The Bet - Chapter 58 (Sunday – week 9 Part 5 of 7)

The Bet

By Karen Singer

Chapter 58 (Sunday – week 9 Part 5 of 7)

     Derek was getting tired of sitting and waiting on Mel to come out of her bedroom.  She had been in there for quite a while now.  He was tempted to go knock on her door, but he wasn’t sure he should.  He got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen instead – where Sissy was.  He saw him wiping, or more accurately, polishing the counter tops.  As he worked, he continuously raised a baby bottle to his lips to drink, over and over again.

     Chad stopped working when he realized that Derek was there, watching him.  Uncertainly, he curtseyed… because he didn’t know what else to do.  Derek still scared him.  “Can I do anything for you?” he hesitantly asked in his sissy voice.  Then he curtseyed again. 

     Derek momentarily closed his eyes and silently grunted.  He collected his thoughts quickly though.  “She’s been in there a long time.”

     Curtsey, “I know.”  Curtsey.

     Derek could have done without all the fancy curtseying.  In fact, seeing his old friend doing it only made him feel more bothered by it. But he said nothing about it because it was something that Mel wanted him to do.  “Do you think I should check on her?” he asked.

     Chad was a bit surprised that Derek should ask him that.  Curtsey.  “I’m not sure,” he replied.  “It may be better to just give her the space she needs.”  Curtsey.

     Derek nodded.  He was probably right.

     Chad just stood there waiting for Derek to say something else… or do something else. But he wasn’t.  He was just standing there… looking at him.  He curtseyed again without thinking about it.  “Was there anything else?” he asked before automatically curtseying again.

     It was a moment before Derek answered.  “Why do you do it?” he asked.

     Huh?

      “Why do you put yourself through all this misery?  You have to hate it!”

     Chad blushed and the question actually made him want to curl up into a ball and hide.  But that option was exactly available.  He curtseyed.

      “Don’t… do that!” Derek protested without thinking.  “Just… talk to me!”

     Surprised, Chad had to force himself not to curtsey.  “It’s… hard to say,” he finally replied.  “It’s… something… deep inside of me.  Something my body… or my mind… seems to need.”

     Derek shook his head.  “I don’t understand how anyone can ‘need’ humiliation like that.  It’s stupid!  It doesn’t make sense!”

     Chad started to curtsey before he stopped himself and replied.  “I can’t help it.  That’s the best I can describe it.  I… can’t help it.”

      “So you’re actually gay?”

     Chad’s impulse was to curtsey again, but to this question it was easier not to.  “No!  Definitely not!  That’s a common assumption that everyone usually makes about people like me.  Most of us aren’t gay at all.  At least, I’m certainly not!”

      “You mean, there’s more like you?”

     This time, Chad did curtsey again.  “More than you think.  A lot more!”  And just because he realized he had curtseyed before he spoke, he curtseyed again.

     Derek ignored his curtseying this time.  “So how long have you been this way?”

     It was the question he easily knew the answer to, yet he hated to admit it.  “All my life.  For as long as I can remember.  At least… in some way or another.  I think some of this kind of… grows in you.  I think it kind of changes and develops the older you get.”

     Derek shook his head again.  “It’s still hard for me to understand.”

      “Don’t try,” Chad suggested.

      “What do you mean?”

      “Don’t try to understand it.  You don’t have to.  Heck, even I don’t fully understand it and I live with it.  I just need it.  That’s all I know.  Like it or not, I need it.  Or at least I want it so badly that it amounts to the same thing.”

      “But you lived without it all your life!”

     Chad shrugged.  “I did… and I didn’t.  This is what broke up my marriage.”

     That much Derek fully understood.  “I believe it!  So you’re planning on living like that for the rest of your life now?  It sounds horrible!”

     Chad shook his head.  “No.  In fact, after this week I’ll go back into hiding again with it.  At least as much as I can.”

     That surprised Derek.  “What do you mean?  Are you talking about if you win your bet with Mel?”

      “Of course.  No matter what she thinks, she can’t win.  It just can’t be done.”

