Nervously she fidgeted with her fingers. It was happening, it was finally happening. She studied the guy who sat across from her. He was rocking a perfectly groomed snowboarders goatee and wore a pinstriped suit. Behind his desks he displayed pictures of some famous singers and pop stars. She had been with this agency for a few months now, but this was the first time she was invited in to have a little chat with the big boss.
'You're talented.' He said.
Elisa felt her cheeks flush, she couldn't help but smile.
'I know that. You know that and since that viral video the world is beginning to catch up with us.' His elbows rested on his desk en gently he pressed his fingertips against each other. 'If we capitalize on that now you could be a star. I think we should get you on a few television shows, make a video clip, start recording a full album, maybe go on tour. You could become big if you wanted to.'
He tilted his head and gave her an inquisitive look. Elisa nodded, this was the conversation she had been waiting for her entire life, the conversation she had been hoping for and dreaming about and now it was finally happening.
'The question I have for you.' He said dragging out his words ever so slightly. 'Is, do you want that?'
'Off course!' Elisa said immediately. 'Why wouldn't I?'
'Good.' He said. 'Very well then. There's just one more thing though.' He picked up the wooden name plate on his desk, breathed on the engraved plaque and cleaned it with his sleeve. Elisa observed his movements, they seemed theatrical and somewhat unnecessary. J. P. Bassinger, the golden letters read when he put the name plate back. She could call him John, he said, she didn't now what the P stood for.
'So?' She asked.
He took a deep breath but didn't answer immediately. 'Well as you know fame can do crazy things to a girls mind, hell it does crazy things to anyone's mind. At this agency we aim to protect our stars. Our assets if you will. We don't want the fame to go to their head, we don't want you to crumble under the stress. Basically we don't want you to end up in tabloids and rehab.'
Elisa nodded. 'Well neither do I.'
'Good. Good.' John said slowly nodding is head. 'When I put someone on the fast track to fame and stardom, like I'm about to do with you. It's my policy to do a few session of hypnotherapy with them, that can be done right here in house. I'm a qualified hypnotist myself. We strive to do this for a couple of different reasons, off course it helps us to see if you truly got what it takes to be a star. If you have the determination and endurance and the passion to make it in this business. And it also helps to keep you humble, to remember your place and remember were you came from. Usually a few sessions are enough, but sometimes a starlet chooses to continue because they feel it's beneficial to them, whether or not you want to continue after the mandatory sessions are over is up to you.'
'Okay.' Elisa said. She scrunched up her nose and shrugged, she only knew hypnosis from those television shows, where people were asked on the podium to imitate a chicken or something humiliating like that.
'We can start right now, with the first session if you're up for it.'
'I don't know.' Elisa said.
'It's your call.' John said shrugging. 'If we deal with this now, I can start immediately on your personal branding and I think it's important to move quickly to capitalize on the revenue from that viral video. However if you need a few days to think it over we'll just wait a few days.'
'No.' Elisa said. 'That's not necessary.' She shook her head. 'Let's do this now.' No more delays, she had been waiting for this moment long enough. John was willing to invest in her, willing to put her on a fast track and generate more opportunities for her, she shouldn't flake out now. 'How does it work?' She asked.
John got up from behind the desk and told her to lie down on the couch.
'Do I need to look at a swinging watch or something.' Elisa said giggling.
John laughed. 'You could, but that's a bit outdated. Just take a deep breath in.' He paused for a moment. 'And breath out.'
He had her focus on her breathing and he told her she would feel more and more relaxed. So far she didn't feel any different yet, she still felt excited and overjoyed. Yet she tried to cooperate and do what John told her to do. When he snapped his fingers and told her to close her eyes she was kind of surprised it actually worked and her eyes shut close, or maybe she was just playing along, yeah, it must have been that she was just playing along.
