Just a Little Magic Ch. 07

Penn and Teller started their now classic 'Fool Us' show in 2011. The idea was brilliant: invite magicians to come on the show and perform, while Penn and Teller try to figure out how they'd done their tricks. They would write down the solution, or use code words to let the magician understand that they knew the secret behind the trick.

But if the hosts couldn't do that - if they'd been fooled - then the magician won a 5-star trip to Vegas, where they would be invited to open for Penn & Teller's magic show.

I'd already seen multiple episodes of 'Fool Us'. Now I went back and watched them all again, paying special attention to the mentalist acts. The last thing Janine and I wanted to do was look anything like another act.

Every 2nd or 3rd episode of 'Fool Us' featured a mentalist. They'd had more than 50 mentalist acts over the years - only 20 of which had fooled them.

We were going to fool them - that was a given. But how to do it in such a way that gave us the maximum exposure? And how it make it memorable?

Sammy deserved a lot of the credit for getting us this far. It was his tireless work on social media platforms that had finally got our act some attention. He was thrilled to learn that he would be making the trip with us.

"We're going to Vegas, Baby!"

Janine was going to attract a lot of attention. But I also thought that we needed a gimmick - some kind of image which would stick in people's minds.

Ask, and ye shall receive ... I was watching a bad movie, with silly gags, when I saw it. I couldn't wait to share my idea with Lillian and Janine.

"A sound-proof booth?" Janine frowned at me. "That's so ... eighties."

"It's older than that." said Lillian.

But when I explained what I was thinking of, both mother and daughter were impressed.

"That could work." said Janine.

Sammy got busy finding the materials we would need.

We travelled to Las Vegas in the fall. I invited Lillian to join us, but she just laughed.

"What would I do in Las Vegas? You three go - and knock them dead."

The 'Fool Us' show was filmed at the Penn and Teller Theater in Las Vegas. We met quite a few people, and there was a lot to do beforehand: consulting with stage managers and camera directors, signing contracts and releases, and filming our introductory video. Janine did most of the talking while I fumbled props and dropped things. She explained that we were from Toronto, and that I might look clumsy, but that I had hidden talents (followed by a suggestive wink). I thought she looked awesome throughout.

Then we had one last meeting that nearly derailed everything before we'd even started.

There was a backstage judge. Performers were expected to privately inform him how their trick worked, so that he could make the call if Penn & Teller were properly fooled.

I drew a blank. How could I explain that we used real magic? I was scrambling to think of another possibility - I just ended up babbling like an idiot.

Janine saved us. She told the judge that her techniques rested on sleight of hand and distraction, while mine were based on the recognition of micro-expressions.

"He's a poker savant." she said. "He reads tells."

She spun a good yarn, elaborating on her story to explain that she would plant suggestions, or ask questions, which provoked minor facial responses in our subjects. But I think the judge was more persuaded by her looks (and a bit of cleavage) than anything she or I said.

But now we were in a bit of a spot. We had to make it look like I depended on micro-expressions.

We were still re-writing our routine the night before the show, while Sammy dropped $300 on the slot machines.

I was a nervous wreck that day. There was so much new material in our act, I was worried that I would make a mistake.

"You'll be fine." Janine assured me. "Leave the P.R. to me. And think about after the show."

"After?"

"After. Because if we pull this off, I'm going to fuck your ever-lovin' brains out."

* * * * *

Alyson Hannigan was still the host of the show. She was very sweet, and easy to get along with. Janine asked her to pick two volunteers from the audience for us. Alyson chose a young woman, and an older man.

As they came up onstage, I couldn't help looking at Penn & Teller, who sat at the front of the stage, with their backs to the audience. These guys had been among my heroes, from that very first day that the DVD arrived on my 13th birthday. I was still in awe.

Janine went into her patter. She sent the female volunteer into the sound-proof booth, and asked Alyson Hannigan to join her. Then she said that Penn & Teller had been great influences on our work. She also repeated the number 8 multiple times.

At that point, she invited Alyson and the volunteer to come out, and sent me into the booth alone. She asked the volunteer if she'd been able to hear anything.

"Not a word."

"So Peter can't hear us."

"I couldn't hear a thing." said Alyson.

At that point, I waved to them, from inside the booth. Janine waved back.

