The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

La Jolla, California

“Keep your army continually on the move, and devise unfathomable plans.”

I wondered why the quote from Sun Tzu’s “Art Of War” had come, unbidden, to my mind. Was it excessive pride over having been able to meet with Shannon Kallenburg without alerting anyone who may have been electronically monitoring my communications and travels? Was I starting to think of myself and my “concubines” as an army?

In some ways it probably made sense to behave like an army and also to follow the great general’s advice. We were engaged in some sort of conflict, though we didn’t have a good grasp on exactly what or with whom the conflict was. Being on the move was good if you had a plan of where you were moving and why. Our plans were “unfathomable” to everyone, including us; we didn’t really have any concrete plans. That needed to change.

Walking toward the seal beach between Ashley and Shelby, I noticed that the ache in my heart had abated. Thinking of Pamela’s betrayal and willingness to throw my love for her away still stirred up pain, but being with my girls kept it to a manageable level. Tzu would have considered that pain a weak spot that could be exploited by the enemy and he would have strengthened that weakness. I needed to find a way to do that.

I looked further down the sidewalk, past a cinderblock building, and saw Janet walking toward us. She was wearing a white tee-shirt, blue denim shorts that showed long, tanned legs, and sneakers. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail that hung to between her shoulder blades. We met her by the building.

“Thank you for seeing me. I was worried that I might not find you, but this is a good place to meet.” She was looking at me with her blue eyes wide, as if in awe. That wouldn’t do.

“So this is a seal beach? Where are the seals? For that matter, where’s the beach?”

The girls smiled at each other, then led me past the building to a railing. Looking down, I saw a small beach that was sheltered by a man-made jetty. There were dozens of sea lions sunning themselves on the beach.

“Very cool,” I said. “Are they there all the time?”

“Pretty much,” Janet replied.

“Have you had lunch yet, Janet?”

“No, not yet.”

“Neither have we. Do any of you lovely ladies know a nice place to eat around here?”

“Are you looking for someplace fancy, Benjamin, or do you just want a burgers and fries place?”

“I’m open for anything, Shelby. How about the rest of you?”

They all agreed that burgers and fries were fine, and Shelby made of suggestion.

“Mike’s Beach House is good. I go there sometimes when I come here to visit the art museums.”

“Lead the way, lovely lady,” I said.

We followed Shelby across the street and southward, up the hill.

“So was your morning meeting here in La Jolla, Ben?”

“No, Janet, it was in El Cajon. We came her afterward to meet up with a friend.

“Can I ask you something, Janet?”

“Sure, Ben.”

“I just remembered that you said that you had been net chatting with friends, trying to find Dimitri Kyriakos, and I was wondering…”

“Oh God no, Ben! I didn’t tell anyone about you. I didn’t chat at all last night, even though I barely slept.”

“Well, I thank you for that, Janet, but I was going to ask if anyone had actually found him. I’d like to get together with him to talk about our strange new lives. And I still might be able to introduce you to him, if you’d rather.”

“No.”

“No to which?”

“Um, no to both, actually. Last I’d heard, it was just random rumors that Dr. Kyriakos had been seen here or there. And I’m quite happy that I met you, Ben. I don’t want to, um, meet up with Dr. Kyriakos instead. You’re pretty amazing, you know?”

“Ah. Let me guess; you didn’t chat, but while you were up you did do some research?” Awkward Janet suddenly reappeared. She looked downward.

“Um, yeah, I’m sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, Janet. I’d say that it’s the smart thing to do. Especially given the situation we’re talking about here. So what did you find?”

“I found out that you’re amazing, but I already knew that. You’re definitely the smartest person I’ve ever met, and…” Her voice trailed off.

“And the richest?”

“Um, yeah. Sorry. You don’t look like someone who… Oh crap! I’m sorry! It’s just that you seem so normal… Crap!”

“Relax, Janet,” I said, stopping and turning to face her. She stopped, still flustered and looking at the ground.

“Janet?” She slowly raised her head to look at me.

“Janet, it’s alright. Relax.” Her posture loosened. “I’m just a normal guy who happens to have a stack of PhD’s and a stack of money —a pretty big stack of money.”

“A pretty big stack of PhD’s, too,” she said. “I knew you were amazing when we met at my work.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because I could see that you care. It was obvious that you care about Ashley and Shelby and… um…”

“Cheryl.”

“Yeah, Cheryl. You’re not just the guy getting them pregnant, I can tell that you care about them, that they’re special to you. A lot of guys would just go from girl to girl and not look back. You care about them. That makes you pretty amazing.”

Ashley and Shelby shared a smile and we started walking again. It was only a couple more minutes walk to the restaurant.

We were seated outside at an umbrella-covered table. We made our selections from the menu and placed our orders. I sat back and looked at the three ladies dining with me. Sun Tzu’s advice returned.

“The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain.”

It was one of Tzu’s more enigmatic bits of advice, and it was certainly subject to interpretation. Ts’ao Kung explained the quote in terms of making your opponent see you as being a great distance away, then moving rapidly across that distance to arrive at the scene of the battle before your opponent.

Again I was thinking of myself and the girls as an organized force that might eventually be in conflict with Harrison. For that reason and the reasons that I’d explained the night before, we needed mobility.

“If it’s OK with you ladies, I’d like to do a little shopping with Ashley for a few minutes.”

The three of them gave me curious looks. I took out my mobile and slid my chair around next to Ashley. A few taps on the screen brought up what I was looking for.

“So what are we shopping… Oh!”

“Let me know what you like. Remember that we need to think about mothers and children here, so a tiny little sport speedster probably isn’t a good idea.”

Shelby and Janet leaned over to see what we were looking at.

“Roadables? You’re buying a roadable?”

