Every Magician Needs an Assistant

"Please indicate the sexiest man present", I commanded.

To no-one's surprise she pointed to our male dancer Brett.

At this point I normally had some fun, a bit of time-wasting for the act but hopefully entertaining. "Close your eyes; you are alone with him. What would you do next?"

I expected her to laugh with embarrassment and possibly blush, but Lauren had lost her inhibitions. She stood and started to strip-tease.

She danced seductively in a circle, wiggling her hips then reached behind to unfasten her dress. Suddenly she stood wearing just her heels, black satin push-up bra and panties, then started to prowl towards the man like a big cat as the dress lay in a heap on the floor behind her.

I realised that she was much further hypnotised than I had intended but there is a principle that people will only do what they want to -- they cannot be forced into anything. I'd come across this before, some people are just very easy to hypnotise when relaxed with booze.

Lauren had a good body, which we all had a better view of when she promptly unclasped her bra which she hurled into the audience.

Her breasts sagged loosely, white with pale pink nipples in contrast to the rest of her skin. They were quite small so didn't droop too far south, nowhere near as far as the panties which reached high to her midriff. Clearly her sun tanning regime didn't extend to going topless on the beach like many women did.

I heard a disturbance from the audience and saw a man running towards the stage. As he neared, he grabbed the bra from the table where it had landed then continued towards Lauren. When he came into the bright lights I could see his features and recognised him as my old employer, Jonesey.

* * *

I looked again at Lauren, paying more attention to her face. Yes, she was indeed the lady who had made me sneeze at the awards night so long ago.

Jonesey picked up the dress from the floor and thrust it at his wife. However she was having none of this and hooked her thumbs into the waist-band of her panties to pull them down as she tottered on her heels.

The crowd erupted as he wrapped the dress around her shoulders and pulled her hands from her knickers. She looked at her husband with a sneer and pushed him violently away, however she was standing on one of his feet which caused him to fall flat on his back.

Then Lauren was off, in pursuit of Brett as her spouse lay with his legs in the air. She cast her eyes around and saw her prey in the distance. She put her hands behind her head and waved her breasts at him. I waved at Brett, indicating for him to come closer. I didn't want Lauren to fall over the furniture and glassware on the tables.

Brett was in his costume of tight shorts and boxing boots to best display his physique. Our normal ploy in this event was for him to play along, allow himself to be kissed and his muscles to be fondled and then to ease the lady away. This was not supposed to be a swinger's party after all.

Kirsten crouched down to tend to the fallen husband and helped him up. He took the opportunity to ogle at her bare breasts as she dusted down his jacket.

I had the microphone now, as Lauren caught hold of Brett. She rubbed her hands over his shoulders and down over his chest, raising a knee up to his hip. The lady who had been so scandalised at the office party had turned into a vamp on holiday with a stomach full of red wine.

"Tell us Lauren, where are you know?" I held the microphone out for her to speak into it.

"I'm in my room with my lover."

"How do you feel?"

"I'm horny and I'm going to get laid."

"What's happened to your husband?"

"He can fuck off, I've had enough of the little turd."

The crowd was howling with laughter, but Jonesey was looking bright red. I'm not sure whether it was because of his wife's behaviour or because he was standing next to Kirsten with his cheek pressing against the side of her boob.

Lauren took Brett's hand and pressed it firmly against her crotch. "Touch me, my muscled hero. Right there."

With that she pulled at the waist-band of her panties and pushed the hand down deep inside.

"Lauren, your husband is watching. Hadn't you better behave yourself?"

Lauren wasn't listening. She was holding Brett's hand deep inside her panties and trying to kiss him on the lips. "Put your finger inside. Go on, that's it, right there."

The room had now gone silent, and in the hush a voice behind me shouted "Bitch!" and Mr Jones turned and stomped back into the audience. After a few seconds I saw the light flash from an opened door at the rear as he left the premises.

* * *

I eased Lauren away from Brett and Kirsten led her backstage, gathering her clothes as she went.

