The Puff Room

It was to be, for Julia Markham, a most interesting day.

Boredom was the bane of Julia’s life. She had a boring home, a boring boyfriend, a boring job. Even her holidays were boring, with the same boring people in the same boring resorts.

Every year they would plan a different resort: each year, they’d find that the same boring people had booked the same bloody boring resort as they, almost as if they were following Julia and Brian around.

Today, however, was different.

Julia got up at the same time she usually did, began to get dressed, and looked out the window, in mounting dismay. Out in the suburban street, one of the neighbourhood trees had been knocked down or somehow fallen over, blocking the entire road.

Worse – it had fallen squarely on her car. There was no way Julia was going to be able to get to work. The landline was also down, as was her broadband connection, as the tree had sliced through the telephone cable.

Her mobile phone was also unusable – try as she might, Julia could not get a signal on it.

Frustrated, Julia called out to Brian; but there was no answer. Nor did Julia expect there to be one, since Brian usually got up half an hour before she did, to go to work.

Julia sighed, went back upstairs and got herself prepared for work. She knew where there was a public callbox nearby: if the phones were working there, she had a chance of being able to call work, tell them she’d be late, then maybe call a taxi that would get her to the station.

Finding a working telephone booth took longer than Julia realised. The fallen tree had caused more damage to the phone network than she’d thought, and the nearest phone booths, outside the Traveller’s Rest pub on the corner by the newsagent’s, were all dead; as was every phone in the shops. Only the mobiles were working, and fortunately Julia managed to get to a clear space long enough to pick up her network’s signal.

Someone picked up: a pleasant female voice. ‘Brendan & Sons, family clothing retailers. How can I help you?’

‘Karen, it’s me, Julia.’

‘Hi. You know how late you are?’

‘Can’t be helped; my car’s been written off, and I’ve been trying to get to a working phone booth for ages to call you. The same accident took out all the local phones. Everything on landline. My mobile barely works. The reception’s bad.’

‘What do you mean, written off? Have you been in an accident?’

‘No, I’m fine, just that I’ll need to catch a taxi now, to get to the station.’ She checked the time. ‘I might be able to get in for this afternoon.’

‘Don’t sweat it, hon,’ Karen said. ‘If you’re out and about, why don’t you do me a favour?’

‘What?’

‘I’ve got no field agents available to deliver catalogues,’ Karen said, ‘but I’ve got a client, Dr Henderson, rang me up last night just on closing. He says he could do with a copy of a catalogue; something about his wedding anniversary.’

‘I’ve got a few spare catalogues back home,’ Julia said. ‘I can take him one.’

‘I was hoping you’d say that,’ Karen said. ‘Tell you what, you take him the catalogue, and I’ll put you down on payroll as having done a full day’s work. Deal?’

‘Deal,’ Julia said, fishing for a pen and writing the address down on the back of her hand.

‘Did you get that?’ Karen asked.

‘Yeah, thanks, Karen. Gotta go,’ Julia said. ‘Oh, Karen, can you call my local taxi firm, Mandy’s Taxis, and ask them to pick me up from my home address? I think I’m about to run out of credits on my cell.’

‘Will do.’

The taxi dropped Julia off outside the address Karen had given her. Julia stood on the pavement, briefcase in her hand, looking at the location in puzzlement.

‘I thought this was a home address,’ she said to herself.

The address to which she’d been delivered was a large construction of brick, with a flat roof and no windows on the facing side. It looked like commercial premises – a factory or warehouse of some kind. There was no hoarding to indicate whose company it was, and a parking space on one side.

Julia crossed the road, walked around the building towards the parking area. Turning to face the building, she saw what looked like the building’s only entrance, a set of double doors without any corporate signage, not even the word ENTRANCE. The car parking area was empty.

Julia approached the doors, which slid aside as she neared them. Inside was a hallway leading to a reception area at the far end. The lobby was large, with mirror-faced pillars and mirror-panelled walls to add the illusion of space.

A bored-looking young woman with red hair sat at the reception desk, apparently busy at the keyboard of her flat screen computer. The phone rang as Julia approached the desk. The receptionist answered it.

