Cynthia pressed her hands over her client's back as he lay on the massage table, easing out the tension, using her thumbs to smooth out the small muscles along the sides of the spine, then drawing back and out along the teres major. She waited a bit, listening to the soothing recording of surf playing softly through the speakers in the head of the massage table, listening for her cue, continuing when she heard it.

"Good David, relax now, deep breath and let go."

She pressed on his mid back with both hands as he exhaled. A special chime sounded as she pressed. The effect on him was profound; she felt him let go and melt under her hands. She repeated "Relax... Relax..." in time to the chime for a bit, then moving her hands up to his head and neck, repeating slightly after the chime sounded, slower now, "Deeper and deeper, more and more relaxed."

Cynthia smiled as she looked at the young lawyer deep in trance on the table before her. The chime had stopped, its work done. She massaged his shoulders for a bit; he was tight. She sighed; these kids push themselves so hard. She was glad she could help them relax.

After about ten minutes she had him roll over to his back. His face was smooth and relaxed, his mouth open slightly, breathing shallow and slow. She'd looked at his chart; he was a lemon person. Even though it wasn't needed to keep him entranced, it was part of the pattern, so she took an eyedropper and put a small measured amount of lemon flavored liquid beneath his tongue. His mouth worked slowly, and he smiled softly.

"Good, David, that will help that dry throat and ease the stress. Relax more for me."

She pulled up her stool and sat at the head of the massage table, gently working his neck for a few minutes, then moving to his head, giving the drug time to work. When she started massaging his temples she was rewarded with a long sigh. She looked down at the towel covering his crotch and was pleased to see a growing bulge.

She picked up the small remote with one hand and with the other started drawing small gentle circles on his forehead, a special touch made even more special by... another set of chimes sounded as she pushed the button on the remote.

As the sound of that chime faded, she spoke softly "Now David, what did you need to tell Cynthia?"

He'd called yesterday afternoon, complaining of a stress headache, was there any way she could see him in the morning? His conscious mind didn't know it, but that was his way of signaling he'd come across something potentially useful. These morning slots were specifically reserved for "stress headache" sessions.

He moved slightly, then spoke slowly, softly. "Wortfields is in big trouble with their auditors. Someone's been cooking the books. The auditors are threatening to withdraw and go to the SEC."

Cynthia smiled. She'd heard this already, a few days ago from an attorney with the auditing firm, another sudden "stress headache." But, David had done well and should be rewarded.

She pushed the remote again, sounding the chime. "Very good, David, that was very good. Now you can forget to remember you told me, forget to remember, so easy to forget, all you can remember is now your headache is gone, and I'm very pleased with you, very pleased."

She watched him relax again and smile softly, still deep in a trance. She peeled off her top and took off her bra. She replaced the remote and flipped the towel off his midsection. He had a very nice erection indeed. He'd get a reward, but not as good as the reward she'd given the first person to supply her with this news. She put some oil on one hand as she stood and leaned over the table, lowering a nipple to his mouth, and moving her oiled hand to his cock.

She heard his sharp inhale as her nipple touched his lips and her hand touched his cock. He started sucking slowly as she pumped him with her hand. "Very good, David, you have made me very happy, and now I will make you happy. This is how I reward little boys that make me happy."

His sucking intensified following the action of her hand. She moved her other hand underneath her skirt and put it to good use, using her own self-hypnotic conditioning to bring herself to the edge of an orgasm. As his sucking and her own hand took her over the edge, she said "Come David, come for me. Now." and felt him shudder on the table, feeling his warmth pulse through his cock and on to his belly and her hand.

As she came down from her own release she let herself rest for a moment, then said "Deep trance David, deep trance for me." and felt his lips slow on her nipple, then stop. She raised herself up slowly, picking up the remote again and pressing another button. A different recording started, surf again through the speakers in the table, but this time with her voice, reinforcing his hypnotic conditioning, She felt her shoulders relax involuntarily as she heard her own voice saying "relax." She quickly cleaned him up with a washcloth, replaced his towel, got dressed, and left the room. The recording would go for fifteen minutes, then would wake him. The only thing he'd consciously remember is coming in with a headache and leaving feeling relaxed and refreshed after spending the time with her; well, that and the bill for the session.

