Alan had been out of the serious dating business for a while. Too long, according to all his friends, though he begged to differ. The truth is that after reaching forty, the excitement of meeting someone new had dwindled and almost crawled to a halt. He had already prepared himself mentally for the possibility of spending the rest of his days alone but those who loved him would do whatever it took to make sure that grim future didn’t come true.

Enter Melanie, the last of a long line of set-up matches made possible by overenthusiastic romantics and their reluctant partners. She was a friend of Darla’s, who was the girlfriend of his best friend and bowling partner, Walter. The two women firmly believed their primary mission on this planet was to serve as matchmakers for those souls who hadn’t been fortunate to find each other yet, and any attempt to dissuade them only strengthened their cause. Alan knew too well that, whenever a new hook-up loomed on the horizon, he had to at least pretend to be interested long enough for them to get off his back. He had done it many times in the past and would do it again until they decided to look for someone else to ‘help’.

In a way, Melanie was in the same boat, though her overall circumstances couldn’t be more different. She had fallen out of love with the process after giving too many opportunities to undeserving men. Tired of their poor excuses for shoddy behaviors that should embarrass anyone with an ounce of decency, she had grown incredibly cynic over the years, and the wall she had built around her innermost persona was extremely hard if not downright impossible to tear down.

The combination of these disillusioned backgrounds had everything to be a bust, something they were both already expecting when they agreed to meet. It was therefore quite a surprise when they sat face-to-face in a quaint little restaurant facing a resplendent sea and sparks of attraction were visible right from the get-go. It was uncharted territory, one they had to be very careful navigating to avoid greater disappointment.

They were both what could be described as average people with no distinctive traits capable of stopping traffic in its tracks or starting a war. Alan was five feet nine with a square face and an equally flat jaw, dark brown hair that was the same color as his eyes, and a shy smile that had once been bright and full of smile. As for Melanie, who shared his age, yet looked at least ten years younger, she had short reddish-brown hair, bottle-green eyes, a petite nose, and a handful of freckles on each cheek like ancient beauty marks from a forgotten age. Even in heels, she was three inches shorter than him. For the occasion, she was wearing a casual combo that comprised a pair of vintage straight jeans and a cotton white top while he was sporting a suede bomber, navy-blue sweatshirt, and sneakers. After the opening introductions and the natural awkwardness that came with them, they started a conversation that was as enticing as rewarding.

“So... here we are,” Alan said, perusing the restaurant’s menu. “Darla sure doesn’t know when to quit, does she?”

“No, she really doesn’t,” Melanie replied smiling from across the corner table. “Then again, that’s always been her trademark.”

“Have you two been friends for long?”

“Almost fifteen years, give or take. We worked together at an accounting firm while I was still trying to figure out what to do with my career and we have remained close ever since. She’s a good woman, nosy sometimes, but she does mean well.”

“Accounting, huh?” he glanced at her. “Is that something you’re still interested in?”

“Oh, no. Mine was a short-lived secretarial job, and I only did it because I needed the money. Numbers aren’t really my thing.”

“Fair enough. They’re not mine either. What do you do for a living now?”

“You don’t know? I assumed you would have been given the complete breakdown of my life to convince you to do this.”

“Actually, no,” he confessed. “The last time someone tried that approach it was a failure through and through, so I only got broad strokes and a picture. to go along. How about you?”

“The same. I guess they wanted to keep the mystery going for a while.”

“I guess so, but you still haven’t answered my question.”

“How about you’re the one to disclose that information first? I’m thinking teacher from where I’m sitting. Hot or cold?”

“Freezing, sorry,” he gently parted his lips. “While I love books and learning from them, that’s a calling I never had.”

“Okay,” she crossed her legs under the table. “Then what is your calling, Alan?”

“I’m a librarian, believe it or not.”

“Definitely not what I imagined but not hard to conceive either. You have this knowledgeable aura about you.”

“Do I? I think that’s the first time anyone ever told me something like that. Is that why you thought I was a teacher?”

