[Fiction] The Predicament

[Richard Darcy]

Ok, so this is my first story here. I'd love any feedback - this is obviously just the intro. I would think there will be 7 or 8 episodes... depends on how the writing goes!



The note was written on dusky pink paper, and as Michael read it for the third time, he found himself no closer to working out what it could possibly mean. The six words were written in printed handwriting across the note – “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

It was the directness and simplicity of the phrase which struck him each time he read it. This was no clever note designed to seduce, or even a stunt one of his friends might pull. It seemed, simply, a statement of fact: “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Michael folded the note slowly, casting his gaze around the open-plan office to see if anyone was looking his way. As his search swept passed the photocopier, he thought he saw the new girl in the office avert her eyes quickly. Or was he imagining it? He couldn’t tell. He thought her name was Samantha – he had been introduced on her first day several weeks ago, but busy office life had dulled his memory, and now he wasn’t sure.

Still, the strange note intrigued him, and Michael was determined to find out who had left it on his desk. So, at lunchtime, rather than going for a walk into the local shopping centre as he usually did, he slipped into his boss’ office. He knew his boss was out for the day at some high powered meeting, and he knew too that from that office he had a commanding view across the rest of the floor, including his own desk.

As he unpacked his sandwiches, Michael kept his eyes fixed firmly on the comings and goings around the office space, smiling at the well rehearsed jokes between colleagues, and shaking his head at the usual skivers who were managing to snooze at their desks without anyone noticing. He took a bite of his sandwich, and as he wiped the mayonnaise from his lips, he saw Samantha – if that was her name – moving across the office with a pile of files balanced under one arm. He watched as she negotiated past the couple talking in the middle of the room, past the huge A1 printer, and then as she passed his desk, and unmistakeably, placed a note on his desk, before carrying on in the directions she was travelling.

Michael blinked slowly, taking in what he had just seen. So it was the new girl… but what a bizaare thing for her to do. He kept his eyes fixed on her as she moved towards the lift door, and looked at her, really looked at her, for the first time. She had dark hair, cut with a layered fringe and let to fall just below her shoulders. She was slim built, and carried with her an air of fragility, a sense of nervousness.

As he watched her enter the lift, he let himself smile briefly. This was strange indeed – by far the strangest thing that had ever happened to him at work, but, he thought to himself, interesting. Very interesting. He wondered, if this girl knew who he really was – the lifestyle that he led outside of work – whether she would be quite so brave. Time, thought Michael to himself, will tell…

[italian99]

Decent opening, different for sure.

[Officelover]

This story is written impeccably, and could very well become a great addition to our site. Bravo, good job, and keep writing!

[Lil C]

that is an interesting start
please continue

[Coyote]

great beginnig. I'd love to see how this turns out

[Richard Darcy]

Ok - thanks for all the very positive replies. Time for the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Do let me know!

By the next morning Michael had the plan, and the equipment, in place. It was no accident then, that as he ran towards the lift doors and put his hand between them to stop them closing, Samantha was already inside, clutching another pile of files and loose paper to her. He nodded as he stepped inside, and was sure he saw a blush rising in her cheeks. Without a word he pressed the ground floor button, and stood back, pretending to focus his attention on a poster stuck to the lift side. But as the lift began to vibrate and move slowly downwards, he lifted his finger again, this time pressing the emergency stop button. The lift shuddered and ground to a halt, and as it did so, Michael raised his eyes to Samantha, to find her looking straight at him in undisguised surprise.

“So,” he said slowly. “You can’t stop thinking about me?”

The look on her face, somewhere between terror and confusion, told him instantly that he had caught her by surprise. Her face told the picture as she fought between her instincts to lie and deny everything, and her realisation that she had been caught out.

“I don’t… I mean, I’m not sure…” she stuttered, unable to finish either sentence, lowering her eyes a little as she spoke.

“Ok,” Michael said firmly and coolly. “Let me make this easier for you. What is it that made you write those notes, and why me?”

Again Michael saw the indecision in the girl’s face. “Ok, look,” she said, almost in a whisper. “I saw you. At the club. Last Friday.”

“Ah,” breathed Michael. “And I assume you are talking about Club Torture? Well, well. So what were you doing there last Friday?”

The girl was clearly embarrassed to be talking about this, but it was clear too that she wanted to tell him, wanted to talk about it. “I…err… well, I just wanted to watch. I just wanted to see what happened. And then I saw you, and well… I’d seen you at work, and I just can’t stop thinking about what I saw you doing there… you know.. to that girl…”

Michael smiled, partly at the memory of what had happened that Friday, and partly at the idea of this girl’s fascination and naivety.

“Well then you have a choice to make,” he said slowly, stepping one step closer to Samantha. “Which really, is what I’m all about. You see, I like to give those who choose to serve me, choices. Some people might call them predicaments. And this is your first choice, your first predicament. You can walk away now, take the lift to the ground floor, and never speak to me again. Or,” he continued, looked directly into her gaze, “you can take off your panties and give them to me….”

