Spring was in the air, and that could mean only one thing at Kendall Craft’s manor home: it was time for the club’s annual Roaring Twenties party. For Kendall, it was the one night of the year where he could indulge his fetish openly, and what a night it would be. The “horsey set” would transform themselves into guys and dolls from the 1920’s, which meant tons of women walking around his estate carrying cigarette holders. It was a requirement to be admitted to the party, in addition to period, or at the very least, black tie, dress. Even non-smoking women had to get a holder for the night, which Kendall would gleefully supply for a small donation to charity. All in all, it was a wonderful cover for him and his fetish.
But this year would be different from the previous ones: Kendall now had other women to turn to, thanks to the training program. The previous year, he had thought his hand would get blisters as he replayed scene after scene in his head the next day; Petra, although well-indoctrinated into the program, had not been his sex slave at that point. In fact, the aftermath of last year’s party was what had led Kendall to push the program’s envelope with her. Now he had not only one, but three, elegant smoking women at his command. He thought of all the young debutantes, the daughters of his fellow club members, most of whom smoked. They’d be walking around smoking through holders. It was going to be a glorious night.
The day of the party arrived, and Kendall watched from his study as the workers ran about setting up for the party under Petra’s watchful eye. She really was a good butler, but she would be getting tonight off. Petra deserved to have some fun every once in a while, too. Besides, Kendall had some special plans for her. He locked his study door and headed downstairs to his secret room; there he would have privacy for his phone calls. He dialed Caitlin first, leaving a cryptic message on the answering machine. “Caitlin, Dionysius is in the cat’s cradle. Remember. You will come to your master’s house immediately, prepared for the ritual of sophisticated elegance. You will make your preparations at your master’s house. When you arrive, Petra will conduct you upstairs, and then you will sleep deeply until your master awakens you. You will not remember this message after you hang up the phone, but you will obey your master’s commands.” One down.
“Miss Laura Vincent? This is Kendall Arts and Crafts. You will come to your master immediately. Petra will meet you at the door. You must obey Petra’s commands until master arrives. Bring all your items for the ritual of sophisticated elegance, but do not prepare for the ritual. You will not remember this message after you hang up the phone, but you will obey your master’s commands.” That was two; Petra would be free in an hour or so, and he could put her under after she had finished supervising the party’s initial preparations. He had hired a professional party planner to take care of everything for the rest of the night.
Petra walked into the study almost an hour later. “Kendall, everything is almost ready for the party people. All of the things that needed to be moved have been, and the party planners will be here in another half-hour to start setting up. Thank you for allowing me to attend the party tonight.”
Kendall smiled. “You deserve a night off and to have fun with everybody else. This is a big party, and it wouldn’t do to have you running around trying to oversee it.” He placed a small jewelry box on the desk. “In fact, I have something for you to wear tonight...”
Petra greeted Laura at the door. “Come with me.” The young secretary followed her upstairs without a word. Petra indicated one of the guest bedrooms. “You will await master here,” the butler commanded. Laura sat on the bed, staring vacantly forward. The butler returned to the study. “Master, Laura is here.”
“Very good, Petra. You will await Caitlin, and lead her to a different room. You will stay with her and kneel at her feet until I command you otherwise. I am not to be disturbed with Laura,” Kendall said.
“Yes... master. I will obey your commands,” Petra replied. She glided out of the study, while Kendall headed upstairs to program Laura for the evening.
“Laura, this is your master.” At the sound of his voice, Laura stood and walked over to him. “Look into your master’s eyes, and sleep... sleep deeply... and obey.” The young woman’s eyes closed and she murmured a soft, “Ahyesss... obeyyy... masss-terrrr...” Kendall took a deep breath; her hypnotic submission went straight to his libido. “Listen carefully,” he began. “You are attending a party of elegance. You must use your holder and smoke as elegantly, as sexily as possible. Master will not be at this party, only Kendall. You will not feel any jealousy towards Kendall. There will be a wonderful reward for you if you obey. You will have Petra under your command after the party, in private.” Laura shifted on her feet, purring. The thought of having a love slave affected the bisexual woman, even deep in thrall. She licked her lips. “Yes... you like that, don’t you, sexy Laura?” She enthusiastically purred again. “I have some commands for you. When I touch your forehead and count to three, you will go deep into trance, and carry out any suggestions that Kendall gives you. You will be performing for the party. You will be an actress, Laura. Do you understand?”
“Yes... I will be... an actress when Kendall asks me to perform.”
