Chapter 25. John Turns His Boss Slutty (Brain Control Enterprises)

Three things happened that day at work.

The first two were almost innocuous, and they happened almost as soon as I sat down behind my desk and fired up the trio of monitors in front of me. I liked to work with multiple screens, a habit I'd gotten from a roommate back in college. I could code on one screen, open up online coding documentation and forums on the second, and run tests or communicate with my team on a third. It was the kind of thing that saved you a couple of seconds at a time, only those seconds eventually added up until you saved hours in the long run. At least, that was what my roommate had told me.

For me, there was just something so satisfying about having all those screens in front of me. I felt like a commander in charge of a futuristic space vessel.

My inbox chimed as soon as the computer was on, indicating that I'd received an email overnight. I was fairly strict with email, making sure to keep spam filtered out in various folders, so I clicked to open them, praying that it wasn't a late night rant from Allison about the Morrison project.

It wasn't.

In fact, it wasn't just one email but two.

As I read the subject line of the first, I couldn't help but feel my stomach tighten. The coffee in my belly churned uncomfortably. It was a message from Barbara's company.

A couple of months ago, Barbara had put my name down on the employee mailing list. It was a convenience thing, so she could keep me in the loop with company events, and I'd usually never looked at the emails before deleting them. But I hadn't heard from my wife in almost two full days, and I sat staring at the screen as the discomfort changed to numbness in my chest.

I bit the inside of my cheek thoughtfully, but before I could start brooding I clicked it open and started to read.

Dear employees and family!

It has been another great Spring Quarter for us and our team, and it's time to prepare for another. We would like to cordially invite you to a special Summer Quarter Kickoff party, this Friday night at the Regent hotel downtown.

If you received this email, we are excited to have you and a plus-one join us in celebrating our successes with a night of food, drink and socializing. Grow closer together with your friends and family here at Brown, Burns and Keohane.

Happy Summer!

There was a link at the bottom to RSVP to the event.

I was about to click away and send the message into my Trash when I hesitated.

What if this is my last chance to see Barbara? I wondered. If Adrianna and McKenzie are wrong, she may never come back to me. The doubts whirled in my mind and I sighed heavily. I marked the email as Unread. I would call Kenz at lunch at get her opinion.

The second email was far more exciting, and actually pushed the first to the far corner of my mind.

RE: A Curious Customer

Dear John,

I am intrigued to hear the side effects you've been experiencing, but worry that email may not be the best avenue for giving you the information you want. You mentioned you'd be willing to hop on a video call sometime in the evening.

How about 6 o'clock tonight?

I'm eager to hear about your experience.

Cheers,

Oliver King

CEO and Founder, Brain Development Enterprises

The thought of getting to speak to Mr. Silver Fox — or, I suppose, Mr. Oliver King — was simultaneously exciting and daunting. The man and his products had practically made me who I was today. My life before BDE, when I looked back, seemed far away and almost imaginary, like I couldn't possibly have been that man.

I typed back rapidly.

Dear Mr. King,

6 o'clock it is!

I look forward to speaking with you.

I gave him my phone number and signed off, pressing Send and then sitting back with a long sigh. I had a strange feeling in my gut, like events were coming to a head, all the questions I had and the drama that had been plaguing my family suddenly rushing to an inevitable climax. When it was done, I would either be one of the happiest men alive or I would be even more confused than I was right now, and likely dealing with a second divorce.

But I shook my head and shoved the latter thought aside. "I'll call Kenz at lunch," I told myself, forcing my brain to shift gears into coding mode. For now, I had work to do.

* * *

I was several hours into my workday when Allison barged in and closed the door behind her. I was almost more surprised by the second act than the first. Since her promotion, Allison had been dropping by frequently to give me orders and put me in my place, but usually she wanted to make it a performance for whatever audience happened to be in earshot — asserting her dominance. Now, apparently, she wanted to talk in private.

She flipped a switch by the door and the big glass walls went from transparent to filmy grey in a second, impenetrable to the rest of the office. It was a feature I'd requested and had installed months ago. It let me work in complete privacy and separation, necessary when I needed to do work that required deep thinking and focus.

My boss leaned back against the door and narrowed her eyes at me.

For my part, I raised my eyebrows and pushed back from the desk, giving her a look of evident confusion. "Allison?" I asked, feeling my heart rate spike at her sudden appearance. "What's this about?"

The blonde woman had several pieces of paper folded together in her hand, printed on both sides, and she raised them at me. "I want to talk to you about these."

I shrugged. "I'm not sure what those are." As I spoke, I gave her a subtle up and down. Today, the gorgeous software developer was dressed in a grey, off-the-shoulders sweater and a navy skirt. The sweater was the clingy type that hugged her arms down to her wrists and accentuated her hefty tits, making my eyes twitch inadvertently to the dark shadow of her cleavage. The skirt was, as usual, smooth and tight around her athletic thighs. If she bent over, I would bet I'd have a fantastic view of her ass, and I might even get a flash of her panties.

That was Allison's dress code. Just a little bit too sexy for the office, but the boys upstairs didn't care. In fact, I'd always known that her sex appeal was one of the reasons for her swift ascension through the ranks.

Allison unfolded the papers with a flick of her wrists, the paper snapping taut between her fingers. "These," she said with evident relish, "are emails sent from your company email address. They were flagged by the system for inappropriate language and, as your superior, I was the one notified."

I froze, suddenly, sitting very still. You idiot, John, I cursed. I hadn't even thought about the fact that my correspondence with Brain Development Enterprises had been from my company email and not my personal one.

