“Hey, Gregster…how’s it going down here?” Tom Wambsgans greeted as he strolled into Cousin Greg’s office. “Oh hey, what’s up, man?” Greg answered while not so smoothly trying to relax in his chair. “Not much, figured I’d just stop by and see how you were doing” Tom assured with a put-on friendly smile as he inspected Greg’s desk. “Yeah, everything is good down here…couldn’t be gooder, uhh I mean better” the awkward 20-something added, always more nervous around anyone from the Roy family. The older cousin-in-law flashed a quick smirk at his answer before staring at him from across the desk, “Greg, you wouldn’t still happen to have copies of those cruise documents you mentioned before would you?” Tom pressed, suddenly skewing Greg’s goofy smile into obvious concern.

“I’m actually….I’m holding onto those. I just want to have something in my back pocket in case I need it, like I told you before” Greg explained. “Right, well right now I need something. I need those papers, Greg” “Tom, I don’t think I can just give you the papers. I mean, if something happens to me that’s all the protection I have” “Greg, I know you’re still new to this family and this company but do you really think blackmail is gonna be your get out of jail free card here? Hmm??” Tom intimidated like he only could with Greg, watching him struggle to stand his ground under pressure. “Well…yeah, I guess” Greg offered back like he wasn’t sure, making Tom laugh a little after a brief stare-off.

“Haha why are we laughing?” Greg tried to play along, hoping Tom had given up his pursuit. “It’s alright, Greg…I get it. You need leverage; it makes sense” “Yeah, leverage” Greg agreed with a wide, relieved smile. “You know, I was actually trying to figure it out earlier, but exactly how tall are you, Greg? You’ve gotta be what, 6’ 4’’?” “Uhh 6’ 7’’ I think” “Holy shit! That’s incredible…what are you doing here? You should be in the NBA” Tom teased and Greg laughed in comradery. “I know right?” “Stand up for me…I wanna see for myself now that I know” Tom instructed and Greg obliged without a second thought. “What about your wingspan? I bet that’s insane” “You think so?” Greg questioned before stretching out his arms. “I bet you could make about two of me, huh?” “I don’t know about that” Greg chuckled with mild flattery while Tom stood in the desk chair beside him.

“Put your arms up really quick; I wanna see something” “Haha ok, sure” Greg followed suit and put his arms up, leaving them there for Tom to inspect whatever it was he was curious about until he heard a clicking sound. “What was that? Tom?” Greg tried to figure out as he looked up to see Tom securing the second part of a pair of handcuffs to his other wrist above the pole running along the ceiling. “Tom, what is this?? Some kind of new employee prank?” Greg tried to laugh off as he tugged on the cuffs to see that he couldn’t bring his arms down or even bend his elbows.

“I know we’re pals and all, Greg but I need those papers and I’m not taking no for an answer” Tom explained while getting down from the chair and standing in front of him. “Dude, let me go! Are you serious right now??” Greg writhed in place with newfound anxiety in his eyes. “Am I gonna have to make you tell me where they are? Because I’ll do it, Greg. I won’t like it but I will” Tom assured with a stern poke into Greg’s chest, making him giggle a little and wilt in place. “What was that?” “Nothing, it was nothing, really” “Greg, are you ticklish?” “What? Uhh, no way…no, that’s for kids” Greg tried to deny like it was a ridiculous notion.

“Tell me where the papers are, Greg!” Tom pressed again. “Dude, I can’t tell yoouUuAohAohAoAhA SSTThOhohPPCCoOmMEEOoN!!” Greg couldn’t even finish his sentence for laughing as Tom poked up and down his sides with just two fingers. “You lied to me, Gregory…you are ticklish” Tom taunted as Greg danced in place. “NnOoOoOTTiiiCCkKLLiiINNNGG!!” “I’ll stop if you tell me what I want to know” Tom reminded while daggering into the lean upper body through the white dress shirt. Greg’s huge feet shuffled around on the carpet and his arms tried to pull free of the pole but being tall didn’t mean he was strong, always on the slim side with little muscle.

“I can do this all day, Greg; don’t make me” “AAhAOhAohAoTTOOmMmSSTThOoOHppP!” the young suit tried to persuade but Tom had a sort of playfully domineering, unpredictable side that came out around Greg and he couldn’t be reasoned with. “I’m only using two fingers right now, do you really wanna make this worse?” Tom warned before suddenly launching a rapid-fire poking attack on his ribs. “OOOOhAohAOhAOhANNOnNoO!! AohAohAAOohoHMMYyyGOOOodDAaohAohAA!!” Greg’s laughter jumped higher and he wiggled around like a limp noodle to avoid the fingers but Tom was relentless.

