Hypnotic Adventures of Beauty Ch. 02

"Do you have a hair dryer?" I asked him, before realizing my mistake. He was completely bald. He blinked at me. "Do you think you can find one?" I persisted.

"I... um... 'Ere may be one in one of the bedrooms down th' 'all."

"Could you go look for me, please?"

He glanced nervously toward the door I'd entered from. "I... um... Yeah. Okay." He began to walk slowly in that direction.

"Wait!" I urged. He turned back while I asked: "How did you know my name?"

"You're Riya's friend, ain't cha? You were at th' party last week."

I tried to figure that one out. "Were you there?" I asked him. But he only smiled... rather sadly, I thought... and started for the door again. Startled, I blurted: "You're Billy, right?"

He looked back at me. "Yeah. I'm Billy. How d' y' do." And he was gone.

I went back to work on the dress, rubbing and patting the wrinkles out with another towel. I was immensely distracted from my chore by my thoughts. I had a hundred questions, but I didn't want to ask any of them to HIM; at least, not right now. A few minutes later, he was back with a hair drier.

"Found one in the loo down the 'all," he muttered, handing it to me. I reached out and took it, but before he could let go, I had laid my other hand on his.

"Billy! You're trembling! What's the matter?"

He released the dryer and snatched his hand away. "Nuthin'. I'm fine, thanks."

I studied him carefully. At long last, I realized what I'd done wrong. "Oh. You don't go out. You never leave these rooms, do you? You never let anyone SEE you!" He took a step back and shuffled his feet. I dropped the device onto a chair and advanced the step he had retreated. As I reached out and laid both my hands on his arms, he suddenly took on the countenance of a startled rabbit.

But before he could bolt away, I said gently: "Oh, Billy... I'm SO sorry for all of this! I invaded your sanctuary and turned your whole evening upside down! I've been horrible, imposing on you, and asking you to help me, and sending you out, and... "

"Cor, blimey, Betty! Stop! Everythin's fine! I'm glad I could 'elp."

I tried to give him my sweetest smile. "Well... thank you." I picked up the hair dryer and eventually found a place to plug it in. I had draped the dress over the back of a chair, and when the dryer roared to life, it killed conversation for several minutes.

At last, I turned it off and picked up the garment to examine it. I held it out to him. "Do you smell anything?"

He dutifully sniffed it. "Naw. It's fine."

I gave him another smile before taking it into the bathroom and putting it back on. I primped a little in front of the mirror, but because I'd left my purse downstairs, there was little I could do. I glanced at the door, wondering. Why was I so nervous? I went out and held out my arms, letting him inspect me. "What do you think?" I asked.

"Good as new," he declared. He turned a little to the right and let me see his smile. We stood, staring at each other. I had returned that smile, and now it just seemed to fix itself as a permanent resident on my face. He shifted nervously, obviously trying to think of something to say. Finally he muttered: "So... I guess yer gonna give Riya what for!"

I kept smiling. "Why?"

He swallowed nervously. "Why, fer not warnin' you about me. About THIS!" He waved a forefinger around in front of him, indicating his face.

I contemplated him for another moment. "Can't you see, Billy? This is the way she wanted it to be. This is the only way it COULD be!"

He blinked at me for a long fifteen seconds before shaking his head slowly. "Sorry. I don't catch yer drift."

I grinned even more. "If she had told me about... that, how do you think I would have felt BEFORE I met you? What emotion do you think I would have had?" His brow creased in thought for a few moments. Finally, he just shook his head, questioningly. So I answered. "I would have felt pity, Billy. Before I ever met you, I would have felt pity toward you. You don't deserve my pity... or ANYONE'S. You deserve respect. And this way... the way she set it up... that's the first emotion I have toward you."

"Well," he said thoughtfully, "... right after the emotion of scarin' the piss outta 'y."

I gasped and fixed him with a stare that contained as much indignation as I could muster before we both burst into laughter. When I finally stopped, I protested "Billy, you can't tell ANYONE what I did, okay?" He rubbed the bottom of his face thoughtfully, as if considering it. "Billy, please! You have to promise me that you'll never... "

"Alright, alright," he laughed. "Yer secret's safe w' me, love, I swear."

"You won't even tell Tony?" I asked, smiling. "You're best friends, right?"

