Chapter 8

Just before stepping out of her apartment, Jackie worried she’d find neighbours gathered in the apartment complex hallway, trying to determine the source of the orgasmic wailing. She also worried someone might smell her aroused scent, since she hadn’t taken any time to wash off the smeared pussy juice on her face.

She peeked through her keyhole, relieved not to see any of them. She grabbed the flashlight she kept in case of power outages, opened her apartment door, raced down the empty hallway, and exited the apartment into the bitter night air. Why did she have to rent an apartment on the ground floor? Answer: On moving day, she hadn’t wanted to carry boxes up flights of stairs. Another good question was why she hadn’t masturbated in the darkness of her own bedroom. Answer: She enjoyed the watched feeling, although she believed at the time it was a delusion.

As she started towards the outside of her apartment, she considered the image she would have presented to a peeper. No clothing below the waist other than athletic socks, slim legs stretched wide, her hands pushing the shafted length of the oversize dildo against her swollen pussy. What if he also heard her? Wailing and grunting and grinding. It was awful that even now, out in the night facing the stark possibility of a compromised professional career, her mental image of herself behaving like a mindless sex creature re-ignited her inner pilot light. The orgasm had failed to satisfy her lust.

She went round the corner and flicked on the flashlight. No one was outside her living room window. She was momentarily relieved, and then realized they probably left after she concluded her act and retreated out of the room.

She turned the flashlight’s beam down on the snow below her window. Footprints! There was a large trampled area in the snow, like someone stood at her window for a long time. This was terrible. But what had the peeper really seen? Jackie turned off the flashlight and peered through the gaps in the blinds at her brightly lit living room. She saw the entire room. In detail. With a gasp of horror she even spotted the tremendous wet patch on her sofa.

Who had watched? Was it one of the apartment complex residents? Had it been some homeless person, maybe? Jackie turned the flashlight back on and examined the footprints in the compacted snow. They were quite small. Whoever it was wore tennis shoes. In the cold weather they must have had a powerful reason to stand out here so long. Jackie well knew the reason.

Comparing the size of the footprints to her own shoes, Jackie figured there was no way the peeper was an adult man. A small adult female like herself fit the print perfectly. Although still outraged, she felt relieved her watcher was female. A man might make a pass at her, thinking she was a creature of passion. A woman wouldn’t do that. She supposed her ideas were sexist and antiquated. Couldn’t a lesbian behave similar to a heterosexual man? Wouldn’t a sexually perverted woman be equally capable of wrongdoing as a perverted man?

What kind of woman peeped through blinds to watch another woman masturbate? The answer was pretty obvious. It was one of Jones’ female followers. Jackie immediately thought of the sick mother-daughter pair Monica and Kira. Had they followed her home from Goethner-Varner?

It made sense. Jones’ followers were just the creepy sort who had no regard for the privacy of others. She recalled how Monica and Kira knew she was at Goethner-Varner to visit Jones. How long had they known about her before her arrival? Did they research her background, learn her middle name to pass on to Jones, and also discover her home address?

Though relieved the peeper was a woman, the idea her peeper was also a Jones’ fan deeply concerned her, because this could impact on her professional life. A Jones’ fan watching her masturbate with equipment from Jones’ portfolio was really the worst-case scenario. Would Jones be told? Would he regard her with even less respect and cooperation? Would he tell Wendy Carter, the Director of Operations, at Goethner-Varner?

She reassured herself. Pulling a Peeping Tom was a criminal act so whoever it was had good reason to keep quiet. Besides, no one outside Jones’ group would believe anything this whack-job peeper claimed. But, oh God, what if it was Monica or Kira and they told the other fans in the parking lot? She imagined all the female fans staring at her next time she pulled in to visit Jones. What an awful prospect! She felt violated. Invaded. Startled, she realized with unexpected empathy this may be how Jones felt when the police executed the search warrant on his home and took possession of his porn, his photos, his “tools”, and his journals.

The tennis shoe impressions led away to the parking lot. Discouraged, Jackie trudged back to her apartment. Infuriatingly, she was still turned on, feeling humming warmth deep in her womb and her still swollen pussy lips slid against each other with every step.

Morosely, she realized she better get that wacky dildo washed, get some sleep, and try to regroup for tomorrow.

The following day, Jackie spent time running errands. Morning at the Goethner-Varner Center involved many structured activities to socialize, draw out, and counsel the residents. Visiting time, even for semi-official visitors like Jackie, was any time after two o’clock. She tried to imagine Jones participating in structured group activities. Difficult.

Jackie still felt dismayed over the events of the prievious evening. As she imagined the peeper reporting her actions back to Jones, anger replaced dismay. What upset her most and made her really angry was the violation of her privacy. Some Peeping Tom, or, more likely, Peeping Tomasina, had taken away her feeling of security and privacy. People like that should pay! There was good reason peeping was absolutely illegal.

