Mrs. Wong's Finishing School

Mrs. Wong paused, watching Lilly's chest rise as she inhaled.

"Now blow the smoke towards your reflection. Watch it bounce off of the mirror. You look beautiful, Lilly. You are a beautiful smoker."

"I'm so beautiful," Lilly whispered with a smile. Her chest rose again as she took another breath without any suggestion from the hypnotist sitting beside her.

Mrs. Wong was very pleased at the progress that Lilly was making. She knew that the only way Lilly would become a smoker was if she could tap into some repressed desire to smoke from her childhood. Of course, making sure she stayed committed would come later. Much later.

And unlike Caroline and Jenny, Mrs. Wong could sense that Lilly, through her defiance, was going to be a challenge - but one she felt she could confidently meet. The first step would be to make Lilly psychologically addicted. The physical addiction would follow in its own course over the next two weeks once she actually got her smoking.

"Lilly, when I count to three, you are going to fall into a deep sleep. When you awake in the morning, these images will be fresh in your mind as a dream. One...Two...Three." Mrs. Wong heard Lilly lightly snoring as she called in her butler to move the girl into a bedroom.

PART VI - LILLY LEARNS TO ADAPT

Lilly awoke to a knock at the door.

"Miss, your presence is requested for breakfast in the dining room," a male voice said from the hallway.

Lilly looked around the room, unsure at first where she was.

"Miss?" the voice said again.

"Okay," she yelled with a wipe of her face. She moved the soft down covers off of her in the colonial four-post bed and sat up, realizing that she was only dressed in her bra and panties. As she looked over at the nightstand to see what time it was, she noticed a lighter and an opened silver cigarette case filled with Virginia Slims. She felt oddly attracted to the 120s and carefully picked one up out of the case. She examined it closely, brought it under her nose and was surprised at the minty smell of the menthol.

She noticed a vanity mirror across the room, got up out of bed and walked towards it, holding the cigarette gently between her fingers. She brought it up to the side of her face and just stared at her reflection. Suddenly she felt a rush through her body as the trance-induced dream came back to her. She was smoking with her Mom and aunties.I was a dragon. Then she remembered smoking in front of a mirror.How beautiful I looked, she thought to herself.

"What am I thinking," she said out loud, and walked over to a small trash can to throw the cigarette away - but then she paused, reconsidering what she was about to do. Instead, she walked back to the nightstand and placed the 120 alongside the silver case.

She looked around for her phone but saw it nowhere. She assumed her Mom would keep it. After all, neither Caroline nor Jenny had texted her for the two weeks that they were in San Marino.

She opened up a dresser drawer, expecting to find some jeans and a T-shirt, but the drawers were only filled with socks, undergarments, and... "What's this?" she murmured as she pulled out a peach colored lingerie. "Is this a finishing school or the Playboy Mansion?"

She walked over to the closet and found what appeared to be at least four weeks' worth of dresses, each with the price tags still on them. "$2000!" she gasped as she pulled out a blue Oscar de la Renta sleeveless dress. Lilly shuffled through the hangers, gawking at the labels. Akris. St. John. Balmain. Lafayette. She realized that there was nothing in this closet that was under $1000.

"This isn't the Playboy Mansion," she whispered in awe as she pulled out a yellow Valentino Garavani sun dress for $5000. "It's Neiman Marcus."

++++++++++++++++++++++

When Lilly walked into the dining room, Mrs. Wong was sitting at one end of the long table, her head tilted downwards over some paperwork she was going through, and a 120 cigarette resting between her fingers. Lilly remembered noticing that this woman at their first meeting was smoking Virginia Slims, and the aroma of second-hand smoke in the room immediately reminded her of home. She didn't know how many cigarettes this new tutor had consumed that morning, but the thick cloud floating in the sun-drenched room indicated quite a few.

Aware that Mrs. Wong had not yet noticed her, Lilly decided to take a minute to soak in the scene which stirred within her memories of when as a small child she would watch her mother take these kinds of quiet moments to enjoy a Virginia Slims. She watched how the smoke from the tip of the cigarette curled up towards the wood paneled ceiling in a steady current that was only broken when Mrs. Wong would gracefully bring the white 120 to her lips, gently take a puff, and within a few seconds slowly discharge a bubbly stream of smoke that wafted like a white waterfall.

