Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. WARNING: This story includes sexually explicit material. Please note any unfamiliar spellings and phrases may be due to the fact I am English, not American. I would like to thank the proof-readers for all their help Any comments, including constructive criticisms, would be most appreciated. Please send to artemis55@hotmail.com This work is copyrighted by the author. You may download and keep one copy for your personal use as long as my by-line and e-mail address and this paragraph remain on the copy. Any posting or reposting on a website, other than the archive or Dejanews, or to a newsgroup requires my permission first (but I'll probably say yes). This story should not, under any circumstances be used to make a profit by anyone other than the author ====================================================================== The Tie That Binds Us Chapter Three At some point in time I was moved from Jessica's drawer and back into Jason's wardrobe. I languished in the shadows at the back for a quite a while, until one day Louise fished me out. Michael was pacing back and forth across the bedroom, obviously tense. They both looked considerably older. Louise had deep laughter lines at the corner of her eyes and a sprinkling of silver in her dark hair. Michael was now a young man, with a strong resemblance to both his parents. When he wasn't frowning, he was probably quite attractive. "I have to make a good impression," he was saying, running his hands distractedly through his hair. "You know what they say, you only get to make one first impression and no one ever forgets it." "I know, dear," Louise said soothingly, pulling out another couple of ties. "I'm sure you'll make a fantastic impression." "I have to send the right messages," Michael told her. "I have to look mature and responsible and businesslike, but at the same time young and creative and inventive. A survey showed that most interviewers made up their minds about job applicants during the first two minutes. Two minutes!" "Come on, Michael, calm down," Louise said firmly. "Your suit looks very smart and businesslike. If you add a colourful tie, I'm sure you'll create the impression you want. Your Dad's not one for colourful ties though, these are the best I could find. Take your pick." "Thanks Mum. I don't know why I left this to the last minute. I brought this suit as soon as I got the interview date." "Nice to know you've got a bit of me in you," Louise teased. "If it wasn't for your Dad, I'd leave everything to the last minute." "I had noticed that about you," Michael said, meekly letting Louise knot a tie around his neck. "Had you now?" Louise asked, putting her head on one side and regarding her handiwork. "Nope, that one isn't right." She removed the tie, then picked me up and slid me under Michael's collar. "Somehow you seem to have inherited the best qualities of both me and your dad. You've got my creative side and your dad's business instincts and organisational skills. Look how he took my hobby of flower arranging and turned it into a lucrative little business. I think you'll make a brilliant computer game designer. Just relax and be yourself." She finished tying a knot in me and stood back, scrutinising me. "I think that's perfect, what do you think?" Michael studied his reflection in the mirror. "You're right Mum, this tie is perfect." "Good." "I've worn this tie before, you know," Michael said, grinning at Louise in the mirror. "I lost my school tie and wore this one instead. Got detention, I seem to remember." "I don't remember that," Louise said, raising her eyebrows at him. "You hardly ever got into trouble, not like your sister. In fact, I'm willing to bet wearing that tie to school was Jessie's idea." "You know, you could be right," Michael admitted. "Right, I'd best be going or I'll be late. That's one trait of yours I'd rather not inherit, if you don't mind." "Go on, off you go," Louise said. "You look wonderful and if they don't decide to hire you the moment you walk through the door, they're insane." "Thanks Mum. See you later." Michael was obviously still nervous. He fidgeted constantly as he waited for his interview, shifting in his seat, smoothing his hair and repeatedly readjusting me. When his turn came he seemed to answer all the questions put to him competently enough, as far as I could tell. He gradually relaxed and his answers became longer and more enthusiastic. At the end, they asked him to wait for a moment while they had a muttered conversation. Then they stood up, shook his hand and told him he had the job. Michael waited until he had left the office building before he celebrated. He gave a quiet cheer, then started phoning his family and friends to tell them his good news. The last call he made was to someone that he called 'darling'. He arranged to meet her in a hotel room. By the time he got there, his girlfriend was already sprawled naked on the bed. "Can you believe it, Gwen," Michael exclaimed. "They gave me the job! My dream job, and they just gave it to me!" "I knew you'd get it," she said, jumping of the bed and throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you, baby." "It's so unbelievable, darling," Michael told her, collapsing onto the bed still holding her. "I keep thinking the alarm's going to go off and I'll wake up." "Well, I don't think you're dreaming, but just in case, let's make