Enchanted Again

by Nancy Madore

  A bell rang when Daphne stepped inside the large open room that was a bookstore, antique shop and apparently a used-clothing outlet as well. The room smelled of strong incense, pleasant but a bit overpowering. She surveyed the odd collection of mismatched items that were scattered about the room without rhyme or reason.

  A woman appeared from a room in the back. Daphne had envisioned someone with long, wavy hair overrun with streaks of gray and tie-dyed clothing that fell in loose layers all around her. But this hypnotist was actually quite chic in a snug-fitting skirt and blouse that might have been better suited for Wall Street, with neatly cropped hair that looked professionally colored and in all other respects well kept. The hypnotist approached Daphne with a clear, steady gaze and a friendly smile. She grasped Daphne’s hands in hers and held them firmly for a moment, closing her eyes as if in deep concentration. When she opened her eyes to look at Daphne she appeared surprised.

  “I, ah…have an appointment,” Daphne began uncertainly.

  “I know why you’re here and I can help you,” the hypnotist assured her with a knowing smile. “But first we’re going to have to get you to relax just a bit. I’m Julia, by the way.” As she spoke, Julia led Daphne to a long, deep-cushioned couch near the back of the room. “We’ll have enough privacy here,” she explained. “And I can still keep an eye on the store if a customer comes in.”

  It all seemed quite unorthodox to Daphne, but she was fully enthralled by it nevertheless.

  “So,” Julia began languorously, easing herself closer to Daphne on the overstuffed couch as she spoke. “Why don’t you begin by telling me more about this little problem of yours.”

  “Oh, okay…um…” Daphne struggled to collect her thoughts. She was thoroughly distracted by her surroundings and Julia’s nearness. Julia stared at her with wide-eyed expectation. “I started smoking when I was about…I think—” She stopped then because Julia had begun softly chuckling. She looked at Julia questioningly.

  “That’s not why you’re here,” Julia told her matter-of-factly. Daphne stared at her in silence. “Is it?” Julia prompted.

  Two hours later Daphne left the hypnotist feeling like a different person. When she got into her car she immediately lit up a cigarette, puffing on it happily. She was filled with hope. She marveled at what a wonderful thing hope was. Hope created expectation, which, in turn, provided energy to make things happen. She giggled, excited, as she placed the key in the ignition. She looked at the neatly wrapped little package she had set down on the seat beside her. She must find a post office and mail it promptly.

  All through the rest of that week and into the next Daphne stayed home, just as Julia had meticulously instructed, venturing out only for work and necessities. Most especially Daphne avoided going anyplace where she might encounter Georgie. Julia had been most adamant about that. For the best results she must wait a full week at the very least. With every day that passed, her anticipation grew and her expectations soared higher. She waited single-mindedly for the moment when she would see Georgie once again.

  But when at last the week had passed, Daphne was filled with trepidation. What if it didn’t work? She remembered the unconventional surroundings of Julia’s shop and even Julia herself—so completely out of sync with everything she had imagined about hypnotists and how they would operate—and she couldn’t help but wonder if she had gone mad, trusting a complete stranger and especially giving her so much money, money that Daphne had worked hard to earn. She had banked everything she had on a flight of fancy! But amid the doubt Daphne’s hope still lingered, and it buoyed her spirits enough so that she was able to continue determinedly following Julia’s instructions.

  When she was satisfied that enough time had passed, Daphne began to prepare herself to see Georgie again, although according to Julia no such preparations would be necessary. She could show up in her shabbiest bathrobe for the same effect. Even so, Daphne primped and preened to her heart’s delight, and when she was finished she was satisfied that Georgie would be impressed when he saw her. She strolled confidently into his favorite hunting ground.

  Daphne’s eyes scanned the crowded bar anxiously while trying to appear disinterested. Within seconds she spotted him. She moved purposefully in his direction, meandering in and around the throng of people. She had expected to feel nervous when this moment approached, but was pleasantly surprised to find that she was not.

