The Wall Between Us

Danica

Michael was in his own walk-in closet as she entered, having discarded his clothing from the afternoon’s dates. He emerged in a pair of casual shorts with a tee shirt in his hand, swiping at his chest hair. Apparently he hadn’t felt the same impulse to dress for the occasion as Danica.

“Hi.” He said, as he noticed Danica standing in his bedroom. His tone was guarded, as if he was interacting with a ticking bomb. I’ve given him reason to expect that. She thought. “Luciana and I were kinda wrestling on the beach, The sand has been bugging me for hours.” He said by way of explanation. Her jealousy came again, but this time it was muted. Like a fuzzy silhouette through a fog. When he felt he had cleared enough of the sand away, he pulled the shirt over his head and sat down on the bed, rubbing his eyes. “What a day, good lord. You look nice though. It’s good to see you.” Perfunctory compliments. Those you’d give to a distant relative or an old school acquaintance.

“Can I sit?” She asked, and he shrugged. Asking made it seem so formal, which made it seem worse. But she felt like she needed to anyway, for a mix of reasons she couldn’t fully separate. Some of it was a result of the pill in her system, some of it was a worry that upsetting him would get her magically ejected from the room again, some of it was a fear that she might disappoint Mallory. All forming a jumbled stew in her brain. Danica joined him on the bed, but at a small distance. He made no move to close that distance. His wall was still up. “We need to talk about last night. And this morning. And everything.”

“Yeah, I suppose so.” He clearly wanted nothing of the sort. But Danica needed to clear the air.

“I’m sorry I blew up on you.” She said.

“Twice.”

“I’m sorry I blew up on you twice.” Danica hung her head. “This place brought out sides of me I wasn’t really aware of. I always took pride in being cool under fire. Taking all the stuff life slung at me without flinching. But, I don’t know. Seeing you in danger, Mallory… Janet… I thought I’d rise to the occasion better than that. I really am sorry.”

He wrestled with something inside before responding. “I owe you an apology too. I’ve been kinda wrapped up in all the crazy nonsense of this place. Magic, Danica! Magic! It’s real! I mean, can you believe what happened to Sarah? She just got a package out of nowhere, and the goddamn thing attacked her in the middle of a restaurant!” He shifted on the bed, adjusting his shorts. Is that turning him on? He coughed and went silent, clearly wanting to change the subject but unsure where to take it. Danica patted his thigh appreciatively but didn’t speak. The silence stretched out, but Michael filled it before Danica could.

“Today got me thinking. Luciana took me home to meet her dad.”

“The boxer? Did he beat you up?” Danica joked.

“He could have if he wanted to. But honestly he took it better than I expected. A lot better than I did when Ron- When it happened to me. The first time.” He caught himself before he said Rhonda’s name. I owe her an apology too. Danica felt a powerful surge of guilt over her actions that morning. She’s had it worst of any of us and I spit in her face when she tried to help.

Michael continued. “Luciana’s all alone now. All the rest of us know each other, even if just a little. But not her. As horrible as this all is, we’re in it together and we’ll only get through it together. We have to help each other.”

We do need to help each other. Maybe not as directly as Mallory helped me tonight, but somehow. They’re trying to break us apart, break us down. Danica made a mental note to check in with Luciana. The poor girl nearly had a break with reality when she first got here, she’s surely in need of someone. But that would have to wait.

“We are, Michael. We’ll all look out for each other. You too.” Of course, that left the question of what ‘get through it’ means. Danica was still on the knife-edge of elimination, and she’d promised not to end up in that spot again. And the solution was here. She wanted him two days ago, she’d wanted him last night, and here he was again. All she needed to do was grab him, and this time hold on for dear life. Danica stood up and moved in front of Michael, pulling his chin up to look at her. “We’re in this together. You and me.”

She let the jacket fall from her shoulders, revealing her body so carefully packaged and wrapped by Mallory’s lovely clothes. Michael’s reaction, a mix of excitement, surprise, and pure carnal need, was almost worth all the stress and drama along the way.

“Oh… Oh… Wow.”

“Is that all you’ve got?” She smirked, placing her hands on her hips and cocking them slightly to the side. A little move Mallory’d shown her to draw his eyes along her curves. He reached out to take her in his arms, but she slapped his hands. “Take your time, we’ve got all night, Mister.” I can’t make it to Master, but maybe that’s close enough.