She sat our two volunteers down at a table, and placed four decks of cards in front of them. Two were red; two were blue. She asked the volunteers to choose a deck each, and then invited Alyson to choose one of the last two decks.

Then she asked the volunteers to take out the cards, and mix them up - all three decks together. Meanwhile, I'd taken a deck out of my jacket, and I was idly shuffling them. Then I tried a riffle, muffed it, and blew the cards all over the inside of the booth.

Some of the audience saw it right away. The show's director - forewarned - showed a replay on the big screen over the stage. I looked sheepish as everyone watched me spray the cards everywhere.

After the audience had a good laugh, Janine resumed her patter. She asked Penn & Teller to decide which deck we would use.

"Linda's." said Penn (that was the name of our female volunteer; the man was Jeff).

My partner had Linda shuffle the deck, and then deal two cards to Jeff, to Alyson, and to herself. Janine asked them to leave these cards face down in front of them. As she delivered her instructions, she frequently moved from one side of the table of the other.

Then she asked our volunteers to use the pencils and pads provided to select a 3rd card by simply writing down their choice. After that, they were to flip the pads over.

"Excuse me just a moment." said Janine. "I'll bring Pete out of the booth."

Of course, Penn and Teller watched her like hawks - so did every red-blooded male in the audience, as well as the females.

"You couldn't hear anything?"

"No. But I could see everyone. You look really great, by the way."

The crowd laughed on cue.

I then proceeded to identify the cards our volunteers had chosen. The three people at the table hadn't seen the face-down cards - their gasps and facial expressions as they revealed them were excellent.

The reaction from the crowd was extremely satisfactory, too. Penn and Teller, applauded, but they looked puzzled.

"Tell you what." said Janine. "That might look like a fluke (it didn't). Or maybe you think that I was watching closely, and passing signals to Pete. So this time, Alyson, could you take over my role? Ask Penn and Teller to decide which deck they'd like us to use. Then - please - ask that person to do the same thing we did the first time: deal two cards from the pile to each of you, and place them face down on the table? And finally, could you ask them to write down a third card - whatever they'd like?"

"While you do that, I'll go into the soundproof booth with Pete. Please wait until I'm inside before you start."

Janine came to join me. We couldn't hear a thing from outside. Not that it mattered; we were close enough to our subjects, so that I could pick up their every thought. The older man was choosing his cards, and wondering if he would have stood a chance with Janine when he was younger.

"You're doing great." said my partner. Then she leaned over, and kissed me.

With tongue.

That was part of the plan. We'd scripted this back in Toronto, a month before flying to Vegas. I knew it was coming; that didn't mean that I was immune to the pressure of Janine's lips on my own, or to the insertion of her tongue (which wasn't scripted).

We couldn't hear anything - but we could see the audience applauding, as our intimate little moment showed up on the big overhead screen. They caught me blushing, and one of Janine's best quarter smiles was immortalized on TV.

Alyson came to call us out of the booth.

"Is that your secret? Lip telepathy?" she asked. I just blushed again, but Janine responded.

"We can't reveal all of our secrets."

I correctly identified all of the volunteers' cards. Then I crossed over to the table to thank them. I returned the man's watch, and the woman's bracelet, which Janine had lifted and then passed to me in the booth. The looks on their faces were priceless.

Penn and Teller conferred, trying to figure out what we'd done. Meanwhile, Alyson asked us questions.

"So ... that kiss in the booth. Was that part of your act?"

"Sorry." said Janine. "I guess we were both a little ... excited to be here."

"So are you two ...?"

"Oh - we're just good friends." said Janine. She managed to look right into the camera at that moment, and smile. Perfect.

"How long have you been practicing?" asked Alyson.

"Pete started when he was 13. Somebody gave him a Penn and Teller DVD as a birthday gift."

"Wow!"

"It's not the years that count," I said, "it's the hours."

Our hostess turned to the magicians in residence. "So, boys. What have you got?"

Penn complimented Janine on her lifts and passes. They might not have seen her steal from our volunteers - but they knew how she'd done it.

"I have to ask: would you object to us examining the cards?" asked Penn.

"Of course not." said Janine. She quickly gathered up the cards, plus the unused decks, and brought them to the front of the stage.

