Author's Note: This story, while still erotica, is significantly darker than most stories I have written and posted previously .Read at your own risk. There, you've been properly warned.
Part 1
Nate tugged on the rope, checked the knots and nodded to himself, pleased with his work. There would be no way out of the chair for Jolene until someone showed up and cut her loose, and that wouldn't be for at least another three days. Longer if the bitch was going to get the kind of justice she deserved.
Jolene struggled against the restraints, felt them dig into the sensitive skin at her wrists and ankles. She cried out in pain but it was little more than a stifled moan behind the duct tape that had been placed over her mouth. She looked at Nate, pleading him with her eyes for some sort of explanation but none was forthcoming.
Instead he disappeared into the small bedroom of the cabin and she could hear him rustling through one of the suitcases that they had packed for the weekend. He had been secretive about packing the suitcases and Jolene had figured that he was trying to hide something in the luggage βshe figured was an engagement ring but if he was planning on asking her to marry him now, this certainly wasn't the way she had envisioned it happening.
When Nate had told her about the plans for this weekend, a romantic weekend at this remote cabin she had started bracing herself for him to pop the big question. They had looked at engagement rings, even picked out one that she liked and when Nate had insisted on putting the luggage in the car himself Jolene's suspicions that this was going to the be weekend he asked her to be wife grew even deeper.
The whole way up to the cabin she had hinted to him about how much she would like to be a wife someday and how she would love to marry a man like Nate. He just smiled and played coy the way that guys will.
When they arrived at this little lodge deep in the Catskill Mountains, Nate had seemed very happy, very alive. The considerable stress from his job seemed to have melted away entirely. He took her around the place, showed her the bluff that was just down a short trail from the back porch with childlike enthusiasm. They had cooked steaks on the outside charcoal grill and sat on the porch swing sipping cool beer and watching the beautiful sunset.
And now, now she was bound to a chair in the middle of the small living room. Funny how things can change so fast or it would be funny if Jolene wasn't scared to death. She heard a flat slap from inside the bedroom β something metallic clicking shut that could be the latch on a suitcase or...
The light in the living room went out and the darkness was total. Jolene could hear Nate moving across the room and she could just make out his murky form as he sat on the couch in front of the chair that she was bound to.
He sat very still and said nothing for a very long time, what seemed like hours to Jolene. Again she struggled to speak but was again unable to produce anything more than a serious of garbled moans. Nate reached out, grabbed the tape that was on her mouth and yanked. Jolene yelped in pain.
In the darkness Nate laughed, a low maniacal moan that made the hair on the nape of her neck stand on end. He reached over and slipped on the lamp that sat on the table beside the couch and Jolene was blinded by the sudden light. When her eyes adjusted to the light she was able to make out the gun in Nate's hand, gleaming in the light and pointed straight at her head.
"You didn't think I would find out what you did? You stupid bitch."
Part 2
Nate pushed his chair away from the table, wiped his mouth with his napkin and tossed it on his empty plate. "I am stuffed. I couldn't eat another bite if I had to." He leaned back in his seat and took a deep breath, held it, let it out slowly.
They were at the La Bec-Fen, the fanciest French restaurant in town and had just polished off a meal that Nate was sure was going to set him back a couple of hundred bucks at least. But this was the last mean he and Jolene were going to get to share for at least the next month and he wanted it to be a memorable occasion.
"What time does your flight leave?" Jolene asked, setting her wine glass back on the table.
"I have to pick Jack up at the office at 7, the flight leaves at 9:30."
"And I won't see you for a month? You won't even be able to fly home on the weekends?"
"Unfortunately no, the trade show is all month and the weekends will probably be even busier than the weekdays."
Jolene said nothing, just frowned at him and took another drink of wine. Without saying a word Nate knew she was upset.
"Baby, you knew that this was coming. It's not like it was a surprise. Besides, this is the biggest software show on the East Coast and Jack needs me there, especially since he doesn't know shit about the new program we are unveiling. Don't make me feel like shit for doing my job."
"Just because it's your job doesn't mean I have to like it. How about I fly down there in and spend a couple of days with you. I have some vacation days I can take and I can catch a cheap flight..."
Nate cut her off. "As nice as that would be it wouldn't work. I have to be at the show all day, all twelve hours and you would be so bored. Would you really want to sit there and listen to me pontificate about software for hours on end?"
"It would be better than not seeing you for a month. Is this something I'm going to have to put up with every year Nate, because I'm telling you now I'm not happy about the thought of having to."
Nate reached across the table and Jolene reluctantly let him take her hand into his. "Listen, it won't always be like this. It's just with the new software I have to be there, it's my team's software and no one knows it better than me so it's my duty to make sure everything goes well. Next year I won't have to spend so much time there, but it's vital we impress the hell outta the customers there. Right now we are the only ones with this kind of software on the market and if we don't strangle the market with it immediately every one of our competitors is going to race to get out their own versions of the program and then we're fucked."
Jolene knew all of this, of course. They had been over it again and again in the weeks leading up to Nate's departure but she wasn't going to let him off Scott free just because it was 'his job.'
"So what am I supposed to do for the next month? Wait by the phone and cross the days off my calendar until you return?"
"That would be nice," Nate said and smiled. Jolene didn't smile back. "Baby, don't make me feel worse than I do already. I tell you what, when we get back we'll go away for a long weekend, just me and you. There is a place I have been wanting to take you and I'll arrange for us to go there when I return."
"Ok," Jolene said. She still wasn't happy about him going but at least now she had something to look forward to.
Part 3
Being left alone wasn't something that Jolene particularly enjoyed. She needed to be the center of someone's attention, to be fawned over and made a big deal out of. Nate had left town on Wednesday and by Saturday night she was feeling all alone and very sorry for herself.
She decided that the best way to get over her depression was to go get a big tub of ice cream, some chick flicks and drown her sorrow in chocolate and marshmallow swirls. She didn't even bother to put her hair up or put on any make up, she just went β sweats and all β to the store just down from her apartment.