It was now two-thirty in the morning, Danielle had been to every club in the district, but there had been no sign of Brendan. She sighed. He must have gone out somewhere else, because he hadn’t been home when she called. She really wasn’t interested in anybody else, so she hadn’t paid any attention to the men she’d seen so far. Those who had approached had been steered away with a shot of the power. Dani was ready to call it a night. Maybe spending the night alone at home wasn’t such a bad idea… She headed for the club entrance. As she got to the door, she was suddenly grabbed from behind by strong arms. "HEYYY!!!! DANIELLE!!!" She turned to find Chris grinning stupidly at her.
"Oh, hi Chris," she returned without enthusiasm. Truth to tell, even if she had been in the mood, Chris was not somebody she’d pick. He was immature: his idea of a good time was getting drunk and he had no concept of women beyond fucking, although he was very good at that. While he had seemed a good idea at the time, and had been most entertaining for a night or two, she wanted more in a man now. Like, say, Brendan. Tonight, Dani just wanted to go home.
Chris kept hugging her and she felt the stirrings of his bulge against her rear. Oh, please… "Missed ya, baby," he said. Dani smelled the alcohol on his breath. Just what I needed, she thought, a drunken, hormonally agitated, near-adolescent idiot. Her distaste must have been evident, because the bouncer at the door gave her a querying look.
"Come on, Chris, let’s—get out of the doorway," she suggested, giving a smile to the bouncer to set him at ease. Chris was probably fighting drunk. That was something else he liked to do. Danielle didn’t want to deal with that tonight, either. Chris leaned on her from behind, his bulge pushing against her more forcefully now. "Let go of me," she quietly commanded, flicking at him with the power in her annoyance. His arms immediately dropped, and Dani walked out of his reach. He staggered after her.
"If yer goin’ home, can I come too?" he called loudly. People around them looked, causing her to turn around, embarrassed. "Hey, babe, wait up."
She sighed. He was definitely too drunk to drive home. "Come on," Dani said with resignation, "I’m going to drive you home. You’re drunk." She mentally kicked herself again for making decisions based on muscles and good looks. Even so, what in the hell had possessed her to go out with this asshole a second time?
"Now yer talkin’ babe," Chris leered, reaching for her with an uncoordinated arm. Danielle wasn’t quite quick enough to avoid the swipe. He pulled her roughly to him, but she was sure that it was unintentional. Chris was more drunk than usual. She tolerated his hold on her while they walked to her car. "Guess we go to yer place, huh?" he slurred when she opened the door for him. He seemed to be getting drunker by the minute. Whatever he had was beginning to really kick in. She dawdled a little outside of the car before getting in the driver’s side, hoping that he would pass out quietly. She must have been drunk herself last month on those two nights…
As soon as she climbed into the car, Chris was all over her, sloppily kissing her face, drooling, his hands were everywhere and he was so big that she was pinned to her seat. "I know yer hot fer me, baby," he growled. "I got the big hard dick ya want right here. I know how ya like it." He mauled her chest with his hands. Danielle could barely breathe there was no room in the car and Chris was all over her she couldn’t think and his hand went up her skirt she couldn’t focus enough to make him stop he was so strong pulling at her blouse…
She panicked, which was the worst thing that could have happened. To Chris. Dani opened her mouth when he gave her a savage hickey on her neck. He quickly tried to assault her mouth again with his. His mouth froze a few inches from hers as she reflexively drew on his essence to protect herself. As a technique for stopping unwanted advances, it was foolproof. She relaxed when she no longer felt harassed, taking a deep breath to calm down after his alcohol-and-hormone-fueled attack.
Danielle blinked—and suddenly realized that she was alone in the car. Chris’ jeans were partially in the passenger seat and the sport shirt he had been wearing sat on her chest. Both the pants and shirt were empty. Well, there was—something—left. "SHIT!!!" she yelled, frantically brushing the dust that had been Chris off her outfit. His socks, full of the same dust, were still in his shoes, which sat on the floor of the passenger side. She was distraught; she had only wanted to take the wind out of his sails and put him to sleep. Instead, she had sucked the life right out of him, not even leaving enough essence to hold his body together. If only he hadn’t been so aggressive, she would have been able to use the power to command him to stop. Sucking the life out of him on an impulse without caring, that was something that Lia would do, not her. She couldn’t even remember what he had tasted like. Dani couldn’t ever remember it happening so fast, or without her concentrating. Worse, that was her third of the night! She usually had trouble finishing one.
She sat dumbly in the car for a few minutes, but decided that she had better leave the parking lot because the clubs were closing soon, and then too many people would be around. What was happening to her? Why did she kill Chris? It wasn’t like she hadn’t fed that night; she hadn’t even been hungry. Dani drove to a nearby deserted area to dump his clothes and dust, then headed for an all-night diner. She needed to sit down… to think, but her thoughts seemed all confused. She couldn’t keep focused on anything other than driving for more than a few seconds. By the time she got to Denny’s, Danielle had started to feel… sort of good, actually. She felt somewhat warm. After all, it had been an accident, it wasn’t like she went looking for Chris. She sat in an unoccupied booth and ordered coffee, feeling strangely alert despite the late hour. A pair of young couples walked in, laughing quietly among themselves. She didn’t notice until the waitress asked her if she would mind moving to the counter. "Oh—what? Sure," she replied distractedly. The warm feeling she had noticed earlier was still strong, aided by the coffee.
She picked up her coffee and sauntered towards the counter. Dani froze when she saw a man sit down in the middle of four empty seats. He had black hair tied in a neat ponytail and a thick mustache. His shoulders were wide. She could see that he was about Brendan’s height, maybe even a little taller. Chris’ terrible end was instantly, completely, forgotten as an urge flashed through her, raising the temperature in her veins, and it definitely wasn’t the coffee. He was handsome, young, and strong. Danielle suddenly felt… sexy. Very sexy. She moved graciously now, light on her feet, and smoothly slid into the stool next to him. "Do you have a light?" she asked, voice quiet and throaty. The young man took one look at her and produced a lighter. "Thank you," she exhaled, leaning against the back of the counter seat. She crossed her legs leisurely, then took another slow drag. "I’m Danielle," she declared, a lustful challenge in her newly acquired husky voice. She narrowed her eyes purposefully as she leveled her gaze at the man.