Dressed immaculately with pearl earrings, a pearl necklace, and wearing a pair of reading glasses, Mrs. Wong appeared to Lilly to be an extremely sophisticated and beautiful woman. This wasn't a sexual attraction she was feeling, but rather an admiration for her.Funny, she thought to herself,a long cigarette is exactly what I would imagine she would smoke. And then she surprised herself with the question she suddenly asked herself:Would I look as good holding that cigarette? After clearing her throat to announce her presence, Mrs. Wong looked up and removed her glasses.

"Good morning, my dear," she said cheerfully as she placed her cigarette in the ashtray nearby. "I hope your accommodations are suitable."

More than suitable, Lilly thought to herself.They're gorgeous! "They're fine, thanks. Did my mother bring my clothes when she left me here?"

"Theseare your clothes, Lilly" she replied. "And you do look beautiful in that Valentino Garavani sun dress. I ask the parents to bring a new wardrobe with them when they drop off the pupil. Your mother has exquisite taste. Do you like them?"

Lilly did find them very attractive actually, but was not about to admit that. "They're okay. I usually go more informal."

Mrs. Wong picked up her cigarette and said, "That's why you're here, my dear." As she cocked her head and slowly took a puff from her Virginia Slims, she rang a small bell that was sitting on the table.

Immediately a handsome butler walked into the dining room. Lilly could not ignore how gorgeous this thirty-something Anglo with light brown hair and perfect skin was. She thought to herself how he would look as good in a bathing suit next to a surfboard as he does in a butler's uniform with white gloves.

"Lilly, this is Jeffrey. If you need anything at all over the next two weeks, I don't want you to hesitate to ask him. He is here to serve your needs."

Jeffrey pulled a chair out for Lilly to take a seat next to Mrs. Wong.

"We're ready for breakfast, Jeffrey."

"I'll just have some toast," Lilly said while placing a napkin into her lap.

Mrs. Wong laughed. "Your mother is not paying me $40,000 to serve you toast, my dear." When the butler came back with several silver platters filled with exquisite breakfast dishes, Lilly gasped at the sight.

"You don't need to go to all this trouble," she protested.

"This is part of the two week course," Mrs. Wong said with a smile. "Eating is not just about fulfilling your hunger. It should also be a pleasurable experience. Over the next two weeks, you are going to be exposed to some of the finest meals that Chef can concoct."

"Chef?" Lilly asked perplexed.

"That's what Raul prefers to be called," she said. "This was my late husband's estate," she said looking around the cavernous space they sat in. "Chef had been with his family for several generations, and has stayed on with me to help run the finishing school."

Lilly took a bite of the fresh salmon that Jeffrey had served onto her plate. "This is delicious," she said as she continued to feed her mouth.

"I'm glad you like it, my dear; but a lady doesn't talk with her mouth full."

Lilly looked at Mrs. Wong with a smirk, her defiance suddenly reasserting itself. "Is that what you told Jenny and Caroline before you brainwashed them?"

"There's that word again," Mrs. Wong said sweetly. "Honestly, Lilly, you watch too many spy movies. It is beyond my power to make anyone do something they do not want to do. Caroline and Jenny are different in their manner and appearance because they have chosen to accept their place as members of their social class. All I did was show them how by opening the door, so to speak."

Lilly continued to look skeptical.

"Understand, Lilly, that I know what you're feeling. I understand your fear."

Lilly was confused by this response. "I'm not afraid," she said defiantly.

"Ah, but you are. You're afraid to let the 'real' you show. You are a member of a very elite group in this country, my dear, the top 5%. Granted, your parents' wealth is 'new' money, but in time, you and your descendants will be accepted into the American aristocracy. And yet you're afraid that people will hold this against you, think that you are a snob. You've tried so hard to prove them wrong that you refuse to even consider where you belong."

Lilly had stopped eating as she listened to Mrs. Wong who somehow seemed to make sense.

"I'm not here to tell you, Lilly, that a woman's place is in the home, though that is a choice that some in our class have made. What you have is an opportunity that most people would grasp at with both hands: the chance to live a life of leisure, if that's what you want. Haven't you found that just a little bit tempting?"

Lilly bit her lip and said slowly with her eyes down, "Of course I have. Who wouldn't?" She looked into Mrs. Wong's eyes and said, "But I'm just not sure that's what I want to do with my life."

