Author's note: All sexual activity portrayed in this story is between legal consenting adults. This is entirely a work of fiction, with no intended resemblance to any actual persons or places or events.
Coventry Correctional
Gwen sat in her car for much longer than she usually did before work. She'd spent the entire previous night debating about which makeup to wear or whether to wear any at all. That morning, she obsessed over her reflection in the rearview mirror. After countless minutes touching up her blush, reapplying her favorite pink lipstick, getting her mascara and eyeliner and eyeshadow just right, Gwen had to accept that she was stalling. The appointed time was coming up, and overdoing her makeup wouldn't help anything.
Gwen took another moment to put her hand over the cupholder, quietly drawing strength for what was coming. Then she gathered up her paper bag from the passenger seat, got out of the car, and walked toward the employee entrance of Coventry Correctional Facility.
The protesters could be heard loud and clear on the other side of the grounds. She willed herself to ignore them. At the gate was Lewis Tennyson, a tall and wiry man in uniform as a correctional officer.
Gwen raised a hand in greeting. "Hey, Lou. Where's the warden? He should be here for this."
Tennyson shook his head. "He didn't want anything to do with this. Nobody did, really."
"Deniability?"
Tennyson nodded. "Yeah."
Gwen sighed, disappointed but not surprised. At a gesture from Gwen, Tennyson led the way inside.
The first stop was to the property clerk. For everyone's safety - most especially her own - Gwen agreed to have all her personal items logged and locked up, like she was any other visitor. As such, she had everything stowed away in a paper bag for the clerk to sort with his mechanical efficiency.
"One set of keys. One wallet, with ID belonging to Gwen Buckner. One set of dog tags, printed for Gwen Buckner. One iPhone, white."
The clerk paused a while at the next item. "One sealed envelope, addressed to Warden Mercer."
All eyes turned to Gwen, who simply replied. "Just lock it up."
The clerk shrugged and continued. "One purple t-shirt. One pair white cotton panties. One pair blue denim jeans. Do you have anything else to declare?"
"No," she lied. So the clerk gave her a property voucher and waved her through to a small windowless room with Tennyson.
"All right, Gwen, you know the drill."
They both did, and Gwen knew this was coming. She came to the prison in nothing but a grey bathrobe, black lacy panties, and a matching bra to make the strip search easier. Pity she couldn't wear her heels, but she found some flats that came off quick and easy.
Gwen disrobed completely, setting everything on a nearby table, then stood naked in the corner with her hands behind her head. She made no attempt at covering up her toned and muscular body, and Tennyson didn't stare, but pawed through her clothing with dispassionate efficiency.
Tennyson didn't expect to actually find anything, but did indeed find a suspicious lump in the pockets of her bathrobe. Gwen could do nothing. She couldn't ask him to put it back or pretend he didn't see anything. Technically, she shouldn't have had it. Though technically, he shouldn't be letting her do this at all.
With only a shared glance of conviction, Gwen implored him not to take it away, because the both of them knew that this was one time when this one rule needed breaking. Tennyson gave an imperceptible nod of agreement and replaced the contraband. Over his shoulder, he heard Gwen release a sigh of relief.
Tennyson took out a compact flashlight and turned to Gwen. "Okay, open." Gwen opened her mouth for Tennyson's flashlight.
"Toss your hair." Gwen kept her blonde hair cropped short, but she tousled it as best she could.
"Spread your toes." He looked between her toes and inspected the soles of her feet, taking dim notice of the bright pink polish on her newly pedicured nails.
"Squat and cough." Gwen squatted and coughed three times.
"Bend over and spread." Gwen bent at the waist and reached back to spread her cheeks while Tennyson pointed the flashlight at the taint between her smoothly shaven legs.
"You're good." Though routine, a strip search was still the ultimate humiliation and Gwen had played the perfect inmate like a champ. She put her underthings and shoes back on, then covered herself with the robe.
"We'll have to go out there," Tennyson reminded her. She almost wished he hadn't. As with all prisons, Coventry was so massively overcrowded that there were no private spaces or deserted corridors. Everyone would see Gwen dressed like this, and secrets spread so quickly that everyone would know by now what she was doing.
She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to get everything back in place without the benefit of a mirror. "How do I look?" she asked him.
Tennyson looked her over and gave her a smile. "You look good, Gwen." He meant to sound gentle and reassuring, and she gave him a grateful smile for the effort.
Gwen took a breath to collect herself, then gave a nod to Tennyson. "Let's go," she said, and walked into the prison corridor with her head held high.
The response was nothing new to Gwen, but there was more of it than usual. She walked through a cacophony of catcalls, wolf whistles, and lewd propositions in English, Spanish, and crude parodies of French. The inmates stared at her, wagged their tongues at her, mimed blowjobs at her, tugged their crotches in her direction, did everything they could to get her attention or any kind of reaction. She did her best to ignore the depraved masses, letting Tennyson and the other guards handle the inmates. Though many of the officers gave her withering looks as well. Those were harder to brush off.
At last, Tennyson had escorted Gwen to solitary confinement. They stopped at the door of one particular cell.
"Last chance to back out, Gwen. After this, every inmate, prison guard, and cop in the state will know you as aβ"
"Did you hear them out there?" she pointed out. "It's too late for that."
Tennyson looked between her and the door. "You know you're going in there alone, unarmed, and literally naked, right?"
"He's clean?"
"Strip-searched. Twice."
"You got the tape?"
Tennyson reached into his breast pocket and handed her a voice recorder. After another deep steadying breath, she gestured for Tennyson to open the door.
The grim gray cell was the size of a parking space, barely wide or long enough for a concrete bed, an unmovable stool, and a combination toilet/sink. On the bed sat a black man in his late 30s, known throughout nationwide headlines as Tommy Pine. He was freshly showered and clean-shaven for the big day, his white inmate uniform bleached to a crisp shine. And he was handcuffed, to Gwen's visible frustration.
"He's cuffed," she hissed at Tennyson. "You know we went over this, I was very clearβ"
"Gwen, please, for your safetyβ" he muttered back.
"He'll need his hands." Gwen's tone and glare made it clear she would not be deterred, so Tennyson shook his head and removed Tommy's handcuffs.
"They weren't supposed to cuff you," she assured Tommy. "Totally unnecessary, I apologize." Then she turned on the voice recorder and spoke.
"This is Gwen Buckner, correctional officer with the Coventry Correctional Facility. At the time of this recording on May 13
th
of 2023, I am of legal age, sound of mind and body, and free from any duress whatsoever. Sir, will you please state your name for the record?"
She pointed the recorder at Tommy, who leaned in as he spoke. "Tommy Pine. Is this for the execution?"
Gwen continued. "For the record, Mr. Pine, would you please repeat your stated wish for your final meal?"