What If... Fifties Gentlemen (M/F)

[KP Presents]

“Thank you,” Esther said as she sat on the wooden armchair, her legs together and her ankles to one side. The sixty-five-year-old had grey hair styled and cut, and was wearing a cream short sleeved coat dress and black high heels. “Where is my grandson today?”

“At a Scout camp for the weekend,” her daughter Lucy said as she sat down and took her own cup up. The younger woman had red-brown hair styled in the same way as her mother and was wearing a dark blue short sleeved dress with matching heels. “So, we are safe.”

Esther smiled as she said, “that is one thing, I suppose – do you still remember that night when he asked us if her could practice his knot tying for the first time?”

Lucy slowly nodded as she said “oh yes – and I had no idea what that would start for all of us…”

“I understand you need to practice,” Esther said as she sat on the dining chair, looking at her grandson, “but why do it this way?”

“He was watching 77 Sunset Strip last night,” Lucy said as she looked at her mother, “I think it gave him some ideas.” She was wearing a blue dress with three white stripes at the cuffs of the short sleeves and near the hem of her skirt, and beige high heels, while Esther was wearing a white long-sleeved dress with black stripes and trim, and black heels.

Her grandson had asked them both if they would play a game with him to let him practice his knot tying, and they had agreed - what could a twelve-year-old boy do?

The answer had come when he put the two dining room chairs in the main room, and asked them to stand with their hands behind their backs – and when Lucy asked where he had got the ropes she could see, he at least admitted he had used some washing line. She looked at Esther, and when her mother nodded, she allowed her son to take her hands behind her back and secure her wrists together. she was surprised at how tight it was, but also how comfortable as he tied the ends off and then asked her to sit down while he secured his grandmother’s wrists together behind her back in the same way.

He was now kneeling in front of her, passing the rope round her ankles as he secured them tightly together, and then doing the same thing to Esther. The two women looked at each other, before Esther said, “if he was a real thief, he’d take those pearls off you.”

“And he’d take your silver necklace as well,” Lucy laughed as she saw the jewels sparkling in the sliver settings.

“I’m not a thief,” he said as he stood up, “but thank you. Do you want me to untie you?”

“Not yet,” Esther said, “go and have a drink first.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow as she said “Mother?”

“Oh, let him have his fun – he hasn’t hurt us ahs he? In fact. It’s quite – comfortable…”


Esther smiled as she said, “at least he let us go intime for the Bridge Club.”


Lucy shook her head as she sipped from her cup and then put it down. “True – and we did allow him to continue to play the games, didn’t we?”

Esther nodded before she said, “remember when he – roped Mandy in as well?”

Lucy nodded - Mandy was her seventeen-year-old daughter, and it had been a Sunday afternoon…

“There - is that too tight Mom?”

Lucy shook her head as her son pulled her bound ankles back slightly and then secured them to the front leg of the chair. It was a Summer Sunday afternoon, and she was wearing a sleeveless dark blue dress with a deep neckline and a short skirt, her feet in a pair of black high heels. She tried to move her legs apart, but only felt the rope rubbing on her bare legs as he tied the ends off.

She was sitting on a high-backed chair, her wrists secured together behind her back and ropes round her stomach and arms below her elbows, making it difficult again for her to move. She nodded as he stood up and checked the ropes, and then said, “remember what you said I could do Mom?”

“Yes, I do,” Lucy said, and then she heard Mandy call out “Mom – where are you?”

He son looked at her, before Lucy said, “don’t worry” quietly, and then called out “in here darling.” She watched as she daughter walked in, her red-brown hair longer, and wearing her own sleeveless dress, a light brown one with thin vertical stripes, and matching heels.

She stopped and stared, before she said, “did he do this to you Mom?”

“He did,” Lucy said as Mandy walked over and looked at her. While her mother was wearing a silver pendant, she was wearing a string of pearls and matching earrings.

“Does it hurt?”

“No – why?”

Mandy put her purse down and left the room, returning with another chair and sitting down before she said “some of my girlfriends have described being tied up by their brothers - I wonder what it feels like. Go on, squirt – do your worst.”

“Turn and put your hands behind your back,” he said as Mandy turned slightly, and he picked up more ropes before guiding her wrists behind her back and securing them tightly together. He then wrapped a longer rope round her arms and stomach as well, Mandy feeling the pressure on her body before he knelt down and started to tie her ankles together in the same way as her mother.

As she felt them being pulled back, she said “so what happens next Mom?”

“Well,” Lucy said quietly, “I did say he could do something else as well.”

“What?” Mandy then saw her brother stand up and pick up a roll of white cloth plaster, tearing a strip off.

“This,” Lucy said before he pressed the tape down over her mouth, Mandy raising an eyebrow before she put her lips together and he gagged her as well. The two women looked at each other as he checked the ropes and then left them alone.