“Yes, Janet. The future mothers of my children may need a way to get around quicker than waiting for the San-Trans. I’ve heard rumors that sometimes ladies don’t go into labor at times that are convenient for the public transportation schedules.” I smiled at her. “So I’m buying a couple of roadables to make things easier. Ashley and Cheryl are going to be the primary operators of them, but they’ll be available for the others, too. They all live near each other, which makes it convenient and… Hmm. Where do you live, Janet?”

“Mission Valley. I walk to work. Denise, my roommate, works at Giovanni’s, too. Neither of us has a roadable. We take the San-Trans to get anywhere that we can’t walk, but most of what we need is pretty close.”

“OK. I guess we’ll work out some logistical things as we go along,” I told Janet. “See anything you like, Ashley?”

“Is this OK, Ben?”

I looked at the mobile. Always practical, Ashley had picked out a Ford-Grumman that was the roadable equivalent of the mini-vans from a couple of decades earlier.

“Eight passengers? How many babies are you planning on having?” She blushed.

“I’m just teasing, hon. It’s fine. It’s sensible and well suited for what we need; a good choice.”

I took the mobile from her and a few taps on the screen gave me a list of all of the inventory of that model at the various dealers in San Diego county.

“Here are the ones nearby,” I said, handing the mobile back to Ashley. “What color strikes your fancy?”

I watched as she scrolled through the base models, which appeared to be available in all colors. She highlighted one in a light green.

“Sea Foam Green? It complements your lovely brown eyes.” She blushed again.

I took the mobile back, scrolled down and made my choice, put my thumb on the biometric scanner, and checked the confirmation screen that came up next to make sure everything was correct.

“Done,” I said. “One Sea Foam Green, eight passenger roadable should be here in an hour or so.”

“Holy crap! Just like that?” Janet was wide-eyed.

“Just like that.”

Our lunch arrived. As we ate, I learned more about Janet. Waitressing wasn’t a permanent career for her; she wanted to get into vid media.

“Not the movie star stuff,” she said between bites. “I want to make vids that inform and educate. I like to do lots of things outdoors, and I always feel like I need to share it with lots of people.”

We finished our lunches and continued talking for a few minutes. Right after the waitress brought the bill, I took Janet’s hand in mine across the table.

“There are things that you need to know, Janet, but this isn’t the place to discuss them. If you’ll ride with me back to Mission Valley, we can talk about them.”

She nodded.

“One thing that you do need to know right now is that I value honesty very highly. I strive to always be truthful with people, and I want people to be truthful with me. And for where you are right now, I especially want you to be truthful with yourself about what you want and what you and I may do.”

She paused and thought for a few moments.

“I’m scared beyond belief, Ben, but I want to have your baby. I don’t want to have A baby, I want to have YOUR baby. It’s not about money or roadables or anything like that, it’s about you. I want to have your baby.”

“OK, Janet, but why are you scared?”

“I’ve never done this before.”

“Well nobody’s had babies for nearly twenty years, but I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“No it’s not that.” She flushed crimson. “I’ve… I’ve never…” Her voice trailed off. I was puzzled.

Shelby gave a little cough and I looked at her. She gave me a “meaningful look” that told me that there was something important that I’d better figure out immediately.

“You’ve never…” I finally caught on: “…oh.” Janet looked like she wanted to hide under the table. I took her hand again.

“That’s OK, Janet. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“I… I just wanted to wait for the man I loved.”

“Janet, I’m not the man you love. This is important, and you should…”

“No, Ben, it’s all clear to me. I know you’re not the man I love, but I also know you’re the man I want to grow to love. And you’re absolutely the man I want to have children with.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. Are you sure you want a 26-year-old virgin?”

“I’m positive, Janet.”

Things with Janet had changed significantly with that revelation. I had an idea. As I was reaching for my mobile, it chimed. I took it out and looked at the screen. I entered a few bits of information, then did a quick search. A couple of taps on the screen, then I put the mobile away. The rest of my idea could wait a little while.

I picked up the lunch bill, added in a tip for the server, and authorized it with a thumb scan. Standing, I offered my hand to Ashley.

“Lady Ashley, your chariot awaits.” She giggled as she took my hand and stood. The other girls got up and we walked back through the restaurant and out to the parking area. A shiny, new, Sea Foam Green roadable was waiting there.

A scanned thumbprint opened the doors, and I motioned for Ashley to get inside. She giggled nervously as she sat in the driver’s seat.

“Ben! This isn’t the one I picked. They sent you the wrong one!”

“This is the one I picked, Ashley. I’m not going to have my concubines and my children riding around in a spartan base model roadable.”

“Concubines?”

“Um, not my choice of words, Janet. Can you please explain the basics of that to her, Shelby?” She smiled and took Janet aside as I got in next to Ashley.

“So anyway, Ashley, I took the one you picked and added a few things.”

“It looks like you added everything that could be added, Ben.”

“Well, yeah, I guess I did. But let’s get you authorized here.” I brought up the comms system and verified my identity again, then I set up a new full-access authorization and had Ashley scan her thumbprint.

“That’s it. You’re now the operator of a roadable, hon.”

“Thank you so much, Ben!” She wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me, then whispered in my ear: “You’re the most wonderful, sweet, thoughtful man I could possibly imagine. Remind me to tell you how hard I’m falling in love with you.”

I felt my heart fill with feelings I’d had so recently, yet so many years ago.

“I’ll do that, hon. And then I’ll tell you how I’m falling in love with you, too.”

She looked at me with surprise. I just kissed her and said, “Not now. Later. When we’re alone.” She nodded.

Shelby and Janet peeked into the roadable.

“Wow! Very nice. So… am I going to become a concubine?”

“I guess that’s one of the things we need to talk about, Janet. Come to think about it, you and I need to do a few things around here. You have the day off, right?”

