by Robin Roseau
"Uh huh."
"Friends share secrets, don't they?" I nodded. "Everyone left for a while. You may open your eyes, Jane."
I opened, and we were alone. I looked around. "Where did they go?"
"They'll be back in a few minutes," she said. She took my hands. "Jane, I have a secret I'm going to share. You won't tell anyone, will you?" I shook my head. "Jane, you're my favorite hypnosis subject."
"I am?"
"Yes. How do you feel about that?"
I smiled. I didn't know how I felt.
"You're very easy to hypnotize," she said. "But only for me, because you like my voice, and you know you can trust me."
I nodded.
"And I know I can trust you with my secret. Do you have a secret you want to share with me?"
"What kind of secret?"
"Well, I gave you a good secret, girl-to-girl. Maybe you should give me a girl-to-girl secret. Have you ever kissed a girl?"
"Like, romantic kissed?"
"Yes, a romantic kiss."
I shook my head. "Just little pecks, like the one you gave me."
"Have you thought about kissing a girl?"
I looked at her for a minute then lowered my eyes and nodded my head. "But she wouldn't ever want to kiss me, so I try not to think about it."
"But you told me earlier you were straight."
"I know. But I really like her. She's smart and sexy and really nice. But I'm... me."
Cristina caressed my cheek. "You're lovely, Jane," she said, "and Heather tells me you're the nicest person she knows. She said you're smart with a good job."
"Heather doesn't think I'm fun."
"Tonight, Jane, you are a lot of fun. Everyone here thinks so."
"They do?"
"Yes. Later, they're all going to tell you how funny you were."
"I was?"
"Yep. Everyone's going to be back in a minute, but you haven't told me who this woman is that you think about kissing. You'll feel a lot better if you tell me."
"You won't tell anyone else?"
"I won't tell a soul," she said.
I leaned closer. "Kennedy," I said.
I heard a gasp, but when I looked around, no one was there.
"Kennedy is the tall, athletic one?"
I nodded. "But she's really kind, too. Heather loves hosting parties, and in the summer, they are outdoor parties. They all play some sort of athletic game. Normally I wouldn't play, but Kennedy begs me to play, then makes sure I have a good time. Even though I'm really bad." I looked down. "No one else has ever done something like that for me. She does stuff like that all the time."
"Thank you for telling me, Jane," Cristina said. "But I see you're still tired, so you're going to close your eyes and listen to my voice a little while longer. Then when you wake up, everyone will be back, and it's time to see who won the game."
"Okay," I said. I closed my eyes and listened to Cristina's lovely voice.
* * * *
"Congratulations, Cristina!" Heather announced a while later. "All our hypnotized subjects get to pick a prize. And I guess Jane, Roy, Destiny, and I are stuck with a booby prize, too." She passed out the prizes. My prize turned out to be a booby prize -- literally. They were a pair of earrings that looked like boobs. Heather made me put them on. I laughed about it.
Then she told us, "All right, the four of us have to pick from amongst these tubes of lipsticks. Then you have to convince someone to apply the lipstick to herself and leave at least three obvious lip prints somewhere visible. That person gets to decide where."
Roy moved to the front of the line, sorted through until he found black, and then I saw him talking to Andrew a minute later. Destiny got hers from Sienna. Then Heather and I met over the basket of lipstick tubes. We both began sorting through, but she pulled one out and handed it to me.
"Purple?" she asked.
"All right," I said. "What about you?"
"How about we both use that one," she said. "I'll do yours if you do mine."
I laughed. "All right. Who goes first?"
"We'll take turns. Pucker up." She took the lipstick from me and generously painted my lips. "Do me," she said.
I studied her for a moment then pulled her head down and gave her a big smooch on her forehead. She painted her own lips and got me on my temple, not quite in my hair. We studied each other and giggled. She painted her lips again and got the tip of my nose. I laughed at that and left mine on the inside of her elbow.
