Chapter One -- The Offer
The place is a small, family owned Italian restaurant in Columbus Georgia. The time is the month of September and the year is 2105.
Three people are sitting in a booth enjoying a casual dinner together. On one side is a single woman in her mid-forties. Her name is Sheri Muller. She is 5'8" tall, has long blonde hair, blue eyes, very full figured and works as a receptionist for a local psychologist. Sheri is wearing a white blouse, black knee-length skirt, brown stockings and black one inch kitten heals.
Sitting opposite Sheri are Francis and Michael Brown. Francis, a woman in her late forties, is 5'9" tall, has short, black hair, green eyes and the muscle toned body of a professional trainer. On this night is wearing a very provocative emerald green dress, no stockings, and matching emerald green peep toe heals.
To Francis's right sits Michael, her husband. Michael is also 5'9" in height, has brown hair, hazel eyes and the physique of a man who sits behind a desk more hours than he should each day. He's about ten pounds overweight, but otherwise fit.
Both Francis and Michael are recently retired owners of a very popular chain of gymnasiums called 'En Forme', which six months ago they sold for a sinfully large amount of money.
The three are long time, very close, friends with a relationship that goes back twenty years. The women once shared an apartment together. The apartment was only one thing the women shared, Michael was another then Michael and Francis got married.
Even thought the plates before them are half empty, the meal is nearly over. They are sipping wine and each is debating in their own mind whether or not to have desert. The food is good, but the portion sizes are too large.
Francis is speaking...
"Your call surprised me. Aren't you usually at the gym about this time?"
Sheri, who the question is addressed to, responds, "I quit."
This surprises Francis. She knows Sheri never misses a workout.
"You loved going to the gym, what happened?"
Sheri takes a sip of wine. "I still do. I just can't stand Ronnie."
Ronnie, the gym's new manager, is an ex-marine. He's also a recently out-of-the closet gay man.
"Too effeminate for you?" Inquires Francis.
A portly man of about twenty-five passes by, bumping Michael's elbow emptying half the glass of red wine Michael is holding down the front of his shirt.
The two women watch as the portly man continues on without looking back.
"Rude asshole!" Yells Francis in the man's direction. He ignores her but other customers do not. "Well, he is!"
Michael grabs the large white linen napkin in front of him and attempt to stop the liquid from spreading down his shirt. He is unsuccessful, rises to his feet and says "Excuse me!", and quickly heads to the men's room to clean himself off.
When Michael is out of ear shot, Sheri looks down at her half eaten plate of lasagna and says, "The truth is, I need to exorcise to to work off some frustration. Know what I mean?"
"Sexual frustration?"
Sheri nods.
This surprises Francis. Sheri is supposed to have a boyfriend, a man named Sam in his middle forties.
"What's wrong with Sam, can't he get it up anymore?"
Sheri's response is unexpected. "I don't know, I haven't seen him in five months."
"What happened five months ago?" Her friend asks.
Sheri replies disdainfully, "Monica happened."
"Which Monica?"
They know two women named Monica. "Monica from the gym. I found out she was Sam's personal trainer and what kind of "work out" they were doing together."
"Want me to ask Michael to help you out?" Offers Francis. She is offering her husband for sex.
Sheri sees him returning, remembers the good times they had together and is tempted. "Thanks, I'll think about it."
"Just remember, if you do, I get to watch." Francis is a voyeur.
Michael sits back down at the table. There is a wet, still damp, red stain on his shirt. He doesn't look happy about it.
Sheri and Francis pick up the conversation where they left off before Michael excused himself. "It's not like it was when you were there. Ronnie is tougher on women he trains than he is on the men."
Their waiter returns and asks if they want desert.
Michael tells them they are finished and orders the "New York Style Cheese Cake."
Francis says, "No thank you."
Sheri passes, then says to the couple, "You two look as fit as ever. Don't tell me you're going to the competition?"
The wait leaves, taking their plates with him.
"No, we've turned the family room into a personal gym. I designed all the equipment myself. After I've finish testing the prototypes, I might make some production models and try selling them on the Internet."
