Bound to Happen

I am what you would call a shy, loner. I've pretty much always been that way. My favorite place has always been curled up on the couch alone with a book. I'm not the girl with the snappy comeback or witty or flirtatious reply. I'm the one that blushes, stammers and looks away while turning bright red. Rather than always looking like a blubbering moron when someone talked to me I adopted a quite, rebellious persona as a teen but have always had moments where I fantasize about being the crazy, outgoing girl dancing in the middle of the street without a care in the world.

When I was 14 and a sophomore in High school I met Joan. Joan was three years older than me and a senior. To look at us you would have never guessed we would be friends. Joan was outgoing and bubbly, a cheerleader that belonged to about 12 different clubs and loved to shop for the latest fashions. I on the other hand was the quiet girl in the jeans, concert tee, flannel and Doc Martens and was not what you would consider a joiner. Joan was straight laced, never disobeyed her parents and rarely got in trouble. I drank, smoked and partook of the occasional recreational drug. I skipped school and missed curfew so much my mom gave up on tying to enforce either. I never really got into serious trouble but according to many of my friends parents I looked like I did. Joan and I started hanging out a lot. She dragged me out to football games, the mall, parties, etc. It must have been that secret part of me that thought I should be the outgoing girl that enjoyed the outings. With all the practice I was getting in bantering I started slowly coming out of my shell.

Before the end of her senior year Joan met Jake. Jake was 2 years older than Joan and not really into all of the high school activities that Joan had been dragging me to for the better part of a year. We started hanging out at his or his friends apartments drinking a few beers and BBQing while Jake and his friends worked on their cars.

About a year later when Joan was in college and I was a Junior in High school we started drifting apart. I thought it was because she was so busy with school and that she didn't have as much time to hang out anymore. I found out differently about 7 or 8 months later when I ran into one of Jakes old friends, Curtis. He let me know that Joan had told everyone that I had been trying to steal Jake away from her. I was shocked. I liked Jake as a person and yes he was gorgeous but, I was actually much closer to some of Jake's friends than I was with Jake. Everyone knew I had a huge crush on one Jake's friends. Curtis said everyone knew it was bull but it didn't really change anything. I left Cutis's house hurt, angry and doubting myself. Had I been annoying and inappropriate and no one wanted to hang out with me anymore? Had I flirted with Jake and not realized it? I never called Joan to confront her about it, as that isn't in my personality instead I buried the hurt and moved on.

About 6 months later after my conversation with Curtis Jake called me out of the blue. He said Joan was going through a tough time and missed me. He asked if I would call her. I was more than a little irritated that after everything Joan had said about me that Jake was asking ME to call her and patch things up. I told him I had talked to Curtis, I didn't tell him anything we spoke about just "I talked to Curtis". He sighed and said, "I know." No apology, just the sigh. That sigh though spoke volumes. Everyone that knew Joan eventually used the "sigh". She was outgoing and bubbly but also could be confrontational, gossipy, jealous and as I had found out pretty vicious. I told Jake I would think about it. About a few weeks later I broke down and called. Not because I missed Joan, it would still take me quite a while to forgive her enough to like her again, but because I missed everyone else. Joan acted like nothing had happened and we had just lost touch. Rather than hash it out with her by letting her know I knew what she had done and risk my chance to hang out with everyone else again I let gritted my teeth and let it go.

Right before my 17th birthday I met Thomas. His sister was dating one of Jake's roommates. He stopped by with her one day when she came over. I won't take credit for being the reason he kept coming back to the house at first but I took advantage of it. Thomas was wonderful, sexy, funny outgoing, playful. I had never been so attracted to someone in my whole life. I flirted shamelessly every time he was around. There were silly little squabbles that ended in wrestling matches, pillow fights, dares, accidental brushes and quasi-cuddling on the couches. Finally on New Years Eve during a party at Jakes house I got my first kiss.

