The Amazing Randy Traps a Spider

"The Amazing Randy Traps A Spider"

This story occurs very early on in The Amazing Randy's career. It's the eighteenth in the story of the gifted stage hypnotist. The other stories, two of which can also be found read-aloud by the author in the "Audio" section, "pop in" for a look at Randy at various stages in his career.

If you find that you like this character, and want more, you can do two things: First, try reading the existing episodes in the order in which they were written. Literotica has a list of their publication dates. The first story in which he appears is called "The True Professional."

Leaving a comment at the end of the story, critical or complimentary, is the other way. I use them for inspiration. He's fun to write about. Suggest a story line. Be my muse.

A 'Solid" for Pepe

Randy Baumgardner sat in his dressing room at "Pepe's Punchline" preparing himself for the second act of his comedy hypnotism show. Randy was relatively new on the supper club circuit, but he had already gained such a reputation that his shows were routinely sold out, especially in cities where he had performed previously. Randy had no need for an agent or a publicist. Word of mouth was filling venues and tickets to his show were difficult to come upon. He was paid handsomely for his performances and his expenses were miniscule. He had already accumulated enough money to support his lifestyle and had several investments which were paying off with gains of twenty percent or more. He was getting rich, slowly, but he was in no hurry to rush to financial security.

Club owners like Pepe Martinez were businessmen, first and foremost. Most had a shrewd eye for talent. Pepe had been in the business for over a decade, providing a stage for established names and newcomers as well when he had taken a chance on a young performer, straight out of the state fair and carnival circuit, by giving him the microphone for a three-night stand.

Pepe's club and others like his scattered throughout the country were like Triple-A teams in baseball's farm system. They were located in medium to large cities, like Indianapolis, Louisville, and Albuquerque, where Pepe's had been showcasing new comedic talent for years. Only recently Pepe had made the decision to reduce the number of dates offered to local bands and second tier musical talent in favor of a concentration on comedy.

Randy had been booked this year at Pepe's for two full weeks of shows and he was already into his second week playing to packed houses as "The Amazing Randy- The World's Greatest Stage Hypnotist." Tonight's show was his eleventh in a row, the final show before he was due to take a well-deserved day off before the weekend performances which would close out the gig. He had about ten minutes before the red light would come on signaling five minutes to showtime.

A quiet knock at the door announced the club's owner, Pepe, who stuck his head into the dressing room and asked, "Can I come in for a moment, Randy?"

"Sure, Pepe. You own the place," said Randy smiling. "What can I do for you?"

"Randy," said Pepe, "You have a phone call."

"Not now, Pepe," said the hypnotist as he refreshed his make-up. "I'm on soon."

"Randy, the call is from Everham and Rhodes, the Hollywood talent agency."

"Not interested," said the master hypnotist.

"Randy," said Pepe, "these are important folks in this business. We book about a quarter of our acts through them. You can tell them whatever you want, but would you please take the call? I don't want to get on the wrong side of this outfit. Do it as a favor to me, would you?"

"Sure, Pepe," said Randy. Put it through to the dressing room telephone. I'll talk to them."

"It already is. Just lift the receiver and push the red button. Thanks."

Randy waited until his friend closed the door and pushed the button. "This is Randy. How can I help you?"

"You are The Amazing Randy?" said a female voice on the other side.

"One and the same."

"Randy, my name is Victoria Dunham. I work for Everham and Rhodes, the talent agency. Ever heard of us?"

"Miss Dunham, every act in this business has heard of you. Pepe speaks very highly of your agency," he said doing his friend a "solid." "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here in Albuquerque scouting talent and I'd like to speak to you for a while after your show tonight. You're creating quite a buzz on the circuit. I thought I'd take in the second act before I head back to Los Angeles tomorrow. Folks say that your show really is amazing. I'd like to see for myself. Will you meet me after the show? I'm wearing a white blouse, black slacks and a matching suitcoat."

"Yes, Miss Dunham, I'd be happy to speak with you tonight. I'll be out as soon as I get my make-up off after the show. For now, I have to get ready. I'll see you later. Enjoy the show."