“Very good. You may go lie down now, and sleep deeply, naturally until you hear the alarm. Then you will dress elegantly, and come downstairs feeling awake and refreshed.” She walked over to the bed, sat, and then lay down, snuggling against the pillow.
By now, Caitlin Brown was sitting in another of Kendall’s guest rooms. Petra was kneeling at her feet as directed. After Kendall had dealt with the party planner, he headed back upstairs to see the other two hypnotized women. “Caitlin, smoke for me.” Caty pulled out a More menthol 120, and lit it, taking her customary sip and deep draw. She let a ball of smoke roll out of her mouth, re-inhaled it, then exhaled slowly, leisurely, with a smile on her face. “Watch Caty smoke, Claire. Yes... feel the excitement... see how sexy she is,” he purred in Petra’s ear. When his butler began to caress herself gently, Kendall put her back to sleep. “Go to your room now, Petra. Claire is gone. There is only Petra, who must get ready for the party. You will act normally until Kendall commands.”
“I must... get ready... for ze... parrr-ty,” Petra moaned. She stood up, blinked, and said, “I will see you in an hour or so Kendall, ja?” seemingly unaware of Caitlin’s presence. He waved as she left for the carriage house.
“Now, Caitlin, it is your turn. You will be the very essence of sophisticated elegance this evening. You will enjoy it very much, and you will not worry about Kendall or master. You will always be aware of the effect that your smoking will have on Petra, Kendall, or any other man who may appear interested. You may use your smoking to flirt, and display how sexy you are.” She agreed to each point. “Before the party, you will place the necklace on Laura. She will then be bound to obey any of your commands. You will be her mistress tonight, but you will not take any obvious advantage until you are in private. Do you understand?”
“I will be Laura’s...” Caty sighed. “Miss-tress... she will obey... me.” A wolfish grin appeared on her entranced face.
“Very good, sexy Caty. Kendall will enjoy watching you tonight. You will not feel jealous of Kendall tonight, but you will excite him as much as you can. You will also excite Petra as much as you can. Do you understand?”
“Yes... I... understand,” she softly answered. The sound of an alarm clock’s buzzing interrupted Kendall’s rising libido. He sighed. Caty could make him very, very hot, and he had almost boiled over.
“You will go into the second guest room and use the necklace to hypnotize Laura now. Then you may prepare to be the sophisticated, elegant Caitlin for Kendall.” Caitlin recited her elegance mantra until her eyes opened, then smiled sweetly at Kendall. She removed her black holder and waved it in front of his face.
“You’re gonna hafta wait, darlin’,” she teased. Kendall feigned disappointment and left the room. Ah yes, he would wait, but it would be worth it.
“Kendall, this is a wonderful party, as usual. It’s so nice not to be restricted to the environs of the club, don’t you think?” He nodded, accepting the praise with a gracious smile. “May I have a light?” The person to whom he was speaking was Diane De la Four Martin, one of the very rich divorcees who belonged to the club. The matronly, forty-something woman took an immense hit from a Virginia Slim Light Menthol 120 in a long black holder, exhaling a thick, directed stream with upturned head for several seconds. Kendall was not unaffected, despite her age. Diane’s holder was her own, one of several the slightly eccentric woman had used so far this evening. Kendall had noticed, knowing that part of the show was for his benefit. She knew a lot about the art of smoking—and Kendall’s fetish. Diane had figured it out at one of Kendall’s previous parties about a year after she had gotten her divorce. He had scratched her itch that night, and on a few occasions since, but she would be disappointed this year. Kendall had someone more his own age in mind.
“Excuse me, Diane, I need to speak with some other people. Duties of the host and all that,” he apologized, trying to get away from her before he lost it. She graciously excused him with another long draw and slow-motion french inhale, followed by a combined nose and mouth exhale, equally slow. She winked at him, smiled purposefully, then turned and headed for the garden with a wiggle, holder extended at the end of a black-gloved arm. That had been close. He walked over to a couple congregating around the punch bowl, being greeted with several happy hellos from other club members along the way. “How are you enjoying the party?”
Arnold and Deborah Wolf, attorneys-at-law, and ardent non-smokers, said that it was a wonderful party, despite all the smoke. They were particularly pleased by the presence of several smoke eaters that Kendall had rented. Deborah enthused about the way everyone was dressed and the quite authentic speakeasy atmosphere. “You’ve done a wonderful job of transporting your house back to the roaring 20’s, Kendall!” Deborah enthused. She held her holder like a non-smoker. Suddenly, she called to a girl over by the punch bowl, who rolled her eyes and joined them under obvious protest. “Kendall, this is our daughter, Jillian.” The teen rolled her eyes again. “Jillian, this is our host for the night, Mr. Craft. This is his house, and the party is his idea.”
