The Shame Gambit

Allison is the smartest and prettiest girl on the campus. In fact, she good at simply everything, Except, maybe, being humble, and her sorority sisters are getting tired of it. They hatch a plan to bring their friend down a peg of two.

The sisters arrange an exclusive party where Allison is coerced into playing a game of strip chess. Good thing she's the best at everything because, if she's not, The Shame Gambit will result in her naked body becoming the main source of everyone's entertainment.

Long time readers with recognize this story as Allison's Lesson in Humility. The original version clocked in at about 17,000 words. This one has been completely rewritten and is now over 31,000 words.

By it on Amazon here: link

The Shame Gambit Sample:

Chapter One – The Setup

Allison strolled into the dining room of the Sigma Epsilon Xi sorority house. “I got a ninety nine on the test. How’d y’all do?”

Sheri just shook her head. Candi groaned.

“Not as well as me, I take it,” Allison said.

Beth fixed her with a glare. “If your head gets any bigger, you won’t be able to fit through the door.”

“Hey, I can’t help it if I’m the smartest sister here.” Allison left off saying she was also the prettiest. That probably wouldn’t have gone over well even if it were the truth. “Anyway, I’ve got to go get ready. Gary Wilson is taking me to dinner tonight, and I just love, love, love his new shiny red Corvette.”

Candi narrowed her eyes.

Allison hid a smirk. That had been a bitchy move on her part, but she couldn’t help herself. Candi had been going on and on about how much she liked the guy, but she never did anything about it, making him fair game.

And, hey, Allison couldn’t help it that she was so much more desirable than the other girls.

She waltzed from the room, leaving her sisters smoldering in envy behind her.

#

Beth’s nails dug into her palms as she tightened her hands into fists.

Sheri let out a frustrated breath. “That’s it. I love the girl to death, but we’ve got to do something about her ego.”

“Yeah,” Candi said. “We need to beat her at something. Anything.”

Beth nodded. “Not just beat her but really embarrass her.”

“But at what?” Sheri said. “She’s better at everything – games, cards, sports, trivia, academics. Everything.”

“I’ve think I know a way,” Beth said, “Let’s meet again in a week. In the meantime, this is what I want y’all to do…”

#

Beth couldn’t hold back her grin. If she could get her plan to work, Allison would never lord anything over them again. “Okay, let’s have your reports. You start Sheri.”

“Everything went fantastic. On Wednesday, Allison and I took a walk through the quad where David, the president of the chess club, just happened to be sitting at one of the tables with a board in front of him.” Sheri winked. “I baited Allison a bit by asking if she was good enough to beat a real chess player. She fell for it and challenged him to a game.”

“How’d it go?” Beth asked.

“As I had planned,” Sheri said, “David gave her a decent game, making her think a lot more than with the people she usually plays, but, in the end, he lost to her pretty badly. He fawned all over her at that point, asking her to join the club and telling her how good she is. When I asked him for his evaluation of her play later that night, he told me that Allison is a smart girl who has a decent grasp on the game, but it’s obvious that she’s never studied how to play. He feels that Brandon won’t have any trouble at all wiping the board with her. He went on and on about how Allison never ‘castled,’ whatever that means. He said he’d tell Brandon about the game and your plan.”

“Nice. Good job, Sheri,” Beth said. “Candi, how about you?”

“Well, my mission wasn’t exactly impossible or anything. I simply whined to Allison one night about this annoying guy named Brandon from my Bio 201 class. I told her that I asked to borrow his notes and that he refused and was really snotty about it. I also told her that I thought that he was cheating on his girlfriend, someone I know from high school.”

Beth’s smile widened. “Perfect. So, so perfect.”

“I still don’t understand where all this is heading,” Candi said. “So Brandon beats her in chess. What good will that do?”

“What you don’t know is that I set up a party for this coming weekend,” Beth said. “It’ll be a small affair. Not counting Allison, we’ll have about a dozen of our most trusted sisters and their dates, including Brandon. The game will take place there, and there will be stakes. Forfeits. It’s going to be epic!”

Sheri’s jaw dropped. “You don’t mean …”

“I do,” Beth said. “Everyone will be informed about what’s going to happen, and we’ll make sure nothing gets out of hand. We’ll even confiscate phones from anyone we don’t completely trust so that no pictures make it on the internet.”

Candi laughed. “Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

“You know it, babe. You know it.”

Chapter Two – Pride Goes Before a Fall

Allison had her books spread out on the bed around her, highlighters and Post Its at the ready. Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Beth stepped inside. “Exciting news! A group that had the lake house reserved canceled at the last minute, and Drew was able to hook us up. We’re hosting a small get together tomorrow night and some of us are staying the weekend. Want to join us?”

Drew was Beth’s boyfriend, and his dad was a big time sponsor of the athletic program. Sometimes, he could get access to the mansion the university used for official banquets and parties and stuff out on the lake.

