"So β What do you think?" said the man behind the desk, "I can phone the police and you can take what's coming to you β or you both can avoid going to prison and we'll do it another way. Although I must warn you β there was a lot of money involved so it could take quite a while for you to pay it back."
Steve looked across at his wife βboth were at a loss for words. They were in an awful mess and couldn't see a way out. Over the last year the couple had embezzled a lot of money from the company that they both worked for. Now, having been caught here they were, sat in the office of the company's founder with his two accountants, his lawyer and his secretary. It was only yesterday that they had been confronted and had resigned their-selves to being put under arrest and the shame of having to tell their only daughter that most likely they would be going to prison - and to expect the resulting scandal.
"We can pay most of it back straight away," said the wife Linda, "Most of it's still in our reach and we will sign our property over to you to make up the shortfall."
"That's not what I meant," snapped the boss sneering with contempt. "You think it's that simple, do you? Just because you happen to have been caught you think you can simply give it back as though it was a game. No, you will have to pay for your crime and for having the audacity to think you could fool me."
Looking around the room Steve saw the others smirking with self-satisfaction, enjoying the plight. They all had a reputation for being evil and nasty, including the boss's secretary who was just a girl in her mid twenties.
"Can you tell us what the alternative is to calling the police? We can't work without wages can we β it would be a bit obvious when we are dying of starvation?" Steve said.
"First of all," said the boss slowly, "Let me remind you that you can't afford to be sarcastic and arrogant. I could have you both taken to a far away place and nailed to a tree. Or maybe you'd like to take a closer look at how my men lay concrete. How would you like to become part of a bridge?"
Usually Steve would have laughed at such "tough-guy" claims β but he knew now that this particular man was capable of carrying out his threats. No one was laughing β the situation was serious.
"Sorry," he said meekly, "What are the alternatives?"
The man gave an evil smile and told Steve's wife to stand up. She obeyed and looked confused.
"You're not a bad looking woman, are you? Maybe you could help keep me amused whilst I think of an appropriate solution. I like to watch people being amusing and playing games. Or maybe you could help entertain my friends and clients. My accountants here tell me it must have been you that "cooked the books" β you must have been the brains behind the operation. It's only right that if I punish you myself that you should have to do most of the work."
He laughed and the others joined in giving each other knowing looks. "That's very fair and reasonable of you boss," said one of the accountants in a mocking voice.
"Right! Tell you what we'll do. Sleep on it and let me know tomorrow. Option one. Police β and all that it entails β go before the courts - do your time. Option two. You pay back everything you can β and sign your house over to me β and then you submit yourselves to whatever punishment I think fit. But should you try to fool me again it will be the last thing you ever do. Understand me?"
The couple nodded and rose to leave.
"Yeah! That's it β get out!" They hurried away as quickly as they could.
They certainly didn't watch any TV that evening. Thinking things over silently and independently it was a long time before any of them spoke.
"So what do you think?" Steve asked his wife. "It's clear that if we take our punishment from him it will include you giving sexual favours. We lose the house and everything. And who knows how long it will go on for? But he must have something else planned for us."
Linda looked up and offered her thoughts. "I don't think we have much choice have we? If we have a way of avoiding prison I think we should take it. It was peanuts to him but a lot of money to us and in the eyes of the law β we could go down for a long time β and after his lawyers have finished with us we would still lose everything. Not to mention that when we came out of jail no one would ever offer us a decent job. We might as well take his punishment β at least we stay out of jail. Giving him sex is not a big deal anyway."
Everyone knew that amongst the boss's acquaintances' there was a little clique of people that indulged in swapping and sex parties. Some of it was supposed to be quite kinky but a lot was exaggerated. The more that Steve thought about it, if his bosses friends did it for pleasure, making his wife do it would be quite an easy punishment. Though he wasn't sure how he'd feel knowing that his wife was having sex with someone else. It would feel weird β and maybe he'd be jealous β but he thought β an easy cross to bear.
"How would you feel letting another man use you as a sex toy?" he asked her.
"I could live with it," she answered without hesitation. The thought seemed to excite her β Steve could tell by her body language. Dangerous things had always excited her β which is why they were in such big trouble now. Maybe this would be easy β but just one obstacle remained β what to say to their daughter.
The problem was solved for them when she walked into the room and demanded to know what was going on. Their daughter, Carla, was no fool, so they decided to come clean with her. Steve started the story, then Linda took over, and nothing was left out. When they had finished speaking Carla took just a minute to offer her opinion.
"Take the punishment β giving sex is better than prison. And what will you going to jail do for my reputation?"
Steve was taken aback by his daughters forthright comments and apparent selfishness.
"You got yourselves into this β don't take me down with you."
"So you'd give your body away to keep out of jail β that's what your mother will have to do?" asked Steve.
"Yes!" she said slowly, "If I could use sex to keep out of trouble I would."
Steve looked on his daughter in a different light β and felt a stirring in his loins.
"It's settled!" said Linda firmly, "We will go for it, and hope we find a way out."