At that, the “I wish my parents would just die and leave me alone” air that Jillian had been affecting evaporated. “You’re the guy who thought up this idea??? Mondo cool party, dude!” She noted her parents’ wincing expressions with satisfaction. Kendall smiled. “I thought it was going to be a bogus time, especially when my folks made me take out my nose ring and told me I had to be normal for tonight.” Deborah Wolf blanched. “But this is way cool. I like the cigarette holders. I’m keeping mine.” Her parents rolled their eyes. She put a Camel Light in a short red holder and lit it, taking a defiant heavy drag. No style, Kendall thought, as she exhaled a nearly shapeless cloud of smoke, but her enthusiasm for the holder was nice. “Well, I’m gonna go talk to Jimmy Patterson. Good job—Ken.” The teen walked away, leaving her parents shaking their heads, smiling sheepishly, trying to explain to Kendall that she was at an awkward age. He nodded, excusing himself to go in search of his “plants.”
Laura was sitting on the sofa in the study, next to a young man who seemed very interested in the french-inhales that she was sustaining for several seconds. He didn’t even mind when she exhaled her fine line of smoke by his face. They were having a private conversation. Kendall noted the pendant around her neck with satisfaction. Maybe I won’t hypnotize her for public entertainment tonight.
Petra was hanging out with the Grants. She had been their au pair when the unfortunate incident involving her parents had occurred. They had connected her with Kendall while remaining good friends. Kendall had a serious case of the hots for Mrs. Grant. Tina Grant was in her early fifties; her beauty hadn’t faded with age. Her body gave the impression that she was twenty-five. The stylish gray streaks in her dark brown hair suggested a mature sexiness. Kendall vividly remembered the first time he had met the Grants—Tina and Craig had been sitting on the club patio, enjoying cigars together. “Hi, Kendall!” Tina turned to him, smiling, “I always love this party. It’s a nice change of pace from the formal parties Craig and I always seem to be attending.”
Her husband nodded. “People don’t cut loose at rich doctors’ parties,” he said. “Are you going to be coming to the cigar dinner at our house this year? Maybe liven it up a little? You should bring Petra, too.” He leaned conspiratorially to Kendall. “I’ve got at least fifty Cubans coming in for this one,” he whispered. “Assorted sizes, all hand-made.” Kendall let a long, quiet whistle of appreciation go. Craig grinned, “Yeah, I know.” He removed a cigar from a pocket humidor, which Petra offered to clip for him. “You’re not working tonight, Petra. No,” he said, causing everyone to laugh.
“Yes, Dr. Grant, I know I’m not working, but it’s a habit, though.” Petra removed her holder and cigarette case. She was quite stunning in the outfit Kendall had selected for her, so he stayed to watch. She quickly, expertly fitted her Eve 120 into the holder. Accepting a light from Dr. Grant, Petra drew on the assembled smoke, lifted her chin, and then blew a long, extended stream of smoke towards the ceiling through pursed lips. Kendall’s attention was diverted by Tina, who removed a ten-inch long meerschaum holder from her purse. She placed a Nat Sherman’s unfiltered white Cigaretello in it. “That’s a nice holder, Valentina,” Petra commented, admiring the intricate sculpture along its length as Craig lit Tina’s cigarette.
“Do you like it, Petra? I’ve had it for many years, but since I rarely smoke cigarettes any more, I don’t use it very often. Kendall’s party—” Kendall swallowed lightly as Tina exhaled a jet of smoke through her nose, finishing with her lips, holding the distinctive holder from beneath between forefinger and thumb. That style, along with her accent, belied Tina’s upper class British heritage. “—Is the only time I seem to have occasion to use it. You know how the medical profession is about smoking. Besides, I’ve actually grown to prefer the taste of a fine cigar, especially with a good cognac.” Dr. Grant picked up the subject of cigars and cognac, asking Petra if she would consult on the offerings for his upcoming party. Kendall watched Mrs. Grant take another smooth, unhurried draw, and her just-as-smooth nasal exhale.
“Excuse me, Craig—Tina,” he broke in. “I have to circulate some more.” They smiled, saying that they understood. He walked away, being careful not to appear as if he were running away, but studiously avoiding watching Valentina smoke some more. Older women were very dangerous for him; they knew how to smoke. He went through the party, pausing briefly to speak with several guests, clandestinely noticing what and how the women were smoking. There was no sign of Caitlin in the house, but several more partygoers were wandering around outside in the garden. There was a cluster of young men around one of the stone benches, not too far away from the house. He had found her.