The woman was watching me closely, and I saw from the smirk that curled across her mouth she'd noticed my sudden discomfort. "I think you do know what I'm talking about, John," my boss told me. "And I just wanted to come by to tell you that your time with this company is coming to an end." She smiled. "Just a little warning. Between friends." The smirk turned into a sneer, widening across her full lips.

I felt my stomach tighten and begin to churn. My jaw clenched.

Allison took several steps closer, like a predator stalking in for the kill. The printed emails rolled into a cylinder in her hand. "I always knew it, John. You were good at your job, sure. But never good at anything else. You lacked certain..." she shrugged "People skills. And then I find this trash..." My boss gestured with the papers in her hand. "Hypnosis? Mind control? 'Women find my scent irresistible'? 'They seem unable to resist my instructions'? It's not just weird, it's offensive and totally insane."

I shook my head. I tried to come up with something to defend myself, wondering what I'd said in those emails that flagged them in the system. But I couldn't think of anything. I was still in shock from her sudden arrival and the revelation that she knew about something I'd been trying to keep private and hidden.

The gorgeous blonde looked like nothing so much as a gleeful succubus, joyfully preparing to devour her next victim. She leaned against my desk, lowering her head toward me as I instinctively pushed back in my chair away from her. "I'm going to take this upstairs, John," she told me. "And when they see this they'll give me the go-ahead to fire you so fast your head will spin."

Wait... My mind felt like it was working in fits and starts, my thoughts like dozens of puzzle pieces from different puzzles that wouldn't fit together. She hasn't gone to them already? Why?

"Unless..." The beautiful woman paused and sat up on the edge of my desk with a look so exaggerated it was obviously rehearsed. She tapped her lips thoughtfully with the rolled-up papers. "You give me your letter of resignation by the end of the day."

That was the comment that got me, my brain suddenly jolting into focus. It was out of character. Allison would love to fire me. She would love to march in here and loudly assert her authority over me one final time, showing everyone in the office that she had the power. Maybe she would even read something profane from the emails that confirmed my status as a pervert and deviant.

So why would she give me the chance to resign quietly?

And then, like the proverbial light bulb, something clicked.

She hasn't shown anyone yet. Because... she did something she wasn't supposed to.

I wasn't confused any longer. Just angry.

I am a Man. A Man does not back down. A Man does what is right. A Man does not give in to any challenge.

My sudden calm surprised her, and I saw Allison's head twitch back and her brows furrow as I blew out a breath and let a passive expression drift over my nervous features. I wasn't feeling calm, but my defense mechanisms had kicked in.

I've always been bad at social interactions, but one of the benefits of that shortcoming is learning the ability to freeze my emotions when necessary. I hadn't always been able to do calm and suave and confident, not until I started using the BDE products and unlocking my inner Alpha Male, but after years of presentations and team meetings I knew how to go cold and calm and analytical.

So, in a flash, my brain went still and started slotting the jumbled puzzle pieces together.

Allison doesn't like me, never liked me, maybe because she knows I'm a better coder.

Check.

She flaunts her authority over me whenever she can, and looks for any way to screw with me.

Check.

One of the perks of her job is the ability to access the company email accounts of her underlings, including me. But she can only do that if there's something there that would be harmful to the company or the team. Otherwise it would be abuse of power.

Check.

If she had the chance, she'd get permission immediately and would fire me as publicly as possible.

No doubt.

So if she isn't doing that... It's because she did abuse her power.

My brain cast back to my emails with Oliver King. I couldn't be sure in the moment, but I was relatively certain I hadn't used any type of language that would cause my correspondence to raise red flags with the internal security checks. The worst I'd done was reveal that I believed I had the power to influence people, and I hadn't made any mention of doing anything untoward that would hurt the company or its employees.

She doesn't have anything on me, but she hopes she can leverage those emails into getting me to resign. She can't fire me, but she can try to get me out of the office anyway.

The thoughts and realizations blurred through my mind and slotted into place, the puzzle solved and its results crystal clear in front of me. I leaned back in my chair, eyes flicking back to Allison's face as I cocked my head to one side and regarded her calmly.

"You've got nothing," I said, my tone even.

Allison's expression had transformed from victorious to confused. She spluttered, clutching and gesturing vaguely with the papers that crumpled in her tight fingers.

"You were probably spying on my emails," I continued, leaning toward her. "You were looking for any possible way to get leverage on me, because you've always hated the fact that I got where I am by merit and you got where you are by being hot." Even though she sat above me, I felt like I towered over her, declaring judgement. Now that my mind was calm, I felt the surging BDE confidence rising in my chest, my voice slowing and my body language shifting, becoming more alpha by the second.

"That's not allowed, by the way," I told her conversationally, and she was too stunned to move as I slowly pushed myself to my feet. "And, in fact, if someone found out that you'd been abusing your authority just to go after one of your employees you would be the one fired. Or..." and I rolled my eyes, my teeth flashing as I smirked. "Given the opportunity to resign."

"You..." Allison's face was red with frustration, her eyes widening as she realized that I'd seen through her charade. "You can't know that. I'm your boss. I'm the one in charge. If I say you're out, then you're out!" She tried to raise her voice, but it was hoarse.

"All the facts check out, Allison," I told her, and I felt my shoulders draw back as I stood tall and erect. "You tried to assert your dominance over me. But now..." and I leaned forward. "I'm going to assert my dominance over you." I knew as I said it that I could, that I would, and that I really wanted to.

"Are you threatening me?" Allison's blue eyes glittered with a spark of discomfort and she pushed up from my desk, taking a step back.

"No..." and as I said it I felt the warm flow of power wind up through my body. "I'm commanding you."