"My name’s Darrell. I’m a bartender at the 19th Hole," he answered, letting a note of interest fill his response. It had been a long, slow night at the club, but this woman might just make up for it. He let his eyes slide discreetly over her legs, then quickly resumed looking at her face. Great legs. "Had a good night, Danielle?"
"Not really." Dani shifted position on the seat, casually dragging on her smoke before tilting her head back to exhale. She arched her back slightly as she did it, pushing her breasts at Darrell. "I was looking for somebody but—" She tossed her head. "I haven’t found him…" There was the briefest of long pauses. "Yet," she finished, returning her smoldering eyes to his face.
Darrell fought the urge to shift in his seat. "Well," he began, "Danielle, what makes you think you would find him at a Denny’s?" He wanted to believe what he was seeing and hearing, but it had to be too good to be true. Her body language was saying, "Fuck me. I’ll be the best you’ve ever had." The way she was looking at him was making him more than a little horny, but he successfully suppressed his erection. A little caution never hurt. She could be one of those weird chicks who liked to leave guys high and dry. But damn, she was hot!
"Because there’s no telling where a girl might get—lucky."
That did it. Darrell could hardly restrain himself from grabbing and kissing her right there at the counter in—Denny’s, for chrissakes! But still, better safe than sorry. "If you think positive like that, you will get lucky," he said smoothly. "Especially as beautiful as you are," he continued. Flattery was always good. He assumed his best nonchalant air (under the circumstances—Danielle was making it awful difficult to play it cool) and added, "You never know. A guy like me could ask you for your phone number."
"How about—" Dani took a final drag, then crushed her cigarette out. "Your place," she said, leaving absolutely no sign that it was to be considered a question.
Darrell recovered from the shock quickly. Shit, he had to have this woman. Caution be damned, that’s what rubbers are for. Besides, what are the odds that she’s a maniac killer? "I’ll pick up the coffee." He waved to the waitress. "Nothin’ for me tonight, Linda." She waved back as he left a couple of dollar bills on the counter and stood up. Danielle eased off her perch, moving gracefully, heat implied in her every fluid motion. Darrell had to hold back a gasp as she took a step to him. Everything she did was incredibly sexy. Her eyes glittered with a blue-gray sparkle, broadcasting a challenging promise he could hear in his mind. His pants felt a little full in front as he took her hand. It sent a tingle through his whole body. He had to force himself to walk casually, slowly out of the restaurant, leading her by the hand. He never saw the glazed looks of hungry attention she drew from every other male in Denny’s as she passed.
"I’ll follow you," Danielle purred when they got outside. She was very excited by her catch. Her panties were beginning to moisten in anticipation. She blew Darrell a kiss, causing him to bump into a parked car as he headed across the lot. She had no problems following him to his apartment. He was waiting for her outside his car after she had parked a few cars down the street. She grabbed his head, pulled his mouth to hers and they kissed passionately on the street. His tongue sent little electric shocks through her; his body felt so alive, and he tasted wonderful. She pushed him against the side of his car, agressively driving her tongue into his mouth again. She pressed herself against him, and his erection, warm and vibrant, pushed back at her through his pants.
Darrell broke the second kiss gasping for air. He already knew that they weren’t going to make it to the bedroom, but if Danielle kept this up, they might not even make it inside. He saw her close her eyes and lean forward, mouth opening for another kiss. Here we go again, he thought amusedly as his lips parted…
A half-hour later, Danielle was home, having completely forgotten the dusty clothes left lying on the grass somewhere in the city. She felt very warm, quite content, and was extremely drowsy. She headed for her bed immediately after locking the door. She turned out the light, hugged her pillow to her, and uttered a satisfied sigh. Dani felt… very good.
She woke up the next morning feeling somewhat lethargic. She wasn’t hung over; she just felt—lazy. In a good way. Last night had been a wonderful… what exactly did she do last night??? Let’s see… left work with Andy… Where was he anyway? Where was her coffee and morning cigarette? "Andy!!!" she bellowed. He was really going to suffer for… "Oh damn. That’s right. I left him at the castle," Dani said to her empty room. A small wistfulness went through her as she realized that she already missed being pampered by her houseboy. On the other hand, that meant she could use her power to the fullest on Brendan without having to divert any to keep Andy out of their hair. Her insides fluttered a little at the thought. She got up and called Brendan, getting a little frustrated when he didn’t answer the phone. She later remembered that he had been scheduled to play golf that morning. It was a career move: his foursome included his boss and boss’ boss. Dani wanted her fiancé to make a good impression with the higher-ups. Well, he’s not my fiancé yet, but he will be, she silently reminded herself.
By six o’clock that evening, Danielle still hadn’t done much of anything. The lethargy that she had arisen with had settled in over her like a thick, heavy fog for the duration of the day. She hadn’t had much enthusiasm for doing anything, and Andy wasn’t there to do anything for her. She didn’t feel like cooking; it had been so long since she had to that she didn’t care to, so she called out for pasta instead. "OK, so you miss him," she admitted to the furniture. "He’ll be back on Sunday night." When the pimply-faced delivery boy didn’t even give her a second look, Dani decided that she had better get something accomplished. First, she called Brendan. "Yes, I want to go out tonight, too," she cooed into the phone. "I missed you last night, Brendan." She stopped batting her eyelashes to giggle at his lewd reply. "See you at—nine? OK… I love youuu," she sang through the lines before hanging up. Brendan hadn’t proclaimed his undying love in return, but that was OK. He’d be saying it later.
They went to a movie first. Dani wanted to see a romantic flick, but Brendan asked if she’d go to the art theater to see a foreign film. Curious, she acquiesced, only to find herself sitting through some movie she didn’t understand at all. She wasn’t interested enough to read the subtitles, either. He, on the other hand, seemed very interested in it. He was more interested in the film than in her. "Brendan, hold me," she pouted quietly. His eyes were glued to the screen, so Dani repeated her request and gave him a little push with the power. He pulled her close almost instantly. She cuddled comfortably against him. Now she was happy; the movie be damned. After the movie, he asked her if she’d like to go to a coffeehouse instead of the usual nightclub, but she felt like dancing.
"Can’t you ever slow down?" Brendan asked jokingly. "How about trying to spend a quiet Saturday night—for a change? I like being with you, Dani, but just for tonight, how about us doing something—"
"That I want to do?" she finished for him, concentrating, sending her request into his mind, wiping out his thoughts on the matter. "You’re so sweet, doing what I want to do for tonight. Thank you, Brendan, you make me so happy." He looked slightly confused for a few seconds, as if he was trying to remember something. That was odd. He had never seemed to be confused before. Dani focused on him, using more of the power. "You want to take me dancing at Carson’s. Because you love me, and you want to make me happy."
