Their Third Roommate

Dave flopped onto the couch in his apartment and let himself sink into the cushions. He was fresh off a breakup and was having an altogether shit week. He looked back over the back of the couch at the sound of the door closing. One of his roommates--Lindsay, a late 20s high school teacher with brown hair--was home from the gym. She gave him a little wave before heading toward her room. As she passed, his other roommate--Jenna, a blonde recent college grad--poked her head out of her door to see who'd come home. The three of them had found each other on Facebook marketplace and right now Dave regretted agreeing to room with two gorgeous women. He stared up at the ceiling and groaned at the state of his life.

Later that night, as Dave was puttering around the kitchen, the two women were chatting in the apartment common space.

Jenna credulously described a new app that let you hypnotize yourself for self improvement. "...so yeah apparently it lets you implant a trigger phrase so you can improve yourself without having to consciously think about it. So if you wanted to work out more you could set it up so that your trigger phrase made you want to go for a run." Dave's ears perked up.

"Bullshit! There's no way hypnosis actually works." Lindsay laughed and leaned back in the armchair she was curled up in.

"I guess the only way to know is to try it." Dave pipped up and the two women looked at him.

"You don't seriously believe in hypnosis? Do you?" Lindsay looked at him skeptically.

"I mean people are suggestible, who's to say it doesn't work a little?"

"See! That's what I'm saying!" Jenna smiled at Dave, thankful for him backing her up.

"Alright fine, Dave, why don't you spot us and we'll try it out." Lindsay stood and went to grab her phone, "I'll pull up the website."

"He'll have to implant the trigger." Jenna was suddenly a little trepidatious.

"Hey, don't chicken out, you suggested this." Lindsay was already typing.

"I'll just set it so that you do a little dance or something." Dave walked over to Lindsay and looked over her shoulder as she pulled up the site.

It was a plain webpage with a grey "START" button in the center. The instructions explained that the start button would play a noise and display a script for the hypnotizer to read to the hypnotizees. Dave ran to grab earplugs and took Lindsay's phone from her to begin. The two women sat on the couch across from him as he filled his ears.

"Ready?" they both nodded. Dave pressed play.

He couldn't tell immediately whether there was any effect. The screen prompted him to read a few instructions to his roommates. He watched as their posture relaxed and their eyes went glassy. He was surprised it was working so well. He continued reading and watched as they leaned back on the couch and closed their eyes in perfect unison. The screen prompted him to select their trigger phrase. They hadn't discussed this in advance... He settled on LISTEN UP. He read a second litany which slowly brought the two women out of their trance.

Dave handed Lindsay back her phone as he unplugged his ears, "ok, programmed I guess."

"What did you make us do?" Jenna sounded anxious over what she might have had to do.

"I haven't yet, that was just programming. Now to see if it worked," Dave smiled, "Listen Up."

Immediately both women stood still and turned to look at him with glassy eyes. In unison they asked, "yes?"

He was shocked. There was no way a simple induction off a website would give him total control over two people. He paused and watched them. They seemed like completely blank slates.

"Put your hands behind your head."

Both women did as they were told.

"Hands down."

They again obeyed. An idea occurred to Dave.

"When I snap my fingers, you won't remember anything that happens until the next snap."

"Yes." Both responded in synch.

Dave snapped, "Take off your clothes."

Jenna and Lindsay immediately began undressing. Soon their clothes were in a heap at their feet. Dave admired the two naked women in front of him.

"Face me with your hands behind your head and feet shoulder width apart." The women assumed the position. Dave reached out and cupped one of Jenna's small breasts in his hand. She made no reaction, just kept staring straight ahead. He reached between Lindsay's legs and began to rub her clit in small, slow circles. Once again, no reaction.

I'm going to have fun with this...