      “You’re talking about the incontinence thing?”

     Chad nodded.  “Yeah.  You can’t make someone incontinent in just two months.”

      “But then, that’s what your bet is all about.  She thinks she can.”

     Chad shook his head.  “It can’t be done.”

      “I guess we’ll see soon enough.”

      “Next Friday.  I get two days to get it together again.  I’m hoping all I’ll need is a few hours.”

      “But you don’t really know, do you?”

     Chad shook his head again.  “No.  I guess not.  Not for sure.  But I’m still convinced she can’t win.”

      “I guess we’ll see.”

      “Yeah,” Chad replied, somewhat sadly.

      “So what happens then?  I mean if you win?”

      “You mean when I win.”

      “Just answer it.”

     Chad smiled.  “I don’t know.  I really don’t.  The way this went, I may be pretty much finished at work.  I don’t know.  I hope not.  I really like that job.  And I think I’m good at it.”

      “Knowing you, I’m sure you are.  You were always pretty smart about other things.  It’s just this… whatever it is… your stupid fantasies I guess.  That’s about the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen!”

     Chad just looked down at the ground in total embarrassment.  He had nothing he could say to that.

     After a minute, Derek said, “You’ll have to excuse me for saying it, but I’m finding it very difficult to get used to you being this way.  I guess I’ve known you too long.  And just seeing you now makes me so angry at what you’ve done to yourself!”

     Chad finally looked up.  “But I’m still me.  Still the same person inside!”

      “But you’re not you!  At least not the ‘you’ I thought I knew!”

     Chad looked back down again.  “But I’m still me,” he repeated softly.

      “You’ll excuse me if I have trouble showing any sympathy for you.  I don’t feel it.  None!  As far as I’m concerned, if this is the kind of life you really want, then I still think you deserve everything you get!  All of it!  No matter what!  It’s just so totally stupid… that you deserve it!”

     Chad still couldn’t look up.  “I know,” he replied sadly.  “But… that’s kind of the problem too.  I hate it all… but I love it all too.  As much as I don’t want it, I really do want it even more.”  He looked up again.  “I can’t help it.  I just do!”

     Derek shook his head.  “So what do I do?”

      “Nothing.  Whatever you want.  And… I guess, I’ll do whatever you want as well.”  And then he looked down again and added.  “One way or another, no matter how this thing comes out.”

      “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      “As long as I’m under Mel’s control, I don’t have much choice anyway.  Whatever she wants, I have to do.  I’m guessing that unless she tells me differently, that includes doing whatever you want me to do as well.”

      “But your bet is almost over.  And you think you’re going to win.  What then?”

     Chad glanced up from the floor at him, but only briefly.  “Then?  I guess it depends.  Whether you think so or not, I’m still your friend.  If you need me to do something, just ask.  Besides, you know my secret.  All of it…  And there are parts of it that most others still don’t know about me.  I’d kind of like to keep it that way if possible.  But if you ask me to do something, I’ll probably do it for you.”

      “Just like that.”

     Sheepishly, Chad admitted, “Just like that.”

     Derek shook his head yet again.  “Stupidity!” Derek muttered more to himself than for Chad’s benefit.

     Mel looked up at the mirror over top of her dresser.  She knew she had been sulking for a long time, but really, why shouldn’t she?  Damn Ray!  Damn men in general!  She wondered briefly if that sentiment should be extended to Derek as well and decided it should – definitely!  Her mind briefly wondered if she should include Sissy as well, but that thought was gone almost before it entered her mind, so it was never really considered.

     Her mind finally focused more on her face that she saw in that mirror.  She looked a sight!  She hadn’t really cried… okay, she had, but just a little.  She was mostly just angry.  And as much angry at herself as she was at Ray.  The face she saw in the mirror look old somehow.  Too old.  She wasn’t that old!  At least, she didn’t want to look, or be, that old. 