Allison grimaced. She’d been planning on catching up on a few projects, and, worse, she wasn’t seeing anyone worthy of taking on an out of town weekend trip. “But I don’t have a date.”

“So? It’ll be fun, anyway. And it’s the freaking lake house!”

True. A delightful setting and one they got to use only rarely.

“I don’t know …” Allison said.

“C’mon, what with the late notice and all, it’s already going to be a small gathering. Don’t let a sister down.”

“Okay, you sold me,” Allison said. “We all riding up together?”

“Yep. I’ve got a late meeting with a professor tomorrow, so we’re not leaving until six. Probably best to dress for the party here.”

#

Allison sighed as she looked at her closet. She had many dresses, of course, that were appropriate for the soiree, but she’d worn all of them to other parties, some more than once. And, with all the coursework she had due, she’d had exactly no time to shop.

Maybe she just shouldn’t go at all. But it was the lake house.

Hmm. No new dress. The lake house. No new dress. The lake house.

In the end, she figured that she couldn’t really go wrong with her favorite little black dress. Add a lacy black bra and thong set, a wonderful black silk slip, a pair of black stockings, and her 3” heels, and all the guys at the party would be drooling over her.

It was in that outfit that she got into the car with three of her sisters for the hour-long drive to the lake, and, by the time they arrive, the party was already in full swing. Allison mingled for a while and had a couple of mild drinks.

The surroundings were very nice, especially a phenomenal view of the sunset over the water. Whoever was manning the stereo obviously knew his stuff, because he chose a great selection and people were already dancing. All in all, the party had the makings of being an unforgettable time.

She was still musing about how nice everything was when Candi approached. “I can’t believe that jerk showed up.”

“What jerk? Who?” Allison asked.

“That guy, Brandon. I told you about him. Remember, he wouldn’t loan me his notes…”

“Oh, yeah. I guess.”

“And he’s here with Melanie. He’s cheating on his girlfriend with one of our sisters. I bet Mel doesn’t even know that he’s got a steady girlfriend.”

Allison frowned. “What an asshole.”

“We’ve got to do something about him,” Candi said.

“Like what? Have one of the guys beat him up?”

“No, nothing violent, but we’ve got to do something. Embarrass him somehow. Make him regret ever showing his face around here.”

Allison nodded. “But how?”

“There’s got to be some way …” Candi stroked her chin. “Doesn’t he hang around those check club geeks?”

“I have no idea. I’ve never even met the guy.”

“I think I’m right,” Candi said. “And aren’t you a good player?”

“Absolutely. I trounced the president of their little club just last week.”

“That’s it, then. We arrange a game, and you beat his pants off.”

“That’s easily done, but what will it accomplish? I’m sure that he probably doesn’t like to lose, but there’s a big difference between mildly annoying the guy and making ‘him regret ever showing his face around here,’ especially since it’s well known that everyone loses when they play me.”

Candi smirked. “Because he’s going to be showing a lot more than his face; I meant ‘beat his pants off’ literally.”

“Huh?”

“Have you ever heard of strip chess?”

#

Allison was lost in thought as she walked over to the guy that Candi had pointed out. His biceps bulged against his tight short sleeves, and he filled out his shirt nicely. He looked nothing like the other geeks she’d met. Not bad looking, either, with striking blue eyes, a strong chin, and tousled black hair.

Definitely someone she wouldn’t mind seeing naked, but, on the other hand, she didn’t know if she felt right about embarrassing the poor boy. After all, he hadn’t done anything to her, and she had no first-hand knowledge of whatever bad things he’d supposedly done.

It was her duty to support her sisters, but maybe she could figure out something that would be a little less traumatic for him than having to show everything he had to a room full of people. Maybe some kind of bet where he had to do a silly forfeit. Jump in the lake in his underwear or something. Still mortifying, but not nearly as bad as stripping him completely.

When she reached him, she stuck out her hand and introduced herself. After they shook, she said, “I hear you’re in the chess club.”

“Oh definitely,” Brandon said. “I find it’s as good exercise for my mind as running and lifting are for my body.”

Allison felt herself nodding. She didn’t know how much the mental workouts had helped him, but the physical ones were certainly doing their job well. He looked even yummier up close.

Too bad she’d decided against making him strip.

“Up for a game?” she asked.

“In the middle of a party? I don’t think so.” He shot her a smug look. “Besides, I doubt a sorority girl would be much competition for me.”

God, what an arrogant jerk!

Not only was he rude to her sorority sister and cheating on his girlfriend, he was sexist, too. It sounded more and more like Candi was right. He deserved whatever he got.

She took a deep breath. No need to overreact. Better to assume the most charitable position possible.

On the other hand, she couldn’t let such a major slight just pass. “Watch it, buddy. You apparently don’t know who you’re talking to. I’m better than anyone in your little club.”

“Yeah. Right.”

“I’m serious. I’d cream you.”