sure it's a wet dream," Gwen suggested, attacking his clothes. "I've only got half an hour before I have to be back at my desk." "Best make the most of it then," Michael said, giving her a hand to take off his trousers. They would have got him undressed a lot quicker if they hadn't stopped every few seconds to kiss, but eventually he was just as naked as she was. "Seeing as this is may be a dream, do I get to live out my fantasies?" Michael asked, picking me up and looking at Gwen challengingly. "I suppose so, if it's your dream," Gwen replied. "How do we know it's not my dream, though?" "I don't know, how can we tell who's dream it is?" Michael asked "Hmm, did you order champagne to celebrate?" "No, but neither did you," Michael pointed out. "There's none here." "Well, that's where you're wrong," Gwen said, producing a tray with an ice bucket containing a bottle and two glasses from under the bed. "So that settles it, this is my dream." She popped the cork out of the bottle and filled the glasses, handing one to Michael in exchange for me. She let him take a sip, then took his glass away and quickly bound me over his eyes. "Hey, what are you doing?" he demanded. "This is my dream, just lie back and let me play," she ordered, pushing him down on the bed and she stretching out besides him. "But why am I blindfolded?" Michael asked. "Not being able to see heightens the other senses, didn't you know that, baby," Gwen said. She touched the tip of her tongue to one of his nipples, then moved her head so her hair trailed across his chest and down to his groin. She lowered her head until he could feel her warm breath on the sensitive head of his erect penis, which twitched in anticipation of her mouth. Then he gave a startled gasp as she stroked down its length with an ice cube. She worked the piece of ice all over his genitalia until it melted into a tiny sliver, that she deposited in his belly button, and armed herself with a new one. He tried to reach out for her, but she avoided his groping hands and continued assaulting his body with the frigid block. When he was shuddering and gasping, she reached up and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Would you like some champagne, baby?" she asked. Michael gave a noncommittal grunt, trying to catch hold of her but she evaded him again. She dipped a finger into one of the glasses of champagne, then rubbed it across his lips. His tongue licked up all the stray drops, and she repeated her actions. Then she surprised him by dipping her breast into the champagne instead. As soon as he realised what was serving him his champagne, he began eagerly sucking and licking her nipple. "Mm, that feels good," she said, sighing. "But I think I'd like some champagne too." She pulled away from his mouth and moved down the bed, taking the glass of champagne with her. She dipped her fingers into the pale liquid and let it drop onto the top of his penis. It trickled down and she reached her tongue out and licked it up before it disappeared into the tangle of hair. She continued dribbling champagne onto him and lapping it up until Michael gave a groan and sat up. He grasped her hips and entered her from behind as she knelt on the bed. She didn't seem to mind him interrupting her drinking. She leant back against him, sighing contentedly as his hands caressed her breasts. They moved together in a familiar rhythm, sighing, then shuddering together. They relaxed together for a while, then Gwen got up and went into the bathroom. When she came back, Michael was still sprawled on the bed, but he had pushed me away from his eyes so he could see. "I've got a proposition for you, Miss Mitchell," he said lazily, watching her dress. "What, another one?" she asked, pausing to take a sip of her drink. "Yeah, another one. I was thinking that now I have a nice, well paying job I could get a place of my own. But it's not that well paid, so I wondered if you would like to share the bills with me." "You serious?" she asked, sitting down on the bed besides him. "Yeah, I'm serious. I've been thinking about this for a while now." "You have?" she queried. "And that's the most romantic way you could think to ask me?" "That's me, as unromantic as they come," he said, watching her anxiously. "Hmm, well it worked on me, baby," she told him, cuddling up next to him. "Let's start house hunting." "Really! Oh Gwen, I love you!" Michael said, hugging her tightly. "I love you too, baby," Gwen said. "You're timing is lousy though. I have to be back at work or you're going to be paying those bills on your own. Pick me up tonight and we'll celebrate some more." "OK. But it's your turn to wear the blindfold tonight, and I get to play." I don't know what they used for a blindfold that night, but it wasn't me. I was put back into Jason's wardrobe. The next time I saw daylight was when Jason was sorting through his clothes. He had finished with his shirts and had just started on his ties, when Jessica erupted into the room. She had changed considerably since she had last used me as a belt. Her hair was no longer multicoloured and spiky and she was dressed conventionally enough in jeans and a T-shirt. The way she flung herself down on the bed was still the same though. Jason gave her a long look, then continued with his task. "So how did the shopping go?" he asked eventually. "We got just about everything," Jessica said in a calm voice that contradicted her