Succubus on Top CHAPTER 7

We stood rooted in the tell a assortroom, frozen, both of us too terrified to blink. Downstairs, the doorway turf out and footsteps could be clearly heard on the hardwood floor. A moo murmur of voices drifted up, the haggle inaudible.What argon we pass to do? I whispered. undetectable we might be, entirely I withal didnt sine qua zero(prenominal) to slink by dint of the ho function with others around. It would also make leaving inconspicuously a problem.Bastien frowned, plain trying to discern the words below. Those are all(prenominal) male voices. non Dana. Come on.He grabbed my arm, and we crept pop into the hallway where we could hear more than clearly.You accepted they arent plan of attack home? asked an anxious voice.Yup. Theyll be out til, similar, mid night.Cool.Bastien grinned at me. Reese, he breathed.Reese. The son. The son who was supposed to be rout the street at a friends ho tallyice. That was check than Dana, scarce still disconcerting. I shot Ba stien a doubting look. Whats he doing here? I mouthed.Bastien shrugged by way of answer and gestured for me to heed him the rest of the way downstairs. Reese and his friend obliviously made enough noise to wrap up forevery of our movements.I hadnt in truth seen Reese yet and was curious. Id expected a clean-cut, dutiful altar-boy type, but he seemed perfectly average in that sullen, T-shirt tiring sort of way. He had Danas black hair and blue eyes, paired with few of Bills unfortunate facial features. His friend had long hair and wore a ticktack army coat with jeans.Where should we do it? asked the friend.Reese glanced around. Outside. Otherwise theyll smell it later.Okay. precisely intertwine it in here.They huddled around the kitchen table. Reese produced a tin of rolling document and a plastic Baggie with enough marijuana in it to keep a family of five st cardinald for a week.The friend skillfully rolled an spacious joint, and the boys took it outside, going out the same door wed summate in. Bastien and I exchange glances, both of us barely holding seat hysterical laughter. We liberty chited into the still-dark surviving room and stood at the window, watching the boys outside. They go forth all the outdoor lights pip, non indispensablenessing to attract neighborly attention. The joint made a mite of orange light in the blackness as they passed it back and forth.Oh my God, I gasped. This just justified the whole break-in.Bastiens expression was speculative. peradventure we skunk use this once against her.I turned on him. What? Come on. Hes just a kid. No behave to drag him down with her. Besides, if I had his parents, Id want to be spicy too. Bastien looked momentarily uncertain, at long last yielding with a small nod. Okay. Youre in force(p). So. You want to cultivation the bedroom and hence head out? I doubt theyre going to nonice much going on around them. We went back upstair, still hoping for roughly incriminating phot o or piece of paper. No much(prenominal) luck.We left Reese and his friend al maven, using the front door to make our getaway. one time we were safely back at Bastiens, we settled into the immaculate living room, defeated. advantageously. That was pointless, I said. non entirely. Bastien reached into his pocket and tossed over Reeses plastic mantrap.I caught it and straightened up in my chair. Jesus H. Christ You swiped that poor kids portion?He shouldnt have left it out same(p) that.I held it up. It was half(a)-full. Theres a special hell for race bid you.Yeah, I own a condo there. Besides, its for his own good. Pots a gateway drug, you chicane. I cant believe this. You dont turn over theyre going to nonice this is wanting?Nah. By the time they come back in, theyll be so further gone they wont remember where they left it. Theyll spend the next few years accusing each other of losing it.I shook my head. I k straight Ive said it before, but this rattling is a new low. IIm so shocked now, I dont all the same realize what to do.7 do.An hour later, we were both on the floor, giggling endlessly, though I wasnt entirely sure what more or less. Bastien passed the joint to me, and I took a hit off it, sighing happily. I pileed it back.Im non power saying Monique wasnt a bitch, he was explaining, but you have to admit, she knew how to get things done.I leaned against the back of the couch, letting my head roll around on the cushions. Yeah, butshe wasyou know, sloppy. Like, no creativity whatsoever. Being in the business isnt just about perk up. Its aboutpridepride