"Certainly," said the voice on the telephone. "Break a leg."

Victoria's Fifteen Minutes

Randy stood off stage while Pepe announced the second act. "Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my distinct pleasure to announce The World's Greatest Stage Hypnotist," he said with a sweeping bow, "The Amazing Randy!"

Dressed in tails and a top hat, The Amazing Randy burst onto the stage to a roar of applause. He was already a fan favorite at Pepe's. Removing his top hat, he took a grand sweeping bow and stepped up to the microphone. "Welcome to the second act. Before we get down to the business of selecting our contestants for the evening, I need to inform you that it is the strict policy of Pepe's, and my own as well, that there be absolutely no nudity or profanity on stage. This is a family establishment. Anyone who attempts to break these rules will be immediately removed from the club. Finally, there are positively no video or audio recordings allowed."

The second act of The Amazing Randy's stage show had evolved over the last five years as he constructed a comedic format that seemed to garner the biggest laughs and the most applause. Depending on how the night progressed, there would be anywhere between two and four "contestants," which was Randy's term for volunteers, depending on how the show flowed. Randy would have a "follow spot" sweep through the audience, stopping on one patron or another as he used their looks or accent as a foil for his prepared material.

Comedy was hard work. It required close attention to detail and learning from each performance just when to drop the punch line. Like in any performing art, comedy acts grew stale if not refreshed with new jokes and routines. New material had to be created constantly and slowly worked into the act. That was true for the Rolling Stones and it was true for The Amazing Randy. Show-biz was show-biz.

Two contestants had already come and gone. Contestant Number One was a handsome local tradesman, a bricklayer from Paradise Hills named Kevin, who Randy induced to remove his shirt and tie to give the women in the audience a little PG-rated Chippendales peep show while Randy made slightly off-color suggestions about the rest of his anatomy featuring the word "brick" where a much naughtier word might belong. It was pun after pun, but well-received by the ladies in the audience, including Kevin's attractive girlfriend.

The second "contestant" was a sophomore computer science major at the University of New Mexico who had come with some of her fellow programmers for a mid-week "geeks night out." Randy convinced her that she had received a message from outer space and that she was talking to intelligences from another star system. Randy played the voice from space, but every time she asked him a question like "Where are you from?" or "Why have you come?" Randy would respond by acting as if he were trying to pick her up.

Kevin had gotten the bigger laughs, but the 'outer space' routine had promise and Randy believed that, with a little more work, he could make it better.

Once the applause had died down, Randy had the man on the lights slowly scan the audience while the hypnotist searched for his next and final contestant of the evening. He knew from experience that the audience was waiting for him to select an attractive woman to close the show. As the spotlight slowly drifted over the crowd, most of whom were by now on their second or third stiff one, Randy noticed a tall woman in what looked like a business suit sitting at Pepe's private table. She stared right into the spotlight, unfazed, as it stopped and then stood up.

It had to be Victoria Dunham.

Now, Randy had her. He knew that she was there to recruit him to her stable of clients, which is to say, she wanted something from him. Now he was telling her to "put up or shut up." If she wanted to see his act, he reasoned, there was no better place to do it than on-stage. Victoria had scouted a dozen or more stage hypnotist acts in her fifteen-year career and knew the ropes. She smiled as she recognized how the headliner had maneuvered her into the moment, but felt confident that she could handle him.

In her mind, he knew that she could offer him a shot at the "bigs." Nobody wants to stay in the minors when the major league club needs a left-handed hitting second baseman. She was his ticket to the casinos, TV specials, or even films, if he was as good as she had heard. Yeah, she was calling the shots.

Or so she thought.

Most mentalist and hypnotism shows relied on "plants," people in the audience who actually worked for the performer. Other times, complementary tickets would be given to people who were local celebrities and about whom information, enough to astound the "mark" and the audience as well, was readily available through a library search of the local newspapers. There was always a "catch" and Victoria figured that she'd have a better view of the puppet strings if she could get closer to the puppeteer.