Cynthia walked across the hall to her office with a smile. It was good to get confirmation on Wortfields' problems; actually the auditors threatening to go to the SEC was new; perhaps she should have given him a better reward. She'd spoken to her investment "advisor" and made her decisions a few days ago; her investment plan stood to make a reasonable amount of money when Wortfields' troubles came to light and their stock went in the toilet. A reasonable amount of money, but not a huge amount; that was the secret, don't be greedy.

She went to the private restroom off her office and washed up. Helping these people was so rewarding. She laughed as she looked at herself in the mirror; late 30's, pleasing but not stunning figure, sparkling blue eyes and an easy smile beneath those short dark curls.

Back at her desk, she reviewed the paperwork for her next appointment; an initial interview. Let's see, fourth year associate at a prominent law firm, recommended by a senior partner who was also her client; on the fast track for partnership, showing great tact, skill, and talent in tricky securities and merger and acquisition matters. Yes, he'd make a good addition, especially since the partner recommending him had moved out of the fast paced work that provided her such profitable information. She glanced at the partner's file; he still provided the occasional useful nugget of information, and had sent her quite a charming bracelet for Christmas last year. She closed her eyes and relaxed back in the chair, time enough for a short break.

Her secretary showed him in promptly at ten. As he stepped into her office she stood to greet him. She smiled; he looked as his paperwork would suggest; bright, energetic, harried.

"Roger, I'm Cynthia. Please have a seat." They shook hands in a perfunctory manner and sat down.

She looked over his file again, the questionnaires he'd filled out, even though she'd reviewed it earlier. "I see you're in your fourth year at the firm; Mr. Perkins recommend us to you?"

Roger gave her a warm but weary smile. He wanted this to work very much; taking two hours out from the office in the morning was tough, especially a Monday, but Perkins was helping.

"Yes, Mr. Perkins suggested it would be good for me. He's been concerned I'm pushing myself too much."

"And are you?" Cynthia asked.

Roger laughed. "It depends on who you ask. Most of the partners and our clients wouldn't think so."

Cynthia chuckled along. Then she looked him in the eye and said softly, seriously "But how do you feel about it?"

Roger sighed and let his shoulders drop. "It's Monday and already I feel beat." he told her. "I need help relaxing, coping with the stress. I'm almost there..." He looked into her eyes; if she could do what Perkins and the others said, it would be worth the time, and the money.

"Thank you Roger." Cynthia said softly. "I appreciate your honesty; you understand the strict confidentiality of our relationship, of our conversations. I need your honesty if I'm to help you deal with the stresses in your life."

Roger smiled again; he'd been nervous, hearing from others that they'd tried to become her clients with no success.

"And I appreciate the detail you've given me in filling out the questionnaires; that helps as well, knowing more about your life, what you enjoy doing."

She shuffled papers a little more. She smiled as a thought hit her and she picked up Perkins' file. He was due in again next week. Why not have him pick up part of the tab for Roger?

She put the file down and got out her blood pressure cuff. "Take off your coat, please. You've not had any caffeine this morning as I requested?"

Roger slipped off his coat and said "No caffeine, but it was very difficult; a hard habit to break."

Cynthia laughed as she stepped around the desk and slid the cuff up his arm over his shirt sleeve.

"I know, but caffeine is a two edged sword; one of the things you need to learn is to pay attention to you body and take better care of yourself. Now, close your eyes for me and relax, think of some very relaxing place that's special to you, so peaceful and relaxing."

She slowed her voice as he closed his eyes; she saw the muscles around his eyes relax a bit and his breathing slow a little; he'd be easy. She pushed the button on the automatic blood pressure cuff and kept talking to him softly, slowly over the humming of the instrument.

