The Audition Pt. 01

After he walks in, the maid closes the door behind him. She blocks my way, clearly protective of whoever's inside. "So, let's be honest. How do you think he did?" I ask, admittedly, a bit more blunt than I would've preferred.

She stares back at me, a bit hesitant about how to answer. "He did well. I definitely dropped for real. There was no doubt."

Good. She responded well. "Okay, what did he do that you liked, in particular? Anything stand out to you?"

Her eyes start darting around again. I made her anxious again. Great. "Um. Um, well, he made me feel really nice, and relaxed, and nice..."

"Did he make you feel comfortable? Safe?"

"I guess? It was nice, but I don't know if I'd say I felt super safe."

I sigh, and lean back in my seat. "Then he didn't keep the more important lessons I taught him in that skull of his. I told him that no matter how good your inductions are, pre-talk and post-talk are just as important as anything else. And he didn't insist on getting feedback from you, or any aftercare."

"Well, you know. I'm not the main event. I'm just the last bit of vetting before the real thing. It's fine if I'm not given as much attention." She stares away. She does that a lot, breaking eye contact when you push her comfort zone a bit. It's good info.

I stand up and slowly walk towards the door. "That's such bullshit, though. I didn't realize that not being the 'main event' means you're not treated as you should."

"It's not that different from just listening to a file, really. A .mp3 doesn't check to see if you're okay. So, it's nothing new for me. I'm fine, really." She stares right at me, eyebrows furrowed just the smallest amount.

The awkward silence takes back over the room as I move back to the couch. The air is cool and crisp as the AC blows, but filled with this energy of just, pure discomfort. "Patrick mentioned that you were his mentor as a hypnotist. How long have you been practicing?"

I am caught off-guard, as the girl in black and white actually takes charge of the conversation. Good for her. "Oh, gosh. It's been years now. Probably... 7? But I haven't done anything with it in about 2 years, so I don't know if it's as impressive as it sounds."

"Well, I think it's impressive! You and your um... protege, certainly have more skill than the others we've had come here and try."

"Oh, really? I can't imagine there's a very big candidate pool to start. How bad are we talking?" Is she venting?

"Well, we got one guy who had this induction about a... brain worm? That tried to take over the brain? It was absolutely gross and took me so far out of the moment. I wouldn't dare let him see her."

"Ah yes, because the emotions that we most associate with relaxation and calm are, y'know, absolutely fear and disgust. A totally viable strategy." She giggles at the joke, which I consider a personal victory.

"I'm curious how he's doing. There's no way I can get in, right?"

Her eyes shoot straight to the top right corner of her face. It's a common look, but it's pretty cute, if I'm honest. She tries so hard! "Well, the only instructions I was given were that I can only let people in if they drop me. So, you know, if you want me to let you in..." She looks up at me, expectantly.

"Oh!"

Oh.

She stares at me, with those big eyes of hers, as I am stuck at a loss of what to do. But she's so cute, and is so clearly ready for me. A sigh escapes my lips.

"Do you know what the nice thing about working with such an experienced subject is, Jess?"

She blinks, a mix of surprised and pleased. "Um, I'm not sure. What's the nice thing about working with an experienced subject?"

I walk towards her, and hold one finger up, about a foot away from her face. Her eyes immediately snap to it. "The nice thing is, is that you know exactly where you want to go. You know exactly where you want to be. And exactly how nice it feels to let go."