Chapter 3

The auditorium was sold out. Brad, Charlie and Lori were looking for their seats with the show set to begin within the next few minutes.

With Lori leading the way, Brad whispered in Charlie’s ear, “Are you sure about this?”

“Yeah man,” responded his friend, also in a low voice, “I went to see the guy this afternoon. We’ve got things arranged. All we have to do is volunteer Lori when the time comes.”

Lori looked up smiling and holding the tickets,” Here they are!”

“Wow, front row,” observed Brad. “You must be some kind of magic world VIP.”

“Oh I know a few people,” laughed Charlie as the three settled into their seats just as a neatly attired man in a tuxedo walked onto the stage. He was of average height but with a Van Dyke beard and eyes that seemed to glisten, he projected an air of mystery.

“Ladies and gentlemen, good evening! I am the Amazing Mesmer. Tonight you will be amazed by some old fashioned stage illusion, feats of mentalist magic AND we shall also explore the mysteries of the human mind and demonstrate how each of you can succumb to the power of suggestion.”

Charlie winked at Brad but had to remain subtle as Lori was sitting between them.

The show opened with some slelght of hand which led to some larger illusions regarding pigeons and finally the magician made a motorcycle disappear with people from the audience standing in a circle around it. Then it was on to his mentalist routine where he divined the serial number on a dollar bill which a member of the audience fished from his wallet. After that came an illusion involving a word chosen at random, by an audience member from a book, also chosen at random. When the word was revealed the magician pulled an envelope from his pocket and revealed the same word printed on the sheet of paper inside.

Lori, Charlie and Brad joined in with the applause.

“We shall now take a short break and then I’ll be back with more illusions from the Amazing Mesmer,” said the magician who disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Again there was applause and the intermission began.

“Is he good or what?” smiled Charlie.

“Okay, I’ve got to admit I have no idea how he did any of those tricks,” laughed Lori.

“Join the club,” smiled Brad in return. “I just hope the second act is as good as the first.”

“How about a drink?” asked Charlie. “I saw a concession stand in the lobby.”

“None for me,” said Lori, “I’m going to visit the ladies room.”

When she was lost to sight in the large crowd headed for the lobby, Brad turned to his friend.

“Charlie, are you sure about this. This guy may be a great magician but he kind of gives me the willies.”

“It’s okay. Yeah I felt the same way about him this afternoon when I visited him at his hotel bar. But if he can do what he says he can do...”

“That’s my point, you’re putting your wife into the hands of a guy who you know nothing about.”

“I don’t have to like him, Brad. All we have to do is get Lori up on the stage as a volunteer during the hypnosis part of the act. He told me there’s a small chance she isn’t susceptible to suggestion in which case the deal is off. But if she is, he will give her what they call a post hypnotic suggestion to come to his dressing room after the performance. You and I will be there so there’s no chance he can pull any monkey business. He’ll put her under and make her obey whatever I tell her to do,”

“Do you really want to do this to Lori?” Asked Brad.

“No harm no foul, Buddy. I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her or...”

“But you’re going to tell her to go bed with another man ... me.”

“Are you planning on hurting her?” Asked Charlie.

“Of course not!”

“Then what’s the harm. You both get a roll in the hay. Lori gets laid by probably the most experienced man about town and you get in my wife’s pants ... something I bet you’ve thought about on more than one occasion.”

“Look, I’ll admit Lori is a gorgeous woman, and sure, I’m a man and I’m human. What man wouldn’t engage in a little fantasy after meeting her. But...”

“Well, Brad, here’s your chance to live that fantasy and with everyone’s permission.”

“Except Lori,” stated Brad.

“By the time Mesmer gets through with her she’ll want you to bed her.”

“Look, how about I just take her out for drinks one night and we see what develops?”

“Brad, you don’t know Lori like I do. She’d never even agree to having a drink with you, let alone going to bed with you. No, this is the only way she’ll ever agree to what we have in mind.”

“What YOU have in mind,” corrected Brad.

“Are you backing out on me?”

“ ... No, I’ll go along as long as no one is getting hurt. I don’t want Lori to wind up with some sleezeball...”

“And...?” Smiled Charlie.