“Perhaps. I often have these feelings about the people I’m with. I’m not always right, mind you, as proven by what happened just now.”

“Still, I’ll take the compliment, so thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Your turn then. Where are you in life now after that accounting stint?”

“I’m currently working as a bank teller downtown, but I’ve had so many different jobs over the years I could almost fill an encyclopedia.”

“That many? Why? You’re not the settling type or you just like to try new stuff all the time?”

“A bit of both, I suppose. I’ve always had this adventurous side growing up and it doesn’t like to be ignored. I’ve lived through a lot, Alan.”

“Better that than not living at all as my mother used to say. I can respect that, but now you’ve got me curious,” he laid down the menu on the empty porcelain plate before him.

“About what?”

“All those other jobs you said you had. Care to share?”

“Only if you promise not to laugh.”

“Why would I laugh?” he clicked his tongue.

“Trust me, it has happened before. Can I trust you’ll not do the same?”

“You have my word, Melanie. There’s nothing you can say that will make me break it.”

“Good, because my past experiences are not your usual run-of-the-mill.”

“Examples, please.”

“Well, I spent one Summer selling healing crystals by the beach. I worked six months at a sex shop and got to learn there are way more dildo models than I ever thought possible, but the thing everyone latches on to, and what I was sure Darla had told you was the time I spent as a traveling stage hypnotist.”

“You don’t say! Now, that’s a surprise! That’s funny because I never imagined you as one.”

“Neither did I at the time but it happened. It was definitely a crazy year.”

“I can imagine. Did you have a crazy stage name?”

“I wouldn’t exactly call it crazy but yeah, I had one. They used to call me Melanie, the Genie.”

“Why genie?”

“Because it rhymed and it was the shtick of the show,” she shrugged. “I played a supernatural creature set loose in the world with the power to grant wishes and I did so by messing with other people’s minds. Good times for sure, even if not without its fair share of troubles.”

“What sort of troubles? Aren’t those gigs just make-believe and nothing more?”

“Spoken like a true skeptic, it seems,” she snapped her fingers at the waiter. “You don’t believe in hypnosis, Alan?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” he stretched his arms on the comfy chair and tapped the glass closest to him. “I’ve heard many things about it just like everyone else, but I was always under the impression that it was not something to be taken seriously. Are you going to convince me otherwise?”

“I’m not usually in the market to convince people, but it’s true there’s plenty of spectacle and performance involving the phenomenon. My shows were a mix of both. There were some things that were definitely exaggerated to keep the crowd entertained but, for the most part, it was all real... minus the genie part, of course.”

“Please forgive me if I have a hard time believing that but...”

“Bias is difficult to overcome, I get it. It’s not the first time I’ve had this conversation, Alan, but you’re the one that asked for it.”

“You’re right, I did, and I would like to know more if that’s okay.”

“Sure. What’s on your mind?”

“When was this again?”

“About ten years ago. I remember it started right before my thirtieth birthday and ended shortly after the next one. I answered this crazy ad online, which I was sure wouldn’t amount to anything, but I was wrong, and I’m glad for that.”

“Okay, but surely you had some experience with hypnosis before, right? Where did that come from?”

“My mother. She worked as a therapist for three decades before finally retiring last year and hypnosis was one tool she used with willing patients. She taught me the basics while I was still a teenager and then I perfected my skills on my own. I remember wanting to follow in her footsteps for a while but then I had a change of heart and chased after something else instead. However, it seems fate wanted me to try my luck at hypnosis nonetheless, and so I did. Many people don’t understand that choice at all, but I don’t regret it one bit.”

“It sounds like it was a passion job for you. If so, why didn’t it last longer?”

“People change and so did the circumstances of my employment,” Melanie replied, the cool breeze of the ocean kissing her short hair. “The excitement of the early days waned when everything became routine. I was visiting new places and meeting new people but didn’t feel like I was doing anything special anymore and so I moved on. The memories remained though, and I still cherish them, minus the crazy outfits, of course.”

“There were crazy outfits?” Alan smirked, already imagining her in sexy Arabian Nights attires.

