"Let's stop by the office first" Nicola quickly decided - it was just around the corner and she was growing ever more conscious of the stares and occasional wolf-whistles she was receiving from passers by "there shouldn't be anyone there now and we can phone for a taxi to pick us up from the front door"
James nodded his agreement. A few moments later they had reached their destination and, to their great relief it seemed deserted. Even the cleaners should have gone home by now. Nicola ran to the nearest phone.
"You know any numbers for taxi's round here?" Nicola asked. James shrugged in silence.
"Ok, let's go to my desk. I can quickly find one on the computer" Nicola sighed as the pair quickly made their way upstairs.
"Ugh, why does this thing take so long to work" Nicola complained as she was finally prompted to enter her password. As she did so, she momentarily forgot about her partial nudity and dropped her arms to type hurriedly on her keyboard, fully exposing her ample breasts. James tried not to make it too obvious as he took in the view, but it seemed she was too preoccupied in finding an escape from her current predicament to even notice.
"Um, hello, anyone there?" a familiar, curious voice chimed from behind them and James and Nicola spun round in unison to confirm it's owner.
"Gemma, what are you doing here?" Nicola asked in a panicked tone, throwing her arm across her nipples as she did so.
"I might ask you two the same question" Gemma smirked "but I think it's pretty obvious"
Gemma was an attractive, well spoken girl in her early twenties with dark blonde hair, a cute face and voluptuous figure. James didn't know her too well, but had always thought she was hot. Nicola on the other hand was well acquainted. The pair shared a similar profile - both were smart, attractive young women with an ambitious streak that bordered on the ruthless. While they had always been pleasant to each other on a superficial level, it was obvious that both saw the other as competition and that any chance Gemma had to get one over Nicola would be revelled in. Of all the people she didn't want to run into right now, this girl was pretty high on the list.
"It's not what it looks like" Nicola spluttered.
"Oh, it really doesn't bother me at all, I'm not your boyfriend" Gemma got her first dig in expertly "Though perhaps the office isn't the most appropriate place for this sort of thing. Some of us have important work to do and have to stay late"
Nicola tried as hard as she could to let that one go considering the position she was in but couldn't help herself "Some of us are efficient enough to get all our work done and finish on time" she sneered.
James sighed inwardly. Couldn't she have just kept quiet and booked the taxi?
"All the more time to cheat on your partner then, kudos to you I guess" Gemma smiled back, knowing full well she had the upper hand here. She turned her gaze onto James "You do know she has a boyfriend, right?"
James nodded but couldn't explain any more than that.
"Well, maybe not for much longer if he hears about this" Gemma added.
"Seriously, It's not what you think" Nicola was half pleading with and half berating her foe.
"Ok, then, tell me what it is"
"We were both cursed" Nicola had no choice but to answer the question truthfully thanks to the ring.
Gemma burst out laughing "Now I've heard everything. Seriously, I thought you were smart enough to come up with a better excuse than that"
"Yeah, well, think whatever you like. We're leaving" Nicola got up to do just that but Gemma told her to wait and she had no choice but to obey.
"Please, I'm intrigued. Explain this curse to me" Gemma asked, not even attempting to hide the smirk playing on her lips.
"Some old witch did it" Nicola wished she didn't have to do this "We upset her. Probably me mostly, and she gave us these things we're both wearing. They are called 'obedience rings"
"Obedience rings?" Gemma laughed "this gets better and better. So what do they do?"
"It's just as it sounds I guess" Nicola huffed "We both have to do whatever we're told, even if it is something that sounds impossible like turning into an animal or whatever. Some drunk in a bar told me to take off my top and James to stop talking, that's why he's so quiet"
Gemma was looking at Nicola with genuine fascination now. Either this was the worst excuse ever made or she really believed this. Gemma was a pretty logical person but the idea of magic had always fascinated her and this was too good an opportunity not to investigate further.
"So basically, you both have to do what ever I say?" Gemma looked round the empty office then back at the pair with a wicked glint in her eye "maybe we should test these obedience rings eh?"