He laughed dismissively. Actually chortled out loud. As if the idea of him losing to her was so absurd that it was beyond thought. “Look, I’m sure you know how the pieces move and all, but there’s a lot more to it than that.”

Okay, so maybe she hadn’t been overreacting after all.

“Oh, believe me, I know,” she said through clenched teeth.

Brandon rolled his eyes. “Look, simply put, us playing would be completely pointless for me. I’d get nothing out of it.”

What an arrogant ass! That did it. She was going to humiliate him completely.

“How about if you had something you could gain if you won?” she asked. “A wager.”

“I really don’t want to take your money.”

She stepped back and ran her hand down the side of her dress, caressing her waist and moving to her hips. “I was thinking of higher stakes than that.”

He swallowed hard. “I’m listening.”

“Strip chess,” she said. “Loser gets bare ass naked.”

“What are you, some kind of exhibitionist?”

“You’ll be the one stripping,” she said. “Not me.”

Brandon frowned. “I’m torn. On one hand, you look like you have a decent body, and it’d be fun seeing you naked. On the other, it just doesn’t seem right to take advantage of you.” He sighed. “How about I offer you odds?”

“Odds?”

“I’ll play without the queen’s rook,” he said. “I still don’t think you’d have much of a chance, but I’d feel better about the game.”

Allison fumed. “I assure you that I do not need to be treated like a child. If anything, I should be offering to play without a rook myself.”

“I’m not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?” he asked.

“There’s no way you’re getting out of playing me, buster.”

“I suggest we move to somewhere a little more private, at least,” he said. “That way, everyone won’t see you naked.”

“No one, least of all you, has any chance at seeing my body.”

He shook his head. “Fine, but don’t ever say I didn’t give you a chance. What are the rules?”

“Each time you lose a major piece, you lose a piece of clothing.”

“Do you decide what you take off or do I?”

It was Allison’s turn to frown. While she was positive she’d wipe the board with him, it would be difficult to avoid losing any pieces. “The person losing the piece.”

“It’s more challenging if you do it the other way.”

“Yeah, and you could just force a bunch of trades to get me naked that way, too. I’m not an idiot.”

“Point,” he said. “Hmm, how can we make it more challenging but eliminate that possibility…? Ahh, I’ve got it. If it’s a trade, the person taking off the piece decides what to take off, but, if you hang a piece or lose an exchange, the opponent decides?”

“Lose an exchange?”

He rolled his eyes again. “A knight is worth more than a pawn. A rook is worth more than a bishop. If you’re on the losing side of an exchange like that, I decide what you take off.”

“I don’t know …”

Brandon smirked. “Good, you’re using some reason. That will keep your modesty protected for a while longer, at least.”

Allison seethed. She should be able to beat him with two pieces plus her king left on the board. That would leave her with her slip, which basically would show not much more than a really sexy dress, her bra, and her thong. If he was really good, though, he might be able to take her down to just a rook and her king. That would mean only two pieces, preferably still her slip and her bra Still, as long as she didn’t hang a piece, she should be okay.

“You know what,” she said, “you’re on. We’ll go with your rule on that one.”

“Your funeral.”

This guy was really starting to get on her nerves.

“What happens if one player wants to resign instead of being checkmated?” he asked.

“If you want to resign, it’ll be just like you had lost all your pieces and then were checkmated. Anything else?”

“How much are you going to show off when you’ve lost?”

“For the last time …” She took a deep breath. It wasn’t worth continuing to argue with him about who was going to win. He’d see soon enough. “I’m not sure what you’re asking. I doubt I’ll checkmate you before I take all your clothes, so you’ll be naked at the end. If I don’t take all your pieces, you’ll only have to take off what I tell you to take off when I capture your king.”

“Duh. I got that. I meant, are you going to cover up all the good parts and run straight out of the room when you lose or am I going to get to see something?”

Good grief but he was insufferable. How did people put up with arrogant know-it-alls like him?

“I definitely think you shouldn’t be allowed to hide your tiny manhood from all of us. How about a rule that there is no covering allowed and the loser has to stand up and do a slow turnaround for everyone?”

“Wow, you are an exhibitionist.”

“No, I’m not, because I won’t be the one –”

“If you are so sure that you can beat me, then, how about a bigger forfeit?”

“What did you have in mind?” she asked.

“The loser parties naked, here in this room with no covering, all night long.”

Allison hesitated. Candi wanted Brandon to be totally humiliated, but that suggestion seemed way over the top. She couldn’t imagine being naked in a room full of people even for a few minutes, much less hours. No matter what he’d done and the fact that he was an ass, he didn’t deserve that.

“That sounds like a little much,” she said.

“I understand your reluctance. It would be very embarrassing for you when you lose. I guess I’ll just have to be content with a quick show.”

“Okay, pal,” she said. “Not only do you have to stay naked until dawn, but I’m keeping your clothes as a souvenir. You’ll have to go home butt ass naked, while I, as winner, will get completely dressed.”

“Deal,” he agreed smugly.