This is a continuation of the story that began with Amnesty Program.
—-
Rebecca sat cross legged on the couch with Jason’s laptop in front of her, typing their daily report. She felt small in his clothes, and the sleeves fell over her hands. Jason sat next to her, concentrating on sewing the button back on her grey dress. Hunched over the cloth, with an endearingly earnest air, and she saw that he had some skill. He had matched the thread to the other buttons perfectly and she watched his long fingers do the tiny needlework. It occurred to her that his hands were strong enough to tear the dress from hem to hem. She smiled.
Cookies were baking, filling the house with a delicious smell.
“How’s that look,” he said, showing her. She thought she heard a hint of worry in his voice. He really wanted her to be pleased.
“I love watching your hands,” she said quietly,
Jason smiled and she saw his eyes flick up towards the kitchen. “The button, is it okay?”
“It’s perfect. Thank you.”
Jason’s mom, Diane, was taking the cookies out of the oven.
“Does she always make that much noise in the kitchen?” Rebecca whispered.
Jason grinned. “Decibels are an ingredient in everything she cooks.” He looked down at the thread in his хэнд. “Damn. I forgot the scissors.” He stood and went into the kitchen.
Rebecca heard his mother asking him questions in what she thought was a quiet voice.
“Where did you find her?“
“Mom, I didn’t find her- we met at school. We were kind of thrown together for a group project. She didn’t want to work in a group and neither did I.”
“So, a match мейд in heaven?”
“Come on, Mom.” Rebecca could hear the embarrassment in Jason’s voice.
“It’s about time you noticed that there are two kinds of people on the planet. You’re one kind and she’s the other kind. A girl. And if you aren’t going to make the first move, then I will.”
Rebecca set the computer aside and walked quietly to the kitchen door.
“I already did, Mom…”
“Really? How?” she interrupted, her voice sarcastic, “By showing her your calculator?”
“He bought me a cup of coffee.”
Jason and his mother both startled.
Rebecca walked over and picked up a warm cookie. They watched silently as she took a bite, unsure what to say. One of the melted chocolate chips split and left a line of chocolate on her lower lip and her chin, dark against the pink of her lip. She didn’t notice.
“And he held my хэнд.” Rebecca said around the cookie and noticed them staring at her.
“What?” she said, puzzled.
Jason pointed at her lip, dropped his хэнд. “Chocolate.”
His mother turned to find a paper napkin and when she turned back, Jason was already wiping the chocolate from Rebecca’s chin with his finger. She coughed, not used to this tenderness in her son. He quickly licked it off his finger. Chocolate was still shining on Rebecca’s lip.
“Well.” Jason’s mother said, “When I was in college…”
Jason kissed Rebecca, gently and deliberately, silencing his mother forever on the subject of girls and getting the chocolate from Rebecca’s lip all at once. Rebecca smiled as he stepped back.
“Thank you,” she said, smiling at him demurely. “That was sweet.” She took another bite of her cookie.
Jason heard his laptop bing in the other room. He had an email. He touched Rebecca’s lip once with the tip of his finger and went to check the message. He read it and then called Rebecca in to read it too.
—-
Jason,
We’d like you to do some work in preparation for tomorrow’s task. Rebecca will be doing the same preparation, but please don’t share your work with each other before we give you some further instructions.
Make a list of ten requests- things that you would like to ask Rebecca for, and that she is capable of granting. It will be best if you don’t just memorize the requests or make it up on the spot. Type them out and make a hard copy. The requests should be simple and in command form, so questions like “What is your favorite color?” should be phrased “Tell me your favorite color.”
You are free to put any request at all on your list, but keep in mind that you will be sharing this list with her tomorrow.
Meet Professor Suarez and me in her office tomorrow at 10:00 and we’ll explain the rest of the task.
Professor Denton
—-
Rebecca grinned. “I think I’m going to like this one.” She took the dress and went back to change in Jason’s room, leaving his jeans, his belt and his shirt folded neatly on his bed. She left her yellow panties in his underwear drawer and hoped he’d find them before his mother did.
—-
Rebecca woke the next morning smiling in her bed, still wearing Jason’s boxers. She knew she probably should have given them back when she changed the day before, but she liked wearing them. When she had undressed for bed the night before she stood in front of her mirror, looking at herself in them, liking how they hung low on her hips, liking how it мейд her feel close to him.
