Toby lived alone in a two bedroom flat in the city center. It was generally unremarkable block, near his work. He had had a flatmate for a while, but they had since moved on to another job in a different city. His job paid well enough, and he could survive in this place on his own - but he had become accustomed to the extra income from a flatmate.
So, he went looking for some potential new cohabiting partners. His advert had many responses, most looked uninteresting and although he didn't need to be best friends with them, he would have preferred that they at least shared some interests (or, at least, did not have any interests he hated).
One caught his eye. Ella, a girl who worked for a small chain of boutique bookstores as a regional manager - and seemed the most normal of the applicants. When they met for a drink near his work, they got along quite well. She perched on the outdoor coffee shop chair daintily, her slender figure wrapped with a simple form fitting light blue dress. Her hair was a deep black - shoulder length - with soft brown eyes framed by black rimmed glasses. They were both into fantasy, and exchanged some impassioned opinions about various classic and modern takes on the genre. They both enjoyed coffee, which always makes kitchen arrangements easier since all they needed was a coffee filter to get by.
They discussed how a living arrangement between them might work - most of Toby's boxes were ticked. One thing that was a little unusual was she mentioned that perhaps she could provide part of her rent as "payment in kind". She explained that sometimes, through her work, she could provide things that would be of value but not in monetary terms. This felt a bit incongruous, but Toby went along with it. He guessed that she just meant something like getting access to new books early or something like that.
A few weeks later on a warm Saturday, Ella moved in. She turned up around mid morning - wearing a loose fitting, old looking graphic tee and leggings - clearly going for practical over looks on this busy day. Her friends helped empty a small moving van of her belongings into the flat: a few boxes, and a flat pack bed and bedside table. Toby helped her assemble the bed - the best he could, anyway, he had never been that great at building flat pack furniture. They eventually got it set up enough that she could sleep that night.
After getting a delivery of pizza, talking about which shelf in the fridge they were each responsible for, who takes out the bins, and a range of domestic minutiae necessary for the first day, Ella offered to bring out her coffee set and make them both a cup before bed.
"You know, I'm so glad I don't have to argue with anyone about where to put the pourover coffee kettle - the other guys I used to live with had all sorts of junk in the kitchen and they got annoyed at me for having a 'useless freaking kettle'." Ella lamented, "Now, I don't even need to get mine out."
"Ha, yeah, I've had those conversations too ... shouldn't be a problem here," said Toby.
They sat in the living room drinking their decaffeinated brews, and both turned in at around midnight. Toby slid into his room, weary from the physical exhaustion of the day and slumped into bed, asleep almost before he hit the covers.
---
Toby awoke the next day to an unusual sound. An alarm clock. But not his alarm, a completely different one. His vision was blurry - adding to the confusion. He reached to his bedside table, the source of the alarm, and found a phone. Not his phone. Where was his phone?
He smashed the buttons on the phone to dismiss the alarm. It was a basic phone - clearly very cheap. Before he had time to analyze it further, it received a message.
"Hey sleepy"
- Ella
Toby was confused. Why was his new flatmate texting him on another phone?
Another message was received - a picture. Of his phone. Unlocked.
"Don't worry, I've got it"
- Ella
How was it unlocked? He had a fingerprint lock on it.
"Soooo.... guess you're wondering what's going on right?"
- Ella
It was like she was reading his thoughts. He went to start typing, but another message interrupted him.
"Well, since we're cohabiting now, I wanted to make sure I had the upper hand. And boy do I, more than I was expecting"
- Ella
Toby was even more confused.
"You were very tired last night. I made sure of it. So tired you didn't even notice this happening"
- Ella
There was a brief pause, before a picture message started downloading. What, she had drugged him or something? The coffee. Oh, no. When the progress bar reached the end, revealed was a picture of Toby that he never wanted to see. In it, he was completely naked, on his back across his full height - including his full face. One hand was on his chest, the other was on his thigh - holding in place ... an AA battery. Next to the battery was his flaccid penis. The battery was quite clearly longer. Toby yelped and started breathing heavily.
"What a gift! I was hoping for just a few sleeping dick pics, but this is SO much better"
- Ella
"What did you do?" Toby managed to type and send a message.
"Now, this is just one of many pictures. This isn't even the best. And you know that local listing site you found me on? I traced your online profile from there. Wouldn't it be great to post these online and tag you on all of them?"
- Ella
"No don't"
- Toby
"No? Aw, but it would be so fun! Hmm, well, if you follow my instructions exactly, maybe I won't. Get out of bed."
- Ella
Toby was almost hyperventilating now. He jumped out of bed.
"Ok now, strip out of your pjs"
- Ella
Wait, she could see me? Toby looked around to see where she was watching him from.
"Yes I can see you. Stop trying to figure out how and follow my instructions or I'll press this little Publish button"
- Ella
Toby hurriedly took off his bed shirt and peeled off his pajama shorts and threw them onto his bed, now standing naked in his room. Knowing she was looking, he tried to cover himself.
"Good - now no point in trying to cover up, I've seen it all already. Go to the living room"
- Ella
Toby still tried to cover himself - being conscious and exposed was somehow worse than being unconscious and exposed - at least in the present. Clutching the phone, he timidly walked out of his bedroom door and over to the living room. As he walked in, the phone buzzed with another message. He saw a pillow in the center of the room, in front of the TV. There was also an indoor security camera set up just under it, pointing towards the pillow.
"Kneel on the pillow, facing the TV. Arms by your side. "
- Ella
Toby looked around. Nothing else was out of place. Mercifully, the blinds were closed - so he walked out to the pillow and slowly knelt down.
"Good. Stay there. I'll be back in a bit."
- Ella
Toby knelt on the pillow for what seemed like an eternity. Occasionally he glanced up at the camera pointed directly at him - it's blue light flashing occasionally to remind him that he was under observation. Hands by his side, he tried to focus on something in the room to take his mind off the situation he found himself in.
He heard the front door open with a key. It was probably Ella, as she promised - but what if it was someone else with a key? Who else had he given a key to his flat to? What would they say if they walked in now to see him, nude and kneeling in front of a camera in the front room?
Before he had time to think too much about this, Ella turned the corner into the room, looking at her phone. She was wearing a black, low cut dress with her hair tied up in a tight bun. She casually looked disapprovingly over her rims at Toby.
"Good, I was keeping a close eye on you the whole way back," she said airily.
"What do you want with me?" Toby pleaded.
"You know how we talked about rent? I can't pay it all," she stated.
"Oh...kay," Toby started to say, confused.
"But how about this. If you don't kick me out, I won't post those pictures I took of you last night online. Sound good?" she asked, clearly knowing the answer.
"Please don't," Toby pleaded.
"I can pay you something, though - I don't want us both getting evicted. But, lets play a little game to find out how much I'll give you," Ella said.
"What ... kind of a game?" Toby asked with trepidation.
"Seeing how I've already got evidence of your endowment flaccid," she said, motioning to the pictures on his phone that she had taken the night before whilst Toby was sedated, "lets find out how small you really are. I've got this app that I can put your measurements into that tells me how you compare to the rest of the population. For every percent of guys with a smaller dick than you, I'll give you that percentage of the rent payment."