“Where did you get that outfit? You’ve never worn anything like that for me before.”

Danica did not want to tell the truth on that score, so she quickly lied. “I went to the market while you were out. Tell me what you think.” She gave a slow turn, pulling up the back of the slip slightly as she did to give him a peek at her backside and the red panties that she’d been given. His face again revealed the wisdom of Mallory’s choice.

“It’s… You’re striking, Danica. I love you.” His reflexive defensiveness was fading. His smile broadened. He’d clearly expected to spend the night being chastened, but this was a much better outcome. For both of them.

During her spin, Danica had noticed the gift baskets against the wall and her interest was piqued. Michael followed her eyes.

“I haven’t looked through those, actually.” He said. He got up to look them over. Danica was briefly miffed as he slid by her without so much as a caress, but her curiosity was strong enough to survive it. “Ugh, Al.” He said, shoving one to the side and grabbing the other. He set it on the bed and patted a spot for her to sit. She made sure to sit closer this time, against his body. Let him feel her skin and smell her and give her the chance to do the same. He clearly appreciated it, she melted into his side and he accepted her in closer with a hand around her waist and a quick, loving squeeze. The two opened the gift basket and spread the contents of Ruby’s gift basket onto the bed. Danica picked up “The Joy of Sex.”

“Do they think you’re confused about how this works?” She teased.

“Maybe they do think so. The hosts of this show, they know a lot about us. But there’s still gaps, like they’re cut off from their humanity somehow.”

“Definitely their empathy.” Danica agreed.

“They’re always trying to steer the cast towards each other, but its always… slightly off. They’ve had virgins on this show before, it’s… even more awkward than you’d imagine.”

“Yeesh.” Danica slipped the book open and read a passage, adopting her formal bedside manner as if reading from a patient’s chart:

“One of the things still missing from the essence of sexual freedom is the unashamed ability to use sex as play. Adults are unfortunately afraid of playing games, dressing up, and acting scenes. It makes them self-conscious: something horrid might get out. In this regard, bed is the place to play all the games you have ever wanted to play — if adults could become less self-conscious about such “immature” needs, we should have fewer deeply anxious people.”

Well, that or we could just dope everyone on the pills they gave me.

“You came here to play games?” Michael raised an eager eyebrow, his voice carrying a hopeful note.

“Depends on the rules. And the players.” Danica picked up the fuzzy handcuffs and spun them around on her finger. “But first, I want some of that chocolate.” She grabbed one of the unopened bars that looked interesting, and took a bite. She savored it for a moment, then pointed Michael towards the next room. “Mmm, get us glasses of pinot noir for this.”

“You pair wines?”

“When I’m feeling fancy.”

Michael looked over his outfit. “You could have warned me it was gonna be a fancy evening.”

Classic overthinking. Mallory read him right. “Don’t worry about the clothes, Michael. I doubt we’ll be needing them long.”

That got him moving. He picked up a bottle and a pair of glasses from the other room, while Danica tinkered with the room lights. She closed the curtains to block out the rising sun and set the system to a soft yellow setting, closer to a romantic sunset. The two returned to the bed and split the balance of the chocolate, alternating tiny bites as they sipped their drinks. Heavenly.

Their eyes met and held. Finally, it was just the two of them. No teenaged Mallory whispering in her ear that he wasn’t worth her time. No Rhonda sitting in the corner, judging her unworthy of Michael’s love. No Vivian to steal his thunder and break his confidence. No hammer hanging over her head with the threat of elimination. No Janet sitting in the other room with her fingers in her ears.

Between the wine, the pills, and his equally intoxicating smile, Danica allowed herself to forget there were people watching and just - went for it. She leaned in to kiss him on the lips, enjoying how his taste mixed with the chocolate on his tongue. They discarded their glasses and she slid into his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders while his hands snaked up her slip to slide across her hips and grab them possessively.

It was familiar and exciting, but that gave Danica pause. Was that the wrong idea? Her old patterns had nearly cost her this relationship. Cost her Michael. It was time to embrace those games she’d wanted to play and never started. That he so clearly wanted to play. Whether it was because of exhaustion from work, shyness, whatever - all those excuses seemed small in the moment.

