I had never been to this particular place before, but Roxanne had. From the outside, it looked like all the rest, but inside was a pleasant surprise.

It was large, with a correspondingly large dance floor. Tables and booths were scattered like islands. The music was loud but not deafening, and it was actually good music. My feet were already tapping as Roxy and I moved toward the dance floor.

We spent two songs working up a sweat, then Roxy tipped her head in the direction of the bar. I nodded. Time for a drink.

"Cosmopolitan and an Irish Mist rocks." The bartender was efficient, and in a moment we were leaning against the bar, watching.

There was certainly a lot to watch. The women here seemed more reserved than the women in the places we frequented, but that somehow made them sexier. This was not a place for liplocks. This was a place to tease, to tantalize, to enjoy foreplay with a crowd. The real action, I realized, happened once these women left here.

I nodded in the direction of two women wearing business suits. They held each other close and slow danced to a song I didn't know. I chuckled at that - the places we usually went didn't play slow songs.

"Roxy, wanna slow dance?" I was warming up now, from the dancing and the Irish Mist, and watching those two businesswomen caress each other as they moved.

To my surprise she shook her head no. She seemed to be looking at something behind me, so I turned in the same direction.

Sitting at a corner table was a tall blonde. Opposite her, with her back to us, was a redhead, and her arm was pointing straight up in the air. Around them was about half a dozen women, watching whatever was going on.

"What's this about?" Roxy murmured as she headed for the corner. I followed, and as we joined the group the woman's hand was lowering back down into her lap. Her eyes were closed, I now saw.

The other women clapped softly, and the blonde smiled.

"And now, Cathy, at the count of five you will awaken, feeling wonderfully refreshed, relaxed, and very sexy. One, two, three, four, five, eyes open, wide awake."

The redhead's eyes opened, and she took a deep breath. The group was clapping again, and the blonde was smiling at everyone. After a moment the redhead took a sip of her drink, set it down, and said, "Wow. That was great. Thanks."

The blonde smiled again. "You're quite welcome. How do you feel?"

The redhead grinned. "Horny." There was general laughter, the redhead excused herself with more thanks, and she and her partner headed for the dance floor.

As I watched them go, I heard Roxy ask, "What did you do, hypnotize her?" I looked back at the blonde, who was nodding.

"Yes. Interested?" She tipped her head and gave Roxy a look.

That was when I really noticed her eyes, deep and clear and blue. I'd never been hypnotized before, and as I wondered what it would be like to fall into those eyes, I heard my own voice saying, "I am."

Those blue eyes instantly focused on me, and my face flushed. "Have you ever been hypnotized?" she asked. I shook my head, wondering why I'd opened my mouth. But then I remembered what she'd told the redhead before waking her up - she'd feel sexy. Did sexy feel different when you were hypnotized? My face flushed deeper, and this time it wasn't from embarrassment.

Blue eyes looked back at Roxy. "Did you want to be hypnotized?"

Roxy shook her head, grinning. "Nah, that's OK. She really seems to want to."

Blue eyes nodded. "OK. Then she will be. Have a seat." The group parted to let me sit down, in the same chair the redhead had been hypnotized in. I looked across the table at the blonde, wondering what it would be like sinking down into those blue eyes. "I'm Dulce," she said, offering her hand.

"Joan," I said, taking her hand. Our eyes met, and I wanted to keep staring, just to see what would happen. Would I go under quickly? Would my arm point up like the redhead's had? Would she tell me to feel sexy?

She must have sensed how eager I was. She smiled, still holding my hand. I became acutely aware of her touch, and my hand tingled. How long before I fall into those eyes?

"I think a candle will do nicely for you." I blinked, her hand was gone, her eyes were gone. She slid a short, wide, round, white candle in a holder to the center of the table, and one of the women lit it. "Yes, I'm sure that watching the candle for a few moments will send you into a deep trance."

My mind was racing. I'm going to be hypnotized. How can I be with the music playing and all these people watching? What does it feel like to be hypnotized? Will I know I'm hypnotized? Will I feel sexy?

She put her hands on the table, palms down, surrounding the candle. "All you have to do, Joan, is focus on the candle and listen to the sound of my voice. That's all you have to do, and before you know it you will be in a deep trance."

Something about the way she said that sent a thrill up and down my spine. She was moving her fingers a little on the table, I noticed, just sliding them back and forth, not even an inch at time. I actually found that distracting as I tried to stare at the candle.

"All you do is watch and listen. You have no conscious control over what happens, it will all happen without your awareness and without your conscious thought. Without even thinking about it you will drift into a deep trance."

The song that was playing was one of my favorites, I noticed. But how could I notice that if I'm being hypnotized? I wished she would stop swishing her fingers back and forth.

"As you watch the candle flame, focusing on the way the colors change and dance, almost as if dancing to the music, the music you do not listen to as you focus on the sound of my voice."

The colors dance to the music I don't listen to. Huh? I tried to follow what she was saying, and I felt my scalp tingling. This wasn't what I had expected.

