Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. >Whatever We Say Until Midnight by TheBlushingPrincess Whatever We Say Until Midnight (Part 1) It was a pretty cold night. Probably just in the teens outside. But we were nice and cozy inside my apartment. I was all bundled up in flannel jeans, a long-sleeve tee-shirt and heavy sweater, and cozy, fuzzy slippers. When I say -we, - I -(TM)m referring to myself, my good friend Sophia, and one of our guy friends, Nick. Sophia and I had gone to college together, and she had met Nick through work. They weren -(TM)t dating or anything. Just buddies. The three of us hung out fairly often. So we were just relaxing at my place on this cold, winter evening. We had already had dinner (Thai take out, if I recall correctly) and were trying to decide what to do with the rest of the night. Nick suggested, -How about a movie? - Sophia replied, -Nah. How about a game? - I said, -Sure. How about chess? - Sophia and I had played a lot of chess together in college. I hadn -(TM)t played in a while and I thought it might be fun. You know. Get out some wine, turn on some music, and just relax with a leisurely game of chess. -I don -(TM)t know, - Nick said. -I -(TM)m not really a chess player. But if you and Sophia want to play, that -(TM)s fine. I can just watch and hang out. - Sophia and I thought that sounded fun. So I went to the closet, pulled out the chess board and pieces, and set up the game on the rug in the living room. And yes, we opened a bottle of wine, grabbed some pretzels, and started our chess game. Sophia was always really competitive. And even though I usually beat her at chess (at least back in the day), she suggested, -I say we put a little wager on the game. - -Sure, - I said. -What did you have in mind? - -Loser has to do whatever the other two people say until midnight. - Now call me an idiot, but I agreed. -Sure. You got it. I don -(TM)t think you -(TM)ve ever won a game against me anyway. So whatever. You -(TM)re on! - Granted, I was a better chess player than Sophia in college, but that was like three years ago. And I really hadn -(TM)t played much since then. We started the game. Things seemed pretty evenly matched through the opening. She was up material a little bit. Maybe a pawn or a knight. But nothing significant. I was feeling confident. But as we got into the middlegame, it became clear to me that she was thinking a few moves further ahead than I was. Then she casually dropped her bomb -- -Yeah, I -(TM)ve totally been playing a ton of chess lately on my computer. It -(TM)s so great to play and relax before bed. - -I see, - I said playfully. -You -(TM)re hustling me! - -Maybe a little, - she said back, smiling. -But you -(TM)re not out of the game. Not yet, anyway! - Meanwhile, Nick wasn -(TM)t paying much attention. He was relaxing on the couch, sipping his wine and listening to music. (We had put on some Tchaikovsky. His fifth symphony. At this point, we were in the second movement. If you -(TM)ve heard it, there -(TM)s this gorgeous French horn solo. So I remember hearing that solo while Sophia was telling me about her computer chess game.) Well, it didn -(TM)t take long for my game to go from bad to worse. But I knew it was really over when she forked my king and queen with her knight. It was a horribly embarrassing mistake. It -(TM)s like the oldest trick in the book. But I totally missed it. It just came out of nowhere. Anyway, I had to move my king out of check, and she happily captured my queen. So now I was seriously down material and seemingly had no strategy to regain control of the board. -So sorry, - she said, as she gleefully scooped up my queen and set it casually to the side of the board. -I think I -(TM)ll just resign, - I said, as I put my finger on my king, getting ready to tip it over. -No. Please don -(TM)t. Let -(TM)s see it through. You never know! - So yes, I continued to finish the game, ultimately losing, as I knew I would. It was a humiliating loss. Unfortunately, it would hardly be my biggest humiliation of the night. I extended my hand. -Good game, Sophia. - -Good game, Kelly. - To be honest, I had forgotten about our little wager. I was simply packing up the chess board when Sophia reminded me, -Alright, Kelly. Time to pay up! - -What do you mean? - -Did you forget our bet? Loser has to do whatever the other two people say until midnight! - I looked at the clock. It was just about 8:15. Well, shit. Still, I figured, how bad could it be? I figured they -(TM)d be having me bring them drinks or rub their feet. That sort of thing. So okay. I smiled, somewhat warily. -Okay. Yes, you win. Well, I -(TM)m yours. What do you want me to do? - -Oh, this is going to be fun! - She called over to the lounging Nick. -Nick! Get over here! Kelly -(TM)s our slave until midnight! - I had these two recliners in my apartment, facing the television. Sophia sat down on one of them. -Nick, come sit down over here. - Nick sauntered over, still holding his now-empty wine glass. He sat down on the recliner next to Sophia. -What -(TM)s going on? - he asked Sophia. -Don -(TM)t you remember? - she said. -Kelly lost the chess game, so she -(TM)s got to do everything we say until midnight. No exceptions! - Nick liked the sound of that. -Excellent. You can start by getting me another glass of wine! - Perfect, I thought. That -(TM)s just what I figured I -(TM)d be doing. -Coming right up, sir! - I said as I whisked away his empty glass. I took it to the kitchen, poured some wine, and brought it back to him. I figured, this won -(TM)t be so bad. Sophia said, -Very nice, Kelly. Very nice. So I need you to just stand there for a minute while Nick and I confer to figure out what we need you to do next. - They leaned in toward each other so they could talk without me hearing. Then Sophia said to me, -Actually, would you mind covering your ears and saying -~la la la -(TM)? We don -(TM)t want you to hear us! - She smiled sweetly at me. So sure. I stood there in front of them, covering my ears and saying -la la la - to block out the sound of them talking. I could see them gesturing to each other and talking. Every once in a while, they would look over at me, pointing and laughing. Then they would turn back to each other and talk some more. When they were done talking, they turned to me. Still standing there, somewhat apprehensively, I uncovered my ears, awaiting my next command. Sophia began. -Well, Kelly, I -(TM)m sure you realize that you -(TM)re going to be getting naked at some point. Right? - I paused. Yes, to be honest, I had suspected that might be a possibility. Sophia had seen me naked before. Nothing crazy. I mean, like just in the locker room at the athletic center. But yes, she had seen me naked. Being naked in front of Nick, however, was a different story. We had become pretty good friends and, frankly, I thought he was pretty cute. I wasn -(TM)t so keen at the prospect of being