The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

The budget meeting started at 1:00 and lasted until after 4:00. Let me shatter at least one of the CPA stereotypes by saying that by 2:05 I was bored out of my mind. Our budget meetings seem deliberately designed to squeeze the minimum amount of productivity into the maximum available time. Sitting through one is more than merely dull; it involves the kind of oppressive tedium that is more tiring than physical exercise. Once or twice I glanced across the conference table at Marlene only to find her eyeing me, her mental gears visibly turning.

You’ve probably already guessed her plan, but when I walked into her office at 4:30 I had no clue what to expect. Marlene was the only one around—no surprise, our budget meetings are enough to make anyone want to skip town in a hurry. Nonetheless, she closed and locked the office door behind me.

“We don’t want to be disturbed, do we?” she said and gave me another one of those looks. I was starting to feel toyed with.

“Okay, you’ve had your fun, now give—what exactly do you have in mind?”

“You’ve been trying to figure that out all day, haven’t you?” I couldn’t deny it. “I knew you would, you’ve never heard or seen anything in your life that you haven’t tried to define, categorize, or analyze until you felt comfortable with it.”

I started to interject. “Wait a minute, now —”

“Easy, big fellow. That’s not a knock, it’s just the way your brain is wired. It makes you great at understanding and following complex processes. It just leaves you a little handicapped in the area of spontaneous action.”

I wasn’t quite sure how to take that. “So you’re proposing ... what? To rewire my brain?”

“Not completely.” Marlene rose up from her chair and came around the desk to me. “I want to teach you how to relax.” Gently, she loosened my tie and unbuttoned my top shirt button. “To loosen up and have fun, to just go with the flow.” Her hands slipped under my jacket and started sliding it off my shoulders. With any other woman I’d have been out that office door in seconds, but Marlene and I had the kind of intimacy that comes from years of close friendship, so it didn’t feel like a come-on. Instead of backing away, I just asked “What does that have to do with Simon Sez?”

She took my jacket and hung it on the back of her door. “It’s simple, really. The reason you have a hard time with Simon Sez is because you spend too much time trying to understand the instructions before you follow them. There’s no point in doing that, the caller’s orders and movements are all designed to confuse. What you need to do is relax, accept every word at face value and above all don’t think too much. You’ll do better that way and you’ll have fun too.”

It seemed reasonable to me. “Okay, maybe you’re right. How is a guy like me going to learn to do that in 2 weeks?”

“With the help of a little modern technology,” she answered, then pointed to the chair behind her desk. “Have a seat in my chair and get nice and comfortable. Face the computer.” She had a very nice high-back leather office chair, just worn enough to feel soft while still looking new. My arms rested naturally on the arms of the chair. When I swung around to face her PC, my feet fell right into place on a footrest under the desk.

“Comfortable?” she asked.

“Mmmmm. Who did you bribe to get this chair?”

“I won it in a bet.” From the other side of the desk, she reached for her mouse and clicked Start, Run. Before I could read the name of the program, she clicked OK and the screen blanked. A few seconds later it filled with a strange pattern of multicolored dots on a black background. As I watched, a brief flash of bright yellow lit the screen for an instant, then vanished. Then it flashed again. My mental timepiece told me it was flashing about twice per second.

Marlene dimmed the office lights and closed the blinds, making the impact of the flashing image more dramatic to my eyes. “The trick here, Michael, is to learn to ignore some inputs while focusing on others. You see a lot of dots on the screen, don’t you? Let your eyes wander over the screen at random, not paying any particular attention to what dots they see. As you do that, I want you to count the flashes in your mind. Don’t think about anything else, just count the flashes.”

That didn’t seem too difficult. I did exactly what she said, letting my eyes wander slowly from dot to dot, counting the yellow flashes to myself. After 50 flashes, my mind started wandering a bit and I had to concentrate to avoid losing count. Around 120 flashes the combination of the dim room and a 21-inch CRT blasting yellow light was starting to irritate my eyes; I found myself trying to blink between flashes so I wouldn’t miss one. I became aware of a voice behind me.

“You’re doing wonderfully, Michael. I can see that you are concentrating hard, keeping count of the flashes. Soon your eyes will grow tired and heavy, and that’s okay. When you’re ready, just let your eyes close and rest. You will still be able to sense the flashes even through your heavy, heavy eyelids. Let them close now, and feel yourself sinking a little deeper into the chair.”

