December 8, 1987
After just over twenty years, my wife and I finally have the house to ourselves again. Our youngest son has just left for College this past September, and while we're very happy for him, and excited for his future, we're still adjusting to a quiet house.
Lisa, my wife, would invite her girl friends over each Tuesday for a Weekly Girls' Night. I'd mostly stay out of their hair. I don't have anything against Lisa's friends -- I like them all very much -- but their girl talk doesn't interest me, so I'd try and make myself scarce. Seems lately I find myself napping in the other room, presumably recovering from my Monday night bowling league; We're on track to be league champions!
We'd just cleared the table from dinner, knowing Lisa's friends would be arriving in a few minutes. "I'll just head upstairs and putter around for a bit. Have fun tonight, hun."
"Oh no, not so fast, buster. Stick around tonight; we've got a movie I think you'll enjoy."
Lisa knew my Achilles heel. I was a big movie buff, and enjoyed watching just about any movie -- comedy, western, action, foreign... even the odd romance, on occasion. "Oh, what movie? Is it a new release?"
"Yeah, it's very new. And it's a surprise. You'll have to wait until the girls get here."
"Okay, if you're sure I won't be intruding... sounds fun."
"Excellent. I promise you, the girls will love playing with you."
------
Over the next dozen minutes, each of the Girls' Night group trickled in. Bonnie was the last one to arrive, bringing the total to seven: Me, Lisa, and five of Lisa's friends. Bonnie was grinning at me eagerly while asking Lisa "Is he going to do it
tonight
?"
"Yes, tonight's the big night," my wife replied.
"This must be some movie to have you all so excited." I spoke to the group as a whole. Nervous laughter was the only reply I received.
"John, you don't know the half of it," Lisa began before softly adding "(anymore)." Before I could ask her what that was supposed to mean she started ushering me and her guests to the TV room. "Let's get this movie started. Bonnie, you get the wine, I'll pop in the tape."
Lisa sat me down right in the middle of the couch while the other ladies took up the spots beside me, filling out the rest of the couch. She then went over to our camcorder and ejected the video cassette.
I stifled a yawn, curious why we were playing a camcorder recording.
Was this a movie Lisa bootlegged from pay-per-view?
As Lisa walked closer to the VCR I leaned back in the couch making myself a little more comfortable. Lisa pushed the cassette into the VCR slot and pressed play.
My eyes gently closed.
------------------------------------
I awoke several hours later feeling quite refreshed, but slightly embarrassed. I sat up and wiped the drool from my chin. "Oh, I'm sorry, ladies. Guess I was more tired than I thought tonight. I hope my snoring didn't ruin the show."
The ladies looked at each other, like they were sharing a joke, before Lisa answered for the group "No, your... noises complimented the, uh,
show
nicely. Besides, we were just about finished anyway. The girls were just about to '
head out
'."
I stood up, and as sometimes happens after a long nap, my member started to 'awaken' with the rest of me. I was just thankful my comfy shorts hid my burgeoning erection.
"Well, I'm sorry I missed it, but I'm glad you all had a good time. I'll help see you out." I walked with Lisa to our front door, turning on the foyer and front porch lights. I stood beside Lisa with my arm around her waist while her friends put on their boots and coats.
After they were all dressed for outside I opened the door, shivering slightly as the cold reached me through my clothes. One by one Lisa's friends gave her a hug and gave me a handshake as they filed out the door.
Bonnie was the last one to leave. After hugging Lisa, she gave me a handshake like all the others. Then she extended her reach to clasp my forearm. Without letting go, she looked me right in the eyes and asked "John, describe what I'm doing right now. What would you call it?"
"What... the handshake?" I was a little bewildered at the simplicity of her question. "I dunno... it's just like a sort of Roman gladiatorial handshake, right?"
Continuing with her handshake, she gave my forearm two quick squeezes in succession. "Exactly right, John. Just a fun little handshake between friends; my favorite kind!" Without loosening her grip on my forearm she looked at my wife. "I can't believe this worked! How long can you keep him like this?"
"That's entirely up to John." My wife replied. "Or at least his subconscious."
"I think I'm going to have to start coming by more often, now."
"Ha ha," Lisa laughed. "You're always welcome. Bring your Mom, next time. I'd love to hear how retirement's treating her." Lisa offered.
