The Money Exchange (F/F)

[lanadelgagged]

It is a lazy midday in the middle of the week, and the Del Ray Mall sits mostly empty. Scattered groups of customers mill around the marbled floors aimlessly. Beyond the fountains, the light from the roof beams bounces off Lance’s table, glinting off the edges of his coffee mug. The bespectacled man sits cross-legged with a Zabriskie’s bag right beside his feet, leafing through the newspaper and occasionally casting glances at the plaza right in front of him. The sound of Aja Makani’s high-heeled shoes announces her presence most ominously, she meets Lance’s gaze while taking a seat right in front of her. Lance removes his glasses and leans in as if he was going to plant a kiss on Aja’s lips, instead, he whispers:

‘The exchange will take place in thirty minutes.’ — he speaks softly, looking at his watch.

‘You got the bag?

‘Yes, I’ve prepared it myself. Now, did you receive my message on the answering machine?’

‘No, I’m afraid I haven’t…’

‘It’s fine, let’s just go through the plan once again. You have to walk into Perseus’ and loiter about for a while, pretend you’re looking at some clothes and take them to the fitting rooms. Enter the first stall, the one furthest away from the entrance, Shauna will be in the one next to it. You can’t miss it. They told me she will be wearing wedge heels, but she has a very characteristic voice, so you’ll recognize her easily. Now, here comes the important part: the bag has beach towels, but there’s no money in it. — he reveals, while gently tapping the brown shopping bag next to his feet. — Once she has given you her bag, you’ll only have a few minutes before she realizes that we’ve duped her. There will be a set of beach towels in her bag too, remove them quickly and take a glance at the money.’

‘And then, I just make a run for it…’

‘Exactly, you are much quicker than her, even in heels. So there should be no problem. If anything goes south, I’ll be around, so don’t worry.’ 

‘Got it.’

‘Good luck, just play it cool.’

In one swift motion, Aja picks up the bag and gets up from the chair. She locks eyes with Lance before heading to the Perseus store right across the café. A stylish display of mannequins dominates the front section of the store, as Aja sets foot inside she meets the glittering reflections that light up the store. She takes a stroll across the racks of clothing, giving herself little importance, her eyes dart across the immense indoor space. The walls are a visual feast of colourful geometric patterns, the trance-inducing carpeting defines the layout of the store. As she walks past the checkout counter, the clerk notices her striking attire, locking eyes with her. But Aja is not alone; across the store, Shauna rummages through a pile of clothing while holding a brown Zabriskie’s bag in her right hand. The spectacles of her sunglasses reflect the pile of acid-washed denim. They are both oblivious to each other’s presence. 


Past the plush couches and bean bags that make up the small seating area, Aja finds a secluded section of the store with neon windbreakers. She resolves to take one of them, glancing at the fitting rooms and promptly making her way towards them. Her heels click ominously against the marbled floor, echoing on the small hallway leading up to the stalls. This draws Shauna’s attention, causing her to remove her sunglasses and chase her with her gaze. It was brought to Shauna’s attention that Aja Makani has distinctive blonde hair, so upon first sight, she knew the exchange was about to take place. Inside the fitting rooms, Aja Makani walks to the end of the hallway and enters the stall further from the door, as Lance said. Between her and the hallway is a plum-coloured curtain for privacy, as she sets foot inside the stall and sits on the small bench. The bag is strategically placed in the small opening that communicates each stall to the next so that the person on the other has a clear view of the Zabriskie’s bag, all Aja Makani has to do now is wait.

She sits motionless, casting glances at her digital wristwatch. She’s early, sitting in trepidation and going through the plan in her head once again. Lance’s instructions echo through her mind like the words of a wise man, providing a momentary distraction, her senses return, and she hears footsteps thumping in the hallway. One after the other, they grow louder. Until they finally stop. Aja hears the curtain of the stall next to her gliding effortlessly along its track, she glances at the opening and sees Shauna’s wedge heels. Her heart skips a beat. 

‘Aja Makani, it’s a pleasure meeting you.’ 

‘Shauna Saunders, well I’ll be damned… Got my money?’ 

‘Hundred dollar bills, unmarked and counted by myself.’ 