“Okay, I admit, you’ve got a gorgeous wife any man, and probably most women, would love to take to bed. I just wish there was another way.”

“Don’t worry so much, Brad. I’ve got this under control.”

“I hope so, said Charlie’s friend as they spotted Lori returning.

As they seated themselves once again, Charlie smiled at his wife. “How would you like to be part of his act?”

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Well, I heard while you were gone that he uses audience members for his hypnosis part of the act.”

“Oh, I don’t think so,” she began.

“Oh, come on Honey, it will be fun.”

“Then why don’t you volunteer?”

“Because who wants to see me on the stage when they can look at you.”

“Oh, Charlie, you’re always tossing out compliments ... but I never get tired of hearing them,” she said smiling.

“Then you’ll do it?” asked her husband.

“If you really want me to,” She replied.

And with that they sat back to enjoy the rest of the show.

The magician appeared once again on what waa now a bare stage except for five chairs.

“And now to demonstrate the power of the human mind,” he said. “I will need five volunteers from the audience.”

“Lori was hesitant but Charlie nudged her and reluctantly her hand went up.

Mesmer seemed to be looking across the audience but his eyes settled on Lori immediately. “Ah, yes, the lady in the yellow outfit.”

“Go on,” whispered Charlie.

“Hesitantly Lori stood and proceeded to the stage while the magician selected four others from the audience, two men and two women.

When all were seated in the chairs he introduced himself to them and had them tell their names to the audience.

He then moved silently from one to the other, whispered something in their ear and then moved to the next. When finished, he walked back across the seated volunteers studying them intently. Without ceremony he asked one man and one woman to rise and return to their seats in the audience explaining they were simply not good subjects for hypnosis. Lori was among those remaining wondering what would come next.

By simply whispering into their ears Mesmer soon had the other woman, Angela, running furiously around the stage to evade a nonexistent flurry of spiders. Her shrieks and antics to evade the arachnids delighted the audience as did Bill, a 265 pound, obese man who after being whispered to, proceeded to dance around the stage as if a sugarplum fairy from the ballet “Nutcracker.” The audience howled until Mesmer awoke both from their trances and directed two very confused people back to their seats.

Now it was Lori ‘s turn. She had enjoyed the antics of Angela and Bill, but was now a bit concerned as to what Mesmer had in mind for her.

With a wry smile on his face he bend over and whispered her ear, perhaps a bit longer than with the others, but then turned to the audience with a smile. “ I would hope all of you would know I would never do anything to truly hurt or devastate any of my audience volunteers. And tonight is no exception, however, have you heard there is a new burlesque dancer in town?”

He nodded offstage and some bump and grind music blared through the auditorium speakers. He motioned and Lori stood and came to his side.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our newest burlesque queen, LORI!”

Mesmer stepped to the side and the stage belonged to Lori. He simply gave her a slight nod and to the amazement of everyone, Charlie and Brad included, she did not actually take off any clothes but her body began rhythmically moving to the music. With every note emphasized in the song, she would thrust her hips to the delight of the audience. With every bass drum beat she would thrust her lower torso as one might do during sex. When the music became staccato she shook her breasts which, even under the modest outfit she wore, caused a lot of ogling. She pranced, she smiled salaciously, she spun, and most of all she moved her body in the most sensuous manner. To sum it up, Lori was doing everything a stripper/prostitute would do to seduce a client.

Charlie and Brad looked at each other dumbfounded. Despite being an exceptionally attractive woman, Lori was normally quit and reserved. This was simply a complete role reversal for her. At home, for Charlie, maybe, but in front of an audience including Brad, there was just no way she would exhibit such sensuous and sensual behavior.

The music ended and Mesmer directed Lori back to her seat as the audience showed its approval. He whispered in her ear and then, as before with Angela and Bill, he counted backward, “Three, Two, One, wake up Lori!”

The beautiful housewife seemed to startle into wakefulness.

“ ... What ... What happened?” She asked sheepishly.

“Oh, you just may have found a new profession,” laughed Mesmer along with the audience.

Lori was shown back to her seat where she remained puzzled.

“Did he make me do something foolish?” She asked of Charlie and Brad.