I felt gravity tug my body downward as my rigger pulled it up.

“That’s it…” I felt them purr into my ear. “Let your body and mind succumb to that eternal, downward pull.”

I was just lucid enough to be able to warn them if my body needed adjustment, but only just. The rope comfortably kept my body in place as it dangled helplessly; the pull of gravity bringing my thoughts calmly downward.

Each pull, caress, and knot of the rope soothed me further into a state of blissful oblivion. I felt safe. Secure. Bound. Aroused.

Owned…

A buzz across the room suddenly attempted to wake me from my reverie. My hand automatically assumed a negotiated signal that told my partner “ignore it. I’m enjoying this.”

The buzz eventually subsided, and my rigger continued their meditative, sensual work. After one last knot binding my leg to my butt, I felt a soft push.

The world carouseled around me behind my closed eyes. The motion rocked me down further…

The buzz started again, and this time I awoke. My eyes jolted open. The world still spun with a dizzying inertia.

I gave my partner the hand signal for “pause the scene and grab the phone, please.”

They held the phone near my face, answered it, and put it on speaker.

“Hello?” I responded. “I’m busy, so make it quick.”

“Honey!” my mom exclaimed worriedly. “Your father’s car stalled out near mile 282! You need to go pick him up!”

I sighed. My body transitioned from bound tranquility to mild discomfort. “Mom, it’s really not a good time. Can’t Toby do it?”

“Toby’s out fishing at the lake, remember?”

As if Toby’s getting as much out of his fishing trip as I am from being suspended. I sighed again.

“Tell Dad I’m on my way. It’ll take a while.”

“Oh, thank you dear! And pick up some beer for him! You know he-”

“Yeah, I will. Talk to you later.” I mouthed a quick “hang up” to my partner. They did so, then gently lowered me to the ground.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “You were doing wonderful. I know we were both looking forward to this for a long time. We can’t even do aftercare…”

My partner dutifully sheared off the rope, understanding the hurry I was now in. “There’s always next time. And we can always do aftercare tomorrow. Assuming you’re not dead tired from the drive.”

“I probably will be,” I groaned, shaking the rope and the trance off, dreading the ten hours I was going to spend not sleeping. “Can it wait until Monday? I’ll call in sick. It’s not like I’ll be fit to work after a full sleepless night of driving."

“I’ll try to make that work,” they said. They gave me a hug and a peck on the forehead. “Take care of yourself and drive safe.”

“I will,” I said, standing up and throwing on a bathrobe. “You too.”

“There’s always next time,” they said.

I smiled. “I know.”