"Yes," Brendan said absently, his jaw twitching. Then his face abruptly cleared. "Danielle, let’s go dancing tonight. Say at… Carson’s." She smiled at him. "I thought that might make you happy," he grinned. "C’mon sweetie, let’s go." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before they went to his car. Dani returned his peck after they got in, and then they kissed deeply, necking in the parking lot for a minute. "Danielle, I love you," he sighed. She felt the flutters in her stomach and the clingy sensation that meant she was getting wet. Danielle wanted this man. Badly.
When they got to Carson’s, Brendan bought drinks while they watched the band. After about ten minutes, Danielle dragged him out on the floor, ignoring his mock protests. After a few songs, (they finally played a slow one!) the pair returned to their table. "Brendan love," she gently said, "I’m going to the ladies’ room. Be a dear and get me another white wine, please?" He assented eagerly, and they went their separate directions. When she returned, she found the man of her dreams hugging another woman. "I’m back," she announced, unable to keep the slight chill out of her voice.
Brendan didn’t seem to notice the cool tone. "Hi Dani, this is Juliet, my boss’ daughter." Danielle appraised her—competition. Juliet was gorgeous by any standard. She was slender with thick red hair that came to her shoulders, and a healthy, although not too obvious, chest. Juliet smiled at her. Dani immediately sensed that the other woman was used to being rich and beautiful, and that she wasn’t trying to show Dani up. Juliet didn’t flaunt her beauty, it just—was. Danielle may have been no slouch in the looks department, but Juliet was stunningly attractive. As she glanced around, she saw at least twenty guys who were watching the redhead’s every move with feigned non-interest.
"Hi, Danielle," the woman said in a high-pitched, but not harsh voice. Great. She even sounds like a fuck-me doll. For some reason, Dani immediately got very jealous, even though she knew that Juliet’s money and sex appeal could not compete with her and the power. The thought settled her down enough to not scratch her competition’s eyes out. "Brendan’s told me about you," the redhead bubbled pleasantly. "Are you going to come with him to the company party next week?" she asked.
Brendan’s face immediately went pale. Juliet had just given Danielle a very valuable piece of information. He hasn’t told me about any company party… "Yes, we’ll be there, Juliet," she quickly answered. Brendan was positively ashen, even though his expression remained neutral. Dani chatted idly with Juliet for a while. The woman was no real threat to her. In addition, she truly was friendly and pleasant.
As for Brendan, he kept his mouth shut while the two women gossiped. He was dreading the pending discussion with Danielle. His plans to go solo to the party and get together with Juliet, who was also going to be unaccompanied, were dead unless he—broke up—with Danielle. He felt a little bit of regret as he watched the two women chatter away. Dani was attractive, had great legs, and was also great in bed: enthusiastic, energetic, and always hot for him. She obviously wanted to be with him—maybe a little too much. Juliet was an entirely different matter. She was gorgeous and his boss’ daughter. His boss had told him that his daughter would not have a date for the party next week during their round of golf that morning. He had also dropped hints that Juliet would not be unhappy if Brendan were to arrive without a date. So, he knew that the redhead was interested in him. He hoped that Juliet wouldn’t be as fanatical about him as Danielle. Juliet stood up to leave their table, interrupting his thoughts. He swallowed hard before saying, "Bye, Juliet." There was only one thing that he could do. It was the night he was going to have that talk with Dani. The two were silent for a few seconds, then Brendan gathered his courage and gently began, "Dani…"
"Brendan, you will take me to the company party," she interrupted. He gaped at her in shock. Danielle focused, hitting him with more than a mild dose of the power while reiterating her command. She was pissed that he had tried to hide something like that from her. "I am your girlfriend," she resumed, forcing her desire on the young man. "You love me, and there’s nobody else you’d ever consider taking."
Brendan had a headache all of a sudden; his skull seemed to vibrate, leaving a resonating buzzing noise in his ears. Danielle… I… Juliet… other people… His thoughts refused to gather, and he had trouble concentrating amidst the hubbub in the packed nightclub. Juliet… I… break up… His head began to really hurt. Other people… Danielle… No one else but Danielle. He looked at the beautiful, enchanting brunette across the table: his girlfriend. Brendan smiled at her, and the pain in his head, along with the buzzing of his skull diminished as he realized just how much he loved her. "Danielle, I love you," he said. "Will you go with me to the company party next week? I’m sorry I didn’t ask before, somehow, I guess… it musta slipped my mind."
Dani smiled. Juliet’s fuck-me ways were no match for the power at all. Still, it was better to make sure. She got up, walked over to Brendan, and draped her arms across his shoulders from behind. Leaning forward, she effectively cradled the back of his head in her cleavage. With a quick nibble on his ear, she whispered, "Take me home. Now. I’m ready, and I want you." She lightly tongued his ear lobe and neck for added effect. Dani felt him shiver. She knew that he would give her the answer she wanted. They left Carson’s in a big hurry. The return trip to her house was eerily quiet, and seemed to take forever. That was a very good sign.
Danielle attacked Brendan as soon as her front door closed. "Yow! Dani—take it easy," he said in a quiet voice. There was a little bit of fear in his statement. What had gotten into her? She was being a little more—no, a lot more—aggressive than usual. Dani hadn’t quite seemed the same since they had run into… Juliet. Juliet… Juliet… Party… Gorgeous… Brendan shook his head to try to slow down his thoughts, which were moving too quickly for him to get a hold of. Wait. He was at Dani’s place. What was he doing here anyway? "Danielle… stop," he requested, gently holding the sexually aggressive woman off with extended arms. He took a deep breath. "I think we need to talk," he firmly said.
Dani stared at him in disbelief. She had spent the ride home in anticipation of Brendan’s wonderful body entwined with hers. They had kissed passionately not more than thirty seconds ago; she had even fondled his cock through his pants. She glanced down. He was not erect. She was wet and willing, and he was… her fiancé-to-be was—resisting her??? Danielle brought all her command of the power to bear on him. "You want me because you love me and you will be with me," she sternly ordered.