After a very cursory examination, Teller shook his head. The cards weren't marked - just as they'd known the moment Janine agreed that they could see them.

"I love the soundproof booth." continued Penn. "What a wonderful idea. Best use of misdirection I've ever seen, too. I still don't know how you did it - but I loved the misdirect!"

Teller just threw his arms wide, and shook his head.

"You fooled us!" said Penn.

* * * * *

I wish that I could tell you that Penn and Teller loved us, and that we became their favourite proteges. But that's not what happened.

Mentalism wasn't Penn's favourite style of magic. That was my impression, anyway; I think he preferred close-up magicians, who relied on misdirection and sleight of hand.

That's not to say that he didn't like our act. He could certainly see how we'd astonished our volunteers, and the audience reaction was everything we could have wished for.

In addition to being a magician, Penn was also a comedian, a showman, and an entrepreneur. He could certainly see the advantages of having Janine (and me) appear on their stage show.

I'm not sure what Teller thought. He never said a word.

* * * * *

The three of us celebrated our success. We drank - but not to excess. Mostly we just basked in the moment. Millions of people watched 'Fool Us'. We were on our way to the big leagues.

"We are going to be very busy next year." predicted Janine.

While she was in the washroom, 'freshening up', I told Sammy what she'd promised me before the show. He didn't seem all that upset that we wouldn't be celebrating all night - or that Janine and I would, but he wasn't invited.

"That's cool." he said.

I handed him $1,000 in casino chips. "Spend them as you like, Sam. Consider it a bonus for all of your hard work."

"Thanks, man. You guys were awesome, tonight."

"We wouldn't even be here without you."

"Yeah, you would have made it. Maybe I helped you get here a little sooner - but that's it."

When Janine returned, Sammy excused himself, and wished us goodnight.

My ravishing partner didn't wait any longer. "Shall we?" she asked.

"You were amazing tonight." I told her, in the elevator.

"You ain't seen nothing yet." she said.

"I mean it, Janine. Yes, you looked spectacular. But the way you handled everything - your timing, your stage presence ... I know that a lot of people will watch the show - and many of them will think that they're watching it because you're so hot ..."

"But we both know that you nailed that performance. You've never been better."

"Thank you, Pete." she said. "That means a lot, coming from you. But you were pretty damn good, too. There's a reason why we're billed as 'Peter Grey'."

"Oh - you should probably be prepared - we're going to be asked a lot of questions about our relationship."

"I bet we will. What do you want me to say?"

"Just say what I did: 'We're just good friends'."

"Okay. But can I also say 'Everything she does is magic'?"

Janine laughed. "Okay, that works, too."

We reached her room. As she opened the door, she said: "I hope you saved some energy for me."

I went next door, to the room I shared with Sammy, where I took a quick shower. I wrapped myself in one of those enormous, luxurious hotel bathrobes, and went through the door connecting out two suites, locking it behind me.

Janine hadn't even stated to shower. She was ordering something from room service. Then she grinned at me.

"Hope you don't mind waiting a little ..."

Mesmerize and tantalize. I knew pretty much all of her routines by now.

"I'll be here." I said.

Janine proceeded to slowly, sensually strip for me. First, the form-fitting dress. She teased me. I had to smile when I saw that she had already removed her bra. This wasn't simply undressing for the shower; it was performance art, a reminder for me of just how seductive she could be when she wanted to.

Her underwear consisted of just about the tiniest thong I'd ever seen. It was white; had it been black, I would have suspected that she'd stolen a pirate's eye-patch.

She left her heels for second-last, bending from the waist to unfasten the straps. Only then did she remove her earrings. That was one of the hottest moves in her repertoire - it got me almost every single time.

"I'll be right back." she said, using her sultry voice.

While she showered, I wondered if I dared to turn the tables on her. Maybe it was time for the student to become the teacher?

There was no doubt about it - in many ways, I was still the geeky nerd she'd surprised on his 18th birthday. But I'd also come a long way, in terms of magic, and in sexual experience.

I knew how this night would go: Janine would come out, freshly showered (although her hair and makeup would be untouched). More seduction, whereupon I would go down on her, after which she might or not blow me. Second round of me eating her out, followed by fucking as many times as I could get it up.