He crossed his heart. "And yeah, 'e's m' mate... but just between you 'n me, 'e can be a bit of a wanker sometimes."

"What's a wanker?"

He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet a little. "Uh... y' know. A tosser... a plonker." I guess my face must have looked pretty blank. Finally, he gave an exasperated grunt. "A bloke who just sits around an'... " He made a fist and pumped it in front of his groin in what I would call a rather... crude gesture.

I felt my cheeks go hot, and I laughed again. Then I sighed. I had so many questions, and when I finally launched into a few of them, he answered readily. About the three walls full of equations, he said: "I don't wanna look at 'em right now. When I do, I start thinkin' in numbers instead o' English. Sort kills a conversation." When I asked about the computers, he showed me that he could tap into several different servers... including the mansion security setup. When I had walked in on him, he had been "monitoring" the party downstairs. That's where he had first seen me, he said... during the previous week's party on the security monitors. And, after I asked, he told me that, no (smiling, while I blushed), he could NOT tap into what was going on in the guest bedroom, across the hall. The cameras were only mounted in the "public areas," such as outside, and the hallways and major rooms downstairs. No bedrooms or bathrooms.

As he flipped through the various cameras, showing me the views, we caught sight of Riya climbing the stairs toward this upper wing. I glanced at him, and he at me, and I could tell that we both wished we had a little more time alone. Bowing to an overwhelming urge, I reached out and gently grasped his upper right arm with both of my hands. "Billy, I... um... I just want to apologize for the way I acted when I saw you... and to thank you again for everything you did." He blinked down at me, obviously trying to read whatever signals I was sending. I wasn't entirely sure what kinds of signals I was TRYING to send. Suddenly, I felt like crying, but I held myself back, and took a shaky breath, instead; then I smile up at him.

"You realize that you had me captive here... in your personal castle. I was a damsel in distress, naked... wrapped in a bath towel, without anywhere to go. And you saved me. You're my hero!"

He cleared his throat. Nervously, he reached up with his free hand and placed it tenderly over mine on his arm, then he slowly led me into the living room, where he plucked a long-stem red rose from an arrangement in a vase and he handed it to me. I took it, smiled, and automatically held it to my nose. "You keep flowers in your apartment?" I asked him.

"Riya put 'em 'ere. Said it'd brighten the place up."

"Thank you." I couldn't keep the blush off my face. And Riya was suddenly there, grinning broadly, looking at the two of us. I considered taking my hand off of his arm, but I didn't.

"You need to go downstairs," she said, looking at me.

"Me? Why? Can't I stay here and talk for a little while?"

She shook her head. The smile never left her lips. "Nope. You're the entertainment. I promised Tony I'd find you and send you right down to him."

"Entertainment?" THAT didn't sound good.

"Yep. I don't think I've ever mentioned it to you, but Tony's an amateur hypnotist. When the parties are small, friendly gatherings, like this one, he sometimes tries it out. People laugh and have fun. He's put me under... lots of times. It's really kind of nice."

I was seriously startled. "Hypnosis? Riya, no way! I'm not going to let him do that! Especially not in front of a crowd of people I've just met!"

She shrugged. "Well, it's your official introduction to the employee group, anyway. You have to go down. Now."

I looked up at Billy, sighed, and gave his arm another affectionate squeeze. "I guess I have to go," told him quietly. "I wish I didn't."

I saw his mouth draw up in a crooked smile. "I 'ereby release you from m' castle," he said formally. "D' y' promise to come back?"

I suddenly had a huge desire to kiss him. (What would it be like?) But he was too tall, and even if I stood on tiptoes, I'd be unable to do it unless he bent down. I realized suddenly that I'd let my smile slip away, and I couldn't keep my eyes from misting. "I promise, Billy."

"Where are your shoes?" Riya asked. And the spell was broken. A minute later, I was walking down the hallway toward the staircase alone. Riya had said she wanted to talk to Billy for a minute... but Tony couldn't wait; I needed to get downstairs right away. I looked down at the rose in my hand. It was the only real link to the surreal thing that had just happened to me. I clutched it more tightly and descended the steps as quickly as my heels would allow. Silently, I hoped that I could get through this administrative ordeal and fulfill my promise to Billy as quickly as possible.

I found Tony in the center of the huge living room (sort of a ballroom, I guess) surrounded by chattering people. As soon as he saw me, however, he said something and everyone sort of scattered, leaving me in sole possession of his attention. "Betty!" he said excitedly. "I'm really glad you're here. I'd like you to help me with this evening's entertainment."

