Public and Private, Part 2 by Bomur A Sue Graham story I've been to Jenny's house before, but this is the first time I've felt so apprehensive about being here. So far it's been almost a duplicate of last time, an unfamiliar voice on the security voicebox at the gate, the open front door, the deserted hallway. And like last time, I've been instructed to go downstairs where Jenny has her mats. The mats. I hope Jenny won't make me watch her wrestle again. I'm just not in the mood for it today. Just watching the Jackie's match, together with the unexpected confrontation with Jenny, left me exhausted. Even so, I didn't sleep very well last night. I've never understood how sometimes I can be so tired and yet find sleep impossible. I couldn't even do this morning stretching exercises properly. I find the stairs easily enough and descend to the lower level. Following the corridor, I hear sounds I recognise. So, my hopes are dashed. I get the feeling that Jenny likes keeping me off-balance, in more ways than one. Still, forewarned is forearmed, right? I pause before the door, taking a moment to compose myself, picturing the room I'm about to enter, and the people I think are in there. I close my eyes and breathe easily once, twice, three times. Right. I open the door and walk through. I give up. I may as well have not bothered trying not to be surprised, because at that sort of game, she wins every time. True, there's Jenny on the mat, and yes, she is having a match, but I didn't quite expect her to be wrestling a man! He doesn't seem to be doing too well, either, because he's lying on the mat with Jenny on top of him, applying an armlock. Jenny looks over to me and smiles. "Hi Suzy! Glad you could make it!" "Hello Jenny." I reply. It occurs to me that this could actually be private, for one if not both. As I already know, Jenny is involved with activities well outside of the usual League matches. This might be a paying customer. So I ask "Should I wait somewhere else?" Before she can answer, the man twists slightly, takes her ankle with his free hand and unbalances her. She rolls one way, he the other. As they stand, I have a more careful look at Jenny's opponent. He looks about thirty, near six foot, well-developed shoulders and arms, reasonably firm torso. Can't say too much about his legs, since he's wearing those Judo bottoms. Hey, that's interesting. Jenny's wearing a jacket, he's wearing the trousers. If it wasn't for the fact that both of them are wearing black belts, they'd only make one good suit between them. Of course, Jenny's got a white bikini underneath her jacket. I don't know what he's got on underneath his bottoms, if anything. "Oh, this is just a little practise session," says Jenny, "and this fellow here is one of a number I use before any really serious match. The scrawny bit of fluff you saw last night should feel honoured by the way I'm preparing to wipe the mat with her." Jenny keeps her eyes on the man while she talks. She nods at him, and he advances towards her. She prepares to meet him, but continues talking. "So what's your opinion on Judo Jackie, then?" They come together rather sharply, the man enjoying a height advantage that he tries to put to good use. He blocks her leg sweep, tries to lift her into a leg sweep of his own, but she manages a partial counter and they fall to the mat together. "She's not bad. Lisa Marie's not bad, but I think Jackie is in a different class. If she can absorb punishment and still wrestle to win, it's hard to say how far she could go. And she is fast, very fast." That's all I'm prepared to say at the moment. Deliberately non- committal. Jenny wants more than just my opinion. The man pulls Jenny towards him then twists her, so that she lays on top of him, facing the ceiling. He pulls one arm across her throat, placing his hand on the opposite bicep, and pushes the other hand behind her head. A classical application of the Japanese stranglehold. But Jenny continues talking, albeit if short bursts. "See that door to the left. There's some kit in there for you. Be with you in a minute. This won't take long." As if incensed by her negligent attitude, the man wraps his legs about her body, crossing his feet and lowering them between her legs. Whether instinctively or not, Jenny wraps her legs around his feet. I walk around the mat to the door Jenny indicated. The man arches his back and applies more pressure to the stranglehold. Strangely, Jenny's