‘Sharpton Human Response Research Centre. Alicia speaking. How may I help you?’ she began. A moment later, she smiled. ‘Oh, of course. I’ll put you through to Doctor Thomas. Hold the line.’ She pushed buttons and then hung up. As she hung up the phone, the receptionist’s face sank back into boredom.

Alicia then looked up at Julia. ‘Yes?’

‘Hi. I’m Julia. Julia Markham. From the catalogue company. I was asked to deliver a catalogue here to a Dr Henderson?’

Alicia nodded. ‘Dr Henderson’s busy right now,’ she said. ‘I’ll take you to a waiting room, and he’ll see you in person.’

‘Okay,’ Julia said, ‘but I’m okay with dropping off the catalogue here.’

‘No, that’s okay,’ the girl said. ‘He wants to order from the book right away.’

Julia brightened. That meant getting a commission from any sales closed on site. ‘Okay. Well, then I think I will wait,’ she said. Then she thought of something. ‘Do you have a working phone? My cell’s run out.’

The receptionist smiled. ‘There’s an extension in the waiting room,’ she said. ‘You can call whoever you want there.’

‘Okay.’

Julia turned to look at her suit in a mirrored pillar. The girl touched a key on the intercom.

‘I’m busy, Alicia,’ said a male voice.

‘Dr Henderson, the catalogue’s arrived,’ the girl said.

‘Ah, good,’ Dr Henderson said. ‘Looks like Room A 113 is free. I’ll send Anna in to take her there.’

Alicia looked up at Julia. ‘Someone will be down shortly to take you to the waiting room,’ she said. ‘Please take a seat.’

Julia sat in a nearby chair, set against the wall. A few minutes later, a woman emerged from one of the entrances at the back. She was dressed in a white lab coat. She was pretty, with a heart shaped face and short brunette hair.

‘Hi, Julia.’ said the woman, approaching Julia. ‘I’m Anna Walker.’ Julia rose to greet Anna, shaking her hand.

‘Doctor Henderson sends his regrets,’ Anna said. ‘He’s busy wrapping up an important experiment right now. He’s sent me down to take you to our waiting room. You can call whoever you like from there, and as soon as he is ready he will be along to pick out something from the catalogue.’

‘Okay,’ Julia said.

‘No windows,’ Julia asked Anna, as Anna slid a card key in the slot for Room A 113.

‘Came with the building when we took it over,’ Anna said. ‘We’ve got a lot of light sensitive equipment on the shop floor.’

‘Okay,’ Julia replied.

‘Here you go,’ Anna said, as the door clicked open. She handed Julia a keycard. ‘Use this to get out. If you need the facilities, ladies are at the end of the corridor. You’ll find the phone on the table, and on the counter on the far wall there’s a vendor for tea, coffee, whatever you need. Press 9 to call out; if you want to call me, press 0. Okay?’

Room A 113 was a large room, large enough to accommodate a group of people. It was indirectly lit by soft mood lights. The walls were a drab brown, as was the carpet. A small TV set was placed in the far corner, set high up in a corner mount; soft Muzak played from hidden speakers.

Julia noted a glass coffee table and a sofa in the room, with an empty ashtray, a table lighter, a small wooden box and a TV remote on the coffee table. At the opposite end of the room, behind the sofa, was a hot drinks dispenser on a counter, with two cupboard doors beneath it beside a small dining table and a single chair.

‘Will Dr Henderson be long?’ Julia asked, just inside the room.

‘Nah,’ Anna said. ‘He’ll be along soon.’ The door closed. Anna wandered over to the phone, picked up, pressed 9, then Brendan & Sons’ phone number. She got an answerphone message.

‘Hi, Karen,’ Julia said, ‘you’re probably out at lunch right now, so I’ll just let you know I’m at the address you gave me, and it looks like the client’s interested in closing a few sales on spec. Hope I’ll be walking away from here with a few choice commissions by the end of the day. Okay? Bye.’

Then all Julia had to do was wait For Dr Henderson.

Back in Reception, Anna bumped into Dr Henderson, who’d just emerged from another door half hidden behind one of the mirrored columns. This door was positioned such that it could not be seen from the outside, nor from Reception itself, since potted plants and a mirrored column happened to be placed just between the line of sight of the desk and the door itself.