"Yes," I said to him. "Riya told me. I'm sorry, Tony, but I'd rather not."

He looked at me questioningly. "That really saddens me, Betty. Couldn't you try it... just for me? I KNOW that you'd be an excellent subject."

"No," I answered firmly. "I'm sorry, but I don't think so." He looked crestfallen, but shrugged resignedly. "But... Tony," I said, "could you answer a few questions about Billy?"

He seemed to study me carefully. "I never talk to anyone about Billy," he said, almost sternly; but then his brow creased in sudden thought. "Have you... met him?"

"Yes," I said sincerely. "Just now. Upstairs."

A queer look flickered across his features. "If I... talk to you about him, would you help me out here by...?"

I didn't let him finish. "Quid pro quo?" I shook my head. "I don't think so."

I started to turn and leave, but he reached out and grabbed my arm. "I'm sorry, Betty. What do you want to know?"

I regarded him curiously, but he seemed sincere. "Does his condition cause him pain?" I asked.

A smile slowly spread across his features. "Now, that is NOT the first question people usually ask," he said. His face let me know that he believed that little fact to be meaningful. When I didn't respond, he said: "No... he's not in pain... and it's not really a medical condition at all... not like a disease or syndrome."

I nodded, suddenly realizing that this was going to be a game of "twenty questions." He wasn't going to relinquish his answers easily. But that almost made sense... he was being protective of a friend. "Okay," I said patiently. "I guess I'll have to stoop to the common questions, then. What IS wrong with him?"

His faced softened, and he took my hand. "I'm sorry, Betty. You... care about him, don't you?" Again I didn't answer, and he said simply "He has a cleft face."

And THAT threw me for a moment. "I... I've heard about cleft palates," I said, as much to myself as to him. "There are charities... like the 'Smile' one for kids." I puzzled for a brief moment in silence. "Is that what 'Elephant Man' had?"

He gave me a look to let me know that I was now in the realm of "common questions," and that I didn't really know enough to ask something meaningful. Then he shook his head. "Joseph Merrick DID suffer from a medical condition... probably some form of fibromatosis... or something else that caused multiple tumors that led to deformities. However, he wasn't born with them... they developed later in his life. But facial clefts develop in the womb. They're birth defects."

"Is it genetic?" I asked, before realizing that he might read some secondary motivation into the question. Sure enough, he smirked... just slightly. It was enough to upset me, though. "Oh, for goodness sake!" I added harshly. "Just answer me!"

His countenance immediately softened. "Of course, Betty. I'm sorry. I'm not really into medicine, but I've researched it online for obvious reasons." He took a breath. "It's sometimes very difficult to figure out genetic links about things that happen so rarely. Orofacial clefts... that is, clefts in lips or pallet... are, by far, the most common... and they still occur in less than one in a thousand births. It wasn't too long ago that people tried to hide such deformities; and so it's hard to track something that could skip fifty or a hundred generations and still be tied genetically. Make sense? They haven't found specific genetic markers, but they don't really know."

He paused before continuing. "Billy's case is obviously very severe. His is a 'lateral cleft,' that departs from the facial median. That's very rare. He told me that his parents, in England, put him through a lot of dental surgery when he was seven years old. Five operations, at least. He evidently didn't really communicate at all before that; but they sure did a great job, considering all the damage he must have been born with. If you spoke to him upstairs, you know that he can speak normally now... if you can get through the accent. His parents were both laborers in Lambeth, and though I haven't met them, I assume they have pretty thick Cockney accents. They evidently kept him pretty much indoors, away from the taunts and stares of others, and he was primarily self-taught. He had tutors and social workers teaching him, of course. At first, I bet he was too advanced for them to realize that he wasn't stupid. Know what I mean? They'd ask him a question, and he didn't answer right away because he was thinking in terms of the next chapter... or the next book... or the next course. I know everyone was just trying to help him. But, when it came to more reconstructive surgery to correct the other things, he refused outright. I'm not going to tell you about the professors that helped him... or how he came to the U.S... . or how he met ME. You can learn all that later. Okay? I WILL tell you that spending three years in this country has softened his accent considerably. You should have heard him when I first met him!" He looked tenderly at me. "Is there any other question I can answer?"