Shauna slides the bag past the opening, an identical Zabriskie’s brown bag with a beach towel covering its contents. With a click of the tongue, Aja offers Shauna her bag to complete the exchange. An adrenaline rush bolts through her head as she quickly begins to rummage through the bag’s contents. She knows time is of the essence, wasting not a single second in tossing the beach towels to the floor. 

‘What the — ?’ 

But under the beach towels, there’s no money. Instead of the unmarked hundred dollar bills she was promised, Aja Makani finds a most unusual assortment of items. She first lays eyes on the red ball gag sitting on the bottom of the bag, a pair of silver handcuffs with a key attached to them, four coils of white rope and a roll of black electrical tape. Her face contorts into a quizzical expression, puzzled by her finding, but in her state of confusion, she loses sight of Shauna. Suddenly, someone slides the curtain of her stall in a violent fashion. The silhouette of Shauna reveals before her eyes, blocking her exit.

‘You think I’m that stupid? I guess Lance thought this was his master plan…’ 

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Don’t play dumb, you know exactly what you were doing. And for that, I’m going to make you pay.’ 


Shauna leaned in and stretched her arm, gripping Aja Makani’s right hand violently. 

‘What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!’ — she commanded, fighting Shauna’s firm grip.

‘Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, come here you,’ 

A struggle ensues between them, with Aja Makani trying to wiggle free of Shauna’s grip, she kicks her legs in the air in retaliation and even manages to land a slap across Shauna’s face.

‘You bitch!’ — she exclaims, returning the strike.

So vivacious are her struggles that Aja Makani comes tumbling down from the bench and falls to the ground. Shauna finally seizes her chance. She straddles, pinning her down with the whole weight of her body. Realizing her mistake, Aja wails frantically, but it’s no use resisting Shauna’s grip. Her advantageous position allows her to reach for the pair of handcuffs inside the Zabriskie’s bag, she brings them to Aja Makani’s wrists and joins them together. A series of ominous clicks fill the small space as Aja Makani is manacled.

‘Ouch! You’re hurting me!’ — she voices her complaints.

‘Stay quiet.’ 

Aja wriggled her body and tested the bonds on her wrists, causing the handcuffs to rattle audibly. Out of her sight, Shauna locks them with the key, which she proceeds to keep in her pocket. But Aja’s struggles never ceased, all her energy focused on wiggling free, the curtain of the fitting rooms being the only thing separating her from freedom. Shauna then watches her struggle for a minute while drawing one of the ropes, fully aware that all her victim’s efforts will be in vain. ‘The manacles won’t be giving way anytime soon’ — she says to herself as she takes the coil of rope and loops it around Aja Makani’s ankles. Her legs wail in the air, but even still Shauna is able to grab her by the ankles, tethering them together. The ropes pull her legs closer together, leaving her almost no slack, she tugs on the rope, tightening it, and fastening a knot at the end. 


‘Ugh, you won’t get away with this.’

‘I said shut up, nobody needs to hear your nagging, Sweetheart.’

‘Let me go at once, you’re hurting me.’

‘Will you ever keep quiet? God, you’re annoying.’
‘HELP, SOMEONE! I’M IN THE FITTING ROOMS, HELP!’


Shauna reaches for the red ball gag inside the bag, with Aja still oblivious to her moves. As Aja yells off the top of her lungs, her open mouth presents Shauna with a perfect chance. So, with a sudden motion, Shauna crams the red ball between her teeth, forcing her mouth open but drowning out her pleas for help into unintelligible garble. Aja Makani’s eyes open wide in response to the unusual retaliation, she feels her voice being subdued by the massive red ball blocking her airwaves. Her instincts urge her to keep struggling as if trying to remove the ball, but Shauna annihilates her chances: she pulls the leather strap behind her head, the buckle catches on some rogue strands of blonde hair as the clasp locks her gag into position. Aja Makani tries to spit it out, but it’s already too late. Her jaw begins to ache, further quelling her attempts.

‘AAAAGHHHHGGGHMM’ 

‘That should keep you quiet for a while… Now, where were we?’ 

