come.