The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

MILLION DOLLAR CHERRY

CHAPTER 7—RETURN ENGAGEMENT

It had all happened so suddenly.

A few days ago, her royalty statement for her backstage session with Pierre and Gertrude had included a notification letter. Million Dollar Cherry was about to film a series of shows where contestants who can come within a step or two of the million-dollar grand prize were invited back for a second chance. Brandie was one of the chosen ones, and had been given one week to accept or decline.

Five minutes later, she called back with her acceptance. That was because she’d spent four and a half minutes trying to find where she’d left her phone.

And so here she was, back on the Million Dollar Cherry set dressed in a baseball cap and bikini. The biggest difference from the first time she’d been here was that each appearance of the show’s logo had been touched up with prominent “hand-drawn” quotation marks around the word “Cherry”.

The host sent Lucia and Selena backstage to bring out the game paraphenalia while he introduced Brandie. Then, the audience’s attention was directed to a backstage curtain, which opened to reveal another bikini-clad woman. “And, representing the house for this game...” Lights illuminated the figure as she began to step forward. “...Clarisse Yasnoburg!”

Brandie tuned out the new introduction. She’d heard it often enough, since Clarisse had taken an interest in her at her first appearance and angled for additional chances to get her backstage. Unfortunately for Clarisse, she hadn’t been there when Brandie finally lost the million-dollar round.

She was here now, though. One way or another, somebody was going to make good on her second chance.

Lucia pushed a cart onto the stage. As it got closer, Brandie could see that it held four small bottles, the roped cuffs and spreader bar she recalled from the “Cuff Five, Muff Dive” game, and a black leather belt with four red lipstick kiss marks.

She picked up the belt and looped it twice around Brandie’s neck. It fastened snugly into place just below her chin.

Meanwhile, Selena wheeled out a large display board with the left and right halves labelled “CLARISSE” and “BRANDIE”. At the top, extending beyond the edge of the panel, were four playing cards, each with a jumbo “A” index. Instead of the usual four suits, they bore drawings of a pair of handcuffs, a low-cut short-skirted dress, a hand with fingers spread, and a lipstick kiss like the ones on the belt. At the bottom of the board was a shelf that held a jumbo-sized deck of cards.

The host turned to Brandie. “Today, we’ll be introducing a new game we call ‘Twenty-One, Grownup Fun’. Do you know how to play blackjack?” Brandie nodded.

“Good. But just to make sure everybody watching knows... each card counts for its numerical value; face cards are ten, aces are one or eleven. The object is for the player—that’s you—to tie or exceed the score of the house—that’s Clarisse—without going over twenty-one.”

Selena waved to indicate the card pictures at the top of the game board as the host continued, “What makes this game different is that you won’t be wagering money or chips. The stakes are printed on the cards.”

The host pointed at the four card pictures in turn. “Instead of Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, and Spades, our deck has Cuffs, Dresses, Hands, and Smooches. Whenever the house wins, Clarisse will collect a payoff for each card in your hand. For each Cuff card, she fastens one of your four restraints. For each Dress card, she removes one of your four items of clothing, starting with the cap. For each Hand card, she takes one of your four vials of massage oil and rubs it into your skin.”

Lucia peeled one of the lipstick-mark kisses off Brandie’s collar and held it up. “And for each Smooch card, she takes one of your four kiss invitations...” Lucia returned the sticker to its previous place. “...and plants her lips anywhere she likes...” A rising chorus of “Ooooo!” from the audience faded as the explanation concluded, “...as long as it’s not below the belt.” Lucia pointed to the collar, tilted her finger upwards and nodded, then tilted it downwards and shook her head.

The crowd grumbled a bit, until the host held up a hand for attention. “Remember, that only applies to Smooch cards. Massage payoffs from Hand cards may be applied anywhere on our contestant’s body not currently covered by clothing.”

As the audience voiced its approval, the host turned back to Brandie. “If you run out of cuffs, or clothes, or lotions, or kisses, you can substitute two other payoffs for the one that’s used up. That gives you a chance to stay in the game until you get to the end of the deck... and if you do make it to the end of the deck, you win and collect the million dollar grand prize.”

A wave directed attention to a curtain at the rear of the stage, which began to open. “However, if you don’t make it to the end of the deck...” Lights came up behind the curtain, revealing a large circular bed. “...then you immediately relinquish your assets to the house.” Clarisse grinned sweetly.

Brandie tuned out the crowd’s reaction and took a moment to think this through. She’d won the “Cuff Five, Muff Dive” game before, and this was the same concept with a few extra elaborations. As for the game-of-chance angle... if the odds were fifty-fifty, and both players were dealt about the same number of cards, Clarisse would collect on about one card in four. That meant about thirteen forfeits out of her supply of sixteen. That looked good, except for that double payoff if the same suit came up five times. How likely was that? She’d done problems like that in senior math, but all she could remember about the calculations was that they were too complicated to do in her head.

