My coworker Jessica and I are good friends and have been for almost three years. We're both 25. We banter a bit in the office and usually grab lunch together. She's really great- friendly, funny, and whip smart. Unfortunately most of the attention paid to her by our colleagues is due to her looks. She tries to dress conservatively at work- no makeup, loose blouses, thick pantsuits, long skirts, and always has her long brown hair tied up. But she can't hide the fact that she's got an absolutely smokin' body- long toned legs, a tight round ass, small waist and, best I can tell, large breasts as well. On top of that she is super cute- the kind of girl whose smile makes every guy hope he might have a chance.
Despite her great personality, a lot of our coworkers treat her like crap and often say things behind her back. The women seem jealous, and the men are always stealing glances and seem angry she's not into them. I personally think everyone is a little intimidated. Jess takes it in stride, but she sometimes comments I'm one of the only people who treats her like a human being. Not that I don't notice her body too. I'm not blind. I've had a crush on her from the beginning. But she's made it very clear that as much as she likes me, she's not at all interested in more, and I can respect that.
I've actually been pretty happy with our relationship since I get to hang out with an extremely attractive woman I enjoy talking to. Mind you, we've only hung out at work and the (very) occasional happy hour. But seriously, Jess is almost too perfect to believe. She never misses a gym workout or run, spends time with her family, gets her work done quickly and efficiently, and, despite our coworkers' attitudes, is always pleasant, patient, reliable, and kind to others. She's always in a good mood, even during early morning meetings, and always has a smile when you need it. Nothing ever seems to get her down.
A few weeks ago at lunch I asked her what her secret was. I had to be careful because I didn't want to dote on her so much she thought I was hitting on her. I've always feared that if she knew how interested I was she'd stop hanging out with me. She laughed when I mentioned her mood at early meetings and said it's because she always goes to bed early and sleeps like a rock. I told her I wished I could do that. I'm often a bundle of nerves before bed, worried about all the things I need to do the next day. She paused for a moment, as if considering whether I could be trusted with a secret, and then said maybe I should try hypnosis.
"Hypnosis!?" I asked incredulously. I couldn't believe it. Had Jess gone off the deep end? She had to be joking.
"Sure," she said. "I self-hypnotize every night before going to sleep. How do you think I make it through those morning meetings?" She seemed serious, if a little embarrassed.
After making me promise I wouldn't tell anyone else, she proceeded to explain how it worked. Every night she recorded a pep talk of sorts on her computer- going over the things she planned to do the next day, the goals she had, things she wanted to do better, and finally telling herself to fall into a deep sleep so she'd be well rested and ready to start the day. Then she put the playback on a five minute delay and hypnotized herself into a deep trance. The recording played back, she absorbed the suggestions, and the next day she was highly motivated to do all the things she'd put on the list. She said it was so effective she often squeezes in extra tasks she never would have thought she'd have time for.
I was having a hard time believing this, and told her so. She said she learned how to do it in college- the result of a psychology class she was taking, some meditation classes, and some independent research. She'd been having some personal problems and with practice she'd found a technique that really worked for her.
"I can try to teach you if you'd like," she offered. I was still skeptical, but jumped at the chance to spend more time with her. I figured worst case I'd see a little more of what she was like outside work. We agreed to meet at her place that Saturday afternoon, and she gave me her address.
I was practically boiling over with anticipation as I knocked on her door. She lived in one of those cookie cutter condos that sells for $200k even in the suburbs. She opened the door and I was shocked to see Jess standing there in a pair of loose sweatpants that sat below her hips, and a white spaghetti strap tank that displayed a surprising amount of cleavage and only came down to her navel. I could just make out of the pattern of the padded bra beneath it. Her hair was down and she was barefoot. It was a far cry from the pantsuits and figure-hiding blouses she usually wore to work. What I could see of her toned stomach looked incredible. She welcomed me inside and as I followed her to the living room I couldn't take my eyes off her toned back, tapered waist, and the way her ass moved in those sweatpants.
I had worn a pair of jeans and a polo and apologized for over-dressing.
"Oh, it's ok, it's just helpful to be as comfortable as possible. I wouldn't even have a bra on if you weren't here." She looked back at me, smiling but without a trace of suggestion. I knew she hadn't meant anything by it but it was hard to ignore the idea of her without a bra. "Sorry- too much?" she asked. "You know, if you want, you can borrow a t-shirt or boxers or something- I probably have some old boyfriend clothes around here somewhere..." I thanked her but declined, again trying to ignore her suggestion that I wear less clothing. Did this girl even know how sexy she was?
We got started by sitting on the floor. Jess sat cross-legged but I wasn't flexible enough for that so I just sat with my legs straight out. She explained that the basic goal of meditation is to empty your mind of extraneous thoughts and just experience the current moment. "Whenever your thoughts start to drift away from this room and your place in it, try to bring the focus back to right here, right now- slowly breathing in, breathing out," she said. I told her I would give it a shot.
We sat there for a while in silence, eyes closed, but I wasn't sure it was working. It was definitely relaxing, but I couldn't help but open my eyes every so often to watch Jess's magnificent chest rise and fall with her long slow breaths. Even just seeing her in that tight shirt with her eyes closed was a turn-on. She seemed deep in meditation. I tried- I really did, but I was never sure I was actually "in the moment" or whatever. Eventually, after she stirred, I told her that it was nice, but I would need a lot more practice.
"That's ok," she said. "It takes a long time to develop the skill. I practiced for weeks before I noticed a difference, but now I can fall into a trance in about 30 seconds when I put my mind to it."
"Wow- that's crazy. Is that what you just did?" I asked.
"No, that was just meditation. It's just the first step. If we can get you truly meditating, then we can start trying to put you into a suggestible trance. It could be a while though." She paused. "Want to check out my computer set-up?"
We walked to her bedroom- another surreal experience for me- and she sat at her desk. She was clearly proud of her system. She showed me what software she used for recording and playback, and a folder with hundreds of MP3s- all of her own voice telling her what to accomplish the next day. I was impressed, and told her so. Clearly what she was doing was working, but I said I wasn't sure I could ever do it.
"Nonsense, you totally can! Even I don't usually make a new recording- I have a stash of standard ones if I'm too tired at the end of the day. And the mediation will get better- how 'bout we try again tomorrow? 10 A.M.?" She seemed excited, like I was going to be her new pet project. Maybe she was just glad to have someone to share all this with. I figured it couldn't hurt and would mean spending more time with her so I agreed.
The next morning was much the same. We sat in her living room for 30 minutes. I tried to meditate while occasionally opening my eyes to check her out. She wore a pair of tight yoga pants this time, but with an oversized t-shirt that covered up most of her curves. It was actually a lot easier to focus on what I was doing this time. I thanked her as I left and we scheduled another session for Wednesday after work. Until then I was supposed to practice on my own.
I was pretty psyched at this development. We were going to get takeout after the Wednesday practice. Did that mean this was a date? I refused to believe it, but was going to take what I could get. Jess continued to show absolutely no signs of flirtation or attraction toward me. There was no awkward pause before leaving, no watching longingly as I walked to my car, no lingering glances on her part. I was still obviously friend-zoned.
