Jasmine's Last Stand, Pt. 01

Not that she believed in that sort of thing.

"Now," Devon said, "in order for this to work, it's very important that you be relaxed. Do you feel relaxed, Jasmine?" He was crouched by the table, which he'd moved closer to her.

She thought about lying, but figured they would all respect her more if she was honest. "No."

"Why not?"

She laughed, because she thought the answer should be obvious. "I'm in my boss's office with five people I don't know, and you're talking about hypnotizing me."

"And that makes you feel vulnerable," he said.

"Well, yeah."

"And you don't like feeling vulnerable." He spoke in the strangest way, like whatever words he spoke, he knew with absolute certainty that they would be true, even if they weren't true before he spoke them. The confidence of an heir to a billion-dollar empire.

"No," she said, keeping her eyes on him instead of the marbles.

"What would make you feel more relaxed?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Dunno."

Grace sighed, and her phone came back out.

But Devon seemed to have infinite patience. "When you're stressed, how do you relax?"

"Um, maybe take a bath. Turn the lights off. Listen to music." Masturbate to the thought of you fucking me against the front desk, she added in her head.

"Well, we can do one of those things," he said. "Can someone get the lights?"

Sport got off the couch and hit the lights, and it was suddenly pitch dark in the room. Devon used the flashlight on his phone to get something else from his father's desk, and after a moment of fiddling, a warmly lit desk lamp illuminated the Newton's cradle and Devon's face. Jasmine would have to strain to see anyone else in the room.

"Does that help?" Devon asked.

She nodded. "Yes." Not being able to see Devon's friends definitely helped. It made it easier to imagine that she and Devon were the only two people in the room. In the world.

"Good." He smiled, and she smiled back without thinking. He reached out and stopped the marbles for a moment, then pulled one back, but didn't let it go. "One thing I want you to know about hypnosis, Jasmine, is that it's actually very difficult, if not impossible, to hypnotize someone into doing anything they wouldn't want to do. Even if their conscious mind doesn't believe they want to do it, somewhere in their subconscious, it's something they desire, or they'll snap themselves out of it."

"You're saying Mitzi--" Tasha began, but Devon shushed her.

"Yes, Tasha. Quiet, please."

She made a little squeaking sound, but didn't say another word. Devon turned his attention back to Jasmine. "Is this something you understand? Is it something you agree with?"

"Sure," she said. "Yes."

"Good. Then let's get started."

He let the marble go.

To Be Continued