Caty saw Kendall as she was preparing to smoke again. She fiddled with the cigarette and holder, stalling, waiting for him to get a little closer. She had been having a lot of fun with being the southern belle tonight. She had never wanted for attention, nor had she had to light her own cigarette all evening. She pretended not to see him as he got closer, and revealed her assembled smoke just as he reached the perimeter of the group. Four different flames appeared almost instantly. She leaned to her left, not caring about the implied display of favor, and took her usual quick sip, then deep draw. Caty turned her head skyward, waited, then eased the smoke through a little “O” in her lips. She had everybody’s attention, but Kendall was definitely the most affected. “Hi, Kendall,” she drawled in her distinctive New Orleans lilt. “Are you finished being the host and ready to be my date?” She felt eight men simultaneously deflate. Oh well, sorry boys, but I’ve got Kendall on my mind, and I’m gonna have him somewhere else later...
“Certainly, Miss Brown,” he replied gallantly, but he heard the catch in his voice as Caitlin took another stunning draw and posed exhale. The mischievous twinkle in her eye told him she’d heard it too. He wasn’t going to last very long at this rate. She took another draw, and very carefully formed an “O” with her lips, waited some more, then exhaled. The More, the holder, the style and feminine elegance were sending Kendall into meltdown. Moreover, she knew it.
Caitlin led him through the crowd hanging on his arm, making polite apologies for monopolizing the host. “Darlin’,” she drawled as she led him to the study, which was secluded from the party and off-limits to partygoers, “I’m bettin’ you want some alone time as much as I do.” All he could do was nod. “Well, if you promise me that we’ll have some more time later tonight, I sure could use a little private attention right now.” When they got to the study, she immediately lit another More menthol and placed it in the holder. “Pay close attention, Kendall,” she sang. Caitlin propped herself on a corner of the large oak desk, crossed her legs and took a drag. She held it, then silently exhaled a fine line of smoke towards the ceiling, waiting for her extremely stylish and sexy smoking to have its full effect on him. She was halfway finished with the cigarette when the bulge in his pants indicated that he was ready for what she had in mind. Purring, “C’mere baby,” after another languorous exhale, she hiked up her flapper’s dress, and pulled down her panties. “They’re wet.” That was the last noise she was able to make—she barely had time to put the holder and still-glowing cigarette in a safe place before Kendall met her with the greatest of enthusiasm.
“Dionysius is in the cat’s cradle.” At those words, Caitlin’s eyes drooped, then slowly closed. He led his entranced lover downstairs to his secret room; it had a bathroom attached where they cleaned up from their frenzied lovemaking. Once they had returned to the study, Kendall removed her memory of the downstairs laboratory, while leaving her very aware of the smoky sex and clean up. “Now, Caitlin, when you leave the study, you will rejoin the party, remembering your earlier instructions. Do you understand?”
“Yes… master,” she sighed with a smile. Immediately after leaving the study, Caty turned, looked at Kendall and said, “Thanks, darlin’. You have no idea how hot it makes me walkin’ around with the cigarette holder and gettin’ so much attention from all the guys here. But you know that—” She stood on tip toe and gave him a peck on the cheek. “—I’ll be stayin’ here after the party. For our own little get-together. Part two.” She headed for the garden once again.Kendall shook his head, smiling as he watched her butt recede. “Miss Brown, you are something else,” he muttered to himself. Well, he’d been missing from the party for over an hour. It was time for the host to be visible again. Kendall went in the opposite direction from Caitlin, surfacing in the main dining room, where the buffet was. It and the adjoining rooms constituted the only smoke-free zone in the house for the night. Guests were mingling, eating and talking, having loads of fun. Tony, the owner of the five-star restaurant Fortissimo, waved to him. “Hello, Tony! First time I’ve seen you all night,” he jovially greeted his friend.
“Kendall, this is another fantastic success! Every year, the same theme, and it never gets old! The catering is superb, even if it’s not by Fortissimo—that’s not a jibe. I enjoy having the night off. And the recreation of the 1920’s is stunning!” Tony lowered his voice to a whisper. “Frankly, watching the missus walk around with a wiggle and a cigarette holder is—inspiring. It’s going to be a noisy night in the Maggi household, heh.”
Kendall had always suspected that Tony was a fellow fetisher, and into the elegance of it all from his reaction to Kendall’s dates at his restaurant. While not proof, this certainly lent credence to that theory. A beautiful young woman with very light brown hair walked up to them. “Uncle Tony, this is such a fun party! I just wish I had a cigarette holder like everybody else!”