My eyes dropped shut immediately, and I felt a wave of relief and, yes, a sensation of sinking into that chair. She was right about my being able to sense the flashes with my eyes closed, so I kept counting. I felt a pair of hands begin gently massaging my shoulders and neck. Instinctively I sighed and almost lost count of the flashes as I felt the tension leaving my upper body. The voice came back—Marlene’s voice, but not quite right somehow. Instead of her usual lively tone this voice was soft, slow, soothing, like a lullaby.

“That’s good, Michael, just relax. Let go. Feel your whole body slowing down as you concentrate on counting the flashes. Feel each flash as it washes over your face, each one relaxing you a little bit more. Don’t try to understand, just let it happen.”

I felt the hands moving down over my chest, down my forearms, all the way with that magical, soothing touch. I became aware of my own breathing, slow and quiet, and almost forgot to keep counting flashes.

“You’re doing so well, Michael. Much better than I hoped, much better than you know. Let your body go limp now, Michael, limp and loose and lazy. Feel your mind starting to drift off to a safe, comfortable place. You may find that you start to lose track of the flashes. If you do, that’s okay, you can just start over from the last number you remember. Feel the freedom, feel the peace, feel the comfort. Drift away with me now.”

I did lose count then, several times. My mind just wouldn’t stay focused anymore. Then I heard a soft buzzing sound, maybe it was a voice, maybe not. Counting the flashes was no longer important, I just let the pulses soak into my body and drifted off for a while. “Three, four, and five. Wide awake now, feeling great.”

My eyes snapped open. It was no longer dim in the office, it was almost completely dark. I blinked the heaviness out of my eyes and looked at the clock on Marlene’s desk.

“Holy shit, it’s a quarter after six! Linda’s gonna be ticked.”

Marlene flicked on the lights. “No problem. I called her a little bit ago, told her you were going to be late coming home. She said to pick up some Chinese on the way.” She sat on the edge of the desk and studied my face. “How do you feel?”

“Now that you mention it, pretty good. Kind of like waking up from a Sunday afternoon nap. I don’t remember much, though. Was I doing it right?”

“Absolutely. Let’s see what you’ve learned so far. Simon says stand up.”

Even as I was starting to get up, I felt something click in the back of my mind. Instead of slowly rising, I almost jumped out of the chair. Marlene saw that extra snap and seemed pleased.

“Very good! Now, Simon says lift your left foot.” Another click, and before I realized it my left foot was already in the air. Marlene picked up the pace.

“Simon says hop 3 times ... Simon says clap your hands ... Simon says stop clapping ... Simon says touch your nose ...” I’m not sure how long it went on, but I was getting into it. Obeying “Simon” seemed to get easier and quicker with each instruction. Finally, she said “Put your right foot down.” Something was wrong; I didn’t feel the little click I’d become accustomed to. Some part of me didn’t want to, but I put my foot down. Then I realized that Marlene hadn’t said “Simon says” on the last command; I was out. . “Oops,” I said. “Guess I’m not ready for prime time yet.”

“Not yet, but it’s a good start.” She tossed my suit jacket back to me. “Now Simon Says go home and take Linda out to dinner.”

That was the best suggestion I’d gotten all day. I was out of the office in nothing flat, and instead of stopping for greasy carryout I took Linda to the Royal Hunan Palace.

The next few training sessions went pretty much the same as the first one. I’d come down to Marlene’s office on a quiet afternoon and practice counting the flashes for a few minutes, then she’d test me with some Simon commands. With each session I got a little quicker and a little smarter. I was starting to realize that the mental click I was feeling was a good instinct that could be trusted, and gradually stopped thinking as much about the actual commands. I still didn’t believe I’d win the contest, mind you, but I was pretty sure I wouldn’t embarrass myself.

The picnic was set for Saturday. On Friday at about 4:45 I poked my head into Marlene’s office. “One more practice before the big show?”

“Absolutely,” she said. “But how about a change of venue, just to make things interesting?”

“Sure, why not?”

“I was thinking of my place. You’re on your own this evening, right?” She was right—Linda, a high school computer science teacher, had been helping out at Computer Day Camp all week and would not be home until late. So we went to Marlene’s apartment and warmed up some leftovers. We ate quickly and shared the cleanup chores so we could get down to business.