* * *

The woman took another step back, her eyes flashing. "You... Don't come any closer," she said, and I paused, my hand resting lightly on the edge of my desk.

We stood several feet apart, but I felt close enough to reach out and touch her. Soon, I thought, and in that moment I was calm and collected. "Don't worry," I said smoothly. "I don't need to touch you. I just need to tell you something."

Allison swallowed, eyes uneasy. "What's that?" she asked, obviously stalling.

I breathed in, feeling the power that coursed in my blood, rising through my body. Then, I spoke, letting all my inner strength resonate in the word that I was quickly coming to love.

"Obey."

Allison actually stumbled as she tried to take another step back, her lashes fluttering as the command smashed into her mind. "What?" she spluttered, shaking her head. Her fingers curled into fists of resistance. "What are you doing?"

"It's okay," I told her, raising my hands in a calming gesture. "Just relax and obey..."

The woman swayed as she tried to move away, but her feet seemed stuck to the floor. "No!" she said. She was obviously going for sharp and dismissive and angry but it came out weak. "Stop! You can't... You don't tell me what to do..."

"I do..." I told her, my voice calming. "I do tell you what to do. And I'm telling you to relax and obey..."

Her resistance was strong, her face screwing up in a resolute scowl. "No..." she muttered. "I'm in charge. I'm your boss. I tell you what to..."

"Obey." I said it more sharply this time, interrupting her attempts to convince me of her authority. In fact, I suspected, she was trying to convince herself.

She shook her head again, weaker this time. "I won't..." but her voice had lost the edge of certainty.

"Just relax and obey..." I murmured. My voice was soft but carried the unmistakable weight of command. "You can't fight me, Allison. Your mind and will are becoming mine, your body unable to resist as your thoughts drift easily away." I focused harder now, channeling the primal strength that was becoming more and more familiar to me.

"No... please..." Her features were relaxing, the furrow between her carefully-sculpted eyebrows smoothing out. "Don't..."

I shook my head, brushing aside her appeals. "It's too late for that, Allison," I said. "You came here with one purpose and you failed. Now, it's time for you to find another purpose. My purpose..."

"Your purpose...?" she asked. Her voice was slower now, her eyes still fighting but her body numb and relaxed. I doubted she could move now, even if she still had the strength to run away from me.

"My purpose," I agreed. "Because all you can do now is obey..." The word reverberated again between us, flying through the air like an invisible missile.

She shivered this time as she heard it, her eyes wide. "But... but..." she muttered. "I don't... want..."

"Yes," I told her. "You do want. You want to relax and obey, your body and mind open and willing for me. Just waiting to be told what to do..."

"Relax and obey..." she whispered, but then she shook her head slightly and blinked. "No. I don't. I won't."

I was impressed. Allison was strong-willed. Either that or her deriding anger and contempt for me were like high-octane fuel for her resistance. But I knew what I wanted, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I got it. Still, maybe other tactics would help speed along the process.

I stepped closer, my eyes burning into the blonde woman's face, meeting her eyes with a stern, confident stare. "Obey..." I murmured. "Obey as you feel yourself relaxing more and more, unable to do anything but relax into warm, comforting obedience..."

The words washed over her and she trembled, unable to move away as I stepped closer, her eyes struggling but her body relaxed. I raised one hand and brushed her hair back from her face. It had fallen across her cheeks as she struggled and shook her head, and I tucked it behind one ear.

She shivered at the soft touch of my fingertips, but she never looked away from my dominant gaze.

"Obey..." I whispered. "You know you want to. You know you want to just give in to me. To give yourself up to me..."

Allison blinked slowly, her full lips parted in a soft sigh. "No..." But her voice lacked authority and force.

My other hand rose as I stood before her, gently caressing up her side.

Her lashes fluttered and her eyes were wide.

"Your mouth says no," I told her, "but your body says yes... Your mind says yes... You want to submit... You want to obey..."

"Submit..." she sighed. "Obey..."

I nodded as my hand rose up under her heavy tits, across the soft sweater. "Very good, Allison..."

"Very good..." she mumbled, and then. "Wait... No... I..."

My hands cupped her tits, gently massaging and kneading them. I realized she wasn't wearing a bra, her breasts high and perky on her chest even without the support. I grinned, felt her nipples hard and tight beneath my palms, even through the fabric.

"Ohhh..." Allison sighed softly, her eyes drifting closed.

"That's right," I murmured, feeling my body pulsing with strength, my cock slowly awakening between my thighs. Nothing could turn me on any longer like power could, like dominance, like the knowledge that I could do and take whatever I wanted, whoever I wanted, whenever I wanted. "It feels good to relax, feels good to obey, feels good to let yourself go..."

I am the Master. I am the Master of my world. The Master does what he wishes. The Master does what he pleases. The Master deserves to be pleased. I deserve to be pleased.

"Yes..." Allison whispered. "Feels good..."

"Obey..." I said again, my fingers sinking through the fabric and into her glorious tits.

"Obey?" Allison asked. Her voice was soft, and her eyelids flickered up as her blue eyes fastened on mine. They were dull, cloudy, glazing over.

I nodded. "Obey..."

She nodded along, gently. "Obey..." she murmured, shivering with pleasure as I found her nipples through the sweater and tugged, shooting a sudden spark of arousal through her body.

"Again," I ordered.

"Obey..." Allison repeated, her eyes sliding closed again as her mind went perfectly, blissfully blank.

"Tell me that you will relax and obey."

"I will..." a momentary hesitation, her lips pausing, and then, "I will relax and obey..."

"Very good."

"Very good..."