Brendan had been contemplating what he was going to say to Danielle. She wasn’t going to like this, but I’d really like to see if anything can happen between Juliet and me… Suddenly, he had a headache again, and he thought somebody was using an industrial sander nearby. Damn, I hope I don’t get these headaches around Juliet. Dani, I want to see other people, that’s all you have to say. Suddenly, a brilliant white light flashed behind his eyes, infinitely intensifying the pain in his head for a microsecond.
"Fuck me now, Brendan," Dani cooed, having used the power to send him into his loving slave state. She eagerly took his shirt off, then noticed that he wasn’t helping. This was not good—was he still resisting? He never had before. She looked up at his face, and it was frozen, as if he were about to say something. Gee, she must have pushed too hard. Still, he was now her slave. "Get undressed." His hands moved quickly; soon enough, he was standing naked in front of her. Just—standing there. Danielle’s frustration was mounting. "Sit on the couch and let me undress for you." He obeyed woodenly.
"You love me, don’t you Brendan?" Dani said. No response. "Tell me you love me," she requested, with a coy smile and a flick of the power.
Brendan’s reply was flat and emotionless. "I—love—you."
Danielle sighed loudly in exasperation. "No, I mean, you really love me, with all your heart and soul, Brendan. Everything I do excites you to the utmost, because I am your, truest, deepest love." She called on every last bit of power she could muster to make sure that he obeyed this particular command. He sat on the sofa, eyes glued to her. She grinned and began to sway in front of him. The last time she had stripped, it had been to torture Andy, and he had gotten really hard, really fast. She hoped that it would have the same effect on Brendan.
First, she slid her dress off of her shoulders, left, then a slow, undulating spin, and let it sli-i-ide to the floor. Now, the right shoulder, a circular wiggle, and—it’s over her shoulder. Danielle shimmied to the floor, her dress going with her. She undulated back to a standing position, leaving the dress heaped around her ankles. Raising one of her firm, trim, bare thighs high, she stepped out of the heap, then kicked the dress away. She extended her arms, flicking her wrists to add a flourish as she arched her back a little. Her eyes were closed and her breathing had become a little shallow. She popped the snaps on her bra and rolled her shoulders energetically. The bra fell to the floor and Danielle’s breasts jiggled as she moved. The only remaining item of clothing left on her was her wet, silken panties. Danielle was too turned on to be able to wiggle out of them provocatively; she just pulled them off, losing her stripper’s manner for an instant, but then waved them around in the air. She opened her eyes. Brendan was ogling her body, his cock erect, but he was still sitting on the sofa.
"So you want me to come to you," she growled seductively and straddled him, putting his wonderful cock at her ready entrance. Danielle lowered herself with a long, deep, happy sigh. Her hips began to move immediately as her insides closed around Brendan’s dick. "Ummm," she moaned, her eyes closing again, helping herself get lost in the sensations of penetration and gentle inner stimulation. She bounced on his lap eagerly, his rigid cock filling her to the exclusion of all else. Dani felt her stomach clench; ohgodshewasreadysofastand… The universe vanished around her, trapping her in a wonderful void where only she, her body and pleasure existed.
The world came back into view, and Danielle felt so alive; all of her senses seemed to be extra-sharp. She wrapped her arms around Brendan’s neck and kissed him. He didn’t return the passion. She stopped humping him, and once her body stopped tingling, she realized that Brendan was still just sitting on the sofa. He had been nothing more than a human dildo. What was going on here? "Brend-a-a-an," she whined seductively. He was still erect inside her, but showed no other signs of life. "Oh, love me!" she ordered in frustration.
"I… love… you," Brendan said. So he was following her every command…
"Fuck me good, Brendan. Long and slow, real deep," Danielle whispered, driving her will into his mind. His hips jerked once, driving his cock as deeply into her as it would go. She gasped and moaned loudly as her eyes rolled up in her head. Brendan pulled at her ass with his hands and wiggled his hips, still embedded in her. Danielle forgot all about commanding slaves. The stirring of him inside her, the sound of their rapid breathing, the contact of their bodies took precedence. She pushed her hips downward as he moved languidly, all the while fully in her cunt. She rolled her hips in circles, twisting the wonderful cock around, moving it wherever she pleased. The pressure began to rise, starting from inside. Dani leaned forward, commanded by some small voice only she could hear, her actions coming instinctively, hips snapping downward, driving her clit forcefully, repeatedly, into his pubic ring.
Danielle’s body convulsed on top of him. She knew she had screamed, but she couldn’t have stopped it as orgasm ripped her existence apart. Her legs spasmed violently, triggering a second shock wave that went through Brendan’s body as well. He grunted loudly, ramming up at her, followed by a wet, warm pulse inside her. This was her man, her love, and his cum was hers tonight, as it would be as many nights as she wanted. The world danced crazily around her, forcing her to close her eyes and collapse around Brendan for a little while.
She came down from her orgasmic high slowly, eventually realizing that they were no longer joined. Danielle’s upper thighs were sticky, separating from his with a quiet noise. She was wet all over, her hair matted to her forehead and the sides of her cheeks. The house felt cool. How long have I been like this? I knew Brendan could fuck but—this had been fantastic. Look at you, she mused as she got up from the sofa, sweating, full of cum and feeling… won-derful. Her post-orgasmic glow vanished when she looked at her boyfriend again. He was still sitting motionless on the sofa. His glassy stare gave Dani a bigger chill than the evaporating sweat. It had been incredible sex, but it hadn’t been the passionate lovemaking she desired. She had just fucked a mindless sex slave. Despite the intensity of her orgasm, she was even more frustrated now than she had been earlier.
Danielle looked at her slave. She decided to see just how mindless Brendan was. "Brend-a-a-aan," she sang, drawing his name out the way she used to coerce him into something, "Come here and lick my pussy." He was always good at that. She got the feeling that his condition wasn’t good when she had to repeat her request and use the power to make him move. He lapped dutifully at her, like a puppy dog, without any of the flair, creativity, or sense of emotion that had thrilled her on numerous occasions. "Brendan, stop." Danielle’s imperative echoed her annoyance. He kept going. "I said, stop," she repeated, using the power this time. His head rose up from between her legs, the vacant expression in his eyes haunting her.
Brendan was completely hers. "Dammit!" Danielle screamed in anger and frustration. This is not good. This is not at all what I wanted. She evaluated her thrall. There he was, naked, gorgeous, and at her complete command. That was the problem. She had to command him to do everything, and use the power to boot. The smile, the wit, the personality that had been Brendan were gone. Dani made him get dressed, but she realized that she couldn’t very well send him home in his present condition.
