The Hypnotist

I was also losing a decent amount weight from all of the exercise I was doing. The almost daily runs increased from a few blocks to a few miles, and I was looking and feeling pretty good. I actually felt a sense of euphoria while running not unlike the high from cocaine, at least from whatever I remembered of the few times I tried it in college. I also made an effort to cook something healthy and delicious almost every night at home, unless my wife insisted we order in, which was rare. This was also helping me lose weight as well as save a bunch of money. My wife was ecstatic about getting all of these home-cooked meals, not to mention a fitter, more attractive husband. And neither of us had so much as thought about cigarettes in a long time.

Six months after the hypnosis, we were out running some errands when my wife got a phone call. She seemed a bit disturbed by whatever the person on the other end was saying, and ended the brief conversation by saying she would talk to her husband about it.

"What was that all about?" I asked.

"That hypnotist, Dr. Gregory...he wants to see us for a followup."

Not what I expected to hear. I wasn't sure I really wanted to go back to his office with my wife, but I would gladly buy that guy a beer somewhere.

"I'd say we are cured," I said. "We don't really have a reason to go back, right?"

"He said it would be free. Probably just wants to solicit some good reviews out of us."

"Okay, well I guess there's no harm. It might be nice to thank him for all he's done for us."

I wasn't really sure what to think about Dr. Gregory wanting to see us again in his office. But I owed this man a ton of gratitude. If he wanted to see us, I was willing.

A few days later, we drove out to Dr. Gregory's strip mall office. He warmly greeted us when we entered the door, and encouraged us to sit.

"You look fantastic!" he said to me. "You both do, honestly."

"Thanks," I said.

"And how are we doing with smoking?"

"Haven't even thought about it," my wife said.

"Excellent! I knew you guys were perfect for this. And how is everything else between you two. Are we happy at home?"

I felt uneasy. What was he getting at? I was deeply concerned that he was leading up to some big reveal about our secret side deal, which would likely ruin everything.

"Honestly yes. We've never been happier," my wife said, looking at me. "And I don't miss smoking at all."

"Great. Let me just say, and I hope this doesn't change how happy everybody is at the moment, but truthfully this hypnosis thing is sort of a scam. I mean, it does work for a time...maybe a few weeks, sometimes even a month or two. But any conditioning I did on you guys has long since wore off."

This was a somewhat stunning revelation.

"So remember that when I tell you what I am about to say next. You initially stopped smoking because I hypnotized you. But you stayed away from cigarettes for good because you really just didn't want them anymore. Now I also asked each of you privately if there were any behaviors that I could modify in your partner that you thought might make you a bit happier. Neither of you had extreme requests, but you both did ask for something."

I looked at my wife, who was as pale as a ghost. She did not or could not look at me.

"You could probably figure out what your partner asked for on your own. And remember, the hypnosis only worked for a few weeks. If you are still doing the things your partner wanted you to do, it is only because you truly find fulfillment in those things. You learned what made your spouse happy, and realized those things made you happy as well."

"Thank you, Doctor," I said curtly. "I think that's enough."

I got up to leave and my wife followed.

"Please remember to review me on Yelp!" said Dr. Gregory as we walked out the door.

I felt completely blindsided by what Dr. Gregory had said. I was so distracted by the constant blowjobs I had been getting that I never even stopped to consider how my own behavior changed after our first visit. It was so obvious to me now that my wife was the architect of my sudden affinities for exercise, cooking, and cleaning.

We pulled out of the parking lot in silence, and began driving down the road into a gorgeous sunset. Orange and pink and purple surrounded us as we made our way home. I suppose I wasn't upset that Dr. Gregory had revealed our secrets. He gave us a truly memorable six months, and hopefully these behaviors we had learned would continue, though perhaps in less extreme ways. I certainly wasn't going to stop running or cooking, activities I now genuinely loved. And hopefully my wife would continue to be a generous lover.

"Do you mind if we stop by the store so I can pick up a few things for dinner?" I asked.

My wife glared at me for a moment, then reached over and started unbuckling my belt.

"What are you doing?" I asked, legitimately surprised.

"Just focus on the road."