The Web Ch. 01

I wrote this story to develop some themes more along the lines of "mind-influence" than "mind-control." The most erotic time in a relationship is often spent exploring the boundaries of trust and sharing. If that turns you on, then this story will have many molten scenes. At the same time, as the writing progressed, the characters grew and influenced each other in interesting ways. Is it better to get what you want, or learn what you want? I still don't know who really was in control. Maybe you will.

*

"She--What?" I sputtered, wondering if I had heard Kelly right. On the other hand, my body must have heard it right, because I was feeling a rush of heat to my cock.

Kelly's mischievous eyes danced as she enjoyed my discomfort. "I think you heard me the first time," she purred. "Interested?"

"It's too good to be true. Are you serious?"

"I'm not messing with your head here," she laughed. "That's your job."

"If I can do it. I might pass out, with all my blood rushing to my cock."

"See, you're getting it already. Help a friend, and have a little fun at the same time." She leveled a gaze at my shorts. "Seems you like the idea."

I took a long sip of wine. Kelly's crazy scheme was swirling around in my mind. I could not imagine how my interest in voice dialogue had landed me here. Cathy, part of a group of friends I had known for a while, was asking if I would help her loosen up in the bedroom, which was sexy enough. But it went beyond the mental side. She was also asking if I would follow through and help her put things into practice. In other words, I was to figure out her wicked desires, help her get comfortable with them, and then get to play them out with her for real. Thoughts of screaming orgasms were running through my head, and I definitely liked the idea. I mean, who wouldn't?

Unfortunately, I was also a good friend who didn't want to take advantage of the situation. "OK, here's one problem," I mused. "Let's say I go along with this scheme. I'm not going to be the most objective therapist Cathy could find. When I've got a sexy woman like Cathy telling me all the wanton things she wants to do with me later, I might hear a bit more than she's saying, if you know what I mean. I think I'm a pretty nice guy, and wouldn't take advantage of the situation, but I'm in a position of power, and it's very precarious. It might be better to separate the person encouraging her desires from the person enjoying the results."

"Oh, I think you can manage. You are a nice guy." Kelly looked me in the eyes. "I wouldn't have told you this if I didn't believe it."

"You're too trusting," I said, as an idea formed in my mind, my rock hard cock twitching. "I need a conscience in this, and I think I know who to ask."

Kelly narrowed her eyes. "I don't like the sound of this."

"Sure you do. I just need someone else there, someone that Cathy trusts. I need you there during the session. It will help her relax, especially knowing that someone she trusts is there to hear what she says and keep me honest. Should be a little adventurous for you as well." Touché, I thought, watching Kelly start to squirm. Two can play this game.

Suddenly Kelly fixed me with a piercing look. "You aren't trying to get two for one, or..."

"Relax," I laughed. "I'm a nice guy, remember? It will be fun with you there, but you'll be fully aware. You can catch any misbehaving I direct your way." I smiled, giving her a look. "Of course, if you decide that you need the same treatment, I would be only too honored to oblige."

"You better save that for you're wet dreams. I'm more than you could handle."

"Of course. But you will be my impartial observer?"

"I think you've caught me there. But don't think you're going to get me to observe the results."

"Worried you might want the same?"

Kelly rolled her eyes. "What I go through for my friends," she sighed.

"I can't believe I'm getting into this," I replied. I thought for a minute. "There are some rules that I have, however. First, we both get tested before we actually play out one of her repressed desires, or whatever they are. We both need to trust each other before we share intimate contact. Second, neither she nor I will have other lovers during this time..."

"Maybe that's one of her desires," Kelly cooed.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." I said, a bit too firmly.

Kelly laughed. "Oh?"

"Third rule. We keep this quiet. No gossip, no confessions outside my couch. Cathy needs her privacy in something like this."

"So if we don't say anything, how are other women going to learn of your remarkable powers? They should come beating on your door!"

"Oh, Cathy can give them a general idea some day after we're finished, if she feels like it. Meanwhile, I'll just draw the hordes of horny women in with my magnetic personality."

