The Gilded Cage

Green sent a car to collect Tammy from the Meridian. It was, in his typical style, far too large and far too expensive for a lady of Tammy's age but nonetheless it made her feel special as she was driven to the masquerade ball. As she was arriving, she saw paparazzi and knew she had entered another world.

Once inside she was assailed by the opulence of her surroundings. Ostensibly for charity the ball, nonetheless it looked like every possible chance to waste money had been seized upon with glee. The only thing more exclusive than the fabrics and furnishings was the guest list.

Tammy was offered a welcoming drink of champagne that she accepted with a little too much eagerness. She felt more nervous than ever and not just because she had never mixed in such circles before. She was missing Connor and wondered if he would be able to get to her soon. Tammy needed his strong, soothing presence here and instead all she had was a sea of masked, swirling strangers that rose and fell in time to the orchestral accompaniment.

Her isolation did at least give Tammy a chance to examine the other guests. In a variety of costumes they looked more like a travelling circus than the great and good of Lexington society, although the accents and mannerisms betrayed their social status even though they had been robbed of their usual attire. From the voice, Tammy was able to identify that the woman near to her was Barbara Taylor. She was dressed conservatively yet somehow managed to be awash with artificial feathers, a combination that amused Tammy despite herself. From the bird-mask Barbara was wearing Tammy could only assume she was mean to be a bird of some kind, though she looked more parakeet than bird of prey. Tammy presumed correctly that the man on Barbara's arm, dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, must be Senator Taylor. He was one of at least five "Phantoms" in the room, proving that money cannot buy imagination.

In due course the guests were escorted to dinner. The centre of the floor was dominated by one almost endless dining table adorned with every conceivable decoration imaginable. When the gold and silver plates were presented it finally achieved the heights of vulgarity or, at the very least, those heights could be seen from there.

Green watched Tammy from one of the many hidden cameras in the building. He placed a call to Bastion.

"There's our girl sir. In position."

Bastion could feel his heart speed up as he relaxed into his anticipation.

"Is Barbara Taylor there?"

"Yes sir. If you would care to make your way down here I will make good on my promise to you before the end of the night. I would suggest you come dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, to ensure maximum blending."

"On my way."

It took Bastion twenty minutes to get changed and leave the building. He entered a black stretch-limousine that was driven by one of his Praetorian Guard. Bastion entered the city with typical overstated secrecy and headed for the ball.

Green opened a channel to Tammy.

"Miss Squires, as you see you are seated next to Senator Taylor however you would be wasting your time if you attempted to seduce him. He is a man devoted to his wife. Leave that element to my people for the moment and just enjoy the meal"

Green thought for a second. Knowing Bastion would be watching and equally knowing his taste for power-games, Green decided to make Tammy play.

"Look for a chance to be sexual however. That guy next to you is Simon, he's only 24 and his girlfriend is next to him. Fall into conversation with him and see how seductive you can be. Arouse him without arousing suspicion."

For the next twenty minutes Tammy flirted mercilessly with her neighbour. She found Simon to be charming and that made the chase all the more pleasant, despite the obviously jealous glares that she occasionally received from his girlfriend. During her conversation Tammy encouraged Simon to drink as much of the wine as possible and, in the manner of a young man trying to impress, he obliged. It was clear he was not a regular drinker by the time he had consumed his fourth glass. Simon was clearly merry as his body language began to betray his lust for Tammy.

Green opened a channel to Tammy again.

"Ok Miss Squires, let's test Simon. Move on to suggest directly. If he is willing, we can arrange for something there at the table. I doubt his girlfriend would allow you to go upstairs with him alone."

Tammy was surprised at what Green had said but nonetheless leaned over and whispered in Simon's ear.

"Would you like a little sexy fun Simon?"

Simon's eyes nearly popped from their sockets. It was clear the decision was made but his fear of being caught was great, despite his drunken state. He whispered back, "She'd never let me be alone with you."

"That's not a problem. I can arrange something. Do you want me too?"

Simon flushed red before he whispered his consent.

Green talked to Tammy again.

"Ok, good. We are going to have a package and some silk gloves brought to the table. You are to tell Simon that you market erotic toys and that you have something new from Europe. Give him the package and tell him to go to the toilet. There he is to follow the instructions and return to you. Tell him he has five minutes maximum or else his girlfriend may become worried. The gloves are for you Miss Squires."

