“Thanks for shapeshifting into a date for me, Stan. It´s much appreciated”.
The asian girl in front of him gave him a stale look. “I only did it because you paid well to do it”. She took another sip of her bowl she had in front of her. “Aren´t the others coming soon? You said it was a double-date”.
“Cheer up a little”, James said with a smile, “They will come at any moment. Let´s enjoy the starters we have in front of us in the meantime”.
“I might look like your dream girl but I will only act as her when the others arrive”, Stan sneered and took another sip of the soup. “Why are we even in here? There´se dozens of better places downtown.”
“Oh, the owner owes me a favor and I thought I could cash in on it this evening”, James grinned.
“Whatever”, Stan replied, sipping on his soup.
James watched Stan down the soup bit by bit and for every little schlurp he seemed a little more distant than before. Eventually the bowl was empty and Stan was just sitting there motionless with a blank stare.
Her features was so perfect and he felt he could drown in her eyes. She was so curvy, yet short. She…
A man in chefs clothing put his arm around James and said in a hushed voice: “This the person you been talking about?”
James nodded.
“Hurry then. Mind potion will wear off soon. Whisper in ear what you want, ok?”, the man gave James a thumbs up and a broad smile.
“Thanks Huan. You are a life saver”, fist bumping his friend.
James moved closer to the sedentary girl, moved away strands of hair that covered her ear to whisper in her ear. His heart was pounding hard in anticipation:
“You and me are in love”, he started, driving the most important point home.
“Your name is Emily Chan and we have been a couple for two years. You recently moved into my apartment from across state and want to build a new life here with me. We are kind and tender to each other at the same time we like to tease each other”.
“You are a nice and likeable person. You always have close to a smile. You know that you look good and you go the extra length to keep you in shape, but not if it affect our relationship. You like to dress slightly revealing clothes to show off your pretty body and at home you love to seduce me and yourself love to be seduced by me”.
“You are not afraid to try new things, be it in life or in bed”.
James halted. Was he finished? Had he forgotten anything? Oh, right.
“You will not remember being a man named Stan Williams. You have never heard of him. And any shapeshifter powers you might have will be turned off, never to be used again”.
“Wake up, Emily!”
The young woman groaned and put a hand to her head. “I don´t feel so well. The soup must have been bad. Can we go back home, honey?”
“Strange”, James said. “I doesn´t feel ill at all. But ok, honey. We can head back home”.
On their way out James took a glance at the kitchen. The chef was giving him a thumbs up together with the big smile of his. He returned the gesture with an equal broad smile.