naked in front of him. Not in this context, anyway. -Yes, - I said, resigned to my fate. -I figured you might go there. - -The only question, - she continued, -is do we make you strip right away, or do we do it kind of slow. You know, maybe your sweater now. And then your pants in like half an hour. And then your tee-shirt and bra a little while after that. You know? - I glanced over at Nick. He was trying to contain his excitement but was doing a pretty poor job of it. I covertly glanced down at his crotch, and clearly he was anticipating quite a show. Sophia turned to Nick. -What do you think? - Nick was in no mood to wait. -Oh, I think we just make her strip now. Just get it over with. - -You think? - -Oh, yeah. Definitely. Make her strip now. - -Hmmm. - Then she turned to me. Looking at Nick, and now starting to realize that he was a little cuter than I had previously realized, I was beginning to get pretty nervous at the thought of baring all for him. -Kelly, - said Sophia, looking right at me. -Nick and I have decided that you should just strip right now. - -Right now? - I asked. -Right now. - -You sure? - -I -(TM)m very sure. - -Shit. Okay. - And with that, the orders began. Sophia went first. -You -(TM)ve got to lose those fuzzy slippers. - I kicked them off. Then Nick. -I think the sweater next. - I didn -(TM)t care about the sweater. I had two layers underneath it. So that was easy. Off it came. Back to Sophia. -Now get those jeans off! - Since the recliners were occupied and I had nowhere else to sit, I got down on the floor, undid my fly, and then slid my jeans off. Believe it or not, I was wearing this ridiculous pair of Cookie Monster panties. You know. Blue, with two big googly eyes on either side on the front. An old boyfriend of mine had actually given me a set of Sesame Street panties. I had Cookie Monster, Big Bird, Ernie and Bert -- the whole gang. What can I say? They were really comfy. Maybe not the sexiest lingerie in the world, but whatever. I hadn -(TM)t planned on standing in front of anyone in my panties that night. Sophia was aware of them, but Nick was pretty surprised. He couldn -(TM)t help but laugh. -No way! Cookie Monster panties? - I got tough. -Yeah? So what about -~em? - He backed off, still chuckling. -No, nothing. Nothing at all. Just a little surprised. That -(TM)s all. - Then, in a good-natured effort to make me feel better, -I -(TM)m a big fan of Cookie Monster. - Sophia said, -Turn around for a second, Kelly. Let Nick see the back. - I hesitated for a minute, and then turned. He just busted out laughing. Across the butt, it read, in big white letters, -Me Want Cookies! - Nick said, -I -(TM)m sorry, but I -(TM)m going to need you to come a little closer. I -(TM)ve got to get a better look at those. They are so awesome! - I was nervous about getting closer to him in my semi-undressed state. But I summoned my courage and walked right over to him. And there I was. Wearing white sweat socks up to my calves, my bra and tee-shirt, and these ridiculous Cookie Monster panties. -Give me a slow spin, - he requested. I obliged, playing it cool on the outside but dying on the inside. -So amazing. I love them! - he said, not at all sarcastically. After my twirl, I stood there facing the two of them, hands on my hips with my head cocked to the side. I had a bit of a wry smile on my face. I was really trying to put up a good front. If I didn -(TM)t let on how embarrassed I was, maybe they -(TM)d go easy on me. Here was hoping! I figured this was a good stalling tactic. But Sophia was ready to get back to business. -Very nice, Kelly. Very nice. Now get those socks off. - Again, I sat down on the carpeting and took off my socks. For some reason, I -(TM)ve always really been very shy about my feet. Maybe because I -(TM)m so ticklish. I don -(TM)t know. But I have always been terribly self-conscious about showing my feet; particularly the bottoms of my feet. Reflecting on it, it -(TM)s got to be a tickling thing. But they were out now. (And not to give any spoilers or anything, but Sophia is well aware of how ticklish I am -- and of how much I hate being tickled. Or maybe -love to hate - being tickled? I -(TM)m not sure. More on that later.) Next it was Nick -(TM)s turn. -Well, I guess it -(TM)s your tee-shirt next. - Alright. This was it. Once the tee-shirt was off, I was going to be down to just my bra and panties. I turned away from them and pulled the tee-shirt up and over my head, dropping it onto the ever-growing pile of discarded clothing. I turned to face them with my arms covering my bra. It -(TM)s not that it was a particularly skimpy bra. Really, it was kind of more like a sports bra anyway. So there was not much shame in showing it. I had probably gone jogging wearing it before. But in this setting, particularly in front of this kind-of-cute guy, it felt awfully revealing. So, for now, anyway, my arms were glued to my chest. I stood there and confidently said, -Okay. Job done. I am undressed. - I hoped that by asserting myself in this way, they would just say to themselves, -Oh. Okay. She -(TM)s done stripping. Next task. - I prayed they would let me keep my bra and panties. I just prayed and prayed. Sophia looked at me with a quizzical look on her face. Then she looked at Nick. -Nick, I -(TM)m confused. Did we say that Kelly could keep her bra and panties on? - -Hmmm, - he mused. -I -(TM)m trying to think. Did we? I can -(TM)t really remember. - -No, I don -(TM)t think we did. I really don -(TM)t. - -No, Sophia. Now that I reflect on it, I think you -(TM)re right. I think you said she had to get -~naked. -(TM) And -~naked -(TM) would imply the bra and panties need to come off. - -Yeah, I have to agree with that. The bra and panties absolutely need to come off. Good talk, Nick. - -Any time, Sophia. - Their little interchange was torturous. I knew what was coming, but for them to toy with me like that? They were certainly getting their money -(TM)s worth out of Sophia -(TM)s chess win. Making me stand there in my underwear while they casually bantered back and forth about my impending nudity? Come on! Plus, I was really starting to get cold. Goosebumps were forming on my thighs and arms. They looked back at me. -Kelly, sorry, but there -(TM)s no way we -(TM)re letting you keep your bra and panties on. It -(TM)s not going to happen. - I just stood there, still with my arms over my bra. Nick was doing a nice job of keeping his eyes on my face. He didn -(TM)t want to reveal himself to be too much of a perv; at least, not yet. (Although, granted, this was a pretty pervy situation for him to find himself in. Had roles been reversed, I -(TM)m sure my eyes would have been glued to his body. Checking out his muscles; the size of his pecs; sneaking a peek at his package. You know. I guess I was probably more of a perv than Nick. Okay. Duly noted.) -But before you get naked, and I mean totally naked, - said