‘Ah, Anna,’ Dr Henderson said, in a clipped British accent. A shortish, middle aged man with a receding hairline and a thin moustache, he looked every inch the dapper British boffin in his tweed suit, over which he had casually draped a large white laboratory coat. ‘Good, good. I’m glad I caught you. I only just completed the writeup for the last experiment, and I will need you to take care of things for me there.’

‘Who was that?’

‘Miss Edwards, Room B 124.’

‘Gas experiment?’ Anna asked.

‘Introduced it through the vents while she was watching the TV.’

‘What did you use?’

‘Key 509,’ Dr Henderson replied. ‘Libido stimulator.’

‘She must have had fun,’ Anna said, chuckling.

‘She did, that,’ Dr Henderson said, grinning. ‘The dreams she’ll be having tonight … Now, how about the new test subject?’

‘That saleswoman from the catalogue? She’s waiting for you in Room A 113, just as you asked.’

‘Excellent. I’ve left her for you.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘I’m giving you carte blanche. I’m going to let you fly solo with this one.’

‘Okay,’ Anna said. ‘Give me a few minutes to prime her, then bring in those other newcomers. That couple from this morning.’

‘The drop ins?’ Dr Henderson asked. Anna nodded.

Julia sat and fidgeted uncomfortably. The wait was testing her patience. She got up, crossed over to the door and unlocked it with the keycard. Julia peered out into the corridor. It was empty. She sighed and returned to her seat.

Five more minutes, she thought to herself. Five more minutes, and then I’m out of here.

In a control room without windows, Anna sat at a bank of screens and controls, watching Julia from various cameras secreted about the room.

She watched her as Julia began to fidget and look at her watch. She was getting uneasy; Dr Henderson was busy, but Julia clearly had a lot on her plate as well.

Anna picked up the extension, dialled the phone for Room A 113. Julia reached forwards, picked it up.

‘Hello?’

‘Hello, Julia. Anna speaking. Dr Henderson regrets he’s been delayed slightly by something. He will be with you in five minutes, okay?’

‘Okay,’ Julia said, and hung up at her end. Anna watched as Julia checked her watch, looked around, stared at the keycard, stared at the locked door. Anna sat on the edge of her seat. Would Julia do a runner?

Julia sat back, relaxing. Anna also sat back, smiling. This one was going to be a keeper. She hit speed dial.

‘Henderson. Ah, Anna. How’s our latest subject?’

‘Julia’s making herself comfortable in A 113.’

‘Good. Start it up.’

Anna hung up, grinned, turned her attentions to two slide controls in front of her, marked “Regular Muzak” and “Sublim”. Slowly, she faded out the regular Muzak, and slid the volume on the Muzak. She also turned up the thermostat slightly.

Beside the control panel were a set of gas bottles, affixed to the wall with feed pipes leading into A 113’s ventilation system. The bottle on the left was metallic green. The words KEY 509 were stencilled on the side. Two others, one black, one blue, carried different markings. The blue cylinder’s stencil read SOMNOZINE. The black cylinder simply read O2.

At the top of the gas cylinders were round, knurled silver knobs. Anna turned the knob of the green gas cylinder, mixing it with a little O2 feed, and let Key 509 gas slowly begin to fill Room A 113.

It was getting hot and stuffy in the room. Julia found herself sweating, slightly stifled by the heat. She looked around for a thermostat: finding none, she slipped off her suit jacket instead, and sat back.

The phone rang. Julia answered. ‘Hello?’

‘Dr Henderson here,’ said the voice. ‘I’ll be with you soon, but can you do me a favour, Julia?’

‘If I can.’

‘Can you look through the catalogue, please, for some nice ladies’ evening wear? Something smart casual, something that’d go well with a thirty something on a, a, company bash.’

‘Okay,’ Julia said.

The phone went silent. Julia ran her finger under her blouse collar. It was still too hot; she loosened the top button as she spoke, before taking out the catalogue and putting it down on the table before her, pushing the wooden box and lighter out of the way.

Out of curiosity, she opened the box to peer inside, scowled and closed it again in slight distaste. Cigarettes.

The phone rang again. ‘Julia; Anna here. Dr Henderson asked me to pass on further details. He wants something stylish,’ Anna said. ‘Any colour except black. Oh, or mauve. He can’t stand mauve.’

