" I breathed. "You'd better go sit..down now and I'll finish making your snack." He rose silently and went back to his chair. I grabbed a plate and du...ked behind the kitchen wall to compose myself. "Oh my god." I whispered quietly to myself as I struggled to comprehend what had just taken place. I finished his meal and eagerly strode around the corner with the plate. He was now seated close to, and facing the table with one hand in his lap as I approached. Again I was aware of the exaggerated. "I stuck out my tongue, and I watched her as she put her cigarette out on my tongue. I heard gasps from the other Mistresses. She was standing a little to the side so that they could see what she was doing. She commanded, "Swallow it."I pulled my tongue back in my mouth. It took a while to swallow the cigarette butt, because I was thirsty. It tasted very bitter. Thank goodness it wasn't a filtered cigarette. When I finished swallowing she commanded, "Kneel", and went over and sat down on the. "I so want to..." She looked at Cadence and tears stung her eyes. I couldn't help myself. I reached across Cadence between us and kissed my caretaker. We managed, somehow, not to get too carried away. I lay down beside Cadence and began to kiss her softly. Her eyes fluttered open."Are we in our bed? Was it all a bad dream, Linc?" she whispered."I'm afraid not, sweetheart. We are at Crossroads. I am here with you and I love you more than life. I know it's hard to take in, but it's all real. And. Where did you hear that one?’ ‘I heard he was pissed off about you hanging out with Alan Marshall. What is up between the two of you? You drove up to Geoff Sherman’s in his car, and a couple of weeks ago we saw you two together at the mall.’ ‘Suzy, it’s nothing. Really. Nothing. My mom and dad made me go to the mall with Alan. He and Pauline were going together, and I wanted to go in my own car, but my folks insisted Alan drive me because I fainted the day before. And the other day, you know,.