"Yes. What does 'Cor' mean?"

He threw back his head and laughed. "Damned if I know!"

I nodded. I was hooked. I understood now. I knew what Riya saw in this man. Jeez, he was bright... and helpful, and articulate, and sincere, and yes... handsome. I was happy for her. "Okay," I told him so softly that he had to lean toward me to hear. I sighed. "How can I help you with... the hypnosis thing?"

He smiled hugely. "Really?"

I nodded. If Riya could trust him, then so could I. "Are... Are you going to make me bark like a dog?" I asked.

"You know," he told me calmly, "it just doesn't matter."

I studied his face. "It doesn't?"

"Nope. I am going to put you to sleep, and you're going to go into a very, very pleasant dream-state. I will give you suggestions. And, if you accept those suggestions, you will convince yourself that it's okay to do those things. Everybody that's watching will understand that. They'll know that you are reacting to what I say. And... they'll know that whatever it is that you are doing, it's not your fault... it's not what you would normally do. It'll be ME and not YOU. You are completely blameless in this little production. Does that make sense?"

"Um... I guess." I was a little startled when he took a step closer to me. We were touching now. Both of his hands were on my arms.

"Just relax," he said in a normal voice. "I realize that I'm very close to you right now, but that's for your own good. I don't want you to fall."

"Fall?"

"Yes. Very soon now, you're going to be asleep. Just relax and don't worry about that. I'll catch you when that happens."

"Um... " I didn't know how to respond to that, or what to say. He continued to speak in a normal voice. In fact, his voice was much louder than it was when he had been talking about Billy.

"Close your eyes, please," he continued. "That's it. Very good. Now relax. I can feel the tightness in your arms, and I want to feel them relax now. Yes, perfect. Very good. And now, I want you to tell me... where is it that you feel the most relaxed? Where do you look forward to relaxing?"

"In the bathtub," I said immediately.

"Wonderful. That's a great place to relax. And so, now I want you to relax even more... and I want you to think about being in the bathtub. Completely relaxed and limp all over. And the water is warm and it feels delicious on your skin... and all over your body. And that's all you can feel now... just the water. You feel warm and safe, and you can no longer feel my hands on your arms... "

"They're going to catch me," I said.

"Yes... they'll catch you, but you can't feel them anymore, can you, Betty? Take a deep breath and relax even more in the warm, wonderful water, and tell me... What can you feel?"

"The water. It feels wonderful."

"Excellent," he enthused. "Take one more deeeeep breath for me... that's it... and relax even more. Yes. And in your dream, you open your eyes and look down at yourself in the bathtub... at your lazy, lazy, totally relaxed body. And... what do you see?"

"My nipples are hard, peeking up above the surface," I answered, because they were.

I heard a woman's giggle that was suddenly stifled; but as I puzzled over this, he said: "And can you hear the bathtub tap dripping, Betty? That's all you can hear, here in your wonderful, relaxing bath. That... and the gently sloshing water in the tub. Isn't that so?"

Maybe I'd just imagined the giggle. "Yes," I said.

"And that's all there is in your world now. Just you and the bath. And you're SO relaxed now, that you know you're going to nod off... take a little nap... go to sleep. And there's nothing to keep you from letting this happen, is there? And there's no reason why you shouldn't allow yourself that pleasure. Is there?"

"No."

"And so, when you hear me snap my fingers, you'll give in... and you'll experience the total pleasure of just letting go, and surrendering to sleep. You're so sleepy and relaxed now, that that is what you want the most... more than anything else in the world. Isn't that right."

"Mmmm. Yes."

"Wonderful, Betty. Good girl."

SNAP! I was having a dream now. And that made sense; I'd fallen asleep in the tub. In my dream, I was looking into Tony's eyes. Tony the hypnotist. When I did that, and when he told me to relax and feel tired, it happened. I wasn't really sure WHY it happened... but it did. Every single time. And I fell asleep when he snapped his fingers. Every single time. And I never, ever fell down, because he was always there to catch me. And then, after awhile, he'd count to three, and I'd wake up. It happened a lot. Lots of times. I liked it when he snapped his fingers the most. That's because the feeling I got when I surrendered and fell asleep for him was... good. No, it was great! Better than great... fantastic! The best feeling in the world! Holy cow... I could really get used to THIS feeling! Mmmmm.