Sophia, mock-sadistically, emphasizing the word -totally - in a (successful) effort to heighten my anticipation, -let -(TM)s have a little fun first. I want to see some sexy poses. - -Sexy poses? - -Yeah. Sexy poses. You know. Seduce us with your sexy body. Let -(TM)s see what you -(TM)ve got. Let -(TM)s see your top three sexy poses! - Now look. I might be talented in a lot of different areas. But sexy poses? Not really my strong suit. But still wanting to display a (false) sense of confidence (not that it was helping me at all) and keep my utter embarrassment to myself, I did my best to put on a good show. Sexy Pose Number 1: I went over to the bathroom and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my hair as though I had just come out of the shower. I walked over to the middle of the room and raised both arms, putting my hands on the towel. I stuck out my chest a bit, put my weight on my right foot, and kind of turned my left knee inward a bit and raised my left heel with my toe still touching the ground. I thought this was a pretty curvy move. I held it for a few seconds while Sophia whistled and applauded. (Nick, on the other hand, just sat silently, still trying to not look like too much of a perv.) Sexy Pose Number 2: I tossed the towel aside and got down on my knees, lowering my chest so I was just leaning on my elbows with my forearm flat on the floor in front of me. I propped my head up on my right hand and sunk my chest down to the floor as low as it would go. This pushed my ass up into the air. I spread my knees apart, just a bit more than shoulder width and looked up with a -come hither - smile. Again, applause and cat calls from Sophia. (Nick -(TM)s eyes were starting to roll back in his head. How did he possibly get so lucky?) Sexy Pose Number 3: Still on the floor, I shifted onto my side with my bottom leg fully outstretched and my top leg bent at the knee, crossed back over the bottom leg. My left arm was laying on my side with my hand on my hip, while I propped my head up with my other arm and hand. It was your typical, -I -(TM)m waiting in bed for you -- - pose. Sophia was very impressed. (Nick was on the verge of needing CPR.) After the last pose, Sophia told me to stand up. I did. Now I was really feeling very exposed. The poses kind of hid my true self. But now it was just me. Standing in my bra and panties, hands now just plainly at my sides, awaiting the next directive. Sophia turned to Nick. -What do you think? You ready for Kelly to lose her bra and panties? - -You bet, Sophia. I -(TM)m ready. - Apparently he had given up on trying to not look like a perv. He was clearly ready to see some tits and ass. Sophia looked at me. -Alright, Kelly. You heard Nick. Bra off. - It was the moment of truth. Was I really going to do this? Like I said, Sophia had seen me naked before. So that wasn -(TM)t quite so big of a deal. But Nick? I truly didn -(TM)t enjoy being naked in front of guys. Especially in a non-sexual setting. Just being made to reveal myself for their fun. This would be tough to live down. Always knowing that he had seen me naked? I mean, yes, I had been tricked into getting naked a few times before. But each time was like it was the first. So I kind of felt like I was on fire, about to bare my breasts to this cute guy. (Sorry, but as my embarrassment grew, so did my perception of Nick -(TM)s cuteness. Not sure why, but there you have it.) Nick was now getting ballsier. -Quit stalling, Kelly. Let -(TM)s see some titties! - I stared at him. He was smiling so big, kind of leaning back in his chair just waiting for the reveal. Then I looked at Sophia. She had this big grin on her face as if to say, Kelly, you are just so much fun to play with! I gave them both the finger. There was no reaction, other than for Sophia to reiterate, -Bra, please. - So I took a deep breath, reached behind me, and unclasped my bra. I slipped out of it and immediately covered my breasts with my left arm. It wasn -(TM)t the most convincing cover up, and I suspect that a fair amount of skin was peeking through. But still, I figured I -(TM)d give it a try. Then I added my bra to the pile. Sophia and Nick applauded. -That -(TM)s great, Kelly, - affirmed Sophia. -Nice job. The only problem is that you -(TM)re covering up. Can -(TM)t really enjoy those ta-tas if you -(TM)re covering up. - I looked at Nick. He was nothing but smiles. Then I glanced down at his pants. I think you know what was going on down there. Sophia stood up, walked over, and stood behind me. She looked at Nick and said, -You ready, Nick? - He gave two thumbs up. -I -(TM)m ready. Let -(TM)s see what you -(TM)ve got there, Kelly! - And with that, Sophia reached around, gently grabbed both my wrists, and placed my hands on top of my head, with her hands covering my hands so I couldn -(TM)t move. (Not that it was violent or anything like that. I totally could have moved away if I really wanted to. But just the gentle reinforcement of her hands on top of mine was enough to keep me from shifting my position.) I was experiencing a crazy rush of emotions. I was mortified to be so exposed in front of Nick. Just absolutely on display. My heart was pounding and I was literally shaking. (He probably enjoyed the shaking, as it caused my breasts to jiggle ever so slightly.) I remember thinking how embarrassed I was. But if I was so embarrassed, why didn -(TM)t just I walk away and cover up? I don -(TM)t really know. Sophia said, -Alright, Kelly. I -(TM)m going to move my hands now, but I need you to stay just like you are for a bit. - Damn. All I could do was look at Nick who was just staring at my chest. Like he had never seen a girl -(TM)s tits before. (I knew that he had. He had dated plenty.) But he was just looking. His gaze penetrated me. I was freezing cold, but at the same time, I was burning up from the feeling of his eyes on me. Sophia went back and sat down on the recliner, leaving me with my breasts exposed, my hands on my head, and wearing only my Cookie Monster panties. But I was staying brave. Eyes front, not moving, playing my part. (I mean, look. If roles had been reversed, and Sophia had lost the chess game, you can be sure I -(TM)d be doing the same to her -- if not worse. So yeah, what kind of person would I be if I didn -(TM)t stand there and take it?) After a minute, Sophia turned to Nick. -What do you think? - -Really nice. Really nice. - An eternity passed. Then I finally said to Sophia, -Okay. What now? - -Well, I think you know what. Time to lose those Cookie Monster panties. - Of course I knew it was coming. But to hear the words. Yikes. In just a minute, I would be absolutely naked in front of Nick. I was still struggling to get a read on him. Did he like seeing my body? Was he just enjoying the cuteness of my embarrassment? Was he interested in me? (I hadn -(TM)t really been interested in him prior to this. But when you find yourself exposed like this, your