She wore Jason’s boxers while she ate breakfast, and while she brushed her teeth. After a shower she sighed and stepped into her own panties, a pair of jeans, and a white summer blouse.
Rebecca had written and rewritten her list. She had trouble picking just ten things, she could think of so many things she wanted to ask Jason for, but was just too chicken. The task gave her an excuse to be much more direct without seeming demanding.
Jason met Rebecca at the door to Professor Suarez’s office at 9:58. He felt like his list was burning a hole in his backpack. He hoped he didn’t have to share it with the professors.
Rebecca grinned mischievously. “I’m going to have you so busy you won’t have time to eat for two days.”
Jason took a deep breath. “I just hope you don’t slap me.”
“Why,” she said as she stepped in close to him and batted her eyes. “Is spanking on your list?” She knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Professor Suarez called and they entered, Rebecca first, in high spirits, and Jason following, with a touch of apprehension.
“Have a seat. There’s something I’d like to address before we get to today’s task. You мейд a recommendation, Rebecca, for another test subject for the Amnesty Program, Emily Andrews, your roommate.”
“Yes,” Rebecca said, “We told her about the program in broad terms and she seemed interested. I hope that was okay?”
“It’s not going to end up in the university newspaper, is it?”
Jason answered quickly. “No. I мейд sure she understood that we were speaking off the record.”
“Good. I’ve taken a look at her records and she does seem highly motivated and capable. She also is fairly overcommitted. I’ve talked this over with Professor Denton and we think she’ll make just a mediocre candidate for our purposes.”
“Why?” Rebecca asked, surprised.
“In Journalism, there isn’t as big a difference between educational expectations and work expectations. With you two studying sciences, that big gap is what we’re trying to exploit. We want to close that gap. She doesn’t have that much of a gap to close. She would probably work out well as a partner to a better candidate though.”
“Well, thanks for considering her,” Rebecca said.
“You’re welcome. You’re actually in a fairly good position to identify candidates for the program. Feel free to bring names to us any time.”
Professor Suarez closed one folder and opened another. “Now. With your permission I’d like to look over your lists just to make sure they’ll be appropriate for today’s task.”
Jason’s heart sank. He had been hoping to just keep this between himself and Rebecca. Their daily reports had been frank and open, even describing the nature of some of their sexual play, but it was one thing to write about what had happened, and something else to write about what you wished would happen. He dug his list out of his backpack and caught a glimpse of Rebecca’s face as she handed over her list. She was looking a little startled too.
“Thank you,” Professor Suarez said, looking over Jason’s list first.
He sat uncomfortably and watched her face for signs of shock or disgust. There was none. In fact, she could have been reading a grocery list.
“Excellent,” she said, handing the list back, “that’s going to work fine.” She turned her attention to Rebecca’s list and had a similar reaction, although Jason thought he saw her suppress a grin.
“Very good. Those are exactly the sorts of things we’re looking for. Rebecca,” she said, her professional composure cracking briefly, “Number 5 is a work of pure genius.”
Rebecca reddened. “Thank you.”
A knock came at the door and Professor Denton walked in.
“Have a seat, Philip,” Professor Suarez said. “I’ve taken a look at their lists and I think we’re ready for the instructions.
“Thanks, Sandra,” Professor Denton said, then addressed Rebecca and Jason. “Stress is a major health factor in most high-performing environments, both in and out of the educational system. Some of that, of course, is unavoidable, but we want to help equip you to avoid the stress that you can. Often, that comes by simply saying “no” to things that you will have to pay too high a price to complete. Disappointment is also natural product of competent environments and learning to be disappointed gracefully is a skill.
“We’re going to kill two birds with one stone today. When you leave here, take some time to sit down together privately and make each request on your list to the other verbally. The other will refuse every request with a simple “no.” In order to have the desired outcome, the refusal must be real and in force for at least twenty four hours.
Jason sighed deeply. Rebecca looked angry.
“There are some elements here that are unfortunately not congruent with the workplace,” Professor Denton continued, “as in the likelihood that you will each be refusing to do things that you would much prefer to do. My hope is that this will reinforce the graceful disappointment aspect of the task. Do you have any questions?”
“Yes,” Rebecca said, a slight waver in her voice, “what will you do if we cheat?”
Professor Denton thought about this for a moment. “Well, that would depend on the nature of the cheating. There are types of cheating that would probably enhance the success of our overall goals and there are types that will undermine it. I will leave it to you. Blindly following the rules of a task is ultimately of no consequence. The educational goal is primary. If you change the task, be prepared to explain how the change better suits the goals of the Amnesty Program. Maybe you’ll have something to teach us.”
