As soon as she walked onto the elevator, Phil became fidgety. He was sharply dressed, with his work suit and leather briefcase, but she was disconcertingly beautiful: the picture of an Amazon queen. Golden ringlets framed a face that was kind and open, but her eyes…they were such a rare shade of jade green, and flashed with such intensity, that her gaze was hard to meet. She wore a short, low-cut floral print dress well suited to the warm weather, and Phil had to struggle to keep from leering at her breasts and nylon-sheathed legs.

            She smiled at him. He tried to voice some sort of greeting, but could only make his lips move to frame some dry rasping noises from his throat. Nodding as if they both understood his meaning, he looked down at his feet, resigned to riding to the lobby in abashed silence.

            Just then a low fading drone resonated through the elevator car, like the sound of a giant vacuum cleaner powering down. As the noise unspooled, the elevator slid to a halt mid-shaft. The car was enveloped in darkness for a moment; then the pale emergency lights kicked in.

            “Oh no…” Phil choked out, an edge of terror in his voice.

            “Relax,” she said. “It’s just the power. I’m sure they’ll fix it in a few moments.”

            “I have trouble with enclosed spaces.”

            “What’s your name?” she asked, her voice soothingly calm.

            “Phil.”

            “Relax, Phil. Take a deep breath…that’s it…” Phil spontaneously followed her directions, put at ease by her cool demeanor. “Listen to my voice…everything is going to be all right. Say it for me.”

            “Everything is going to be all right.” To his surprise, as he said it, he believed it.

            “That’s it. Keep breathing…just relax.”

            “Who are you?” Phil asked.

            “I am Goddess Marquesa.”

            “Goddess?” he asked. He knew the name was a bit odd, but for some reason he was having difficulty remembering why. “What do you do?”

            “I am a hypnotist.”

            “Really? Can you really hypno…hypnotize people?”

            “I’m hypnotizing you right now.”

            “Why?” he asked, stifling a yawn. One word was all he could manage; a full sentence seemed like too much effort.

            “One can never be too careful.”

            “I’m not dangerous,” Phil replied. His voice sounded oddly slurred to him, his eyelids felt heavy.

            “True. Finding me so attractive charmingly robbed you of your composure. Not the sign of a threatening man.”

            Phil knew he should be embarrassed by her frankness, but he felt too good to do anything but smile lazily. “So why did you do it?” It came out “sowhydyadooit.”

            “Oh…I don’t know. Because I can. Call it a public service. I could see you becoming a bit claustrophobic. Close your eyes now, Phil.”

            Phil closed his eyes.

            “You are deeply asleep now. I am going to count back from three. When I reach one, you will open your eyes. You will feel relaxed and refreshed. All of your inhibitions will be gone. At that moment you will do whatever you most desire to do, whatever feels most natural. Do you understand?”

            “Yes.”

            “Yes, Goddess Marquesa.”

            “Yes, Goddess Marquesa.”

            “Good. Now listen to My voice. Three…two…one…”

            Phil opened his eyes. She filled his vision, he drank Her in. He had one overwhelming inclination…it had been hovering in the back of his mind since She had walked onto the elevator.

            “Ah, I thought as much.” Goddess Marquesa’s tone was one of gentle amusement.

            Phil was on his hands and knees, his silk suit forgotten, his lips raining kisses on Her feet.

            After a few minutes he paused and looked up, his face a mask of delirious contentment.

            “Goddess Marquesa….,” he began, seeming to search for words. “I never…no one has ever made me feel…You are so….so….I….”

            “Shhh, Phil. Relax,” cooed Goddess Marquesa. “Take your time. Speak your heart.”

            Phil rose to his knees. He held out his hand, seeking Hers. She gave it to him.

            “Marry me,” he blurted out.

            She could not suppress a laugh, though an affectionate one, not cruel. “That’s sweet, dear puppet. But we hardly know one another. And I’m not looking for a husband right now.”

            Phil cast his eyes down, crestfallen.

            “Don’t be sad. I am always open to acquiring new slaves.”

            “Yes!” he gasped, brightening. “I will be your slave!”

            “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Like I said, we hardly know one-another. And slaves are harder to choose than husbands.”

            Phil clasped his hands in front of his chest, pleading. “Please, Goddess. Please make me Your slave. I promise…I promise…” The words would not come in his eagerness.

            “We’ll see,” She said, reaching into Her purse. “Here is my card. Put it into your wallet.”

            Phil took the offered card, handling it like a sacred object. He put it away as instructed, and looked back at Her expectantly.

            Just then a loud thrum filled the elevator- the sound of the power coming back on.

            “I am going to count forward to three,” She declared as the elevator began to move again. “When I reach three you will be fully awake. You will feel alert and comfortable, but you will have no memory of our conversation. You will remember my name, though. Say it.”

            “Goddess Marquesa.”

            “Good. In three days time you will find my card and call me. Your application to become my slave can begin then. Do you understand?”

            “Yes.”

            “Very good. Listen closely…One…Two…Three!”

            The elevator doors opened to a lobby full of people, all waiting to get upstairs. All were surprised to see Phil on his knees before the gorgeous woman in the elevator. No one more so than Phil himself.

            “Goodbye, Phil,” She said as She breezed out of the elevator and through the crowd, which spontaneously parted for Her.

            “Goodbye, Goddess,” Phil whispered, though he was not sure why he called Her that. It felt so good, though, that he said it again, “Goddess…Goddess Marquesa.”

            His eyes refocusing, Phil saw that the crowd was still waiting for him to exit the elevator. “Sorry…” he mumbled. Rising from his knees, he exited into the lobby and went about his business. Something felt different, though. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he felt that things would never be the same again.