“Yes. I don’t have to be at work until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Perfect. But if I’m not mistaken, you two have to work dinner tonight, right?”

Ashley and Shelby confirmed my thoughts.

“Then I guess I’d better get out and let you two head back home to get ready.” I leaned over to give Ashley a quick kiss, but she wasn’t having it. She pulled me to her and gave me a passionate kiss that quickened my heart.

“Thank you again, Ben,” she said when she finally released me.

“You’re welcome, Ashley.”

I got out and held the door for Shelby, pulling her gently to me as she was about to enter the vehicle. Her kiss was deep, smoldering, and sexual, just like everything about Shelby.

“You are a wonderful man, Benjamin. What you are planning for Janet will be perfect.”

“What I’m planning? I didn’t say anything about planning something.”

“You taught me to see with all my senses, Benjamin. I see with my heart, too.”

“We need to get together and talk about our hearts, Shelby.” She smiled, almost shyly.

“Yes, we do. Perhaps after you and Ashley have that talk you need to have, Benjamin.” She gave me a quick peck on the cheek and got into the roadable next to Ashley and closed the door.

As I watched them depart, I wondered if Shelby had been kidding when she said she really couldn’t read minds. She certainly seemed to know more about what was going on than anyone had told her. I set those thoughts aside and turned to Janet.

“So are you ready?”

“Yes. Um… what am I ready for, though?”

“Ms. Morton, we’re going shopping. My treat.”

“OK. What are we shopping for?”

“Clothes for now.”

“Is there something wrong with my clothes?”

“No, Janet, your clothes are fine. But in a few hours neither your clothes nor mine will be appropriate.”

“Why not… oh! Lingerie?” She blushed.

“No, no! I’m sorry. Before… Um… I’m taking you to dinner; a nice dinner, if that’s OK with you.”

“I’d like a nice dinner, Ben, but you don’t have to buy me any clothes. I have a few dresses back at the apartment. Besides, La Jolla is an expensive place to go clothes shopping.”

“OK, Janet, if you have a dress for dinner, that’s fine. I still need to get clothes for it, though. Can you help me?”

“Sure, Ben. What are you looking for?”

“I’m not sure. Something nice for certain. I don’t want to embarrass myself when I escort a stunning lady to dinner at Golden.” Janet blushed.

“I’m not stun… Did you say Golden? As in Golden of Del Mar?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s where it is.”

“Holy crap! Golden is like… it’s… BEN!”

“I hear it’s very nice. Do you think a black tux would be OK? It should go with whatever you wear.”

“BEN!” She had a look of panic. I took her hands and looked into her eyes.

“Are you sure I can’t get you something? I was thinking that a sparkly lavender gown would be a nice match for your lovely eyes. Something simple, though, so that it doesn’t detract from your beauty.”

“But… but…” She was searching for a footing. “We’ll never get in there.”

I pulled out my mobile and scrolled through the reply I’d received a couple of minutes earlier.

“Is six o’clock good for you? We’d be just in time to watch the sunset.”

“Six… uh…”

“Good, six it is, then.” I confirmed the reservation, then put the mobile away.

“We’d better get a move on, Janet. We have a lot to do in the next five hours.”

The Saab pulled into the parking lot and stopped near us. I took Janet’s hand and led her toward the vehicle. After a few steps she came out of her daze and stopped, pulling on my hand.

“Are you crazy? What are we doing?”

“Why, I’m sweeping you off your feet, Princess Janet.”

“You’re… That’s an understatement! We don’t have time for all of this. I mean a dress, I have to do something with my hair.”

“I was figuring that we’d do that right after the dress. Oh, and shoes, too. Once you know what you’re wearing, it’ll be easier to have the salon style you to best effect.”

“Salon? What salon?”

“I’m sure they must have one or two passable ones around here. We’ll find something.” I took the mobile out again.

“Will you please put that thing away? Every time you take it out you spend a pile of money! Dinner at Golden costs a fortune. I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask. I simply picked a nice place for dinner.”

“But you shouldn’t spend all that money on me, Ben!”

“Why Princess Janet! I do believe you’re interested in me only for my mind! How is it that I have been blessed with the company of such a wonderful lady?” I faked a look of suspicion. “Or is it that you only want me for my body?”

Janet giggled.

“You know you’re a nut, right?”

“Maybe,” I said, smiling, “but I think this is a very important day in your life and I’m going to do my best to make it special.”

I offered my hand and helped her into the roadable, then walked around and got in next to her.

“Let’s see,” I said, bringing up the nav and comms system, “where can we find clothes for a nice dinner?” A quick search showed me quite a few likely-looking boutiques, several of which were clustered in what appeared to be an upscale shopping area. I selected that area and let the Saab do the driving.

“You know, I’m planning on contacting Dimitri Kyriakos soon, if you’d rather meet him.” Janet leaned over against me, looping her arm under mine.

“No, Ben, I’m much happier that you found me instead, even if it is a little overwhelming.”

“I do my best to be worthy of Princess Janet.” She giggled again, then pulled herself a little closer against me.

“Why are you going to contact Dr. Kyriakos?”

“Oh, so he’s been demoted to ‘doctor’ now? Wasn’t he ‘Dimitri’ just yesterday?” I smiled.

“You could be right, DOCTOR Lincoln.”

I smiled at her zinger. I like a lady with a little sass to her.

“I’d like to meet up with him to compare notes about how our lives have changed. There are some important things that you and I need to talk about in that area, Janet. It’ll wait until we’re done shopping, though.” The vehicle turned gracefully and parked in front of a row of designer clothing shops. Janet turned and saw the names on the stores.

“BEN! What are we doing here?”

“What do you mean?”

“These places are super expensive.”

“Janet, look at me.” She turned.