I started walking toward the spare bedroom which was Marlene’s home office, but she stopped me. “There won’t be any flashing lights tomorrow. Let’s see how you do without them.” She had me move the coffee table aside, creating a big open space in the living room, and stood there a few feet away facing directly at me. She pointed to her own eyes. “Now keep looking right here, Michael, and focus on what I am saying to you. Remember how it feels when you are locked in, that nice relaxed feeling, that locked-in feeling. Remember it now, relax, and you will do well.”

It was working. I thought about how I usually felt at the beginning of a practice, and just as she said, the feeling flowed through me again even without the benefit of the flashes. I was focused, ready, in the zone—pick your favorite athletic cliché.

Marlene started throwing out test commands: raise one foot, turn around, bark like a dog, do 5 pushups. I lost track of how many commands I obeyed, but I knew I was nailing them all. Several times she tried to trick me by omitting the “Simon says” or substituting “Someone says”, and every time I responded correctly. Gradually, I became aware of an extra sparkle in those lovely hazel eyes.

“Simon says give me your right hand,” Marlene commanded, extending her left hand as if to shake. Before I could even think about it, my right hand came forward to meet hers even as I was realizing that it was the “wrong” hand for a real handshake. Cool, I thought—my new instinct is smarter than I am.

“Simon says kiss me.” I don’t even remember closing the gap between us; just hearing her voice one second and my mouth locking onto hers the next. Then I realized what I was doing and jumped back, startled and very surprised at myself. “Where did that come from?”

Marlene let out a low chuckle as she licked her lips. “Think of it as the acid test. You were so tuned in that you didn’t even think about what you were doing until after you’d started doing it. And doing it very well, I might add.”

“Um, thanks. I guess.” I still felt unsettled, like I’d just been groped by my sister. Then I heard Marlene’s voice again.

“Simon says kiss me again.”

Instantly I felt her lips against mine. This time it was harder to pull back, but I did. All I could think was, this isn’t right. I needed to get away fast before something unforgivable happened.

“Simon says once more, with tongue this time.”

I felt my body lunge forward and reach for her, but I was already resisting and managed to turn my face away. “No, Marlene! You’ve made your point, I think I’m trained enough.” I knew I needed to get out of there, but all I could think about was how much I wanted to kiss her again, exploring her mouth with my tongue. As she watched me, I also became aware that another part of my body seemed to be out of control and looking to explore her.

“It’s okay, Michael. Simon says never mind.”

It was like turning off a light—one second I was frozen, obsessed, straining to resist and the next I was free, sighing deeply and wondering what happened. I looked back at Marlene and started to speak, but she cut me off with a gesture.

“Relax, Michael. Simon says relax, and return to your special place. Simon says relax, trust me, listen to me. Simon says I will take care of you.” There was more, but none of it registered. One moment I was fully alert, the next moment I felt myself falling into darkness. The sensation was like being put to sleep for an operation.

“ Four, becoming aware again. Five, fully awake, quiet and still.”

I was sitting in a recliner, Marlene perched on the arm while holding my hand in her lap. I tried to say something—what, I don’t remember—but she stopped me, putting a finger up to her lips. “Don’t try to talk, Michael. You can’t until I let you, so just listen. I need to tell you some things.”

I stopped trying to talk and fixed my gaze on her face. As she talked, my analytical self finally starting putting the pieces together.

“Did you ever wake up in the morning and feel like something was missing, Michael? I do, quite a lot, especially since Ron.”

Oh yes, I thought, remembering Ron. Marlene had dated him for nearly 2 years. He seemed like the perfect guy for Marlene—easygoing, quick to lay down a dare and even quicker to take one up. He had an inexhaustible library of stories in his head and could keep any crowd in stitches telling them. Toward the end he was practically living with her, but we could tell Marlene was getting frustrated and wanted more. Then, while he was away on a “business trip”, a pair of sheriff’s deputies came to see her. Apparently Ron was the perfect guy for a number of women; he had outstanding warrants against him in two states for failure to pay child support. Within a couple of days, the police picked up Ron as he signed for a package he had ordered over the Internet using one of Marlene’s credit card numbers. Marlene seemed to have handled it well but Linda and I noticed that aside from an occasional outing with us, Marlene didn’t seem to date anymore.