‘Okay, I’ll look at a list,’ Julia said, undoing the second button. She was sweating profusely, although the temperature hadn’t actually increased at all.

‘If you just look through the book, maybe pick something nice out for him, he’ll be with you shortly. Must dash.’

‘Okay, Anna,’ Julia said, hanging up. She felt thirsty, and got up to go to the drinks dispenser.

In the control room, Anna sat and watched Julia, who now displayed a very satisfactory cleavage, at the drinks machine.

Julia was perspiring. She began to look over the counter for anything resembling a paper wipe. Nothing. Julia then opened the cupboard doors underneath the counter.

‘Oh, good,’ she exclaimed. There were a few wipes. Julia reached in for them. Her hand dislodged something, which fell at her feet on the floor with a heavy thump.

Julia poured herself a coffee from the dispenser as she flicked through the first few pages, took a sip, grimaced – it tasted foul. Julia then bent down, looked at the catalogue. It looked to be some sort of glossy catalogue of some sort.

‘Oh. The competition,’ Julia said, picking up the book. She sat at the table and leafed through it.

The magazine showed pictures of women like herself. Cool, smartly-dressed, confident, clean. Smiling for the cameras. Some of the photos were taken in studios, others out on some beach somewhere. It looked like a clothes catalogue, only Julia could find no item descriptions, brand names or other advertising.

Curious, Julia carried the thick glossy book over to the sofa with her, holding the half – empty cup of black coffee in the other hand. Sitting down, she began to leaf through the guide.

At first, it showed just pictures of women. Women wearing summer clothes, walking about on beaches. Then, as Julia read on, the pages began to show interior shots of women taking off their coats, sitting on chairs and sofas wearing a variety of blouses and skirts and trousers.

So far, there was no men’s section; only women. Julia sighed, sat back, idly began playing with the buttons of her blouse. She leaned forwards to sip some more of the incredibly bitter coffee, and found herself reading the odd book once again. This time, as she read, she idly unbuttoned her blouse all the way, loosening it yet not removing it. At the same time, she slipped off her shoes and kicked them under the coffee table.

Julia finished off the coffee and went back to the sofa with her blouse loose about her, revealing her bra. She picked up the competitors’ catalogue and continued to read.

There were four women featured in the book: a blonde, a brunette, a redhead and an Oriental girl, all looking to be between 25 and 35 or so. All four were extremely pretty, and Julia felt a slight pang of envy at their apparent physical perfection.

As she pored over the book, to her astonishment the next pages showed the women taking off their blouses and other clothes, and sitting on their chairs in their bras and panties only, drinking coffee. This puzzled Julia, since no catalogue she’d ever seen had featured the women actually stripping, let alone drinking coffee or performing any actual activities in their underwear.

The more she read, the more this catalogue began to resemble a big, thick soft porn mag. Still, Julia read on, only pausing to get another coffee and bringing the book with her. At the vending machine, Julia stopped to slip off her blouse and skirt altogether, sitting at the table in her underwear, sipping more of the odd-flavoured coffee and staring at the women on the glossy pages.

She turned a page: the Oriental woman was lighting a cigarette. Julia went to the table and retrieved the ashtray, lighter and box. Opening the wooden box, she took out a cigarette. Dutifully, she lit up, sat back and leafed through the book, drawing the smoke deeply into her lungs.

As well as drinking their coffees, the women in the book were now also smoking cigarettes, all the while sitting in their underwear. Julia breathed out a stream of blue smoke and continued to flick through the pages of the book, feeling a strange sense of sexual arousal and excitement.

It all seemed so strange, yet Julia felt more horny than disturbed by it all.

It was time.

Anna changed the subliminals CD to another track, suggesting obedience rather than envy. By now, the subject had drunk what amounted to a good, solid dose of the gas; she could see, by her state of undress, that it had taken effect. Now, it was time for the next phase.

Anna got up from the chair. She picked up the phone, called Reception. Nobody answered. Anna shrugged and wandered out of the control room.

All thought about her reason for being here had fled Julia. She was engrossed in the contents of the thick book in front of her, showing pictures of the women in their underwear, smoking, drinking coffee. She was on her fourth cup of coffee by now, and smoking the cigarettes which also had a funny taste, though being a non-smoker herself, Julia was not to know this.