  Georgie was sitting at the bar, staring down at his drink in abject misery. Daphne drew out a cigarette and held it in midair seductively, saying, “Something the matter?”

  Georgie’s head came up and he looked at her in surprise. She put the cigarette to her lips expectantly and raised an eyebrow. He instinctively brought up a lighter and held it for her. She recognized the lighter instantly and smiled.

  “I thought you were going to quit,” he said.

  “I’m surprised you remember that,” she said with meaning. “I would have thought all those little details would be long forgotten once you finished with a woman.”

  Georgie just looked at her. He seemed momentarily distracted by her as his eyes scanned her face.

  “I decided to deal with other matters first,” she explained with a smile.

  He couldn’t take his eyes off her, and said, “You look beautiful tonight.”

  “Oh? I’m surprised you noticed.”

  Georgie shrugged his shoulders. “I guess I deserve that.” He kept looking at her with a mixture of confusion and brooding contemplation. “Can I get you a drink?”

  “Sure.”

  Not even a full hour later, the two stumbled through the front door of Georgie’s apartment, struggling frantically to remove each other’s clothes. Georgie kicked the door closed and enthusiastically thrust Daphne up against it. He was so beside himself in his desire for her that he behaved with an almost desperate urgency. Daphne’s own passion raged out of control in response.

  “I’ve got to see you,” Georgie kept saying as he tore away her clothing. “I have to touch you!”

  Daphne’s body trembled for his touch. But when he finally had her fully unclothed, Georgie stood back, momentarily sidetracked by the sight of her. He let out a low whistle.

  “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful,” he murmured. Under any other circumstances Daphne would have balked at the words. But this time she pressed her arms against the door and pushed her body forward, toward Georgie, causing her breasts to jut outward. Georgie moaned at the sight of them, reaching forward and cupping one in each hand. As he caressed them his passion returned with renewed force, and he kissed her ravenously while he continued to squeeze and pinch the nipples. Daphne moaned loudly over the pleasurable discomfort he was giving her.

  Georgie’s kisses moved lower and he seared the tender flesh of her breasts with his breath as he licked and sucked each nipple in turn. While he consumed her with his mouth, his hands crept around her waist and moved purposefully up and down the length of her back, caressing and embracing her all in one stroke.

  But soon his roving hands ventured farther down over her hips and greedily cupped her plump, round buttocks. He spread them apart and reached a curious finger in between the folds. While he was still holding her buttocks open with his strong hands, Georgie’s finger adroitly located the folds of her labia and wiggled its way into the warm velvety passage within. When he felt Daphne’s silky wetness he had another tremor of sorts, and in the next instant Daphne found herself on all fours, with Georgie still holding her buttocks spread wide apart in his hands as he leaned in from behind to replace the finger with his tongue.

  “Ahhhh,” Daphne moaned, shuddering as Georgie ravenously devoured her. His tongue meandered back and forth enthusiastically between her clitoris and soaking slit. It slithered and squirmed its way over her exposed flesh, expertly massaging her clitoris one moment and wriggling its way deep within her folds the next. Georgie worked on her tirelessly, forgetting, it seemed, his own needs entirely. Daphne did not worry over
this as she normally would have done. She was suddenly convinced that whatever Julia had done had worked, and that Georgie would find more pleasure now in pleasing her. She threw her head back and languished in the wondrous feeling of Georgie’s tongue as it worked tirelessly in and around her flesh, back and forth over and around her clitoris, bringing her closer to the edge with each new advance. Without even realizing she was doing it, Daphne began helping Georgie in his endeavor, feverishly thrashing her hips toward his face, grating her clitoris over his tongue and lips. Noting her increased passion, Georgie grasped her buttocks even more firmly in his hands and moved his tongue over her with even more steadfast determination. With all of her self-consciousness and anxiety so neatly put out of her way, Daphne was able to fully embrace the moment of her release. It spread its red-hot heat through her, beginning its tingling warmth in her quivering clitoris and radiating outward. She was too overcome to even cry out, and Georgie might not have even known what had happened had he not noticed the subtle and fleeting vibrations of her body, or the way her hips jerked away from him when his tongue tapped the now overly sensitive area.

