Laterally Out Thought !

Acknowledgment to 'nyjoemo' for the basic concept of the task in this chapter..........

Ingram began to get organised. "Let's make some space on the floor here" he began. The six men on the course quickly started moving chairs to create a wide circle, which Ingram invited Diane and Debbi to enter. "So, as I was saying ladies, this is an exercise in lateral thinking but it is also about reacting under pressure when there's a competitive element." Diane smirked. "Would you like to back out now ?" she asked Debbi. "My superior background gives me such an overwhelming advantage that it hardly seems fair !" Debbi was determined not to lose face to this younger bitch. "When you've had a bit more real life experience, you might be ready to take me on" she spat angrily.

"Ok, you two each take off your shoes. Get down on all fours on the floor next to each other. Then we'll put a blanket over each of you," Ingram instructed. Diane did so immediately. Debbi looked puzzled but was determined not to be one-upped and so also knelt down next to her rival. Two large blankets were draped over each so that neither could see a thing.

As the group tittered, Ingram continued, "OK. Now the scenario may seem a bit strange but bear with it, remember it is about lateral thinking. Imagine you are in the desert under this blanket and in order to stay alive you have to take something off, but it has to be something very specific but also very logical. So, you have to take off the first thing you think of, otherwise you have to continue taking something off until you hit the right article. Oh, and just to make it interesting, whoever figures it out first, gets to keep whatever the loser has discarded and do whatever she wants with it !"

The tittering in the crowd got a little louder as Debbi was heard to say "Shit !" under her breathe. She was desperately trying to think what was most appropriate to take off and also at the same time trying to second guess Diane. She was literally working in the dark ! Trying to think laterally but also going by her natural inclinations, knowing how much she hated wearing a bra and also thinking that Diane would take off an outer garment first, Debbi struggled beneath her blouse and managed to extract her bra, which became the first item to emerge from beneath her blanket. She was disappointed to hear Ingram yell "No, try again !"

Of course, under her blanket Debbi had no idea what Diane had selected. But her second thought was that tights would be incredibly hot and restricting in a desert and so, with some difficulty under a blanket, these were the next item to be removed. The response was again negative but, realising that Diane must also have failed, when she threw out her shirt Debbi felt more confident. But yet again, she heard Ingram say, "Sorry, Ladies. Try again." By now, Debbi was beginning to panic, knowing she was topless under her blanket and had guessed wrong three times. Still Diane must have guessed wrong, too and would be in a similar state of undress. "Sod it," Debbi said defiantly, and after some wriggling, tossed her skirt from beneath the blanket. The momentary cheer from the crowd went silent. When, after what seemed like the longest two or three seconds in memory, Debbi heard Ingram say "Nope, sorry !" the group saw see the bump from under the blanket that represented Debbi's head fall in dejection, and the laughter and cheering pick up again.

"Uh, guys," Debbi said desperately, "I, er, can't go any further. OK ? That's it ?" After some hearty boos and "no's" from the crowd, Debbi said, "Diane what about you?" The arrogant upper class girl answered "I said I would figure this thing out and I will ! And if you forfeit, I win and I get your clothes !"

A red mist descended on Debbi and emboldened by Diane's response, she hissed a determined "Fine !" The surrounding crowd giggled and whispered as it saw her struggle beneath the blanket to slide her knickers down to her knees, then sit on her backside so she could get them down her legs and over her ankles. The room exploded in applause and hooting when the sheer white underwear came flying out from under the blanket !

After a couple of minutes Ingram got the crowd to be quiet. "OK Debbi, you did great, but remember, when are in the desert under a blanket, the very first and most logical thing to remove is..........THE BLANKET !!!"

Debbi's eyes where wide as saucers when she realized that the blanket had just been whisked off her very bare body and she was crouched stark naked in the middle of a room full of her peers who were laughing, toasting, pointing, snapping pictures with their phones, and generally taking great delight in her predicament. She saw Diane standing if front of her, not only fully clothed, but now in possession of the garments that had, until just recently, comprised Debbi's outfit for the day !