"Chicken," she said. "Your turn again." For the last one, I did the edge of her jaw, then I examined it. It was really a good one, a clear set of lip marks. My last mark was right at the edge of my mouth, not quite catching my lips, but she ended up with the ghost of a mark on her cheek when she did it. I didn't tell her.
"Having fun?"
"Yeah. You?"
She grinned. "Fake! Fake! Fake!" She laughed.
"I know," I said. "I didn't feel hypnotized, but I did everything she told me to do." I paused. "Why aren't I embarrassed?"
"Why should you be embarrassed? It was fun." She smiled. "I love being hypnotized. I use her to help me with my dance performances. She helps me remember complex routines and work through the pain. If she were only gay... What a voice."
"Yeah," I agreed. "I'd let her do that to me again. It felt good to just let go." I frowned. "She made me think that, didn't she?"
"I bet she did," Heather replied. "Do you mind?"
"I should. I'm not normally so out there."
"That's what made it funny. And refreshing. You did stuff you would never think of doing, but it's not your fault, so it's okay."
* * * *
We danced more; we played more games. I didn't win any more booby prizes, for which I was thankful.
Then midnight rolled around. I was dancing with Cristina, and she'd been talking quietly into my ear for a while. I sort of zoned out dancing, but it felt nice. But the music ended, and Heather said, "It's now midnight, and while the party will last as long as the party girl decides to stay, or six AM, whichever comes first, it is time for the grand climax of the evening."
"Oh, god," I said.
"Come up here, Jane."
"Do I have to?"
"Yes."
I walked slowly to her. She took my hand and turned me to face everyone else. "How old are you, Jane?"
I sighed. "Forty. The big four-zero."
"Forty is a good age," Heather said. "For you. For me, not so much. It gets harder and harder every year. But you're professionally successful and growing more so. Your face shows character, and you are full of poise."
I didn't say anything, but I didn't think I believed her.
"But there is an age old tradition, Jane. What is it?"
"Birthday candles?"
She laughed. "Keep going."
"Presents?"
"Uh huh. What else?"
I sighed again. "Birthday spankings."
"That's right!" Heather said. "I almost forgot about birthday spankings."
"Heather, don't do this."
"You get a choice," she said. "You will pick someone here, ask her to give you your spankings, then bend over her lap and let her give you each and every one."
"Heather-"
"If you refuse to pick, I will pick for you, and it will be your naked ass. Do you think I'm bluffing?"
I sighed. "No."
"If the person you ask refuses to give you your spankings, then I get to pick someone."
"Bare ass?"
"You're catching on!" She paused, grinning. "10... 9..."
When she got to five, I said, "I'll pick! I'll pick!" She paused, eyeing me carefully. I put my hands in praying motion. "Just give me a minute."
"No stalling."
"I can't believe you're doing this," I said.
Her smile didn't even waver, but she said, "Four..."
"I'm picking! I'm picking!"
I turned to the assembled people. Everyone, and I mean everyone, was watchin
g me, some with a great deal of anticipation in her eyes. I was sure they were wondering if I'd pick before Heather decided to finish counting down. I knew if she said, "Three," I would panic, and either a name would blurt out or I would freeze.
I looked back and forth between all of them. I considered Molly and Clare. They were friends. But they were watching me avidly.
Then my eyes settled on Cristina. I thought about asking her to do it, but she mouthed the words, "Be brave" at me.
"Kennedy," I said the same time Heather said, "Three."
"What?" she asked.
"Kennedy," I said. I looked for her and found her hiding behind everyone else, but they parted when I stepped through them. I came to a stop in front of her.
She looked sheepish and refused to meet my eye.
"Kennedy."
"Jane."
"If she's going to make me do this, then I want you to do it. Will you give me my birthday spankings?"
She looked at me very briefly, hardly even a glance, then looked at Heather. Then she looked away again. I stared at her. I was sure she'd be the kindest, but she wouldn't even look at me. My heart fell, and then my entire body slumped.