My cock was hard a rock in my slacks, and my eyes flickered to the door. I almost felt entranced as well, entranced by the growing arousal in my body and the circumstances that had allowed me to finally take back power from my bitch boss. I only hesitated a moment before I made the decision, my hands releasing Allison's luscious breasts as I strode past her to the door.

I turned the lock, made sure that the glass was still grey and opaque.

I spun on my heel and leaned back against the door, admiring Allison from behind. The navy skirt clung to her ass just like I'd imagined, and as I stepped up behind her I began to speak again, rewriting her mind exactly as I wished.

"I want you to repeat after me, and everything you say is absolutely, completely true..."

"Okay..." Allison murmured as my hands slid up her hips, my zipper straining.

"I am your Master."

"You are my... Master..."

"And you are my slave."

"I am your slave..."

* * *

The gorgeous blonde knelt at my feet, her sweater a crumpled heap on the floor and her skirt hiked up around her hips. Her pale, lacy panties were pushed aside by the hand that slid slowly in and out of her drenched entrance, her lips parted and wrapped around my cock.

I leaned back against the desk, looking down at my conquest. My body was hot and coiled. I could feel the surging arousal winding through my core, tight and waiting to erupt.

Allison's lips were plush and perfect around my shaft, her eyes wide and blank as her head bobbed up and down in my lap.

"Who do you belong to?" I murmured, one hand brushing through her short bob of blonde hair.

Her mouth rose off my cock for only a second as she answered, voice low and husky. "You, Master..."

I shivered with pleasure as she leaned forward and continued, her tongue bathing my length. "Who do you obey?"

A momentary pause again as she pulled back. "You, Master..."

I groaned and gently pushed her down again, my eyes rolling up in my head as I sucked in a breath of air. We'd only been at it a couple minutes, but my eyes glanced to the door and I realized I might not have much time. Allison and I never had closed-door meetings, and I didn't want anyone out in the office to get suspicious.

Though, I thought ruefully, they probably just think she's in here getting pissed at me about something. I grinned, then shuddered as Allison moaned, the vibrations of her pleasure coursing up my cock and into my core. Couldn't be further from the truth.

I glanced down. "In a minute," I said, realizing that without trying I'd once again reverted to following a rough approximation of Mr. Silver Fox's BDE hypnosis script, "I'm going to bring you out of this obedient, thoughtless trance..." My jaw clenched as my balls tightened and I forced myself back from the edge. My body was coursing with bliss, my muscles flexing in preparation. "But everything that I've told you, everything you've learned, will remain in place in your mind. Do you understand?"

"Mhmm..." Allison nodded, her mouth never leaving my shaft as she sucked mindlessly.

"When we're alone, you will call me 'sir' or 'Master', but around everyone else you'll treat me as you used to."

"Mhmm..." My cock pulsed in her mouth and I felt a dribble of cum leak from the tip. Allison groaned softly and leaned forward, swallowing, her throat massaging my length.

Fuck... I groaned but continued. "You will secretly love the fact that you're so callous and rude with me, and it will turn you on to know that, when we're alone, I'll be putting you in your rightful place."

Allison shivered, her blue eyes rolling back as her hand sped up between her thighs. "Yes, Master..." she moaned, pulling back and letting her free hand wrap around my girth. She began to stroke, up and down, my cock throbbing in her gentle grip.

"Good girl..." I whispered, my rigid manhood threatening to explode at any moment.

"Good girl..." she murmured.

I swallowed, then forced myself to step back and out of her reach. I stared down at the kneeling woman, and the arousal that rose up through my chest was hot and needy. With it was a tiny hint of uncertainty. I'd never really tested, before, whether my commands would stick after a woman was awakened.

With Adrianna, I knew that she wanted to be obedient, wanted to be commanded. I'd never really tested that obedience, hadn't ordered her to do anything when we weren't already in the midst of a steamy situation. With Allison... I'd basically done my best to rewrite her entire perception of me, the whole bitchy personality she displayed whenever we were together. I had no idea if it would work.

Well, I thought. I was going to be fired anyway. And with a final thought of, Fuck it, I said softly, "Allison..."

The woman's name drifted through the air and through her foggy, clouded mind. She blinked several times, obviously coming up from a very deep trance. Her head shook back and forth, blonde bob swaying around her face, and then she glanced up at me.

I waited with bated breath. My cock was rigid and swaying in front of me, red and needy and wet from her mouth. I was caught with my pants down, literally, and my only hope was that—

"Hey there, Master..." Allison's lips wrapped lovingly around the words, and when her eyes flicked up into my face they glinted naughtily. Her tongue darted across her mouth, her red lips wet and wanton. "Why'd you stop me?"

I gave an inaudible sigh of relief, stepping forward and offering her my hand. She took it with one of hers, rising to her feet. Then, before I could step back again, her other hand drifted forward and gently wrapped around my cock.

"I..." Now I was the one on my back foot, my words tumbling in disarray through my brain and not wanting to form a complete sentence. "Well..."

Allison leaned forward, her mouth pressing tight to mine as her hand worked up and down my shaft. The kiss was soft and willing, and it left me breathless. The gorgeous woman gently pulled back, her blue eyes smoky with desire. "Want to know a secret?" she whispered, biting her lip.

I nodded, swallowing. My balls were heavy and tight, my manhood straining for release.

My boss leaned forward, blonde hair tracing across my cheek as she murmured into my ear. "You smelled so good yesterday that when I left I felt all hot and bothered. I couldn't figure it out. I couldn't figure you out. You've been so different lately..."

"Have I?" I managed. I gave out a little strangled noise as my arousal spiked, my length growing, somehow, even harder in her hand.