Her eyes darted across the room, it dawned on her that she wasn’t going anywhere. When Aja felt the embrace of the rope on her calves, knees and thighs, she knew there was no turning back. Shauna loops the final coil of rope on her feet, around the edges of Aja’s heels, making sure they stay in place. It was time for the finishing touches: the only item left inside the bag is the roll of black electrical, which Shauna draws and proceeds to wrap around her hands. Aja Makani’s fingers disappear under the tape, rendering all movement of her hands useless. An impish grin appears on the victorious captor’s face as she stares down at her captive. As Aja keeps struggling, Shauna picks her body up from the floor and allows her to sit down on the bench, assuming an upright position.

‘I have to say the ropes flatter your body very much, we should do this more frequently.’ — she brings the palm of her hand gently to her right cheek after the remark.

‘GHHHGGGHMMHM!’

‘I’m glad you agree with me.’ — Shauna looks at her watch. — ‘Anyway, I gotta run some errands, but it was fun doing business with you.’

‘HGHHHGGHMMMM! AGHHHMMMMM…’

But before leaving, Shauna reaches for her back pocket. She draws the key to Aja’s handcuffs and holds them in from of her captive. Aja’s gaze fixes on the silver keys, glittering in the lights of the fitting room. Shauna’s sly grin accentuates, she holds the keys still for a while. Then she tosses them to the ground, kicking them like a football. The keys slide under the opening of the stalls, out of Aja’s sight.

‘MMMMGHGHGHHGGGGGMMM!’ — Aja’s panic-infused voice makes the walls of the fitting rooms reverberate as she watches the keys disappear helplessly.

But her impish captor is not done yet, Shauna notices a clothes hanger with clamps hanging from the wall. She picks it up, examines it, then averts her gaze to her captive. She knows exactly what to do with it. Aja’s top is ripped to shreds, exposing her plump breasts. As she brings the clothes hanger closer to them, Aja Makani closes her eyes as if trying to evade the situation. But much like her prior attempts, this proves to be of no use. The clamps bite down on her exposed bosoms, sending a wave of sharp pain through her body and causing her body to twitch in reaction. Aja Makani voices her complaints as loudly as the ball in her mouth allows, by this point a thread of drool has begun falling from the edges of her lower lip. Shauna picks up the bags, puts on her sunglasses back on and disappears behind the curtain without uttering a word. Thus, Aja is left alone to struggle inside the cubicle, with no means of asking for help, and in an embarrassing predicament…


Time ticks by, with Aja making little to no progress on her bonds. As she is left alone, the muffled sounds of her voice blend with the soft music playing in the background. For all she struggled, the bonds were not giving way. She resolves that if she stands any chance of escaping with her dignity intact, she needs to take the risk and search for the key to the handcuffs in the other stalls. But she also knows that doing so will pose a serious challenge. Yet, even in the severity of her predicament, she is determined to break free. As she calculated when she walked in, there are a total of five stalls. The key can’t have travelled further than that. Her first step is to get back on her feet, something she hadn’t been able to do since Shauna laid her hands on her. As she sits on the edge of the bench, she calculates her next move, first testing the strain the bonds put on her body, then taking a few rocking motions forward to assess her stability. Without thinking twice about it, Aja Makani jolts her upper body forwards, helped by the strength of her legs. Her entire body heaves from the bench until Aja finds her balance and stands still. She quickly finds out a couple of issues with her predicament: first, being unable to remove her heels causes instability, and secondly, every motion of her body makes the clothes hanger bounce, causing sharp pain on her tender nipples. But she’s almost halfway there. Aja Makani hops about inside the fitting room cubicle and finds out that, while slow and tedious, she can make progress. 


Aja fell silent, her struggles brought to a halt. With her senses enhanced by the thrill of her predicament, she listened attentively for any sign of other people roaming about the fitting rooms. But she could hear nothing, and figuring she was on her own, she crossed the curtain in a sudden hop. As she finds herself in the middle of the hallway, in her state of distress, Aja begins to blush at the terrifyingly embarrassing prospect of being found. All she has to do is bunny hop her way to the next stall, but it’s taking her longer than anticipated. Her hops are erratic. She struggles to find her balance with each menial step. Reassured by the lack of people inside the store, she prevails and reaches the second stall. She closes the curtain behind her as soon as she could, relieved by the fact that even though she was still in distress, nobody could see her. Aja Makani stands still to catch her breath and immediately begins looking for the key. Her eyes scan the marbled floors in the hopes that the key didn’t go further, but to her dismay, the key was nowhere to be found. ‘Only three stalls to go.’ — she thought to herself, gathering the courage to step into the hallway a second time. 


