I stood next to the open kitchen door and listened in on Damien and Ray's conversation. Damien had given me a cue as to when to walk in, so I simply waited and listened.
"This isn't legal in the slightest, man," said Ray.
"Fuuuuuck no!" chuckled Damien. "Of course, it isn't, but who cares? We're going to change the world for the better. Hell, we're going to fucking rule it, man! This is going to make us super rich, and the best part is, I've got it all planned out. We'll be in Belarus with our own private army and a shit-ton of money to do whatever we want. It's a nonextradition country, you know...Come on, Ray, you're my best friend! I'm not gonna leave you behind."
"I don't know, man," said Ray. "I mean, I want to help you, but this sounds way too good to be true. Like way too good. You're asking for a lot of money. I'm an attorney, and I'm a good one, and that makes me a millionaire, but just barely."
"I'm not asking for your life savings," said Damien. "Look, I didn't call you over here just to feed you bullshit. I've set up a demonstration."
"Oh, really?" asked Ray. "What are we talking here?...Wait...Do you actually have a live test subject?"
"You remember my ex, Regina, right?" asked Damien.
"That little fire-crotch that wanted to cut off your balls and make you wear them as earrings?" asked Ray. "Yeah, I remember that psycho little bitch...Wait...You didn't..."
"I did indeed," said Damien, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I ambushed her a week ago. The whole kidnapping bit. Oh, did she fight me, too. She took a chunk out of my left arm with those perfect teeth of hers."
"You didn't hurt her, did you?" asked Ray.
"No, no," said Damien. "Not at all...Actually, she injured me. She bit and scratched and fought like a wildcat, but I got her here...Uhh, to be fair, she did think I was going to kill her, but I swear, I didn't hurt her in any way. I didn't lay a finger on her...She wasn't happy, though. She screamed her little red head off right before I injected her, but after she woke up, she's been nothing but the perfect woman."
"Oh, really?" asked Ray. "This I gotta see. If you actually pulled that off, I'd be impressed."
"Okay, but first, do you remember what she was like?" asked Damien. "I want you to have some context here."
"Oh, yeah, I remember," said Ray. "Let's see, she constantly thought you were cheating on her, she kept tabs on you 24-7, and she even hired a private detective to follow you around...She took a shit in your shoes and keyed your Benz when you went out on that business trip with Sheila--who's married with three kids, twice your age, and built like a dump truck, I might add--Is that about right?...Man, that psycho little bitch was jealous as fuck."
"She was, but I loved her at the time," said Damien. "Hell, I still love her. That's why I chose her for my test run."
"You are one masochistic son of a bitch," sighed Ray. "I remember you calling me up and crying because you wanted to break up with her, but you were afraid she was going to kill you."
"That was then, and this is now," replied Damien. "Let me show you the new and very much improved Regina...Oh, Reggie, sweet heart! Come in and show Ray the new outfit I designed for you!"
That was my cue. I was really excited to show off my new outfit, because I knew Damien had spent a lot of money on it. I looked gorgeous in it, too.
"Here I come!" I called back.
I walked into Damien's spacious kitchen, stood in front of my two favorite guys in the whole wide world, and did a little turn to show off my new look.
"Ta da!" I said happily.
Damien simply sat there and grinned, but Ray? Ray was speechless, but only for a second.
"Hooooly shit," said Ray as his jaw dropped.
"I know, right?" replied Damien.
"How in the hell does this process work?" asked Ray after a few seconds of staring at me.
"Well, you know me," said Damien. "I've been working day and night in my own private lab for the last five years, way back when I was still hooked up with Regina. In fact, she's the reason I started this little project. It's kind of a labor of both love and revenge."
"Uh, huh..." said Ray.
His blocky face was nothing but surprise as he looked me over. I could tell he really thought my new outfit was out of this world.
"You see, my extensive background in both genetics and nanotechnology led me to neuroscience, so here we are," said Damien.
"Uh, huh..." said Ray.
"My nano-solution coats the brain and allows me complete control of the subject in question," continued Damien. "It also coats the ovaries, sterilizing the subject but leaving her perfectly able to have great, fantastic sex."
"Uh, huh..." said Ray.
"Now, there are some kinks to work out, but I'm on those," said Damien. "She still does some things on her own initiative, and she's regressed a little mentally, but she's still everything I've always wanted in a woman."
"Uh, huh..." replied Ray.
"Oh, and here's the great part," continued Damien. "With regular treatments, my nano-solution prevents aging, rapidly repairs organ and tissue damage, and targets any disease I wish to target, so not only do I have a mind-control solution, I also have a revolutionary medical panacea as well."
"Uh, huh..." said Ray. "Wait...What? You've got a fountain of youth formula, too?"
"Something like that," said Damien.
"If that's true, then I'm in," said Ray. "This would make us the richest people in the world. Still...I need proof, man. I'm not sticking my neck out on the chopping block without more evidence. I need more than just...this."
He waved his right hand toward me, and I pouted a little. I really thought he'd be impressed with my new outfit. Even so, I was sure Damien would turn him around.
"Oh, I know, bud," said Damien. "I have a demonstration planned, and I guarantee you'll love it. My formula is foolproof. It gives me damn near complete control."
"Wait...You're not going to try to use this on me, are you?" asked Ray.
"Relax," said Damien. "It only works on women. A number of factors prevented me from getting it to work on men--testosterone levels, chromosomes, the male brain itself...all kinds of shit held me up--but for women? You can see the results yourself."
"Show me more," said Ray, and there was a definite eagerness to the tone of his voice.
"Okay," smiled Damien.
My honey-bear turned toward me to give me his undivided attention. I didn't know yet what he wanted, but I was eager to please him...Oh, boy, do I love him! He's so incredible! I can't wait to do anything he wants!
"Make me some toast, Reggie, hon," said Damien.