     She forced herself to her feet.  She looked at her makeup and rejected everything she saw.  Why bother?  Only then did she remember that Derek was still out there in the living room – if he was still out there.  She glanced at the clock and winced.  She had been in here a long time.  Like it or not, it was time to rejoin the living.  The first thing she needed to do was to wash her face – which meant leaving the sanctity of her bedroom and going out to her bathroom. 

     Damn Ray!  Damn men in general!

     She opened her bedroom door and with a purposeful step, strode out.  She didn’t see Derek in the living room but she heard voices coming from the kitchen.  She ignored them and went to wash her face.

     Clean face, brushed hair, and it’s amazing how a little bit of lip gloss applied to overly dry lips can lift your spirits.  She left the bathroom feeling bad for ignoring her guest – Derek – for so long.

     Derek watched as Chad pulled the skirt of his maid’s uniform back down after changing his leaking diaper.  He had actually changed himself while standing up.  That had been something of a surprise.  The noise of the bathroom door opening again caught his attention and he was pleased to see Mel walking toward him.  He was more pleased to note that she didn’t look upset at all.  At least not that he could see.

      “What are you two talking about?” she asked pleasantly as she walked up to Derek and planted a little kiss on his cheek.  “Sorry about that,” she said softly. 

      “No problem,” Derek replied.  “I was getting worried about you though.”

      “Thanks, but I’m okay,” she said.  “So what’s up?”

      “Sissy was just changing his diaper,” Derek told her.

     Mel glanced over at Sissy and saw the old diaper still on the kitchen floor.  “Just now?” she asked.

     Chad curtseyed.  “Yes, Mistress.”  Curtsey.

     She glanced at the clock and smiled.  “No reward time again, but at least you don’t get punished.  An hour and forty-five, Sissy,” she finished, knowing full well that the last part was unnecessary. 

     Andrea had been there for almost half an hour now.  She had purposely gotten to the office early in case anyone else was early.  As soon as she arrived, she had taken the opportunity to put the coffee pot on in case anyone wanted any.  And as soon as the coffee was making, she had also made photo copies of the bet contract and set one out on the conference table for everyone who would be coming.  Now all she needed was for the others to show up.  She went back to the front door to wait.

     Not surprisingly, Gloria was the first to arrive.  Andrea let her in with a warm greeting and let her find her own way back to the conference room since another car was just pulling into the lot.  A few minutes later, she welcomed Sandra and Cassie just as warmly. 

     She had to wait longer for Robin to get there.  Robin was a bit flustered since she was worried about being late.  “Sorry!” Robin apologized as she ran up.  “I had to wait till my husband came home to take care of the baby.”

      “No problem,” Andrea replied calmly.  “You’re right on time.”  The two women hurried back to the conference room where the others were gossiping animatedly.  Robin was quickly greeted by everyone as she came in and sat down… and the gossiping continued. 

     Gloria let their socializing go on for a little while.  In fact, she herself was rather enjoying it.  But eventually she knew they had to get down to business or they’d never get out of there.  “Ladies!” she called politely to get everyone’s attention.  “Ladies!”

     The women eventually settled down and gave their attention completely to Gloria. 

      “We all know why we’re here,” Gloria said, “so now we need to figure out a plan of attack so we can decide just who’s going to win this bet.”

      “Decide?” Robin asked with a bit of a chuckle.  “I don’t see how Sissy can win at all.  From everything I’ve seen, he’s totally incontinent already.”

      “I’ll second that!” Sandy replied.  “I don’t see how he can win either.”

      “That may very well be,” Gloria said, “but we still need to judge him and come to a determination fairly.  And what if by some stroke of fate, he does show that he can control himself.  We need to be ready to deal with that.”

     Robin nodded.  “I know.  And he’s still claiming just that.  He still thinks he’s going to win!  He told me so on Friday.”

      “You’re kidding?” Sandy replied. 

      “No.  He really does!” Robin confirmed.

      “Ladies!” Gloria said to get their attention again.  “So you see, we really do have to come up with some kind of a plan.  Before we start though, I think there’s one other thing we should all keep in mind while we’re doing this.”  She saw the questioning looks on everyone’s faces.  “Mel is planning on trying to convince Chad to throw the bet.  She’s so afraid of losing that she wants to convince him to either outright concede or to at least act like he’s incontinent when we judge him.  And I’m still trying to decide if that constitutes cheating or not.”