Danica slid off him and onto the bed, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him down on top of her. She grabbed at the fluffy cuffs and dangled them in front of his face. Michael had suggested these kinds of things a few times, when he was feeling flush from a big sale. They’d even fooled around in his office once after he watched the film “Secretary,” long after everyone else had gone home for the day. Just simple stuff, answering “Yes, sir,” “No, sir,” and offering a blowjob with a cup of coffee. But those deviations were few and far between. Tonight, given what the way he’d looked when he described what happened to Sarah… offering him the cuffs was the move. The one to break their routine.

“I don’t know, Michael…” She put on a coquettish pout, “I’m really sorry and I need to show how apologetic I am.”

Michael snatched them from her hand, moving himself on top of her to hold her arms down. Danica squirmed slightly, giving him the tiniest pretense of a struggle to arouse his animal instinct. She could feel his cock respond, hardening against her thigh, so she only wiggled harder. He slid the cuffs through a ring no doubt mounted to the wall for this exact purpose and secured them around her wrists. Danica gave them a few playful tugs, sure enough there was no give.

“Very naughty, Danica…” Michael said, running his hands down her face and neck to the top of the slip. He pulled it down, popping her left breast free and knelt over her to take her nipple in his mouth. She writhed softly under his ministrations. This sure doesn’t feel like a punishment. He popped his mouth off and pinched her nipple, causing her to let out a small yelp of pain. Oh. There it is.

He grabs a hold of the neckline again and looks like he’s going to tear it.

“Wait, wait!” She stops him. “They’re… Um… They were expensive.” Well that was true. But it didn’t have the right effect. It only caused him to grin maliciously and rip the silk from her neck all the way down. Mallory is going to kill me. That thought was quickly washed away as he resumed toying with her breasts, alternating licks of pleasure and spikes of pain. Danica tried to grind her hips against him from below, but Michael lifted his body so she had nothing to work against.

“Not yet.” He said.

Danica saw the tent pitched in his shorts. “You seem ready to me.”

He winked. “Almost.”

Michael slid his hands up her side, his fingers gripping her sides possessively. His tongue penetrated her lips, gently teasing and exploring her mouth. She cooed and subconsciously parted her legs in anticipation. When he broke the kiss and traced a way down her body, Danica spotted herself in the ceiling mirror. Cuffed down to the bed, nearly nude, she made for a good shot for the pervs behind the camera that she was certain was up there.

“Michael.”

He stopped at her navel and looked up at her. Danica nodded her head to the blindfold among the gifts. Michael’s eyes gleamed at that, another one of the things he wanted to try. This time, unlike last night, cutting off her sight was a blessing. This time, it gave her final permission to forget it all and just relax. Just let the pill, the wine, and Michael’s talented mouth do their work.

He hooked the waistband of her panties and slid them gently down her hips. Oh thank goodness he didn’t tear those too, I couldn’t afford to replace them both. He gently kissed his way around her pubis, around her inner thighs, working closer to her lips but conspicuously avoiding them.

“You tease…” She moaned, trying to shift her hips and chase his mouth. He laughed softly at her attempts.

“I told you I was almost ready.”

“But I’m ready.” Her tone was pleading now, and he grabbed that thread and yanked.

“Beg me then.” He said, gently licking her outer lips and then softly blowing over her skin to make her jump. “Beg for forgiveness.”

“I apologized already.”

“Well, If you think that was enough…” He started kissing his way further down her legs, away from her increasing desperation.

“You’re not a tease, you’re a monster…”

“Wrong idea, sweetheart. Try again.”

“Ooooh you’re really gonna make me beg.”

“Uh huh.” He keeps going, kissing his way past her right knee. She tries to block him with her heels but he continues.

“Please Michael… I’m so, so sorry. Please come back and finish me off…”

“Getting better.” This worked, to start. He reversed course, working his way back up her left leg.

“Michael, I’m begging! If I could get on my knees, I would do it! I’d finish what I started last night! I’d do anything.” Michael made his way back up to her pussy, wet and waiting for him. Once again he passed it over. Danica gasped in disappointment, until she felt his breath on her ear. He whispered.

“Now I’m ready.”

Danica inhaled sharply as he suddenly entered her. But after the initial surprise, she relaxed into the mattress. Though it was to be fleeting, for the first time since she’d been kidnapped, and honestly for a good while before that, Danica was well and truly contented.

Slept with Master +10
Repeat Customer -5

Ruby

“About damned time!” Nine floors below, in the VIP lounge above the casino floor, Ruby jumped from her recliner and thrust her hands up into the air. I cannot believe what a Sisyphean ordeal it’s been to get those two together but finally. How hard is it to get a guy to screw his wife? Well, ex-wife almost, but details, details. But there he was on their projector screen, thrusting away into Danica. The directors did their best to capture the action from all angles, and Ruby admired their handiwork. Whoever they are, they know their stuff. The recognition on Danica’s face when she looked in the mirror, the way Michael sensually slipped the blindfold onto her? Those shots were golden, they’ll be in future season promos for sure. Ruby allowed herself a moment of daydreaming about how she’d advertise her season once she’d won this thing.

Ruby turned on Al, cockiness written all over her posture. Al maintained his relaxed pose on his own leather chair.

“Big freakin’ deal.” Al said, rolling his eyes and taking a puff on his cigar. “She’s just happy because she slipped the noose this morning. Once my team’s had their day with him tomorrow, she’ll be back ready to claw his eyes again.”

“She’s doing great, but besides I don’t have all my chips on Danica,” Ruby said. “It was a smashing day for my girls. Did you see Luciana’s face on that beach? She’s feeling him now, it’s only a matter of time. And Sarah? That whole fiasco with the restaurant? I’m almost disappointed Janet was there, Michael might have tried his luck right then. Did you hear him talking about it?”

“Well, then I guess you got nothin’ to worry about, Rubes.” Al hauled his considerable bulk to his feet. “But, take it from an old gambler, never call the game at halftime.”

He’s bluffing, again. He has no idea what’s gonna hit him tomorrow. She thought as he left. Ruby glanced over at the screen, where Michael and Danica were snuggling in post-coital bliss. Ruby made small motions in the air, which seemed to bend and shimmer around her fingers. On the television, she could see his eyelids drooping a little bit. Good work today, Michael. You’ve earned a rest.

Danica

“So, am I forgiven?” She said.

Michael smiled, and it quickly turned to a yawn. “Yeah, I think I can accept that penance.”

“It won’t happen again, I promise.” She said jokingly.

“Well, it can happen a few times, maybe. If you’re just as eager to make it up to me.”

Danica stroked Michael’s chest with her free hand, now that Michael had released the cuffs. It was nice just to be together, no further drama to work out. For now. But removing the blindfold had the psychological effect of letting doubt return, even if it was muted by the fading effects of the pill.

“What’s going to happen tomorrow?” She asked.

“I don’t know,” He yawned again, harder, and Danica joined him. A long day for them both. “It would be nice if it was just an easy day, no crazy shit like what happened to Sarah. Is she ok, by the way?” Michael asked. “I had to come up here, they wouldn’t let me help her into the contestant’s floor.”

“She seemed physically ok, but I’ve never seen her so pissed.”

“That’s a terrifying thought.”

“Janet looked like she was going to take care of her.” Danica said, and the mention of her name brought back even more of those anxieties. “Michael… What happened with Janet after I got chucked out?”

“Last night? Nothing.” He said quickly. Too quickly. He shifted away from her, not much, but just enough that she noticed it.

“Nothing at all?”

“Nothing. I let her sleep in here and I stayed out in the living room watching TV all night. Honest.” He still seemed nervous, but strangely she believed him. How did she get the points then? And why is he still nervous if he didn’t do anything? The latter question did not linger, Michael continued after a short period of silence. “I didn’t sleep the first night either. At the time I just chalked it up to the craziness of being grabbed off my bar stool and dragged here, but last night too…”

“You haven’t slept in three days?” Danica pushed herself up, her doctor’s instincts firing again.

“No, I haven’t. It was like I couldn’t because I was leaving something unfinished. It was nagging at me all night, but… I couldn’t grasp it. You know how you leave the house and wonder if you locked the door or left the stove on?”

“You probably did leave the stove on, back when they snatched you.”

“Ha. Ha.” Michael yawned again, now looking intensely exhausted. “I dunno though, that feeling finally seems to be fading.”

Danica lost herself in thought for a moment. They’re manipulating all of us on a fundamental level here, maybe there’s a way to work this to our advantage? She wasn’t used to thinking like this, about how to manipulate others. But her hand had been ****, the hosts were clearly antagonistic to each other and there had to be opportunity in that. She went to say something to Michael, but he was already sound asleep. She certainly wasn’t going to interrupt it, if that was his first in days. But given this new thing to worry about, not even the relaxation pill would ease her enough to join him.

EPISODE CREDITS ROLL