Mark agrees to participate in a research project a few weeks before his wedding. At the same time, his relationship with his fiancé takes a strange twist. Is it all just coincidence?
CHAPTER 1: THE RESEARCH PROJECT
Mark Jones was savoring the rich taste of his coffee early in the morning when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller-id and did not recognize the number. 'Probably a sales call,' he thought. He decided to answer it anyway.
A cheerful woman's voice filled his ears. "Good morning Mr. Jones. My name is Isabella and I work for the Northstar Research Group. We are conducting a research project and your name was referred to us as a possible candidate to participate."
Mark did not want to be roped into a research project, but he was intrigued. Isabella was very pleasant and so he figured he give her a few minutes to explain and then he'd find an excuse to not participate. "A research project? What type of research?"
"We are studying the effects of hypnosis on people and the choices they make. The study will be conducted over a three week period and you will be paid $250 a week."
Now she had his attention. Mark glanced at his calendar. He was getting married in two weeks. He'd probably be busy in the last week but for $250 a week he'd make it work. He had recently bought a house with his fiancée and with the wedding expenses, he sure could use the extra money.
Before he could answer Isabella said, "Mr. Jones I'd like to explain the project in more detail with you. Why don't you come down to my office tonight?"
He was already hooked and so he easily agreed. "Sure I'd love to."
Mark arrived at Isabella's office promptly at 6:00. It was located in a corporate complex not far from where Mark worked. The parking lot was empty as most business people had left for the day. Mark found his way to Suite 250 and opened the large frosted glass door.
The foyer was very modern looking. The walls were painted a bold purple color and the ceiling was a deep black color. The foyer was dotted with small cone shaped lights which hung on long chords that stretched up to the ceiling. A receptionist sat below large silver letters that read Northstar Research Group. The receptionist wore a phone headset and sat behind a simple glass top desk. The only thing visible on the desk was a flat screen monitor and keyboard. There were no papers, pens, files, or writing pads. It was clear that her only job was to greet guests, take calls, and look sexy.
She was more than qualified for the sexy part. Mark could clearly see her slender stocking clad legs beneath the desk. The skirt she wore was so short, that as visitors approached it left them wondering if she was wearing anything from the waist down. Mark could smell her perfume as he approached the desk. He thought it smelled pretty and inviting. The blond girl smiled and cheerfully welcomed him.
"Good evening. You must be Mr. Jones. Miss Kiersten is expecting you."
Mark wanted to say something clever to the cute girl, but instead he stuttered slightly and said, "Ah, yes that's me."
From the side of the room, Mark heard a soft soothing voice that he recognized from the phone call earlier. "Thank you for welcoming Mark Chrissie." Mark turned to see a slender woman walking toward him. He was surprised at how young she was. He imagined a hypnotist to be an older somewhat strange person.
She approached Mark and extended her hand. "I'm Isabella. So nice of you to come down on such short notice Mark."
Mark shook her hand, "No problem at all. This sounds like an interesting project."
"It's is an interesting project and I know you are going to love it too. It will be a fun experience for you."
Isabella led Mark down a small hallway and into her oversized office. On one side of the room a small desk sat in front of a large book shelf that was filled with various journals. The remaining part of the office reminded Mark of a suite in a hotel. There was a couch and two plush arm chairs. A comforting blue oriental rug covered the middle of the sitting area. Isabella motioned for Mark to sit in on the couch.
Mark sunk into the couch while Isabella took a seat across from him. The cozy couch and dim lighting was comforting to Mark. While Mark relaxed, Isabella was all business. She sat upright in the chair and crossed her legs. Her blond hair was pulled above her head in a bun. Her writing tablet and the round thin-rimmed glasses she wore gave her a studious look. Mark seemed to sink deeper into the couch, giving the perception that Isabella was towering above him. It was a bit awkward for Mark, but the nice view of Isabella's legs made up for the awkwardness.
Isabella started, "Thank you for agreeing to participate in the study Mark. The study will last for two weeks and you will be required to come to my office two or three times a week during that time. Does that work for you?"
"That should not be a problem."
Their discussion was interrupted by the entrance of Chrissie. She walked in carrying two mugs in her hand. As she walked across the room, Mark could see that she was indeed wearing a skirt. It was an extremely short leather skirt. The lacy tops of her stockings were visible and Mark could clearly see the straps of her garter belt. He thought she looked incredibly sexy, but he wondered how Isabella could allow her to dress in such a provocative way at work.