“You did some research on me last night, right?” She nodded.

“Did you somehow miss the part about money?” She shook her head slowly.

“I don’t mean to overwhelm you… OK, maybe a little, but in a nice way. I’m planning on having a very nice dinner with a very lovely lady and I want to look like I’m worthy to be with her. When I walk in with her on my arm, I want all of the men who look at her in awe and women who look at her with envy to understand that I’m actually with her, and not just a waiter escorting her to the table. I think that’ll require something along the lines of a tux, though with a long tie, rather than a bow tie.

“Given that this is really just me trying to fulfill my selfish fantasy, do you think that maybe there’s a thing or two the lovely lady might need to help me out?”

“I… But it’ll take me forever to pay you back, Ben.” I looked at her for a couple of seconds. Clearly I needed to do something to change her focus.

“Would you do me the honor of kissing me, Janet?”

She gave me a surprised look and hesitated just briefly, then leaned toward me, closed her eyes, and offered her lips. I kissed her softly and she moaned quietly. I broke the kiss. It took a couple of seconds before she opened her eyes and gave me a shy look.

“Now say ‘thank you.’”

“Thank you.”

“Will you look at that? It seems that everything is paid up and we’re even. I guess we don’t need to talk about it any more.”

“You’re amazing, Ben.”

“We need to get a move on, Princess Janet, or we’re going to be amazingly late for dinner.”

We exited the Saab and I took her hand and led her into the first shop that had something in the window that I thought looked classy and elegant.

“Welcome,” said the short man in the tailored black suit. “I am Marcel. How may I be of service?”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Marcel, and I’m wondering if you can help us out.”

“Of course, sir. I’ll do my best.”

“First, can you tell me who is making a decent dinner tuxedo this year?”

“For your build, sir, I’d think that a Brioni would be perfect. Unfortunately I cannot help you, since we only offer ladies finery.”

“Is there a shop nearby that might be able to help me?” He directed me to a place a few doors down the sidewalk.

“Thank you, Marcel. Now for the most important part. This is Janet.” He offered his hand and when she reached out to shake his hand, he took hers and lightly touched his lips to the back of it. Janet blushed.

“Do you think you might have something in a nice dinner gown that would complement her beautiful eyes?” He carefully inspected her eyes, stepping to the side to get a different angle.

“I believe that I can find a selection of pieces that will meet the lady’s and gentleman’s approval.”

“Thank you, but it’s going to need to be just the lady’s approval. I need to see what Brioni has that might make me look acceptable as an escort for the lovely lady. I trust her judgement for the gown. And for matching shoes and whatever accessories she may need. I apologize for asking an artist to rush perfection, but we’re a little pressed for time, too. I’ll be back as soon as I can get an acceptable tux.”

“Very good, Sir,” Marcel said. I could hear the capitalization of ‘Sir’ that time. I gave Janet a peck on the cheek and headed for the door. I stopped when I reached it and turned back.

“Oh, and Marcel?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“If she talks about money or even glances at a price, you have my permission to take her over your knee.”

“BEN!” Janet exclaimed as the door closed behind me.

I chuckled and took out my mobile to make a few more arrangements as I walked down the sidewalk. It took a little longer than I’d anticipated, but I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

It turned out that Marcel knew his tuxedos, too. Several of the Brioni line looked good to me, and the two that I tried on were outstanding. I bought both of them, along with shoes, shirts, ties of both styles, and all of the other pieces that make tuxedos the epitome of class. It went much faster than I’d expected. Laser measuring and automated alterations and customization were an advance of the past two decades that I welcomed.

Less than half an hour after I’d entered the shop I left with two custom-fitted tuxes. I took them back to the roadable and stowed them in the back. I was sure that Janet needed more time, even with instant fitting and alterations, so I wandered across the street to a couple of shops I’d noticed, just to see if I could get in more mischief. It turned out that I could, and soon I had a little box hidden in the pocket of one of the tuxes in the Saab. I walked back into the boutique.

“Oh I can’t,” came Janet’s voice the direction of the dressing area. “It’s too extravagant.”

“Whatever it is,” I called out, “we’ll take it.”

“Eep! Um, hi Ben.”

“Hello Janet, how are you making out?”

“I guess I’m done now.” She walked out in her shorts and tee, carrying a covered hanger, a bag that appeared to contain a pair of shoes, and a sparkling lavender clutch purse.

“Nice purse. It matches your eyes.”

“Ben it’s…”

“It’s sold, Janet.” I turned to Marcel. “I do hope that you took her over your knee.”

“Oh I could never do that to such a wonderful lady, Sir.”

“Ah well, I guess it would have made us late for her next appointment. Still, though…”

“BEN!” I smiled at her.

Marcel tapped on his touchpad for a moment, then handed it to me. I thanked him and scanned my thumbprint without looking at the screen, then gave it back to him. Janet looked at me in amazement.

“I want to be surprised when I see you,” I told her. She opened her mouth to say something, then thought better of it and reluctantly nodded.

I thanked Marcel and carried Janet’s packages out to the Saab.

“OK, Princess Janet, now we’re going across the street for your next appointment.”

“My next appointment?”

“Yes. You have an appointment with Anastasia.” I took her hand and we headed across the street.

“Who is Anastasia?”

A woman waved to us from inside one of the shops as we passed. I smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.

“Is that Anastasia?”

“No, Anastasia is a hair stylist.”

“Then why did that woman wave?”

“Maybe we look like someone she knows or something. Here we are.” We walked into the salon.

Anastasia was a tall, busty girl whose long red hair was in what I’d describe as a wavy, wind-blown, wild woman style. She locked my eyes with a lusty look and cat-walked to the front of the salon to greet us.

“Hello. I’m so glad you’re back.”