[Komodo Jones]

Very interesting. You're not rushing in to the bulk of the story too quickly and despite you leaving out some details, for example what Michael had did to torture that girl, it really helps the story. The reason for this is because you hook the reader wanting to see what happens as there's not too much foreshadowing. Keep up the good work!

[Richard Darcy]

A short chapter I'm afraid - just to take us to the next part of the story. As before, comments appreciated!


Samantha raised her head slowly to meet his gaze, her lips slightly parted and her eyes wide.

“You’re kidding?” she breathed, partly in disbelief and partly in hope.

“Not at all,” Michael replied. “You see how it works. One path leads you away from here, with you embarrassment saved, but your fascination unfulfilled. The other path leads you to me, and to complete obedience to what I say… but with the tantalising hope of exploring your hidden fantasies.”

For what seemed like much more than a minute, Samantha looked directly at Michael, the choices whirling about inside her mind, and then, as if a decision had been reached with definite force, she put the files she still held on the floor. She was wearing a skirt which fell just below the knee, and with a well practiced movement she hitched up the skirt just enough, and with both hands slid her underwear to the floor. Without once meeting Michael’s stare, she kicked them over her black heeled shoes, and passed them to him. They were pink lace panties, and Michael held them lightly in one hand, smiling at the girl who now stood before him again, her gaze flicking between his face and the floor.

“Well that,” he said slowly, “is decision number one made. So this is how it works from here. You are not to wear any panties to work from now on, until I tell you you may. And you are to wear skirts no longer than the one you have on now. I will not approach you or talk to you until it is time, but when it is time for your next task you should be ready. And if I find you have broken my wishes… well then things will not go well. I must emphasise that this is your choice. At any time, if you want to walk away, then you must simply say those words to me – “I walk away” – and I will let you go... but you will never talk to me again. Do I make myself clear?”

Samantha followed his words carefully, breathing heavily at the thought of not wearing panties to work, and at the anticipation of his next move. She nodded slowly to confirm her understanding, and bent down to pick up the files.

“And,” continued Michael as he re-pressed the ground floor button, sending the lift shuddering downwards again. “And, I’ll keep these as a sign of our agreement.” He signalled to the panties, before folding them carefully and slipping them inside his trouser pocket.

[Komodo Jones]

Very interesting. I find this unlike some of the s/m relationship stories I see on here as there is no real numerical list of rules at the beginning but only one. You approach this as if you don't know whether this will blossom into a d/s relationship or if it will just be a series of tasks. You're taking your time not rushing into it and setting it at a good pace. Just look over before submitting for some errors. For example, the third sentence in the fifth paragraph the word you repeated twice, doesn't really flow smoothly and could have been reworded. Like I say to some people though, these errors do not really take away from the content of the story which is what a lot of people pay attention to anyway. I'm just cursed by this as I'm majoring in English but I wish you the best of luck as you continue.

[Richard Darcy]

Thanks for your comments Komodo. I can only find one technical error-a missing letter. I thought for a while about the repeated word, but decided that as it was dialogue rather than the narrative voice, the conversational register and syntax would be appropriate. I've included the comma to emphasise the spoken rhythm of the words.

Thanks again for your helpful comments?

[blueboy]

I like it. Very interesting story and very well written.

[QuoterBuff]

Great! i can't wait for the next part!

[cameem]

This is such an awesome story! It's very well writen too. I can't wait for more!

[Swirly]

Very nice story so far. Don't rush it, let it unfold slowly. I'm anxious to read more.

[Richard Darcy]

Samantha sat at her desk and tried not to stare at him. It had been three days now since the meeting in the lift, and she could feel herself getting restless. She longed to know what he was planning, and both her waking and her sleeping hours were filled with dreams which at once both terrified and excited her almost beyond control. She had done as he had said, and was once again wearing no underwear beneath the knee length skirt she wore. Even this excited her - the thought that he knew, knew she was exposed and vulnerable, and often her imagination ran to what he might do when he finally made his move. She imagined his hands on her thigh pushing the skirt upwards to leave her completely exposed, and then his hand on her, touching, caressing her...

She moved her feet as she stood watching him, aware of the wetness gathering between her legs. But she knew it would not be like that. It was simply that her imagination could only take her that far. And sometimes her mind remembered that night in the club, and the look on that girl's face, and that frightened her - really frightened her - but left her more excited than she had ever felt.

She brought herself out of her dream, looked at the pile of files she had to take to be filed away, and sighed deeply. She saw Nia and Jess, two of the other admin workers who had joined the firm just weeks before her, walking across the office towards her. They were giggling conspiratorially, enjoying a shared joke. It wasn't until after Jess had spoken that she realised the joke was at her expense.

'Oh look,' said Jess, a mocking tone unmistakeably in her voice. 'I wonder if Sam's remembered to wear any underwear today Nia.'

Samantha could feel herself blushing as she studied the pile of files, trying to ignore what she had so clearly just heard. How did they know? What had he done?