mind and emotions can do funny things.) Then I started getting self-conscious. Maybe Nick was interested in Sophia and not in me at all. And that started to kind of bug me. I mean, I felt that would have been even more degrading for some reason. Not logical at all. But just being honest. Sophia asked me, -Now Kelly, do you want to take them off yourself, or do you want me or Nick to do it for you? - I moved my hands down and started to cover my breasts again, but Sophia interrupted me. -No, no. Hands on your head still. Just waiting to know how you want to lose your panties. - I put my hands back on my head as I thought about the options. If I did it, I -(TM)d be in control. If Sophia did it, Nick would see her with even more power over me. But if Nick did it, maybe it would serve as a turn on for him. And since I was insecure about whether he was attracted to me or to Sophia, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to have him take my panties off. (Putting those words into writing gives me the shivers all over again.) I knew I had to provide an answer, but I could hardly bring myself to speak. Finally, I mustered my strength. Still shivering a bit from the cold, goosepimply with my nipples as firm as they get, I said, -Okay. I -(TM)ll let Nick do it. - You should have seen his face. He was shocked and thrilled. Maybe even honored a bit. What happened next was really cute. He started to stand up and then immediately realized he had this enormous erection in his pants. So he tried to casually reach his hand into his pocket to reposition himself. Sophia and I both noticed. We shared a glance and a smile about it, but didn -(TM)t say anything. Once adjusted to his satisfaction, Nick walked over to me. It happened in slow motion. And I was wondering how he was going to do it -- Would he be standing or kneeling? I was hoping he would be standing. That would at least keep his face just a bit further from my lady parts. Kneeling would have been awfully intimate. (I know. Yes. Things were already pretty intimate. Thank you for pointing that out. So kind of you.) Would he go from the front or the back? I was hoping from the back. Better for his first view to be of my ass than my privates. I had a nice ass. But my privates? I was always self-conscious about being seen there up close. So yes, I was hoping for standing up from the back. What would it be? What would it be? He approached. He stopped in front of me. -Hi, Kelly, - he said. What the hell is this? We -(TM)re making small talk now? Let -(TM)s just get it over with, dude! He continued, -I just want to make sure that you -(TM)re okay with me taking off your panties. - How sweet. Sophia had had enough. -Yes. She -(TM)s okay with it. She agreed to do whatever we say all night. Just strip her panties off! - Nick looked at me. His smile said two things at once. It said, Kelly, you are my friend, and I feel bad about taking off your panties. But it also said, Kelly, I can -(TM)t wait to see you standing there totally naked for me. I -(TM)m going to take a good look, embarrass the shit out of you, remember this for a long time, and beat off to it for the rest of my life. So thank you for that. Then, the worst of all possible scenarios. He kneeled down in front of me and grabbed onto my waistband. He looked back at Sophia. -Now? - -Yes, Nick. Now. - With all my contemplating about his position, I hadn -(TM)t stopped to consider his pace. Would he just whisk them down quickly or would he torment me by slowly lowering them bit by bit? I sure was hoping for speed. The anticipation was growing and was making me quiver even more. My jiggling breasts were now just in front of his face. He paused for a moment to take in the view. Please make it quick. Please make it quick. Then, still down on his knees in front of me, he looked up, finding my face between my breasts, and said, -If you don -(TM)t mind, I -(TM)m going to take my time with this. No reason to rush. After all, we -(TM)ve got until midnight. - He shot me a friendly grin. I can -(TM)t say for sure if the look on my face expressed -You are shitting me! - or not, but that -(TM)s certainly how I felt. I had to stand there, hands on my head, while my kind-of-cute guy friend was going to take his sweet time removing my last remaining garment. I looked over at Sophia and said, -You are going to pay for this. - She just smirked back, saying, -Hey. I won fair and square. Better brush up on your middle game! - Meanwhile, Nick was surveying my panties. -Sorry, Kelly, - he said. -I -(TM)m just trying to figure out if it -(TM)s better to take them off by holding them at the waistband or by pulling from the bottom. - He moved his hands and fingers into position at the various options as he attempted to determine the optimal approach. I looked down at him. My patience was growing thin. -Listen, if you -(TM)re going to take them off, then take them off. I don -(TM)t care how you do it. - He paused and looked back at Sophia. -She says she doesn -(TM)t care how I do it. - -Interesting. Well that opens up a lot of options. - What the hell was she talking about? Options? Oh shit. -What do you mean, -~options? -(TM) - Nick asked, genuinely curious. Sophia stood up and walked over to join us in the middle of the room. -Well, if she doesn -(TM)t care how you do it, I have an idea. - -What -(TM)s your idea? - he asked. He really was dying to know. (As was I.) Sophia paused and kind of grinned at me. -I say we tie her hands to the bed first, and then take her panties off. - I objected. -Now come on, Sophia. Tie me to the bed? Really? - She looked at me. -Hey. The deal was whatever we say. Well, that -(TM)s what we -(TM)re saying. Right, Nick? - Judging by Nick -(TM)s wide-eyed expression, he seemed to be a big fan of the idea. -I -(TM)m not going to argue with that plan. Sounds good to me. - Honestly, I didn -(TM)t mind being tied up to have my panties removed. It was just the inevitable tickling that I wasn -(TM)t looking forward to. I am a fucking tickle magnet. Especially when I -(TM)m tied up. (Which for some reason seems to happen more than you would think it should.) Sophia was all business. -Okay then. It -(TM)s settled. We tie her hands to the bed and then relieve her of those ridiculous Cookie Monster panties. - She looked at me. -Believe me, Kelly. You -(TM)ll look better without them, - and she gave me a playful smack on the ass. Nick stood up and turned to Sophia. -Okay, though. Before we go back to the bedroom, I have a request. - He walked back to his recliner and motioned for Sophia to have a seat as well. She did. He looked back at me, still with my hands on my head, just waiting for the next degrading prompt. -Well, Kelly, since you are wearing those adorable Cookie Monster panties, I thought it might be fun for you to sing -~C is for Cookie. -(TM) Okay? - Nudity aside, I -(TM)m not so sure Nick really wanted to hear me sing anything. I don -(TM)t exactly have perfect pitch. But okay. -Really? - I asked. -Really, - he said. -Whenever you -(TM)re ready. - Okay. Well here we go. It -(TM)s his funeral. He -(TM)s not going to be able to unring this bell -- C is for cookie, that's good enough for me. C is for cookie, that's good enough for me. C is for cookie, that's good enough for me. Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C. Sophia and Nick applauded and cheered. -Encore! Encore! Sing it again! - Damn them both. C is for cookie, that's good enough for me. C is for cookie, that's good enough for me. C is for cookie, that's good enough for me. Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C. Again, they cheered wildly. Then Sophia shouted, -To the bedroom! - Nick seconded her. -To the bedroom! - So in we marched, me leading the way, still with my hands on my head, followed by Nick and Sophia who were now singing -C is for Cookie - for themselves. I don -(TM)t think it had ever taken me this long to get a pair of panties off. Good heavens! As I arranged myself on the bed, I paused and looked at Sophia and then at Nick. -Now no funny business. I -(TM)m trusting you. I -(TM)m not kidding. - They promised there would be no funny business. They knew exactly what I meant and they knew I was serious. But I trusted them completely. Otherwise, none of this would have been happening in the first place, believe me. I was not concerned. (At least, not concerned about that.) I stretched my arms above my head, out to the bedposts. I suddenly felt significantly more exposed than before. I mean, it -(TM)s bad enough to be standing naked in the living room. But to be tied naked to the bed? That -(TM)s like a whole different thing. At the same time, though, it was a little warmer in the bedroom, thanks to a small space heater that I had been running. So that was a silver lining. (I mean, it -(TM)s the little things in life. Right?) They wasted no time securing my wrists to the bedposts, using a couple of winter scarves. They stood above me as my heart pounded. I had forgotten for a moment, but it was now hitting me. Yes. I was about to be completely naked in front of Nick. I wouldn -(TM)t have predicted that 90 minutes ago. But it was now a certain reality to be reckoned with. They were just standing there looking at me for what felt like forever. Finally I blurted out, -Please, already. Can we please get this over with? - Sophia looked at Nick. -What do you think, Nick. Do you think Kelly has suffered enough? - Nick looked at me, finally discovering the boldness to actually gawk at my breasts for a moment. Man. His pants must have been soaking wet with precum. They must have been! I tried to snap him out of it. -Eyes up here, buddy. Eyes up here. - He was a little embarrassed. -Right. Sorry. Of course. - And once again, Sophia was tired of the stalling. -Listen, Nick. Are you going to take her panties off or not? - -Yes, Yes. Sorry. - He moved next to me and got in position. He grabbed my panties with both hands and started to pull. I had to close my eyes. I just couldn -(TM)t look at him as he took them off. It was simply too much. I counted to 30 in my mind. By the time I got to five, I felt the cool air on my privates. By 10, I felt my panties down above my knees. It took all the way until 20 until they were at my calves. And yes, sure enough, by 30, they were down to my feet and off. I opened my eyes. Nick was speechless, standing at the foot of my bed, my dear blue panties casually dangling from his forefinger. Yes, this was his lucky day. He couldn -(TM)t help but ogle me up and down. Head to toe. But okay. Fair is fair. I would have done the same thing to him. So I laid there and took it, not interrupting his fun. But something started to come over me as I laid there. As I alluded to earlier, I really feel funny about people seeing my bare feet. Particularly the bottoms of my feet. Maybe it -(TM)s the fear of being tickled. I don -(TM)t know. But with my entire body completely exposed, if I had been offered a towel or something, I would have covered up my feet. Boobs? Whatever. Privates? Whatever. But there were Nick and Sophia, just standing there at the end of the bed, staring at me with an unobstructed view of my soles. It got to be more than I could take! I had to bend my knees and put my feet flat down on the bed. Even though it meant I was going to give them an unhindered view of my privates. I didn -(TM)t care. I couldn -(TM)t take them looking at my feet for one more second! Finally, Sophia spoke. -Alright. Well, it -(TM)s 9:05. We -(TM)ve got two hours and 55 minutes till midnight. - She looked at Nick. -Any ideas? - She reached out her finger and, for just a brief second, lightly tickled my ribcage. I squirmed and squealed. This was going to be a long three hours -- Whatever We Say Until Midnight (Part 2) So there I was, stark naked, laying on the bed, with my hands tied above me. My primary concern was hiding the soles of my feet. I just couldn -(TM)t handle Nick and Sophia looking at my soles. I know it doesn -(TM)t make any sense. But we -(TM)ve all got our little things. Sophia was so pleased. I mean, she and I were good friends. And this was all in fun. But she was truly relishing this opportunity to push my boundaries (albeit in a playfully sadistic way). -You know, Nick, - mused Sophia, -now that her panties are off, there -(TM)s no reason we couldn -(TM)t tie her feet to the bed too. You know what I mean? It -(TM)s like it would be silly not to. Don -(TM)t you think? - I looked at her. -Sophia! Come on! Really! - Nobody seemed to hear me. -Well, Sophia, - thought Nick, -I guess you -(TM)re right. I mean, like you said, now that her panties are off, there -(TM)s no reason not to. - -Exactly. - So nice that they were in agreement. Now between you and me, this was my worst nightmare. I don -(TM)t mind so much having my hands tied. (Sounds crazy, I know.) But my feet? Again, I can -(TM)t explain it. But lying down with my ankles tied just means my soles are open to the world. It -(TM)s really a lot to take. If I were standing up and my feet were tied, maybe it -(TM)s not so much of a big deal. My soles wouldn -(TM)t be exposed. But on the bed? I mean, they are right there, just inviting Nick and Sophia to look at them -"and worse, to tickle them. It makes me quake just thinking about it. But that was of no concern to them. Before I knew it, they were back with more winter scarves. Sophia stepped right up to the foot of the bed and started to wrap one of the scarves around my right ankle. Just the touch of the scarf on my skin made me wriggle a little. She looked at Nick. -What do you think, Nick? Feet together? - She grabbed both my ankles and put them together near the center of the footboard. -Or spread eagle? - She spread my legs apart so she could demonstrate the options for Nick. As if he needed a visual aid to understand what -spread eagle - meant. Well, I