"I'll make sure to give your door a wide berth. Wouldn't want to get run over."

"Thanks. So, wise-ass, when do we start?"

"Well, your little testing requirement is going to put a damper on things," Kelly pouted. "I would have loved to start tomorrow night, so Cathy didn't think about this too much and chicken out. I know, I know," she said, waving off my reply, "The testing's a great idea, and I'm sure Cathy will appreciate it and trust you even more. I just wanted her to get started. She'll be fine after that."

Suddenly, an idea came to me. "I'll keep some protection around until we get the results. That way, if Cathy attacks me, we can make it work."

Kelly laughed. "OK, that will probably do the trick. Now, I remember hearing of a testing clinic that offers fast results, so I'll call and let you and Cathy know. I'd like to get you both in tomorrow morning, so we can get the ball rolling. With each step, she'll be more and more committed."

"Are you sure she really wants to do this? Sounds like you're doing a lot of convincing."

"Don't worry, Brad, I'm not that manipulative. Just a little. Cathy and I have talked about this for a while—she wants to do it. Speaking of that, I should give you a little more background on Cathy."

Kelly settled back in her chair and thought for a second. "As you know, she's gorgeous, athletic, intelligent, and perceptive. Maybe too perceptive, in that she tunes in to people very completely, and she catches a lot of what they're feeling. That makes her cautious with people. Sometimes it's better not to know too much about what others are feeling, you know?"

"Yeah, I could see that. Everything you do affects them, and you feel it. You feel a little vulnerable when others affect you that much."

"Exactly, Brad. So you could imagine how that caution could translate to the bedroom—lots of raw feeling there. As her friend, I would like to help her work through that, because I just know that she could be fantastic in bed. Wouldn't you want someone that could respond so closely to your feelings and emotions?"

"Sounds pretty good, actually."

"Smart man, Brad." Now, if I was a guy, I would have taken on this job a long time ago, and Cathy would be the lover of a lifetime. But unfortunately for both of us, that's not the case. I'm going for the next best thing, and that's you, buddy.

"Thanks for the faint praise."

"Anytime. Let's see; what else do you need to know? Cathy likes good food and good living, so you both are compatible there. She's also a little mysterious, especially to her friends. Don't be surprised if she throws you off balance once in a while. She is definitely more than meets the eye."

"Actually sounds like fun to me. I'm looking forward to working with her, for more than one reason."

"That's why I picked you, Brad. You're smart and perceptive yourself, and you can work with her as an equal. Your relaxed outlook and sense of humor will rub off on her. Also, I'm usually pretty good at guessing if someone will be good in bed, and I think you will be."

"Wow, coming from the great Kelly, that's a compliment."

"You bet it is. While I'm dishing them out, I'll give you one more. Cathy likes your type: tall, good-looking, athletic. I've seen her size you up once or twice. I'm hoping that she's looking forward to bedding you, and that certainly can't hurt."

"Sizing me up, huh? Does this get any better?"

"I don't know what you did to deserve such luck," she answered, laughing. "But at least you appreciate it. Now, there's one last thing. I love Cathy to death, and I'm a little protective of her." Kelly's blue eyes flashed. "You will take care of her, right?"

I put my hands up. "Look, Kelly, yes. For a number of reasons: She's a friend, even if I don't know her that well yet. Also, I don't know if I could treat any woman poorly, at least intentionally. I just can't go there. Finally, I don't want you for an enemy, that's for sure. This is a tricky job, and I don't know if we'll be successful, but I definitely will treat Cathy with caring and respect."

Kelly laughed. "I know you will, Brad, but it's fun to give you a little threat for good measure. So, would tomorrow night work for your first session?"

I started thinking that this was for real. "Should I cook dinner?"

"Oh, you're a wonderful man," Kelly exclaimed. "That's why I like you."

"I think I'm in trouble, with friends like you," I shot back.

"You better believe it. You may be a nice guy, but I'm not a nice girl at all. Watch out!"

"I'll keep that in mind," I said.

"Well, I better let you go, so you can get some relief." Kelly was nodding at my crotch again. "I wonder how many times you're going to whack off tonight. Don't wear yourself out."