"Oh," I said in a small voice. "Silly me."
I turned away, my head down. Then I looked up at Heather. "I guess you get to do it your way." But when I looked at her, she was slumped like I was.
She looked... devastated.
I didn't understand. This was what she wanted. I bet she put them all up to it. Whomever I picked would turn me down so she'd be able to spank my naked ass. Or watch while Reese did it.
"I'll do it, Jane."
I froze for a moment then slowly turned. Kennedy was looking at me.
"I'll do it," she said again.
"You don't have to."
"I want a hug first, though."
I moved into her arms. She held me tightly, then she whispered into my ear, "Jane, I wasn't trying to hurt you."
"You don't have to explain."
"I've never hit a woman before, not even in play like this."
"You don't have to do it," I said.
"Heather isn't bluffing, and I'm not letting anyone else touch you."
"Thank you, Kennedy."
I kissed her on the cheek as we parted. Kennedy took my hand and drew me to one of the chairs. She sat down, and everyone clustered around. I turned to look at them, but it was Kennedy who spoke.
"Heather, this is too much. Birthday parties are supposed to be a celebration for the birthday girl."
"Birthday spankings are a tradition," Heather said. "I personally have been disappointed those years I didn't get mine. Birthday spankings are required for good luck." She put a hand on her hip. "I tell you what. We'll take a vote."
"Heather-" I whined.
"And Jane's vote is worth five points. Raise your hand if Jane should get her birthday spanking."
Nearly every hand went up, although not every hand.
"Opposed?"
Kennedy and I raised our hands. Cristina, Howard, and one or two others appeared to be abstaining.
Heather pointed as if she were counting. "Five, six." She looked around. "The ayes have it."
"You all suck," I said. "Especially you, ex-best-friend."
"You'll forgive me by morning," Heather said. "You'd feel cheated if I let you off easy."
"No I wouldn't."
"No more stalling." She pointed at Kennedy's lap.
I sighed dramatically then looked at Kennedy. She smiled weakly at me. Then I bent over, crawling up so I was positioned across her lap, my head and feet lower than my butt. I began blushing immediately.
"If you try to get away or interfere, we get to hold you down," Heather said. "Kennedy, if they aren't real swats, I'll let someone else do it instead. Don't cheat her of this memory."
"I wouldn't feel cheated," I said. "You can just rub my bottom instead, Kennedy."
Kennedy chuckled, and then she did just that.
I'm sure my blush deepened.
"One," I called out.
That generated laughter.
"Do it right," Heather said.
Kennedy leaned over. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
I looked over my shoulder at her and tried to smile. "I'm not, especially if you rub it in between."
She laughed. I turned away.
Swat!
I flinched, and Heather called out, "One!"
And then Kennedy rubbed my ass.
Swat! On the other cheek. "Two," called Heather. And Kennedy rubbed my ass.
By five, half the people in the room were counting out. By ten, it was really starting to sting. By twenty, everyone was counting. Kennedy was slowing down, rubbing my bottom between each swat. By thirty, I was offering yelps with each swat and little whimpers in between.
Kennedy stopped. "That's enough, Heather."
"Finish it, Kennedy," she ordered. "If you don't, we start over at one."
"Just do it," I said, looking up at her. "Please."
I got the last ten somewhat quickly and far more gently. Heather didn't call her on it, but then everyone cheered, applauded and catcalled when they said "Forty!"
I continued to lie across Kennedy's lap, panting heavily. But then I sat up. I looked at Kennedy. She looked stricken. Instead of climbing off her entirely, I threw a leg over hers and straddled her, then I hugged her tightly.
From behind me, we got an "Awww" from the crowd.
"I want you to do all my birthday spankings," I whispered.
She wrapped her arms around me and held me tightly.
"Do you wish I'd picked someone else?"
"I don't know," she whispered back. "Jane, you're an amazing woman. You know that, don't you?"