Janet didn’t make any sound, but if she had it would have been a growl. She looped her arm possessively through mine, making it clear that I was “marked territory.” I pretended to be blissfully ignorant of the whole interplay.

“Hello Anastasia…”

“Please, call me Anya.”

“OK, Anya. This is Janet.” The stylist held my gaze with her sparkling green eyes for just a second longer before looking at Janet for the first time and giving her a cordial smile.

“Hello Janet. I understand that you will be having a very nice dinner tonight and you’d like your hair done?”

“Hair and nails,” I reminded her.

“Of course. Kelsey will be assisting me and taking care of your nails.”

“That… that would be good,” Janet said.

“Come, then. You must tell me what you will be wearing. I think we will do something classically elegant, with maybe just a hint of drama.”

“O… OK,” Janet said as she started to follow Anya. I kept hold of her hand and pulled her gently back to me for a quick kiss.

“No competition,” I whispered in her ear. “You’ve got her beat by a country mile.” Janet blushed and smiled shyly, then turned to follow the waiting Anya.

I sat in the waiting area. It wasn’t long before I noticed that I was getting steamy glances from the salon receptionist and from the two women who were waiting for their appointments. I surmised that my body scent was concentrating in the area and affecting them. Remembering the old cliche about discretion and valor, I decided that a walk outdoors would be a good idea.

About forty minutes later I returned. Janet was almost done, so I sat and waited again. The waiting area was empty, and the sexy receptionist had started with the looks of desire as soon as I’d walked in, so I figured I had nothing to lose. It was only a few more minutes before Anya declared Janet ready.

Janet’s simple ponytail was gone and an elegant, yet simple sculpture of hair had replaced it. The tee shirt and shorts made for an odd contrast to the hair, but I could see that it would be spectacular when she was dressed up. Anya had achieved her goal of “classically elegant with a hint of drama.”

“Beautiful,” I said. True to form, Janet’s tanned cheeks reddened.

“You are an artist, Anya. Thank you.” She smiled and gave me an appreciative nod. I looked at Janet’s nails for the first time and saw that they’d been done in a classic French manicure that would look good with any dress.

“And Kelsey also does lovely work,” I added. Anya agreed with me. Kelsey wasn’t there for me to complement directly. I guessed that she was probably working on another client.

I stepped over to the receptionist and took the touchpad she offered. I added in generous tips for Anya and Kelsey before authorizing the payment and handing it back to the girl.

“Thank you very much, Sir,” she said. “Please visit us again soon.” She emphasized the word “soon” with both her voice and her eyes. She placed the touchpad on the counter, then pressed a business card for the salon into my hand. I thanked her and pocketed the card, retrieving my mobile in the process so I could tap the “come here” button.

“Thank you all again,” I said as I opened the door for Janet. We stepped outside as the Saab approached and stopped in front of the salon. I helped her into the vehicle before trotting around and getting in the other side. Janet was chuckling as I got in.

“What’s up?”

“Do you have the card she gave you?” I reached into my pocket and took it out as the doors closed automatically and the roadable turned inland toward the I-5 travel corridor.

“Look at the other side, Ben.” I flipped the card over. Written in a very feminine hand on the back was the name “Amanda” and a mobile number. I laughed.

“How did you spot that?”

“I didn’t, but I noticed that she already had the card in her hand, waiting, rather than taking one out of the card holder on the counter.”

I laughed again, then had Janet set our destination to her apartment. The Saab rose into the air and accelerated to merge with the southbound traffic on I-5.

On the way to Mission Valley I gave Janet a short version of “The Talk,” explaining about Harrison, the nano-proteins, the effects that I’d observed with women, my home in Michigan, my relationship with Pamela, my vague plans to try to make sure that Harrison wasn’t up to anything else harmful, and my commitment to being as much of a part as I could in the lives of my children and their mothers.

“I know that’s a lot to dump on you, but I want you to know everything up front. I understand completely if you don’t want any part of it.” I waited patiently while Janet mulled it over for a minute or two.

“I’m in, Ben. What you’re doing is right, and I want to help any way I can.”

“Thank you, Janet. I’m not really asking for help, but I do appreciate it.”

“It’s what we concubines do,” she teased. Before I could reply the comms system trilled to indicate in incoming call. I accepted the call.

The caller was David Walsh, a lawyer who was representing the investment consortium that owned the apartment complex I wanted to buy. The owners had conferred and agreed to sell if I would meet their price. Janet gasped at the figure he named, then looked at me in shock when I immediately agreed to pay it. I didn’t want to waste time haggling back and forth, or lose the deal altogether.

“The next step is for your legal counsel to contact me, Dr. Lincoln, and we can work out the sales contract.”

“That sounds good, Mr. Walsh, but I don’t currently have legal counsel on retainer. I should probably find a firm that does business nationally, given my current situation. Can you make any recommendations?”

“Well, the big name is Shapiro-Cogletti, but Meyer, Paulson & Franck and Whitford Associates are both just as good as Shapiro-Cogletti.”

“Thank you, Mr. Walsh. I’ll contact them. You should be hearing from someone within the next couple of days.”

“Very good, Dr. Lincoln. I look forward to the call.” He disconnected.

“What are you buying, Ben?”

“Apartments.”

“That must be some apartment!”

“Actually, it’s an apartment complex with over 800 hundred units. Several of my, uh, ‘concubines’ live there.”

A few voice commands to the comms system and I was looking through archived news stories about Clifford Harrison’s business dealings. It didn’t take long to find out that he was represented by Shapiro-Cogletti. That took them off my list, as far as I was concerned. I placed a call to the next firm in line.

“Meyer, Paulson, and Franck,” said the pretty girl who answered.

By the time the Saab descended to street level in Mission Valley I had legal counsel on retainer and one of their real estate attorney’s would be contacting David Walsh the next morning to hammer out a contract.