The audience was in a subdued mood as I completed the performance. When the lights came on for the end of the night and everyone to leave for their transport, I dashed back to the dressing rooms.

Lauren was sitting, sobbing with Kirsten. She was dressed once more and after checking that she was OK I led her to the car park. There were a few taxis about and feeling guilty I gave her a card with my number on before she left.

* * *

We started to pack up the show ready for the night. All the props had to be put away and the place tidied. Most of the cast changed into T shirts for convenience and it wouldn't take long to clear up.

Then there was a knocking at the front door and when someone opened it, in stumbled Lauren.

"He's thrown me out, left me. Can you help me arrange somewhere to stay?"

She stood in her long dress, holding just her purse. Her make up was smudged, a line of mascara running down her cheek.

I showed her to our dressing room and sat her down. Gabrielle gave her some tissue and comforted her as Brett entered the room. It was becoming crowded so I left to make sure that all the kit from the show was being stowed correctly.

After I was done, I returned to find Lauren much recovered and even with a weak smile. "I don't actually care. This has been building up for a while, it's put me in a pickle with nowhere to stay the night but apart from that I'm glad that I've made the break."

I was doubtful as to her prospects for finding a hotel room in that vicinity in the early hours of the morning; there were few establishments locally and most of those would not have night-staff.

However Brett was up to the challenge. "Don't you worry about tonight, we'll look after you. There won't be anywhere round here open at this time but I can find a couch if you're desperate."

She looked quite happy at this idea, even if I rolled my eyes at Kirsten.

Brett had an apartment on the top floor of the building, across the passage from the suite that I shared with Kirsten and Gabrielle. He took her hand and showed her the way.

* * *

I woke early the next morning and made my customary check on the premises before breakfast and the morning's work. One benefit of having the staff living in apartments on the top floor was that everything and everyone was close at hand.

I saw movement through the frosted glass in the door to Brett's rooms so assuming that they were up, opened the door. Inside I saw Brett lying on the couch with a naked Lauren astride him, rocking gently with her white butt in the air. From my viewpoint it was clear that they were both blissfully comfortable indeed so I gently closed the door and left them to it.

After breakfast we always had an early briefing on the roof terrace to discuss the night's show and anything else that needed talking about. In the morning sunshine the meeting was normally unclothed, naturally avoiding the tan lines that came with such a hot climate even when much of the time was spent under shelter. It was important to maintain an even tan for the show and any white bits were difficult to conceal so we all avoided shorts and T shirts outside where possible, leaving such garments for visits to town.

We sat on towels on cushions and bean bags, outlining the requirements for the evening. Brett came out a little late, followed by Lauren who was wearing one of his shirts. Lauren seemed surprised to see us all in a state of undress, which was to be expected but after some sideways glances recovered her composure.

Brett was holding his car keys, "I'll need to help Lauren sort herself out, she hasn't a thing to wear or anywhere to stay while she arranges a flight home."

I was in agreement with that, I felt that we needed to help her out where we could. They soon disappeared into town.

A few hours later they both returned. It was the middle of the day but we had an awning to shelter underneath whenever it became too hot.

Lauren was carrying her passport and not much else in the way of luggage. "He ripped up all my clothes and threw them in the bin, said that I could piss off in the gutter where I belonged. Brett has said that I can stay with him for a couple of days, I've managed to get a flight on the weekend. I don't know what will happen when I get back but I can tell you, it's such a relief."

She was still wearing the over-sized T shirt but had acquired a pair of flip-flops for her feet. "Brett is such an angel, I'll have to go shopping for some basics. But it will take thousands to get me back on my feet."

I told her to relax and save money on non-essentials. "As you can see, we get around without too much baggage here. Not like at Forward Corp."

She stopped still and looked hard at me. "What do you know of that company?"

"I used to work there. Went to some of the company presentations; I remember you there. Do you recall the one with the fire-eating stripper, set light to her nipples?"

Lauren was stunned, "That's an incredible co-incidence. You worked there? What as?"

I told her all about the journey that I had made working for and leaving the corporation.