“Whthtnnhhh?”

“Nh? Whwhhth….”


Esther shook her head as she said “and then I arrived an hour later and found you both – he had fallen asleep in the other room. You two were – exercised as I recall?”

Lucy nodded as he said “almost as much as the time she walked in on us…




“Well, this is another fine mess you have got us into.”

Lucy chook her head as she turned and looked at Esther. “As I recall, this was your idea?”

Esther nodded as she looked at her grandson, who was securing her daughter’s ankles tightly together and then taking the rope round one of the crosspieces of the chair, then to the back one. Her wrists were tied tightly together in front of her, while more rope held her arms against her body and her body against reh chair back.

She was sitting back-to-back with Esther, whose wrists and arms were already secured in the same way. She was wearing a pale blue dress with a buttoned front, a double string of pearls round her neck, and taupe heels, while her mother was wearing a dark blue version of the same dress, as well as pearls and taupe heels.

Her grandson then knelt in front of her and wrapped the rope round her ankles as she and Lucy turned their heads again.

“Where is Mandy?”

“Out for an afternoon event with her classmates – why?”

“Ever wonder what might happen if we all got tied up together?”

“Then who would come to our rescue,” Esther said as her ankles were pulled back and secured to the chair.

“I would have to, I guess,” her grandson said as he stood up, ad started to roll up a white napkin. “Open your mouth, gran.”

“We’ll talk later,” Esther said as the rolled-up cloth was pulled between her lips and tied round her head, before Lucy was gaged in the same way, the two women trying to talk as he left the room.

“Hellhhnthsthm?”

“Hbhhthnhhhrrrr…”

“Oh lord - he got you again?”

They turned and looked at Mandy, who was standing in a cream jacket and skirt.

“Wtththjhjnhs?”

“Not this time – I have assignments to complete…”


“Have we actually come to enjoy being helpless and gagged?”

Lucy looked at her mother and said, “Looks that way, doesn’t it?”

“Well, if you examine psychology papers on the subject, you do find getting to enjoy being helpless is a common reaction to that form of situation.”

Both women turned and looked to the doorway, to see two men standing there. They were identically dressed – tailored suits, white shirts, dark ties, and highly polished shoes. They also noticed the black gloves on their hands, the dark glasses they were wearing – and the gun one of them was holding, the other carrying a canvas bag.

There was one other thing they noticed -one of them, the one with the gun, stood a good foot taller than his partner.

“Who are you,” Lucy said as she stood up.

“Ah – do forgive our manners,” the taller of the two men said, “you may call me Mister Tall, and this is my friend and colleague Mister Small. I regret to say, dear ladies, that this is a robbery, and I must ask you to remain in your sets until I tell you to do otherwise.”

“Seriously?”

“My dear lady,” Mister Tall said as he looked at Eshter, “I am serious in my work, and this is a professional matter for both of us. I must ask you to remain seated – and to remove your jewellery, and watches, and place them in the velvet sack Mister Small will now bring over.”

The two women looked at each other as Mister Small put his bag down, opened and removed from inside it a velvet sack, and then walked over to Esther, watching as she removed her jewellery and placed it inside.

“My thanks,” he said with an incline of his head before he walked over and waited for Lucy to do the same thing.

“Excellent,” Mister Tall said as he returned and placed the sack by the bag. “If you would be so good as to cover these ladies, Mister Small, I will ensure the telephone is disconnected and then carry through something that they can sit on while they wait.”

“Wait? Wait for what,” Esther said as she watched the smaller man take the gun and his partner leave the room.

“Wait while we conduct our business – so please, no movements,” Mister Small said as Lucy looked at her mother.

“I’m suddenly very glad he is away at the camp,” she said quietly.

“As am I,” Esther said as Mister Tall brought a dining table chair through and set it in the centre of the room, leaving the room again and then returning with a second one which he set next to it.

“Now, which of you find ladies are the true lady of the house,” he said as he looked over.

“I am,” Lucy said quietly, “this is my mother.”

“Excellent – may I ask your mother to come and take a seat,” the man said as he indicated one of the dining chairs. Esther slowly stood up and waked over, sitting herself down with her ankles together and to one side.

“May I trouble you to lean forward, and place your hands behind your back?”

“You’re going to tie me up on the chair?”

“Indeed – I assure you; I will take all necessary steps to ensure you are not hurt, and I expect you to allow me to do this without struggling or complaining in return.”

“Well, at least you asked nicely,” Esther said, Lucy raising an eyebrow as Mister Tall accepted a length of white rope from his partner and then crossed Esther’s wrists before he secured them tightly together.

“Thank you – please, sit back, make yourself as comfortable as possible.”