Rebecca nodded, folded her list crisply and slipped it into her backpack. “Is that all?”
“Yes,” Professor Suarez said, “unless you have any more questions.
Jason shook his head.
“Let’s get started,” Rebecca said coldly and headed for the door. Jason followed, his list crumpled in his fist.
Professor Suarez sighed once the door slammed shut. “They’re ready for one of the societal norm challenge tasks, I think.”
“You’re right, Sandra. Let’s get one in the pipeline and put it in front of them this afternoon while they’re still angry and watch the fireworks.”
Professor Suarez sighed. “Damn, I wish you had been one of my professors.”
Professor Denton raised his eyebrows at her. “If I had been, I would have gotten fired.” He winked and smiled before walking out the door.
—-
“My house,” Jason said to Rebecca’s back as she stormed down the hallway, “Mom’s not back until dinnertime.”
“What difference does it make,” she said bitterly, “I was all excited, and, now it turns out I was making a list of things that are never going to happen… and they’re not going to happen because I put them on my list.”
Jason had to jog to keep up with her. “It’s 10:09 a.m. right now.”
“So… so… fucking what,” she said, brushing a tear from her eye.
“At 10:10 tomorrow morning, I’m going through my list with you again. I promise. And if you don’t tear yours into pieces before then, I’ll answer your requests too- honestly, not with some prescribed psychology bullshit.”
She turned around and hugged him suddenly, burying her face in his chest. He was startled, but he put his arms around her, backpack and all. “Thank you!” she said into his shirt, then, after she sniffed once, “you’ll be sorry.”
“Why,” Jason said, warily, “is spanking on your list?”
Rebecca laughed and shook her head, squeezed him once and stepped back. She looked up at him.
“Good,” he said, grinning down at her, “then there’s something we can still do today.”
—-
“Let’s not flip a coin,” Rebecca said, sitting next to Jason in his living room. Jason’s house was uncomfortably silent. “I’ll go first. I want to get this over with.”
Jason nodded, feeling strangely sad.
“Get me a glass of water.”
Jason was on his feet headed for the kitchen before he saw the crestfallen look on Rebecca’s face. It was her first request and he had to refuse it. He sat down again, slowly.
He swallowed. “No,” he said, “but why…”
“Because,” she said, “you would do it so sweetly.”
“I would try.”
“Tell me about your hardest crush. Include fantasies.”
Jason closed his eyes and saw Miss Johnston, his calculus tutor, leaning over an integral he had мейд a mistake on, her breast brushing his arm. He opened his eyes, smiled at Rebecca. “No.”
“Wash my hair.”
Jason put his nose behind her right ear, breathed the fragrance of her hair in deeply and sighed. “No.”
“Let me fall asleep with my head in your lap.”
“No.” Jason felt a physical pang in his stomach. He knew this was just an exercise, he knew it was temporary. His stomach still hurt.
“Let me and some other girls watch you play basketball with your friends. You’re skins.”
“Really?” he said, surprised, “That’s the one Suarez thought was genius?”
Rebecca was impressed that he had been counting, but she narrowed her eyes at him. “They’re all genius.”
“Oh, uh no.”
“Too bad,” she said, looking back at her list. She took a deep breath. “Tell me everything there is to know about your cock. Answer any questions.”
“No,” Jason said, but he raised an eyebrow at her and smiled.
Rebecca put her list down. “Does he have a name?”
Jason laughed. “I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of a name for my cock.”
“Wanker,” she said, trying for a British accent.
“Guilty,” he said, “as you well know.”
Rebecca grinned crookedly, remembering how she hadn’t cleaned his come off her canvas tennis shoe when he had masturbated for her.
“Tie me up and make me trust you.”
Rebecca searched Jason’s face as he processed her request. She saw his eyes flash to her wrists for a moment, making some secret calculation. When he looked at her eyes again, his “no” was so convincing, she thought she had offended him, but just as she felt her face flush with shame, he took her хэнд in his and bit her wrist just hard enough to leave neat marks.
“No,” he said again, looking at her ankles, calculating.
Rebecca felt like she had just taken a step beyond her control. She tried to sound calm. “I was really excited about that one,” Rebecca said, and heard her voice tight with the promise of another chance. She looked at her list. “Find and write down every blemish you can find on my body.”