My own flirtations with Thomas seemed to bring something out in Joan. She started flirting with Thomas friends and some of Jakes new friends. She also started getting irritated with everything Jake did and started picking fights with him and his close friends and would then take off with a different bunch of guys leaving me at the house. One of my roles in life has always been "The Mediator", I have no idea how it started or what it is about me that always ends up in this role but I do. As Joan and Jake started fighting I ended up spending more and more time with Jake trying to smooth over Joan's bad behavior or just hanging with him waiting for Thomas. While I had always liked and gotten along very well with Jake I had always been "Joan's friend." During these months that started to change and Jake and I started getting much closer than we ever had. I now considered Jake to be one of my very best friends. Some nights, Joan having left for some reason or another and Thomas not able to show up I would stay at the house with Jake and whoever else was there. We would just have a few beers, watch TV and talk for hours.

I was 18 and Thomas and I had been dating for about a year and a half. Joan, Jake, Thomas, and I hung out together all the time. One of Jake's friends, Nick, had just gotten a new apartment and his wife had taken their daughter to visit her parents for the weekend. He invited the four of us and two of Joan's friends from college, Tiffany and Sarah, all over to his apartment. Nick was one those friends Jake had known forever and therefore put up with, he could be a pain in the ass and very immature. I was always surprised that he not only made it through boot camp but that they continued to employ him as an MP. When we got to the apartment we all settled into the living room, drinks in hand. Nick, of course, immediately went to turn on the Playstation As the boys played video games we all talked, laughed, and continued drinking. Around 11:00 Thomas reminded me that he needed to get going. Since it was still fairly early Joan said she would take me home later than night. I walked Thomas out to his car and made plans to meet up with him on Sunday.

When I got back into the apartment the drinking games had begun. Joan, being the DD, did not imbibe, but I jumped right in with Nick, Jake, Tiffany and Sarah. During the drinking game Nick brought out his MP handcuffs and started messing around with them. He and Sarah grabbed one of Tiffany's arms and handcuffed her to the table when she said she was trashed and needed to stop playing. After being released Tiffany got her revenge on Sarah, when she got up to use the bathroom. Nick may have been immature but he was also pretty hot so Tiffany and Sarah didn't seem to mind. A little while later Jake and Nick grabbed Joan and handcuffed both of her hands behind her back and threw her on the couch. Jake sat on her and joked that now that his girlfriend was out of the way we could really start having some fun. Joan was not amused and was released fairly quickly. The handcuffs ended up on the kitchen counter after that.

Around 1:00 Joan started getting her stuff together and telling Sarah and Tiffany that we had to get going. Joan, although 20 by this time, still lived at home while going to school and had a curfew of 2am. We all groaned a bit to have our fun cut short but, Jake and I, used to Joan, started getting our things together. Tiffany and Sarah on the other hand were not ready to go at all. In the end it took about 45 minutes for them to get their stuff together and cajole them into leaving the drinking game. By the time we were finally ready to go Joan's temper was up and she was snapping at everyone. Nick lived about half an hour away from Joan's house and I lived about half an hour out of Joan's way, which was adding to her stress and temper. To try and smooth things out a bit, Nick told her not to worry about me, we would sober up and then he would drive me home.

We all said our goodbyes and Jake and the girls left. I was a buzzed and a little out of sorts at being left alone to sober up and catch a ride home with Nick. I started helping him clean up the mess we had made and he started bitching about Joan and her constant crappy attitude. While I may have agreed, I was so used to my role as mediator that I started making excuses for Joan and her behavior. This actually seemed to upset Nick more. He heatedly asked me, "How can you constantly defend her? She just left you here with me by yourself just so she isn't late. I'm drunk and could be planning to take advantage of you, but as long as she makes curfew..."

Even though I'd been thinking that myself moments before, I replied, "Oh please, we've known you for years and you're one of Jake's oldest friends. Besides, I think I can handle myself. It's not like I'm 14 anymore."

"Trust me, we know you aren't 14 anymore."

That response didn't do much to make me more comfortable and I could feel my face start to flush.

He continued, "I know she's your friend but I honestly don't know what you or Jake see in her. We'd all be much happier if he was seeing someone more like you."

I didn't quite know how to respond to that so, in my typical fashion, I ignored it and started picking up the last of the bottles from the table. Nick took the bag from me and started to take it into the kitchen when the front door opened. We both looked up and saw Jake in the door. He looked at me, smiled, rolled his eyes, and shook his head a little in wordless communication, laughing at the exasperation we all often felt with Joan. I smiled back, immensely pleased that Jake had not left me here alone with his friend.