was sure hoping for feet together. Hoping... Hoping... Hoping -- -Spread eagle. Definitely, - announced Nick. Shit again. Shit. Shit. Shit. They wasted no time tying my ankles to the small knobs at the ends of the footboard. And there I was. All splayed out. All naked. And all embarrassed. (I know. You -(TM)re thinking, Look, Kelly. You -(TM)ve already sung -~C is for Cookie -(TM) wearing nothing but your panties. You -(TM)ve already been stripped of your panties while your hands were tied to the bed. And now you -(TM)re saying you -(TM)re embarrassed? Aren -(TM)t you over it by now? Come on! Well, you see how you react if this were to happen to you. I -(TM)m pretty sure that your embarrassment would hang around for a decent while. So no judging, please. I -(TM)ll be embarrassed if I want to be. In all seriousness, don -(TM)t forget that I really couldn -(TM)t stand being naked in front of anyone. Even for a minute. So to be tied up like this? Yes, if Sophia was pushing my boundaries, she was doing a damn fine job of it.) Trying to laugh it off, I said, -Okay, guys. You got me. All tied up and naked. Well, you -(TM)ve had your look. I think it -(TM)s time to get dressed now. - -I have an idea for a game, - Sophia exclaimed, excitedly. Why does nobody ever hear me talking? -Great. What -(TM)s the game? - asked Nick, a little too eagerly. -Truth or Truth, - announced Sophia, smiling widely. -Truth or Truth? - I looked up and asked from my restrained position. Sophia looked at me. -Simple. We ask you questions. Like, really horrible, personal questions. And you answer them. But if we think you -(TM)re lying, you get tickled. - -If you think I -(TM)m lying? - -Yeah. It -(TM)s our call. - -That doesn -(TM)t really seem fair. - -Life -(TM)s not fair. - -No. It -(TM)s not. - Well shit. -Truth or Truth. - Who ever heard of such a game. But apparently it was going to be the next event. -I -(TM)ll get things going, - said Sophia. -First question. Where are you most ticklish? - Man. She really wasn -(TM)t wasting any time getting to the good stuff, was she? I thought for a second. -Elbows. Definitely elbows. - Sophia looked at me and then over at Nick. -She -(TM)s lying, - she said to Nick. -You -(TM)re lying, - she said to me. -That -(TM)s one minute of tickling. - And so it began. They walked to the sides of the bed, leaned over, and simultaneously went to work on my armpits and sides. Damn, those scarves are strong! I shouted through my laughs and screams, -Okay! Okay! Not elbows! Please stop! Yes, I was lying. PLEASE STOP! - They stopped. Sophia looked at me, hands on her hips. -So where, then? - There was no way I was going to give up my actual secret tickle spot. No fucking way. Not while I was tied naked to the bed. I figured, I -(TM)ll lie and act like it tickles. Now look, I am pretty much ticklish everywhere except my elbows. So whatever I said next wouldn -(TM)t be a total lie. It just wouldn -(TM)t be my crazy worst tickle spot. I paused and then confidently announced, -Hips. - Sophia looked at me suspiciously. -Hips? - -Yes. Absolutely. Hips. - It -(TM)s 100 percent true. Kind of. My hips were pretty damn ticklish. But at least I could endure it there. I -(TM)d still be able to breathe and I wouldn -(TM)t pee the bed. So there was that. They each took a hip. It really did tickle. But it wasn -(TM)t unbearable. I thrashed around (some real and some fake) and screamed and laughed (some real and some fake) to try to give them a show. This had to look legit or I was in for it. After about 20 seconds, Sophia stopped. She looked at Nick. -Stop tickling her. She -(TM)s faking. - -What? - asked Nick. (I -(TM)ll admit, as cute as he was, he was pretty clueless. Pretty much just following Sophia -(TM)s lead. Of course, maybe that -(TM)s all he could do. I mean, if he started coming up with games where they would touch my body, well, he -(TM)d pretty much be revealing himself to be a perv. And I guess he just didn -(TM)t want to go there. Not yet, anyway.) Sophia studied me up and down. She affirmed her hypothesis. -Yeah. She -(TM)s faking. - Nick looked at my naked body as I was still squirming in the aftershock of the hip tickling. -I don -(TM)t know. Seems pretty real to me. - -Yeah. Well maybe. Partly real. And partly fake. - She looked at me. -I say you -(TM)re lying. That -(TM)s one more minute. - -I -(TM)m not lying! I -(TM)m not lying! - They each went back to work on my armpits and sides. And this wasn -(TM)t that sort of pleasant, light, sensual tickling. No. This was that deep-muscle, shake-the-bed tickling. Now look. I -(TM)ve been ticklish (and tickled) my whole life. I -(TM)ve gotten used to it in some ways. Like I said earlier, I -(TM)m a tickle magnet. But Sophia and Nick really seemed to have a knack for making me squirm and scream. I tried to hold out, but I was broken. -Okay! I was lying! I admit it! Stop! I admit it! I was lying! - They stopped and looked at me. Sophia leaned down and put her face in mine. -Okay, Kelly. I -(TM)m going to ask one -- more -- time. Where, dear Kelly, are you most ticklish? I closed my lips tight. Was I actually going to tell them? Was I going to reveal my secret crazy tickle spot? I paused and then I squinched up my face. Eyes shut tight. Lips pursed. Then, barely opening my mouth, I said (in a quiet, high-pitched, and nervous voice), -The upper-inside part of my thigh. - Then I immediately shut my entire face and just flexed and braced my whole body for impact. I waited and waited and waited. Nothing. Finally, I warily and slowly opened one eye just a teeny-tiny bit so I could see what was going on. Sophia was right in front of my face. She lifted her hand and moved it above my upper-inner thigh. -You mean -- right -- here? - -FUCK! YES! FUCK! NO! STOP! COME ON! COME ON! COME ON! PLEEAASE!!! - But oddly, for some reason, they didn -(TM)t stop when I asked. Can you believe it? Well, look. They tickled me there for at least an hour. (Okay. Maybe 90 seconds.) Finally, Nick showed some initiative and said, -Sophia, I think that -(TM)s good. - Why he suddenly felt pity on me, I didn -(TM)t know. But then I realized there was method to his madness. And pity had nothing to do with it. -I have the next question for Truth or Truth, - he said, oh so proudly. -Excellent. Lay it on us, - Sophia said. Nick looked at me and asked his question. -Which one of us do you want to play with your nipples? Me, Sophia, or both of us? I looked at him, kind of surprised. Pretty bold question. -Um, neither? - -I don -(TM)t remember giving that as a choice. - He looked at Sophia. -Did I offer -~neither -(TM) as a choice? - She replied, -Nope. I didn -(TM)t hear it. - Nick looked back at me. -Sorry. I don -(TM)t think -~neither -(TM) was one of the options. So again, who do you want to play with your nipples? Me, Sophia, or both of us? - In case you -(TM)re not familiar with the phrase -pushing boundaries, - this scenario