"That's good, let yourself go to that special place, so tranquil, so peaceful, nothing to do except relax and be there, I want you to imagine you're hearing the sounds of that place, smelling the special smells..."

She watched as he took a sharper breath. "Good, be there, smell it, feel it, hear it, so relaxing." His head started to drift forward. This was going to be fun. "Wonderful... Now take a deep breath and open your eyes, keeping that relaxed feeling with you."

She slid the deflated cuff off his arm, and put a hand on his shoulder as he opened his eyes.

Roger couldn't believe it; he'd almost been there, just by listening to this woman's voice and remembering how wonderful it had been. He opened his eyes and looked at her stooping still by his side, her hand on his shoulder, a soft smile in her face.

"Thank you. That was magic." He told her.

She laughed easily as she went back behind her desk. "No, it was you, and that's part of what we'll work on." She scratched down numbers on his chart -- his blood pressure was a little high, but not bad.

She looked at him intently. "Close your eyes and tell me where you were. Give me details, let yourself go there again. Now."

Roger closed his eyes. The world seemed to wobble a bit as she said "Now" with emphasis. He took a deep breath and started. "It was the week after the bar exam. I went to a friend's place on a lake on the Upper Peninsula with... a friend. It was so peaceful, so quiet. Rocking in a hammock, no pressure, the sounds of the breeze going through the trees, the smell of the trees, her..." He opened his eyes quickly, the memory of her scent popping him back to the real world.

Cynthia smiled and said softly. "That's all right. You could have gone on. I could tell you were relaxing very well, enjoying it. This is going to be easy for you, but hard at the same time; hard because you're going to have to learn to let go and flow with those feelings, let go and not be in control all the time. That's one of the secrets to relaxing."

Roger sighed. He did feel more relaxed than he had in weeks. He looked at the clock on her desk and the impatient attorney indoctrinated into billing his time in 15 minute increments returned to the fore. "Thank you. I look forward to that. What's the next step?"

Cynthia smiled. She'd seen his glance at the clock; she'd have to move it so clients couldn't see it.

"Well, I provide a sanctuary; a place and time for you to relax, relax and let go. It's that simple. It's also more complex than that. After years and years of pushing, driving, working so hard, it takes time to teach you how to relax again. You've just shown me you can do it. I think my program is right for you, and working together I can help you a great deal."

Roger smiled and sighed, relaxing a bit into the chair; he was in.

Cynthia watched him sink back with a big sigh; she had him hook, line, and sinker.

"My program combines massage with guided imagery to teach your body and mind how to relax again, and relax together. Each session starts out with a deep relaxing massage and ends with guided imagery. Many clients find it so relaxing they often fall asleep during the process, and that's one of the reasons we schedule things the way we do, to give you the time to relax, to sleep if that's what you need. We train your body and your mind, and after the first few sessions, as you become better and better trained, you'll find that you can't help but to relax. Does that sound good?"

Roger shivered a little as this incredible woman looked deep into him, telling him that he couldn't help but to relax... How he wanted that... "Yes..."

Cynthia kept her voice soft and slow; he was practically in a trance already. "Good. This is a sanctuary; a place where you don't need to be in control; you're safe here, this is the place you come to relax, to let go. You're safe and cared for here. Close your eyes for me and feel it; feel the caring, the comfort, the peace and quiet."

Roger leaned back in the chair and let his eyes close. He could feel the peace, the tranquillity. He needed a place like this, a sanctuary.

Cynthia spoke for another minute, watching him unwind. She reached for a button on her desk and pressed it.

Roger heard a soft and wonderful chime sound, then heard Cynthia's voice saying softly "Relax." While the chime initially startled him, her voice soothed him, and as the chime sounded again and again along with her voice, he found it easier and easier to relax more and more.

She continued for a while with the chime; she needed to move him now, get on with things. She sighed, she wished they were all so easy. She smiled and scribbled a note to herself; was it the liberal arts majors, the general attorneys, so easy and the patent attorneys so hard because of their heavy analytical scientific training? The CPA types in the middle? She'd have to look at her records and see; an interesting hypothesis.