In fact, there was not much that could concern Julia at the moment: the drug in the coffee, the oddly flavoured tobacco in the cigarettes, were having their full effect by now, and Julia’s mind was a pleasantly obedient fuzz of cotton wool.

She turned a page; one of the women was undoing her bra. On the following pages, the other women were also removing theirs. Diligently, Julia removed hers also, leaving her breasts to swing free. On the next page, it was their panties: a moment later, Julia was naked. By now, Julia was past knowing what she was doing, or why she was doing it. She just sat at the table, naked, just as the women in the book were doing.

On the next page, the women were lighting up cigarettes again, so that’s what Julia did, a cloud of blue smoke swathed about her as she drew the smoke deeply into her lungs.

The door clicked open. It was Anna, carrying a clipboard and pen. Julia looked up and stared at her with empty eyes.

‘Put out your cigarette,’ Anna said. Julia found herself extinguishing the cigarette in the half-drunk coffee in the cup. ‘Get up,’ Anna ordered. Obediently, Julia did so.

‘You’re about ready,’ Anna said to Julia. ‘Come here. Stand in front of me.’ Julia obeyed and stood in front of Anna, awaiting the next order. Anna nodded, ticked off a box on a form on the clipboard she was carrying.

Anna gently stroked Julia’s cheek, then touched her breast. Julia didn’t flinch. ‘You are ready,’ Anna said. ‘Very well, Julia. Follow me.’

Calmly, Julia followed Anna out of the door, into the corridor, still naked.

On the way, they encountered a man and a woman, both being led by a middle aged male scientist in a white lab coat. The man and woman were both naked. The woman was tall, well built with heavy breasts; she had hair so pale that it almost looked like silver. The man was shorter, with sandy hair and blue eyes. He was clean shaven.

‘Julia,’ Anna said, ‘this is Doctor Henderson.’

Anna did not react.

‘Julia, kiss Doctor Henderson,’ Anna said. Julia kissed Dr Henderson passionately.

‘That’s enough, Julia,’ Anna said, after a while. ‘Step back, now.’ Anna watched as Julia separated herself from Dr Henderson and took a step back.

‘Okay, now look at the couple here,’ Anna said, pointing to the naked man and woman. Julia looked at them, her eyes blank.

‘Their names are Carolina and Ted Wells. They are for you,’ Anna told Julia. ‘Ask me questions, now.’

‘Are they married?’ she asked Anna.

‘They are,’ Anna replied. ‘Happily married and faithful to each other, until they came here.’

‘How did they come here?’

‘Same way you did,’ Anna replied. ‘By accident. They were canvassing neighbourhood buildings to promote their religion.’

‘And you brought them in, gave them a drink ...’

‘And did the same thing to them that we just did to you,’ Anna said, smiling.

‘Which is?’

‘All three of you,’ Anna said, ‘start jumping on the spot.’

Julia watched as the naked couple began to jump up and down. To her amazement, she felt the urge to join in. The scientist stepped to one side to stand beside Anna.

‘The three of you, continue jumping on the spot in front of one another,’ Anna said. Anna moved a little closer to the couple and continued to pogo on the spot with the others. She watched the other woman’s breasts jiggle; the man’s cock was stiffening as they watched him, a flush growing on his face.

‘Stop jumping,’ Anna said. The three stopped, but continued standing in a circle.

‘Come with us,’ Anna said. The three turned to face her and followed her along the corridor. Eventually, they reached a room with a plaque on the door which read

A 101
SMOKING ROOM
Julia, the man and the woman followed Anna into the room.

The interior of the room appeared identical to the room where Julia had just been in. It, too, was windowless.

‘Come into the centre of the room,’ Anna told Julia and the couple. The three obediently filed into the middle of the room, and stood facing Anna.

‘I want to test your obedience further,’ Anna said. She crossed the room and came back with another cigarette box. She took out a cigarette, got out a lighter from her lab coat pocket and lit it before presenting it to Carolina. ‘Smoke this,’ Anna said. Carolina took it and began smoking.

‘Ted, here you go,’ Anna said, taking out another cigarette and offering it to Ted, lighting it for him. As she approached Julia, offering the box to her, Julia shook her head.