was the very definition of it. Testing the waters, going deeper and deeper, ever so slowly, just to find out how far you are willing to go. What is easy, what is tolerable, what is painful, and what will you simply not do? And to be perfectly honest, I think that -(TM)s really at the heart of why I would find myself in so many of these naked situations. Always with friends. And always safe. But still, I -(TM)d find myself (put myself?) in these situations more than most other people would. Why? Because I liked pushing my boundaries. These were things that I would never in a million years bring on myself. But if someone else was there -- someone who I trusted and who cared about me -- and they were the one -calling the shots, - it somehow became possible to go a little further than I would have on my own. And that was a very good feeling. I also want you to know (primarily because I -(TM)ve received more than one DM about this), that yes, I always had a safe word. Absolutely nothing was going to happen if I truly didn -(TM)t want it to. But at the same time, there were these kind of borderline activities where it was simultaneously fun and terrifying to push my boundaries. So back to the question at hand. I thought about it. Did I actually want Nick playing with my nipples? That may have been pushing things too far. At least at this point in the night. I -(TM)m not saying never. But I wasn -(TM)t there yet. Sophia on the other hand, I felt I could tolerate. To be honest, I had never been touched intimately by another woman before. It wasn -(TM)t my thing (and would never be my thing.) But nipples only? I could deal with that. At least I thought I could. Now you should know (and I should have thought of this before agreeing to it), my nipples are really sensitive. I think more so than for most women. (I really wouldn -(TM)t know, though. It -(TM)s not something I ever discussed with anyone.) But when a guy would lightly caress my nipples, it would pretty much instantly get me in the mood and I would need to be touched down below almost right away or I would go nuts. So this was going to present a bit of a problem. -If I have to choose, - I said, -and no offense, Nick, I -(TM)m going to have to go with Sophia. - Nick hid it well, but he was indeed disappointed. He wanted some nipple action. And Sophia, I think, was surprised. She probably would have picked Nick. But I just wasn -(TM)t comfortable with that. So she stepped up to the plate. She climbed up onto the bed and kind of sat down between my legs, facing me. She moved her fingers up above my chest so they were just hovering a couple of inches above my nipples. She looked over at Nick. -How long are we doing this for? - -Not sure. We -(TM)ll see how it goes. - He looked at me and smiled. It was a friendly smile. Or as friendly as a smile can be in this crazy situation. Sophia asked Nick, -Ready? - (Why she asked Nick instead of asking me, I truly don -(TM)t understand. After all, they were my nipples!) -Ready, - he said. And with that, her fingers descended. She just started playfully caressing my nipples with her fingertips. It felt soooo good. I mean, really amazing. Her fingers were warm and soft. The touch instantly filled my entire being, mind, soul, and body, with heat and pleasure. But then it happened. After about 15 seconds of the nipple caressing, I felt a serious tingling down in my nether regions. I was on fire. And I needed someone to address that fire. And pronto. She kept caressing. She -(TM)d do this thing where she would line up her finger tips and kind of cascade them across my nipples. I was moaning and squirming. I thought I was going to explode. I really needed to be touched. I mean, I needed to be touched. But with my hands and feet tied, I couldn -(TM)t even rotate myself into position where I could kind of rub on the bed. I tried to scoot down a bit so I could rub against Sophia -(TM)s leg. But she saw what I was doing and she pulled back. -None of that, Kelly, - she teased as she pulled away. -Ooohhh, - I said. -I really can -(TM)t take this. Someone is going to have to touch me. - She put on a sultry, tormenting voice. -Oh, but I don -(TM)t think so, Kelly. I -(TM)m having far too much fun playing with your beautiful nipples. I couldn -(TM)t possibly be bothered with anything else. - I started thrusting my mid-section up as high as I could go. Hoping, just hoping that it would make contact with something. Anything. Anything at all. But all it found was the cruelly unsatisfying air. Sophia looked over at Nick. -Nick, would you be a dear and bring me something to read? I -(TM)m going to be here a while. - My eyes closed -"and my body still writhing in pleasure from the nipple torture and in agony from the lack of touch down below, I called out to Nick. -Nick, I (moan) need you to do something for me. It -(TM)s very (moan) important. - -What -(TM)s that, Kelly. - -I need you to go over (moan) to my dresser. Open the second drawer. - He did. -Under the pile of tee-shirts, you -(TM)ll find (moan) a pink vibrator. Do you (moan) see it? - He lifted the vibrator out of the drawer and held it up. -This? - -Yes. That. Now listen. And this is (moan) very important. I need you to bring that vibrator (moan) over to me. Do you understand? - Nick couldn -(TM)t believe what he was seeing (and what he suspected he might soon be involved with). He wasted no time heading over to the bed, holding the vibrator. Sophia, meanwhile, was doing an amazing job of not laughing at me. But she sure was smiling. -Now Nick, - I continued, -at the base of the vibrator, you -(TM)ll (moan) see two bumps. I need you to press the one that -(TM)s closer to the base. - He did. I heard the magnificent purr of the vibrator on it -(TM)s lowest setting. Just the sound of it was making me wetter than I had been in weeks. -Okay. And now listen very (moan) carefully. Do you see that little tube on my nightstand? - He picked up a little tube of lubricant. -This one. - -Yes. That (moan) one. I need you to put a little bit of what -(TM)s in that tube onto the vibrator and kind of (moan) rub it around. Can you do that for me, Nick? - He fumbled around a bit, but got the job done without too much delay. -That -(TM)s great, Nick. - Meanwhile, Sophia had put a little bit of saliva on her fingers, causing them to just glide over my nipples. To say it was driving me wild really does a disservice to Sophia -(TM)s talent. I was about to lose it. Just lose it. -Now Nick, I need you to bring that vibrator over to me (moan) and just kind of touch it gently right between my legs. Could you please do that for me? - This was Nick -(TM)s lucky day. You should have seen his eyes light up. I mean, wow. Crazy. Nick didn -(TM)t hesitate to make his way over, holding that vibrator inches from my lady parts. But shit. Wouldn -(TM)t you know it -- -Nick, - said Sophia, -I don -(TM)t think you should be doing that. Kelly is really