  Georgie released Daphne’s hips and she fell onto the floor in a near swoon. He pulled himself up over her slowly, feeling half satisfied himself but not entirely. Daphne opened her arms and legs to him, all softness and yielding, as he drove himself into her. He was so hard she trembled from the invasion.

  Daphne wrapped her arms and legs around Georgie, clasping him as close to her body as was possible. She pressed her body against him, luxuriating in the thrilling feel of having Georgie in her embrace. She felt a fierce possessiveness come over her. When Georgie exploded inside her she felt triumphant.

  Georgie sighed contentedly as he rolled off of Daphne. “I thought I was going crazy,” he murmured with a sigh of relief.

  “Come again?” Daphne said.

  He playfully turned her over and dropped a loud kiss on her bottom. “It’s nothing,” he said. “Just a rough week is all. But I’m back on track now.”

  “Sure.” Daphne smiled in secret.

  But Georgie was far from being tamed and it was another long, miserable week for Daphne before he finally called her again. She was resentful and angry, but relieved, too.

  “Daphne.”

  “Georgie?” She tried to sound indifferent.

  “How’ve you been?”

  “What do you want?”

  “Can I see you tonight?”

  “I don’t know, Georgie,” but this was just for show; she knew she would see him.

  “I really need to see you, Daphne,” he said. The pleading note in his tone made it impossible for her to resist further.

  “What time?”

  But this time Daphne was hesitant to go to bed with him. She wanted to spend more time with him in a vertical position, and besides that, it was beginning to dawn on her that pleasing him sexually was actually working against her own wishes in the long run. “I don’t think I should stay tonight,” she said when they were standing outside his apartment door.

  “Why?” he asked more tragically than he intended.

  “Because if I do you’ll turn cold again.”

  “What?”

  “You’re hot when you want me, but you turn cold after you have me.”

  Georgie thought about this. There was no denying it, so with a guilty grin he began to stroke her shoulder just the way she liked. “I’ve been a jerk to you, Daphne.”

  “Mmm…” She looked away indifferently.

  He laughed. “God,” he said in a strange new voice. “I guess I’ve been caught!” He said this as if it just occurred to him.

  “What do you mean?” she asked. She wasn’t sure if he was merely acknowledging her comment or if he was, as she suspected and hoped, admitting that she had captured his heart.

  “It’s you, Daphne,” he said with cheery resignation. “You’re the woman for me. I’ve been fighting it, but I can’t deny it any longer.” Daphne’s heart leaped when she heard his words. She was speechless with astonishment and joy. Georgie took her face in his hands and tenderly kissed her. She melted in his arms.

  They spent a delirious weekend in his apartment, much like a honeymoon, with Georgie never leaving Daphne’s side. Georgie not only accepted what he believed to be his inevitable fate, convinced that he had simply fallen in love, but he actually reveled in it. He brought Daphne breakfast in bed on Monday morning, serenading her with corny love songs. Daphne laughed heartily, never having been so happy in her life. Had Georgie not been so delighted by what had happened, her part in it might have taken some of her pleasure away. But with both of them so content with the result, where was the harm?

  Georgie and Daphne instantaneously became a couple. In Georgie’s self-absorbed world, Daphne became like an extension of himself. Everything he had enjoyed in his former life alone he now wanted to share with Daphne. She accepted all of this euphorically, thriving under all the attention. She woke up in the morning and pinched herself, half thinking it must all be a dream.