"What are you doing back here?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant but, was extremely pleased not to be left on my own.

Before he could respond, Nick shouted from the kitchen, "Who wants a beer?"

"I thought you were sobering up so you could drive me home," I yelled back.

"I'll take one," said Jake.

I glanced over at Jake, a little surprised and quite pleased that not only did it seem the evening was not quite over, but we could relax and be ourselves now that Joan had gone home. Nick walked out of the kitchen with three beers in his hand. "The night is still young. There's plenty of time to sober up."

We all moved back to the living room to watch TV and talk. I plunked down claiming my territory on one of the always sought after ends of the couch. Jake ended up on the floor leaning back against the middle of the couch while Nick snagged the recliner. I had my legs curled under me for quite a while and extended them out to stretch and get my circulation moving before they fell asleep. As I stretched Jake put his hand under my calf and absently squeezed it while he talked with Nick about some new car part they were both lusting after. After a few squeezes he seemed to pay attention to what he was doing and said, "Nice calf muscles," but didn't release my leg. Once again not quite sure how to respond to such and odd comment, I just said "thanks".

Nick got up suddenly and said, "I need another beer. You guys want one?" We both said sure and Nick walked over to the kitchen.

Nick's question seemed to wake Jake out of his reverie and he dropped my calf and asked, "So how are things going with Thomas?"

"Pretty well," I said. "We've been getting on each others nerves a bit over stupid little things lately, but who doesn't?"

"Yeah, Joan and I get on each other's nerves every once in a while too," he said with a smile. I smiled back and chuckled at the gross understatement.

Nick brought out another beer for each of us and plunked down on the opposite end of the couch. As I started drinking I could feel my buzz starting back up again. I looked over and saw Nick pulling something out from behind his back. "Look what I found on my last trip through the kitchen." He said, looking at me. Dangling from his hands were the handcuffs they had been playing with earlier. I just raised my eyebrows at him. "I seem to remember that you escaped being cuffed to anything tonight," he continued.

"I seem to remember that neither you or Jake were cuffed to anything tonight, either," I said. "So why don't you two go ahead and play cops and robbers and I'll just sit here and drink my beer."

"I don't think so," he said and lunged at me across the couch. Guessing his intent, I was prepared for him and jumped up out of the way. Stuck in the corner of the room, I knew I needed to get past him into the bigger expanse of the apartment if I wanted to avoid being cuffed to something.

Nick's missed lunge had him sprawled out on awkwardly on the couch. As he tried to recover I went to jump over Jake's legs, assuming that he would not be an active participant in this. I was wrong. Before I even started to lift my foot to jump over Jake he swiped the back of my knees with his arm, pulling my legs toward his chest. As I began collapsing, his other arm caught me around the waist and used my momentum to swing me to the other side of him and lower me to the floor gently, but very quickly. I let out a surprised squeal at this sneak attack. My quick change from the vertical to the horizontal threw me for a loop, but I recovered quickly and started trying to squirm away. Unfortunately, Jake still had his arm wrapped around both of my knees. As I tried to use my arms to scramble backwards and kick Jake off of my legs he moved. Pulling my legs under him, he straddled my legs pinning them with his own as he let go with his arm. Now looming over me, he grabbed both of my flailing arms at the wrist and pulled me up to a sitting position while at the same time forcing my hands behind my back.

"Got her," he said. "Your turn," he told Nick.

"Come on guys!" I shouted. "Two against one is so unfair!"

"Stand her up and I'll put the cuffs on" Nick said

Jake pulled my arms tighter into my back and pulled me into his chest in a big bear hug. He stood, picking me up as he went and then setting me on my feet, arms still caught in his hands and tucked behind my back for easy cuffing. I was surprised at how effortless he made standing up with me in his arms seem. I had seen Jake without his shirt before and marveled at his tight six pack and nicely muscled arms, but it didn't really register how much strength was in them until that moment. Resigned that I had lost the battle and would now have to wear the cuffs for a little while, I gave some token struggles but didn't put in a ton of effort into breaking free. Nick swiftly moved behind me and I felt the cold metal circling my wrist and then tighten as he fitted the cuff, a few seconds later I felt the same treatment to my other wrist. I expected Jake to let go as soon as the cuffs where on but as I felt him start to relax his grip Nick said, "wait, wait, wait I'm not done."