Gina. Gina would know what to do. Danielle picked up the phone and hurriedly dialed the castle. A servant answered, which wasn’t surprising given that it was about four in the morning. She explained her problem quickly, then became frustrated while the man waffled, finally refusing to disturb the coven leader. "Tell her it’s an emergency." Danielle was rapidly losing her patience; if only the power worked over the phone. She hung up on him as he refused a fourth request, and decided to just go to the castle. Dani dressed quickly, grabbed Brendan’s car keys, and said, "Brendan, follow me." He fell into step behind her as she sent a small amount of the power at him. She even had to command him to get in the car for the half-hour drive to the castle.
Dani rang the bell frantically, and the night servant opened the door. "Brendan, come in, and stand next to me." It was getting to be a pain to have to use the power so much. She turned to the servant, fighting the urge to yell for Gina in the entry hall. "I need to speak with—" Danielle took a breath to calm down. "—Her ladyship," she finished. The servant hesitated, obviously afraid to wake his employer and mistress at five in the morning. Danielle didn’t have time for this. She sent the man up to Gina’s suite, cutting off his protest with a sharp jolt of the power while she waited impatiently. Her Brendan robot stood next to her, with no sign of any emotion. The urge to yell for Gina reasserted itself.
Gina Mansfield sighed sleepily. The servant had barged into her bedroom urgently asking for her. The commotion had awakened Andrew as well, but she had quickly put him back to sleep. "Tell Danielle that I will be down presently," she told Charles. She gave the frightened servant a soft mental caress for a few seconds to ease his worry, to let him know that his mistress understood. It wasn’t his fault. Whatever had agitated Danielle so had better be worth the interruption. Gina put on a robe and some slippers without hurry, then left the room. She looked over the railing from the third floor to see Danielle and a young man she was not familiar with. It was also easy to see her unease, even from the third floor landing. As Gina headed down the steps, she looked at the young man’s aura: it was a beautiful reddish-orange color, and it was static. Frozen. She sighed again. This was bound to happen eventually with Danielle.
"Gina!!!" Dani called in relief at the sight of the coven leader.
"Hush, Danielle," Gina returned quietly. "There are people asleep in the castle, and sound carries so well in the Grand Hall." She wanted this incident kept quiet. Something like this would disturb servants and initiates alike. "Charles, you may go back to the office. I will take care of Miss Gray." She made a mental note to wash this event out of his memory later in the day. Turning to Brendan and Danielle, she said, "The two of you follow me."
Oh, shit, I’m really in for it now, Dani thought. Then she noticed that Brendan was already following Gina. She quickly followed her thrall and the coven leader up the staircase. Danielle began to apologize and explain simultaneously. "I’m sorry I woke you up but I didn’t know what else to do—"
"Yes, Danielle, I know," Gina interrupted sharply. In spite of her annoyance at the powerful young initiate, she was a little pleased: this situation could probably be turned to her advantage. The two women entered the library, along with Brendan’s ambulatory body. "Shut the doors, Danielle," Gina ordered as she marched over to her favorite chair in the castle. "Now, as for your little—problem—here," she began, waving at Brendan, "You have essentially taken over his mind. Completely. You have subjugated of his very being. Congratulations, my dear," the coven leader sarcastically said. "But, before you get hysterical, it is most likely not permanent, and we should be able to cure him." She watched Danielle relax quite a bit. "However, it would be prudent if you didn’t see him for a while. About a year or so, I would think." The initiate’s face instantly collapsed into shock and disbelief.
"But—but…" What Gina had just said couldn’t be right. "We were gonna get married," Dani whined. She was so close to getting Brendan to propose… "I mean, this hasn’t happened ever before."
With a rueful smile, Gina said, "I know. You would have come to me if it had. Tell me, Danielle, whose idea was marriage? Yours, or his?"
"He was gonna ask soon, an’ I want him back," Dani whimpered, evading the question.
"Whose idea was this, Miss Gray?" Gina reiterated, unperturbed. "It appears that you have been using the power in an attempt to make him fall in love with you. My guess is—don’t interrupt," she said, cutting off Danielle’s imminent protest as the initiate’s face took on the "wounded innocent" look. "My guess is that you’ve been making him believe that he is in love with you. Now, he is not so sure about that when he’s away from you. What has happened is that your commands are in direct conflict with his emotions. That is what has led to this unfortunate situation."
"Then I’ll remove my commands. I want Brendan back the way he was," Danielle sniffed haughtily. "It was working before," she added plaintively.
"You may try to remove your commands, but that won’t change anything, Danielle." Gina sighed loudly as painful memories assailed her. She closed her eyes for a few moments to push them away. "You have forced your desires into the very core of his being, where they are tangled with his own. The effort needed to remove them is not insignificant. Besides, you don’t have enough skill in the power to succeed. If you were to try," she warned, "you would end up removing whatever your commands are tangled with. Given the current state of your abilities, it is almost certain that Brendan would be left permanently like this. He would be unable to think or act, except on command from a coven member using the power." Gina paused, waiting for the impact of what she had said to hit Danielle. Experience was the best teacher, but a harsh and demanding one. "I have warned you about careless, constant use of the power. I have tried to tell you that it will demand a high price from those who fling it about thoughtlessly." She paused again, mostly for dramatic effect. "I believe that you have just made the first payment." Danielle’s expression told the coven leader that she had made her point. For the first time, the young coven member had realized that the power wasn’t without its negative aspects. "Take Brendan to the fourth floor and give him a room, dear. It’s late. You should go to your quarters and get some sleep as well. I will speak with you later today, but I think we all need to be well-rested and alert."
Gina’s tone carried the message very well. Nothing else was going to be done until later today. "Yes, your ladyship," Dani grumbled. She commanded Brendan to one of the servant rooms, then went to her room on the third floor, undressed hurriedly, and plopped into bed, very upset. This whole weekend, one that had been so full of promise when it started, had turned out to really suck.
Andy stirred as the first strains of consciousness filtered into his brain. He rolled over lazily, waking up fully when he sensed a warm body nearby. There was Gina, wearing only a thin pink negligée. Most of her was under the covers. He froze, temporarily unsure of what had happened last night between them. Andy remembered… Angie. The slight soreness of his body brought a smile to his face along with a faint echo of the thrills he had shared with the sexy woman. He also remembered… that she had left, and he was alone with Gina after that. The rest of the night was very fuzzy in his recollections, but there was no indication that anything had happened between him and the coven leader. Not that he would have minded because Gina was attractive, even more so when she was asleep. He eased out from under the covers. Gina sighed, then rolled over, still asleep. He tiptoed to the bathroom. I wonder, what does a coven leader dream of?
