"That was fast. Are you done already?" Nicole asked.
"Actually, I haven't started yet. I just had a few questions."
"Oh, of course," she said, still looking quite stern. "I forgot to specify what I wanted."
The old man opened his briefcase and took out the spray bottle. And before Nicole even knew what was happening, he sprayed her in the face with it. Her head dropped to her desk with a thump.
"Nicole. Can you hear me?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered dreamily.
"Good. Now, Nicole, you will not remember that we had this conversation. But you will remember everything that I tell you to do. And you will follow all my commands. But you will believe that everything I command of you is coming from yourself. You will believe that everything I tell you to do are your own thoughts, feelings and desires. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good girl." He paused. "You are in a dream. And, when you come out of it, you will have a whole new outlook on life. Tell me you would like that."
"I would like that." The response was slurred, almost incoherent.
"Now, Nicole," the old man said. "I want you to answer every question I ask you by saying 'YES'. And I want you to believe that 'YES' is the right answer to every question. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"You don't want that promotion, isn't that correct?"
There was a noticeable pause before she answered "Y ... yes." Her response was obviously hesitant. But since she was a very business-driven woman, it was to be expected. Someone like that would normally never back down. But the old man could handle her. He just needed to fill her head with the right reasons. The right logic.
"A promotion would give you a harder job that you don't think you could handle. Isn't that right?"
"Y ... yes."
"Your current job is hard enough as it is. You don't think you could handle anything more. Isn't that correct?"
"Y ... yes." She was still resisting. But this was the main reason the old man was conditioning her. He had to remove her from the competition. He'd rather do it with a scalpel than a sledge hammer, but this was the only way he could think of to do it.
"Keeping your job is very important to you. Right?"
"Yes." Good. No hesitation.
"So, if you take a job that you can't handle, the chances of you getting fired increase tremendously. Right?"
"Yes."
"And since getting the promotion will give you a job you can't handle, there's a good chance that you'll get fired from it. Isn't that right?"
"Yes." The logic was working.
"So, you want to keep the job you currently have. You know you can handle this job. Isn't that correct?"
"Yes."
The old man smiled. She was officially out of the competition. Now for the other part of the conditioning.
"But you realize that doing well at your job isn't enough to keep from getting fired."
"How so?" Nicole asked, confused as to what he was getting at. (He didn't ask her a question, so she didn't have to say 'YES'.)
"You're a woman, correct?"
"Yes."
"And women should always look their best. Right?"
"Yes."
"Pretty women have a better chance at keeping their jobs than not. Isn't that correct?"
"Yes."
"From now on, you will want to wear jewelry and more make-up. Right?"
"Yes."
"You want to make yourself look prettier. Because you're a woman. And women want to look pretty. Isn't that right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now, every afternoon at this time, I will come to see you. You will think that I am stopping by, as a friend. You feel sorry that you paid for my services, even though I never performed them, since you decided to drop out of the running for the promotion. You feel like you wasted my time and you want to make it up to me. You want to be extra friendly towards me and in return I'll be extra friendly towards you. Which is why I'll stop by at this time everyday. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
"Good girl. Now, I want you to rest here. You will begin to come out of your dream. You will awaken and feel happy, rested and ready to begin your new life. Do you understand?"
"Yes."
The old man rose from the table. He smiled down at the frumpy mannish woman. Soon she'd be a bubble-brained bimbo, serving and servicing the man she thought of as her competition.