"Mhmm..." Her hand squeezed my cock gently, continued to stroke. "And when I went home after work I couldn't help myself... I laid down in bed and spread my legs, dripping wet, playing with myself and thinking... about... you..."

"Ohgod..." The thought of my uptight, spiteful boss, playing with herself and fantasizing about me even before I'd used my newfound abilities... It shot a lightning bolt of lust straight into my core.

"I couldn't figure out why I did it," she murmured. "But now I know..."

"Ah..." I replied incoherently, my breath growing faster.

Allison nodded, breath hot on my neck as she kissed my jaw. "Yes... It was because there was something about you... You knew something. You knew that no matter how bad I treated you, no matter how disrespectful, you had the power all along..."

I groaned as she spoke, so close to the edge I could practically taste it, but before she could make me cum I pulled back and away. My chest was heaving and I knew my eyes shone with a sheen of desperate, fiery desire.

My boss nodded, glancing between my face and my rock hard manhood. She bit her lip and smiled teasingly, then took a step back and sat on the edge of the desk. "You want me..." she murmured. "Don't you, Master?"

I nodded mutely, my body thrumming with need.

Luckily, my desk was big enough to contain the three monitors and also my boss as she laid back and pulled her skirt up around her hips, a silent invitation.

I couldn't hold back, couldn't show any restraint. With a primal growl I stepped forward and guided myself into Allison's body in a single thrust. Her body was tight and hot and wanton around me, her inner walls clenching around my shaft and milking me to the edge of my restraint.

"God, Master..." my boss moaned. "Please fuck me... Show me who owns my hot, slutty body... Use me like I deserve... Like your own personal fucktoy, ready and willing whenever you want..."

I grunted and powered inside of her again, my balls slapping against her round ass over and over. She was gasping, trying to muffle the sounds of our fucking. I knew the office wasn't soundproof, but I had to hope that my low, guttural noises and her gasps of pleasure were quiet enough to stay under the radar.

Her body clenched suddenly, and just like that she was over the edge, her climax rippling through her body. Her lust was a palpable sensation, powerful force that tore at my willpower and tried to pull me over the edge.

I held on, grimly, pistoning inside her again and again and again. My toes curled into the soles of my shoes, my body trembling as I fell forward onto my hands, splaying over Allison's body.

"Cum for me, Master..." she murmured, her body still tensing with bliss. "Cum for your helpless, obedient slut..."

I fell, forward, the air blasting from my lungs in a powerful exhalation as I erupted. My cock twitched and blasted my seed, the orgasm I'd been holding back for so long exploding forth and painting her womb with my essence. I grunted and my vision flashed white hot fire and then I closed my eyes, my balls draining and electric pleasure throbbing through me from head to toe. I was breathless, my chest tight as I forced myself to breath, my manhood pulsing over and over again.

When I finally pulled myself back I was dizzy and lightheaded, stumbling and dropping my hand back to the desk to steady myself. I coughed, my throat dry, and then bared my teeth in a triumphant grin.

On her back, my cum leaking from her drenched slit, Allison beamed back up at me, her blue eyes shining with pleasure and adoration.

That was the third thing that happened at work.

* * *

As I left work, Nate hailed me from his cubicle.

He stood and hustled to catch up to me as I walked to the elevator. My team member looked slightly worried, glancing nervously over his shoulder and across the floor toward Allison's office.

"You good, boss man?" my team member asked.

I raised my eyebrows in an unspoken question and pressed the Down button. It lit up pale orange.

He shrugged and grimaced. "We all saw Allison go into your office earlier," he said. He shuffled his feet. "She looked like she was ready to chew you out, and she was in there a while. We were all relieved when you didn't pack up your things right away and get out, but I was just making sure..." He trailed off. "Is everything okay?"

I blew out a breath and nodded, smiling. I clapped him on the shoulder. It was something I wouldn't have even thought to do several weeks ago, but I could tell he was looking for reassurance. "Don't worry about it, man," I told him. "She and I just had some stuff to work out."

His eyebrows furrowed. "So... everything's good?" He asked. "She just..." he glanced over his shoulder again, like she might be listening. "Well, we all know she has beef with you. Ever since that promotion she's been acting out. And the team wanted to make sure we still had our boss man when we came in tomorrow."

I was touched. I suddenly wondered if my team's loyalty was something I'd always had, but just hadn't noticed. I wouldn't have been surprised. Social nuance hadn't been my strong suit in the past. Like me, most of my team were geeks, highly skilled in their area but with some difficulty in dealing with office politics and the chain of command. It was a warming thought that I'd managed to earn their trust through my, admittedly flawed, leadership skills. I hoped I could do better for them moving forward.

I realized Nate was watching me closely, so I nodded confidently. I squeezed his shoulder again and let my hand drop. "Nothing to worry about, Nate. You can tell the team."

He smiled and jerked his head. He gave a relieved grin. "That's great, boss," he blew out a sigh. "We're all glad to hear it."

There was a soft chime as the elevator opened.

"See you tomorrow," I said, and I offered him a fist bump as I turned away.

His smile broadened at the gesture and he bumped it.

It's little things like that, I decided, that win people over in the end.

The elevator doors closed behind me as Nate hurried back to his cubicle.

* * *

It was around 5:30 when I arrived back at the house, my Tesla ghosting silently into the garage. I checked my watch, then hurried inside.

McKenzie had heard the garage, and was waiting for me in the hallway. "How was your day?" my stepdaughter asked, a smile broadening across her pretty features.

I smiled back. "It was a good one," I said. "And I'd love to tell you all about it. I just have a call that I need to take first."