“This is the man who came up with the idea, and his house. Kendall, this is my niece, Cathy. My brother and his wife are visiting from New Jersey, and I took the liberty of inviting them to your party. Cathy’s at Harvard. She’s a whiz with the numbers and business, right, sweetie? Before you know it, she’ll be running her own Fortissimo’s around the country.”
The girl blushed. “Oh, Uncle Tony. Fortissimo is one-of-a-kind. You could duplicate the recipes in a franchise, but never the love and pride that goes into making it what it is. I don’t need an MBA to teach me that.” She turned to Kendall, and in a businesslike manner shook his hand. “Hello, Mr. Craft. It’s a wonderful pleasure and and an honor to meet you.”
“Call me Kendall, please. Did I hear you say that you don’t have a cigarette holder? How ever did that oversight occur?”
“It’s because I smoke Capris,” she confided. “They don’t fit because they’re too skinny.”
Kendall managed to suppress the shiver of pleasant surprise her statement sent through him. “You should have asked earlier, my dear,” he smiled. “They have them at the entry foyer—after all, everyone is supposed to have a holder at this party, even those who smoke super slim cigarettes.” She blushed again, and said that she would go get one right away. He lightly took her arm. “Since you are Tony’s nephew, and he has given many evenings of culinary delight along with occasional special favors, please allow me to give you something in exchange.” Her uncle smiled, nodded approvingly, and shooed her off. Kendall led her to the study. “I have here an antique. Please allow me to present it to you as a token of my appreciation for your uncle’s talents. This is for you to keep, even after the party.” He opened a chestnut display case and gave her a 4-inch sterling silver holder, engraved in a floral pattern.
Cathy gasped, “Oh! My!!! Kendall, you shouldn’t! I mean, I can’t… I… I…” He held up his hand, indicating that the matter was closed. When she realized that she wasn’t going to be able to give it back, her face broke out into a huge smile. It looked expensive, and it was certainly haute couture. She immediately started wondering if this could mean that Kendall was like her former boyfriend. “Thank you, really. Do you mind if I—?” Kendall gestured for her to continue. Cathy took a Capri 120 out of its pack, fit it into the holder, giving him a coy smile as he lit it for her. Her drag was deep, then she tossed her head before a quick nasal exhale. She posed for him, holder parallel to the ground between index and middle fingers at the end of a slightly extended arm. “How do I look?” That would have driven her ex-boyfriend wild. She could have had a lot of fun with him and a cigarette holder.
“Fantastic,” Kendall sincerely replied, feeling a familiar swell in spite of his just-concluded antics with Caitlin.
Cathy took another drag, posing with the holder. Now this should get her noticed. Maybe it was time to play her card. “Umm… can I ask you a favor?” the young girl asked, shyly.
“Yes, anything,” he said, voice getting smaller with each nasal exhale Cathy took. He was beginning to get—uncomfortable.
“Could I come back during the school year and interview you? For my case study? I mean, I know all about your fortune before age twenty-five, but your business acumen… I think it would make for a unique case study. I didn’t want to say anything in front of my uncle.” Cathy dragged again, hoping that she had judged him correctly. A personal interview with Kendall Craft would go a long way towards an honors project.
Kendall breathed a small sigh of relief, and the question distracted him from Cathy’s unique, sexy in its own way, smoking style. She even looked comfortable with the holder! “Of course! Tony knows how to contact me, Cathy,” Kendall said, “but I think we need to return to the party. After all, I am the host.” And I’ve already disappeared once tonight with a fetching young lady and you are so close to making me forget myself... Cathy thanked him for the holder and the future interview several times. They left the study together to find her parents so she could show them her gift and introduce him. Before they could find them, Kendall saw Laura and her new beau heading for the dancing room. He excused himself to speak with another of his unaware smoking slaves. “Hello, Laura; Steven. Are you having a good time?”
“Oh yeah, Kendall. Thanks for inviting Laura to the party!” the young man replied, his intent clearly visible in his expression. Laura giggled, looking entirely too comfortable on the young man’s arm for Kendall’s taste. Not tonight.
“May I have a word with your date? It’s a message from her boss,” Kendall lightly said. Sorry, dude… Laura leaned to him. “Kendall Arts and Crafts,” he whispered deeply, shielding her from Steven’s view. Laura sighed, smiled, and her eyes glazed over. He led her a few steps further away from the young man. “This young man is very interested in you tonight, Laura. You have done well to excite him. You are an excellent actress.” Her smile grew. “But now you realize that you must get ready to command Petra. He may be for you another time, but he is not for you tonight. Tonight, after the party is only for you… and Petra… and master. Do you understand?” Caty’s presence and control of Laura was going to be a surprise.