hands are resting on his knees, not on his arm to relieve the pressure on her throat as might have been expected. At the door I glance back. The man rolls to his side, taking Jenny with him, and arches his back further. Jenny says something, but not loudly enough for me to hear. I open the door and walk through. Another changing room. Now that I'm alone, my mind starts to work. What on earth did Jenny mean by 'kit'? I look around, and surely enough, I see a folded pile of clothes on a chair. I look closer, and.... Oh no. A judo jacket, a white belt and a white bikini. Now I understand. She wants to wrestle me! My first instinctive impulse is to turn around and leave. A few deep breaths and I calm down a little. Is she serious? Why me? Could I have misunderstood her? On the other hand.... I nearly beat her once. I still remember her gasping in pain as I held her in a chicken wing. We damn near beat each other to death that night. And she won. But only just. Only just. In that final hold, I couldn't hold out. I'm still not sure what she did to me, what hold she had me in. I only remember the pain ripping through my brain, making everything else that I had suffered that night seem like nothing. So I submitted. But there were time that night when Jenny was close to giving in, too. I'm sure of it. And now, perhaps, is another chance. I'm in better shape now than I was that night. Better than I've ever been. I've learned more, too, picked up a few new tricks to confound the old bitch. It doesn't matter that it won't be at the Arena, that there won't be and audience, that it won't count in the League rankings. I'll know, that's the only important thing. And Jenny will know, too. All of a sudden I want it so much I can taste it in my mouth. I start undressing. I'm in my business gear, by the way. New stuff, bought with my newly increased income. Very sharp jacket, blouse, skirt and shoes. Lewis gives all his staff a special clothing allowance so that he can insist that they look neat and tidy if the punters see them. As my employment status is limited, I don't qualify for the allowance but I did get a special lump sum. And quite a lump it was, too, considering it was all for clothes. Not quite enough for designer stuff, but more than enough for the clothes I like. Anyway, the designers don't do suits for my sort of build. Hold on. Wait a minute. Jenny has a big match in a few days. She doesn't want to get involved in any serious matches now. In fact, if Lewis knew about this, he'd probably fire me on the spot. No matter that none of his staff would have ever done stuff like this before, and that it wasn't exactly forbidden, he'd find a way somehow. But for Jenny it doesn't make any more sense than Jackie's match last night. But it's what Jenny wants, that much is clear. I'm in the mood to give her what she wants. And more. The white bikini is a perfect fit. No adjustments necessary. The briefs are a little high cut, but not uncomfortably so. Just as I reach down to pick up the jacket, there's a rather loud cry from beyond the door. A man's cry. Uh oh. I guess that Jenny will be in here in a minute. I wonder where Kelly and Marie are. The judo jacket is not a snug fit, but it's not supposed to be. The belt is more of a problem. Judo players use a special knot to tie it, and the damn thing seems to resist any other way of being tied. I'm still fumbling with it when Jenny walks in. "Found the kit then?" She's still wearing her gear, all tidied up and straightened after all that being pulled about. "Yes. Can you help me with this belt?" "Come here," she says, advancing toward me. Her forehead is damp and her hair is matted with sweat. She ties the belt with practised ease. "How did it go" I ask, as we both walk back into the main room. The mats are empty, and there's no sign of the man anywhere. "What?! Oh, him? Easy really. Men are such wimps. Can't take a little discomfort. Can't even dish it out properly. God knows what they get out of it. I mean, what are they going to tell their friends? 