"Ha! I love it!!" Bonnie gave my forearm one more shake and squeeze before reluctantly releasing her grip, and left for her car.
Still standing in the open doorway watching her, and the rest of Lisa's friends off, I turned to my wife and said "Bonnie was acting a bit weird there... what's up with her?"
Holding back her laughter, Lisa replied "Well honey, 'Hypnosis
does
work.'"
Immediately upon hearing that phrase, my memories of the evening came rushing back to my wakeful consciousness.
"Oh my God!! I can't believe I did that!!"
------------------------------------
Several hours earlier...
John had just sat down in the center of his living room couch, surrounded by Lisa's friends. It was only through Lisa's insistence that he sat in the center rather than off to one side, as his instincts had first tried to have him do. As far as John was aware, tonight was supposed to be strictly a ladies night, so he wasn't quite sure yet why he felt like the guest of honor.
He was surrounded by Lisa's friends, Christy, Marjorie, Jill and Wendy. Bonnie was in the kitchen grabbing a bottle of wine, and Lisa was diligently setting up the home electronics, to her very exacting specifications.
Lisa, with the help of her friends, had spent the last eight Tuesdays very carefully conditioning her husband by way of hypnosis, and tonight they would reveal the full fruits of their efforts. If all went well with John tonight, Lisa expected there to be many repeat performances in future Tuesdays'... maybe even multiple night a week.
Lisa carefully and exaggeratedly ejected the tape from the camcorder -- the first step in John's conditioning to enter a hypnotic state. John visibly relaxed at the simple early stage, making himself more comfortable on the couch.
John was such an easy subject, only two steps were required from him to re-enter his altered and suggestible state of mind. The final step was putting the very same video tape into the VCR and pressing play.
The screen was filled with a snowy static, and a gentle white noise filled the air. It was immediately obvious to all present that John was completely unconscious. His eyes were closed and his breathing had fallen into a steady pattern.
Bonnie walked back into the room carrying two bottles of wine and a stack of cups. "I wasn't sure who wanted red and who wanted white, so I brought them bo-- shit, is he out already? That's the fastest yet! But why is he still wearing clothes? Get him naked already!! I've been divorced for six months, I want to see some dick tonight!"
Wendy countered, "Bonnie, it is Lisa's husband you're talking about, y'know. Show some restraint. Besides, maybe we shouldn't be doing this. Taking away John's free will and using it to expose him to us all does sound kinda creepy. It's violating. How would you feel if the tables were turned?"
Bonnie responded "Who cares how he feels, he's a
man
!! Let's be honest, if the shoe was on the other foot, he and his buddies wouldn't hesitate to get any or all of us all naked."
Lisa finally chimed in. "Ladies, we've been over this. Hypnosis doesn't work that way. We can't get him to do anything his subconscious doesn't actually want him to do. He's a willing participant."
"Whether he knows it or not!" Bonnie couldn't help but add.
"That's exactly my point," continued Lisa. "He's already agreed! Oh sure, we conditioned him to forget, but that was just so he wouldn't be embarrassed every time he saw one of you. Bottom line: he's my husband, I love him, and
nobody
" she locked eyes with Bonnie "is going to do anything to hurt him."
The static on the TV changed to the show an image of John and Lisa's living room. The room was empty, and 09-15-1987 was time stamped in the lower corner.
Wendy whispered excitedly "Shhh, it's starting, it's starting!!"
"Wake him up, let's do this!"
Lisa patted her hands out, signalling the friends to quiet down, and turned her attention to John. Speaking softly, she said "John, you are in a safe place surrounded by friends. When I count to three you will awaken feeling calm and alert. As you see events happen on the TV, you will not recall them or your reaction to them, but they will feel completely familiar and innocent. You will also have no memory of being hypnotized, either now or previously. Any experience that feels out of the ordinary, you will perceive as perfectly mundane. One. Two. Three."
John opened his eyes, unaware any time had passed at all, and focused his attention on the TV. In the recording, all six ladies were on screen settling into various seats.
John grinned at the the ladies present and gestured towards their recorded selves. "Oh, so this is what you ladies get up to on Tuesday night when I'm not around! Do you take turns practicing for ToastMasters?"