“Yes… master. I mussst obeyyy… you… Command… Petra,” she answered, smiling again at the reminder of an enslaved Petra. Kendall woke her, and she said, “Thanks for the message, Kendall.” Laura returned to Steve, but Kendall detected a hint of mild discomfort when the young man put his arm around her. The brush-up of her programming had been successful. He went outside to mingle some more.
“Hello, Kendall. Do you have a moment for me?” It was Diane’s honeyed voice. She stood, a picture of matronly elegance, a 4” solid gold holder held at an angle with a just-lit Virginia Slim 120 menthol in it. Her drag and voluminous exhale were carefully executed to get a serious rise out of him. It did. He inhaled noisily despite himself. “Will you be available later? After the party, perhaps, dear?” There was no mistaking her intent.
“Actually, Diane… I have a friend here.”
“Oh.” She was surprised and disappointed, but well schooled enough in the social graces not to make a scene. She took another drag, watching him carefully for any further sign of interest. “Does she do it as well as I do, Kendall, dear?” she whispered, loud enough for his ears only.
Beads of sweat broke out on Kendall’s face and a bulge began to form in his pants. Diane didn’t help, taking another long draw, followed by a slow, graceful exhale. She was standing in the light from the house, giving him a near-perfect view of her exhaled smoke. Intentionally. She was trying to use his fetish to get her itch scratched. “Well, actually Diane…” he began, swallowing hard, “she does.”
“It couldn’t be any of the young things from the club,” she sneered. “None of them have any style,” she continued, “as you have expressed to me in the privacy of my boudoir.” She became silent, sparing him the agony of another lust-inspiring drag and exhale. After thinking for a few moments, her eyes lit up with recognition. “Could it be that young woman from the South? The one with the accent and the Mores in that beautiful ebony holder?” Diane smiled at Kendall’s reaction. “Excellent catch,” she said, “even if it is to my regret. I wish you good luck with her, Kendall. She’s quite the charmer, and is—well-suited for your—interests.” She gave him a motherly kiss on the cheek. “I’ll be around if you need me—just in case.”
Kendall wanted the party to end right away. He was ready for Petra, Laura, and Caitlin. His hunger for his sexy smoking women was at a fever pitch from the sights and images of the evening. Tonight, after the party, it would be different, much better than last year. This year, he could have any fantasy he desired in the flesh, instead of only in his head. Officially, there was still another hour to go. Despite his preoccupation, he wandered through the party, playing the part of the genial host. As he was speaking to Chester Freeman, who was enjoying a fresh cigar, a soft, “Excuse me sir, do you have a light?” came from behind him. He spun to see Tony’s niece holding her Capri 120 in its silver holder, waiting for the light. Chester extended his lighter, which had already been out. The young woman did a quick french-inhale before tossing her head and exhaling slowly through her nose. She smiled at them, and thanked Chester. Only then did Kendall realize that her parents were also with her.
The introductions were made. Tony’s sister-in-law thanked Kendall for Cathy’s gift. “Now she even looks like the millionaire. You won’t be able to talk to her after she gets her MBA,” she jokingly said, making her daughter blush. As neutrally as he could, Kendall told them that they had a very lovely, and very smart daughter. For her part, Cathy seemed to be going out of her way to insure that he could see her smoke. Chester excused himself and left in search of his wife. The small talk continued for several minutes. Kendall was beginning to feel arousal for Cathy. This was getting awkward, especially in front of her parents.
“There you are Kendall, darlin’!” Caitlin said, disturbing his contemplation of Cathy’s smoking style and her brand new Capri 120 in its silver holder. He lit it, but Caty was a welcome distraction. “I’ve been lookin’ for you for the past hour! You’re gonna hafta start havin’ smaller parties or keepin’ me with you all the time,” she smiled. Caitlin also took Kendall’s arm. He introduced her to everybody else. The two women didn’t seem the least disturbed by the other. Caitlin even humorously noted the extra “h” in Cathy’s name. She made no move for her More menthols, allowing Kendall to breathe a sigh of relief. After a few more minutes of conversation, that gathering broke up; Cathy went one way, her parents another, leaving Caitlin and Kendall arm-in-arm going yet a third direction. The party was almost over; it had thinned out considerably over the previous hour. It was time for Kendall to gather his flowers.
He and Caty went to the dancing room first, figuring that that was where they might find Laura. Caty was unusually quiet, seeming content to be on his arm. They didn’t find Laura, but they did find Tina Grant. “Craig’s dancing with Petra,” Tina said, standing at the bar. “Hello, Caitlin. You didn’t tell me that Kendall was your date for the night.”