No, it wasn't the worst of agendas. But I was beginning to wonder if I might be able to introduce some new elements to our performance.

When Janine emerged from the bathroom, she was wearing another voluminous hotel bathrobe. No doubt she planned to tantalize me a little more.

But when she came into the room, she didn't see me immediately. That threw her off, just a bit.

I was behind her. I stepped up close, and took hold of her - firmly. I didn't hurt her. Janine wasn't going anywhere, though. Not without my say-so.

"What? What are you ...?"

As I'd expected, she hadn't removed her makeup. Her long, dyed-black hair was freshly brushed (but not wet). She'd even put her ornate earrings back on.

"Remember Montreal, Janine?" I whispered. I held her close, and nuzzled her neck. Even though I whispered very softly, she heard me very clearly.

"Yes ... what about Montreal?"

"Do you remember Helen and Ginette ...?"

"Yes ..."

"You enjoyed watching us, didn't you?"

Janine didn't respond immediately. But her breathing was growing ragged.

"You did, didn't you?" I said. "Four people, fucking for your entertainment ..."

"Yess ..."

"You've watched before, haven't you? Haven't you, Janine? But never four people at once - that was a first for you, wasn't it?"

-"Ohh ..."

I lifted the hem of her bathrobe, and ran my free hand over her ass.

"You especially liked it when I put Helene on her hands and knees, and slammed into her from behind."

"Ohh ... yes."

"You enjoyed watching the first round, didn't you? But you liked it even better when you came back, later, and found that we'd switched partners ..."

I had one arm around her chest, pulling her back towards me. But I'd slipped my other hand between her legs - she was sopping wet, and I had no trouble sliding a finger inside her - and then a second.

"You enjoyed it, didn't you? How much did you see, Janine? You saw me eat Ginette, and then fuck her? Did you see me fuck Helene the second time?"

"Aahh ... yes, I - I saw it all!"

I slipped my top hand inside her bathrobe, and grabbed her boob - more roughly than I'd ever touched her before. I squeezed her nipple between finger and thumb.

"You saw me fuck Ginette the second time? You must have come again, Janine. How many times did you come, that night? How many?"

"Ah, shit! All night!"

And Janine came on my fingers. She bucked and writhed, as I held her tight.

Janine had never let me read her mind, except for what she deliberately chose to reveal, like the cards I was trying to guess when she was training me.

But now she was leaking, like water squirting through the hole in a dike or a dam. They weren't formed thoughts, but rather images, frozen moments. I couldn't tell if they were dreams, or desires. They didn't feel like fears. I didn't sense any dread.

I went with my instincts. I picked Janine up, and carried her to the bed, where I unceremoniously dumped her, on her stomach. She didn't protest - she was, in fact, in the midst of a powerful orgasm.

Instead of waiting, I climbed onto the bed behind her, flipped up her bathrobe, and stuffed my rampant cock into her.

"Aarrgh ... fuuuck!" she grunted. She was still coming. Janine still had enough self-control to reach up, with one hand, and pinch her own nipples. She was twisting it, in fact.

I wasn't hurting her. This was what she wanted. Janine was much kinkier than I'd ever guessed. Yes, she got off on being dominant - and she also had some powerful voyeuristic impulses.

But she was continuing to orgasm, in some crazy chain reaction, as I slammed my pelvis against her ass, driving my engorged member into her molten depths.

Too poetic? Okay: I fucked the shit out of her. She lost her mind, there, for a moment, as her orgasms superseded one another. She was babbling nonsense as I plunged into her, over and over.

"Fuucck!"

That was me, as I came - and came hard.

"Ohh, fuck ..." moaned Janine.

"You liked that, didn't you?"

"I did ... but ..."

"But?"

"If you tell anyone, Pete ... I will castrate you - with a sharp rock."

That sounded like the old Janine. My teacher. My sensei. She who should not be disobeyed.

"Understood."

We ended up fucking all night. I ate her twice, and she blew me once - swallowing my seed as well. Janine was incredibly turned on. We didn't refer to her voyeurism - or to any of her kinks, for that matter. She just fucked my brains out, as she'd promised.

But I'd obviously tweaked something. Over the next few weeks, Janine found multiple reasons why I needed to 'spend time' with her.