Tammy relayed the instructions once the package had arrived. Looking puzzled but aroused Simon went to the toilet to prepare. Tammy put the gloves quietly onto her hands before she made small talk with Simons's girlfriend. Once Simon was out of the way the other woman visibly relaxed and Tammy found her easy company.

As Simon returned, Green briefed Tammy on what was to happen

"Now, Miss Squires. If he's followed instructions Simon will have changed his underwear. He's now wearing one of the toys I have had specially created. They are boxer shorts and contain a myriad of electrical conductors. Suffice to say that as you move your fingers in the gloves a series of signals will duplicate those movements around Simon. If you stroke they will simulate the stroke, if you grip then they will grip. You need to programme the gloves with spatial awareness. Take three wineglasses and make them into a small triangle in front of you. Two are to represent his buttocks and the third is his penis. Mark the buttocks with a sharp point from your left hand and the penis with one from your right. Try it when he sits down."

The idea appealed to Tammy and she winked at Simon as he sat down. Tammy placed three empty wineglasses and locked them into the programme in the way Green had indicated. She began tentatively by stroking the left glass with her finger and was pleased when she heard Simon pause in his conversation for a moment, clearly feeling her invisible touch as he chatted. Tammy knew she had a new toy to play with and it had a pulse.

Green spoke again.

"Miss Squires, they are about to offer after-dinner mints. You will be secretly handed a special sensor at this time. It will expand upon contact with any warm, moist environment and take the shape of that which surrounds it. The shape will be mimicked by the penis part of the boxer shorts, overriding the gloves as long as the temperature is maintained, and will also take the shape of his penis. Place it in your mouth to stimulate him but be prepared to remove it, of course, as he becomes erect. The sensor is made to look like a candy stick and I am sure you do not need to be told why."

Tammy began to talk to Simon's girlfriend again, this time learning that her name was Sheila. As the sensor was passed to Tammy she quickly popped it into her mouth whilst she distracted Sheila. Simon felt the front of his boxer shorts mould and warm, simulating the pleasant warmth of Tammy's mouth. As Tammy talked to Sheila she licked all around the sensor, invisibly stimulating Sheila's boyfriend whilst he remained fully clothed. Simon went quiet and allowed the two women to talk, all the while becoming more and more aroused. Soon Tammy felt the sensor hardening and made an excuse to look in her handbag. When she returned she was holding a phallic-shaped candy-stick in her hand. It was the exact size and shape of the secret erection that Simon was hiding in his trousers.

When Sheila saw it she giggled a little drunkenly.

"What's that Tammy?"

Tammy giggled back in order to bond.

"As a franchisee I market erotica over here from Europe. This is one of our latest and most popular, regular candy made up into a novelty shape."

Sheila blushed in the style of most women who have elected to go to an Ann Summers party.

"No need to blush hun, it's only a bit of fun."

Tammy demonstrated by taking the candy into her mouth, sending Simon into silent joy with her tongue. Finally she locked eyes with him for a split second as her head began to bob up and down. She stopped to ensure it did not look like anything other than a tease. Sheila giggled again.

"You'd better be careful Tammy, Simon might get ideas!"

Tammy laughed and Simon laughed as well. The only difference was the mild-hysteria in Simons's voice.

Sensing that Sheila was also drunk by now, Tammy decided to push the female-bonding process a little. She leaned over to her.

"Do you fancy a go? It's a little unhygienic I know but I've flossed today, honest."

Sheila laughed again as she took the candy.

"It's always been a fantasy of mine Tammy, to give head in a public place, but I've never had the courage. I guess this is the next best thing."

Tammy had an idea.

"Go for it girl. Close you eyes and imagine you are blowing Simon right here and now. It's only a sweet after all, they cannot arrest you for it."

Sheila hid the candy as best she could before closing her eyes and beginning. Clearly from the look on her face the fantasy, mixed with the alcohol, was arousing her and that pleased Tammy. She liked Sheila and was pleased she could share a small piece of liberation with her. As Sheila worked, Tammy whispered to Simon.

"How does it feel?"