‘No thanks,’ she said. ‘I don’t smoke.’ To her surprise, she found herself automatically taking out a cigarette from the box and slipping it between her lips. Anna leaned over and lit the cigarette, the flame’s light shining on Julia’s face.

‘Draw the smoke in deeply,’ Anna said, stepping back to let the three people enjoy their smokes. Julia drew in a great lungful of the aromatic smoke, breathing a blue streamer into the air. Carolina executed a perfect French snap and inhale and Ted blew a smoke ring which floated in the air before him.

‘Hope you don’t mind if I join you,’ Anna said, taking a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lighting one. All four stood in the room, filling the air with cigarette smoke.

‘Okay,’ Anna said after a while, ‘put them out. There’s the ashtray.’ Julia, Carolina and Ted put out their cigarettes in the ashtray.

‘Stand up and face me,’ Anna said. They stood straight and turned to face Anna, who had lit up a second cigarette and who stood smoking in front of them.

Anna took a deep drag of her cigarette. ‘Face each other like you did in the corridor,’ she said, blue smoke wreathing her face. The three obeyed her and stood facing one another once again, with Julia facing away from Anna, who leaned forwards to put out her second cigarette in the ashtray.

‘You; you; start dancing,’ Anna ordered, touching Julia and the woman on the arm. She fished out a remote control and pressed a couple of controls.

Music began to pour out of the speakers; a loud track with a thrumming, insistent beat, heavy on the bass with a deep African drum rhythm.

Julia and the woman began to dance in front of the man, whose erection began to grow harder than ever.

‘Don’t,’ he said, his voice slurred.

‘Some resistance,’ Anna said, smiling. ‘Carolina, Julia, put a bit more effort into it. You’re trying to make Ted as hard as possible. Both of you, do what it takes to turn him on.’

Julia heard Carolina chortle; a husky laugh. Carolina began to gyrate her hips at Ted suggestively, one hand toying with a breast and the other sliding into her bush.

Julia felt strange. She looked down at her own hands, and found herself doing something similar; her fingers were slipping into the wetness between the folds of her vulva, teasing her clitoris and sending shots of pleasure up and down her body. She jerked her hips at Ted, whose penis was now stiff and swollen with a purple head.

Julia found herself wanting to take that cock deep into her body. She glanced at Carolina, whose expression of blind lust was all too clear.

‘Carolina’s really into it,’ Anna said. She came around and looked at Julia. ‘Pick one,’ she said to Julia.

Julia looked at Ted and Carolina. Carolina was slowly moving closer to Ted, who was just standing there, erect and breathing heavily. Then she looked back at Anna, and Julia realised that she was standing there, naked, masturbating, in front of this strange woman and hugely enjoying exposing herself.

‘Ted,’ Anna said, ‘you can dance with Carolina. Julia, watch it and enjoy the show. You can keep dancing and masturbating, though. No sense stopping you having fun.’ Anna coughed once, clearing her throat and glancing down at the clipboard. She looked slightly puzzled for a moment, as if wondering what she was doing with the board.

Julia was on the verge of coming, but she continued to dance naked in front of Ted and Carolina. The couple seemed oblivious to her presence; they were dancing very close, now, the tip of his cock swinging as his hips moved, almost close enough to touch his wife’s burgeoning bush.

‘Ted, close your eyes,’ Anna said. Obediently, Ted shut his eyes.

‘Carolina,’ Anna said in a whisper, ‘step back a minute. Let Julia take over.’ She looked at Julia, blinking for a moment. ‘Julia,’ Anna whispered, covering up a yawn, ‘take over for Carolina.’ Anna rubbed at her eyes for a moment.

Julia stepped forwards, dancing close to Ted. This close, she could hear Ted’s passionate breathing as they danced together. She could see the sheen of sweat on his skin.

As Julia dipped her hand towards her bush again, it accidentally touched Ted’s cock. Ted gasped; so did Carolina. As it swung back again, Julia touched the tip again, and this time she held it. Ted gave a little shudder as Julia began to stroke Ted’s cock with both her hands. Julia looked over at Carolina, whose expression of jealousy and hate was clear.