Mrs. Wong smiled. "And so the self-discovery begins. You've taken the first step, my dear, by at least keeping your mind open to the possibilities that are before you. Jenny and Caroline decided to grab hold of those possibilities. You will be given the same choice as them, Lilly."

"And if I decide to stay the way I am?"

Mrs. Wong gently touched the side of Lilly's face and said with a grin, "I get paid regardless. Whatever choice you make, choose wisely."

Lilly thought for a moment and said, "What the hell. It's only two weeks. And I'll certainly be fed well."

Mrs. Wong smiled. "There's more to your training than an appreciation of food, Lilly. This will be an intensive two weeks. You'll learn an appreciation for art, for music and literature, as well as for poise and propriety."

Lilly took another bite of her delicious breakfast. "Yeah, sure," she responded after swallowing. "Jeffrey, what's the next course?"

Mrs. Wong stared quietly at Lilly who eagerly ate everything on her plate.

Yes, she thought to herself as she reached for her Virginia Slims,this is definitely going to be a challenge.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++

Lilly discovered that Mrs. Wong wasn't joking when she said this would be an intensive course. She would be required to read at least a novel a day, most dealing in some way with the luxurious life that the upper-class lead, in addition to reading Shakespeare and classical literary authors. She loved classical music, so those lessons were here favorite, and always had an interest in art. She thought that the "learning to walk straight" lesson was rather silly, but she came to understand how posture is important in projecting a certain confidence to others.

As the morning turned into afternoon and then evening, Lilly actually thought that she might enjoy herself over the next two weeks. She was even coming to like Mrs. Wong who wasn't nearly as stuffy as she originally thought. They both laughed and cried that evening as they watchedPretty Woman in Mrs. Wong's home theater. ("Pure fiction!" Mrs. Wong laughed about the Cinderella happy ending.)

With the end of the first full day, Lilly lay in bed with a book in her lap, hoping that it would bring sleep. The problem was that she had so much on her mind, she couldn't even concentrate on the novel. She kept thinking about what happened to Caroline and Jenny while they were here in the house. Mrs. Wong seemed so nice. There didn't appear to be anything strange going on, no mind control or brainwashing that she could figure out. So how did Caroline and Jenny become so different?Did they reallychoose to become debutants, as Mrs. Wong has been saying all along?

Lilly heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

"Hello my dear," Mrs. Wong said as she opened the door and walked in, a freshly lit Virginia Slims between her fingers. "Is there anything you need?" She sat on the side of the bed and looked down sweetly at Lilly.

"No, I'm okay," Lilly responded. "I just can't sleep, that's all." Lilly looked down at the long cigarette resting between Mrs. Wong's fingers and couldn't help but think it looked rather elegant.

"I hope you don't mind that I'm smoking in your room," Mrs. Wong said.

"No," Lilly responded as she removed her reading glasses. "It actually reminds me of when my mother used to tuck me in as a child."

Of course, Mrs. Wong knew this after speaking with May on the phone two weeks earlier. "I see dear," she replied and brought the cigarette up to her lips for a gentle puff. "Were you close with your mother when you were young?"

Lilly closed the book and put it to her side. "Yeah, pretty close. My Dad was away on business a lot, so usually it was just us - and of course, Auntie Yeh and Auntie Chiu. They are my Mom's best friends."

"Yes," Mrs. Wong replied after an exhale towards the ceiling, "it is nice to have close friends, isn't it? You're close with Jenny and Caroline, aren't you?"

Lilly felt a bit depressed by the question. "We used to be," she said, her voice trailing off as her eyes looked down at the covers.

"You've had a big day, my dear," Mrs. Wong said. "Rest now." Upon hearing the trigger, Lilly fell into a trance. "I want you to think back to your childhood again, Lilly. Picture in your mind a moment when your mother was tucking you into bed. Do you see the long cigarette in her hand?"

"Yes."

"I want you to place your fingers around the cigarette and bring it up to your mouth. Watch yourself take a puff and slowly blow the smoke out from between your young lips, just like a dragon. You and your mother both have smiles on your faces. She is so proud that you are smoking, and that makes you happy."

Mrs. Wong paused to tap her cigarette into the ashtray on the nightstand when she noticed the unlit cigarette Lilly had placed there that morning. She smiled. "Lilly, I want you now to picture yourself standing in your bedroom room here in my home. Do you see the cigarette that you placed on the nightstand?"

