Adrianne was a young up and coming tennis star and had come through the ranks with amazing speed winning several major competitions ranking her as one of the best twenty british players in the country. At nineteen she was strong yet still supple with powerful shoulders and long long legs. She had outgrown her coaches year after year and her agent was bidding to link her to someone who could get her over that last hurdle and into the big money of the grass court competitions.

Marlena was of eastern european origin and had many years ago held major titles in the senior game. Her deep voice gave concern over her use of performance aids although it may also be something to do with the coloured russian cigarettes she chain smoked from a 6 inch black and silver holder held provocitively between her long nailed fingers. Some girls said that you could tell her mood by the colour of the cigarette she used. Adrianne ignored this tittle tattle and listened intently as Marlena instructed her on her grip and her positioning before her training session with Della..a twenty two year old petite blonde from France.

Much of the session was one to one sets against one another under the constant watch of Marlena standing smoking at the side of the court, occasionally striding on the adjust their grip or stance by physically pulling them into her desired mode before striding back off to watch their progress.
"She's very demanding" Adrianne whispered to Della during a drink break and Della smiled back... "Yes..she can be very demanding" and winked her right eye.
Watching Marlena as she coached another girl; Adrianne wondered about the remark as she saw her holding and manipulating the girl close to her, the lit holder clenched in her teeth. She was smoking a blue cigarette which the girls had said meant her mood was serious. Green meant peace and purple indicated anger. If she moved to red the girls warned not to be alone with her and black... well black was kept for very private times.

Several weeks passed and all was going well. One strange incident occurred one evening after training when Adrianne returned to the club for some shoes she had forgotten. She could hear a muffled noise in the office but thought no more of it until as she was leaving Della came out of the rear door looking dishevelled and flushed. Adrianne waited in her car for ten minutes and just before she decided to leave Marlena came out and locked the door behind her.
She was smoking a black russian cigarette in her holder.

Tuition became more one to one as the year progressed and one evening she found herself alone with Marlena at the club. After showering she towelled down and heard Marlena call her from the locker room. A plume of smoke followed her as she rounded the corner of the lockers and she stood looking at Adrianne, her tight dress accentuating her curved masculine hips and magnificent top. Her carefully polished nails held the black holder at right angles to her red lips and Adrianne noticed they also matched the red cigarette in the holder. "Darling you have been so good this week that I think its time you and I should talk about your future..." she took a long pull on the cigarette and looked Adrianne up and down as she stood on the cool tiles in her towel.
She exhaled and smiled..."throw something on and come up to my office in five minutes.." she pointed the holder at the shivering girl..."and put your hair up...I like you that way" with that she placed the holder back in her red lips and left the locker room.

Adrianne shivered more as she towelled down and recalled what the girls had said...it was evening.. no one else in the club..she was alone with Marlena..the red cigarette. She put her hair up in a ball and slipped a white tennis dress over her trim body. She had only been in the office once before and recalled the desk and the high backed chair and in the corner the chaise longue... she always wondered what that was for. Taking deep breaths she took the stairs to the second floor then along to the office door. Two knocks. Silence. Two more.. the office door was ajar and dimly lit. " Hello" she called. and stepped inside. There was no-one at the desk but then from the corner of the room came a glint of light as a flame lit up a cigarette. "Ah do come in dear and sit down here beside me...." purred Marlena patting the seat alongside her. All Adrianne saw as she closed the door was the plume of smoke as Marlena took the long holder from her red lips. And in the holder... a black russian cigarette.