"So how is your apartment coming?" Amanda wasn't settled yet, and I liked to chat with her, so I had her update me every day on her progress.

She smiled. "It's getting there," she said. Her smile is quite attractive, and I felt good about trying to make her feel comfortable in her new surroundings. She was still in her first week working with us.

It occurred to me to ask her out for a bite to eat. I certainly didn't have any date lined up, and I figured she wouldn't either, as of yet. "Jessica," said someone behind me.

I turned to find Michelle. "There you are," she said with a grin. "Come, lets go get something to eat."

It was five and though Michelle is my best friend, I was a little sorry that the plan shaping itself in my mind was derailed. I said a quick goodbye to Amanda and had the fleeting thought that she might want to come with us. But

Michelle seemed ready to move and I followed her. Soon we were sitting at Benny's.

"I have to ask you something," Michelle said after we'd ordered. "Have you ever visited a hypnotist?"

"What?" I said. This wasn't a usual subject of our conversation.

"I met these people," Michelle said. "You've got to meet them."

She was obviously excited, but it wasn't clear to me at all why. "Hypnotists?"

"Yes," she said. "They're a couple. They're great. You

have to see them."

"Well..."

"Just say yes," said Michelle. I had the feeling our chat wouldn't go far until I acknowledged her enthusiasm, but I was still confused as to why she was so insistent.

"Tonight," Michelle said when we were finally leaving.

"We'll see them now."

"Just drop in?" She'd sounded like she'd visited them at home.

"It's fine," she said. Then, as she drove, she said: "Now there's one thing you have to be OK with."

"Yes?" I said, still wondering what this was about.

"You have to be OK with them hypnotizing a woman to have sex."

"What?" I said, startled. This was highly unlike Michelle.

"That's awful!"

"Not for someone who's fine with it," said Michelle. "It can be mind-blowing."

I thought about this. I supposed if all parties were willing, that it might be all right for someone into those sorts of things. "Look," she said, "you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. Just come and see what it's like."

I was very uneasy. "What's going to happen?" I said.

Michelle smiled. "You're not going to believe this," she said.

I do trust Michelle, but this was so unlike her.

"What is this?" I said. The man, Charles was his name, had just put on a CD. It certainly wasn't music.

"It's a waterfall sound," said Patricia, his wife. "It can help the process." Michelle sat on a couch, still grinning at me occasionally, obviously unable to wait for me to see whatever was coming. I sat on an identical couch, and

Charles went back to sit by Patrica. They certainly looked like a devoted couple.

They hadn't said anything about what Michelle said about sex, but they were obviously into hypnosis. Charles returned to a story he'd been telling us, and for a moment,

I watched Michelle's eyes on him. Patricia simply smiled and said little. I soon lost the thread of the story, again.

"OK, now," said Charles, facing Michelle. "How would you like to unbutton your blouse?" It was an outrageous thing to say as we sat there, but Michelle was calm, much calmer than she had been before we'd arrived. "Go ahead," said Charles.

As I watched, Michelle began to do it!

It's hard to understand how I simply sat there, taking this in. "Now, slip your pants off," said Charles. Michelle didn't hesitate a bit, and soon had them off. "Now," said

Charles, "tell us what turns you on, sex-wise."

Michelle looked thoughtful. "I--I'm not sure," she said.

"Different things." I well-understood her reluctance to simply blurt out such things. But usually Michelle isn't as shy about such things as I would be.

"Do you like to be touched? Fingered?"

"Yes," said Michelle.

"Your breasts and nipples touched?"

"Yes," she said. As she said it, I couldn't help but imagine such an experience. It had been far too long for me!

"Kissed?" said Charles.

"Yes," she said.

"Your nipples kissed?"

"Yes."

"Do women turn you on?"

"No," she said. As I think of it, it's a little surprising she said that, though I could certainly sympathize. Despite all you hear, I'd never found women appealing in that way.

"Are you sure?" said Charles.

"Yes," said Michelle.

"I'd say in the right circumstances, if you were turned on, you would indeed find a woman's touch arousing," said