Except this time there was no catch. At twenty-five, "The Amazing Randy" was young for a successful performer at this level of the business. Victoria not only assumed that her mark was still wet behind the ears, but that he'd jump at the opportunity she could offer him. Neither was true. Randy had spent more than half a decade honing his craft. He was already an accomplished professional and he had an edge that the lanky blonde could not possibly have anticipated. The young stage hypnotist was the real deal.

The Amazing Randy possessed genuine mental ability. He needed no assistance from anyone to work his magic under the lights. The moment he made skin-to-skin contact with anyone, he was granted access to their thoughts. In moments he could probe their mind as deeply as he chose. He even had access to the subconscious minds of those with whom he connected, his ability providing instant entrance to their innermost private thoughts if he so desired. Had this incredible gift been Randy's only advantage, it would have been more than enough to make him able to create a mentalist act that would flabbergast audiences.

But Randy had hypnotic powers. He could make people do anything he told them to do, controlling both their minds and their bodies. He was able to use post-hypnotic suggestion to control future acts and thoughts. So far as he could tell, these "suggestions" were a lot more like commands. Instructions he had given back in high school when his gift had first appeared, to the best of his knowledge anyway, were still being obeyed. He had yet to discover any person who was immune to his influence. The only person immune to his power was The Amazing Randy himself. He had to control his own thoughts and actions like everybody else. He was still learning.

Victoria Dunham was about to meet the real puppeteer.

"Hold on there, Joey," he said to the light technician through his microphone. I think that we may have found our next contestant. How about it, folks, do you agree?" The audience applauded its approval and Randy spoke directly to the attractive woman in the business suit. "Why don't you come down, Miss? It's all in good fun. Kevin made it through all right, didn't you Kevin?"

Kevin rose in reprise and shouted. "Hell, yes!" Victoria didn't give a damn about Kevin. It was The Amazing Randy this vixen was after. The tall talent scout left her seat at Pepe's private table and made her way to stage left. As soon as she had cleared the crowded tables and stepped onto the stage, it was apparent to everyone in the place that, if Randy had chosen his contestant on looks alone, he'd made a good choice.

Victoria Dunham stood a full six feet tall and wore her outfit well. She had worn the dark suit specifically because it was professional, well-tailored, and showed off one of her best assets, her legs. The cut of her slacks was close, comfortably flattering, not baggy. The pants themselves ended in a broad black elastic band which rode high on her waist, making her look as if her body was two-thirds leg. She wore five-inch heels and a white satin blouse, tucked into the elastic band that circled her slim waist. The overall effect made her look as if her legs stretched all the way to her rib cage.

Although the suitcoat masked her bust, Randy could see that she was not particularly buxom. She didn't have to be. The overall impression she made was sleek and unique. Blonde hair was piled on top of her head, neatly pinned, making her look like a fancy black pencil with a soft eraser. Her lips wore a soft pink shade and her fragrance was Chanel, which added a sophisticated air to the total package. Her face was filled with character. Victoria Dunham was confident of her effect on men. She was in control and she knew it, an impressive package.

Or so she thought.

Victoria Dunham strode to the stage ready to cast her spell on the young performer unaware that she was walking into a trap. Randy made Victoria's age for mid-thirties or so. The World's Greatest Stage Hypnotist took her hand as he guided the tall beauty up onto the stage. He leaned in and spoke to her just above a whisper. "You will obey me totally. Nod if you understand." The slim talent scout nodded. That was all it took. Two sentences and she was under.

Randy carefully led her into the spotlight. "Soften that spot, Joey. We're not escapees," he said as he dashed from one side of the stage to the other as if he were The Penguin trying to dodge the Bat-Signal. Joey jiggled the light in mock pursuit. The audience chuckled. The light softened and Randy turned to face his latest contestant. She was almost five inches taller than him, an obvious fact that he intended to use in his favor.

"So tell me, Miss, what is your name?

"Victoria," said the hypnotized contestant.

"What's your last name, Victoria?"