Sure she’d masturbated, but she shouldn’t feel bad, it was natural. Everyone did it. If it wasn’t for the watcher she’d be free to feel proud of herself for stepping out of her comfort zone and achieving the most powerful orgasms in her life. Perhaps ‘stepping out of her comfort zone’ was inaccurate. She had stumbled into her sexual abandon zone! She wasn’t quite sure how to characterize her experience. Amazing, at the very least.

Although her act of masturbation was natural, some of the thoughts she had were decidedly abnormal. Obviously, she was far more suggestible than she initially believed. She guessed most people were. People never thought advertisements affected their decisions, but if they heard a product name enough times, that’s the one they automatically gravitated toward in the store.

Later in the afternoon, on her way to the Center, Jackie kept thinking about the peeper incident. She should not be the one feeling ashamed. The peeper should feel ashamed! She hadn’t broken the law, they had.

In the outer lot at the Center she looked coldly at the blankly smiling mother and daughter, Monica and Kira. She couldn’t tell by looking at them if one of them was behind the peeping incident, though Jackie still clung to her suspicions. The graphic photo of Monica popped into her mind, and a heavy pulse of arousal vibrated deep in her pussy. Simultaneously staring at the real woman while picturing the events in the photo seemed wicked. Ridiculous that she should feel such arousal. She was no lesbian! But she couldn’t stop herself from imagining the welts on Monica’s pale skin, the clothespin clamped on her furry red pussy, and the thick silver rings hanging heavy from her pink nipples. Jackie reassured herself that her interest was purely aesthetic or stemmed from fascination with the forbidden.

Neither Monica nor Kira knocked on her window this time. They seemed awfully pleased to see he, though. Extremely pleased. Suspiciously pleased. Had one of them watched her last night? If they had, did Jones now know? The idea of Jones’ smug triumph made her want to shrink until she was invisible and remain that way forever. She called on all of her courage, knowing facing Jones’ unwavering eyes and his personal knowledge of her would take all of her reserves.

The same guards, Hotchkiss and that stooge Wilrey, sat behind the expansive metal desk in Building C. She noted with relief they switched chairs today, so there was no need for her to ask Hotchkiss to watch over her this time. The guys weren’t sweaty today, but they seemed tired, and probably not from hard work. They were probably tired from laziness.

As she approached Jones’ suite she realized she didn’t fear for her physical safety. Perhaps she was naive, but she believed him honest when he told her he wouldn’t touch her until she asked for it. Since she’d never ask, she was safe. He’d also said he wouldn’t try anything until she made him a free man. Jackie was pretty sure that would never happen either, so she was doubly safe.

She knocked on the suite door, and Hotchkiss buzzed her in. Jones sat at the small table on a chair facing the door, the same one she’d left him in the day before while backing out of the room. For a moment the surreal feeling he’d remained sitting there waiting for her to return for the past twenty-two hours assaulted her. Realizing he wore a different shirt quickly dispelled that feeling. The Center gave residents a dress code of sorts, by only allowing pyjama-style pants and tunics. The males could choose between green or blue, the females pink and yellow. Yesterday Jones wore blue. Today he wore green.

Jackie sat across from him.

“Hello, Mr. Jones, how are you today? “

“I’m fine. “

“Good! Here is what I have planned for us today. I’m going to ask you questions about your time at the Center, the people here, your daily activities. I also want to learn about your future goals. Finally, I’ll show you various pictures and ask for your reactions. All this will help me to get to know you better. “

“You don’t need to get to know me as much as you need to get to know yourself, Jackie Rose. “

“Mr. Jones, I want to help you, but when you address me inappropriately, you simply add obstacles in the path to your release from Goethner-Varner. Yesterday we discussed treating each other with respect and courtesy. Please remember to call me Dr. Thorpe. We’ll both feel better. “

“What is freedom if I must stifle my own free will in order to achieve it? “

“I’m your best chance for a quick release. If you refuse to treat me with respect why shouldn’t I just walk out? Just leave? “

“Leave then. “

“What? “

“I said:Leave then. You offered the carrot and the stick, a possible reward and a possible negative consequence. I am not a donkey who will perpetually attempt to obtain the unobtainable carrot, nor do I reward negatives such as threats to ‘walk out’. “

“Don’t you want your freedom? “

“You cannot offer or deny my freedom. My freedom is already achieved though it has not yet come to fruition. If I allow you to stay you will give me my freedom. If you leave you will be replaced and, whoever your replacement is, she will then give me the freedom I require. “

Jackie realized he was serious. Patients had some control over their visitors, and he could refuse to see her. Robert would then be forced to replace her.

“Are you asking me to promise you your freedom? I can’t and won’t. “

“No, Jackie Rose, I want you to give me my freedom of your own free will, because you see it is the right thing. That’s why, no matter how much you beg me for sex, I must deny you until I am free. “

Jackie snorted, angry now, “Mr. Jones, believe me I want our interaction to remain completely professional. I don’t understand why you persist in being so contrary and difficult. “

“I am the way I am meant to be. You are not. That is the source of the difficulty. I am meant to be in charge, you are meant to take direction. Resisting this is going against Mother Nature. You are living encased in an unhealthy illusion. “

“Mother Nature? I would have thought you would think of nature as Father Nature. “

“Of course I don’t. Think about it. Don’t we take what we need from nature? We plough her fields, plant our seeds, hunt our prey, take advantage of all the fruits she has on offer. “

“Mr. Jones, don’t let your unhealthy outlook fool you into believing others are here to serve you, simply exist for your personal use, and are somehow less important than yourself. “

Jones was silent, pursing his lips in probable irritation. She waited. Let him think on her words, maybe some truth would sink through his shaved skull. After a few minutes of silence she decided it was time to try again. She could barely stand his cold cracked alien eyes staring at her.