stormy expression. "Alan brought me a new dress as well." "That was nice of him," Jason said cautiously. Jessica sat up and pulled the dress out of a bag and held it up against herself. It was a dark navy with white flowers scattered across the fabric. "What do you think?" she asked. "Um, what do you think?" "It's very nice," Jessica said, making it sound like an insult. "It's not your normal kind of thing, is it?" Jason queried. "No," Jessica said flatly. "Neither is pink flowery wallpaper, or pine wardrobes, or fluffy covers on the toilet seat." "No, that doesn't sound like you," Jason agreed. "But it is Alan," Jessica said despairingly. "That's what we brought today. What am I going to do, Dad?" "Well if it isn't what you want, why did you buy that stuff?" "Because Alan likes it, and I love Alan. This makes him happy, and when he's happy, I'm happy." "Are you really that happy?" Jason asked. "Most of the time, which is more then I've ever been able to say before," Jessica said. "I love him so much, Dad, more then I ever imagined I could love anyone. I can't imagine my life without him. I'm trying so hard to be what he wants, but sometimes it's not that easy." "Well, maybe you should stop trying so hard," Jason suggested. "He fell in love with you just the way you were. Just be yourself." "That's very easy to say, Dad," Jessica told him. "The principle is a great one, but it doesn't always work for day to day life. Alan wants the bedroom to be blue and cream, I want it orange and red. Should I be myself and make I remember you telling me that a successful relationship involves compromises on both sides." "Compromises, yes. Trying to completely change yourself into something you're not isn't compromising. Look at this tie, for instance." Jason held me up. "I wore this tie when I married your mother. She wanted me to wear a white suit and a pink shirt. I wanted to wear a black suit and white shirt. So we compromised. I wore a black suit with this pink tie. It wasn't exactly what either of us would have chosen, but it didn't make either of us unhappy. We talked about it, and your Mum explained that she wanted me to co-ordinate with her bridesmaids, and I explained that I would feel like an idiot in a pink suit." "What a shame, Dad," Jessica said. "I'd love to have seen photos of you in a pink suit." "Well, you're just going to have use your imagination, Jessie. I'm trying to make a serious point though. You should talk to Alan, let him know how you feel. I'm sure he doesn't want you to agree to things you don't really like. You need to sort these things out before you get married." "Well, it sounds like good advice, Dad," Jessica admitted. "I tell you what, if it works you can wear that pink tie when you give me away." "OK. And what if my sage advice doesn't work?" "Well if I'm condemned to a life of fluffy toilet seats and flowery wallpaper, the least can do is wear a pink suit to give me away. Just think how happy it will make, Mum." "It's a deal." A few months later I once again found myself knotted around Jason's neck, listening to a marriage service. Jessica looked radiant and very happy as she clung to the arm of her new husband. Jason and Louise may have looked older but they seemed just as happy as they had on their wedding day, and Michael and Gwen spent most of the reception gazing into another's eyes. After the wedding, I once more ended up in the back of Jason's wardrobe. Louise was the next person to take me out. She had a motley collection of clothes piled on the floor, and she was sorting out new additions. "Can you believe we're going to be grandparents?" Jason asked, handing Louise a cup of tea. "I don't feel old enough," Louise replied. "Me neither," Jason said. "It only seems the other day I was buying wearing that tie and promising to love, honour and cherish you." "Is this your wedding tie?" Louise inquired. "Can you think of any other reason I would have brought a pink tie? "Guess not," Louise said. "We've not done badly, considering everyone thought we were far too young to get married." "We've had some good times, haven't we, darling. Any regrets?" Jason asked. "Not a single one," Louise told him. "We've made some good memories. That's one of the reasons I want to make this quilt. I'm going to use bits of material that have memories for us all. I've got Jessie's romper suit, and Michael's first pair of trousers, and bits of their school uniforms. Here's my wedding dress and the curtains from our first flat. This is the blanket we had on the children's cot. That's my Mum's favourite tablecloth that she used for Sunday lunch every week when we were kids. And that square's from that old cap your Dad wore for gardening. I want every square of this quilt to have a story attached to it. So I think this tie belongs in the quilt don't you?" "Definitely," Jason agreed. "It's played its part in quite a few important moments in this family's life. It deserves a place in your quilt." Louise picked up her scissors, cut me into squares and gave me a whole new beginning. Copyright Vickie Morgan, 1999 E-mail artemis55@hotmail.com This story is distributed free of charge for your entertainment. It does take quite a lot of time and effort to write, type, edit and post a story, especially a long one like this. All I ask is that you take a couple of minutes to e-mail me, let me know that you've read this and perhaps give some reaction. Thank you.