The teenager nodded, raising her eyebrows. "Work?" she asked.

I shrugged, "Sort of," I thought. "Networking." I wasn't sure how much I wanted to tell McKenzie about BDE. She knew that things had changed since I'd started using self-hypnosis and the powerful BDE cologne, that I'd changed, but I wanted to talk to Mr. Silver Fox — Oliver King, I reminded myself — before I came to any conclusions.

Honestly, at this point I probably trusted my stepdaughter more than anyone, but I still wanted to have all the information at my disposal before I laid my cards on the table.

McKenzie nodded and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. As I walked past her, she put her hand on my arm and stopped me. "Do you..." she bit her lip and glanced away.

It wasn't like her to be nervous, and I gave a slight frown of concern. "What is it, angel?"

She glanced up into my face, hazel eyes worried. "Do you want to go out tonight?" she asked. She said it in a rush, like she didn't want to lose her nerve.

Now I raised my eyebrows, a little confused. "You want to go out to eat?" I said. Then I shrugged. "That's fine with me."

But McKenzie shook her head, her features screwed up in a little nervous frown. "I mean..." she hesitated. "Do you want to go out with me? On a date..." She trailed off but this time she didn't look away, her light eyes regarding me seriously.

"Oh." My face creased thoughtfully. Now that I considered the matter, I realized that even though McKenzie and I had been intimate in all the ways you usually expect between a couple, we'd never been out together a single time. Huh, I thought, wondering. Is it because I'm worried what people will think? But that definitely wasn't it. In all honesty, I just hadn't thought about it.

I'd given the wrong response, obviously, because McKenzie's face fell and her hand dropped from my arm. She nodded. "I understand," she said softly. "Really. Your wife is my mom and it's weird for you to be going out with me. Especially while you're waiting for her to come back to you. I'm sorry for asking."

But I shook my head. "No," I told her firmly. I took her by one arm and lifted her chin with a finger.

She stared up into my face, obviously upset.

I shook my head again. "I just didn't understand what you meant." I let a smile spread over my mouth. "I'd love to go out on a date with you, angel. Can we plan it out after my call?"

I saw the tension melt away from her face and body, a hesitant smile matching my own. "Really?" she asked.

I nodded confidently. "Yes."

McKenzie beamed suddenly and jumped forward, throwing her arms around me. Her lips pressed to my chest and she kissed me, before lifting her chin to look up into my face. "Wow, you have no idea how nervous I was to ask."

I chuckled softly. "How about this," I said, an idea suddenly clicking into place in my mind. "Since you asked me out tonight, let me ask you out for Friday."

If it was possible, McKenzie's smile widened even more. Her whole body seemed to give off an aura of contented happiness.

"Before you answer," I added, "I want to make sure you know what for..." I laid out the details of the email I'd gotten this morning, inviting me and a plus-one to the event at the Regent for Barbara's company. "It would still be a date," I went on hurriedly. "But we would also have an ulterior motive for being there." I didn't want her to think that I was just using her to get her mom back. It seemed like that might be a concern on her mind.

But my stepdaughter just nodded excitedly. "This is perfect," she said. "Date tonight. Date Friday. And by Saturday morning," she winked at me, "I think we'll see if you don't have Mom back home with us, as well."

The thought of seeing Barbara again made my stomach drop, but I pushed away the tension. I was confident. I was in control. I didn't have to worry about things like that. Whatever happened would happen, and I chose to be happy regardless.

I nodded. "I guess we will," I agreed.

McKenzie and I ascended the stairs, and while she went to her room to pick an outfit for our date I walked into the master bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. Kenz had been thoughtful enough to make it after I left for work, and so I sat back against the headboard and pulled my laptop from my briefcase.

I booted it up, then checked my watch again. I had time.

While I waited for Oliver King's call, I tried to come up with a mental list of questions for the founder of Brain Development Enterprises.

Some of them were obvious: Why have I developed the ability to hypnotize people just using my voice? Why has my sweat started to smell like BDE cologne? What are these products actually doing to change me?

Others I had to think more about, and I wasn't sure if I would even get a straight answer: Why does BDE even exist? Why would they share the kind of technology they had?

The questions spun through my brain, and then before I knew it my laptop was chiming with an incoming call. The name on the screen said, "Number Unknown," but I checked my clock. 6 o'clock on the nose. It was Oliver King.

I took a deep breath, then I nodded to myself and hit accept. The screen lit up and suddenly the man I knew as Mr. Silver Fox filled my laptop.

"John!" he said heartily. He looked as he had in the very original advertising video, the one I'd watched what felt like a lifetime ago, with silvering hair and a handsome face, well-tanned. The white collar of a button-down shirt was open at his throat.

"Mr. King," I said, smiling. My eyes flicked around the screen. It looked like he was outside, and in the background I could see a golden, sandy beach and turquoise ocean water.

"I'm so pleased to meet you," he said. "And I'm looking forward to answering any questions you might have about Brain Development Enterprises." His voice was warm, and I recognized it from the hours I'd spent listening to it via his self-hypnosis recordings.

I nodded. "I'm happy to meet you as well," I said. "In fact," I admitted, "I was surprised when my routine customer service email was answered by the founder of the whole company."

But the man nodded seriously. "I firmly believe that our customers are our number one priority," he said. "Any time I can, I want to interact with you directly. After all," and he gave a hearty chuckle. "Without you, I wouldn't be able to do what I do." He spread his hands, a white sleeve flashing across the edge of the screen as his gesture encompassed the beach paradise around him

"Where are you, if I can ask?" I said.