Gina Mansfield was lying on a rock in the middle of the night, but it wasn’t her; it was a serving girl from a long time ago. She knew that it was dark and cold, but she didn’t feel anything, even though she had no clothes on. The serving girl vaguely, as if in a dream, remembered all the men who had come to her just before now. There was a drink, a dazzling, sparkling stone… dancing… words… friends… happy. Her rage at the violation of body and soul was chained, bottled up inside the serving girl. There was no pain, no joy, no sadness, no thought emanating from her host, and Gina was trapped, powerless to affect anything that was happening. The young woman had no urge to speak, her eyes were wide with wonder; she had even forgotten her name. The serving girl only knew that she was among friends, so heavy, so relaxed. The chanting stopped. She wanted to scream, but the serving girl wouldn’t let her. Gina instinctively knew that they would die, but she was unable to influence the body she shared with the enthralled girl. She watched as the point of a knife traveled downward in slow motion. All Gina could do was watch as the point came nearer and nearer. The serving girl’s memories played at random, the sparkling light of the beautiful stone overlaying each image. She didn’t scream, because she was fascinated by the only thing she could see: the pretty, pretty, stone. As the blade struck, the pain Gina had expected never materialized as the cold, hard stone softened and enveloped her body. She happily closed her eyes, sighing peacefully as the sacrificial stone surrounded her. Her world became soft, warm, and blue…
Andy quietly left Gina’s bedroom suite. He was hungry, but he had never gotten himself any food at the castle; he had always been served his meals. So where was the kitchen? He went downstairs, ignoring the unguarded front door. "Mr. Davidson," came a quiet male voice from behind. Startled, Andy turned to see… James, yeah, that’s his name. "May I help you?" He had the same professional tone that had struck him as being so odd coming from Steven. James looked more… distinguished and professional, so it didn’t seem out-of-place at all. Andy stopped ruminating enough to explain what he wanted. "Would you like to take your breakfast in the sun room?" Andy nodded, feeling strange at the "honored guest" treatment without Gina around, and followed James to the sun room. The butler seated him, then strode purposefully out of the room. Andy was enjoying the view of the "far garden" when James returned with the Sunday paper and a six-bag assortment of teas. Breakfast arrived a little later, served by a very young-looking man; almost a kid. Andy settled in to enjoy the royal treatment. He was on his third cup of tea and the comics pages when a familiar voice jolted him out of his genteel comfort, obliterating his peaceful state of mind.
"G’morning… piggie." Andy’s jaw dropped at Danielle’s appearance. "Coffee, black," she said pleasantly to the entering servant. She smiled sweetly at her (ex-?) houseboy. "I’ll light my own cigarettes for now, Andy." She leaned forward and fiddled with the pack for a few seconds, wondering how to ask him about what Gina did with him. "So… how was your weekend? Is she going to let you go?" Danielle blurted out, hoping to catch him by surprise.
Andy didn’t really know what to say. He definitely wasn’t going to tell Danielle everything that had happened during the weekend, and he didn’t know the answer to the last question. Gina seemed to be quite attached to him, though, so he doubted he would be leaving the coven anytime soon. "I don’t know," he began. "Gi—Mistress Gina hasn’t said anything to me one way or the other." Andy looked up quickly, furtively, cursing himself for his carelessness in using Gina’s name instead of her title. He thanked a minor deity when Danielle seemed to be more interested in her nails than his response.
So it’s "Gina" now. Dani had obtained some of the information she was looking for. It was obvious to her that Andy had balled Gina during the weekend. No wonder she was so pissed last night. I wouldn’t want to be disturbed, either. It must have been good for her. I wonder… Danielle Gray, don’t even think about it. He’s—just not your type. She fixed him with a serious look, and his voice quavered a little as he asked whether there was something else. Good. At least he’s still afraid of me. "You—ah—didn’t tell her anything, did you—piggie," she asked, putting a little extra emphasis on the last word.
She didn’t bother to look at him. Acknowledging his presence would undermine their relative positions. Andy answered, "No, Mistress Danielle. I couldn’t even if I wanted to, remember?" The reply was delivered as a near-plea. He was saying, "Please don’t hurt me, Mistress Danielle."
"Good. I was just checking," she replied with an offhanded casualness that she knew would cause him to become even more nervous. Playing with Andy’s mind took a back seat as her coffee arrived. They made great coffee at the castle. She also knew that the longer she waited to say anything else, the more nervous he would get. She looked up after a few more seconds. "No, your mistress doesn’t require anything at the moment," she said. His relief was tangible.
"Mistress Gina asks that you both join her for lunch in the private room at one-thirty." Both Danielle and Andy’s heads jerked up to look at the head butler. James’ arrival had gone unnoticed amidst the brief psychodrama. Looking at their slightly shocked expressions, he paused and queried, "Are there any questions for her ladyship?" Andy shook his head energetically.
Out of curiosity, Dani asked, "James, what happened to Steven? Shouldn’t he be the head butler on Sundays?"
James turned to face her fully. " Steven is no longer at Castlereagh," he announced formally. Danielle waved her hand for him to continue. "It is my understanding that Steven has been assigned to the service of Mistress Susan." He paused, waiting.
"Thank you, James," Dani said as a dismissal, and the new head butler left the sun room. That’s a shame, but I guess Steve still doesn’t know when to keep his mouth shut. She remembered the cute guy’s quiet proposition. Gina had been upset enough to extend Steven’s sentence for a year on the spot. Dani had thought about accepting, too. Steven was cute in a grungy kind of way that the polish of being a butler had never been able to cover. However, he was also pretty stupid. He had managed to stay on Gina’s shit list for two years, long enough to be sent to Mistress Susan. A small shudder ran through her at the thought of the taller, older woman. Well, he’ll definitely know when to keep his mouth shut after she’s done with him. Andy’s confused expression interrupted her musings. "Oh, Susan is a dominatrix. She’s into the real thing, not just playing around with the power," she explained to him. From the expression on his face, Andy didn’t like the idea of pain any more than she did. "Maybe I oughta take some lessons," Danielle innocently grinned. It was good having Andy to abuse again.
"Uhhh… May I—leave—Mistress Danielle?"
