"Shit!" She slammed the door and stalked into the house. He heard her stomp into the living room and heard the rustle of her coat as she tore it off and flung it onto the chair.
He walked out of the kitchen and smiled at her, spatula in hand. "Hi, love. Apparently it was another rough day?"
"I hate dealing with these people! Another lost re-fi and I've had it with loser idiots who walk in with no credit refs. How the hell am I ever supposed to make a living?"
He turned and smiled. "Time to do it," he thought to himself. After checking the dinner he had prepared in hopes for a pleasant evening, he turned the stove and oven down and grabbed up the scarves lying on the kitchen counter. The handcuffs were in his back pocket, just in case.
"Love of mine, I have a little problem. Can you help me out?" he asked. "I need for you to face the window and put your hands at your sides for a second." He walked up behind her and put his hands on her broad shoulders, rubbing the hard muscles. She instantly relaxed as he pushed his thumbs against the sides of her spine and rubbed all the way up her neck to the top, under her hair. Then he drew his hands back down. She kicked off her heels and was suddenly slightly shorter than him. Her hands were at her sides.
Gently, he reached down and held a wrist. With the other hand, he slipped a looped end of one of the soft silk scarves around it and tightened it. "What are you doing, Bill?" She was surprised at the feel of the silk and even more surprised when he slipped the other looped end around her other wrist.
"Research," he said. "Story I'm writing. We're going to do a little plotting for a short time."
Surprised, but intrigued, she allowed him to lead her to the bathroom. "Go pee, my love. We're going to do something a little different tonight," he said quietly. His voice surprised her. She turned and looked at him and saw the soft smile on his face. "Don't, under any circumstances, try to get out of that scarf, though. You know how expensive it is."
She was curious now. "But how do Iβ¦."
"You'll find a way. Just no cheating." He watched her walk in and stood for a moment as she closed the door behind her.
"This is ridiculous," she thought. "What the hell is he up to?" She finally loosened her skirt and managed to sit, hiking her arms up behind her. The loops around her wrists were tight, but did not hurt. She heard him walk back to the kitchen as she finished and stood, flushing the toilet. She called out to him. "Bill! I can't get my skirt back on! What do I do now?"
"Just come on out as you are, hon. You won't need it tonight." He stayed in the kitchen, picking out plates as she finally opened the door and walked out. "Go ahead and sit at the table. I'll bring the food out. Use the piano bench. You'll be more comfortable there."
"How do I eat this way? And I'm hungry!"
"I'll help you, Laura. Not to worry," he said as he brought out the plates. Smiling at her, he walked back into the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses.
"Care for some food?" he asked.
She was famished and nodded, curious and slowly being drawn into his little scenario. He sat next to her on the bench and cut up their steaks. He poured some wine and lifted a glass to her lips. She drank a bit, feeling the coolness in her mouth and then feeling it warm as she swallowed it. He followed with a bite of steak and then ate some of his own.
"We're going to play a little game tonight, Laura. I've been working on it all day and we'll just see where it leads. Tonight, I do all the work for you. And I called the office for you. If it lasts longer, you're taking a day off tomorrow."