The Master Programmer

He had separated the friends, Maya and Angela from each other and to do that Jason had to take Angela away to go get drinks. He was not drinking alcohol though, even though Angela was. Jason noticed Angela's interest in him; it was quite apparent. She often gave him meaningful glances and made suggestive remarks. Jason saw her as someone skilled at flirting, but he found that aspect of her a little unappealing. With her high heels clicking against the polished floor as she moved to sit beside Jason, making sure to bend over a bit too long before plopping on the couch, she turned to Jason and then said, "So you're a salesman… You must be good at using your tongue." Jason turned to her, a calm and self-assured smirk on his face. She was striking, with sharp features and a confident stride, but Jason sensed something else beneath her exterior. She had a restlessness, a hunger for validation. "Maybe… Maybe not. I prefer speaking when I have something to say, and not just to speak to fill the silence. I don't know if you understand," Jason said taking a sip of his energy drink. Angela nodded, gazing deeply into his eyes. "Oh, I understand… You know how to FILL the silence. Although… I'm not that quiet. You might find out by the end of the night." Yeah… I doubt it, thought Jason as he turned away from her, looking at the club. There were more people now. He was way past his bedtime. She took a sip of her drink, gazing into Jason's eyes even though he was not looking at her. "You're not from around here, are you?" Jason turned back to her and smirked. "What gave it away?" "You have this… aura about you," she said, her eyes lingering on him. Her gaze met his, then dropped briefly to his lips before returning to his eyes as she inched slightly closer. Had Jason been ordinary or foolish, he might have caved right then and there, but alas, normalcy was no longer an option for him. Jason chuckled. "Aura, huh? Sounds like you're good at reading people." She laughed, a little too loudly, clearly trying to impress him, even going on to slapping him gently on the chest. Jason's eyes flicked to Oliver, who was laughing with the woman he was talking to. Things were going well there. But over here… She wasn't here for small talk. No. She did not want to talk at all. He had better deal with this before things got out of hand. "I have to go to the restrooms. I don't know if you need to use them too?" Jason said, standing up and reaching out to her, practically telling her to go to the restroom with him. She, being the woman she is, understood immediately, her eyes lighting up as she stood up in the next moment. "Ofcourse… I do need to release some… fluids… I'm sure you do too…" "Haha!! Then let's go…" After saying that, Jason and her left, heading off with his hand in hers, to the distant restrooms where just as they passed by the female restrooms she grabbed his arm. "Come with me," she said, her tone sultry. Jason followed her, letting her drag him away and into the female restroom, pushing him into a stall and closing the door behind them. Jason leaned against the door, crossing his arms. "So… what's your plan here?" The crossed arms were a ploy. He had to at least put up a struggle, and make it more fun for her. This woman was one of those, after all. She was a man-eater. She smiled coyly, stepping closer. "I don't usually do this, but… something about you…" Don't do this often? Yeah, okay… If Jason believed something like that, he would either be the smartest person or the dumbest person in the universe. He was afraid to find out which one it even was. This was why his face immediately changed, becoming colder as raised his hand and said, "Stop." She blinked, confused. What was happening? Had she just gotten rejected? What was happening? She was so pretty, so gorgeous and flirty, There was no way a man would reject her. And yet… "You're better than this," Jason said, his voice steady. "This isn't about me, and it's not about tonight. It's about you trying to fill a void that can't be filled like this." Her confident facade cracked only for her moment, showing on her lip as a vibration. "What are you talking about?" "I admire people like you. Fearless, forward-thinking… But I wonder, have you ever thought about what really drives you to seek those kinds of experiences?" Jason said, leaning back onto the door, and looking at her with an intense look of judgement that held a hint of sadness. And so it began. Jason complimented her, building rapport, and then he gently led her in the direction he wanted to lead her. Self-reflection. She stood there, a bit annoyed as she reached for Jason's tie, only for Jason to grab her and turn her body thereafter pushing her onto the wall gently, with him standing behind her. She moaned and pushed her ass out towards him in response. "What is this a sexual play? It's exciting…" "So it's for excitement huh, Angela? Well, I think there's something… deeper. You're looking for a deep connection. And then when you find it only or it to fade so quickly, don't you ever question it? Don't you find yourself wanting something more lasting?" Jason questioned her in a non-confrontational way, and it was for a reason. The trick here was using the word "Don't". The Subconscious had a hard time recognising negatives. Especially when someone tells another person, "Don't think of a horse", then the first thing they would think of is a horse. In this way, Jason was suggesting to her to question her motives. She, who was currently locked in place, now realising that Jason was serious, couldn't help but shout, saying, "What the hell is wrong with you!? Are you judging me? What do you know about me?!" "I'm asking you a question here. When the thrill fades, what do you have left behind? Sometimes, a quick fix can leave us feeling emptier than before. Have you ever felt that way?" Jason ignored her question entirely, going ahead and interrupting her pattern, disrupting her mindset by giving her a perspective that was designed to break her ideas. He didn't even let her keep speaking at that moment, pinning her to the wall even more, his voice going lower and approaching a whisper. "Trust me, I get it. But you understand, don't you? When we chase something external, it's because something is missing inside us, something that's asking for attention. It's not about the people you need, it's about the feelings you want them to make you feel. What do you think it would look like if you stopped relying on anyone else to fill the gap, and you just did it yourself?" Angela, whose breathing was laboured at that moment, couldn't even speak for a moment and as the silence descended, she finally got the words. "I don't know… Find something more meaningful? Something that lasts?" "Exactly!" Jason said, stepping even closer, his voice softening as he pushed her into the wall even more. "You deserve real connection, not fleeting moments that leave you feeling empty. The moment you start focusing on those deep connections, the right people and experiences will start entering your life. You will see it. The more you value yourself, the more others will too. Doesn't that sound more fulfilling?" Jason employed Future Pacing and Embedded Commands to reinforce her need for change. Having said that and holding her attention for an extended period, Jason released her, stepping back and offering an apologetic look upon noticing her flushed expression. "Sorry, I… I've seen this before in someone I care about. I just couldn't let you…" Jason sighed. Acting like he had lost control of himself was the only way for him to save this situation. Otherwise, he would seem like a massive creep. Anyway, he had not touched her... too much. She stared at him, her breath hitching. "What, are you a freak??" Jason stared at her, noticing her heavy breathing and couldn't help but think that maybe she was the freak here. Did she get turned on by that? "I might be a freak," Jason said and then left the bathroom stall, leaving her some words as he left the bathroom. "I hope you can begin to understand yourself and what makes you truly feel alive. Set boundaries. Real, strong boundaries will make people respect you. If you need someone to talk to, feel free to reach out. Trust me, the only way out is through self-love and self-respect. You've got this. You're stronger than you know." She stood there for a moment, hearing the bathroom door close along with the words of some other women who had been listening. "Oh my god that was so cringe!" "Pfft, who does he think he is? Captain Save a hoe?" "His voice was kinda hot!" "Hahaha!!~~" But Angela was quiet, her expression thoughtful as she sat on the toilet seat, her hands shaking as she took out a cigarette, before finally throwing it on the floor. Jason rejoined Oliver, who was now practically glowing from his interaction with Maya. It seemed he had been busy. And things were going well for him.