Rosie and Chelsie looked over their shoulders at the woman stripping off her clothes.
"One of my favorite dresses, and you ripped all the buttons."
She'd half carried them one at a time into the bedroom and they lay face down on the bed, still bound and gagged.
"And there's a huge run in my left stocking."
She undressed until she stood over them in a white strapless cone- shaped bra, white briefs with a frilly border and black garters, including the holster garter for her revolver. Plus sheer white nylons, the left indeed with a long wide run.
The bedroom had a connecting bathroom and Joy walked in and shut the door.
Out in the hallway, the laundry bin flipped over and Tommy crawled out biting on a piece of towel to keep from yelling from leg cramps. He'd been kneeling in the bin since just before Joy had popped in the front door. He set the bin back up.
He scooted to the right of the open bedroom door. A peek showed the soles of brown and white feet. The brown feet led up to cord tied around a pair of slim ankles, then up long lean legs to bobbing butt cheeks and wiggling wrists. The wrists were having no luck yanking out of the electric cord knotting them together.
Tommy leaned in further and just then the curtain of black hair flowing onto the brown back shifted and a pair of black eyes spotted him.
"Disaburm oham fefee!" sputtered Chelsie.
Tommy watched a mane of red hair lift off the bed, look at Chelsie, then crane its head over its own left shoulder to look in his direction. He watched a multi colored mass of material rumble as if there were lips trying to mine their way to the surface.
"Opplasceumph? Flabgap ummph!"
Rosie howled but might as well been hollering from below a diamond mine for all the sound that surfaced.
"What are you two yowling about? Don't you know what gags are for?" said Joy exiting the bathroom.
Tommy whipped his head from the doorway while Joy dropped towels and wash cloths on the bed to the right of the two trussed and gagged teenagers.
"Now you Quiz Kids had better deliver answers. So there's no cheating Red I'll have to isolate you in the living room."
Joy sat Rosie up, then stood her next to the bed. Joy snagged a towel under one arm, then took Rosie by the shoulder.
"Do the bunny hop."
"Gurrmp?"
"Hippity hop to the living room. Park your butt on the couch."
Rosie made noises like questions, before Joy smacked her bottom.
"Move."
Like a Ringling Brothers act, snorting with each hippity, Rosie made the trip, Joy helping with the balance.
Tommy had to run. Where?
With a whomping sound Rosie was shoved on the couch. She wiggled while Joy dropped the towel and went to the kitchen and fetched scissors. She knelt in front of Rosie.
"I'll lay this here and strip your gag. Now when it goes, relax no need to jabber. I ask and you answer. Nod your head."
A quick nod "yes" from Rosie.
Joy untied the bra gag and dug out the sock. Rosie wet her lips and moved her jaw but said nothing.
"What's your first name?"
"Rosie."
Joy began cutting up the towel with the scissors.
"How old are you Rosie?"
"Eighteen."
"Same age as your bound and gagged friend wiggling on the bed in there?"
"Yes."
"I'm going to tie this strip of towel above your knees. Help you hop straighter. Now what are you two doing here?"
"We were out riding around. Thought we'd stop and see Miss Regis."
Joy again started cutting up the towel.
"So you came right in and when I show up, you jump me. What made you think I was trouble?"
"You came in without knocking, like you knew no one would be here."
"Sort of like you."
Joy tied a strip of towel around Rosie's ankles.
"Do you know where Eve is?"
"No we were worried that she wasn't here. Lately she hasn't been around. Last time we saw her was with a blond woman."
"So here comes a blonde and you try to rough me up."
"Yeah."
"Lean forward so I can tie this around your arms."
Rosie bent and Joy tied her forearms together.
"Well it sounds odd, two teenagers just deciding to jump a woman after she walks into a house."
"Why do you carry a gun?"
"I'm a traveling saleslady, I need protection."
"What do you sell?"
"We started out with me asking the questions. I'm going to cut your panties off."
"Why?!"
"Don't worry. It's not fair your friend's in there naked and you have a scrap of clothing. Be still while I snip it."
Joy cut away the side panel of Rosie's panties and tugged them off the redhead.
"Nice. Some of those atomic-allure bikini panties of nylon lace. I've got a pair. They'll make a soft wad for your next gag."
"I won't say anything."
"Because you'll be gagged. Now come on I'm tired of holding these scissors. That's it, open wide. Here it comes. You're making such a face. Almost got it all. There you go, chew while I get some wrapping"
Joy pitched the scissors and picked up what was left of the towel. She wound it around Rosie's mouth and began tying it in back.
"I almost believe you. We'll see how you story matches with your friend. She's ready to have the sock out of her mouth."
She finished knotting it under the red hair and snatched up the sun bra.
"I know it's not how you wear it, but this works. I'll draw it tight so the rest of this stays put."
She added the third level of the gag then jumped up.
"Tied and gagged means you're out of trouble. If you not messing with Eve, fine. If you are and I find out about it, we'll do something different. Now stick around."