'I beat up a girl' isn't much better than 'I got beat up by a girl' so they're pretty much on a hiding to nothing. But they still can't refuse the challenge." Jenny smiles, and her eyes have the faraway look of someone deep in remembrance. "I assume I'm wearing this for a purpose." I hope, after all this, that I haven't misunderstood her. "You are indeed. How about it?" "I can't refuse a challenge either." I try and sound earnest. This is going to mean a lot to me, and she deserves to know that. "Fine. League rules. Let's get started." Jenny walks to one end of the mat, and I walk to the other. Then Jenny goes down on her knees, sitting on her heels, which surprises me, but I do the same. Generally, Judo matches start with a standing bow, but special matches, such as gradings, require a kneeling bow. She acknowledges the importance of this match to me in a most eloquent fashion. We bow, then sit. "Are we likely to be interrupted?" I ask. I certainly hope not. "The girls are out shopping. Won't be back for hours." "You don't have to do this, you know," I say. It needs to be said. "I can wait." "I know. She took a chance last night, and so can I. Besides, we can chat while we wrestle. That OK with you?" "All right." It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but it shouldn't cause a problem. Jenny stands, and after a second's deep breath, so do I. We walk slowly to the centre of the mat. We lock eyes on each other, and the match is on. We circle, and Jenny looks ready to pounce at any second. I can't let her unnerve me. Not this time. Even with all her experience, she can still be beaten. I keep light on my feet, ready to shift my weight if necessary. I feel a little tight around the shoulders, I wish I had done my exercises this morning, but I can't let that bother me now. Jenny stops circling and says "Good.". I stop circling too, accepting the praise. In a flash, Jenny darts forward and buries a foot in the pit of my gut. Oh JESUS how could I be so STUPID?!? Her first move leaves me on my knees, with my head and forearms on the mat. She caught me right in the bladder, and I think her toes nudged my spine. My legs feel like they belong to someone else, my mind feels fogged and I'm lucky I haven't wet myself. Christ that hurt. A voice from behind me says "Not so good.". Yeah, right. Agreed. I feel myself being manhandled (womanhandled?) upright, one arm comes around my throat, my left arm pulled into a backhammer. The voice behind me says "Hey Suzy! You quite like this one, I seem to remember...", and I feel an arm slip under my folded one and around my shoulder. Oh shit. Jenny you bitch. You're going to finish me with the hold I nearly beat you with, the chicken wing. Once your fingers are linked together, I either submit or have my arm dislocated, possibly broken. I feel the pressure go on, my head pulled back and my arm pulled out at a very unhealthy angle. I've got one chance. As quickly as I can, I bring my free hand up to where I think Jenny's linked hands are. Good, found them. Now, work the thumb into the palm. Thank God Jenny likes to bring a hold to boil slowly, if she'd turned the gas up straight away I wouldn't have had time to do this. Found the right place, now push! I hear a yelp behind me, the pressure around my throat and arm are gone, and I fall to the mat, rolling away as quickly as I can. It worked. Thank you again, God. I get to my knees and look up. Jenny stands six feet away from me, with a look of astonishment plastered across her face, staring at her hand. She looks at me, then back at her hand. Oho! She hasn't come across that one before! Goody. Maybe I can buy me some time. My stomach still feels abominable, and my legs are only just coming back to life. "What the hell," says Jenny, "was that?!" "Secret weapon." says I, feeling smug, and hoping it shows. "Is it legal?" I shrug. "Never asked." I feel steady enough to get to my feet. "If I was you, I wouldn't. Clever." She's still looking at her hand. This is too good an opportunity to miss. "Jenny," I say, "Are you hurt?" Her hand instantly forgotten, she stares at me with a mixture of anger and hatred, growls "Come here, madam!", and advances on me with murder in her eyes. Great. At least, I think it's great. If there's one thing that Jenny absolutely cannot stand, it's the suggestion she has been underestimated or patronised. I did both. Now, this has to be timed precisely, because I don't want her to get her hands on me when she's in this mood. I wait until she's almost on top of me, then I dodge a little to the side and down, then spring up just behind her and ram an elbow into the back of her neck. Immediately after, I grab her lapel and pull her into a hip toss, holding on to her jacket just long enough to mess her up on the breakfall. Beautiful. What's more she's rolled onto her side at my feet, facing me. No