Chrissie announced, "your tea is ready Miss Kiersten." She placed the mugs on a small round end table next to Isabella's chair.
Isabella offered one cup to Mark. "Try this tea Mark. It's so good and very relaxing."
Mark did not usually drink tea but he politely took the mug and sipped the warm liquid. It was just the right temperature and was smooth and full of flavor. Mark commented, "I love the flavor. I'm not a big tea drinker, but this tea tastes delicious."
Isabella smiled at his compliment. Then she dismissed Chrissie. "Thank you for making such wonderful tea. Mark is my last appointment so you may go home now."
Chrissie leaned over to give Isabella a kiss. "Good night Miss Kiersten."
Mark was delightfully surprised to get a nice view of her ass. The only fabric visible was a small black thong. The quick flash of her ass left an erotic impression on Mark. He was even more surprised when Chrissie leaned over to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. Her warm lips sent erotic chills through Mark. He also got a quick view down her shirt as she leaned forward. She was not wearing a bra and so Mark was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her nipples. Chrissie sweetly said, "So nice to meet you Mark. Enjoy the rest of your evening."
Slightly stunned at her openness, Mark replied, "yes, ah..nice to meet you. Have a good night."
When Chrissie walked away, Isabella went right back to business. "Mark, as I said on the phone, this study involves hypnosis. You will be given recordings to listen to each night and I will also hypnotize you a few times. Throughout the project I will be asking you questions about some products and you will also be asked to try a few products. Have you ever been hypnotized before?"
"No."
"That's not a problem. It's really quite simple."
Mark had several questions about hypnosis and Isabella did a fantastic job at answering them. Finally she said, "It's all about relaxing and opening your mind. Would you like to try a simple relaxation exercise?"
"Sure," agreed Mark. He was already feeling relaxed from the tea.
"Close your eyes and take a deep breath."
Mark followed her instructions and took a deep breath. Isabella guided him into breathing deeply and relaxing. As he breathed and relaxed he started thinking the whole thing was silly. He was skeptical about the real effect of hypnosis.
Isabella's voice was very soothing as she guided him into a trance. "Relax and think about something that makes you happy,"
Mark thought of his fiancé Amy and how exciting it would be to marry her. Soon Isabella's voice faded away and his mind drifted into nothingness. Eventually the nothingness faded away and Mark could hear Isabella's voice faintly in his mind. At first it seemed like a dream but soon Mark realized her voice was real and he had drifted off to sleep. 'I better pay attention' he thought. The next thing Mark remembered was hearing Isabella counting backwards from 10 to 1. There was a loud snap and he woke up.
It took him a few seconds to come to his senses. "How do you feel," asked Isabella.
"Definitely relaxed. I think I drifted off a bit while you were trying to hypnotize me." Mark was apologetic for not paying attention. "I'm sorry. It's been a long day and I guess I was tired."
Isabella smiled pleasantly. Mark thought she looked very sexy when she smiled. "Don't be sorry Mark. It means you truly relaxed. Although you didn't hear me, your subconscious mind did. That's how hypnosis works."
"Oh, I see," said Mark, not really believing that it worked.
Although he was doubting hypnosis he was feeling a strong desire to participate in the study anyway. He was intrigued by the whole idea of hypnosis, but there was also a selfish motive. The more he talked with Isabella the more he was attracted to her. He was finding it exciting to be in her presence and look at her sexy body. In fact, he noticed that a button on her shirt had come un-done revealing a bit of her cleavage. His cock stirred as he enjoyed the view.
Isabella rested her hand on her chest briefly and Mark's attention shifted to her bright red finger nails. She moved her hand up and touched her lips briefly. Mark's eyes followed, taking in the fresh coat of red lipstick that Mark didn't even see her put on. Her hand moved up and brushed away blond hair that was falling over the side off her face. As Mark's eyes followed her pretty nails, Isabella's deep blue eyes caught his and held their attention. By now, Mark's cock was fully erect. He did not know why he was so aroused. There was something extremely sensual about Isabella that was driving Mark crazy. He was transfixed by her eyes and could not look away as she talked.
"Mark, what did you think about to make you happy," asked Isabella.
"I was thinking about my fiancé, Amy. We are getting married in a few weeks."
Isabella's face lit up. That's wonderful Mark. Congratulations!"
"Thank you. Miss Kiersten. I'm very excited for the wedding." Mark did not even notice that he addressed Isabella formally and with her last name. It just seemed natural for him to do this.