‘Both of you, stop dancing,’ Anna said, touching Ted and Julia on the arm. Julia stopped, grateful for the chance to rest. She continued to stroke Ted’s cock as Ted stood, gasping, his eyes shut, his face taut.

‘Do you like that?’ Julia whispered to Ted. Ted gasped.

‘You’re not Carolina?’ he whispered, hoarsely. His eyes were still closed. Ted was frowning.

Julia glanced at Carolina to her side; Carolina was still dancing, as instructed, but her face was red with anger and humiliation. Carolina rubbed her eyes, yawning, and carried on dancing.

‘Carolina,’ Anna said, blinking, ‘you are now dancing – yawn – dancing for Julia.’ Julia found herself yawning as well. All four of them were yawning. It was getting hot in the room.

Julia looked about her, suddenly aware that the door of the room was closed. Then she saw that Carolina was dancing closer to her, yawning and blinking and gyrating her hips in Julia’s direction. She glanced at Anna, and saw Anna slowly sitting down on a nearby chair, rubbing at her eyes.

Julia let out a huge yawn of her own. It was getting really stuffy in the room. She began to feel dizzy, and wondered if somebody was filling the room with some sort of sleeping gas to make them all feel sleepy.

Drowsily, Anna got up onto unstable feet. She made her way over to the door, fumbling for her key card. As Julia watched, craning her head around, she saw Anna swipe the keycard in the slot. The tiny light stayed red. Anna swiped the card a couple more times, before giving up and throwing the useless card away.

Julia watched as Anna stumbled into the middle of the room, coughing and struggling to loosen the collar of her blouse. Julia herself continued to stroke Ted’s penis, one handed, cupping his straining balls in her hand as she reached for Carolina with the other.

‘Anna.’ The male voice over the PA came as a surprise. ‘Anna, this is Dr Henderson.’

Anna looked up, her eyes half closed. ‘Wh – what’s ...’

‘Just do as I say, Anna, and everything will be all right,’ Dr Henderson said. ‘I haven’t put enough gas into the room to knock you out; only to make you feel drowsy and warm. And I’ve mixed in some Key 509 libido stimulator to make you all feel a little horny. You should all right now be feeling like you’ve had a good couple of shots of strong whisky right now.’

Anna giggled.

Dr Henderson continued. ‘Julia; Carolina; both of you can have some fun with Anna. Anna, from now on you will take your orders from Julia. Julia; you can tell Anna, Ted and Carolina whatever you want them to do now. You’re in control of all of them, and you must now take orders from me.’

‘And what about me?’ Carolina asked.

‘You both still also take orders from me.’ The PA cut off.

‘Carolina,’ Julia said, ‘come to me.’

Carolina groaned, stumbled forwards sleepily into Julia. Drowsy and aroused, Julia caught Carolina, kissing her passionately. At the same time, she playfully gave Ted’s cock a tug, following it with the tip of a manicured finger drawn around the rim of his foreskin.

‘Who wants to be first?’ Julia asked, after separating slightly from Carolina.

‘Me!’ Ted cried, sleepily.

‘Oh, me, please,’ drawled Carolina, grinding her hips against Julia’s. Julia moaned softly, nuzzled Carolina’s neck.

‘Me,’ said Anna from behind Julia. Julia turned around, and saw that Anna was getting up from the chair, shedding her lab coat, one hand undoing the buttons of her blouse.

Julia watched Anna as she struggled with her blouse. She looked at Carolina and Ted. ‘Guys, do you two want to have some fun?’ She looked at Carolina, who nodded, a hungry look on her face.

‘Help Anna out of her clothing,’ Julia said. ‘Anna, have some fun with Carolina. Ted, you’re with me.’

Grabbing Ted by the balls, one hand stroking his cock, Julia led a straining Ted to the sofa as Carolina peeled off Anna’s bra.

‘Come here,’ Julia said, lying down on the sofa. As Ted began to climb onto the sofa with her, she laid a hand on his stomach. ‘Wait,’ she said, leaning forwards. ‘I want to do this first.’

As Ted gasped and shuddered, Julia leaned over the tip of his erection and gently breathed, her warm breath pouring over the taut red tip. Then, gently, she ran her tongue over the tip as Ted groaned.

Moistening her mouth, Julia slowly slid her lips over the crown of Ted’s penis and sucked it deep into her waiting mouth. Ted groaned loudly.