"Watching the candle flame, listening to the sound of my voice, drifting into a deep trance. It happens without your conscious awareness, without even knowing it you will soon be in a deep trance. It will feel so good to drift into a deep trance, letting go, drifting, relaxing. Already you find yourself focusing on the flickering flame. Drifting, letting go, it happens without your conscious awareness. Deeper and deeper."

She was still moving her fingers - or was she? I stared at the flame, watching it dance. But there was no music, was there?

"And now without being aware of it you find that you cannot look away from the candle. You may not be aware that you may try to look away from the candle, but you will not notice that you find you cannot look away from the candle no matter how hard you think you are trying. You can try if you think you can, but do not think about it. You may not even be consciously aware of the sound of my voice as you focus on the flame."

I just stared. I had no idea what to think. Or if I should think. Or even if I could think.

"Focusing on the sound of my voice and the flickering flame and letting go, drifting deeper and deeper now, deeper into a deep trance. Deeper into a deep trance. Deeper into the deep trance you have drifted into."

I have?

Something happened. I did indeed feel like I was drifting, and the candle suddenly filled my vision. I heard her voice clearly, when she spoke, and when she was silent, the sound of the music and the crowd was a muted buzz.

"Drifting off, deeper and deeper into this deep hypnotic trance you have drifted into. Deeper and deeper, as you hear the numbers from ten to zero, deeper with each number, and the sound of my voice will send you even deeper. The sound of not my voice will make you want to hear my voice, and will so send you deeper and deeper."

I couldn't even wonder what that meant. I sat there, glowing, warm, light, and totally uncaring of everything except her voice and the candle flame.

"Ten." Her voice. Deeper. Did her fingers move?

"Nine." A different voice? Where was hers?

"Eight." Her voice. Deeper.

"Seven." The voice wavered. Roxy? Didn't know. Didn't care.

"Six." Her voice. Five. Four. Different voices, different numbers going by as I sat staring at the flame. The music was gone now. There was just the voices - then only her voice.

"Zero. Close your eyes and go ten times as deep."

It went dark. I didn't know what ten times deeper felt like, but my body seemed to melt away. I heard her voice, I knew it was her voice, but I didn't know nor care what she was saying. Then I felt motion, and some distant part of me wondered if I was raising my arm up in the air. There was no sense of time, there was no sense of anything really, just the warm soft glow which was wrapped around me. It could have been one minute or it could have been an hour I sat there, bathing in the glow, hearing her words and somehow knowing I was responding to them.

Her voice became clearer, and I know I heard the number four. That was followed by five, and my eyes were open again. I felt SO good.....

Dulce was sitting across from me, smiling. Roxy was beside me, wearing an odd smile as well.

"How do you feel?"

Oh god. Dulce's voice. There was no answer to that question. I felt like I'd never felt before, still warm and light and heavy and happy. So that was hypnosis. I liked it, and promised myself I'd experience it again, as often as possible. My crooked smile must have been answer enough for Dulce.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. And now, ladies, I must be on my way." She rose to a chorus of disappointment from those who still wanted to be entranced. Dulce was firm, saying she would be back some other time, and vanished out the door with many eyes following her.

"How was it?" Startled, I turned to see Roxy looking at me with a gleam in her eyes. Cathy and her partner had returned from the dance floor and were standing behind her as well.

"Rox... it was... I can't... wow." I shook my head and shivered.

"Joan, I want you to kiss me, hard, now."

I laughed and was going to say something about waiting till we were home. But suddenly I felt a desire building inside me, a longing, a need, a burning ache to kiss her. I stared at her, and she watched me closely, as if wondering what I was going to do. Why would she wonder? I grabbed her and kissed her - hard. It felt so very good.

To my amazement, some of the women who were still gathered around began clapping. Gasping, I pulled away from Roxy and looked around. What was going on now? The small group was looking at me. Roxy, after she caught her breath, started laughing.

"What...?"

"Damn, that was great. Dulce made it so that when I ask you to do something, and phrase it a certain way, you pretty much can't resist doing it. That was why you kissed me like that. No, wait, getting you to kiss me isn't that hard, I guess. OK. Let's try this. Joan, I want you to kiss Cathy, hard, now."

"Rox, what... no, I don't... Rox... Roxy... oh GOD!!!"

Cathy was staring at me, her cheeks pink. I took a step toward her, paused, took another step. I didn't even know her! But that ache was growing again, blind desire rising fast. My face was hot, my body was on fire. I had to kiss her. I had to kiss her! I reached for her, took another step, trying to hold myself back. But even as I did, the desire, the need to kiss her increased.

I grabbed her and I kissed her. Her knees buckled as my lips ground against hers, and I held her tight as she sagged. Kissing her felt so good, so very good.

More applause. I didn't care. I just had to kiss her. Hard.

Cathy was moaning, clutching me tight. She would have fallen if I hadn't been holding on to her. As I kissed her, the spell was broken, and I ended the kiss and helped her up. We stood there, panting, looking at each other, Cathy with fire in her eyes. "God," she whispered.

This was something I hadn't expected when I'd asked to be hypnotized. I hadn't known there would be any lingering effects. But knowing that Roxy could pretty much tell me to do things... did I like that idea? I looked at her, and she smiled happily.