"Yes."

"I want you to pick it up and hold it between your fingers. Isn't it long and beautiful? What are you feeling right now?"

"I'm...afraid...afraid I'll like it."

"Don't be afraid, my dear. Youwill like it, but smoking is a wonderful thing. So sophisticated. So empowering. Truly, a confident and attractive woman like yourself should smoke. I want you to light it and walk over to the mirror. Feel the cool sensation of the white cloud as you breathe it in. You're doing what you've always wanted to do - to smoke."

Lilly once again began to blow air through her lips.

"Doesn't it feel good to smoke, Lilly?"

"Mmmm," the sleeping girl replied. "I like it."

"My dear, you are now walking down a long hallway, the cigarette still between your fingers. At the end of the hallway in front of you is a room filled with light. Caroline and Jenny are waiting for you there. Do you see them sitting at a table, talking...laughing...and smoking?"

"Yes," Lilly replied slowly.

"Sit with them, Lilly. You're friends want you to join them. They want you to smoke with them. Feel the excitement of smoking with friends."

A wide grin appeared on Lilly's face.

"That's very good, my dear. When I count to three, you will fall into a deep sleep, but you will continue to dream about smoking with Caroline and Jenny. When you awake, these dreams will be fresh in your mind. One...two...three." Mrs. Wong gave her cigarette another tap into the ashtray and turned out the light as she closed the bedroom door.

PART VII - LILLY CONSIDERS THE PATH BEFORE HER

Lilly again awoke the next morning to Jeffrey's knock on the door, but this time she was considerably more relaxed, snuggling into the soft down covers on her bed. She would tell her Mom to buy a set when she got home. She figured she deserved it after being drugged and brought her. But even still - she knew her Mom would buy her anything she asked.

She thought about the night before with Mrs. Wong at her side and figured she must have fallen asleep while they were talking. She hoped the woman did not think her rude for doing so as she got up to take a shower. While looking through her closet for something to wear, she was attracted to the blue Oscar de la Renta sleeveless dress.I deserve it, she rationalized to herself as she pulled it off the rock and proceeded to put it on.

As she was checking over the room before heading downstairs, her eyes focused on the Virginia Slims she had set on the nightstand the morning before. She felt a shiver of anticipation about what she was suddenly considering. The trance-induced dream now fresh in her mind, she picked up the cigarette and the lighter.

"Should I?" she asked herself with a grin like a little school girl about to do something naughty.

She stared at the long cigarette between her fingers for ten seconds before slowly placing it in her mouth. She felt a cool minty sensation as she gently sucked on the filter. She picked up the lighter and brought forth a flame, holding it no more than an inch away from the tip of the 120, once again considering carefully what she was about to do.You hate smoking, she thought to herself. But she couldn't suppress the images flooding her mind from her dream. It was as if there was a battle going on within her, and she knew which side was winning.Do it, a voice inside of her whispered. She had made her first choice since arriving in San Marino.

She was shaking as she brought the flame to the tip and instinctively began to suck on the filter, creating a cool sensation in her mouth. Fearing that she would cough, she opened her mouth to push the smoke out with a quick exhale - and enjoyed watching the cloud form in front of her. She turned to the mirror to admire the reflection of the young woman beautifully dressed, the white smoke from her first puff wrapping itself around her like a transparent sheet.

"Cool," she said as she dropped her arm and held the long cigarette horizontally to her hip. Her eyes followed the smoke rising up alongside her body as it contributed to the cloud that still hung thick in the air. She brought the Virginia Slims to her mouth for another puff, her eyes squinting as they focused on the tip which glowed brightly. Without inhaling, she blew the smoke towards her reflection with a wide grin. "Very cool."I look pretty good.

She picked up her reading glasses off the bed and turned back towards the mirror to watch herself take another puff while wearing them. She gave the 120 a tap over the ashtray and brought it up to the height of her shoulder, imitating Mrs. Wong's style. "Are you a smoker now?" she asked seductively in barely a whisper. Of course, there was still one final step to take before she could answer that question. She wanted to know if inhaling the smoke felt as good as her subconsciousthought it felt in her dreams. After all, she had never smoked before.What did it feel like to breathe in that creamy ball? She took a small breath in anticipation of taking that next step.