The Mistress, the Message and the Magic

“Thanks for letting me stay, man... I know we're really just work friends, and we barely see each other outside the office, but I honestly didn't know who else to turn to. Just look at me! My wife found a message on my phone this morning. It obviously wasn't meant for me, but she wouldn't listen. She completely lost it, cast some kind of curse on me, and suddenly I became an exact copy of the woman who had sent the message...”

Yeah. I had no idea that woman was our boss's mistress.

And I certainly didn't know she'd accidentally sent her photo to the wrong number.

What I knew even less was that my wife apparently dabbled in witchcraft and kept a spellbook hidden in the pantry.

“But seriously, thanks for letting me in.”

I was sitting on the small marble bench in the entrance hall of his apartment, my chin resting in my hand, my legs crossed as I tried to make sense of everything that had happened.

The transformation still didn't feel real.

Long, dark hair fell in soft waves over my shoulders. My face was completely unfamiliar, despite somehow knowing that it was now mine. Even the vivid red lipstick that had appeared with the spell felt strange and heavy on my lips.

My coworker remained near the door, keys still in his hand, staring at me with wide eyes.

He took a slow breath, clearly struggling to find something sensible to say.

“Lucas... man, this is insane,” he finally stammered, looking away for a moment as if that might help him regain his composure. “I... I'm really glad I can help. Honestly. But there's one problem.”

He glanced around his apartment.

“I live alone. I don't exactly have any women's clothes around here that would fit you.”

I sighed and looked down at the white dress covered in black polka dots, its shoulders falling loosely to either side.

“Ah, you don't have to worry about that...”

I ran a hand over the soft fabric.

“Apparently, the damn clothes change depending on which room I'm in.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“When I was in the living room at home, I was wearing a pair of shorts and a simple top. Then I stepped outside and came here, and the spell dressed me in this.”

I gestured toward the dress.

“And in my bedroom, before my wife threw me out...” I hesitated for a second. “I was wearing a babydoll.”

The word seemed to hang in the air between us.

For a moment, neither of us said anything.

Then I noticed the expression on his face change.

The concern was still there, but now it was mixed with something else. Curiosity. Genuine fascination.

He slowly stepped away from the door, his eyes fixed on me.

“So that's how it works?” he asked, his voice noticeably quieter. “The spell actually adapts your clothes to whatever environment you're in?”

I nodded.

“Apparently.”

He gave me a crooked smile.

“Well... now I'm curious.”

He took another step closer.

“I think I'm going to have to see all these transformations for myself.”

For the first time since the curse had been cast, I wasn't entirely sure whether coming to his apartment had been a good idea.

Or whether it had just made things much more interesting.

He took a step back and gestured for me to follow him inside.

The apartment was pretty compact: a small open-plan kitchen connected to a living room with nothing but a single armchair, a bathroom at the back, and one bedroom.

“Well, this is the place,” he said, scratching the back of his neck as he walked toward the bedroom. “And, well... this is where we're both going to sleep. Like I said, I live alone, and I only have one double bed.”

As soon as I crossed the bedroom doorway, a strange chill ran through my entire body, followed by a gentle warmth that felt almost like a breeze brushing over my skin.

I looked down.

My jaw dropped.

The polka-dot dress had simply vanished, dissolving into thin air and being replaced by a short black satin nightgown trimmed with lace. Its thin straps rested delicately on my shoulders, framing my unfamiliar silhouette perfectly.

The contrast with the vivid red lipstick I was already wearing made the whole look feel almost absurdly glamorous.

Then I heard the sound of his keys hitting the floor.

I turned around.

My coworker was standing completely frozen, his eyes fixed on me. He swallowed hard, and somehow that tiny gesture was enough to make me hold my breath.

The atmosphere in the room had changed in an instant.

It suddenly felt warmer, heavier, charged with a strange electricity neither of us seemed capable of ignoring.

“Well, apparently...” he whispered, his voice barely audible as he slowly took a step toward me, unable to tear his eyes away, “...the spell really does know how to decorate a bedroom.”

He paused, a faint smile appearing on his face.

“I have a feeling tonight is going to be much longer than I expected, Lucas.”