“You two know each other?” Kendall asked.
“Petra introduced us earlier,” Tina continued. She took out her cigarette case and the meerschaum holder. Oh, no. Caty smiled wolfishly, and similarly prepared a More menthol. Tina lit both holdered cigarettes, and Kendall started to thicken. The band started another song as Caty and Tina smoked and talked causally, but Caty had maneuvered so that Kendall couldn’t avoid watching both of them without looking into the wall. The lighting was also not helping, since both women’s exhales were highlighted, Tina’s thick, slow nasal exhales contrasting with Caitlin’s long, streaming oral ones. He was well past thick now, and it barely registered that Tina was speaking to him. “...I said, would you please dance with me? It looks like Craig is having entirely too much fun with Petra, and I’d like to dance.”
“I’ll hold your things, Tina,” Caitlin quickly volunteered. Kendall wondered what was going on. Her face was unreadable. Tina thanked her and handed Caitlin everything, including the still lit Cigaretello, taking Kendall’s hand to lead him onto the dance floor. Before Kendall could turn to follow her, Caitlin, meerschaum holder between thumb and forefinger in a perfect imitation of Tina’s style, took a long, deep drag from the holdered white cigarette, snap-inhaled a big ball of smoke, and turned to the side to show him a profile view of her exhale. Tina tugged on his arm, unaware of the little display behind her; Kendall forced his jaw shut and followed her.
The floor was still full. They couldn’t see Craig and Petra through the crowd. Worse, the band started a slow song. Tina said, “Oh well, if we see them, we’ll switch.” She took Kendall’s hands, placed one on her hip and kidded, “I hope you don’t mind dancing with an old lady.” Then they brushed against each other below the waist. Tina giggled, “Judging by that, I guess you don’t.” Kendall wanted to die. His steps faltered, causing Tina to stop, and his erection blessedly began to wane. “I’m just kidding, Kendall. I know good and well who that’s for. She’s a good woman, and I’m sure you’ll both be very happy tonight. Perhaps even longer if you don’t muck it up. Now, may we dance?” What a woman, Kendall thought, relaxing. Tina’s smoking grace extended to dancing as well. After the song was over, the band said good night, causing half of the people to leave the floor. The remainder of the crowd was enthusiastic enough to make them start another song. “Ah! There’s Craig!” Tina said, waving at her husband. “Ask Caitlin to dance. That’s not a suggestion either.”
Relieved, he headed for Caitlin, who had finished her More, and was waiting for him with an impish smile. “Caitlin—”
She interrupted, “Dance with your butler. She’d really like to dance with you. I’m only interested in doin’ the horizontal tango with you—later.” Petra eagerly accepted his invitation, which puzzled Kendall a little. She’d always maintained a professional distance when she wasn’t acting as one of her hypnotic alter egos. He wondered if this was a spontaneous manifestation of one of those personalities. Hypnotically-induced schizophrenia would not be a good thing. Better take care of this quickly. “Endors-toi immédiatement et très fort, ma princesse fumeuse,” he whispered into her ear. Petra sighed, the muscles in her face relaxed, her eyes drooped and went blank. “You are Petra right now. There is no Claire, no Peggy, no Gretchen, no Suzanne, no one else. No one but Petra. Do you understand?”
“Yes... Master. I am... Petra,” she sighed, and he awoke her. They danced, but Petra still seemed to be more—familiar with him than normal. They had danced together before, but her movements were more free, distinctly more—sensual. His dance steps were considerably less fluid as he continued to worry about his butler’s mental state. Perhaps it’s that her inhibitions have been lowered due to alcohol, he thought. On the other hand, if this was an unanticipated side effect of phase 6 of the training program... He needed to find out as soon as possible. Tomorrow afternoon, he would take Petra back to the secret room for the first time in almost seven months to get to the root of the problem. “Thank you for dancing with me, Kendall,” Petra gently said as the music ended, and the band said their true good night. Is that a sparkle I detect in her eyes? Peggy has got to be influencing her. Now he was definitely worried.
“You don’t look so hot, darlin’,” Caitlin said when Petra left them. “But I know how to fix that,” she smiled. The ebony holder and cigarette case full of More menthols made an appearance. “May I please have a light?” Kendall quickly complied. “I thought this would—” Caty took a long drag, followed by a slow snap-inhale. She exhaled slowly through her nose and mouth as he watched most attentively. “—Redirect your train of thought. Let’s start looking for my slave, sweets. This party’s shuttin’ down. Time to get ready for our party.” The search for Laura began. They found her in the foyer with Steve.