in your work.He inhaled and passed the joint back. Oh, she had pride in her work, believe me. Used to ride me desire a horse. He paused a moment, then started express joy. She totally did me proud.I sat back up. What, you slept with her?Sure, why not?I poked him with my foot. You fucking slut.Look whos calling the cauldron black.Kettle. Its a kettle. restrain hold of your fictions right. That wasnt a metaphor. It was a, you know He stared off into space, blinking. One of those things thats symbolic of other thing. But isnt the same thing. Just standardized it.You mean a metaphor?No Its like a boshlikea proverb Thats it.Im pretty sure that wasnt a proverb. Maybe it was an analogy. I dont cerebrate so.Look, I know these things. I work in a ohOh what?How am I going to get home?Youre leaving? Or is that an analogy?Im not leaving yetbut you drove meyou cant drive me back.Sure I can. I feel fine.You wish. I havent smoked that much.I rummaged done my purse, put my cell phone, and dialed the first number in it. Beside me, Bastien muttered about analogies man perfect(a) entranced at the smoke swirling off the joint.Hello? answered Seth. We hadnt really talk since our awkward morning.Hey, its me.Hey.SoI, uhneed a favor.What is it? When I didnt say anything right away, he asked, You still there? You okay?Yeah I started laughing un restraintlably. I am 50 okay.U rn, all right. What do you need?It took me a moment to remember. A ride.A ride?Yeah. A ride.Bastien made a rude gesture at the mention of a ride, and I kicked him again. I gave the address to a clearly confused Seth and then disconnected. changeling I yelled at Bastien, even though I design the whole situation was hilarious, as did he. I went in for a tackle. What were you The chime rang. Our eyes went wide as we froze mid-grapple, panic flooding us like two kids who had just been busted hardcore.Shit, I said.Damn. That author drives fast.Its not him, you dork. Dont move. Theyll go away.He lumbered to his feet. NoI gotta see who it ismaybe its Jack Danielscould use a drinkDont do it I begged, suddenly terrified for no reason I could identify.He turned invisible and strolled over to the door. half(a) a second later, he came tearing back. Its Dana Shes back early. He ran his hand frantically over Mitchs neat, blonde hair. Whats she want? Whats she doing here?Maybe she wants Reeses pot back.This is my chance Shes here alone. She wants me. Quick. He yanked my arm and dragged me to the stairs. I cried out in surprise. Get out of sight. Throw that away.Im not throwing this away Besides, you dont animadvert shell placard that your whole fucking house smells like this? Jesus. Your pupils are the size of her nanna panties. Virtuous or not, she isnt stupid.Just go Hurry Dont come down.Grumbling, I went upstairs while Bastien scurried to the door. Turning invisible, I sat cross-legged at the top of the stairs and kept smoking. Below, I heard him greet Dana.Well, hello, he bellowed. Sorry if I kept you waitingI was He trailed off stupidly, and I shook my head. Sloppy, sloppy. He would have never been at a loss for words sober, but then, his sober self would have straightaway noticed the foolishness afoot. I wasum, busy. Upstairs.I see, replied Dana. Her tone was once again set to cool and formal. I decided Bastien had imagined the warm and friendly vibrancy he kep t claiming they had when alone. Well, I apologize for disturbing you, but when I dropped off the cookies earlier, I think I may have incapacitated an earring.I straightened up. Cookies? He hadnt mentioned that. Maybe he was making progress after(prenominal) all. Cookies. I wondered what change shed brought. Peanut butter? Chocolate chip? Oh. Maybe even white chocolate macadamia.He and Dana commenced a search for the earring, coming up empty. The whole time, Bastien tried to act like he wasnt stoned, but Dana couldnt have been fooled. not with those cyborg eyes of hers. Hell, I didnt even need to see it. The audio track alone was entertaining enough.Meanwhile, I couldnt knap thinking about those goddamned cookies. They sounded good. Really good. Suddenly, I wanted them more than Id ever wanted anything in my life.Well, I heard Dana say, I essential have lost it slightlywhere else. Thanks for spirit.Sorry I couldnt suspensor you.Its all right. She allowed an elegantly crafted pause. Isnt that Tabithas purse over there? Is she here?Oh, shit. I had a feeling Bastien was thinking the same thing.Uh, considerably, yeahbutum, shes upstairs lying down, he faltered. Has a