Peter Jensen - The blackmailed wife

Ann had begun to recover from the drinks at dinner during the ride but the first two glasses of champagne again relaxed her inhibitions. She found herself laughing again at Pete's and Carlos' jokes. Ann wished that she spoke Spanish and could communicate better with Carlos. He seemed such an interesting person now that she knew him better.

She still didn't know what business they were in but assumed it must involve trade between California and Mexico. Pete had mentioned he handled the Los Angeles operation, and Carlos handled Mexico but had never really specified what it was. It was none of her business, she decided; she would never see them again so what difference did it make? She did gather that Julia had met Pete on one of her Tijuana trips and they had been out with mutual friends from L.A. It all seemed innocent enough. Ann didn't feel it was her place to question it. The champagne continued to flow and Ramon replaced the two empty bottles with new ones. Ann liked the sound of the cork popping and found herself giggling from the bubbles tickling her nose. She was having fun trying to carry on a conversation with Carlos, half talk and half sign language. She had never met anyone who couldn't speak English fluently and being in another country in such an exclusive private club was exciting.

Ann was thoroughly enjoying herself, but beginning to wonder when they were going to see this great strip-tease show they had been talking about. She had to admit to herself she was anticipating it and it shouldn't be like that shoddy thing she and Dave had seen. Not with this kind of crowd. She would bet it would be beautifully staged like shows she had heard about in Las Vegas. It had to be for the price. As if reading her thoughts, Ramon suddenly appeared on the stage holding his hands up for silence.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he repeated several times until the conversation stilled among the forty or so people present. "We have a special treat for you tonight," Ramon continued as people began to return to their assigned couches from the bar and conversational groups. "We have just received our first summer shipment of hashish from the Middle-East. The boys have spent all afternoon preparing it and there is ample for everyone. Please be seated while we pass it among you. The show will begin in fifteen minutes."

There was a murmur of delight and within minutes all had returned to their seats. The waiters, in white uniforms, were putting small trays of thin brown cigarettes on the tables.

Pete picked one out of the tray and smelled it from end to end, critically.

"Boy," he said admiringly, "this is the real stuff."

"What on earth is it?" Ann whispered to Julia next to her. She didn't want to show her ignorance after the mistake at dinner.

"Oh, nothing but a strong cigarette," Julia reassured her. "Just take the first few puffs slowly so you won't choke."

"Is it safe, I-I mean – it doesn't make you not know what you're doing, does it?"

"No, of course not," Julia answered impatiently. "Just try a few drags and if you don't like it, stop."

"All right," Ann answered hesitantly. She had heard about marijuana at wild parties but didn't know what hashish was. Not wanting to appear a prude, she bravely took the lit cigarette Carlos offered her.

"Slowly, slowly," Carlos instructed in his broken English as he took a drag from one. Ann watched him and inhaled very gently. It had a strange but not unpleasant taste. She inhaled deeper on the next puff and held it down a few seconds at Carlos' instructions before exhaling.

After three or four inhalations, Ann could hardly feel it going down, it was so smooth. She watched Julia holding her breath as long as she could and then took a deep drag herself holding it deep until she just had to exhale.

"I don't feel a thing," she said in a voice that didn't seem to be hers. She looked at Carlos and Julia on either side of her and they suddenly looked miles away. "Do you feel anything?"

"Yes, darling, I feel the world," Julia answered. It seemed a logical answer and suddenly Ann did too. She had never felt the world before, how strange. She liked the taste it was leaving with her… it was a slight bite at first, that gradually changed into an unimaginable softness. The longer the smoke was held down the softer she felt. Ann noticed the lights dimming around them until the great room was in complete darkness…

She could feel the pressure of Carlos' leg against he thigh but the thin, brown cigarette had dulled her fears of anything. It felt good and she returned the pressure slightly to let him know she didn't mind and that she was his friend… she didn't mind anything now with the delicious warmth of the cigarette in her… she could feel it tingling deep inside… deeper than she had ever felt anything in her life…

The pungent sweetness of the hashish smoke hung heavy in the room. Ann could see the burning tips of the cigarettes in the darkness. The room was perfectly quiet now except for the occasional sound of deep inhalation or exhalation. A cough could be heard now and then from a smoker who pulled too deeply on the conscience killing weed.

Dim lights appeared behind the thin curtains that covered the small stage. A large bed was visible in the center of a set dressed as a bedroom with a small dressing table to one side with a large mirror near it. Quiet music began from a stereo in the room. It was a beautiful setting, Ann thought.

Another glass of champagne was put into her hand – she had lost all sense of proportion and wasn't certain whether it was from Julia or Carlos. It didn't matter; the hashish had made her thirsty and she poured the cool liquid down her parched throat gratefully.

It was filled again, and she could see this time that Carlos was pouring it for her.

It's nice to have someone look after me again and take care of me, she mused through the happy, relaxed feeling, and smiled her appreciation in the dim light.

Carlos smiled back, squeezed her shoulder lightly and nodded toward the stage. The curtains were opening slowly and a young innocent-looking Mexican girl appeared by the bed. She could not have been over seventeen and was the most lovely thing Ann had ever seen. She had a melancholy look on her face that reflected deed loneliness. It touched Ann to the depths, as she felt much the same way with Dave gone. She identified with the girl at that moment and concentrated completely on what she was doing. Her emotions seemed inextricably bound to those of the lonely creature and she felt tears of sympathy begin as they did often when watching an exceptionally sad scene in a television movie.

The girl picked up a picture from the dressing table, looked longingly at it for a moment, and then pressed it tenderly to her full breasts, outlined clearly beneath the tight, black dress she wore. She placed the photo graph gently on her pillow and began to undress.

She slipped the long gown slowly upwards, exposing the high-set calves – then the full, well-rounded thighs. The black of her long silk stockings, held in place by a dainty, lace-trimmed garter belt, contrasted sharply with the creamy ivory of her exposed flesh.

Ann could hear sounds of delight from the males as the dress snaked its way over the girl's head and her beautifully-rounded torso emerged. Her bra fell to the floor with a flick of her fingers and the full beauty of her firm, ripe breasts swung into freedom. They stood high and proud in the stage light and their quivering, turgid nipples, stood out on the luscious half-spheres; peaked higher as the girl raised her arms high over her head, pulling the long, black hair up, then releasing it to cascade softly over her alluring shoulders.

She was almost naked, now, in just high heels, long, black hose, the garter belt, and the thin wisp of sheer panties. She turned and bent over slowly, her back to the audience; drew the silk panties tantalizingly down over her curved hips and buttocks – brushing them sensuously against her smooth thighs and calves, and discarded them at her feet by the dress. She stretched languidly and teasingly turned to the front. All her delicious nudity was exposed now – from her high rounded breasts – to the soft dark triangle of her womanhood.