Oh, well, she’d either win, or not.

“And now, let’s begin the game.”

Selena propped up two cards on each side of the game display. Brandie had a six and a nine; Clarisse had a ten and a hidden hole card.

“Now, Brandie, you have fifteen. You can keep it, or ‘hit’ it by drawing another card. Do you want to hit that, Brandie?”

Clarisse tilted her head coquettishly and batted her eyes; drawing scattered chuckles from the crowd.

“No,” Brandie said. Clarisse put on an exaggerated pout, and there was a louder chuckle as more people got the joke.

Selena flipped over the hole card, a four. “Since Clarisse is playing for the house, she always hits on sixteen or less and stands on seventeen or more.” Selena flipped over the next card—an eight. A buzzer sounded, and Selena swept the cards into the discard slot as the host congratulated Brandie on winning the first hand.

Five cards down, forty-seven to go. The next hand was dealt; an ace and six for her, and an eight showing for the house.

Brandie thought furiously. She had seventeen, but if the hole card was a ten-count then the house had eighteen. It was safe to draw on a “soft” seventeen... except that it might make her hand worse instead of better, and would definitely add to the penalty if she lost. Finally, she shook her head. “I’ll stand.”

The dealer’s hole card was a queen.

“I’m sorry, Brandie,” the host declared. “Clarisse, she’s holding the Ace of Dresses and Six of Smooches, so you get to steal her hat and a kiss!”

Clarisse strode over to Brandie. With one quick motion, she swiped the cap and put it on her own head. Her other hand reached around Brandie and drew her forward until their lips met. For a long time, Brandie heard the cheers of the crowd as she felt fingers riffling through her hair and a tongue pressing itself against her own.

Eventually, Clarisse backed away. She peeled away one of the kiss stickers and placed it on the front of her cap.

Then, the strap around her neck loosened. It unwound, and then Lucia guided the end of it under her arm. After a few more maneuverings, the leather band settled into its new position, around her body between her collarbone and breasts. Hoots and whistles arose from the crowd as they realized that kisses would grow progressively more interesting.

“Now, if you’re finished...?” Lucia nodded. “...we can continue.” The cards had already been dealt, giving Brandie a seventeen and the house a three showing.

She stood pat, and the house had a jack in the hole and drew an ten to bust the hand. Fourteen cards gone... so far, so good.

Brandie’s next hand was the Six of Cuffs and Six of Hands. The host explained that she could split the pair into two hands, with a separate win or loss for each. She decided not to do that, and called for another card. It was the Eight of Cuffs, giving her a twenty. She grinned smugly.

Naturally, that was the hand when the house had blackjack. The host winced a bit on her behalf as he directed Clarisse to collect her winnings.

After whispering something to Lucia, Clarisse picked up the spreader bar, then knelt down and placed it before the contestant’s feet.

“Spread your legs for me, Brandie darling,” she cooed, drawing a loud chorus of “OOOOOH!” and “YESSS!” cries from the gallery as she complied, positioning her feet close to the shackles.

“Wider.” A bit puzzled, Brandie obeyed. Clarisse reached over her shoulder, and Lucia handed her one of the vials. She poured oil onto her palms, and rubbed them against Brandie’s inner thighs. Her hands slid up and down from knee to crotch, and occasionally around to the back of each leg, mostly staying on the other woman’s bare skin but making enough contact with her bikini bottoms to leave a distinct wet spot at the crotch.

Finally, she lowered her hands and grasped the shackles. “Now, pull your legs a little tighter together... yes, there.” Brandie watched the shackles closing around her ankles. The oil deposited on the metal by Clarisse’s touch cast a bright sheen.

The next hand had already been dealt. Brandie has a jack and a king; another twenty. This time, Clarisse had a five showing. Her hole card was a four... and then she drew a two, for eleven. Brandie gritted her teeth as the next card was drawn... a nine, forcing the house to stand at twenty. A tie was as good as a win, and that was another half-dozen cards burned through.

On her next hand, she drew another twenty and Clarisse’s draw to a starting fourteen gave her another ten and another busted hand.

The deck looked like it was more than half gone, and she was less than halfway through her forfeits. The grand prize was getting closer and closer.

And then it got a lot further away after she started with a deuce and a three, drew another deuce and a five, and then hit twelve and got a queen.

“Oh my, my my!” the host commiserated. “The Two of Cuffs, the Queen of Smooches, and the Two, Three, and Five of Dresses! Clarisse is going to be attaching a handcuff, claiming a kiss, and removing all of your remaining clothing!”

Clarisse has already stepped up and transferred another kiss sticker to her hat. Settling her face against Brandie’s shoulder, she began nuzzling her neck. Brandie’s eyes widened as Clarisse bobbed her head and worked her jaw.