“The debacle with Ron got me thinking, I suppose,” she continued. “Did he really have me fooled for almost 2 years, or was I helping him by fooling myself? And what about the guys before him? They were all pretty much the same. Reckless, unpredictable, spontaneous, maybe even a little unsavory—and, in the end, unsatisfying. They weren’t grownups. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the only real man I have ever dated is the one I set up with my roommate. Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the two of you so happy together and I don’t want to hurt either of you. All I want is a small taste of you for myself. I’m offering you a little walk on the wild side in return.

“Simon says watch me, Michael.” My gaze locked onto her as she rose up from her perch on the chair side, gently laying my arm down on my lap. She took a few steps, then turned to face me. She was still wearing most of her outfit from work—white blouse with embroidered highlights tucked neatly into a navy wrap skirt with a slit that was daring but still elegant. Dark hose disappearing up into the skirt. Her all-business jacket and shoes had been discarded before dinner, as had my sport coat and tie. As she started fingering the buttons on her blouse, I tried to look away but my eyes wouldn’t cooperate. Instead they focused in closer and I realized anew how sexy my friend really was.

“Have you ever wondered what we could have been like, Michael?” The answer was yes, but I couldn’t say it. I was still effectively bound and gagged, but certainly not blindfolded. I watched very closely as her hands started undoing the fastener that held up her skirt. “I know you have. Not for long, not seriously, you are too good a husband for that. But sometimes, in your deepest dreams, you imagine what it might be like to have sex with me. I know you do, because you told me so. Simon says imagine it now.” I didn’t remember telling her any such thing, but it was certainly true now as images of myself and Marlene in various erotic positions began parading unbidden through my mind. Before long I had a major hard-on, my body making a mockery of my will.

The skirt dropped to the floor. Marlene flipped it away with a foot then started slowly unbuttoning the blouse, all the while still keeping eye contact with me. “Tonight, Michael, we are going to act on our fantasies. One time only, no regrets and no guilt. You know you want to. The more you think about it, the more aroused you become. Simon says your arousal keeps building as you watch me undress.”

As she said the magic phrase, she slipped the blouse off her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. There was no containing my penis now, it strained hard against the front of my pants. Meanwhile, the analytical me was too busy wondering what she would take off next to be of any help. Marlene saw the bulge in my pants and smiled as she stepped a little closer. She was down to a sheer satiny bra, matching bikini panty and the hose.

“You like my body, don’t you? I’ve lost count of how many times, in how many ways, I’ve tried to show you bits of it. Remember the pool hall by the college? The camping trip when you caught me skinny-dipping? The tiny little swimsuits I wear on our beach weekends? I told you I wanted people to notice; what I never said was, I wanted you to notice too. Are you noticing now, Michael? Simon says look very closely at my body and feel your arousal increasing.” The hose went next, smoothly and cleanly, joining the pile of clothes on the floor. She was half-sitting on the arm of the chair again, giving me a great profile view of her thighs, the flat rise of her abdomen, the perfect curve of her breast. I caught a hint of a familiar scent; I wasn’t the only one whose arousal was increasing.

“Do you know what I want right now, Michael? I want to feel your hand on my breast. You like my breasts, don’t you? Simon says you like them. Simon says you want to explore them, feel them, excite them. And I want to know the gentle touch of a loving man looking to give me pleasure as I do the same for him. Simon says caress my breast.” She reached behind her, unhooked the bra and let it fall. Marlene always did have exquisite breasts. They were average in size to my eye, probably a 34C, but they had that perfect teardrop shape and, I half suspected, would fit perfectly in my hands. I was right. My left hand, acting completely on its own, rose up to cup her left breast. A tingle like a mild electrical shock ran down my arm as my palm came into contact with her already erect nipple. Marlene gasped a little, then exhaled with a long, slow moan. Her right hand covered my left, guiding me into massaging her breasts one at a time. I tried to pull my hand away, tried to make it stop, but I was clearly not in charge here.

Marlene remained silent for several minutes, eyes closed, enjoying the sensations. After a while her breathing deepened and the pace picked up. She moved my hand faster and more insistently, dividing time between her nipples. Next she reached down with her left hand and started gently squeezing and stroking the bulge in my pants. “You are getting me very excited, Michael. I think I am going to come just from your hand. Simon says kiss me deeply until I come.”

I was so hot and horny at that point that I not even token resistance was possible. She drew close and our mouths locked together, tongues exploring one another, as I continued to attend to her breasts and nipples. In just a few minutes I felt Marlene start to shudder and sit up. I knew she was coming, and I wouldn’t be far behind. At the last second, she realized it too. “No!” she gasped in mid orgasm, “Not yet! ... Don’t come yet. ... Simon says ... you can’t come ... until Simon ... says so ... OOOHHHHHHHHHH!”

