"You can hypnotise anyone."
Gemma said the words in that stupid I-know-it-all tone she always adopts when she is showing off to the group.
"No you can't," I said. Well I couldn't let her get away with a stupid comment like that could I?
"Of course you can. You saw that bloke on the telly doing it."
"What I saw was that bloke on the telly doing a magic trick."
"He stuck a needle through that girl's hand and she didn't feel a thing!"
"Look Gemma. We used to do that at school. The skin on the back of the hand is really insensitive. If you nip up a little bit very hard you can stick a needle through and not feel anything. We used to tease the first formers doing it."
"Bully them you mean."
"Well they didn't feel it even if they did shout a lot."
"Well I tell you this. I saw it done on YouTube. So I bet I could hypnotise you no bother."
What a laugh. People who think they can do something just because they've seen it in YouTube. Well I'd show her! I'd show her a thing or two!
The six of us were there. Me and the five girls who worked for me, sitting in the private bar of the Hotel Grand relaxing after a day at the course on 'How to Influence People'. It was the sort of stupid course our company was always sending people on. How to influence people indeed! There was one way to get people to do what you wanted and I knew it. Shout at them. Humiliate them in front of others. I found it usually worked. On most people that is - Gemma was one of those stubborn people who only shouted back. The little know-all! Well I'd show her. I formed the plan immediately. I'd make sure she was so humiliated she wouldn't question me again. Ever.
"Right," I said, "if you can hypnotise me and stick a needle through the most sensitive part of my anatomy without me feeling it, or complaining, or stopping you you win. And if you can't..." I paused a bit to let my next words sink in, "...you stand on that table and sing the National Anthem."
"You're kidding me!"
"No I'm not. You made a claim. Now have the balls to back it up."
Gemma would never be able to resist that. And I rather fancied seeing her make a fool of herself.
"You mean you'll let me hypnotise you and stick a needle through your cock..." I tried to suppress a gasp. I'd actually meant my lip... "...that is what you meant isn't it?"
I saw her plan immediately. Well I couldn't let her wriggle out if it that way. If she thought that would put me off she was quite mistaken.
"Of course. I tell you what, if you can hypnotise me, get me to take all my clothes off and stick a needle through my er... Well my..."
"Your cock."
"Yes, through er... there you win. But if you don't you can stand on the table with no clothes on and sing the national anthem"
She'd back down now for certain.
"You're on," she said, "but if you lose you have to go down to the hotel foyer with no clothes on and sing the national anthem."
"And if you lose you have to go down to the hotel foyer with no clothes on and sing the national anthem."
Stupid know-all. Well she was going to pay and no mistake.
"Right," she said, looking flustered now, "right. Let's see then. Hold out your hand."
"What?"
"You heard me. Hold out your hand."
"What are you going to do? Smack it?"
"In your dreams."
She put her hand out.
"Now press down hard on mine. Harder. Really hard."
I pressed.
"Harder. That's right. Concentrate. Hard. Keep your mind on it. Think of nothing else. Hard as you can."
Stupid woman. What on earth was she thinking about. I pressed as hard as I could. Concentrating as hard as I could.
Suddenly she took her hand away and as I fell forwards she passed her other hand in front of my eyes? What? What? What was happening?
"Sleep!" she commanded, "Sleep!"
"...and wake!"
I opened my eyes. I was standing in the middle of the room hands fixed behind my head. I could see the girls standing round me. Their mouths agape. Expectant. I tried to move but I couldn't. It was as if I had forgotten how to. If only I could remember I would be able to, but I couldn't. It was not as if I was asleep. I could see the girls. I could see Gemma standing in front of me, but all I could do was blink and move my eyes. I struggled to speak, but all that came out was a gurgling noise. And I could hear the girls. The silence had broken. There was a nervous titter, then a guffaw, then a laugh, then suddenly they were all laughing. Great howls of laughter. I looked round the room moving my eyes from side to side and I realised the reason why. My clothes were scattered all around. I was stark naked. Suddenly I was hit by the most intense feeling of embarrassment I have felt in my hold life. The girls could see me naked. The girls who worked for me. They could see everything. They could see my penis. I was completely exposed. Completely vulnerable.
I looked at Gemma and gurgled again, and I had good reason to gurgle. With her left hand she took hold of my penis. With her right hand she held something before my eyes so I could see it clearly. It was a needle...