  Things continued to progress in this way, with Georgie doting over his beloved and her blossoming under his inexhaustible attentions, until one afternoon when Georgie accidentally stumbled upon Daphne’s e-mail account while working on his home computer. Intrigued by something belonging exclusively to the one he adored, Georgie double clicked on the icon to open it. He wasn’t surprised to encounter a request for a password; in fact, it seemed to present him with an interesting challenge. He was suddenly curious to see if he could guess Daphne’s password. With a sly smile, he typed in the name of her first dog, remembering how affected she had become when she told him the story of how her beloved pet had been hit by a car. But it was not her password. Next, he typed in the name of the street where she grew up, congratulating himself on how well he listened to all the things she told him. But that was not her password either. He thought for a moment, certain that he ought to be able to guess the word she would choose. Then suddenly he beamed. He typed the word Georgie, and in the next instant he was in!

  It was not his original intention to actually read any of Daphne’s private e-mails but once Georgie was inside he was overcome with curiosity. He went into her in-box and slowly scanned the subjects, halfheartedly working his way down. All at once one of the headings caught his eye. It read, Re: Amazing results with Georgie. He did not hesitate a moment before opening the e-mail.

  The e-mail began with a response to an e-mail Daphne had sent. Her respondent wrote, That’s wonderful news Daphne…now what about the smoking?

  Georgie scrolled down to the original e-mail that was sent from Daphne. Hardly able to believe what he was seeing, he read, Thank you so much for what you did to Georgie. It all worked out exactly as you predicted. I couldn’t be happier. He actually still had the lighter with him the first night I saw him!!! He really believes that I am the only girl he can perform with because he’s in love with me! Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you….

  Georgie could feel the blood draining from his face as the cold rage crept over him. The lighter! His eyes narrowed as he recalled the anonymous gift he had received in the mail. He had automatically assumed that the expensive cigarette lighter was an extravagant gift from a well-satiated lover. But thinking back now, he realized that it was immediately after receiving that lighter that he had all at once ceased being able to perform sexually. Daphne had gotten someone to put a hex on him!

  Georgie rose up from his chair and began searching frantically through every drawer and shelf where the lighter might be. It had long since run out of lighter fluid and it could have been left in any number of places. He was still looking for it when Daphne came home.

  She could see from his expression that something was terribly wrong.

  “Where’s the lighter?” Georgie thundered.

  “Wh-what?” But she knew instantly what he was talking about. She wondered how he found out and how much he knew. “What lighter?”

  “The lighte
r with the hex you put on me!” he yelled. He had forgotten every positive emotion they had shared in the interim between the time he had received the lighter and the moment he saw her e-mail.

  Daphne took a step back. “I don’t know, Georgie. What does it matter?”

  “What does it matter? What does it matter?” Georgie was choking with indignation. “It matters because you’re going to take off the hex.”

  “I can’t.”

  Georgie stopped suddenly when she said this. He seemed to become calmer. He walked over to where Daphne stood and grasped her arms. Then he threw her up against the wall, hard.

  “How do I get the hex off?” he asked her menacingly.

  She remained silent.

  “How do I get the hex off?” he asked her again, but she just stared at him. “Answer me!” he bellowed.

  Daphne had started to cry. She was not upset by his anger. She was terrified of losing him. “You can’t,” she whispered.

  “What?” he asked, whispering, too, all of a sudden.

  “You can’t get the hex off,” she lied. “Ever.”

  “There must be a way,” he said with desperation.

  “There isn’t.”

  Georgie stared at her for a very long time. He cursed himself inwardly because he could feel his body becoming aroused. It had been that way, he realized, ever since the day he got the lighter. He could not get hard without her, and he could not keep from getting hard whenever he was around her. Daphne could see it, too, and relief washed over her.

  A menacing smile crept slowly over Georgie’s beautiful features. He was beginning to shake with a mixture of anger and desire for her. He realized resentfully that there was nowhere else he could turn for relief.

  Georgie reached for Daphne and his rage temporarily overpowered his desire. He grasped her head in his hands and plundered her lips with his mouth. She melted against him, relieved and reassured by his desire, but Georgie jerked away from her just as abruptly as he had taken hold of her.