"I hated that world as well. Robert loved it, just being able to tell others what to do and being a complete prick about it. It was so embarrassing sometimes, acting out the part of the manager's wife while he basically pissed over the workforce."

"Well I learned how to be a boss by doing the opposite of him." I laughed "There are no corporate mission statements here. We just do it."

Lauren followed Brett back towards the apartment, returning a minute later. "I'm feeling overdressed, I'm going to enjoy myself without a husband telling me what to do and wear." With that she pulled the T shirt over her head and stood naked before everyone. "When in Rome, and all that.

"He was such a shit, booking that fire-eater was typical of him. He booked her just so he could leer at her and then have me play queen alongside him. I had his measure though; dragged his sorry ass straight out." She chuckled "I was a child of the swinging sixties, I was at the Isle of Wight festival so I know how to turn on, tune in and drop out. I went to college during the Summer of Love. What a time it was to be young. Now he brings me out to these places so he can letch at the topless girls but he's horrified at the thought of me joining in."

She sat on a cushion in the sun. "While I'm here, I'm getting some proper sun and he can boil his own head as far as I'm concerned."

Brett came out with a spray-bottle of sun lotion. "You need to protect those white bits, otherwise you'll regret it." Lauren stood while he sprayed her with factor 50, smoothing it over her ass cheeks and breasts. When he came to her fluffy patch of pubic hair she separated her legs for him to reach into the crease.

Then she led him back to the apartment again.

* * *

"What can I do while I'm here? I mean I can't just sit around being a parasite. I must help with something." Lauren lounged on a cushion, her pale breasts dangling sideways. "I used to do the administration for the company in the early days, I can help with anything like that, or in the box office, anything. I want to feel useful."

"Can you use accountancy software?"

"I did it before computers I'm afraid. Double-entry book-keeping. It's easy enough once you learn but I suppose it would make no sense to anyone nowadays. I'm very easy to hypnotise apparently, other than that I don't know what skills I have."

In the background Kirsten and Gabrielle were working out. We had a rowing machine and a treadmill under the awning, with a set of weights. We also had a cold-water shower in the corner, so we could wash off the sweat before it became objectionable.

"We could always use another waitress I suppose, or bar staff." We had a bar; some guests wanted a change from the free wine and we were happy to sell booze as well as give it away.

"I could cook, I'm good in the kitchen -- did a lot of courses over the years to occupy my time."

"OK, whatever, we'll show you what to do and see how you do. Don't worry anyway, we'll look after you until it's time for your flight."

So Lauren disappeared with Brett to check out the kitchen while we finished off the plans for the following night's entertainment.

When she returned, wearing a towel tied around her waist like an apron, she laid down plates of food. As she bent over, I had a good view of her fine ass, round and firm despite the passing years. Damn she was a splendid specimen of a woman. "You look in shape, do you work out? I ventured.

"Years of yoga, pilates and walking the dogs through the hills." She twisted round to look at me.

I was slightly distracted by the sight of her tits hanging down, swinging gently from side to side and it wasn't until she stood upright and removed the towel that I noticed that she had removed her thatch of pubic hair.

"I borrowed Brett's razor", she announced as she sat. "I couldn't help notice that I was the only one here that wasn't clean-shaven - and if there were any curly hairs floating in the food there was only one place that the could have come from. It feels really strange, I'm not used to feeling any breeze there."

Her legs were slightly apart, with darkly pigmented labia protruding from her pussy. "The years I've wasted on that pig, no more. He only married me to be a trophy wife, I was doing some modelling and promotion work when we met. He couldn't even get it up. It came as a bit of a disappointment after my wild-child youth."

She slid her hand across the newly shaved area and pulled the skin up tight, so that her clitoris protruded. "Now I've got all those wasted years to make up for, it's been years since I had an excuse for a good trim."

* * *

The white-haired witch picked up the pointer and indicated a man amongst those watching. She gave a cackling laugh and beckoned him to the stage. The pointer was pale and stiff, a wizened and shrunken depiction of a human arm with the index finger sticking forward and the thumb forming a circle with the middle finger.