“Look, I think you’re being difficult because you fear my reaction to your highly personal thoughts, especially your sexual perspective. I know your ideas are unusual. I won’t reject you for that. Different people have widely varying fantasies. Look at foot fetishes for instance. Perhaps it’s a rare predilection, but most people with foot fetishes function quite happily in society. However odd your thoughts or urges, as long as you aren’t a physical threat to yourself or others, I won’t condemn you. As far as I know, you’ve made no attempt to hurt yourself or anyone else. We’ve been alone twice now and you’ve done me no harm. Just share and let’s see how it all works out. You have nothing to lose. ‘

Jones gave a slight smile, amused, “Nice speech, Jackie Rose. Again, you make assumptions. I have zero fear of you rejecting me as I don’t care what anyone thinks of me. My opinion is what matters to me. In my opinion talking with you at this point is a waste of time. Sharing my “perspective” with you would be like sharing my thoughts with a foreigner who has no understanding of my language or trying to explain emotions to a robot. I cannot help you at this point. Leave and do not return until you can understand my language. You have my file, you said. There you will find my language. Return when you know how to speak it. You don’t have to be fluent, just able to understand it. Leave now. “

Panic struck Jackie’s solar plexus. Jones talked circles around her and had called her bluff by telling her to leave. Bizarrely, she realized she needed him more than he needed her even though he was the one locked up in the Center. Through him she could earn a great career, a solid reputation, a book deal, and even talk show appearances. She actually had nothing to offer him. He seemed to know, perhaps instinctively, that she did not plan to seriously consider his release. Although incarcerated, he still held the winning hand and knew it. She hated this helpless overwhelmed feeling.

She decided to throw him a bone, “Look, fine, I’ll respect your preference. Call me Jackie Rose if you want. “

He grinned savagely, “I know and I will. Leave now. “

She started to say something then realized trying further was futile. Jones’ eyes showed an iron will. She stood up.

“Think on what I said, Mr. Jones. I’ll be back tomorrow. “

“No. Come back in six days. If you are a good student, that should be plenty of time for you to learn my language. Every course has tests to pass before graduation. When you return I will ask you three questions and you must answer all three correctly or I will send you away. Also, you must show me one proof you understand my language. Finally, you will bring me one personalized gift. It must please me, or I will send you away. “

Jackie stood still, her mind racing for a solution, trapped in a maze.

“That is all, Jackie Rose. Good day. “

Jones stood up as if to see her out. He was naked from the waist down. Her eyes automatically targeted his semi-erect penis. It was wet, covered in a sheen that looked like vaginal secretions but must have been spit or butter from his lunch. Somehow, his nudity didn’t shock Jackie. It was as if she’d known all along he was naked under that table top.

Jones watched her, drinking in her reaction, “You see, Jackie Rose, I don’t try to hide anything from you. I don’t try to conceal, I reveal. “

Jackie grabbed her unopened briefcase and left making sure the door electronically clicked shut behind her. She jogged down the hallway and past the guards’ desk. She made no comment to them despite their curious looks. She was embarrassed. They must know she failed in some sense to be leaving so soon.

A minute after Jackie left, Jones pulled a cell phone from under his bed mattress. He pressed a pre-programmed number.

“Wilrey, send her back in. “

“The Thorpe woman? “

“No. My little fan currently sucking your dick. “

“How’d you know? Hey, we turned the air down like you said. It’s a lot cooler out here. But Sir, she isn’t done yet. Can you wait a few? “

“Wilrey, she is my pawn. You are a fine knight, but I am the King. Tell the pawn to get in here to finish the job she started before Jackie Rose Thorpe arrived. When I am done with her I will send her back to you knights. “

Wilrey was no doubt pissed when he hung up but Jones knew he would follow his orders. Thanks to Jones’ fans, Wilrey’s every fantasy was fulfilled. Wilrey knew the gate to his new world of sex would slam shut the moment he failed Jones.

Within moments Jones heard the woman’s bare feet slapping down the hallway toward his suite. This pawn was different from yesterday’s. Pretty, always pretty, but with brown hair. Jones had a huge chess board. He had many more than eight or even sixteen pawns. Far more than two knights as well. But Jones knew he was no King. Much more accurately, keeping with the analogy, he was the chess master.

Jackie gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove. She was angry. She was frustrated. She was worried. She was full of self-doubt. She had to answer three questions, provide proof, and a “personalized” gift? She was doomed.

She felt like striking out, taking her frustration out on someone. An idea built strength in her mind. Maybe she didn’t know who yet, but she knew where and how.