Joy poked Rosie's right shoulder and left the wide-eyed redhead on the couch. She took the scissors and shut the door into the bedroom. In just a few seconds Rosie heard a thump along with a loud squeal from Chelise.
"Rosie."
She jumped and jerked her head to the back of the couch.
"Togumph!"
"Not so loud."
"Ur gumph."
"I was hiding behind the TV set."
"Ig gehr oomph mum."
Rosie tugged at her bindings. She arched her back. Tommy couldn't help looking at her breasts.
"I can't untie you now."
"Urwa! Gerg humph?"
"Not so loud. Boy it's a good thing she put that in your mouth. Now take it easy, I'm going to listen what she's doing with Chelsie. We can sneak up on her."
Not believing this, Rosie swayed in her knots. But there he went crawling across the living room, into the hallway and out of sight, leaving her with underwear in her mouth and too trussed to kick his butt. She thrashed to get free.
Chelise had her long legs back to her wrists, trying to get to the knots holding her ankles. They stayed just out of reach. Then she rolled, bent double, and tried to slide her bound hands down her legs, trying to hitch them beyond her brown toes and in front of her. She kept tossing on the bed. Then after Joy startled her by walking back in, Chelsie lost her balance and thumped on the floor
"Are you all right?"
Joy knelt by the bound girl. Chelsie groaned and made a pained expression, mostly hidden by her gag.
"Now sit up. You're all right. I'll drag you in the bathroom and take the gag off. No fussing, understand?"
Chelsie mumbled into her sock and bra and nodded yes.
Eve's bathroom was small but up- to- date. The thirty-inch wash-down type toilet was made of stainless vitreous china with an enameled seat. Side by side with it was a steel cabinet shower with white enamel finish and an open green shower curtain. Next to that was a white china lavatory with Thrift fittings.
Joy hoisted Chelsie atop the toilet and stopped to catch her breath. Hauling a bound and gagged teenager is work.
"Off with the bandanna, lets put the bra aside, and now spit out the sock."
Chelise shot the sock past her lips and watched it hit the tiled floor.
"Need a drink?"
"No."
"Why'd you two attack me?"
"We'd thought you'd kidnapped Christy Grace."
"Who me? Wait a minute, didn't I see you riding on the back of a bike earlier?"
"No."
"Yes I did. With some skinny guy pedaling. Where's he?"
He, Tommy, was inside the bedroom, just out the bathroom door. Rosie continued to wrestle with her bondage on the couch.
"He took off. Before you got here."
"Why?"
"Rosie has a guy she wanted to meet. We'd used Tommy, which's his name, so Rosie's mom wouldn't suspect anything. She knows Tommy is sort of silly and harmless, so she wouldn't worry about him."
"So he's a dope and the other guy is neat. And you two wanted to meet."
"Well Rosie did. I think he's cute too, but she saw him first."
"But still, why jump me?"
"Tommy was going on about you. Thinking you might be a spy or crook or something. Miss Regis and Christy are both gone and he figured you have something to do with it."
"You said he's silly, so why listen to him?"
"We didn't, but then you walk in, I mean no one just barges in like that. We did but we were searching for Miss Regis. So you're not a spy?"
"I'm not but I'm not sure about you. And I'm not sure your buddy took off like you said. Open your mouth."
The sock was soaked from saliva and Joy pinched it between thumb and forefinger. To Chelsie, as her sock again wound up shoved on top her tongue, the taste was yucky. Joy took the blue bandanna and snapped it around the girl's raven hair and pulled until the cotton material was past her lips and snagged on her molars. She knotted it tight on the nape.
"You and your buddy go back on the bed."
Also time for Tommy to scoot.
Joy helped Chelsie bounce back on the mattress, leaving her rolling on the covers. Joy checked on Rosie, who looked up, then behind Joy, hoping Tommy was sneaking up to conk the Commie's head. Nothing doing.
"Hold still Red while I get you over my shoulder. Don't worry I won't drop you."
But she almost did. Rosie gave off a frightened grunt when Joy staggered on the way to Eve's bedroom. And Joy was glad to lay her burden down.
"Must be those boobs that make you so heavy. Just kidding sweetcakes, I know how it is. I'm going to take your gags off and get us a snack. But don't plot against me while I'm off fixing a meal, all right?"
They nodded as Joy removed Rosie's packing and Chelsie's gagging material and the two made chewing motions with their freed lips. Joy left them.
Rosie whispered, "What'd you tell her?"
"The truth."
"Where's Tommy."
"Beats Me. Outside?"
"No he crawled in here. Maybe he's in the closet."
"Tommy," hissed Rosie.
Chelsie whispered, "Why doesn't he do something?"
"Tommy we need help."
"I'd hope he knows that already," said Chelsie.
"Tommy do something," said Rosie.
"Untie us," said Chelsie.
They heard or saw nothing of Tommy. He wasn't ready for his move, didn't have the slightest idea what to do. He stayed put.
