Weather alert

Upon leaving the café, Jack had decided to take the long route home, through the park. The air was cooler than usual, crisp with the promise of autumn, and the quiet path was a perfect place to reflect. His mind drifted to the last few days, replaying the moments that had given him the most satisfaction. He smiled to himself, thinking about Leah’s blush as she proudly showed off being braless, about Rachel’s hesitant but thrilling reveal of her own, lace-decorated chest. He thought about the transformation in Veronica’s tone—and, how could he forget, the thrilling peek he'd gotten at a completely nude Sophie.

He couldn't help but chuckle. Things were going great. The playlists were working—even better than he had anticipated. His favorite girls were all happy to share their intimate thoughts, their desires and insecurities, and he was more than happy to listen. Jack knew he was good at this, good at making them feel comfortable, guiding them toward the behaviors he wanted, but it was satisfying on a deeper level to watch it unfold.

Maybe I should write some of this down, he thought, considering how he could organize his observations. It would be useful to reorder his notes, keep track of the different responses, the successes, the nuances. A thought for later.

He walked past a group of people jogging, and idly watched female body parts jiggle under the effort, lost in his own mind. He’d seen a lot of boobs lately. That was nice. Very nice. But more than that, he wanted to know just how far he could push things. He wanted to see more than boobs, do more than look. The thrill of gently making his subjects adapt to his ideals, them surrendering a bit more of their inhibitions each day, was intoxicating. And the best part was, none of them seemed to question it. They were coming to him, eager for his involvement.

Just as he began to savor the thought of what might come next, his phone buzzed in his pocket. Absentmindedly, he pulled it out, still lost in his daydreams. The screen lit up with a message from an unknown number:

“Storm’s coming. My bad. Take cover. Hide the device.”

Jack stopped in his tracks. His heart gave a slight jolt, the playful grin wiped from his face in an instant. The park around him suddenly felt too open, too exposed. He stared at the message, rereading it.

Hide the device? His mind raced. Who was this? How did they know about the device? Was it the seller? And what did they mean by a storm? His pulse quickened as the words replayed in his head, displacing the pleasant thoughts from moments ago. The contrast was stark—he had been thinking about all the power he had accumulated, the subtle control he wielded, but now this message made him feel watched, ****.

He scanned his surroundings, instinctively looking over his shoulder, but the park remained still. Just the usual dog walkers, joggers, and the quiet hum of distant traffic. Nothing seemed out of place. Yet the words hung in the air like a dark cloud.

Take cover. Hide the device. Jack took a breath, shoving the phone back into his pocket. Whoever had sent that message knew something. And that meant he needed to act—carefully. His playful reflections on the girls’ progress faded, replaced with a gnawing sense of caution. Whatever this was, it wasn’t part of his plan.

Rounding the corner onto his street, Jack was still turning over the cryptic text in his mind, walking faster than usual. He was distracted, head down, when he almost bumped straight into Sophie.

“Whoa, careful!” she said with a soft laugh, stepping back. She was wearing a short black tennis dress, her hair tied back in a loose bun, a sports bag slung over her shoulder. It hung a little too lightly, as if it were almost empty.

“Oh! Hi, Sophie,” he said quickly, forcing a smile. “Sorry, didn't see you there.” His heart was still racing from the message, but he tried to settle into the moment. Sophie’s presence was calming, familiar—usually, anyway. But right now, after that ominous warning, everything felt off.

“Heading to the studio?” Jack asked, glancing down at the suspiciously light bag.

Sophie nodded enthusiastically, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “Yeah, got class in an hour! I’ve been working on some new techniques—seriously, Jack, your suggestion has made such a difference. I’ve been feeling so in tune with myself lately, it's incredible.” She stepped closer, her eyes softening with warmth, a genuine gratitude in her voice. “I wanted to thank you again, by the way, for your help and for letting me in on your experiment. It’s been… amazing,” she added, gently placing a soft hand on his arm.