"Same to you, my friend. Same to you." I rose with her and saw her to my door. "Sweet dreams."

"Always."

Of course, I had pulled my shorts off as soon as the door closed, dropped into the chair I would be using with Cathy, and stroked myself to a massive orgasm. Just the thought of helping Cathy explore her sexuality sent fire through my veins. In some ways, I would be the one in charge, but at the same time, I would be working in her service. The sense of controlling, of being controlled, and of releasing kinky desires ran through my mind while I brought myself off. It didn't hurt that Kelly was part of the sexual game going on here.

Kelly. She was an enigma. She turned heads with her long blond hair, blue eyes, and killer figure. In fact, she looked like an athletic beach babe. But then you talked to her, and suddenly, she was a tigress. Wicked smart, self-confident, sharp-witted—she intimidated a lot of people. That combination of looks, smarts, and confidence also made her very successful at her pharmaceutical sales position. At the same time, she formed very tight friendships with those who measured up. She and Cathy went way back. She and I had grown close enough that she often just dropped by my place.

Some of my other friends wondered what was going on between Kelly and me. They knew I liked smart, good-looking women. By those criteria, Kelly was totally hot, no doubt about it, but some instinct told me to hold back. Maybe it was some wave coming from her. Like she had some other plan for me...

The next morning, Kelly called with the clinic information.

"Also, Brad, after a couple of hours of tough negotiation, I got Cathy to agree to come tonight, so you're all set."

"Yeah, thanks. Is she a nervous wreck?"

"She's a little nervous, as you would expect. But like I said before, we've talked about this, and she wants to do it. Maybe you have a little bit to do with that, Brad. Have you thought about that since we talked?"

"No."

Kelly laughed. "You're not fooling me, buddy. See you tonight."

At lunch, I ran over to have my blood drawn, and they said we would have results in a week. Of course, I found it more difficult than usual to concentrate for a Friday on the job. I worked in a small firm that helped larger companies plan their communications networks, so it was usually pretty interesting working with a variety of customers and settings. After getting off work, I got the shopping done and went home to get ready.

My heart leapt when the doorbell chimed—this was really happening!

"Hello, Kelly. You look enchanting, as usual." She winked. Behind her, I saw Cathy, looking down at her feet. "Hi, Cathy, won't you please come in." I stepped aside as they came in. As Cathy walked by, I took in her figure. Of course, I had seen her many times before, and like any man, I had made a mental note about her body and enjoyed looking at her. But this time, let's just say I was seeing her with new eyes. She stood tall, with brunette hair falling a bit below her shoulders. I sensed her nervousness, but I also noticed that she dressed to please, with a clingy top that showed her curves and a skirt that revealed toned legs ending in sandals. She was dressy, sexy, and casual all at the same time.

I directed them to the couch, saying "Please, make yourself at home." I poured wine into the three glasses on the coffee table and sat down in the chair to their side.

"Cathy, I'm sure you are nervous, so I figured that first I should talk you through what I do, rather than try to make small talk. How does that sound to you?"

She took her glass and smiled. "That would be great, Brad. Thank you."

"OK. Let's start with how I got into this line of work with people. A few years back, I got interested in the idea of multiple viewpoints within our personality after reading a book that mentioned the subject."

"You mean like split personalities?" Cathy questioned.

"No, not like that. While healthy people don't have split personalities, our minds are very complex and difficult to understand as a whole. It's just too much. So various traditions have developed over the years that try to create a model of the mind that we can understand. One of those is the concept of multiple selves. We assign types of people—selves—to various aspects of our character, and we can then employ all of the relationship skills we have developed over our life to examine our mind more naturally."

"I think I understand," Cathy said. "I classify people into different types when I meet them, and this helps me work with them."

"Exactly." Cathy was a quick learner, and I liked that. "You can transfer that understanding to your mind as well. This concept has existed for thousands of years. The Greeks and Romans had a system of gods and goddess that essentially mapped the various aspects of our minds and relationships. Their passions, schemes, and wars essentially map the struggles we have within ourselves."