hesitation. I take one step back, and deliver a kick into her belly. Full blooded, no sparing of the horses. She groans. I hurt her. I step away, give her the time she didn't give me. Still, I feel a bit rotten about that last kick. It's not my style. But I want to beat her. Jenny sits up, recovering a lot quicker than I would have thought possible. "Ow," she says, "That hurt." "It was meant to." I answer. "Suzy, you've gotten sneaky and vicious. You got me mad on purpose, and you kicked me when I was down. You're learning. So," she pauses and she gets slowly to her feet. I watch her very carefully. I start to circle. "So," she continues, "do you think Jackie has that sort of stuff in her?" "Possible. No, probable." "Agreed. She hasn't got this far on just good looks. I've seen tapes of some her earlier matches. She's capable of some nasty looking stuff." Jenny feints towards me, and I back-pedal just enough. Jenny grins and continues to circle. I pause for a second before I start moving. "She's probably thinking the same thing about you." I suggest. Jenny laughs. "Oh yes! Some of my tapes will be enough to give her nightmares. And she's going to be living a nightmare very soon. I've got all of my nastiest stuff lined up with her name on it. She deserves the best for her swan song." That sounds chilling. But I feel slightly put out. "So what's left for me, then?" I ask, "Only second-rate stuff?" "Special stuff for you, Suzy. Come and get it." I know it's stupid, but like I said, I can't refuse a challenge. I know I ought to wait. I want to make her come to me. But, idiot that I am, I close on her. Cautiously, but I do it all the same. I hold my hands up, indicating a test of strength, but I've no intention of taking on Jenny like that. If I can just get near enough to grab one of her legs... As I approach, Jenny darts in and grabs my lapel, twisting her body as she does so. There's a blur of motion, and I hit the mat with stunning force. Damn. Me and my big ideas. I begin to sit up, but before I can do very much Jenny grabs my lapel again and hauls me roughly to my feet. "A little demonstration," she says, and throws me again with a leg hook. I don't hit the mat so hard this time. Unfortunately, she's standing over me as I sit up, and she drags me to my feet again. This time she grabs both my lapels, rolls down onto her back. I know what's coming but can't do a thing about it. I feel a foot plant itself into my gut, and as I'm dragged forward by my lapels, I'm also lifted clear off my feet, over her body, and hit the mat on my back. I'm getting tired of this. I'm very much surprised when Jenny doesn't pick me up again. I roll upright, and am further surprised to see Jenny on the far side of the mat, with her hands on her hips. "If this were Judo, all three of those throws would have scored points. You would have lost to any of them." she says. "If this were Judo. But it's not." I return. "No, it's not. But my little demonstration was about that jacket you're wearing. Note that I used it in all three throws." "So?" I think I see where she's leading with this, but I want to buy some more time again. That last throw hurt my stomach, and it hasn't properly recovered from Jenny's first kick. "So that jacket you're wearing isn't an asset, it's a liability. I can use throws, and incidentally holds, on you that I couldn't do if you weren't wearing it. Now in a Judo match that wouldn't be a problem, since both girls wear the jacket. But in a wrestling match only one girl wears the jacket, if it's worn at all." "So the girl who wears a Judo jacket deliberately puts herself at a disadvantage?" No use playing dumb now, she's practically drawn me a map. "Yeah. If she's good enough, she can win despite it. It's one way to flaunt your ability. Sometimes your opponent uses it against you, and some, like that stupid bitch that Jackie fought last night, don't realise the advantage they've been given, or worse still, choose to ignore it." "But when you go up against Jackie, you'll both be wearing jackets. It's all even again, isn't it?" "Me against her is far from even. Why are you still sitting down?" Oops. I feel like a kid that's been caught having a quick cigarette behind the bikesheds. I get to my feet quickly, but Jenny advances on me much faster. There's barely time to avoid her, but somehow I manage to, slipping behind her. I need to get some telling holds in, and a full nelson is as good a place to start as any. Jenny isn't expecting it. Lucky me. I've barely got my fingers linked together on the back of her neck before she starts fighting me, trying to force her arms down. But this hold is all about leverage, and I've got it and she hasn't. My height advantage helps too. I'm all set. Time to pour the pressure on. I force her to her knees, and I follow her. I twist to the side, then roll, and hey presto! I've got her face down on the mat, with me lying on top of her, full nelson fully in place. She's not getting up from this until I let her. Time to hurt her, just a bit. This isn't a game, not to me. More pressure to her neck gets her breathing hard. She's still fighting me, though, trying to flex her shoulders, bring her arms down, break the hold. No chance. I could keep this on all day. My arms can hold out. I bet her neck couldn't. Anyway, I think it's time for a little more distraction. "Why are you doing this, Jenny?" "Doing what?", she gasps. "Wrestling with me, now. You don't have to. You shouldn't, considering you've got a big match in a few days..." And big it is. I know, I helped draw up the contracts. A lot of money involved. If Jenny gets injured now, it could be costly. "Don't think I can handle it, eh?" "If you submit now, I'll understand." I won't, exactly, but at least my conscience will be clear. Part of me still doesn't believe I'm doing this. Instead of answering me, Jenny twists her pelvis under me and scissors one of my legs. It doesn't hurt, but it's going to be a little uncomfortable shortly. Otherwise strictly small change. My hands being otherwise occupied, I tap my temple against the side of her head. "You OK in there?" I ask, sounding cheerful. Jenny laughs. I giggle, but don't let up on the pressure. I try to free my trapped leg, and Jenny reacts immediately. I feel her two feet around my ankle, followed by a tightening of the muscles around my knee. I think it's time to break this up. As I unlace my fingers from behind Jenny's neck, I feel the pressure fall away from my leg. Good. Maybe she thinks I'm going to stand up. Dream on, Jen. I've got you down here, and that's where I'm keeping you. I pull my leg free and twist my body ninety degrees to hers, wrapping one arm around her head. Great. My legs are where she can't get at them, and I'm still on top of her. I grasp my palms together and squeeze her head. Odd, she hasn't moved her arms yet. Let's turn the pressure up. A lot. She gasps. This might actually be getting to her. I tighten up some more. Her hands go to my arm, but her attempts to lessen the pressure are feeble. She could be ready to submit soon. But she needs more softening up first. "Submit, Jenny?" I ask. Nothing. "Submit?" I repeat. "No." She says. Fine. I asked her nicely. What she gets now she's asked for. I pull my legs in close to my body, kneel, then stand, dragging Jenny to her feet by the headlock. Thrusting my pelvis out at an angle, I pull her over it and into a simple hip throw, with me landing heavily on her upper chest and still not having let go of her head. "Submit, Jenny?" I ask again. "No." I do it again. Pull her up, throw her, fall on her. It's got to hurt. "Say it, Jenny." This time I'm not asking, I'm telling her. Nothing. No problem. One more time. I pull her up, and.... AAAAAAUGH! An explosion of pain erupts on the underside of my ribs on the left side! Jesus CHRIST what did she hit me with?!! Whatever it was, it dropped me like a ton of bricks. I'm on my knees. Oh shit. My hands are on my side, I'm not holding Jenny any more. She's loose, and I'm a sitting duck. Got to get up. My side's on fire. My belly doesn't feel much better. My legs feel like water. It's like my body is shutting down. I get to my feet, just. I look up, but Jenny isn't there. I turn around. WHOOOF! A headbutt to the stomach was just what I didn't need. I'm flat out on the mat again. Jenny grabs my jacket, pulls me up and forward so I'm sitting on my heels, then jumps behind me. Before I can get out of the way, two strong hand grasp my chin, and I feel a knee press sharply against my spine, just below my shoulderblades. Oh God I'm moving too slow! She's caught me again! It's not quite as bad as it could have been, I've got fairly strong neck muscles, I can suffer this for a while. It's my stomach that's bothering me. My ab muscles feel like spaghetti. I feel the pressure go on, and I groan, more for effect than anything. Maybe if Jenny thinks she's hurting me with this she won't try anything worse. "Back to business, Suzy. I suppose this isn't really special enough for you, is it? So lets try a variation on a theme." With that, one of the hands on my jaw changes position to the top of my head, and then my head begins to twist, with force. AAARGH! With my head already pulled back, and now sideways, I feel the bones at the base of my neck start to grate against each other. I can't take this! I bring my hands up to her wrists, but suddenly the pressure on my neck, head and spine is gone and I'm being pulled backward. I try to twist around, since lying prone face-up on top of Jenny strikes me as a very dangerous position to be in, especially when her hands and arms are free. I feel one of her legs snake around my waist, and I try to roll out of it, but she rolls with me. I try rolling again and manage to lose her leg. I've got to get away. Jenny is a master of close-in fighting, especially on the mat. There's a hand pressing against my face, and I try to sit up, but end up sitting on my heels again. The hand is gone, but now there's a leg either side of my waist, and Jenny looking smug in front of me. Resting with her hands on the mat, she shoves her pelvis forward so that she's sitting on my lap, and her legs find the softness of my waist between my hips and lower ribs. I'm for it now. "It's been fun, Suzy, but all good things have got to end. So let's do it up close and personal." Jenny takes her hands from the mat and once again grabs my lapels, crossing her hands at my neck. She brings a forearm up against my throat, and starts to pull down with the other hand. GACK! I'm being choked between her arm and the back of my own jacket! She was right about this thing being a liability. About half her bodyweight is being supported by my throat! Her legs are beginning to exert real pressure too. Involuntarily, my eyes are screwed shut, but if I'm going to counter, I've got to open them. I manage to, just a bit. Jenny's face is inches from mine, and she seems to be enjoying this. Actually, she seems to be aroused. Oh shit. I've got to do something. Everything's starting to go misty, the pain in my throat is awful, my kidneys are beginning to ache, and her legs are well on the way to cutting me in half. I bring my hands up to her neck, and she can't stop me, all her limbs are being used. No time for anything clever, simple brute force will have to do. I push my thumbs against her throat, holding the back of her neck with my fingers. She makes a choking noise, but I think it's too little too late. In reply she tightens both her holds on me. Everything's going grey, I can't see her any more. Even my fingers are going numb. I can only feel the legs around me, tightening with crushing force, and the forearm against my throat..... All of a sudden, the pressure's gone. The forearm's gone, the legs are gone. I'm lying on my back. Have I been unconscious? Did she put me out? And where is she? My eyesight is still hazy, but she isn't standing over me. I roll onto my side so I can look around. Wow. Jenny is lying on the mat a few feet away, coughing. I guess it worked. Shame I'm in no shape to capitalise. I'm surprised I can move at all. If she comes over and applies any sort of hold, I'll have to submit. I can't defend myself. Jenny gets to her knees, looks at me, and laughs. "You don't give in gracefully, do you? We must have made quite a picture then, sitting there throttling each other. I'd love to play with you some more, but I've got this important match in a couple of days, so I have to conserve my strength. After that, we can try again. So how about calling it a draw for now?" I'm in no position to argue. Even sitting up would be a major achievement at the moment. "OK. A draw. Until later." My voice sounds really ragged. I roll onto my back, utterly exhausted. "Fine," she says, "but now..." She comes over to me, sitting by my side. Supporting my head with her hand, she lowers her face to mine and kisses me on the lips. Lightly at first, then with passion. I don't resist. It isn't unpleasant. Her arm comes around my body, and she pulls me up against her. The kiss lasts a few seconds more. Then she stops. "A taste," she says, softly, "of what we could have had." "It wasn't meant to be." I say. It's all I can think of to say right now. Jenny sighs. "No, I guess not. Come on, let's get you changed." Bomur 1997 -- Bomur "Living well is the best revenge" - Proverb