"How about the hotel?" Michelle asked. "Which one?"

"I've booked a suite for two at 60 Thompson in Soho, which is near the Lincoln Center," Philip replied. Michelle had heard of New York's Soho district and knew it to be the trendy, upscale area that overlooked the WTC site. Philip, delighted the way the conversation was heading, could barely disguise his enthusiasm.

"Go on the Internet, type in NYC hotel 60 Thompson and see what comes up. It's a Michelin five-star and I am sure will it meet with your approval."

This all sounded too good to be true for Michelle's generally reserved, suspicious nature.

"What's the catch, Philip dear?" she asked, her suspicious side rising to the occasion.

"No catch, Michelle," he replied. "Let's just you and me bring our little fantasies to reality for one short weekend. Trust me."

Where have I heard that before, Witchie thought dryly.

"We have the rest of our lives to think about and remember and I am always looking for good story ideas. I hate to use the expression but, most certainly, 'no strings attached'. Consider it my way of thanking you for your collaboration in Sold , the little story we sent off to bdsmlibrary.com 's contest. I am brand-new at this style of writing; I know I may have overstepped your limits in some of the stories I have written with you and Kelli as central characters but we learn by our mistakes.

"Consider this a small token of my esteem to you, for your help and guidance in the past, and to thank you in advance for what seems to be a very interesting partnership.

"But you won't mind if I tie you up a few times? I seem to recall you enjoy being made helpless, under certain conditions, as long as trust, safety and consensus are established. It's been a long time since I was in the navy's seamanship school, which never used hemp, and I want to see firsthand how good you are at escaping my ties. Hee."

"Well, no, I shouldn't mind being tied up," Michelle replied, a note of caution again creeping in. "As long as we keep things the way you described and, of course, within limits. Now, whether I want to be tied up by you and escape, well, that remains to be seen.

"But I have given it some thought and, no, I don't think I will be able to escape your ties: you say you use square knots, clove hitches and round turns and two half-hitches and I'm just not that good at undoing those, especially on me!"

Philip affirmed he would consider her limits and requests as number-one priorities, adding he doubted very much whether she could escape the Japanese-style shibari hemp-rope bondage he had in mind to bind her in that bondage's fairly comfortable, yet absolutely inescapable positions. Safe words would be established and acted on immediately, he assured her.

"OK, let's go," Michelle said, convinced at last, her sexual curiosity throwing caution to the winds. "I'm game."

"Right, then," Philip replied, his voice steady yet enthusiastic.

"Philip, are you British?"

"Nay, m'lady; born, bred and dyed-in-the-wool Canajan ," he replied.

"Well, I gotta go and get some electronic tickets arranged for you on Air Canada from Charlottetown to Halifax and onwards to JFK and return, April 18 - 19," her friend replied. "I . . .

"What the heck to you look like, Philip? Just so's I'll know," Michelle asked, fearing the conversation would be cut too short too soon.

"I'm 6-feet, 180 pounds, physically fit, short, dark hair, ex-mil., clean-shaven, and talk with an 'Ampshire accent," he replied lightheartedly. "You?"

"I'm 32, 5-9, with reddish-blonde hair and a nose ring. 42DD."

"Sounds proper gorgeous to me," Philip replied. "Just wear that nice business suit, your cuffs and I am sure I can't miss you at Timmy's in the departures area of YHX, Friday, April 16, at 1110.

"I'm looking forward to meeting you, Michelle," Philip replied sincerely.

"Me too," she replied, dismayed a note of shyness had crept into her voice, unplanned.

Philip asked Michelle to send him a little note tonight about the Reisling and to let him know how her plans were progressing. He promised another bottle would be waiting for her in NYC.

That night, waiting in his inbox, was a little note from her saying: "wine cool and delicious. Didn't even share with Kelli because I didn't want to share your kindness with anyone. Very thoughtful, Philip, thank you.

M.

Philip was delighted as her got on the phone to Air Canada's reservations offices in Montreal. Next day, a little locator number, AF 1285 WX , appeared on AC computers worldwide reserving single seats for Ms. Michelle Murrin, from Charlottetown to YHX and on to JFK and return, April 18 - 19, 2004. At the same time, computer entries appeared in the databank at the swank 60 Thompson hotel in Soho, New York City, confirming a "double-occupancy" room for them on the fifth floor.

And a week later, Opera Box seats were reserved for Philip and Michelle at the Lincoln Center's glamorous Metropolitan Opera for 8 p.m., Saturday, April 17, 2004, the evening performance of Puccini's La Boheme, by the Metropolitan Opera Company Orchestra and Chorus - with Renee Flemming and Luciano Pavarotti in the starring roles - a world-class performance by any measure.

Philip would wait until he saw Michelle to tell her about what he expected in this performance and he quietly hoped she would be dazzled, enthralled and, quite possibly, moved to tears by the timeless story of ill-fated love, set in Paris, Christmas Eve, 1830, but just as romantic today as it was when premiered in Italy in 1898.

The days dragged past slowly until, finally, on Friday, April 16, Michelle checked through Charlottetown airport, her handcuffs tucked away in her checked hand baggage.

Shamelessly, she had forgone her underthings and quaked in her seat nervously at the sexy, new feelings under her skirt and blouse. She thought she could pick up some sexy, little items in a New York shop but that would be hours later.

Her Air Canada Jazz flight to Halifax was uneventful and comfortable and she arrived at Halifax International refreshed, excited and expectant, hoping to lay eyes on her co-author friend in just a few minutes as she walked up the ramp into the busy arrivals/ departures area.

Amazed by the busy, sound-filled interior of the huge, brightly-lit concourse, Michelle quickly found an immaculately-clean ladies' room, reached into her purse and snapped the two cuffs snugly on her right wrist, tugging down the cuff of her suit jacket over them discreetly.

Partially handcuffed, she found the coffee shop and the nearby bar easily. She strode in, her unconfined breasts undulating decorously under her silk blouse and suit jacket, sat down, ordered a medium coffee, as Philip had suggested, and placed her right wrist with her lower handcuff just peeking out of her sleeve on the white table top.

Looking down the wide hallway, she saw people coming and going. Moments later, a short-haired, tall, lean man walked erect and purposeful toward her from the western end.

In a moment, Philip sat down in front of Michelle and introduced himself:

"Hi, Witchie," he said, extending his right hand. Michelle took his right hand and shook it gently but warmly, the cuffs reminding her of their presence. She blushed slightly at this sudden, strange yet oddly familiar introduction.

"Buy you a coffee, sailor?" Michelle asked, smiling pleasantly, trying to placate her pounding heart.

'Yeh, medium double-double would be fine, thanks," Philip replied casually. "How was your flight?"

Michelle felt almost immediately comfortable in the presence of this man she had never met but with whom she had exchanged some of her most intimate, erotic details in the past several weeks. She began to scramble for words to tell him how much she looked forward to his short and longer stories.

Instead, she crossed her knees, felt her recently-ringed nipples erect through her silk blouse and smiled quietly. Her new, heavy, eight-gauge clit ring also began to itch, reminding her at this wrong time that she was in for an adventurous weekend. And this new guy, whom she barely knew, looked calm, quiet and confident as he looked around and back at her.

"The flight was just fine, thank you. Now, where do we start?" Michelle asked.

"Right here, right now," Philip replied.