“Tell me, Greg! Tell me!” Tom demanded while digging in between each rib like it was an arcade game. “AAhAohAIIiiCcAaNNNTTT TteEElLLlyyYYOOOUU!” Greg shouted through his embarrassingly ruckus laughter. At one point a sudden shriek broke through the heavy laughter and Tom stopped in his tracks with a maniacal look at Greg, “Did I just find a sweet spot??” “No! It’s not! Come OAooAoAONNOhoahAOhAaohAOAHA!” Greg became a floundering mess again once Tom focused on the middle of his ribs on either side with stiff, concentrated fingers. “AAHAhoATToOmMPPlllEEAAsSEEEMmAAnN!!” Greg pleaded with more and more girlish squeals being forced out but Tom wasn’t sympathetic, not even a little.

The isolated approach never gave Greg a moment to breathe or think straight but he still wasn’t breaking, soon convincing his boss to redirect his efforts until he got what he wanted. “Greg, those papers could mean the difference between going to jail and not going to jail; this isn’t a game!” Tom stressed. “I know…that’s why I’m keeping them” Greg answered while recovering the best he could. “Alright, fine, you wanna hold out on me? We’ll see about that” Tom threatened before undoing a couple buttons of Greg’s shirt without actually untucking it. “Hey! What are you doing, man?? Come on!” “You’re making me do this, Greg” Tom reminded as he plunged a single finger into the bellybutton through the opening of his shirt. “OoWOwhOahAOAOhAOhAOhAnNoNnOOAOhAohA!! HhEOEoheEAOnAhoahSSTThOhPPpiIIIT!!” “Tell me where they are, Greg!” “AhAohAhnNNOOoOO!” “Then your bellybutton is getting good and cleaned out” Tom promised as he swirled around in the pale navel and Greg’s soft belly jiggled a bit with every jerk back and forth.

As naïve and unassuming as Greg could be, keeping copies of the company’s incriminating documents for himself before shredding them as he had been tasked to do was impressively wise. It’d earned him the leverage he’d wanted but had put him at odds with the man who’d taken him under his wing; he just never expected Tom to be willing to go to such lengths to steal them from him. “Where are the papers, Greg? I’m not leaving until I have them; I’m not bullshitting you!” Tom made clear while still wiggling around in the bellybutton and watching Greg buckle with unending laughter. “IiIInnNnEEEddTTtHhHEEEmM!! JJUuuSSTTToOoPPTTTiiICCkkLliInnGGmMEE!!” Greg could barely get out through the high pitched outbursts, unable to close his mouth or even halfway relax his giant smile.

“Dammit, Greg! I really didn’t wanna have to play hardball with you today but you’re forcing my hand here” Tom explained as if toying with him wasn’t a part of their usual dynamic. “I’m sorry, Tom…I know they’re important but I’ve gotta look out for myself. You’re married into this family; I may be a cousin but I don’t have that assurance like you do” Greg explained between breaths of ticklish exhaustion. “You think you can outlast me? Huh, do ya?” Tom questioned with a quick squeeze along his flank. “AAhAANNO!” “You must” Tom challenged with another sharp squeeze on the opposite side, getting another squeal from Greg. “Tom, just be cool about this, alright?! Maybe we can work something out…I’m too ticklish for this” “Oh yeah? Good…because I’m gonna tickle you until that paper weight between your ears decides it’s gonna tell me where the fucking papers are!” Tom warned before undoing Greg’s blue tie from around his neck.

“I actually need that tie, it’s not even mi-” “You can talk when you decide to cooperate” Tom made clear as he tied it around Greg’s mouth to gag him. “MMpHMPH!!” “Sorry, I don’t speak traitor. Now, what about these armpits…” Tom suggested and Greg’s eyes lit up with sudden panic between his strung up arms. “MMpHMmPHMM!!” Greg tried his best to deter Tom until both hands sank into his wide-open pits with furious fingers ready to make him talk. “MMMMMNHMPHMAPHAMAHMM!!” Tom grinned at the muffled shrieks and thunderous laughter he got from Greg and realized he’d had good reason to worry, watching his gangly apprentice thrash around and desperately try to escape him.

“You’re this ticklish with a shirt on? Man, you’re gonna be in trouble when it comes off” Tom assured with another frightened look from Greg before really digging into the now sweaty underarms as viciously as he could. “MMpHMmhMPhMM!!” Tom could hear bits and pieces of ‘please!’ and ‘mercy!’ through the $200 gag but if he was gonna save his own ass from getting in big trouble, he needed those documents in his hands, even if he had to interrogate Greg into a ticklish surrender. Tom soon moved around to stand behind Greg and wrapped his hands around the edges of his shoulders/sides to knead into the base of both pits and Greg floundered like a frantic fish with another muffled roar of ticklish suffering.

“I know you think holding onto those papers gives you an advantage but I assure you, Greg you are not prepared for the nightmare coming your way if you don’t give them up. This is me going easy on you, because you’re a friend but I promise you won’t wanna see how mean I can be. I will tickle you places you’ve never even thought of until you’re begging me to just go back to your armpits, this spot right here that you can’t fucking stand. So if I were you…I’d start talking.”