enjoying the nipple treatment right now. We don -(TM)t want to ruin it for her. - -No really, Sophia, - I implored. -It won -(TM)t ruin it. It won -(TM)t. Not in the least. - -I don -(TM)t know, Kelly. I think it might distract you from your nipples. And I think that -(TM)s where you need to stay focused for a bit. - She took the vibrator out of Nick -(TM)s hand. -So I -(TM)m just going to set it down for a minute. - WHAT??? She heartlessly took that vibrator, still humming it -(TM)s exquisite hum of bliss, and set it down on the bed, right between my legs, but not touching me. Damn! Damn! Damn! Come on!!! Shit! I would have rather endured another hour of tickling. This was pure torture. She was relentless with the nipples. So soft. And so warm. Little circles. Gliding across. I thought I was seriously going to lose my mind. And try as I might, I couldn -(TM)t maneuver my body to come in contact with the vibrator. So close and yet so far. And don -(TM)t think I wasn -(TM)t giving it my all. How are these scarves possibly so strong!?! Sophia said to Nick, -Hey, pull up a chair. I think we -(TM)ll be here for a while. - Nick grabbed the wooden chair that was over by my desk and pulled it up next to the bed. He was facing me with a perfect view of my writhing, naked body. -So Nick, - she said, as she causally continued to gently caress my nipples, -how are things going? - Damn it. They were just happily making small talk while she was denying me my precious vibrator, still buzzing and humming only centimeters from where I needed it most. They talked about work. About the weather. About plans for next week. All the while, she was relentlessly teasing my nipples. Small little circles. Adding a little saliva when needed to assist with the gliding sensation. Running her fingertips from side to side. I burst out. -PLEASE. I CANNOT TAKE THIS. PLEASE. GIVE ME THAT DAMNED VIBRATOR! - They paused their conversation. Sophia looked at me. -Shhh, Kelly. Can -(TM)t you see that Nick and I are talking? - And they went back to their small talk. I on the other hand, intensified my writhing and pulsing. But there was no satisfaction to be found anywhere. After what could have been days of this brutal agony, I pleaded, -Sophia. Good heavens. You have got to help me. - She didn -(TM)t stop caressing my nipples. But she did look at me and say, -Alright, Kelly. Alright. You -(TM)ve been a good girl. I -(TM)ll tell you what. I -(TM)ll give you the vibrator. But I need you to do something for me. - -Anything. ANYTHING! - -You -(TM)ve got to extend our deal to 3:00 am instead of midnight. - -What??? - -That -(TM)s right. I -(TM)ll give you the vibrator. And yes, I -(TM)ll make it worth your while. I promise. But in return, you have to do everything -- and I mean everything -- that Nick and I say until 3:00 am this morning. - -3:00 am? - -That -(TM)s right. - She looked at her watch. That -(TM)s roughly four hours from now. - -Four hours? - She continued to be unyielding with the nipples. -That -(TM)s right, - she smiled. -Four hours. - I thought. Still writhing and squirming uncontrollably, I said, -Okay. You win. But I get to be untied. - Sophia countered, -We -(TM)ll untie you at midnight. That -(TM)s about an hour from now. - -And no tying me back up. - -Maybe. But no promises. - FUCK! Was I going to accept this dreadful offer? I think I was. Anything to get that vibrator. Absolutely anything. -Dammit. You win! Yes. 3:00 am. But I get to be untied at midnight! - Sophia was so pleased with herself. Such a shrewd negotiator. She smiled at Nick and then looked back at me. -Excellent. We -(TM)ve got a deal. - Then she explained how it was going to happen. -I think it would be best for me to handle the vibrator. I -(TM)m not sure how much experience Nick has with these. But that means we -(TM)re going to need to put Nick on nipple duty. Is that okay with you? - If it meant getting that vibrator, I would have put Godzilla on nipple duty. -Absolutely. Absolutely. Whatever you say. - I didn -(TM)t have much of a view of Nick -(TM)s face, but all of a sudden, I felt him climb onto the bed over my head. And in a seamless transfer, Sophia relinquished command of my nipples, passing responsibility to Nick. His fingers were not quite as smooth as Sophia -(TM)s, nor were they as warm. But they still were quite capable of inflicting a grand erotic torture. And then, as if a dream come true, I felt the vibrations beneath me transform ever so slightly as Sophia lifted the pink plaything off the mattress. -Are you ready, - she asked me. -I was born ready, - I said, flexing my buttocks in anticipation, raising my hips ever so slightly. And then -- heaven. Simply heaven. As just the tiniest tip of that vibrator touched my body, everything instantly evolved. The deep pressure. The breathtaking movement. I squirmed on that vibrator like never before. Sophia just held it completely still for me so I could move on it exactly as I wanted. I found every single perfect and glorious spot. Oh, and the nipples. Wow. What had been so torturous before was now so pleasurably erotic and filling. -Harder, - I instructed Nick. He was happy to oblige. -Deeper, - I instructed Sophia. She too was truly pleased to have given me this amazing gift. I wanted to make the moment last. Everything felt so incredible. The nipples and the vibrator, yes. But also the restraints. Not being able to touch myself at all and being completely at their mercy. The fused sensations of helplessness and total trust. I had never experienced anything quite like this before. And excruciating as the buildup had been, every agonizing second had been worth it. At last, I was ready. I allowed my hips to start moving faster and faster. The pressure getting deeper. The nipples being held tighter. Faster. Firmer. Deeper. Harder. This was it. I totally and completely let go. -Don -(TM)t stop -- don -(TM)t stop -- don -(TM)t stop -- - It built to a crescendo. And finally -- -FUUUCCKKK! FUCK FUCK FUCK! FUUUUCCCCCKKK!!! - Full release. Sophia turned off the vibrator but left it inside me, which was absolutely perfect. Nick removed his fingers from my nipples. I was a numb lump of jelly. I just laid there. Nobody spoke for a moment. They respectfully let me bask in the afterglow, as they say. -That looked nice, - Nick said, completely sincerely. -Ohhh. It was. It really was. - I looked at Sophia. -Thank you. - She smiled warmly. -You don -(TM)t have to thank me. - They let me rest quietly for a good long while, still squirming a bit against my restraints -- which actually felt really good. Finally, after a good long while, I came back to earth. Recognizing my return, Sophia looked at me. -Welcome back, Kelly. - She looked over at the clock. -Looks like we -(TM)ve just got about three-and-a-half hours left. - She turned to Nick. -We -(TM)ll have to make the most of it. - I just closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment.