"You won't believe what I found at this garage sale!" Kimmie bounded into the kitchen where Mallory was making lunch. Kimmie had the enthusiasm of a child, even though she was 24. And she had the body of a teenager. More specifically, a teenage boy's wet dream: large, high breasts, a tiny waist, and a pert bubble butt. Her girlfriend's body made it easier for Mallory to put up with Kimmie's (sometimes irritating) enthusiasm.
"What did you buy?" Mallory tried not to append the word "this time" to her sentence. That would sound passive-aggressive. She was trying to be supportive of her girlfriend.
"I got this gorgeous necklace!" Kimmie held up a leather chain with a dark blue stone hanging from it. It didn't appeal to Mallory, but she didn't want to judge Kimmie's taste. She smiled politely in response.
Kimmie began swinging the chain back and forth in front of Mallory's face. "This would work so well to hypnotize you," she murmured.
Mallory swatted the chain away angrily. "Kimmie, stop that! You know how I feel about hypnosis. It's a bunch of hooey."
Kimmie lowered the chain. Her lower lip jutted, and her large, dark eyes looked wet. "It's not hooey, Mal. It really does work. Can we try it again? Please?"
Mallory always had difficulty saying no to Kimmie, and it was even harder to say no when her girlfriend looked at her with those puppy dog eyes. She threw her hands up. "Fine, we can try again."
"How about after lunch?" Kimmie's sad expression changed to one of hope.
"Fine, after lunch," Mallory agreed reluctantly.
The two ate a hearty meal. Kimmie insisted on drinking wine to celebrate her new purchase and Mallory's willingness to try being hypnotized again. After lunch, Mallory felt pleasantly full. The glass of wine (or was it two?) relaxed her.
They made their way into the living room. Kimmie closed the shades so they only let in some light from outside. The room was comfortably lit -- not too bright, but not too dark, either.
"Okay, sit on the couch," Kimmie instructed. Mallory plopped down on the couch in their living room. The room spun slightly. Mallory giggled. "Didn't expect that," she said.
Kimmie smiled at her. "Let's begin," she said. It was amazing how she could sound grown-up if she tried, Mallory thought. Kimmie's voice could sound reassuring and soothing, like a nurse telling you that a shot would only hurt for a moment. Mallory felt her body sinking into the soft couch.
"I'm going to hold up the necklace I bought today," Kimmie continued. "Isn't it pretty?" She held it above Mallory's head, so her girlfriend would have to crane her neck to look at it. Mallory looked hard at the pendant. It was kind of pretty, actually. The dark stone caught the light coming in from the window, making it sparkle and glimmer.
"Yeah, it is," Mallory breathed. "It is pretty."
Kimmie's smile grew wider. She tapped the pendant, causing it to sway gently. Mallory watched the pendant swing. Back and forth... back and forth. Her eyes watched raptly as the pendant swung gracefully above her head.
"Watch the pretty pendant, Mal," Kimmie said softly. "Just keep watching it as it goes back and forth. Back and forth. And back and forth..."
Mallory kept her eyes on the pendant as it swayed, back and forth, back and forth. She had to keep watching the pendant, even though her eyelids were getting so tired.
"Are your eyelids getting heavy, Mal?" Kimmie asked, concerned. "It's okay -- you can close them. I know you're so sleepy from that big meal and the wine you drank. You can close your eyes now. It will help you relax."
Mallory let out a sigh. Kimmie was right, she was sleepy from the big meal and the wine. How many glasses was it? She couldn't remember. All she knew was that she was tired, and it was okay to close her eyes. Her eyelids slowly closed. Mallory's head lolled back onto the couch.
"Even with your eyes closed, you can still see the pendant swaying," Kimmie said. Her voice sounded very far away, even though when Mallory closed her eyes, her girlfriend was standing inches away from her. Kimmie was right -- Mallory could see the dark blue stone swinging, back and forth, back and forth, in her mind's eye.