I shook my head. "You're amazing. I'm just Plain, Pudgy Jane. But thank you for saying it."
"I meant it, Jane. You know everyone in the room wanted you to pick her. You might want to think about why, and if you come to any self-deprecating reasons, those aren't it."
"You didn't want me to."
"If it was a birthday ass fondle, then I totally wanted you to pick me."
I laughed. "You got that in, too. I liked it." Then I climbed off her lap, kissing her cheek again. "Thank you."
We got another cheer.
"All right," said Heather. "There are more prizes, so we're going to play a few more games to get them all passed out. Then we have cake and more dancing until the cows come home."
* * * *
Heather had really gone overboard with the prizes. There really was a hundred dollar bill; Sienna won it. As a starving dance teacher, she could really use it. Because I played in every game, I had more than my share of prizes, but I'd won a few booby prizes, too. They, like the earrings, were in fun. But she had restaurant gift certificates, candles, lotions, a lovely bottle of massage oil, and other, similar items. I won the most amazing hat, and I begged permission to switch from the silly birthday hat.
Heather immediately granted it.
I didn't win the bingo game, although I came in close. Jessica and Fred both tried to hit on Kennedy, and I saw Erica play with her hair on and off throughout the night. But Heather didn't announce any upcoming events, and if Clare talked about a breakup, I didn't hear it. I got five other squares, but none that formed a bingo. Instead, Liv won the bingo game when Roy made an off-color joke about lesbians.
There were really a full forty candles on the cake, set up in five rows of eight. I studied them before she lit them. "Are there any trick candles in this mess?"
"Nope. If you get them all out, you have a real chance at your wish coming true."
That was just a silly superstition, but still, I thought about it carefully.
"My family has a tradition," Cristina said. Everyone turned to her. "In my family, the birthday girl whispers her wish to someone she trusts. That person holds the wish close to her heart. And they always come true."
"That's a lovely tradition," I said. "Will you hold my wish, Cristina
?"
"Me?" She looked surprised. "Of course, Jane. I would be honored."
I moved to her and whispered into her ear, "I wish that Kennedy isn't too upset."
"That's a lovely wish, Jane," she said. "Now, go be a blow hard."
Everyone laughed.
Heather recruited help lighting the candles. "I don't want the first one to melt while I'm lighting the other thirty-nine. And you better blow these out before the smoke alarm goes off."
Four of them lit the candles. I stepped up to the table, took a really, really deep breath, then methodically went puff-puff-puff at individual candles, blowing out two or three at a time. I got them all before I ran out of air.
Everyone applauded. When I looked over at Cristina, she gave me a thumb's up.
* * * *
Heather cut the cake and recruited help passing it out. I took my piece, and a little while later found myself standing next to Cristina. We ate our cake in silence, then Molly came around with a garbage bin for the rubbish, giving us a damp towel for our hands. All cleaned up, I turned to Cristina.
"Could I speak to you?"
"Sure."
"Privately?"
"Of course." Together, we turned to one of the practice rooms. But once we were inside, I clammed up.
"Jane," she said finally, "I am the least judgmental person you'll meet."
I turned to her. "Was I really hypnotized?"
"Oh Jane, you went so deep, I couldn't believe it. It's rare someone goes that deeply unless I've worked with them a lot."
"So I wasn't hard? How long did it take?"
"Honey, you were in light trance by the end of our handshake." She smiled. "Did you like it?"
"Yeah." I paused. "What do you usually charge?"
"Sessions are one-fifty."
I avoided flinching, but I'm sure my reaction was written across my face.
She smiled. "Jane, you're very easy to hypnotize. If you attended a few sessions, I could make recordings of your inductions. I have a computer program that lets me fit an induction geared to a particular person into the other recordings I have. Weight loss, stop smoking... I have dozens. This is how I make my living, so I don't do this for free, but I'm sure we can figure out something that works within your budget."
I smiled. "Do you have recordings that just hypnotize someone and then let them sort of float?"