After a long silence, the host looked up in the general direction of one of the light banks. “Somebody call Sid in Accounting and see if we can bill the owners of Lesbian Vampire Vixens for running this two-minute ad.” Each time the laughter began to die down, another comment (“Our network owns it?” “Make that three minutes... and counting.” “Are you sure we can’t bill our own network?") started it up again.

The final waves of mirth was dying down when Clarisse finally broke away, leaving an impressive hickey on Brandie’s neck. She watched as Lucia unbuckled the leather belt and replaced it just below Brandie’s breasts.

With one quick motion, Brandie’s bikini top was undone and whipped away. Not waiting for the whistles and cheers from the crowd to die down, Clarisse tugged at the rip seams in the contestant’s bikini bottom, pulling the garment apart to remove it without releasing the leg spreader bars.

She put more showmanship into the removal of the belt. Slowly, she undid the buckle and paused as Lucia removed the two remaining kiss stickers. Then, she took the leather strap into her hands. She let it slacken, and pulled it taut with a snap. Hoisting it overhead, she put a finger through the buckle loop and twirled it like a baton, finally releasing it to fly toward the backstage bed.

Almost as an afterthought, she picked up the cuff rope and fastened one end to Brandie’s right wrist. As she stepped back to the game board, Lucia stuck Brandie’s remaining kiss markers on her body just below her breasts, marking the same level as the now-absent belt.

Brandie took a deep breath. She was still in the game. After this next hand, the deck looked like it was down to a dozen cards or so. She could make it that far.

She had seventeen; the house had a nine showing. The only thing to do was stand and keep her fingers crossed.

The hole card was a king. “I’m afraid you lost another hand, Brandie. Queen of Cuffs and Seven of Hands; Clarisse will now be fastening your final restraint and applying some more lotion.”

Clarisse was already on her way to the cart to pick up another of the little bottles. She turned to Brandie, and grasped the cuffrope hanging from her wrist. She maneuvered it around her back, then closed the other shackle so as to bind Brandie’s arms around her. That left her with just enough manuevering room to oil her hands before planting them on Brandie’s backside. Slowly, she kneaded and squeezed, gently rocking her own hips in time to the motion.

The crowd roared. When there was finally a sufficient lull for him to get a word in, the host mock-lectured, “Ladies, the idea is to save the best part for the backstage show, so our pay-download audience gets their money’s worth.”

Clarisse replied, “Oh, I intend to! I just don’t want to miss out too much if she gets away again.” However, she did lower herself to her knees and skitter backwards, out of her partner’s arms.

When the game resumed, Brandie was holding a three and an ace—the Three and Ace of Smooches. If she lost this hand, she’d still be in the game, with two massage-oil payoffs left. But that would leave no margin of safety for the next hand.

And she probably was going to lose if she stood on fourteen; the house had a nine showing.

“Hit me.” Selena dealt her the Five of Smooches. With a nineteen, she’d tie and thus effectively win if the house had a ten-count in the hole. Even if she did lose somehow, she’d be able to pay off the hand—two smooches and two massages in lieu of the third one.

This was clearly the next-to-last hand. If she won, all she had to do was stand on whatever she drew, and she’d be able to cover it with her four remaining payoffs. If she lost, it would all come down to the final hand.

Selena flipped the house’s hole card. A seven. The house had sixteen, and had to hit.

The hit was a four. The house had twenty, and won the hand.

“Your luck has really gone downhill, Brandie! Three Smooches... but since you only have two left, the third one will have to be replaced with your two remaining lotion bottles.” He waved Clarisse onto center stage to collect.

Millimeter by millimeter, Clarisse peeled one of the stickers from the other woman’s midriff. Fortunately, the adhesive didn’t stick too badly, and it was more tickly than painful. The new trophy was added to the ones on her cap, and then she turned it backwards to get the sunshade out of the way as she bent down to suck and nuzzle Brandie’s right nipple.

After a few moments, she began to slide sideways, planting her face between Brandie’s breasts. The host turned to the audience. “Just in case anyone was asking, yes, that still counts as one ongoing smooch.” As the chuckles subsided, the smooch proceeded to the left nipple. Brandie’s jaw dropped as she suddenly felt a nibble, not hard enough to be painful but definitely startling.

At last, Clarisse lifted her head and signaled for one of the bottles. She poured it over Brandie’s bosom, and began pawing and kneading. “I can tell how much you like this,” she remarked as she thumbed the other woman’s hard nipples.

When the lotion was finally gone, Clarisse backed away a moment to allow Lucia to move in and move the last remaining kiss sticker. She used one hand to carefully brush down the upper fringes of Brandie’s pubes and applied the sticker with the other, as far down as she could manage without catching any hairs.