"Yeah, guess it really does work. Don't worry, I won't have you kissing everyone here. I just wanted to see. Want to dance some more?"

The question seemed so innocent, yet I tensed. Was there going to be that feeling again, that irresistible compulsion to do as she asked? She saw my expression and laughed. "No, Joanie, this time it's up to you. Want to dance?"

Yes, I did, I realized. At the same time I decided I was almost disappointed that she hadn't made me do it. Needing to do something without really having any control was a strangely arousing feeling.

We made our way to the dance floor, and our little group went their separate ways. Cathy whispered something to me but it was lost in the music, which seemed so much louder now.

Roxy and I danced, and danced some more. By the time we left, I was hot, sweaty, and so turned on it was hard not to grope her on the bus. Part of it was the high I usually got dancing, but there was also the memory of how good it had felt to be hypnotized, and the uneasy excitement at being commanded to do things. Had Roxy forgotten that already? Or did the spell only last while we were in the bar?

We made it back to her place without my tearing her clothes off. As soon as we got inside, though, I slammed and locked the door and pushed her up against it, kissing her hungrily and pressing my palm over against her mound.

Her voice was a whisper. "Joan, I want you to stand at attention."

What the hell was she talking about? I started to tell her she was crazy, but my muscles were already reacting to her words. Stunned, I found myself standing rigid in front her, gasping, my face beet red. "Roxy," I croaked. "What the hell are you doing? I want you, I want you bad, and I want you now. Don't play games, for Chrissakes."

As I spoke, I actually felt like moaning. Standing at attention, with no control over my own body, was an incredible turn-on. If she could do this to me...

She walked around me, smiling wickedly, touching me now and then, whispering about how good I looked standing at attention. Every brush of her fingers made me shiver. What if she slid a finger inside me right now? Could I move? Could I cum?

Standing behind me, she reached around and squeezed my breasts. I did moan this time, utterly unable to react as my nipples instantly hardened. I felt my knees weaken, but I remained perfectly upright.

Her lips were on the back of my neck. One hand was sliding down my abdomen. I was whimpering - it was all I could do. She came around in front of me and casually undid my top. I wanted to help her, I wanted to rip it off and grab her and knock her to the floor and roll on top of her. All I could do was stand there and let her undress me, piece by piece.

Because that's what she did. A few times she would say, "Joan, I want you to..." do this or that, to move an arm or leg. But most of the time I was paralyzed as she slowly removed every scrap of my clothing.

I stood at attention, nude, sweating, and so, so hot. "Roxy, please, please, let me go. I want you, Roxy, I want you bad..."

"I will, don't worry. There's still a few things I want to do."

"Oh, God."

She leaned over and sucked hard on my left nipple. All I could do was groan. I wanted to wrap my fingers in her hair and hold her there, sucking my nipple for hours and hours. But I could not. My body would not respond to my commands to move.

Her hand was on my mound again. I wanted to move my hips, to force myself against her, to feel her finger slip inside me. All I could do was stand there. "Roxy, please," I whimpered.

One finger brushed oh so lightly over my clit. I wanted to die, I wanted to cum, I wanted to scream. I did cry out, and Roxy's expression was one of pure lust. She leaned close to me, and I felt her warm breath in my ear just before she began sucking my earlobe.

That was something that always drove me insane anyway, and in this situation it was too much. I lost it. I started crying, I started moaning uncontrollably. I was so hot I felt I would melt. Then I heard her voice, soft and soothing in my ear.

"Joan I want you to cum. Now." Her finger was barely touching my clit, and yet...

My eyes went wide as the most incredible orgasm I've ever known rocked me to my very soul. My mouth was moving but no sounds were coming out, my body was shaking, and Roxy was sucking my earlobe again.

How long it lasted, I have no idea. By the time I stopped seeing stars and regained my breath, Roxy was standing in front of me again, with a Cheshire Cat smile.

"I think I like this," she said.

"Yeah," I gasped, still unable to move.

"In fact, I really like this. Dulce made it so I had this power over you just for tonight, but I think there's a way around that."

"Huh?" I wasn't thinking too clearly yet, and the full meaning of her words didn't sink in.

"Stay here for a minute." She disappeared, and while she was gone I thought about how dumb it was to tell a person who couldn't move to stay here.

She reappeared holding something. It was a necklace I'd bought her several years before. I held my breath as she dangled it in front of my eyes. Was she going to do what I thought she was going to do?

"Joan, I want you to focus on the diamond. Joan, I want you to listen only to the sound of my voice."

I stared at the small diamond, knowing I could not look away and not even trying. Her voice filled my mind, and I now knew very well what was coming.

"Joan, I want you to remember being hypnotized. How wonderful it felt to go into a deep hypnotic trance for Dulce." I remembered. It wasn't hard at all. I stared at the necklace, knowing it would be the last thing I saw before going into hypnosis. God, I loved this.

"Joan, I want you to close your eyes and go into a deep hypnotic trance for me, right now, and obey every command I give you."

The darkness washed over me, and I floated into sweet oblivion.