Esther sat with her back against the chair back, feeling the rope around her stomach as Mister Tall tied more rope around her arms and body, and then around the chair back, before a second length of rope was used to secure her upper arms against her body.

“Comfortable, mother?”

“I cannot complain,” Esther said as Mister Tall knelt in front of her and said, “forgive me if my fingers stroke against your legs.”

“As if I could stop you,” Esther said with a smile as the white rope went around and between her ankles, forcing them together and then her legs below her knees, before her ankles were taken to one side and secured to the chair leg.

As he did this, Mister Small looked at Lucy and said, “kindly stand and put your hands behind your back as well.”

As Lucy felt the ropes securing her wrists together, and then the band around her upper arms, she said “so what are you going to do with me?”

“IU will take you on a tour of the house,” Mister Tall said as Lucy felt the ropes forcing her upper arms against her sides, “and you can ensure a minimum of mess is created whilst I relieve you of your valuables. I trust you can take care of things down here, Mister Small?”

“Naturally, Mister Tall,” the smaller of the two men said as he watched his partner take Lucy out of the room and then gathered up the coffee cups.

“And what are you going to do with them,” Esther said as she twisted round in the chair.

“Ensure they are properly washed and put away.”

“You… You are clearing up?”

“Indeed,” Mister Smalls aid as he took from his bag a roll of white fabric, “but for now, I regret to say I have to ensure you cannot raise the alarm for a while.” Tearing a strip away, he looked at Esther and said, “kindly will you purse your lips?” As she did so, he pressed the strip of fabric down over her mouth and then said “thank you” before he picked the tray up and left the room.
Esther sat there, unsure if this was really happening as she heard water running, but the ropes and the tug on the skin round her mouth were all real…

“Oh no – did he sneak home from Scout camp?”

Esther looked at the door as she saw Mandy standing there, wearing a pale grey dress coat with short sleeves, and a pair of matching grey heels. “Hmgmghhdhdd,” she mumbled, “uhrrehrhe?”

“Abigail fell ill, so we had to finish our lunch early,” Mandy said as she walked over and looked at her grandmother, “wow – he did a good job this time.” Esther shook her head and said “htssnnthhghm – ghhtthhnddhllthphlhs.”

“What did you say?”

“MHNDNDHRHN!”

“Actually, may I suggest you stand perfectly still, and hold your hand sin the air?”

Mandy turned round to see the man wearing dark glasses, and the gun in his gloved hand, before she slowly raised her hands and said, “oh my god – this is a real robbery?”

Esther nodded as the man smiled, and said “you do favour your mother – may I ask you to do something for me please?”

“What?”

“Move that chair away from your grandmother, and then sit yourself down, before you remove your jewellery and place it in the sack I will hold?”

“Gran?”

Esther slowly nodded, watching as Mandy pulled the chair to one side and then sat herself down, handing her purse to the man and then removing her own jewellery and placing it to inside the black sack.

“Thank you – now, please, lean forward and put your hands behind your back…”




“My thanks,” Mister Tall said as he placed the last tray back into the safe and then closed and locked the door. “I am grateful for your cooperation.”

“So, what happens now?”

“I take you to join your mother,” he said as he helped Lucy to stand up and walked her out of the bedroom, down the stairs and meeting Mister Small as he dried his hands with the dish towel.

“Dishes cleared?”

“Indeed – but we have an additional person to look after. I will bring a chair through once I have put my gloves back on.”

“Indeed?” Lucy looked at both of them and then walked into the room to see Esther in the chair – and Mandy in the other chair, similarly bound and with white fabric pressed down over her mouth.

“Mhmhmhtshgnhn?”

“We are being – well, very politely robbed,” Lucy said as Mister Small returned with a third chair, setting it between the other two before she sat there, and Mister Small wound the rope round her lower arms, body and the chair back as Mister Small knelt down and secured her ankles and legs.

“Rhllyylrhbbhd?”

“Lhkksslhkht,” Esther said as she watched the two men finishing the binding of her daughter and then Mister Tall gagging Lucy with the white fabric.

“We thank you for your cooperation,” Mister Tall said as Mister Small closed and picked up the bag. “The Gentlemen Robbers bid you a good afternoon -may we never meet again.”

The three women watched the men as they left and then looked at each other.

“Whnsnsdhdhmh?”

Lucy looked at the clock and said “nthththfhrshmthm.”

“Whhhllnthhlhtwhchndh, hsthr?”

Mandy saw her mother and grandmother shake their heads as they tried to get comfortable.

[Ovi1]

Very nice story! The politeness of it all gives it a unique feel.

Weaving in and out of flashbacks was also very nice, though at some point there were too many described outfits for me to keep track. That may in part be due to me not knowing what color taupe is (I blame English being my second language)