Jack smiled back, trying to match her energy, though the knot in his stomach from the earlier text refused to fully loosen. “That’s great to hear, Sophie. I’m glad it’s helping.” He paused, still trying to push back the apprehension gnawing at him, and took a small step back. The message, the hidden danger it implied—it made him cautious. He appreciated her gratitude, but he couldn’t let things spiral out of control. Especially not now. “But, uh, just remember to take it slow. Don’t rush into anything. These things take time, you know?”

Sophie waved off his caution with a lighthearted laugh. “Oh, come on, Jack. You don’t need to worry about me. I’ve already made huge progress. In fact, I wanted to share something with you.”

Jack tensed slightly, his mind still half-wrapped around the cryptic text. “Oh? What’s that?”

Sophie grinned, clearly excited. “I spoke to Greg—you know, he owns the studio? Showed him some of the techniques I've been working on. He’s so impressed, I managed to convince him to let me teach a special class based on it.”

Jack’s stomach flipped. Showed him the techniques? His mind flashed with a brief, intrusive image of Sophie demonstrating her newfound comfort with nudity. Did she show him… everything? The thought echoed through his mind, but he kept his face composed, struggling to hold back his mixed emotions. He wasn’t sure if he should be proud of how quickly Sophie was progressing, or terrified at the potential fallout.

“Oh, wow. That’s... amazing, Sophie,” he said, fighting to keep his tone casual. What had she told him? What if someone connects the dots?

Sophie nodded eagerly. “It’s a privacy-sensitive class, though. So, it’ll be women-only, at least for now. Sorry, you won’t be able to join.” She said it with a playful shrug, and winked, almost as if she was teasing him. Jack **** a chuckle.

“No worries,” he said, though internally he was spiraling. Sophie was already making big waves. This could attract attention—attention he didn’t want. He tried to keep his cool, but he couldn't help feeling a surge of panic.

Sophie’s expression grew more thoughtful. “Actually, Jack, I wanted to ask you something.” She hesitated, glancing at him as if testing the waters. “Do you think… it’d be possible to use the playlist during the class? I mean, it really helps me get in the zone, and I thought it could do the same for the other students. But… I know it’s kind of a personal experiment for me, so I wasn’t sure.”

Jack’s heart skipped a beat. The playlist? During her class? His brain scrambled for a response. On one hand, the idea of spreading his influence to a class of unsuspecting, sportive women was very tempting, but on the other, the thought of being discovered—especially after that ominous message—terrified him.

He smiled, keeping his tone steady. “That’s an interesting idea. But, uh, the playlist is really tailored specifically to your personality right now. It wouldn’t have the same effect on others just yet, and might even affect them negatively. But maybe, eventually, I could work on a more generalized version. Something more suitable for group use.”

Sophie seemed to mull this over, then nodded, her smile returning. “I get it. It’s delicate. I’ll hold off for now, but I think it could be amazing when the time’s right.”

Jack nodded, internally relieved. “Yeah, definitely. It’s just a matter of timing.”

She grinned again. “Thanks, Jack. Seriously. I feel like I’m growing in ways I didn’t even expect. You’re really onto something with this new technology.”

Jack swallowed the lump in his throat, forcing a smile. “I’m glad it’s helping, Sophie. But I think you deserve a large part of the merit yourself, you’re... doing great,” he said, his voice tight. “Just, uh, be careful, okay? Don’t want to draw too much attention too soon.”

She laughed, clearly unconcerned, again brushing off his warning like it was nothing. “Oh, relax, Jack. It’ll be fine! Besides, Greg loved it, and it's just one small class for now. I’ll keep it low-key, don't worry.” She gave him a confident smile and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. “I’ll let you know how it goes!”

With that, she waved and headed off, leaving Jack standing frozen on the sidewalk, watching her go. His heart was still hammering in his chest as he fumbled for his keys. Entering his apartment, he felt a wave of uncertainty rising. Sophie was rapidly growing bolder, but suddenly, that was exactly what he didn’t need right now.

He collapsed into a chair, brooding. What had started as a series of careful, subtle experiments was quickly spiraling out of his control. And now, apparently, a storm was coming. What was his next move? For now, he needed to think.