Chapter 14

Two Months Later

I laid my briefs neatly atop my shorts and shirt on the bed, then I stepped up onto the hanging platform;an equally naked, visibly excited Holden faced me. Melissa tied my hands behind me, her fingers moving magically fast. No surprise there: Melissa had a lot of practice tying Jana. Jana was tying Holden’s hands, while Holden’s eyes were fixed on mine. Holden was almost dancing with eagerness to get started, barely able to wait as Jana slipped the noose over his neck and tightened it. “Can I try some moves I was thinking about?”

I shook my head firmly. “There’s plenty of time for that later. This first time, I just want you to get a feeling for the basics.” Holden had remained more or less patient during the weeks of strengthening his neck enough to hold our combined weights. But now that I thought him ready for a pairs hanging, he wanted to do everything at once. I went on, “There are things that are different from hanging by yourself. Balance is a big part of it. When your thighs are squeezing mine, it’s not just so you can lift yourself. You also need to use them to keep your upper body leaning toward me. If you start to tip away from me, pushing upward just leans you back farther and doesn’t relieve enough pressure on your neck. Concentrate on getting a feel for the balance. And remember not to relax your thighs after you finish breathing. Keep them tight against mine, because I have to push against you so I can breathe. Okay?”

Holden sighed. “It’s a lot to remember. It’ll get automatic eventually, right? Like regular hanging?”

I smiled. “Sure. In a few days we can try some moves, and by that time you’ll just be thinking about them, not the process.”

Holden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then he opened them, still focused on me. “Ready.”

I nodded, said, “You breathe first,” then looked down at Jana, holding the lever. “Let each of us do three breathing segments, then bring the platform back up.” Jana nodded, waited a few seconds, and pulled the lever.

Moments later, both Holden and I dangled, wriggling at the ends of our respective ropes. I automatically turned slightly and pushed my right leg between Holden’s. At first Holden seemed to try using his left leg instead, but quickly sensed my movement and thrust his right leg between mine. I should have clarified that beforehand. I clamped my thighs around Holden’s right leg. It felt odd to be doing it with someone slenderer than Grant. But Holden seemed to have a feeling for what he was doing. I felt Holden’s legs tighten around my right, and felt the increased pressure on my neck as Holden lifted himself. Moments later, I gave Holden’s thighs a double-squeeze to signal that I needed air. As the pressure from Holden slackened, I began lifting myself up, and gratefully sucked in a few lungfuls of air. Then came the signal from Holden, so I let myself down to start the cycle again.

Midway through my second breathing segment, I sensed Holden beginning to tip backward, and felt Holden’s hips slap against mine as he tried to get his balance back. I waggled my left foot, signaling Jana to raise the platform.

As soon as the platform supported him, Holden stamped his foot on it. “Damn it!”

I shook my head. “Holden, it’s okay. Grant and I both did that a few times at first.”

Holden’s eyes flashed. “I won’t do it again. I promise. I know where I went wrong. Can we try again?”

I nodded. “Take a couple of minutes first, to let your breathing get back to normal. And cool down a little. You can’t do this when you’re mad.”

Holden gave me a tiny smile. “I’ll be okay. I’m just not used to screwing up a hanging.”

I smiled and rubbed my cheek against Holden’s, as much affection as I could display with my hands tied. It would help calm him. “This is something new, Holden. Give yourself a break.”

Holden sighed, closing his eyes once more, not speaking for about fifteen seconds. He opened them again at last, smiled, and said, “Okay.”

I nodded to Jana, who pulled the lever again.

Holden seemed more sure of himself this time. He seemed to start sensing that I needed a breathing turn, seconds ahead of my signal. I also found myself starting to sense Holden’s needs. The transitions were becoming smoother.

I felt the familiar tingling return, different from normal hanging—more intensely erotic, sharing it with another person in intimate physical contact. This was to standard hanging as lovemaking was to masturbation. It was not as intense as it had been with Grant; my fondness for Holden couldn’t come close to matching the depth of my love for Grant. But I knew, suddenly, that Holden and I would make love later. We had only had sex once before, the time I wanted a read of Holden’s abilities before his first party. This would be something different, I sensed.

On my third breathing segment, just before Jana pushed the lever back, Holden suddenly turned slightly and planted his lips against mine. I wasn’t expecting it this soon, but I’d kissed Grant often enough in mid-air to go along with the move, moving my lips against Holden’s soft ones. It gave me a second locus of arousal, complementing the one between my legs.

I stood as I felt the platform come up under my feet. Holden’s lips clung to mine just a second longer before breaking it off.

I smiled at Holden, who now had an ear-to-ear grin. “Remember what I was saying about no moves?”

Holden blinked, still grinning. “I didn’t think that counted as a move. I just wanted to see what it would feel like when I kiss Hamish while we’re hanging. So I can think about it tonight.”

I was suddenly stunned by an insight, seeing a level of intimacy that even Grant and I hadn’t reached. But Holden and Hamish would. The two of them, already two halves of a single person, will feel the degree of merging that is possible when hanging together ... I shivered as my mind imagined such an intensity of feeling.