Elsewhere in the room, Anna moaned as well, as Carolina kissed and nibbled her nipples, stroking the curve of Anna’s soft breasts with her hands. Anna undid her jeans and slid out of them, pulling her panties down with them so she could lie naked beneath Carolina.

‘So you want me to find your G spot, honey?’ Carolina asked.

‘It – it doesn’t exist,’ Anna replied. ‘It’s a myth.’

‘So they say,’ Carolina said, sliding two fingers deeply into Anna’s sopping twat. ‘Does this feel like a myth to you?’

Anna bucked, and gave a yelp of surprise followed by a long, shuddering breath. Her face softened, and a soft, dopey grin appeared on her face.

‘Want me to carry on?’ Carolina asked.

‘Sure,’ Anna replied. ‘As long as I can do the same to you.’

Carolina kissed Anna, gently sucking her lower lip into her mouth and holding it between her teeth for a moment. ‘Anything you say, sweetheart,’ she said, her fingers gently working against the wall of Anna’s vagina.

Julia looked at Anna and Carolina for a moment. A groan from above brought her attention back to the man she was fellating. She slowly pulled up, her lips making a soft sucking sound as she disengaged, and grabbed the cock with one hand.

‘Come on,’ Julia said. ‘You’re ready for the rest.’ She leaned back, arching her hips and guiding Ted down to her waiting hole. With a look of deepest gratitude, half blind with lust, Ted pushed his cock into Julia’s vulva and worked it up deep into her, until their hips met and he lay fully on top of her.

As Ted slowly began to hump Julia, Anna’s fingers found their way into Carolina’s vulva, probing into her.

‘Where is your G spot, then?’ Anna asked, gasping as Carolina’s probing fingers continued to work their magic.

‘I think you’re almost there,’ Carolina replied. ‘Almost ... almost ... oh. There.’ Anna began to work her magic, and Carolina gasped. ‘Oh, that’s it, honey. Oh!’ Carolina ground her hips against Anna’s hand. She leaned forwards, their fingers tickling one another’s G spots, kissing one another deeply, breathing as one.

Julia’s fingers found the perineum, the spot between Ted’s testicles and his anus. She began to press at that spot. She’d read enough sex manuals to know the effect this would have on Ted. Sure enough, it worked. Ted groaned, but he could not come.

Not until it was Julia’s turn, at any rate. Julia felt the oncoming rush of the orgasm, but her finger pressure held, and Ted continued to thrust into her, his expression almost bestial.

Finally, Julia crested, the orgasm an explosion inside her, filling her whole body. Shuddering, her breath ragged, she let go. With a cry, Ted released his load deep into Julia in a series of gushing pulses. As he collapsed on top of Julia, Carolina and Anna uttered cries of release as they too climaxed.

Julia coughed as she extricated herself from underneath Ted. Ted was already falling asleep. ‘Poor thing,’ Julia said, forming the words around a yawn. ‘It’s turned out to be too much for him.’ Julia got to her feet, somewhat unsteadily, and looked over at Anna and Carolina. ‘He’s all yours again, Carolina,’ she said.

Carolina murmured something sleepily, and sank back against Anna. Anna was already asleep.

Julia wondered why the room was now spinning around her, and why she felt so heavy and sleepy. Belatedly, she realised that the controller might have turned up the sleeping gas, and now all four of them were heading for the Land of Nod together.

As she sank to her knees, Julia found herself thinking about her job selling fashion catalogues. Her old life now seemed a million miles away from her current one.

Just before her eyes closed, from her position lying on the floor facing the door, Julia watched in a curious state of detachment as a phalanx of white – coated figures opened the door and entered it. One figure approached her, knelt and brought his face close to her so that she could see the black gas mask, the blank mirrored glass of the visor.

‘Karen,’ Julia whispered as the gas took hold. Briefly, she wondered whether her old boss would like to come here some time.

She heard the filtered breathing of the masked figure as gloved hands reached for her. The latex felt smooth, strange on her skin. Julia had no idea whether the hands and blank face belonged to a man or a woman. A moment later, as she succumbed, she no longer cared.

All she knew, as she passed out, was that this day had turned out to be far from boring, after all.