It had barely been there for two seconds when Clarisse returned to place and peeled it away again. She knelt down, and then lunged forward to ferociously work her lips and tongue against Brandie’s belly button. Brandie gasped, and so did quite a few of the spectators. It was impossible to avoid the mental image of those thrusts and strokes being directed just a few inches lower. The thought gave Brandie phantom tinglings in her pussy and clit.

Clarisse seemed to be aware of the effect she was having. “Just think of it as a preview of coming attractions.” she stage-whispered, then turned her head to catch a view of the cheering crowd. After basking in their approval for a moment, she reached out and took the final bottle.

Her hands settled into place just below Brandie’s navel, and slid a bit further down on each stroke and caress. Soon, Brandie’s bush was oil-slicked down, and fingers found her pussy lips.

“That’s as far as it goes for now, Brandie darling. I did promise to save something for our paying viewers.” She glanced up and grinned. “The rules do allow you to concede the game at any time, you know....” Scattered cries called on her to do so, interspersed with shouts of encouragement.

Brandie tried to scowl, but a touch to one of her sensitive spots caused her mouth to pucker up. A round of laughter told her that she’d just made a really silly-looking face that was probably being rewound and frozen on televisions at this very moment.

At last it was over. Brandie tried to ignore the feelings of pleasure—and the feelings of frustration that it had been cut short—and focus on winning the prize.

The cards were dealt. Brandie had an eight and a three—eleven, a very promising start. The house had a king showing.

“Now, Brandie, there is one card left in the deck, so this will be the final hand. If you win, you get the second-chance million-dollar prize. If you lose... then you lose, since you have nothing left to pay off your cards.

The host paused a beat. “Currently, you have eleven, I’m guessing that you’d like to draw that final card...?”

“Yes.” The next card was a five, giving her sixteen.

A chime sounded. “Now that the deck is exhausted, the final hand is resolved by ‘sudden death’ rules. You may still choose to hit. If so, you will take the house’s hole card. If you don’t go over twenty-one, you win; if you do, you lose. If you don’t draw another card, the house’s score is whatever it has from those two cards: ten plus whatever the hole card is. Your decision...?”

The host waited expectantly.

Brandie tried to remember which cards she’d seen. If she’d been paying more attention, she’d know what that hole card had to be. If it was a high card... well, then she lost whether she took it or let the house keep it.

Suddenly, she had a flash of insight. If the hole card was seven or higher, she lost no matter what she did. If it was five or lower, she won no matter what she did. If it was a six, she lost if she took it and won if she let the house keep it. She’d used two sixes on one of her hands—were both of the others gone, or was one of them there?

It didn’t matter. If the sixes were gone, her fate was already settled. If there was a six there, she didn’t want it.

“I’ll stand.”

“Very well. Selena?”

Selena flipped over the hole card. It was an ace. Blackjack.

Brandie’s jaw dropped. How... how could that have happened? How could she have missed that? She’d thought it through so well, except for that one wrinkle.

“I’m so sorry, Brandie! You came so close on your second chance to win the million!”

Clarisse strode onto center stage and took up a position at Brandie’s side. She tossed an arm over her shoulder, striking a frankly possessive pose.

“As a consolation prize, you will of course receive your share of the royalties for the backstage session you’re about to record with Clarisse. Also, you will have a week’s free stay at our resort. Theoretically, that’s for rest and relaxation... but I hear that Clarisse has booked the adjoining room of the suite, so I’m not too sure about the ‘rest’ part.”

The stage echoed with laughter as Clarisse grasped Brandie’s arms and raised them over her head. The sound shifted to applause and whistling as a hook from the ceiling caught Brandie’s cuffrope, and then rose until she was pulled up onto tiptoes.

One of the main monitors displayed the drawing Clarisse had made during Brandie’s first appearance on the show. It was her prediction of what Brandie would look like at the end of that round: naked and bound, ankles spread apart and wrists suspended. That prediction had not been realized... until now.

Clarisse began walking backwards toward the bed. Brandie felt her wrists being pulled backwards, and turned to put her left foot behind her and keep her balance. After a few false starts, she got the hang of swinging her butt and hips so as to put her weight on one foot while getting the other into position to take the next step.

There was a new round of cheering. Brandie looked up, and noticed that the monitor was now displaying a closeup of her butt. It wriggled prominently with each step she took.

Clarisse was also enjoying the show. “Oh, yeah, baby, just keep getting yourself warmed up like that!” she snickered. As the new wave of applause and whistles died down, she turned to the crowd and yelled, “You want to see that ass in action?” When the replies quieted down, she continued, “Twenty-five bucks; thirty-five with the full set of bonus features!”

The offstage announcer began his closing spiel. “Well, to be precise, that’s $24.99 and $34.99, respectively. Downloads available starting midnight, Eastern Standard Time.” The standard instructions and disclaimers lasted just long enough for Clarisse and Brandie to disappear behind the closing curtain.