It started with a hangover. Her head rose from the pillow under a haystack of raven hair. "That is definitely it...I need to stop smoking." Her mouth felt like someone -- or something -- had vomited into it. The stench on her hair told its own story, as would the stain on the bathroom floor. A bottle of wine too far, of course. But the hangover from the excess cigarettes -- as any smoker will tell you -- just multiplied the hell her body was in. How many had she got through yesterday? 40? 50? She heaved again at the thought of it. Running to the bathroom, she sent Steve's cup of coffee flying as he tried to swerve out of her way on the landing.
"I know how you feel, Jane" he called through to her as she threw up behind the bathroom door. It was time to cut the habit. "If you're serious I'll do it with you."
No response. Just coughs and spits and groans. But she heard. She had to try and stop -- and for far more obvious reasons than any hellish hangover -- but first she needed the room to stop spinning and her head to stop thumping and her stomach to stop protesting. Then she would put her mind to it.
Two weeks later they were sat in a bar, smoking. "Well I did go longer than you," she sniped. "You've been lying through your teeth."
"Well I'm pretty sure you have too," he smiled back. He took another drag, savouring the flavour. "We obviously can't do it unaided. What about hypnosis?"
"Is it expensive?"
"Not as expensive as buying these fucking things!"
"I don't know... where do you go?"
"Someone at work did it with hypnosis. I'll ask her."
"Hmmmm. I'm not too keen on being hynotised. The whole idea just freaks me out."
"Well I'll go first then. See if it works on me without turning me into a raving loon, if it does you can give it a go. I'm serious -- I really want to stop."
"So do I."
"Well let's do it."
-----------------------------------------
Steve's workmate had benefited from the hypnotist after seeing him at a comedy club in London's West End. He had offered, during the half-hour interval, to tackle five people's smoking habits in a session in his dressing room for a small cash-in-hand payment. She had volunteered and the method had worked. She had been 'clean' for five months and suffered no pangs, no regrets -- and was considerably richer.
Steve had to phone the comedy club to get the guy's name, then search for him on the internet, eventually tracking him down to an agency based in London. He called, explained the situation, was keen to pay for the hypnotist's time and left a number and email address. A couple of days later he had a response -- John Jones would gladly help, at a "reasonably-priced" £50 for a half-hour session at his central London home. There was at least a money-back guarantee, though, if Steve found himself smoking again. Another week later he returned home to a sceptical Jane fully 'cured'. Only after several drunken nights out -- and quite a few nights in with a still-puffing Jane -- did she believe.
"All right I'll do it. But you'll have to come with me. He might be a pervert."
"If you're lucky."
"I'm serious."
"OK I'll come with you. After work one night?
"Sure..."
"I'll email him now."
----------------------------------------
Another fortnight later they were ringing the doorbell marked 'JJ' at a Victorian town house in north London. Buzzed in, the pair climbed two flights of stairs to be greeted by a scruffily dressed man with a broad smile. Jane was shitting herself.
"Hi," she squeaked.
"Jane isn't it?" John asked, offering his hand. "Don't worry it doesn't hurt. Your husband is a satisfied customer, remember!"
"Yes I know. I've just never done this before."
"Come on in, let's have a cup of tea and relax."
Steve sat in on the session, intrigued to see his wife go under after wondering all week whether she would be too resistant. John's tack once she was out wasn't exactly rocket science, but if it worked good luck to him. He sat by the window talking softly, Jane facing Steve in a huge armchair, her eyelids twitching, her cheeks flushed, her hands primly in her lap, feet neatly together. Her "best behaviour" pose. Steve smiled, warmed by the thought of some of her other poses.
"Right then," John whispered, rising from his chair. "Want me to make her act like a chicken for five minutes?"
"Ha! I've forgotten the camera sorry."
"If there's anything you'd like extra, though. We could come to an arrangement."
"How do you mean, 'extra'?"
"Well some guys like to spice up their sex life through this. Come over here." He led Steve through the open door into his study, though still almost whispering. "I can plant a keyword and when you utter it, Jane will act in a certain way. £100 and I can make her into your dream woman. Simple."
"She is my dream woman. We do fine in the sex department."
"OK, I'll spell it out. What about if you said the word 'slut' and then she became an absolutely no-holds-barred animal? What about that? I can do that. You can turn her on and off like a switch."
"You can really do that?"
"Guaranteed," he smiled and then loped back into the lounge. He looked round at Steve with an arched eyebrow. Steve reached for his wallet. Listening to the instructions John was uttering to Jane made him hard. He didn't want to have to get out of the chair in a hurry. If Steve -- and only Steve -- said 'slut' that is exactly what Jane would become. If Steve clapped his hands three times the 'spell' would be broken. John promised there would be no adverse effects, and promised no other person would be able to trigger the change. It sounded too good to be true. It certainly sounded too good for £150. But it had to be worth a try.
Back at home an hour later Jane stood looking at the pack of cigarettes she had pulled from her handbag. She didn't want one. What's more, the thought of having one made her nauseous.
"Need a light?" smiled Steve, leaning against the wall watching. He was trying to spot any slight differences in her behaviour, any signs that she might have been damaged in some way and, more importantly, any sign of increased subconscious desire.
"Actually I don't," she said. "I have to admit, right now it seems to have worked. For once, you were right." She walked over smiling, wrapping her arms round his neck to share a quick couple's kiss. "Now I'll have more money to spend on clothes." She kissed him again.
"Hmmmm. What should we do to celebrate?" His turn to kiss her -- only more suggestively.
"Oh, Stevie. Always wanting to 'celebrate'." She giggled as they shared a clinch in the kitchen doorway. "Look, let me just sort out my paperwork for tomorrow then we can take what's left of that wine up to bed, eh?"
"OK."
He sat opposite her in the living room, watching as she sorted through a folder stuffed with case files. He pretended to be engrossed in the football on TV, but his gaze was firmly on his wife. Should he try it? What if it didn't work? She'd go mad for being called a slut. Then he had an idea.
"So what are you going to wear for the big meeting tomorrow?"
"Dunno. A suit."
"The one with the really short skirt? Just to help move things your way?"
"Good idea. Maybe I will."
"Slut." He said it with enough mock-seriousness to ensure that, if there was no effect, she would know it was just a joke between lovers. There was a slight pause in her movements, and for a moment he thought she was going to take him to task. Then she put her pen down, sat back in the couch and things escalated.
"You know, if I could perform for Thompson that would definitely swing it my way."