No. Ernie has locked him out.

Bert’s muffled voice echoed down the hallway, tinged with confusion.

“Ernie? Ernie. It’s me, Bert!”

Gina felt a tiny flicker of relief. Good. Go inside. Go inside, she urged him silently, trying not to squirm too noticeably in the narrow space.

Then the door creaked open. Her heart jumped.

Ernie’s voice floated out, calm and casual as ever. “Listen Bert. Would you mind standing outside here for just a little while, Bert?”

Gina’s eyes widened.

“Wait outside here?!” Bert responded, voice rising. “Why?”

But Ernie was already closing the door. “Thank you,” he said, and the latch clicked shut with finality.

Gina nearly groaned aloud. Her knees buckled slightly, and she tightened her thighs together, fingers instinctively pressing between her legs. The spike in bladder pressure caught her off guard, a sudden, internal tremor that threatened to liquefy her resolve, and she leaned forward just a bit, trying to absorb the shock.

This was not going to be over quickly.

Note: This chapter was initially composed with the help of ChatGPT, and edited with the help of Gemini.