“Steve, I had a really nice time tonight,” she was saying. “But I’ve got to be in the office tomorrow—there’s a Monday deadline that I have to meet. That was the message from Kendall.” She bounced over to the reception table, grabbed a pen and sheet of paper. “Here’s my phone number—call me on Monday night and we’ll do something next weekend.” Steve eagerly accepted the bone Laura threw him. She kissed him on the cheek, holding his hand a bit longer than necessary before he turned and left. That was unexpected, Kendall thought. He might have to release Laura from the training program. Steve would probably notice something. While Kendall was musing, Caty was taking action. She was talking to Laura. Kendall moved to join his date.
“That’s a really nice pendant, Laura,” Caty said. “May I?” Laura cheerfully said sure, and Caty lifted the pendant. Laura naturally looked down, and Caty tapped her on the forehead. “Enslaved,” she whispered. Laura showed no sign that anything had happened. “Come to the sitting room with me while Kendall says good nights for us, dear.”
“Yesss… I obey, mistress,” Laura sighed. “Mussst obey… pendant.”
We’ll be in the sittin’ room, darlin’. You say good night to the guests,” Caty said to Kendall, pecking him on the cheek. “I promise you a special show tonight.” He vibrated with excitement. His goodnights were rather hurried, except for Cathy, who lingered with another holdered Capri 120. It took another hour, but finally the house was emptied.
Petra came to the foyer. “That is everybody, including the party people. They will have the cleaning crew here tomorrow afternoon at thr—”
He interrupted with her magic French phrase. In response, Petra slid into a deep trance almost instantly, as she had an hour earlier. “Go to the sitting room. You will tell Laura that you are to serve her. You will beg her to smoke for you, as your mistress. When she smokes for you, you will become Claire. Claire will obey Laura. Laura will be Claire’s mistress until master commands otherwise.”
“Yes, master. I will obey Laura. I will become Claire for Laura when Laura smokes for me. Laura is Claire’s mistress. Claire will obey Laura until you command,” Petra replied, turned, and went to the sitting room without another word. Kendall followed, only to be met in the hall by Caitlin.
“Not yet, big boy,” she said, putting her hand on his chest. “I promised you a show, but ya gotta give me time to get it ready. I’ll buzz you on the intercom in the study when I’m ready. It’ll be about ten minutes or so. It’s gonna be worth the wait.” Caty paused, then threw her arms around Kendall and kissed him deeply. “That should give you plenty to think about ’til then,” she grinned. “Don’t spoil yourself, ’kay? You’ll be sorry if you do.” Kendall sighed impatiently. He could have hypnotically changed Caty’s mind, but decided to see what her devilish little mind would cook up.
Kendall passed the time thinking about Tony’s niece. She seemed very friendly—maybe a bit too friendly. Whatever, he would find out more when the girl returned to interview him for her case study. He chuckled. Me, the subject of a case study. Funny, I don’t feel that old. An eternity later, the intercom in the study went off. He virtually flew for the sitting room, only to find it shut—and locked. He knocked, fighting the urge to hypnotize Caty through the door and make her open it. His urgent rapping was met with silence. A few seconds later, the door was unlatched. He caught a glance of Caty scurrying away from the door as he opened it. The sight that greeted him almost took his breath away. Petra, Laura, and Caty were leaning against the mantel in a line, each showing enough leg to be enticing. They all held their holders in a gloved hand with Eve, Capri, and More, respectively, each of them just lit, slim, and long. The nearly-identical sexy poses made Kendall’s eyes pop, but it didn’t stop there. Caty had chosen the location to give someone at the door excellent lighting for seeing the smoke. Petra tilted her head back and exhaled a thick stream from both nostrils. When she finished, Laura took a long drag and french inhaled for about 5 seconds before dreamily exhaling through her lips. “Welcome to your ultimate fantasy, darlin’,” Caty throatily said, barely audible in the silence. She drew on her holder, making the tip of the long brown cigarette glow brightly. The snap-inhale was a large, creamy ball of thick smoke that she let drift for a few seconds before drawing it into her lungs. She held the smoke while forming a tiny, perfect “O” with her lips, and then silently blew. The smoke sailed across the room in a long, long, narrow stream. “No touching ’til we finish,” Caty whispered. Enraptured by the vision, captured by the fantasy, and hotter than he’d ever been in his entire life, he swallowed and nodded. And watched. It was going to be a long night in the mansion, and he might not recover for the rest of the week. It would be well worth it.