Chapter 5

Turning to see Mom’s reaction, it was obvious she wanted to flee. Fortunately, she stood firm and avoided eye contact with them. I doubt if we’d go far in the competition with Mom so upset.

Ethel entered, announced the rules, and finished with, “You have read the contract and have signed the non-disclosure agreement. All of you know I have plenty of money, and you would not want to do anything to upset me. If anyone wants to back out, I’ll refund everything, no questions asked.”

No one uttered a word. “Very well, we’ll begin with a physical test to break the ice.”

She handed everyone a blindfold and told us to face our partner and cover our eyes. “I will move the sons in front of a mother, and you will hug for thirty seconds. Each of you will raise a hand, either the right one if you believe they are your mother or son; otherwise, signal with your left.”

She rearranged us and directed, “Okay, begin.”

The first thing I noted was my mask didn’t hide anything. I looked at Ethel, and she gave me a thumbs-up. She wanted me to see the other contestants. The first lady I hugged was one of the women I didn’t recognize. She was busty, and her soft tits pressed into me felt great. We both raised our left hands.

Yuri was next. Because of her petite size, all the sons would correctly guess her. I was surprised her pelvis matched mine, but her head nestled below my chin. It was her long legs making the difference. Of course, we both raised our left arms and moved on.

Aunt Lexi was next. She was a year older than Mom and similar in looks. Her breasts were larger and consequently drooped lower than Mom’s. Hugging her tightly, I moved my hand to her waist and gently pinched a chunk of flesh. She let out a little giggle and did the same to me. When she previously visited us, we greeted each other the same way. She knew who was hugging her as she pulled me in close to her, squashing her full breasts against me. Left arms again.

Mom was next, and I couldn’t wait to wrap my arms around her. Her familiar body scent hit me along with the smell of her hair. Fearing she was already rattled from seeing Lexi, I resisted pulling her in close. Right arms raised. We’d hugged enough over the years that she had no problem recognizing me.

Ethel announced everyone had finished and could remove their masks. Looking around, I observed the fifth couple was absent. No one made mention of it as Ethel announced the start of the questions phase. After she escorted us to different rooms to work on the written tests, she prepared the next physical trial.

After everyone was situated, Ethel led me down a long hallway to a room. Once in, I could see one wall was a one-way mirror peering into a bedroom with a large bed in the middle. A chair was positioned next to it. After she told me to sit and wait, she left. Looking around the room, I noticed an array of electronic recording equipment stacked on one wall. Nearby was a workstation with several monitors and video controllers. Looking into the bedroom, I couldn’t identify any camera locations.

Motion in the other room caught my attention. Yuri followed Ethel into the bedroom. I could hear them speaking. I remained silent, unsure if the sound was two-way.

Ethel instructed, “Yuri, position yourself on the bed so your lower leg is next to the chair. I’ll bring in one of the sons, and he will touch your calf and identify you as his mother or not. Both of you will be wearing your blindfolds. I’ll be in the next room observing through the window to make sure there is no cheating. Any questions?”

“No, I guess not. How long will he be touching me?” Yuri asked, her voice trembling.

Ethel replied, “He has two minutes to raise one of his arms. After the bell rings, he may continue to touch you. If you become uncomfortable with the situation, raise your hand and I’ll halt the process.”

Yuri was silent as Ethel left and brought in Kaito. He was already wearing his mask and had been briefed on the way. Ethel exited and entered the room where I was seated. She grinned and said, “It’s soundproof in here. Don’t say anything when I click on the microphone to talk to them.”

She hit the button and announced, “Okay, begin.”

Kaito touched his mother’s calf. Within seconds, he raised his right arm and removed his hand. Not able to contain myself, I mocked, “What an asshole. His mom is hot. He could have caressed her leg for at least two minutes. I never did like him.”

Ethel snickered, “Yeah, he’s a prick. He doesn’t bother to hide his disgust toward his mother. It took a lot of persuading to invite them. I had to promise him I’d convince Yuri to release his trust funds early. He said as soon as she does, he’s moving to his Dad’s place. They deserve each other. Kaito was nice to her last week, to convince her to come. Of course, it helped that I waived the fee for her. She didn’t want to participate, but hoped he might have changed and it would improve their relationship.”

This outcome appeared to be the exact opposite of the program’s intention. “Wasn’t the objective of the program supposed to join mothers and sons, not to separate them?”

“I do what’s best for their relationship, even if it results in ending their current status.”

Before she could leave, I asked, “Ethel, are these video recorders? Are there cameras in the room?”

She replied, “Yes, everything is captured on an SSD. The cameras are hidden well, aren’t they? Using the peripherals enables one to produce a high-quality movie. I don’t do anything with the videos unless I need to review them, in case I missed something. An extra eye is helpful.”

She left to escort the couple out of the room and re-entered with Lexi. After briefing her, she brought in Mike. Once she was back with me, she directed him to proceed. I chuckled, “You know he’s gay, right? Their relationship isn’t going to advance beyond the normal mom and son relationship.”

“Of course, I know. She’s not here to bond with her son. Her invitation was for your mother.”

“My mom? They haven’t been friends for years.”

“I know, but I’m also aware they were competitive when growing up. Your mother will want to remain in the contest to best her older sister. Lexi is an incentive to keep your Mom interested.”

I had to hand it to her. Ethel was a devious old coot.

The fifth couple who suddenly disappeared gnawed at me. “What happened to the missing mother and son?”

“I dismissed them. From the way they hugged, I knew they were already fucking. I gave them a thousand-dollar gift card and a room key for the presidential suite at the Hyatt. They couldn’t wait to leave to enjoy their incestuous weekend.”

“They forfeited their two thousand?”

She laughed. “Remember the waiver? I give it to everyone. No one pays a cent. It keeps the losing couples much happier.”

Mike held his arm up, correctly identifying his mother.