"Now Roger, when I count to three, you will open your eyes and be back with me, still relaxed. One, moving your arms and legs a little, Two, moving more and starting to sit up, Three, deep breath and eyes open."

Roger forced himself to sit up and open his eyes. He felt great, that had been fantastic. He looked across the desk at Cynthia and smiled.

"How did that feel?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I didn't want it to end. I wanted to keep going."

She stood up, he followed. "Good. We will take you there again in a few minutes. The remaining paper work can wait."

She led him down the hall and had him visit the bathroom, then they went into a small room, closing the door behind them. The room had a chair and a small stand with a mirror. There was a door leading into another room.

"The first thing you do, always, is go to the bathroom. No caffeine or alcohol for at least six hours before a session. In here you disrobe completely. If you have a cell phone or pager, you must turn them off, or better yet, don't bring them. Even though we probably won't hear them in the next room, this is a sanctuary, and those things are not welcome here. If we hear one going off during a session, that session ends immediately and you will be told to leave and never return. Do you understand me?"

Roger nodded his head; he didn't carry a pager and had left his cell phone in the office; Perkins had suggested he do that, and now he understood why.

Cynthia smiled again after her moment of sternness. "Good. We have few rules, but that's one of them. The other rule we have regards massage. The goal of massage here is relaxation, not sexual release. We understand that during a massage some people naturally become aroused; that's perfectly acceptable. It is not acceptable to ask your masseuse to do something about it. Clear?"

Roger smiled. "Yes, that's clear. But I thought I'd be working with you?"

Cynthia smiled again; the attachment was forming already. She touched his shoulder gently. "You will be. The first few sessions, in the morning, are your training sessions. I do these myself, totally. Once I'm satisfied you're adequately trained, we move you to an afternoon/evening time. For those sessions, you start out with a massage from one of our massage staff; they're all very talented, better than I am in some respects. But you always finish up with me for the guided imagery."

Roger relaxed again. He was looking forward to her touch. And he'd seen a couple younger gals in the office. Were those the massage staff?

Cynthia noted his eyes wandering. She opened the other door and stepped into the next room. It held a massage table, a stool, and a wicker arrangement with towels and massage supplies.

"Once you disrobe, come in here and push this button." She indicated a button by the door. "This lets us know you're ready. Then lay on the massage table, face down. Put the towel over your bottom, take a deep breath, and relax. That's all you have to do for the next hour and a half. Can you do that for me?"

Roger laughed a bit. It would be great. "Yes, I can do that. The hard part will be scheduling time in the mornings the next few weeks."

Cynthia nodded her head. "I'll speak to Perkins about that. Your blood pressure was quite high; you need this very much to stay healthy. I'm sure he will help you with your schedule. Your firm needs healthy attorneys, not burned out ones."

Roger certainly agreed with that. He started taking off his tie when Cynthia said "Oh, I forgot one of the most important questions. Lemon or Wild Cherry?"

Roger was confused, and from the way Cynthia laughed, he must have looked it.

Cynthia laughed. "I'm sorry. One of the things I've learned from massage and this work is that your mouth tends to dry out; you may have noticed that back in my office. I've got special drops I use that help keep that from happening and bothering you. You get your choice of lemon or wild cherry."

Roger licked his lips and thought for a moment; Cynthia said "I'll go get both so you can try them and decide. You can slip out of your shirt and shoes, I'll knock."

She went out the door into the hall and Roger went into the little room, sat on the stool and started undressing.

Cynthia chuckled as she went to her office, asking Diane to schedule Roger's blood tests. She smiled as she thought about it; the same ploy, the same result, every time. He was a natural, she'd hardly need to drug him, but keeping the protocol constant helped. He'd probably only need two training sessions, but she'd give him four; tell Perkins he was pushing the boy too hard and running the risk of burning him out. If the blood tests came back soon, she might even give him a "private" session over the weekend; he looked very fit. She retrieved her two bottles and went back through the massage room, knocking before she entered the dressing area.