Holden frowned. “Amy? You okay?”

I took a deep breath. “Oh, yeah. I was just ... remembering.” Yeah, I thought, he’ll buy that. No need to tell him what I was really thinking about. He’ll find out soon enough.

Holden bounced on his feet. “If I reminded you of Grant, I guess I must have been doing it right. Can we do it again? Please?”

I laughed, tickled by Holden’s inexhaustible enthusiasm. “A little later, but we need to rest. Let’s take about twenty minutes...” I shook my head at Melissa, who had started untying my hands. “No, you can leave that. Just get the nooses off so we can sit awhile.”

As Jana removed Holden’s noose, he said, “I’m already getting a feeling for it...”

I nodded. “I could tell that.”

Holden’s grin returned. “So can we try one little move next time? I was thinking I could twist a little and rub my chest against your breasts.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to remind him again that there was plenty of time over the coming weeks, but I laughed instead. Holden’s excitement never failed to be infectious. “Okay, but not until the last segment, okay? I still want to focus mainly on the basics for now.”

Holden nodded eagerly. “Okay!” He hopped down from the platform, graceful as always despite his tied hands.

That Night

I lay with my eyes closed, my skin tingling from Holden’s kiss-licks between my breasts. I couldn’t take much more without pouncing on Holden, but I wanted to prolong the buildup as long as I could.

We had my room to ourselves for the night. Shawna was spending the night with Wendi and Riley. Her hanging was just a week away.

I twitched suddenly as the seeming electrical bolt ripped through my body, the accumulation of erotic tension spilling over all at once. That was as much as I could take. I wriggled down the bed to bring my face even with Holden’s, covering his mouth with mine for a long, moaning kiss. Holden moaned as well, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I kissed my way down his belly until I found his erection, then took it in my mouth. He pulled at my shoulder, and I moved until he was able to reach my pussy. He reached down and started playing with it, his hand was wet, oh yes. We kept this up, floating together on the river of want to the eventual waterfall of orgasm.

My breathing returned slowly to normal afterward. I smiled and gave Holden a softer kiss. Holden smiled back, and said huskily, “I love you, Amy.”

Not needing to think about it, I responded, “I love you too, Holden.”

Holden looked at me hopefully. “Could you and Hamish make love sometime? I don’t want him to miss this.”

I blinked. Holden’s thoughts were never, at any time, far from Hamish. I was amazed, again, at the commitment to hanging so strong in them that they could agree to such a long separation for the sake of it. I grinned. “Of course, Holden. I don’t want to miss it either.”

One Week Later

I could easily hear the anticipatory buzz of conversation punctuated by laughter from the other side of the curtain that hid the backyard hanging stage. I finished tightening the noose around Cherise’s neck. Her skin shone in the sunlight, reflecting off the oil that coated it. Her eyes had that glow of the Big Day. With an open-mouthed grin of excitement, she whispered to me, “I just want to say thank you, one more time. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, that was two more.” She giggled.

I kissed her, and whispered back, “I’ve always considered us even. I got to room with Grant, and I owe you so much for making that possible. And don’t try to tell me again you wouldn’t have reached this show without me. You were always going to be one of the best Noosemeisters ever, and nothing could have stopped that.”

“Well then, thank you for being such a great roommate yourself the last couple of months.” She was about to go on, but her eyes suddenly widened at the sound of footsteps on the stage in front of the curtain. “I think it’s time.”

I gave her one more kiss, and whispered “Have a great show.” I jumped down from the platform and retreated to the back of the stage, taking up a parade-rest posture with the heart monitor held behind me. I was dressed in an ensemble that was basically black pajamas, with full-length pants and a short-sleeved blouse with a very low neckline. It was all in executioner’s black, though I would not be pulling the lever to hang Shawna. It would allow me to disappear into the background of black curtain at the rear of the stage, so that all attention could be focused on Shawna. Sid and Bill, our bodyguards for the show, stood on either side of the stage, standing motionless in black suits.

On the other side of the curtain, Gary Blair, the host for the party cleared his throat. The crowd gradually quieted, Gary said, “I’m glad all of you could be here today. As you know, I’ve planned a special event here today before dinner.”

He went on, “Anyway, most of you have met our guest, but let me have her introduce herself anyway.” With that, he pulled on the curtain cord, drawing it aside to reveal Shawna. The revelation, as always, was accompanied by gasps. Several of the guests had already seen her naked in bed but this was different. There she was atop her platform, a living, nude, golden statue in the sunlight. It was as if she were ten feet tall. She was stunning.

Shawna beamed at the crowd of about thirty, as the gasps and whispers died out. “Hi! I’m Shawna, and I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to hang out with all of you. But at least I’ll hang for all of you.”

As the laughter subsided, she went on, “Okay, does everybody have their numbered tickets? Does anybody not have one?” Some members of the crowd reached into their pockets, some nodded. None spoke. Shawna went on, “Okay, we’ve got three prizes to give out. The first is for part of me—any part of my body, stuffed and mounted. While Mr. Blair holds the bowl with numbered slips of paper, my friend Amy will reach in and pick one out. Amy?” Shawna turned to look at me.