Excerpt of The Arrangement 2 by Abby Weeks

April felt worried after her talk with Kit. It saddened her that the women seemed to have so little power within the arrangement, at least where it counted, but what was worse was the fact that she felt she had upset Kit by bringing up the idea of having a career. Maybe it was just that Kit regretted being forced to give up her own career but April sensed that there was something else too. She felt that maybe she had insulted Kit by suggesting that she wanted more than was on offer within the arrangement.

She tried to make eye contact with Kit but Kit was ignoring her. There was no doubting it. Kit was mad at her and judging from the way she looked, she was getting ready to teach April a lesson. April could see that Kit was friendly and generous so long as everyone went along with her idea of how things had to be. As soon as anyone challenged those ideas, or made Kit feel threatened in some way, she would reassert her dominance. April worried about what Kit would do now.

–That was fun, Midge said when the boys left with the clothes. It would all be wrapped up and sent to The Oaks for them.

–Now for the real fun, Charmaine said.

–What do you mean? April said.

–Oh, April. You didn’t think we were going to let those handsome young men get away so lightly, did you?

–There’s a little game we like to play when we come here, Midge said. It’s called, Guess Who.

–Oh god, April said, looking at Midge. She could already imagine what that game would be like just from the name.

–There’s a couple of different ways we like to play. How shall we do it today? Midge said to Kit.

–Why don’t we let April decide? Kit said, and there was a flash of anger in her eye that April couldn’t help noticing. April knew she was in trouble.

–Well, April? How do you feel like playing?

–I don’t know. I don’t even know how the game works.

Kit rolled her eyes. –Just use your imagination, darling.

April was sure of it now. She had upset Kit in a bad way and she was going to pay for it. There was a definite change in Kit’s attitude toward her since their little talk. This was a disaster. Everything in April’s life right now depended on keeping these people happy, not just the men but the women also. She knew that and she knew all her security in life depended on it entirely. April knew she wasn’t strong enough to fight, whether it was against Walter or Kit or anyone else. The only chance she had was to keep everyone happy, and the only way she was going to manage that was to be as sweet and compliant as possible. Angering Kit was absolutely the very last thing she needed to be doing.

–Who wants to go first? Kit said, holding up a long piece of ribbon.

April knew she had some work to do to get Kit back on her side and she decided she would do whatever it took to win her back.

–I do, she said.

Kit didn’t exactly smile at her but April knew she was pleased.

–That’s a girl, Kit said.

April let Kit put the blindfold on her and then she sat and waited. It was an extremely vulnerable feeling to be sitting there naked and blindfolded. She could hear the four boys coming back into the room and then she heard Midge’s voice.

–To start off gently, lets begin with a kiss. April, one of these fine, young men is going to kiss you on the mouth and you’re going to tell us which one it is, Tyler, Jay, Gabe or Brad.

–That sounds like fun, April said.

Just then she felt a pair of hands holding her face. The hands were strong and large but they held her gently. She felt a breath on her face and knew one of the boys was right there in front of her. She couldn’t see him but she tilted her head back slightly and breathed in, anticipating the kiss.

The lips landed softly on hers. The kiss was exquisite. Not being able to see only added to the sensuality of it. Whoever it was pressed his lips firmly against her mouth and then opened her lips gently with his tongue. Before she knew it his tongue was in her mouth, moving around as if it were exploring her, searching for something. She felt a rush of exhilaration as she thought about the fact that she was entirely naked and entirely at the mercy of this young man, and then, all too soon, the kiss ended.

–Who was it? Midge said excitedly.

April didn’t have the slightest notion who it was.

–Gabe? she said.

The blindfold was removed from April’s eyes and she saw Tyler’s face just a few inches from her own. He leaned in and kissed her again just as passionately and intimately as he had the first time.

–That’s what my kiss feels like, he said. Remember it for next time.

–I’ll never be able to forget it, April said and laughed.

She looked over at Kit. Kit was still not looking at her. She knew Kit had decided that she needed to learn her place and she just hoped the lesson wouldn’t be pressed home too forcefully.