So they went to working the knots. Rosie trying to undo her friend's binding, with no progress.
"Just peanut butter and jelly I'm afraid," said Joy as she came back in with a plate piled with sandwiches.
Both teenagers jerked and sat upright.
"It's just a snack not poison. Here I'll eat one."
She put the plate on the bed and sat next to Chelsie, then munched a sandwich.
"Good peanut butter," she said through a mouthful.
"Better than what we've been chewing on" said Rosie.
"There's the spirit kiddo. Keep your sense of humor and I'll believe you're not a Commie spy."
"We're not," said Chelsie.
"Sugar I almost believe you. I still have to keep you two bundled until we know for sure. You were probably in here plotting how to get free."
"We didn't have much time," said Rosie.
"Thought you might miss me. Think the guy you were bike riding with will come back to check on you two?"
"He's too scared," said Rosie.
"What could he do? I mean you fought well enough to beat us both. He's just a skinny guy who Rosie shoved around when he made a pass at her," said Chelsie.
Joy swallowed her sandwich and said, "Is that true?"
"He was fooling in the kitchen at the diner, grabbed me from behind."
"Silly doofus," said Joy.
"You got that right. And a coward," said Rosie.
Tommy squirmed in his hiding place hearing this.
Not exactly a Birdseye view from under the bed. He could hear it all, but the main view was the white nylon, from the knee down, of the so-called saleslady he knew to be a spy, or at least a crook.
He heard her say to Rosie and Chelsie.
"I'm tired of carrying this around."
He saw her walk over to the dresser and lay something down.
"Lighter without the pistol. Let's eat up so I can find fresh gags and binding. Eve's got a big size clothesline outside, but I hate to wreck any more of her stuff. The damage in the living room is enough."
He felt her sit on the bed. Then her right leg moved as she began peeling off her stocking.
"Even if you're not involved with the trouble Eve is having, I can't have you running loose, you'd be in my way and a danger to you and me."
Tommy watched her remove her left stocking, then stand up. Her bare legs looked strong and smooth and creamy white like some sort of statue come to life.
"Let's shovel the whole sandwich down. You chew up the peanut butter and I'll be back with different gags."
Tommy saw her step closer to the bed and heard brief mmums' sounds, guessing she stuffed the food in their mouths. Her strong legs bewitched him as she trotted out of the bedroom.
He snaked from under the bed to his hands and knees. He looked and saw his two naked sidekicks. They went goggle-eyed at the sight of him and crumbs fell as they talked while the peanut butter and jelly jammed their speech.
"Ogumph," was as plain as they could make it.
Tommy stepped toward them, then heard Joy walking and began a panic dive under the bed. Instead he headed to the bathroom, snagging with his left foot one of her nylon stockings. It trailed him into the shower stall.
"I spotted some gags in the bathroom," she said as she entered the bedroom.
Rosie swallowed her sandwich.
"Can't we promise to say quiet?'
"I'm sure you would until the first knock on the door. No a gag is good. You'll learn. Where I'd drop my belt and sash? I tied it around you and the blanket? Here they are. That's part of one gag, I think I can find the rest in there."
The girls watched her go into the bathroom.
Joy eyed the sink and spotted a cotton terry-lined plastic shower cap. She went back to the bedroom.
"One fresh gag, and what ever is in her dresser. No need to ruin all her towels."
She dug out a nylon mesh sleep net Eve used for her hair.
"I don't want to ruin her nylon stockings, but I hope she doesn't miss this pack of brown shoe laces. I can't believe she has shoes to match."
She crawled behind them on the mattress and working on Rosie, then Chelsie, cross-turned shoelace around their wrists, then their little fingers.
"Had this done to me at least twice. It's tricky to get off. Not that you should try."
She climbed off the bed and picked up the sleep hair net. She went back in the bathroom and loaded the net with toilet paper, then put it to Rosie's lips.
"I know it's huge, once you start chewing and it soaks up saliva it'll shrink. Just a little bit."
It didn't begin shrinking as it was fingered inside Rosie's mouth. She worked her tongue on top, then below the gag, then, as more was jammed in, her tongue slid around the left corner of the mesh material.
"Bite and get your mouth as closed as you can."
Joy fitted her sash around the waitress's face; it didn't make it past her teeth, but fit snug on the wad in Rosie's mouth. She tied it off and moved on to gagging Chelsie.
***
"What's that smell?"
"Your whip burning."
"I've had that a long time."
"Since when?"
"Learned to use it in the circus."
"I think this Spam is hot enough to eat."
She gave a forkful to Tina.
"You won't get away with this you know that."
"You brought me out here bound and gagged and you're saying I won't get away with it? Tell it to the police."
"Can you trust them? Or anybody? How do you think we found out about you and your pilot friend?”
"Eat quick so I can gag you."
She shoved more food in Tina's mouth.
"Ogamph!"
"Keep chewing, then open up for the towel and we'll get to sleep. Or at least I will."