She looked at him, trying hard not to smile. Her mood had improved considerably since running into him. She paused long enough for him to get nervous before dismissing him, but gently. Dani really didn’t want Gina to misunderstand what she was doing. This was kidding around, just for fun. "Really, Andy, I’m only teasing," she playfully said. He shot her a half-frightened grin before he left the room that said he didn’t believe her. She sighed, and picked up the paper. Men…
Gina stretched lazily in bed. Somehow, Andrew had managed to slide out of bed without waking her, so she had been decadent, sleeping much later than usual. She had her tea delivered to her suite, where she could leisurely plan the day’s events before dressing. When James arrived with her breakfast, he informed Gina that Danielle was having breakfast with Andrew. The coven leader sighed. I guess I’d better get on with it… She told James to have the private room prepared for lunch at one-thirty: she, Danielle, and Andrew would be attending. After Gina had dressed, she called Tricia and Heather to notify them that their special talent would be needed at the castle as soon as possible. Each replied that she’d be there in the time it took to drive over. They would take care of Brendan’s problem. With luck, the twins could thaw him out in less than a day, then she would be able to excise the whole incident from his memories. As for the cause of the poor man’s current state… Gina decided that she had better check on the little dilettante. Her intimacy with Andy’s unique mental signature allowed her to reach out for him. A brief scan showed him to be reading, and in reasonably calm spirits, which meant that he was probably in the library, and that Danielle wasn’t nearby.
Gina was waiting for them at lunch. Danielle entered first, giving a very demure and contrite, "Your ladyship." The coven leader wasn’t sure whether it was genuine, so she just let it pass. When Andrew walked in, his entire metaphysical being changed, becoming more agitated, and she could also see apprehension fill his face. However, it only took a light scan to reveal that he was still (somewhat perversely, Gina thought) attracted to Danielle. Strings of his aura floated to the young initiate. She found that she was disappointed, maybe even a little bit—jealous. Still, that was what made him the perfect training aid for Danielle.
Lunch was a fairly silent affair, the social banter reduced to idle comments. The coven leader quietly watched as Danielle kept a careful eye on Andrew each time he spoke. Worried about something, darling? It also occurred to Gina as the dishes were being cleared, that Danielle had said nary a word about Brendan during lunch. After the women chatted about the luncheon, Gina issued very strict "Do not disturb" orders and locked the door.
"Danielle, we will now discuss your problem with Brendan." The young woman reacted with a small jump, as if the thought was distasteful. A question formed immediately in Andrew’s mind. "Be patient and listen," Gina said, drawing a blush from him. "You have found one of the limits of the power. You can not command emotions. They are among the most basic, the most powerful of mental impulses. You managed to replace them with your desires. Unfortunately, you failed to replace any of the less powerful impulses you had to obliterate in order to reach his emotions."
"But Brendan said he loved me!" Danielle blurted defensively. Gina said nothing in return, making her nervous. So this is what I do to Andy… She fidgeted as the room stayed silent. "Well, OK. I gave him—a little push," Dani finally admitted. Gina still said nothing. "Fine. I made him want me. Are you happy now?" There was another short pause, then she meekly asked, "But… but it worked for a while. Why?"
"Because at that point, Brendan must have been quite comfortable with you. Obviously that has changed." Gina held up her hand to forestall any interruption. "Whether that means that he is now interested in someone else, I don’t know. You should have asked him when you had the chance. His answer might have been surprising." She shook her head sadly. "None of this would have happened if you hadn’t relied on the power for everything. You just had to have the perfect man, and it never even occurred to you to let him maybe fall in love with you the way normal people do." The coven leader’s voice dripped honeyed sarcasm. "Did you ever think that someone you had to force to love you wasn’t worth having?" Danielle looked around the room, avoiding her gaze. Softening her tone, Gina continued, "Mary Ellen got her husband that way. Surely you have enough confidence in yourself as a person for that." The young woman’s embarrassed silence answered many of Gina’s questions, and the coven leader remembered the same pain from a former life. She felt a little sorry for Danielle.
In a small, defeated voice, Dani said, "Aaron wouldn’t have gone out with Mary Ellen. He wouldn’t have even noticed her if he met her at a nightclub. I know she used the power, so why couldn’t I?" Noticing Andy’s lost expression, she explained, "Mary Ellen’s a former coven member. She’s not really gorgeous, and Aaron is. He could just walk in a bar and make women go crazy-nuts over him." She looked at Gina for a possible rebuke.
"Mary Ellen used the power to get Aaron to go out with her twice," Gina elucidated. "They hit it off very well, and long-term stability isn’t built on short-term attraction. Aaron was the type of man to realize that, so he called her for dates after that." She reached and patted Danielle’s hand sympathetically. "I’m afraid that it’s too late for you and Brendan. He’s going to harbor deep resentment and fear of you. I’m going to remove the specifics from his memory, but everything else is woven into the fabric of who he is. I do not wish to tamper with his mind that much. As I explained, it can have dire consequences. Even I cannot be sure of how to clean unwanted emotions."
"Why didn’t you tell me this before?" Danielle asked in a quiet voice. If she had known that messing with Brendan’s emotions would keep her from any chance of having him, she wouldn’t have done it. She was too heartbroken to get very angry. "You never said anything about that during training, when I was a novice. And I’ve never heard you talk about manipulating men’s emotions over the past year. Believe it or not, but I do listen sometimes."
"Because I had no idea that you were so powerful. It takes a very strong grasp of the power to alter men’s minds in that way," Gina sighed. "I had no idea that you were even capable of it until—"
"You found out from Andy." Danielle’s voice had turned icy. She looked at Andy with evil written all over her face. He got extremely scared, extremely fast, and braced himself for the onslaught.
"Don’t blame him, Danielle," Gina interrupted very quickly. "I was able to read it in his memories. Andrew told me nothing." She paused, noting the initiate’s continued malicious glare. "I forbid you to take any action against him over this. Is that understood?"
After a brief silence, Danielle dropped her eyes and unhappily replied, "Yes, your ladyship." What else was going to go wrong this weekend? She had lost Brendan, and now she was going to be disciplined for abusing Andy.