"What do you mean you're not done?" I said, wondering what more he was planning to do.

Before I could finish my sentence I felt Jake let go of my wrists, followed by a sharp tug on my cuffs, and accompanied by an exasperated, "What the hell?" from Jake.

"Ow," I said." What was that?" I realized that while Jake had let go of my wrists, his arms were still around me.

"Jackass here just cuffed me to you," Jake said, glaring at Nick, who had a huge grin on his face.

"Not only did I cuff you to her dude, but I wrapped the separate cuffs you are wearing around hers so no acrobatics are going to get the two of you apart." Nick boasted. "There may be some flaws in my plan as I just created it on the fly while I was in kitchen but I think it will work out fine."

"What plan?" Jake and I said in unison

"My buddy across the way is out of town this weekend. He gave us the key to his apartment so we can feed the cat. I'm going to stay there tonight. You two will have my place all to yourselves."

"Okay great, now give us the keys," Jake said.

"Don't act like you're not loving every minute of this, Jake. I know you too well," Nick said, and I felt Jake tense. "Besides," he continued, "all I'm doing is providing a circumstance. Do with it what you will. You've both been drinking," he said, circling behind my back again.

Not trusting him, I tried to turn and see what he was doing. Nick was at the TV but his body was blocking what he was doing so I couldn't see. "Perfect," he said, closing the glass cover to the entertainment center and locking it with the key. "Here's your evening's entertainment, should you decide not to create your own." As he stepped away from the TV, I could see that he had changed it to one of the pay-per-view porno channels. Your movie is set to start in 15 minutes."

"Nick, come on now. This isn't funny anymore. Let us go," I said. "You can't leave us stuck like this all night. Uncuff us."

"Don't worry, don't worry. I know I can't leave you like this all night," he said.

"Thank you. Now, if you don't mind taking these things off..." I said, wiggling my hands at him.

"Oh, I'm not taking them off. I'm leaving you the keys so you can take them off."

"Fine, give me the keys," Jake said.

"Right, like I'd go to all this trouble and say 'here your go, you can unlock yourself now.'"

"What the hell does that mean?" Jake said.

"It means I'll leave you the keys, you just have to get them," replied Nick, dangling a key hanging from a short ribbon between Jake and me.

"Fine," I said and tried to grab the dangling key with my mouth.

"Ah, ah, ah," Nick said. "Not that easy."

"Then how do we get them?" I asked.

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked! This key right here..." he said, wiggling it between us again. "... is the key to Jake's cuffs. And this key right here..." he said, producing another almost identical key hanging from a ribbon, "... is the key to your cuffs, kitten. The key to Jake's cuffs can be found...."

He slowly started lowering the key between us. I noticed the key seemed to be falling closer and closer towards my cleavage.

"Don't you dare," I told him, starting to move away from him and dragging a surprisingly quiet Jake with me.

Before I moved even two inches I felt a hand at my back shove me forward. As I stumbled into Jake he had nowhere to go and fell onto the couch, dragging me with him.

Without much room for me to squirm away, Nick leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Oh, I dare," as the key came to rest directly between my breasts. "Actually, that still seems too easy," he said and reached out to unbutton the first and then the second buttons of my shirt.

"Nick! Stop! What the hell are you doing? Stop!" I shouted.

He just continued working his way down my shirt until all the buttons were completely undone. He pulled apart each side of my shirt, baring my black lace bra to both his and Jake's eyes and whistled.

"Holy shit, kitten! I knew you'd grown up but I didn't know you had such a tight little body hiding under all those clothes. And you've been so obliging with a front-clasp bra too. How convenient," Nick said.

I pushed myself up against Jake and buried my head in his shoulder trying to hide from both of them. I felt Nick stroke a hand down my long auburn hair, ending right below my bra strap. I felt a tug as he picked up the ends of my hair. Another tug and my hair grew taut against my scalp. A final tug pulled my head back away from Jake's shoulder. Nick was wrapping my hair around his hand, reeling my head back. As I felt his hand reach my scalp, he gently but firmly pulled my head backward, tugging until I was looking up at him.