"Dunham," she said as Randy closed the distance between them so that he had to bend his neck way back to look into her eyes. Randy was not above using the occasional sight gag when the opportunity presented itself. He took off his top hat, careful not to dislodge his black wig, and carefully placed it on top of her golden hair, which was already stacked high on her head, the act simultaneously increasing her height by eight inches while subtracting the same amount from his so that the effect was even more pronounced. He took an exaggerated theatrical "giant step" backwards and, still looking up, asked, "You're not a descendent of Lincoln, are you? I can see the family resemblance." More laughs.

"Tell me Victoria, what do your friends call you, Vicki or Abe?" More laughs.

"I'm only kidding, Victoria. May I call you Vicki?"

"Certainly, said the towering blonde. May I call you Randy?" Randy turned to the audience and gave them the "Here it comes" wink.

"For the time being," he said. "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a talent scout."

"What are you doing here? Take the wrong ramp off the interstate, did you?

More laughs.

He turned to the audience, bowed theatrically, and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you contestant number three, the lovely... and very, very tall Miss Victoria Dunham!" he said into the microphone. "Let's get this party started."

Randy removed a golden watch on a chain, all for show, and began to make it swing back and forth. "Pay close attention to the watch. You can feel your identity fading into the background as you wait for me to assign you a new one. Do you understand me, Vicki?"

"Yes, I do, Randy," said the beautiful blonde.

"Fine. Just stand there for a little while longer while I grab a quick consult with the audience." The Amazing Randy stepped to the edge of the stage and spoke directly to the crowd. "Well, I'm gonna have to say that she's under." Staring straight into the audience he said? "You under up there, Vicki? Ready to play?"

"Yes, I am, Randy."

"Lift your right leg up." Instantly her leg moved skyward. "Just checkin'," he said into the microphone. OK, folks, let's have the lovely Vicki do a little improv. Remember, no profanity, please. What shall we ask her to do? Give me a scenario. Where are we?

"On stage!" shouted one man in the back row.

"Naw, too obvious," said the hypnotist. "We can do better."

"In her office!"

"Now, that we can work with. What's she doing?"

"Seducing a prospective client!" shouted a voice.

"Done," said the master hypnotist.

He took the wireless microphone from the stand, wandering around the stage as he spoke. "Victoria," he said, "you are back in your office conducting a business meeting with a young..." He paused for effect. "talented..." The Amazing Randy inserted another well-rehearsed pause while he assumed a puffed-up exaggerated self-congratulatory stance to provide the set-up. "and above all 'handsome' performer. The crowd laughed at the obvious, time-worn joke. It was merely a stepping-off point towards bigger laughs.

"You are highly attracted to this uncommonly handsome prospect and intend not only to get him to sign on the dotted line, but to induce him to see you outside of business hours. Have you ever done anything like that before, Victoria?"

"Never," said the human puppet.

Randy turned to face the audience dead-on while the follow spot left the beautiful executive and focused on the main attraction. Using his most lecherous mugging face, the hypnotist announced, "Well, you're gonna do it tonight!"

The crowd roared its approval. "Oh, yeah, he added parenthetically, "whenever I say the word 'yes' you will give voice to your, shall we say, less 'business-like' thoughts. You will not use profanity, but other than that, feel free to speak your mind. Speak loudly; nobody can hear you," he lied. When I speak again you may return to the business part of the meeting. Do you understand, Victoria?

"Yes," she said.

Randy returned to center stage and Joey the light technician adjusted the lights to set up the "interview."

Randy rapped the microphone to simulate a knock on the door. "Ms. Dunham, I'm Mike Rubio, your two o'clock."

"Please come in Mr. Rubio."

"Sure."

"I've seen your act, twice, and I think it's really good. May I ask you something?"

"Yes, certainly."

"My, my," she mused out loud. "You are a fine young thing, aren't you?" The audience erupted into laughter.

"Excuse me?"

"Mr. Rubio, may I call you Michael?"

"Yes."

"I wonder, do you like older women?" More laughs. "Maybe I'll dangle a little bait and see if you'll take it." She removed her suit jacket and placed it on her pretend desk. It fell to the stage. Underneath the jacket were broad slim shoulders perfectly framed underneath the soft satin blouse. Her breasts were small, considering the rest of her impressive physique, but were somehow perfect when taken in the context of the total package.