"It feels just like when she does it at home. This technology is wonderful. I just wish she did it as good as you just did."

That comment sparked another idea in Tammy's mind. Telling Simon to stall Sheila when she had finished, Tammy began to look around the room again. Most of the men had formed power-groups, leaving their wives and girlfriends to wander around drinking. With a little bit of intuition, Tammy began to identify those women she thought young and drunk enough to be of use. She then began to fall into conversation with them and, from the giggling, it was clear to even a casual observer that they had begun to talk about sexual matters.

Ten minutes later Tammy returned to Sheila and Simon with four other women. They pulled their chairs into a circle, alongside one of the darker corners of the room, before Tammy began.

"Ok ladies. The gents have decided to be boring but as you know I sell erotica. Well, the candy stick held by Sheila is one of our newest and best-selling items. I fancy a challenge, anyone up for some Ann-Summer's type fun?"

More giggling.

"The gent here is Simon. He's the very charming boyfriend of Sheila and he's agreed to give us some focus and to be a judge. The game is about blowjob technique and we will take it in turns of a minute each to play. Simon will place the candy-stick between his legs at a distance, to ensure no one is embarrassed, but close enough to simulate the real thing. The player has to kneel in front on him and give the candy a blowjob whilst the rest of us shield them from everyone else. The winner is the one that Simon reckons did the best-simulated job, so really go for it. I use this at demonstrations all the time, as it's a real icebreaker.

To help Simon remember you, tell him your name and who you are partnered too before beginning. Sheila and I have already played before we opened the game so who's next?"

Sheila cuddled Simon from behind his chair as he placed the candy-stick between his legs, feeling his own fingers on his erect cock as he did so. The first lady, with a figure to die for, knelt in front of him. She locked eyes and introduced herself

"Hello Simon. My name is Mandy Bernard and I am the daughter of Senator Bernard. I am an abstainer outside of marriage but if I were to blow a guy, I guess I'd do it like this."

Simon knew of Mandy from the trash media. She was a famous member of the abstinence movement, of which her father was a major supporter, and there had been many lurid fantasies printed about what she would be like on her wedding night. Simon thrilled to know he was about to be the first man ever to find out.

Mandy went down on the candy-stick and Simon silently groaned as he felt her mouth sucking on his cock. Mandy had the technique of a clumsy virgin but that was more than compensated for by the media-images that flooded Simon's mind. Time and again, like so many men, he'd seen her on screen and fantasised about her. To have her head bobbing up and down in front of him now was wonderful.

Tammy could see that the drink was beginning to have a serious affect on Sheila and so she suggested that she support Sheila as Sheila cuddled Simon. Sheila was glad of the offer and both women nestled in tightly, allowing Tammy to feel the thinness of Sheila's dress against her "catwoman" suit. Tammy decided to see if she could push this a little further. She whispered into Sheila's ear as Mandy continued to blow Simon.

"No one can see your crotch from here Sheila because it's shielded by Simon and the chair. The chair has openings in the back. If Simon leant forward a little he could put his hand behind him, freeing his fingers to stimulate you. All you would need do is unzip your trousers."

"I don't know if I should," Sheila whispered back.

"Go on, no one will know. These women are simulating oral on Simon and you can bet he's enjoying the thrill. Knowing him, he'd be delighted to let you get a thrill as well. Ask him whilst they are all staring at Mandy and his crotch."

Sheila whispered to Simon and it was clear by the change in his position that he had agreed. Sheila wriggled into position but her state of drunkenness was making it hard. Tammy smiled. She had hoped it would. She whispered again to Sheila,

"Look honey it's tricky I know. Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"Ok, let me alongside you and I will guide his fingers. I won't touch you of course but I can make it all work and look natural as well. Close your eyes and concentrate on staying still until it is over."

In one fluid movement Tammy had not only positioned herself next to Sheila but also had unzipped her fly in her own costume. With his back to them Simon did not know exactly where Sheila was so he had no reason to worry when Tammy took his hand. Tammy guided Simons's hand inside her own trousers, thrilling as he began to work softly on her clitoris through her thin panties. To cover for herself Tammy moved her own hand inside Sheila's zip, carefully positioning it so that it would feel as if it had come from Simons's direction. Tammy began to half-heartily rub through Sheila's panties, knowing that the woman was probably too drunk to really care much about technique just as long as the situation itself thrilled her.