The roadable pulled to a stop in front of an apartment building. I turned to Janet.

“OK, I need to go get dressed and pack some things. I’ve made overnight arrangements for us tonight, so bring something for tomorrow; whatever you’re comfortable in. And bring anything you need for overnight.”

“You’ve ‘made arrangements,’ huh? Do I dare ask? So far today your ‘arrangements’ have been pretty extravagant.”

I smiled innocently at her, then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“Only the best for Princess Janet.” She shook her head in disbelief.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?”

“You were sweet and attentive,” I said. “Not to mention saucy. And cheesy, too, I suppose.” She slapped me lightly on the shoulder.

“Pizza puns? Really Ben?”

I opened the doors and retrieved Janet’s packages and followed her into the building with them. She lived on the first floor.

“Hey, Jan,” came a voice as we stepped into the apartment. “I picked up the…” The girl’s voice trailed off as she stepped into the room and saw us.

“Wow! Nice hair!”

“Um, thanks. Denise, this is Ben. Ben, Denise.” I offered my hand to the slim brunette and she shook it.

“Nice to meet you Denise.”

“Likewise. So what’s up with the hair and nails, Jan?”

“Ben and I are going out tonight. I need to get ready… Wait… How long do I have, Ben?”

“I’ll be back in an hour.”

“OK, I need HELP getting ready before Mr. Speedy gets back here all dressed up like James Bond, expecting me to look like I’m ready to hit the casino in Monte Carlo. Can you help me, Dee?”

“Of course, Jan.” I handed Janet’s packages to her and Denise.

“I’ll see you ladies in an hour,” I said. Janet nodded and I turned toward the door.

“So who IS he?” I heard Denise ask in a whisper just before the door closed behind me.

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.

“Get out of my head, General Tzu,” I muttered as the Saab lifted and merged with the I-8 traffic headed toward Mission Valley.

Ashley hadn’t been at the apartment when I’d arrived. Most likely she and Shelby were already at work, getting ready for the early dinner crowd. She and I still needed to have a serious talk about serious feelings.

If I wanted to win before I went to war, I needed as much information as possible. I brought up the comms system and sent a message to Dimitri Kyriakos telling him that I was in San Diego and asking if he’d like to meet to talk about the changes in our lives. I included my direct contact information so that he could contact me live, if he wanted.

Denise answered the door when I rang. She looked me over from head to toe twice, seemingly at a loss for words, then gave me a coy smile and invited me in.

Janet walked into the room, her hands working behind her neck at the clasp of a simple gold necklace.

“Dee can you help me with… Wow!” She stopped in her tracks and stared at me.

“Wow yourself. You look stunning, Janet.” The gown was a sparkling lavender that matched the clutch I’d seen earlier. It was an off-the-shoulder dress that made it clear that nothing but Janet’s substantial bust was holding it up. Her heels brought her up almost to my height. She found her voice again.

“Thank you, Ben. And you… I was kidding about the James Bond thing, but you look every bit the role.”

“Thank you Janet. I assure you there’s no Walther PPK hidden on me, though.” She giggled, then went back to trying to close the necklace.

“Dee, can you…”

“Allow me,” I said, giving Denise a surreptitious wink as I stepped behind Janet. Denise gave me a look of curiosity in return.

I took the necklace off Janet and set it on the table behind us, then quietly removed the small box from my pocket and opened it. I slid the necklace around Janet’s neck and closed the clasp behind her.

“Holy shit!”

“What? Denise? What’s wrong?”

“Holy shit!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Uh, nothing Jan. Um… come with me.” Denise grabbed her hand and practically dragged Janet to the bathroom.

“BEN! Omigod! What… BEN!”

“Yes Janet?”

She came back out of the bathroom, followed closely by Denise.

“Is this real?”

“Well it has mass and we can see and touch it, so I’d say that makes it real.”

Denise snickered. It appeared that she’d recovered from her initial surprise.

“You know what I mean, Ben. What is it?”

“It’s tanzanite, Janet. It matches your eyes. Don’t you think so, Denise?” She stepped around in front of Janet and looked.

“Oh definitely. And I like how the little diamonds all the way around it make it stand out against her skin.”

“You know, I thought that just a tanzanite alone might not look right against her tan, so I went with the diamond surround.”

“Good choice, Ben. Say, do you happen to have any brothers or good friends who are in the habit of giving girls precious stones the size of golf balls, and could you introduce me?”

“Now you’re just exaggerating, Denise. It’s only fifteen millimeters in diameter, a little smaller than a dime.”

“But what about the diamonds?”

“Honestly, I don’t know what the total weight of the diamonds is. Enough to draw attention to the stone, but not so much that they distract you away from it. And overall I think it just draws attention to how beautiful she looks.”

“Oh I agree, Ben.”

“HAVE YOU TWO LOST YOU MINDS?”

“Is there a problem, Janet?”

“Ben, I can’t… You… It’s too much.” I stepped toward her and took her hands in mine.

“Nothing but the best for Princess Janet.”

“But…” I shushed her.

“Give me a kiss, Janet.” She kissed me lightly on the lips, careful to not leave lipstick on me.

“Now say ‘thank you.’”

“Thank you, Ben.”

“Good. Now we’re all set. Are you ready to go?”

“Do I look OK Denise?”

“You look perfect. Now get out of here before I start crying! And if you don’t marry him, I will!”

We departed, leaving a misty-eyed Denise standing in the doorway watching us leave.

Dinner had been wonderful. The sun was low, casting a carpet of golden sparkles on the ocean waters when we arrived. Despite nature’s spectacular display, attention shifted when we entered the dining room. It was an older, more affluent crowd. Almost all were couples.

“Ben, they’re looking at us,” Janet had whispered, leaning to me.