I let out a massive, soul-stirring groan. My dick felt like a fire hose with a knot in the middle: too much pressure, no way to relieve it. All I could do was sit there and watch Marlene recover her breath, my hand still mindlessly caressing her breast. “Simon says you can stop that now” she said, using her hand to disengage mine. The arm went limp again. My dick, on the other hand, continued to stand at attention.

“Whew!” she sighed, wiping some real sweat from her brow. “You have very talented hands, my dear. That was very intense.” She look at my face with something like contrition. “But not too much fun for you, was it? I’m sorry, I let myself lose control a bit there. We’re not done yet, though. Simon says stand up.”

I was on my feet before I had time to realize my body was moving. She stood right before me, naked except for the now soaked panties, and toyed with my shirt front for a moment. “Simon says take off your shirt.” Of course I did, immediately and without conscious thought. It had been a warm day, so I wasn’t wearing an undershirt. Marlene ran her hands over my chest, squeezing my nipples lightly in the process and, if I’m not mistaken, purring a little. “Simon says take off your shoes and socks.” Out of nowhere, my almost forgotten analytical self noted that while I could easily move to obey Marlene’s commands, I still had no ability to speak or move by my own desire. I remembered the hypnosis lectures from college, where we were all sternly reminded that nobody can be hypnotized into doing something against their will. Maybe not, I thought, but you’d be amazed what some people are secretly willing to do.

“Take off your pants.” God, was that a relief! Before my slacks had even hit the floor, my dick shot forward through the front of my boxers, a little bit of pre-cum oozing from the tip. “Simon says hold me, " Marlene commanded as she reached around and embraced me, pressing her hips against mine. I felt the sweet sensations of my dick against her pelvis and her breasts against my chest, and I wanted her more than I’d ever wanted a woman before. I would have been content to hold that position indefinitely, but after only a few moments I heard “Simon says let go” and my arms dropped to my sides.

She moved back several steps, being careful not to trip on discarded clothing.

“Here’s the problem, Michael. I’ve been very selfish. That flashing light program on the computer is designed to induce Delta pattern brain waves, which are normally associated with deep sleep. I used the program and some script suggestions from a book to hypnotize you and condition you to obey me whenever I say ‘Simon says’. I was going to use that conditioning to make you fuck me and then forget that you’d done it, so you wouldn’t feel guilty and Linda would never get hurt. But I don’t think I can go through with it as planned. I still want you, but I want you to do it willingly.

At this point all we’ve done is kiss and indulge in some heavy petting. By the Bill Clinton definition of adultery, we haven’t done anything wrong yet. But I know you, Michael, and I’m sure that by your standards we already have crossed the line. In a moment, I’m going to give you back the ability to talk and act independently. Before I do, I want to offer you one final choice: do you want to continue this fantasy to completion by making love to me, or do you want to stop, get dressed, and forget everything that’s happened since dinner? Simon says you may answer when you are ready.”

No man is at his intellectual best when most of his blood supply is holding up his dick. I thought, probably too briefly, about Linda. Never in my memory had I consciously thought about cheating on her with Marlene or anyone else. I loved her deeply and completely. Perhaps it was my raging hormones or the lingering effect of Marlene’s ‘Simon says’ commands, but I realized that I also loved Marlene in a way, and a large part of me (so to speak) was completely in tune with her “haven’t you ever wondered?” reasoning. She was right about something else, too—in my mind, I had already committed adultery. He that is down fears no fall. I swallowed a couple of times as Marlene watched, holding her breath.

“Marlene, you are one of the two most wonderful women I’ve ever known. All of the happiest events in my life have involved you in some way. If this is my chance to give something back to you, then I’ll take it. I think Linda will understand.” The raw emotion was getting to us both, although I noticed the pressure and throbbing in my dick hadn’t diminished any.

She ran back over and kissed me fervently. “Simon says you can speak and move freely. Now fuck me, Michael. Simon says fuck me.”