His smile broadened, and I could tell he was excited. "Thailand!" he exclaimed. "I've always dreamed of coming here, and now that we've had our first successful launch I've been lucky enough to visit for some R&R." He lifted his own laptop and spun it around, showing me the view.

Mr. Silver Fox was sitting on the deck of what looked like a beachside mansion, a white, multi-story villa by the ocean. Beach extended in both directions, and I didn't see a single umbrella, towel or another home through the, admittedly grainy, footage. Apparently he had this stretch of beachfront all to himself.

The man settled the laptop in front of him again and leaned forward, eyebrows coming together. "But it's not all about me and my success," he said earnestly. "Tell me, John. What questions can I answer about my products? Your email said you've been experiencing..." and here he grinned mischievously, "side effects?"

I could already tell that I liked this man. He had an easy charm about him, likely the result of self-experimentation with his own products, and he seemed open and willing to tell me whatever I might ask.

"Well..." I paused slightly, calling to mind my questions. "The first thing I wanted to ask about were the things I mentioned in my email. My natural body scent seems to have changed to mimic your cologne. And I've developed this..." I struggled for a moment, not sure how to phrase it. "This ability to influence other peoples' actions with just my voice and words..." I trailed off. Saying them aloud, I knew I probably sounded crazy.

But Mr. King's eyes simply widened and he nodded excitedly. "Excellent, John," he beamed. "I'm happy to tell you all about the changes you've been experiencing." He paused for a moment, stroking his chin with a long, darkly-tanned hand.

"If you'll allow me," he said, "I'll start from the top and explain what BDE is and what we're doing. I think some context will help you understand where my answers are coming from."

I nodded. His obvious passion for his company and product was infectious, and I could feel a matching excitement in my chest.

"Very good," he said, smiling. "Well, then, to begin...

"I've always wondered a lot about evolution, about the human mind, and about how we've developed these brains of ours to get what we want. A long time ago, when we humans started evolving and wandering around the planet, we congregated into tribes around leaders who were pillars of powerful charisma and strength and intelligence. And I've often wondered about the modern CEO, Wall Street tycoon, president... Could they just be modern men who've unlocked that same primal potential?"

He paused and glanced into my face, but I silently gestured for him to continue.

"Not too long ago," he said, "I was at a very low point in my life. Nothing was going as I expected, but I still believed that I had boundless potential. Look around! Humans are excelling at the highest levels of achievement in all areas, and I knew that if it was possible for others, it had to be possible for me." He nodded to himself before going on, obviously swept up by his own narrative. "I started using self-hypnosis to try and unlock my own potential, and I started to see results. I experimented and researched, trying to find out how I could reach the deepest depths of myself and transform my mind into a tool that I could use to change my life. What I discovered, John..." he leaned forward again and I leaned forward too, drawn in by his story and his resonant, orator's voice. "I discovered that inside every man there is something lying dormant. It's like a jacket or cloak, cast aside by our modern society but just waiting to be picked up and worn again. When you uncover it and put it on, your whole life starts to change. You realize that you deserve success, and that you can achieve it. Others recognize it and begin to be swayed by your passion and energy. I've started to think that our ancient instincts, the potential to be a primal, powerful alpha, is hidden inside each of us, but since we no longer need it to survive we've developed society in such a way that this potential hibernates."

My mouth was set in a thoughtful line. "Even by myself," I said, feeling almost guilty to interrupt, "I started to have inklings of what you're saying, Mr. King." I waved my hand vaguely. "An idea that the changes in my life were the result of some deep instinct rising up and coming alive. I've been calling it my inner Alpha Male."

Mr. King clapped his hands together approvingly. "Exactly, John!" he exclaimed. "That's exactly it. Your inner Alpha Male is being unlocked!" He laughed quietly at himself and then scratched his cheek before continuing at a more reasonable volume. "I apologize. I'm still so excited by my discovery, and the fact that I've had the chance to help a few men like you to use it themselves."

I shook my head, "No Mr. King," I told him. "Believe me, I'm just as excited as you are." And I was. His energy was infectious, and I felt like I was only just now beginning to realize how impactful Brain Development Enterprises was going to be. It was like I was on the edge of a cliff, and spread out before me was the rest of my life, completely altered by the man sitting in front of his screen thousands of miles away.

"Thank you, John," the man said, nodding. "But, now, to your questions. I'll address them in reverse order, if you don't mind, first your voice and next your scent." He snorted again, chuckling, and said. "Once I would have laughed at the idea of talking to another man about how he smelled, but now it fascinates me just as much as the rest of it."

I quirked a smile of my own.

"Well," Mr. Silver Fox went on. "I'll begin with a question of my own. I want you to think back and ask yourself whether you've ever seen or interacted with someone who had a certain draw or pull to them. They might have said anything, but you felt that you could believe them, that they were trustworthy, and that you would be wise to do what they suggested. You've met people like this, yes?"

"Of course," I nodded. I was listening to a man like that right now.

"Of course you have," he agreed. "And it's my hypothesis that these people are accidentally tapping into a fraction of the power that BDE attempts to fully unleash. When you focus and use this ability, this voice, you are utilizing the full power of your inner Alpha. And centuries of evolutionary development compel us, as humans, to listen to and obey individuals who have that particular voice and tone. It's almost a survival instinct. Our most primal selves recognize that the person with this alpha voice is most likely to have other alpha traits: the charisma to build a strong tribe, the intelligence to find shelter and develop better technology, and so on."

"Go on..." I said. If I had been in a chair, I would have been on the edge of my seat. As it was, I leaned forward on the bed and focused intently, intending not to miss a single word.