Decisively, Aja crosses the curtain, hopping into the hallway. She figures that the key could well be in the next stall. So her hops became more precise, much better calculated. Aja wasn’t nearly as unstable as before. One could go as far as to say that she’d got the hang of her predicament, growing accustomed to the harsh conditions of the bonds, seizing the challenge ahead. It takes her a lot less time to reach the following stall, and once again, she makes sure to close the curtain behind her. Aja’s eyes scan the floor, begging for the key to her handcuffs to be at arm’s reach. But there wasn’t any key. She would have to keep trying. By this point, she had begun to ignore the sharp pain coming from her bosom and disregarded the drooly mess she was making of herself. This was no time for menial technicalities.


Just as Aja is about to cross the curtains to look at the next stall, she hears the faint sound of someone’s footsteps nearing the fitting rooms. Her calm demeanour suddenly shifts into an unhinged panic the closer the footsteps sound. She can hear the man or woman in the hallway, making their way across the stalls. Aja Makani leans her bound against the walls and lets it fall slowly until she is resting on the bench. She closes her eyes. She begs, silently begs the person in the hallway to notice her presence and enter a different stall. From her position, she can see a pair of ballerina flats casually walking inside the hallway. To her horror, the woman stops in her tracks right in front of her stall. Aja’s eyes open wide in horror, awaiting the worst. The woman stands still for seconds that feel like a thousand eternities, so long indeed that Aja has already accepted her fate. ‘Perhaps it’s not too bad.’ — she thinks to herself. — ‘Sure, I’ll be embarrassed for the rest of my life, but at least someone will free me…’ But the woman keeps walking. Aja can hear the curtains on the last stall sliding open. She lets out a sigh of relief through her gag, trying to calm herself down.


Aja reckons it’s only a matter of minutes before the woman finishes trying on her clothing, so all she has to do now is sit on the bench and wait it out. She calculates her next move while paying close attention to the sounds at the other end of the hallway. She doesn’t know how much time has passed, but after a while, she hears the curtains sliding. At a glance, she sees the ballerina-clad woman leaving the hallway and allowing Aja to make her next move. She pauses and waits for a while, just in case. From within the store, she can hear faint chattering in the distance, she resolves to wait until it’s ceased before crossing the curtains. Thus, the curtains slide, and Aja hops, leaning her body towards the third stall. The ball on her mouth was now causing a significant strain on her jaw, which was aching the minute Shauna shoved it between her lips. But even in the severity of her predicament, Aja Makani managed to hop across the hallway and make her way inside the third stall. Jackpot. Aja’s eyes light up upon the sight of the silver keys glittering in the golden light of the fitting rooms, they sit on the marbled floor only inches away from her. This is the glimmer of hope she so desperately needed, Aja sees her escape at only arm’s reach. She hops to the centre of the cubicle and slowly leans her body against the walls, helping herself to the floor. Once her body gracefully rests on the ground, she brings her taped hands close to the keys, feeling the ground around her. From her position, she can’t see the keys, but even under the tape, her fingers can barely touch them. Freedom is only inches away, Aja Makani tries to break the tape from her fingers so she can grab the keys. But in doing so, in a badly calculated move, causes the keys to slide onto the next stall… 


Outside, Shauna returns the jeans she was pretending to try on. Lance lays eyes on her at a safe distance and stares as he walks towards the checkout counter where the clerk sits labelling some items of clothing. Shauna locks eyes with the clerk when she nears the counter:


‘So you’re not taking those?’ — inquires the clerk.

‘They don’t fit me, but thank you. Maybe next time. Oh, and by the way…’

‘Yeah?’

‘Someone left a bag with beach towels in one of the fitting room stalls, you might want to check that out.’ — she says with a grimace...

THE END

[GreyLord]

Great short story, [mention]lanadelgagged[/mention]. Lance wasn't much help to Aja. I can't say that she didn't deserve what happened.