Suddenly, Michael, who had just taken a drink of win, starts choking.
Both women look at him. Sheri is concerned, Francis seems more annoyed.
"Take a drink dear; you're turning red." Say his wife and begins patting him on the back.
He stops her. "I'm fine. I'm fine."
Concerned, Sheri ask, "Are you sure?"
He nods. Sheri watches him a few moments, then continues speaking... "Tell me about them."
"So far we have five machines: a rowing machine, bench press, leg left, squat builder, push-up machine and stationary bike."
This peaks Sheri's interest. "Did you say you have a stationary bike?"
"Yes. I finished building it three week ago." Replies Francis. "I've been testing it but, I really need someone else to give it a try just to be sure I have all the bugs worked out."
Sheri offers, "Would I do?"
"I can't think of anyone I'd rather see riding it. How's tomorrow afternoon sound? Say, six o'clock?"
Sheri says it is.
The all finish eating and leave.
After Sheri's car leaves the restaurant parking lot, Michael looks in wife in disbelief and asks. "I thought you said you didn't want anyone else to know about the machines until you were ready to go public?"
"Weren't you the one that said I have someone test them before sending them to production?"
He replies. "Yeah but, Sheri?"
"Wasn't she your first choice?"
Michael answers. "Yes but, I gave up on the idea after you said she'd never do it." and then asks, "What changed your mind?"
"She's in a predicament."
Her answer puzzles him. "What kind of predicament?"
"What kind do you think?"
The answer comes to him and he smiles. "The kind that will make her the perfect test subject?"
"Exactly!"
Chapter Two -- The Arrival
The second Sheri walks in the door Michael yells from some unseen place, "It's not too late to change your mind."
Unsure to whom he is speaking, she asks, "Was he talking to me?"
"No; that was aimed at me. He's talking about something I have planned for later." Francis yells to her husband, "Shut up Michael!" Then, in a calmer tone says to Sheri, "The family room is this way." and leads her there.
The room is large by local architectural stands and has three massive glass doors on the back wall that provide a splendid view of the patio and pool beyond.
Michael is sitting in a black leather armchair in the far left corner of the room. There is a lamp on a small table next to the chair. It is on and he is reading.
There are several machines in the room. Most are alien in appearance.
"That's it!" Declares Francis. She is pointing to a device in center of the room.
The first thing Sheri notices is that it is facing away from the patio, which to her seems waste of the view. From a distance, the machine appears relatively normal. Closer inspection reveals several unique features. There are straps of some some sort hanging from both handlebars, both pedals and both sides. The seat, which Sheri pokes with a finger, is spongy to the touch. The back of the seat curved sharply upward to a forty degree angle. In the front of the seat is mounted a triangular shaped wedge contraption constructed of hard plastic. Four inches behind the wedge sits a knob. The knob is composed of the same spongy material as the seat. All three parts, the seat, wedge and knob are a very realistic flesh color. This last detail strikes Sheri as strange. "I have a few questions. What's that thing that looks like a wedge. Why's there a ball in the middle of the seat? What are all those straps for and where's the power cord?"
"It's ah... well..." Francis stammers for an answer.
Michael laughs. "Yeah Francis, explain it to her!"
"Well, the wedge will keep you from sliding off the front of the seat. The knob works your gracilis, external abdominal oblique, and rectus abdominus muscles. The straps will prevent you from dismounting the bike while it's in use and, you're the power it source. It has two golf cart batteries install in the chassis that are recharged by a generator which turns when you pedal the bike."
The only part Sheri understands is the part about how the device is powered. "The what muscles?"
"The ones in your pelvic area."
Sheri still doesn't understand. "How's it do that?"
Michael laughs again. "This ought to be good!"
"Oscillating aphallic locomotion which produces intramuscular rolfing and pudenda stimulation."
Impressed, Michael says to his wife, "So that's what you were doing in front of the computer this morning!"
Sheri is more confused than ever. "What?"
Michael asks her, "Have you ever heard of Vaginismus?