Mr. King scratched jaw. "Another interesting fact," he continued. "Most people have heard at some point or another that somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of human communication is nonverbal. That generally means things like body language, voice, eye contact, et cetera. But what a lot of people gloss over is olfactory communication."

I raised my eyebrows and shook my head. "What?"

"Let me explain," the man smiled. "To be clear, humans have a terrible sense of smell compared to most animals. But we also smell a lot more than we realize, and scents can often have a powerful subconscious impact on the mind. Plenty of research has shown, for example, that our sense of smell is linked to the part of our brain that has to do with memory. That's why the smell of chocolate chip cookies might make you remember grandma's house from when you were a kid. Or why a certain perfume will always remind you of your high school sweetheart."

I nodded along now. I was sure I'd heard that before.

"Our BDE cologne is a potent blend of scents and chemicals that, at least at first, simply act as a potent aphrodisiac."

I smirked, thinking back to McKenzie and Barbara's initial reactions to the scent. Potent aphrodisiac indeed, I thought.

"But," Mr. Silver Fox went on, "After frequent application, the chemicals in the spray are absorbed through your skin and into your bloodstream. They travel through your body, activating various hormones and what I like to think of as 'scent-factories', since I'm not completely up on the science of it. They bond with your sweat glands and begin to change them, altering the chemical makeup of your sweat. Even if you stopped using my product, after going through a full bottle your body chemistry is altered to the point that your natural scent is a powerful hormone cocktail. When your scent is picked up by women," he grinned and winked at me, "it has similar effects to the original cologne, only now it's been tailored to your own natural biology. Tests have shown that, for whatever reason, this is far more powerful."

I nodded in agreement. If the women I'd been with had been horny and submissive after smelling the cologne, they had gone wild for the scent of my sweat. As weird as that was, it was also, I had to admit, pretty damn cool.

"When you interact with other men," Mr. King continued, "they can smell your alpha scent and, without really thinking about it, they defer to you and look to you for leadership."

I nodded. That made sense as well. I guess now I know why my team has been treating me more like their boss, recently, and less like a peer with a title.

The silver-haired man clapped his hands together on the other side of the screen. "So now you know," he said with a smile, and his eyes sparked with interest. "Now," and he leaned forward. "I want to hear your BDE story."

I took a deep breath. Here we go, I thought. And I told him.

It was only really intending to give the broad strokes, but as the words tumbled from my mouth I realized I was telling him everything. It was the first time I'd really gotten to share the full story of how my life had so radically changed. Even with McKenzie there were things I'd glossed over or skipped entirely. But before I knew it, I was telling Mr. King about my stepdaughter and my second wife, my seduction of McKenzie's good friend, even my conquest of Allison at the office. The only thing I left out were the deeper troubles between me and Barbara, and the fact that I had no idea whether I was going to be able to win her back.

Call me a liar: I shared my victories but didn't want to whine about the setbacks.

When I was done, Mr. King was looking at me with approval in his eyes. "I am so excited for you, John," he said. His voice had a respectful quality to it, and I felt myself relax and enjoy his praise. "You are, in fact, one of the best success stories I've heard. One of our most promising up-and-comers, I suppose you could say. It's surprising, since when I checked the records of your purchases you were actually one of the last customers to receive his shipments."

The praise, I'm not afraid to admit, went right to my head. "Any reason why that would be?" I asked. "I don't know what makes me so special."

The other man raised his eyebrows. "If I had to guess?" he said. "Hard work. It's obvious that you're serious about making a change. You've been listening to the recordings faithfully, and if you started exercising around the same time you got them it would make sense that the cologne and its chemicals would circulate more rapidly through your system."

I nodded in agreement. "I am serious about change, Mr. King. And I want to thank you again for your help. I wasn't sure if self-hypnosis would do anything for me. Maybe I suspected there could be a bit of a placebo effect, but I never would have imagined how impactful your products would be. Thank you, thank you and thank you again."

Mr. Silver Fox squinted at me thoughtfully, then his lips turned up in a smile. "I like you, John," he said after a moment's contemplation. "So I'll tell you what. My Thai vacation is coming to a close, and I'm going to be in the City this weekend at an event hosted by another client. He was actually one of the first men to receive our BDE shipments. If you're around, I'll look you up. We can get to know each other better and maybe," he shrugged, "I can bounce some ideas off you."

My eyes widened. "That would be awesome," I said quickly. "I'll definitely be around." I checked my watch and realized, suddenly, that we'd been speaking forth for more than half an hour. "I actually have to go," I added, lifting my eyes back up to the screen, "and I know your time is valuable. So thank you one last time, and I'll let you go."

"John," Mr. King responded, "it has been my absolute pleasure talking with you." The sincerity in his voice was warming.

I nodded as I prepared to sign off. But a last question tugged at my mind, and my curiosity got the better of me. "Who's the other client?" I asked, right before hitting the key to end our call.

I wondered how long ago this other man, a stranger to me, had gotten his shipment of BDE recordings and cologne. I wondered how much his life had changed since he started using them. Had it changed as much as mine had?

Mr. King frowned thoughtfully, searching his memory. "Hmm..." he muttered. "What is it? Mr. Bowman? No... Mr. Blaze?" He glanced down, eyebrows coming together. "He's one of the owners of this sales company... I'm coming into town on Friday and he invited me to their summer quarter kickoff event..."

I felt my heart thud once, loudly, in my chest and then drop right down through my stomach, through the bed, through the floor and then crash land into the unforgiving ground below. I swallowed, knowing before the other man spoke the name that was already springing to his mind.

"Ah, that's right!" Mr. Silver Fox said triumphantly, snapping his fingers together as he remembered. "His name is Aaron Burns."