"Now," Gina began, "making him kiss your feet so much is a tad—excessive, shall we say? I have no objection to making him fix a morning tray for you, nor do I have problems with his doing the majority of the housework." Andrew’s slightly outraged thought caused her to turn to him. "After all, Andrew, you were being punished," she pointedly noted. He blushed again, but Gina had already turned back to Danielle. "However, Miss Gray," she continued, "titillating him each time you brought home a—guest—borders on torture. Especially for one so attracted to you." Danielle made a face, and Andrew’s blush deepened. "Would you also explain to both of us why you felt he had to enjoy his humiliation?"
Danielle hemmed and hawed, finally (and very reluctantly) revealing the thrill she got from watching Andy’s excited reaction to her sensuality. As for manipulating his emotions, she said, "Because—I could make him happy. Who wants a grumpy servant?" Her face went blank for a second as she thought. "Come to think of it, I’ve never seen any unhappy servants at the castle. They’ve all been less than cooperative when they’re sentenced. How come you can manipulate their emotions and change their minds without any side effects?"
Gina smiled. Danielle finally asked a good question. "Like you, I can manipulate men’s emotions. I can change their minds," she began. "However, I don’t, for many of the reasons we’ve discussed. In addition, as you probably found out last night, having to command someone constantly is a pain. It’s easier on all involved if the second party is willing. I show them the rewards for proper behavior and the servants make their own decisions." The coven leader smiled impishly. "Of course, I’ve never had anyone decline to cooperate. Apparently," she said, giving Andrew a knowing glance, "my rewards are sufficient."
Dani watched the non-verbal communication, and suddenly had a new perspective on the coven leader. Gina was far from the dowdy, sexless old maid that she had imagined. She must have fucked every guy in the castle into submission. Andy was blushing, which meant that he had also screwed her. Judging by his shy, wistful smile, Danielle guessed that the older woman must have been great. Of course, Gina’s obvious affection for Andy meant that he hadn’t been too bad for her, either. No, no, NO. Don’t even think about it, Danielle Gray. Besides, she silently reasoned, he’s Gina’s. "Gina," Danielle began, "how can I convince them that the rewards of loving service are worth it?" A vision of fucking some gorgeous hunk into a compliant thrall presented itself in her mind. She licked her lips, then quickly pulled out a cigarette to cover herself.
"I’m not sure that you can, Danielle," Gina answered. "Again, you are remarkably powerful, but I don’t know that you have the level of power necessary. I do know that you certainly don’t have the skill, and I doubt that you have the perseverance to try." She was surprised by the young woman’s attentive silence. "Nonetheless, it would be good for you to gain more skill with the power. One as gifted as you should not be left to her own devices. That causes—problems." She watched Danielle shudder slightly. Gina would have bet the castle that the initiate was thinking about what she had accidentally done to Brendan. It was time to begin Danielle’s training.
Gina walked over to her. "Miss Gray, you do not have a great deal of patience, yet patience is what is most required to learn the deeper, more subtle workings of the power." Danielle nodded eagerly. "We will begin with a simple—sensory exercise. I want you to relax. Close your eyes and open your other senses. Try to sense the people in this room and the room itself. Keep your eyes closed."
Dani did as she was told. She couldn’t sense a thing, but whenever she tried to peek and see what was going on, Gina told her to close them. After a while, Danielle got tired of squeezing them shut, and tried to pretend that she was going to take a nap. The noises from outside got louder, so she started to concentrate on that. A few minutes later, she was about to go crazy. "Gina, I can’t ‘sense’ a god-damned thing except the cicadas outside," she confessed. "Can you tell me what I’m trying to accomplish?" She kept her eyes closed. It was sort of—restful.
"I want you to see Andrew’s life essence, without having to draw it from him," Gina explained. "Let me know what color he is, then we will move on." She looked at Andrew’s aura, which was throwing bright blue tendrils to Danielle for her to grasp. Unfortunately, the initiate remained ignorant of it for a few silent minutes that stretched into an hour. Gina sighed. This was not going anywhere. "Danielle, open your eyes. I can see that you are having difficulty." She saw the look of puzzled frustration on her student’s face: it wasn’t that Danielle hadn’t been trying. The coven leader realized that Danielle Gray just didn’t believe strongly enough in the concept of the metaphysical plane or the magical nature of the power to sense Andrew’s aura.
Gina thought back to Angie’s quick study. She decided that continuing to expose Danielle to Andrew’s intense desire for her couldn’t hurt. "Take Andrew home with you," she instructed. His disappointment rang in Gina’s mind, but she paid little attention to it, still thinking about what she could possibly do to facilitate Danielle’s learning. There has to be a way to get her to notice his aura… Then it hit her. Danielle and Andrew were almost to the door. "Danielle," Gina called. "Did you know that Andrew has a fantasy of you fucking him in the ass with a strap-on dildo?" she casually asked.
Andy made a horrible noise and went completely white. Danielle’s eyebrows shot up. So my piggie wants me to fuck him. Very amused now, she smiled at him and immediately began calculating the ways she could tease him about it. Gina was regarding him with a calm expression, while he was plainly horrified at the statement. Dani figured that it must be true because he hadn’t even protested, but she decided to make sure. "Is this true, piggie?" She sent a little bit of power at him and added, "You must tell me the truth."
"Y-yes," Andy stuttered. How had Gina known? That was a deeply hidden secret that he rarely admitted to himself. This was giving Danielle a license to humiliate and torture him. What did I do to make Gina tell her that? Andy sent the questions to the front of his mind, hoping desperately that Gina would say something, or at least give him some sign that she wasn’t angry with him. Nothing happened. There was no change in the coven leader’s flat expression, he felt no gentle mental caress. She had abandoned him, leaving him hung him out to dry.
"Come along, piggie," Dani said lightly, pulling at his arm. "We have a long evening in front of us," she continued, making her voice lewd. She felt Andy tremble at her words, but he followed her out of the room. Danielle smiled sweetly at him. He immediately looked away. It may have been a rotten weekend, but the coming week could be real fun.
Gina watched Danielle and her training aid leave. Andrew’s sense of abandonment and betrayal filled her mind, and her efforts to shut it out were only partially successful. She was surprised to find that his hurt wounded her so deeply, much more than she’d anticipated. She desperately hoped that the young man would be able to forgive her. "If Danielle doesn’t get a handle on her desires and her skills soon," she reminded herself aloud, "Andrew’s feelings will be the least of my worries." The coven leader summoned the head butler. "James, tell the twins that I will be in the library when they are finished for the day. Prepare them dinner if they so desire," she told him. Gina Mansfield needed her favorite chair, a stiff gin and tonic, and a good book. It had not been a good day.