      “So what if it is?” Cassie asked.

      “I don’t think it’s going to matter,” Andrea threw in.  “If you all look at the copy of their bet that I gave you, you’ll notice that she has pretty much total say over everything, and he has no say at all.  She can do anything she wants!  I’m guessing including trying to convince him to concede.  So as I see it, for her, it’s totally legal.”

      “I’m still not happy about it,” Gloria replied as she skimmed through the document in front of her. 

      “But what can we do about it anyway?” Cassie asked.  “Either we won’t be able to tell, or for her it’s completely legal.  As I see it, we really just have to call it like we see it.”

     Gloria nodded.  “You’re right of course.  In the end, we just have to call it the best we can.”  She put a rather stern look on her face.  “And that means, being honest!  No slanting our decision one way or another.”

     Most of the women nodded their agreement, but she was surprised to see kind of an undecided look on Sandy’s face.  Gloria had no choice but to ignore it.  “So how should we decide?” she asked.  “Any ideas?”

      “While we’re at it,” Robin said.  “What time are we going to do this?  I mean, can we put a cutoff time on it?  I have a family to get back to.  I really don’t want to wait around half the night to figure it out.”

      “Good point,” Andrea agreed.  “I can tell you that it was probably about three or four in the afternoon when I put my notary stamp on that document.  And I for one would rather not wait around much longer than that.”  She was reward to get a sense of agreement from everyone. 

      “I agree,” Gloria replied.  She looked at everyone, “So, for the sake of setting a plan, we say that Chad has until… three pm to show us what he can do.  And that’s it!  After that, we get together and decide.  I don’t exactly want to wait around any longer than necessary either.”  She saw agreeing nods from all around the table. 

      “So if three pm is the end of it, when do we start judging him?” Robin asked.  “I take it we all get together at some time and just sit around and watch him?  Like I said, I have a family to think of.”

      “How much time do we think we’re going to need?” Andrea asked.

      “Fifteen minutes,” Sandy said quietly, for which she got an unapproving look from Gloria. 

      “A couple of hours I would guess would be the most fair,” Cassie replied.

      “Wouldn’t that kind of depend on what we want to judge him on?” Andrea asked.

      “What do you mean?” Cassie asked.  “Shouldn’t we just have him stand there and see if he wets his pants or something?”

      “We could,” Andrea replied.  “But what if…”

     The discussion went on.  The longer it went on, the more they found that they needed to address.  Most of the women had thought that it would be a very simple matter to determine, but once Andrea threw out her concern, then that led to other concerns… which in turn led to still more.  And they had to come up with a way to cover everything as best they could. 

     The three pm deadline got pushed back to four pm to account for the time that Robin said he usually messed his diaper every day.  And between Andrea and Gloria’s concerns, they finally decided to start judging him at one o’clock in the afternoon – but they would all meet first at Cassie and Sandy’s apartment at twelve thirty to make sure they were ready.  Plus, they all had some shopping to do before the judging and they had to make sure everything was ready. 

     It wasn’t a perfect plan, but it was the best they could come up with under the circumstances.  If he really wanted to, they all figured that Chad could still throw his side of the bet and they might never know, but their plan did lessen that possibility somewhat.  The only thing was, they were all fairly sure he wasn’t going to like what they were going to require him to do.  But they weren’t going to give him a choice in the matter.  Mel’s consideration was never even mentioned.

     And one last thing was decided.  No matter what, Mel and Chad would not be told what was going to happen – until all the judges were there with him at one o’clock next Saturday.  That way Mel could have no chance to “prepare” Chad beforehand.

      “Well ladies,” Gloria said, “I think that about does it.  Any other suggestions?”  She looked around the table but everyone was shaking their heads.  “That about does it then.  Thank you all for doing this… and for going along with me in my wish to oversee this thing.  I simply want it to go fairly… no matter who wins.”