Bastion watched Tammy on his screen as he was driven to the ball. By the time his car had arrived he had already signalled ahead to his agents at the hotel, letting them know that he would need them to keep themselves available for the evening. Bastion made doubly sure his mask was secured before he exited the car and he also tested the built-in microphone that would allow him to talk to his forces. The driver of the car leaned out of his window,

"Would you like me to accompany you sir?"

Bastion thought for a moment. Guild protocol insisted that watchers must have at least one bodyguard available at all times but, with Connor dead, Bastion did not feel in the slightest danger. He did not want a mere underling around him tonight unless they were going to actively aid his plans, for mere underlings bored Bastion almost as much as intellectual conversation.

"No. Park about a block away and wait for me. I will summon you when I need you again."

"As you wish sir. Enjoy your evening."

Another pair of eyes watched Bastion as he entered the event. Bastion being dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, they thought, was very appropriate for he lived in the shadows far more than anywhere else. As Bastion disappeared through the door the eyes could not help musing to themselves, "Remember there are things worth more than a shattered chandelier."

Simons's hand was just about to bring Tammy to climax when one of the women in front of him happened to look up. Sudden she hissed, "Someone's coming!"

It was all Tammy could do to extract her hand from Sheila's crotch before Sheila opened her eyes. Simon had withdrawn his hand with equal shocked speed, a speed similar to that shown by Mandy as she quickly resumed her seat. Tammy grabbed the candy stick from between Simons's legs as, with a movement whose deftness surprised even her, she zipped herself up again. A quick check reassured her that no one had seen her do so.

Tammy felt robbed of her climax and angry that she'd been interrupted. She spun to see who was coming and saw a mime-clown approach, complete with a dark and somewhat grotesque mask. As the clown noticed that the group were looking at him he performed a theatrical bow and handed Tammy a single synthetic rose, much to the amusement of those around her. Tammy looked at the gift and saw that its core contained a small, white piece of paper. Smiling back at the clown she thanked him before extracting and reading the words on the paper.

Acknowledge me and tell me that your dance card is full. Tonight things will end Tammy, one way or another, and you will not hear from me again unless you are free. Connor

Tammy was shocked but her resilience won through. She smiled at Connor as he stood, cupping his left ear whilst he stood with his head at an angle.

"Sorry to say, Mr Clown, that I've already promised enough people that I will dance with them tonight."

Connor placed his hands on his heart as if he had been shot with an arrow before moving sadly away. He relaxed as he re-entered the party before he began to subtly shadow a certain phantom.

Tammy's moment with Simon had been shattered when Connor interrupted her but she was determined not to be robbed of her pleasure. The others had moved away when Connor had approached but Simon and Sheila were waiting for her. Suddenly the music began and a series of couples walked over to the dance-floor. Tammy had an idea that made her smile. She leant over to Sheila and whispered.

"Fancy a dance with Simon? I'm happy to sit out the first couple. I will meet you both by that table when you are done."

"Ok. That sounds like fun. Come on Simon, we're dancing."

Sheila led Simon to the dance floor whilst Tammy went towards the ladies lavatories again. Green spoke to her in her ear.

"You cannot need the toilet again Miss Squires?"

"You are right Mr Green but I need privacy for a moment. Just watch whilst I finish my business with Simon, assuming I have enough time before you need me to approach the Congressman?"

Green saw Congressman Taylor and his wife on the dance floor. They were going nowhere for the moment.

"You have time Tammy. I'll let you know when you need approach the Taylors."

By the time Tammy had returned from the lavatories she had made the candy-stick erect again, via a series of strokes and kisses, before she had inserted it inside her moist pussy. Simons's initial distraction at her foreplay was as nothing compared to his sensations when the candy was inserted. It felt to him exactly like Tammy had wrapped her nakedness around his waist. As Simon continued to make small talk with Sheila he saw Tammy sit down at the table, making his invisible penetration of her complete. He groaned silently in pleasure because his underwear had simulated Tammy's vagina down the last millimetre, including the temperature, making the sensations he was feeling as he danced incredibly erotic.