“No.” Jason emerged and looked at her speculatively. She shrugged and grinned, pointing out a minor crescent scar on her shoulder. Jason covered it with his lips.
“Tell my pussy a story.”
“No.”
“It’s one of my favorites on the list,” she said, trying to convince him. “I would be exceedingly grateful…”
“It’s a wonderful idea. No.”
Rebecca didn’t look at the list for the last request. Her eyes brimmed suddenly with tears.
“Promise,” she said, slowly, “to make love to me when the time comes.” She covered her face, waiting hopelessly for him to speak.
“Yes,” Jason said, “yes.”
Rebecca snorted a watery laugh. “You’re supposed to say no…”
“I’m not even going to pretend to reject you like that. I promise.”
Rebecca threw her list across the room. She straddled his lap and kissed him. “I’m crazy about…” she started, stopped when she heard herself, swallowed, started again, surprised at herself. “I’m crazy about you.”
Jason laughed. “I’m crazy about you too,” he said, “and it’s a good thing you said it now, because you couldn’t have later.”
“Really?”
Jason nodded. “It’s number eleven on my list.”
“You only get ten things on your list,” she said, smacking his shoulder with her хэнд, “you should have seen the nine things that didn’t make the cut for my list. There was talcum powder and a rolling pin… and sushi!“
He laughed and folded his list so only the last line was visible. He showed her.
“11.I’m head over heels for you. Tell me how you feel about me.”
Rebecca beamed at him and kissed him again. “No,” she said into his mouth and touched the tip of her nose to his. She flicked his upper lip with her tongue. “Anything else you want?” She slid off his lap, crossed her legs and waited.
Jason looked at his list. “Wash my car,” he said, “make my neighbors jealous.”
“Is that one request, as in ‘make my neighbors jealous by washing my car?'”
“Yes.”
“Are these the neighbors you play basketball with?”
“Yes.”
Rebecca smiled and nodded, but her mouth said “No.”
“Tell me what parts of my body you like to look at.”
Rebecca ran her fingers lightly down Jason’s arm and rested her хэнд on his thigh. “No.”
“Find a dirty story and read it to me.”
She sighed, disappointed. “No.”
“Tell me what you would do if you caught someone having sex in plain view.”
“I have caught someone having sex.”
“Really? Who was it?”
Rebecca smiled. “My cousin and her boyfriend.”
Jason swallowed. “What did you do?”
“I won’t tell you,” she said, “today.”
“Shit. Fine. Tell me every swear word you know. Use each one in a sentence.”
“Hell no,” Rebecca giggled, “I mean fuck no. Shit. I just mean… no.”
Jason’s eyes lingered on the next request. “Teach me,” he said, “how to touch your breasts right.”
Rebecca’s breasts lifted a little, as if to begin a lesson right then. “I’ll teach you something, she said, unbuttoning her blouse.”
“But…”
“Shut up,” she said, draping the blouse carefully over the back of the couch. She sat close to him. “This bra has two hooks in the back. Feel them with your fingers.”
Jason put his arms around her. His nose was an inch from hers.
“The eyes the hooks are in are small and they’ll tend to bind when you unhook them, especially if you try to force them. Take my bra off.” She looked steadily into his eyes as his fingers fumbled behind her. “Relax and you’ll do fine. Are my eyes beautiful?”
Jason was temporarily distracted. “I love your eyes. They keep on talking when your mouth stops.”
The clasp came undone.
“What,” she breathed, “are my eyes saying now?”
“‘Look at me’ is what they’re saying,” he said quietly.
“Look at me.”
Jason pulled the bra down and Rebecca slid her arms out of the straps. He had seen her breasts before, but it always seemed like some other beautiful, exciting thing was competing for his attention. Now Rebecca wasn’t touching him, wasn’t moving. All she was doing was sitting there, being beautiful for him. She took a deep breath, and Jason watched her breasts rise and fall, handfuls waiting for hands. She picked up her blouse after a long, charged minute and started buttoning it up again without putting her bra back on. She left the top three buttons open.
“I’ve forgotten,” she said quietly, “what your request was.”
“Teach me how to touch your breasts right.”
“No,” she said, but she raised her хэнд to her left nipple and pinched it gently through the fabric. She let her eyes close and shuddered. She opened her eyes. Jason touched her other nipple lightly through her blouse, but she shook her head slightly, reluctantly.