I continued. "Why do we feel various desires warring within us? One side of us wants to go out and make friends with everybody, while another is always trying to protect us from being hurt by a new relationship. Is there some way to try to reconcile these conflicts?"

"You're telling me," Kelly interjected. "I've felt that way a lot."

"We all have," I answered. I liked the fact that both of them were drawing into the subject. That would get Cathy to forget about her obvious nervousness and start to relax. Kelly's interest would relax her even further. Over the years, I had described this process to many people I had worked with, so it was pretty easy to explain. That gave me time to gauge their reactions, and try to ease into new, erotic territory for all of us.

"After reading that book, I wanted to learn more. I then noticed an extension class at the university here that introduced me to the subject of developing a conversation with these multiple voices within ourselves. Some of the more important voices include the Controller, the Protector, and Fear. All of these have related goals of protecting us from harm of various kinds—coming from others or from ourselves."

"I guess that's why I'm here—I think my Protector is on overdrive," Cathy said. Kelly giggled, and we all blushed.

"Don't worry, it's pretty common. Most of us are holding ourselves back from taking the risks that will get us where we want to go. That's a lot of what I do when I work with people." I started back into my explanation to keep Cathy from thinking too much about what was to come.

"There's another set of voices as well, that often conflict with the protecting ones. In this camp live voices such as Desire, with it's unlimited seeking of pleasure, and the Seeker, which tries to gain what Desire wants. We've all experienced these conflicts many times within ourselves, and they even play out with others." They both nodded.

"Finally, there are other voices such as Compassion and Joy, which can move us beyond the conflicts that occur within ourselves and with others. The course I took was more about using this process for personal growth. I found it rewarding to explore the various aspects of my personality so I could better understand who I was and where I was headed, especially as a young man in my early twenties."

"Isn't that kind of unusual for a guy that age to be into this philosophical stuff?" Kelly asked, but she was smiling.

"Look, I'm a pretty normal guy and do my share of partying, playing sports, trying to get laid, and all that stuff." We all laughed. "But you would be surprised how many men and women spend some time trying to figure out where they're headed, and I've had this type of conversation with a lot of them. I think we all want to love, to be loved, and to grow, even if we don't always show it. Life can move pretty fast, and there are all these things that we're expected to do, so it's easy to forget about the important stuff." They both nodded, and I could see them reflecting upon some things in their own lives.

"Anyway, the course mainly taught a self-directed method, where we used audio or written directions to ask permission to speak to these voices and listen to what they had to say. The key was to speak to the Controller early, and then ask its permission to speak to the other voices. That gave it something to do, so it would stay out of the way. We would ask it to hold the Protector and Fear in check, so that other voices could have an opportunity to express themselves. That's where the power of the technique came in, and we could experience the more open, higher aspects of ourselves free from the fear that usually holds us back."

"Wow, that sounds great. Was it really that easy?" Cathy asked, a hint of skepticism in her eyes.

"No, it took work, as you might guess. Each of us students also had a personal session with the instructor, where she demonstrated the technique of helping someone else through this process. That really helped me, because I didn't have to both lead myself through the progression and experience it at the same time. I had so much success being led that it got me thinking that it would be rewarding to work with others this way. I knew that a lot of my friends were working through problems, or in just trying to figure out what they should do when they grew up—we talked about those things a lot."

"Over the next few years, I took a few more classes in this technique, and even traveled a couple of times to seek out particularly gifted teachers. I also practiced a lot on my own, working to figure out what type of life I wanted and how to bring myself more happiness. It's a never-ending journey, that's for sure." Both Kelly and Cathy nodded again, and I figured I didn't need to tell them that I wasn't perfect just yet.

"I also starting working with several friends, both male and female, as I gained experience, and I enjoyed the ability to help them out. I also studied some deep relaxation techniques, to help people open up more quickly, but I've never really gone into hypnosis. I prefer letting the other person lead the progression and discover for themselves what will give them the greatest reward. It's worked pretty well for several of my friends. Word has gotten around, and I usually have one or two 'clients' at any given time."