“My stage name was Melanie the Genie. Of course, there were crazy outfits!” she chuckled. “Some of them were pretty but most were either too tight or more revealing than I hoped for. That I don’t miss.”

“You do realize now I’m dying to see them, right?”

“Honestly, I’d be surprised if you didn’t.”

“Do you have any pictures with you?”

“Maybe,” she reached for her phone, a foldable model she had received as a Christmas gift. “But if I show them to you, you need to promise me...”

“... not to laugh, right? Hey, I’ve been keeping my promise so far, haven’t I?”

“Yes, you have, and I’m grateful for that. It’s been a while since I’ve had such a normal conversation with anyone, so thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me. This has been a breath of fresh air for me too. I’m not even swearing at Darla anymore.”

“Does that mean you were before?”

“I’ll be honest,” Alan tapped the edge of the table. “When I got here the first thing on my mind was how long it was going to take for you and me to realize this was a mistake. I don’t mean to be cynical, but I’ve never had much luck with this, and Darla’s track record isn’t the best either. Deep in my mind, I was convinced you were going to turn out to be yet another boring bimbo with nothing on her mind.”

“Geez, just the type of thing a lady likes to hear. You don’t mince your words, do you?”

“Not when it matters, but I was wrong. You’re the opposite of all that, Melanie, and I’ve been really enjoying our conversation so far.”

“The feeling is mutual, Alan, and I also have a confession to make.”

“You had second thoughts about me too, right?”

“That obvious?” she batted her curved eyelashes.

“I know a thing or two about rejection so if I assume things aren’t going to work out from the start, it hurts less when it becomes true...” he replied.

“Ah, but that ends up being a self-fulfilling prophecy, doesn’t it?”

“Perhaps. I never said it was a healthy way to look at the world.”

“Then why do you do it, Alan?”

“For the same reason you had your doubts about this too. It’s easier this way.”

“Yes, it is, and I’ve been hurt a lot in the past so... I don’t blame you, okay?”

“Me neither, Melanie. Now, how about those pictures?”

Melanie navigated the phone’s screen to open the gallery app and selected a folder filled with all her past hypnotic incarnations. She had pictures of every outfit she had worn during the one-year hypnotic extravaganza, with some being cleverly disguised variations of earlier models. There were many sexy combinations to choose from, but his favorite was a black and gold chiffon ensemble complete with a sparkling coins hip scarf. Melanie the Genie was also a sexy belly dancer with a fiery red mane it seemed, and you would never hear him complain about it

“I don’t know why you don’t like these,” he said. “You look great. Love the long hair, too.”

“Yeah. Sadly, that’s a wig. I’ve tried to grow my hair naturally, but it gets messed up really quickly. I hope you’re not too disappointed.”

“Not at all, but I know I wish I had seen one of your shows when they were still a thing.”

“Even without liking hypnosis?”

“I didn’t say I don’t like it but you have experience with it while I don’t. If it’s not all fiction like I thought it was, then I would need to know more to make an educated guess. If you were still performing, I would gladly go watch you do it, provided you were wearing something like this, of course.”

“Aren’t you a cheeky little bastard when you want to? I admit I miss those days and it would be great to flex those muscles again, so...”

“What are you saying?”

“How about we have a good lunch right now and then I show you a thing or two about hypnosis? I promise it will be fun.”

“Are you really asking me to be your subject?”

“Why not? Curiosity is a good thing, and I would love to be your guide if you’re up for it. What do you say, Alan? Do you want to go exploring with me?”

“Well...”

Alan wasn’t sure how to respond. Women had made him many offers throughout the years, but it was the first time someone had suggested something so unusual, and on a first date, nonetheless. Melanie sure was full of surprises. If he said yes perhaps he could discover them all but if he refused would she want to see him again or not? It wasn’t an easy choice to make and yet he couldn’t let the opportunity pass him by if he wanted to get to know her better.

“You’ve got yourself a deal,” he said, not realizing he had just agreed to embark on the greatest adventure of his adult life.

((to be concluded))