I lifted her up immediately and carried her to the bedroom, kissing the side of her neck as we went. Playfully I tossed her onto the bed, deftly relieving her of the sopping wet panties in the process. She bounced right back up again and slid off the edge, landing on her knees facing me. Within seconds my boxers were around my ankles and Marlene’s mouth was around my dick, working its way up and down the shaft. The sensation was incredible. Linda doesn’t care much for oral sex, whether on the giving or receiving end, so our few forays into that area had been brief and not that satisfying. Marlene must love it, because she was incredibly good. I felt my body responding to her in a way I didn’t know was possible. Soon every muscle and nerve was screaming that I needed to come, but for some reason the fire hose didn’t burst. Then I realized—not until Simon says so. And just then Simon’s mouth was otherwise occupied. I babbled something semi-intelligible about the odds of my having a stroke if she kept that up.

She pulled her mouth off my dick and blew gently on its wet surface. I groaned loudly and felt my knees start to buckle. Marlene stood up, still holding my throbbing dick in her hand, and pushed me over onto the bed. “The only stroke you’re going to have is THIS kind,” she proclaimed, and climbed right on top of me taking my entire length into her easily. We started slowly, then established an ever increasing rhythm of thrust and return, thrust and return, never coming completely out, just enough to tease my sensitive head. I could tell Marlene was losing control again as her face went slack and her breathing got louder and louder. Watching her breasts heave in front of me along with the sensations in my groin left me speechless, all I could do was grunt and hang on. She started talking to me. “Here we come, get ready, we’re almost there, any second now ... COME NOW, Michael, Simon says COME NOW.” She sat up and flung her head way back as we came together, making it look for a moment as though I’d blown her head off with my explosion. I literally saw spots before my eyes, and I think we both passed out briefly.

When I came to I was still lying on my back. Marlene’s spent body was draped across me and she held on tightly as her breathing slowed back to normal. I let us both enjoy the glow for a little while before speaking again.

“Things will never be the same between us, you realize.”

She rose up to one elbow and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Of course they will. You’ve forgotten something. Simon says relax, Michael. Simon says relax deeply and listen to my voice...”

“Wake up, Michael, it’s time to go home.”

As I blinked the sleep out of my eyes, I tried to roll over to climb out of the bed. To my complete surprise, I couldn’t do it—I wasn’t in bed at all, I was in the recliner in Marlene’s living room. I was fully dressed except for my sport coat and tie. Marlene was standing over me in her navy skirt and white blouse, looking at me inquisitively. “Are you okay?”

I sat up and put down the footrest, trying to work through the confusion in my mind. Very shortly I gave up hope of figuring this out myself and looked to Marlene. “Will you please explain to me what just happened here?”

“We finished your training, like you wanted. I hypnotized you again and reinforced all the suggestions you will need to stay sharp and focused during the game tomorrow. Then I let you rest a little before waking you up just now.”

This wasn’t working, I was getting more confused instead of less. “But wasn’t I ... didn’t we ... I remember ... sort of ... ”

“Having wild, joyous sex in the bedroom?” Marlene finished for me. “Is that what you think happened?”

“Sure,” I answered, and then was suddenly less sure. “I mean, I think so. I remember it vividly.”

“Of course you do, dear. You are an amazingly good hypnotic subject. Nobody touched you, nobody moved you, but in your mind you were kissing, stroking and screwing yourself into a stupor. You almost had a real orgasm from an imaginary experience.”

“Imaginary? Then we didn’t really ... ”

She shook her head and held up her right hand in the traditional gesture. “You were a perfect gentleman at all times. Scout’s honor.”

“Okay, I give up.” Still shaking my head ruefully, I used the bathroom to freshen up then headed home.

Linda was already there when I arrived, catching a late dinner of Lean Cuisine and browsing through the newspaper. “And where have you been, young man?” she asked in her best hall monitor voice, a mock scowl coming over her face.

“Would you believe obedience school?”

“Long overdue in my opinion.” She got up and met me half way in the living room, wrapping her arms around my neck in a tight embrace which I was more than happy to return. We exchanged a few kisses, then Linda went back to her newspaper and I announced my intention to go to bed.

“By the way” she said, “there should be another bottle of after shave in the bathroom closet. Third shelf, left side I think.”

I stopped in my tracks, wondering what prompted that remark. “Okay, I’ll dig it out when I finish the open one.”

“Oh, you still have some? I’m sorry. I just noticed you’re not wearing any now and thought you might be out.”

Now it was my turn to be puzzled. “Could have sworn I put some on this morning. All these Simon Sez drills must be turning my brain into jello. G’night.”