The man was portly; his T shirt failed to totally contain his belly which hung over garish beach shorts. The Magician inquired as to his first name and occupation, the man said that he was a civil servant.

Behind them a cauldron bubbled and steamed while the witch danced around the fire, wraiths of smoke about her casting spells. At the finish she rose with her arms high in the air. Her black robe fell open and showed an elderly breast, empty and hanging loose with a flat nipple.

She shrieked; the man was being untruthful. The Magician pressed further; the man was reluctant to disclose that he operated speed enforcement cameras.

The crone caught the man's head and held him close, pressing his face against the cold flesh as though he was suckling from her dryness. Then she cast him away as the gown slipped away from her other shoulder. A golden clasp at her belly held the robe together as she led the man to a board.

A silken cloth was draped to conceal his body as he was restrained by straps, face up. His beach shorts and T shirt were removed before he could protest.

In a blink, the clasp unfastened and the gown lay discarded on the floor. Her body, naked but for black thigh-high boots, glistened in the reflected moonlight. Her face was to the stars, her long silver hair reached down to her buttocks. Her thin bristle of pubic hair was trimmed to the shape of an inverted crucifix and was of the same hue as the locks on her head.

Below the cloth she positioned the finger and thumb of the pointing hand so that it encircled his organ, holding him upright.

Silently the old woman moved the hand so that he was manipulated and became erect. The audience was spellbound. The silhouette of his vertical penis was clearly visible.

The witch chanted more spells, her breasts rising and falling as her arms moved above the man. Whenever the cloth began to subside, the woman moved the hand so that he rose once more.

Eventually she finished her incantation and the straps were unfastened beneath the silken shroud. Then with a flourish the cloth was removed, but he found that the fingers of the hand no longer held him. Coiled around his penis was a live snake, tongue flicking as it squeezed firmly.

He hated snakes more than anything else in the world. His eyes bulged but he remained rigidly still, terrified of making a sudden movement. The woman released his bonds completely but still he did not move.

After several seconds, as the grip became tighter the man slowly sat up and nervously tugged the reptile away. It fell to the ground and slithered away as the man sprinted back to his seat. As he ran through the auditorium he clutched at the erection that waved before him.

The woman turned her back to the crowd. She bent down to hook up her robe with the fake hand and waved it over her head.

With a flash, the robe turned to a cloud of glitter and smoke. When it cleared the old woman had disappeared. Only her tall boots remained, still standing upright.

* * *

Kirsten had left me.

Just like that, gone -- with her girlfriend Gabrielle. Both of them disappeared one day while I was away on a short business trip.

She didn't want to be with me any more, after everything that we had done together. But I couldn't have been more accommodating. What else could I have done to keep her?

I did not know that she had been planning this betrayal so I won't lie, after all this is my account for you all to know the truth. And the terrible truth is that I reacted without thinking or considering the consequences.

Lauren came to my assistance in my hour of need. She had decided earlier, after a few days of deliberation not to run after her husband and plead for a reunion. She quietly missed her flight and stepped into the breach, joining the company. She made herself useful, doing whatever jobs she could -- later helping out with the show when I found myself distraught at the disappearance of Kirsten and Gabrielle. However she did not know of what happened later, she is innocent of any wrong-doing.

After some training she has come to do an excellent job with the darker themes that have crept into the programme. Some people run away to join the circus when they are teenagers; Lauren was much older than that, however she was able to learn the elements of the production quickly and has now become a natural performer with a dark humour.

She was keen to add her own elements to the illusions -- and calm down some of my wilder ideas. Together, whether by chance or design we have managed to avoid killing or seriously injuring anyone from the audiences.

I found my wife and her lover quite quickly after their disappearance, without too much difficulty. Did they think that I was some schmuck who would just let them both leave my life without a second thought? It had only taken a few weeks of discreet enquiries - in truth my existing subscription to one of the many web directories that sell data to companies, usually for marketing purposes.