“No, Janet, they’re looking at you,” I’d replied quietly. “The men want you. They notice me only because they want to take my place at your side. The women want to be you. They’re envious of how elegant and beautiful you look. Now relax, hold your chin up, smile, and show them how elegant Princess Janet really is.”

She’d pulled it off perfectly. It may have helped that I told her what to do in the form of a command.

We sat and watched the sun sink into the Pacific before ordering. The meal was delicious, the company sublime.

Now we were in the roadable, traveling southward again. Janet sat next to me, all smiles and sighs. The Saab passed the I-8 intersection, which would take us west to Mission Valley and El Cajon, and continued south toward the nighttime lights of the city.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m pretty sure it’s called Coronado Island.”

“Ben…” Janet had a guarded tone.

“Nothing but the best for Princess Janet.”

“You… What am I going to do with you, Ben?”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something, Janet.” She giggled.

The hotel was breathtaking. The Victorian architecture dated back to the late 1800s, when it had been built. The construction appeared to be the original wood. No doubt the infrastructure had been modernized to keep up with the times, but every bit of the original elegance and grandeur was still intact. It had been host to countless celebrities and dignitaries from all over the world, including over twenty U.S. presidents.

“It’s beautiful, Ben.”

“Yes it is, Janet.”

A valet helped Janet from the vehicle, while another stood at the ready by my door to help with our bags. I let him do his job, and walked around to escort Janet into the hotel.

From my recent experiences with hotels I’d learned that the entire check-in process could now be handled with a quick identity scan at the curb when you arrived. Not so here. No doubt they could have done that, but they kept the more traditional method of face-to-face check-in in the hotel lobby. It still only took a minute, but the human interaction made the process more classically genteel.

Our overnight bags were waiting in our room when we entered. I felt like I should be handing out twenty dollar bills as tips, but the current mostly-cashless economy made that impossible. I’d found that hotels now used the communications and entertainment system in each guest room for that. If a guest wished, they could view the names and photos of each staff member who had assisted them and allocate tips as they deemed necessary. I needed to remember to do that before we left.

“So, Mr. Bond, you have me in your hotel room. What now?” I took her in my arms and kissed her.

“Oh Ben!” Janet did a perfect imitation of the breathy moan that was the trademark swoon for Bond girls. We both broke up laughing.

“You know, you do look a little bit like Miles Smythe,” she said. “Especially in that tux.”

“Who is Miles Smythe?”

“Oh, that’s right. Um, they’ve been remaking all of the James Bond films. I’ve seen the originals, and I think the new ones are better. Bond is much more serious, and most of the hokey gadgets have been eliminated. Miles Smythe has played Bond in the last… six vids, I think.”

I adopted a terrible imitation of a Scot/Brit accent: “Well, I’ll shertainly have to look into that shometime. Right now, Mish Morton, we need to attend to more… preshing mattersh.” I pulled her close for another kiss as she giggled. When we broke the kiss I gave her a serious look.

“Janet, everything is up to you. We do what you’re ready to do. We go as far as you want to go. If you want to stop, we stop. OK?”

“Will it hurt, Ben?”

“I don’t know, Princess. Every woman is different. If it does hurt, it shouldn’t be too bad and certainly not for very long. And we can stop and wait as often as you want for as long as you want.”

Her face was a mixture of worry and desire.

“I’m ready, Ben.”

I kissed her again, drawing it out as our passion built. Janet pulled herself tightly to me, pressing against my rather obvious erection. She stopped and stepped back in surprise.

“You’re… uh… aroused already?”

“Of course. Though it’s more like ‘still,’ rather than ‘already.’”

“What do you mean ‘still?’ How long have you been… you know?”

“Oh, probably since the seal beach.” She looked at me with disbelief. “You’re a very sexy lady, Janet. It hasn’t been constant, but a lot of the time… yeah.”

“Wow.”

“Wow yourself,” I said as I gently pulled her back for another kiss and began stroking her back. She sighed softly. We kissed for awhile, then I began slowly lowering the zipper on the back of her gown, stroking the newly exposed skin. Janet moaned. I continued the unzipping until I reached the zipper stop just above her shapely backside.

I went back to stroking up and down her back, occasionally flipping my hands over to drag the backs of my fingernails up or down her spine. Janet’s kissing got deeper and more intense, and she pressed herself tightly against me, rotating her hips to grind against my erection. She broke the kiss and leaned back.

“You’re making me crazy, Ben. I can’t wait any more!” Pulling away from me, Janet turned and walked to a chair against the wall. With her back to me, she began slipping the dress sleeves down her arms.

I turned and touched the control to lower the room lights to a more appropriate level, then began removing my tux. I was unbuttoning my shirt when Janet’s arms encircled me from behind and she began helping me finish with the buttons. She undid the cuffs, and pulled the shirt out over my shoulders. I turned to finish taking it off and hang it and the jacket up and froze.

Styled hair, light makeup, red lips, tanned skin, the necklace drawing attention to her full breasts with their bikini tan lines, solid and athletic yet still soft, curvy, and feminine, Janet stood before me wearing only the necklace, sparkly lavender heels, and a tiny black g-string. She was the girl next door, turned into an elegant princess, turned into every man’s bedroom fantasy woman. I just stood and stared.

“Am… am I OK?”

It took a few seconds before I realized I was standing there with my mouth open.

“You’re… you’re stunning, Janet. You’re incredibly beautiful. You’re so sexy it takes my breath away.”

She smiled shyly and cast her eyes downward. Somehow it made her look even sexier. I dropped the shirt on the four-poster bed with the jacket and tie, stepped to her, and wrapped my arms around her.

“Oh!” Janet exclaimed softly as our bare skin touched for the first time, then she melted into the embrace.

“You feel nice against me, Ben. So… right. Mmmm.”

Now it was me who was getting all worked up and couldn’t wait. I released Janet and sat on the bed to remove my shoes and socks. Standing, I took off my pants, then carried the whole outfit over and dumped it unceremoniously on the seat of the chair that had her gown draped over the back.

Stepping back to Janet, I went down on one knee, then reached around and stroked my right hand down over her ass, continuing down the back of her left leg until I got to the shoe. I unbuckled the shoe and helped her step out of it. I repeated the process with my left hand down the back of her right leg, removing that shoe. She trembled at the intimate contact. I stood again and kissed her softly, then took her hand.

“Remember, only what you want and only when you’re ready.” She nodded, then turned down the bed, got in, and slid over to make room for me. I got in with next to her and laid on my side to mirror her. We kissed for a minute or two before she pulled back. She hesitated a few moments, then reached down and tentatively stroked my cock through my underwear.

“Mmmm, nice,” I whispered, then kissed her again. She became a little more sure of herself and began exploring me through the thin barrier of my underwear. I stroked a finger down her spine and she moaned and arched her back, thrusting her breasts toward me. I slid down and softly kissed the top of each breast before coming back up to kiss her lips again.

I stroked her breast and she rolled to her back to give me access to the other. Her breathing deepened as I massaged and stroked her breasts. It caught in her throat and came as small gasps when I teased her nipples.

I slid my hand down over her stomach and onto her tiny g-string, all the while watching her face to make sure she was OK. Her eyes were closed and her lips were slightly parted. I gently kissed her again, then stroked my hand up and down over her g-string. It was distinctly damp.

Sliding my hand up to the top of the tiny panty, I pressed my fingers down gently and slipped inside it. Janet arched her head back as my hand reached her moist slit. I slowly stroked up and down, slipping my finger between her wet folds. I could feel the little extra bit of flesh around her opening.

“Oh, OH! Oh please never stop, Ben. It feels so much better when you touch me than when I… EEP!” Her eyes snapped open with a look of horrified embarrassment, then she buried her face against my chest. I slipped my hand back out of her underwear.

“Janet?”

“What?” Her voice was muffled against my chest.

“Princess, it feels so much better when you touch me than when I do, too.” It took a few seconds, but finally she lifted her head and gave me a look of surprise. I nodded, then shucked my underwear. I took her hand and gently placed it on my naked cock. Her look changed to one of wonder as she slowly began to stroke me.

“It’s… it’s so hard, Ben, but the skin feels so soft. And it’s so HOT! It feels like it’s on fire! Is it always this hot?”

“You make it that hot, Princess.” She rolled on her back, then pulled her knees up so she could remove the g-string.

“I want you inside me, Ben. I’ve never wanted anything this much in my life!”

I climbed between her open legs.

“We’ll take it slow, Janet. Your hymen is right here at the entrance,” I said, touching it gently. “It may need to stretch, or it may tear a little bit. If it hurts, it will only be for a moment. We’ll go as slowly as you need, OK?”

“Please Ben, what I need is you!”

I leaned up and kissed her as my cock brushed down over her slit. Her hips surged upward, but the my cock just slid back up without penetrating her. She groaned in frustration.

“Shhh, Princess. Just relax.”

I reached down and positioned myself at her entrance, then slowly pushed forward. Carefully I applied more pressure, watching Janet all the while. A little more pressure, and she grimaced slightly. I stopped.

“Still OK?” She nodded. I pushed forward a little more and her eyes widened suddenly as my cock head slipped inside her. I froze.

“We can stop and wait like this.”

“It’s OK, Ben. It wasn’t that bad.”

“Well let’s just wait a few seconds anyway for you to get used to me being inside you.”

“Inside me… You’re inside me! I can feel it!” I waited a few seconds, then withdrew a tiny bit and pushed forward again, a little deeper. Again I waited a few seconds before doing it again and going a little deeper. It only took a little longer before I was all the way inside her. She was as wet as she was tight.

I began thrusting and Janet followed the natural rhythm of her body, thrusting back to meet me. Soon her breath began getting ragged and her hands gripped at my lower back, pulling me deeper into her. That was all it took to push me over the edge.

“COMING!” I growled as I drove myself deep inside her and emptied what felt like the essence of my soul into her wet warmth. A few seconds later I could see clearly again. Janet’s face had a look of enraptured awe. I shifted myself a little higher to change the angle of my cock and began thrusting again. I couldn’t get as deep, but my shaft was rubbing up and down over her clitoris. Her thrusts got faster and I matched them until she started bucking wildly. I slid back down a bit and drove myself deep inside her and held still until her orgasm subsided. I placed soft kisses on her throat and neck as her breathing returned to normal, then kissed her on the lips.

“I made you come,” she said with wonder in her voice.

“You did all of that and more, Janet. That was incredibly wonderful. And I made you come, too.”

“It was amazing, Ben. It was… I don’t know words to describe it.

“I’m glad I waited for you, Ben. You are the right one. You… you made me yours—completely. You made love to me. We may not be in love yet, but you’ve loved me and I’m yours.”

“You’ve loved me, too, Janet, and a part of me is yours.”

“This part?” She clenched herself around my cock. “Oh!”

“Are you OK?”

“Um, I need to use the bathroom, Ben.”

“Me too. Princesses first, though.” I slid my cock out of her and she rolled out of bed and scampered to the bathroom. While she was in there, I hung up our clothes and got things ready for us to spend the night.

Janet emerged from the bathroom in a few minutes, minus her makeup and lipstick. She still looked like a sexy fantasy girl. I went into the bathroom and took care of what was needed before washing up and returning to the bed.

We kissed and talked for awhile, then I introduced her to the pleasures of a mouth and tongue on her breasts and princess-on-top sex before we slept.