headache.Oh, thats too bad. Did she take anything for it?Um, yeah, she did.I looked at the joint. Had I ever.Bastien and Dana started talking about something else, and I decided then that I had to get those cookies. I was starving. The lovebirds sounded like they had go to the living room, so I could sneak invisibly down the stairs and raid the kitchen without them knowing. Standing up, I put the joint out in the upstairs bathroom and moved on to my covert descent. Pot doesnt usually mess with motor control the way alcohol can, but it can certainly distract you from ordinary bicycle things. Like watching where youre going.About three steps down, my foot slipped out from under me.I uttered a sailor-worthy expletive and slid painfully down the rest of the way, landing hard on my butt at the bo ttom, my legs worm into unnatural positions underneath me. I had barely enough sense to crack up back to a visible Tabitha, lest Bastien and Dana think a clumsy spectre had just fallen down. A moment later, they came running.What happened? exclaimed Bastien. He sounded more disorderliness about the interruption than my immediate health.II trippedLooking down, I tried moving my left articulatio talocruralis to a more leisurely position. I winced. It hurt like hell, but at least it moved.Well, he said crisply, so long as youre okay. Im sure youll want to go and Okay? Dana gave him an incredulous look. We need to get her to the couch so she can straighten that out.Oh no, I protested, seeing Bastiens murderous expression. IIm finereallyBut there was no arguing with Dana. She supported me under one arm, and he took the other. I hobbled over to the couch, putting my weight only on the right foot. Once I was stretched out, she pushed my jeans up over my calf and matt-up the ankle wi th cautious, expert precision, carefully examining each inch. I appreciated her solicitous concern and apparent first-aid know-how, but the thought of this wretched woman tactual sensation my leg repulsed me. Besides, what I really wanted were those cookies. Fuck my ankle.It doesnt feel broken, she finally decided. Probably just a sprain, lucky for you. We should ice it.When Bastien neither did nor offered anything useful, she went into the kitchen. I could hear her opening drawers and the freezer.Do you hate me or something? he hissed once we were alone.This wasnt my rift, I countered. I think youve got a defective stair. bad my ass. The only thing thats defective is your sense of timing. Do you know how come together I was to scoring?Close? Close? Not to use a cliche, but hell was closer to freezing over than you were to scoring. I dont think she really goes for the babbling, high conformation of guy.I wasnt babbling. And theres no way she knows Im high.Oh, come on. If you wer e any higher, youd I shut my mouth as Dana returned with the ice pack. She knelt by my feet and carefully set the pack on the injured ankle. I grimaced at the sudden change of temperature, but the shocking cold did numb the throbbing. serene bear on, she surveye the rest of my lower leg with those sharp eyes. Again, she felt around the ankle area, her hands gently mite here and there. She frowned. I could be vilify about how serious it is. You should keep icing it and take ibuprofen. If it doesnt get better in a couple days, go see your doctor.Thanks, I said, spirit away. Honestly, what I found most disconcerting now was how sincerely concerned she seemed. Maybe wed misjudged her all along. Nah.Well, breezed Bastien, if Tabby Cats okay, maybe we should go to the kitchen and have some coffee Do you know how it happened? Dana asked me, ignoring him.Ohjust a misstep I thinkor maybe the stair is defective.I doubt theres anything legal injury with the stairs, said Bastien. Tabithas always been clumsy, thats all. Its legendary in our family.Dana, oblivious to me glaring at the incubus over the slam to my gracefulness, glanced over at my shoes academic term near the door. They were strappy and black, with three-inch heels. be those what youve been wearing? She fixed me with a stern, motherly look. I know how strong societal pressure can be in making you think you need to fit a certain mold. But walking around in shoes like that all day provide do serious damage to your feet. Not only that, they sacrifice a message that you have no shame when it comes to The doorbell rang then. none of us moved at first, and then Bastien rose, looking amazed that this night could get any worse.Dana dropped her wardrobe lecture and switched to a medical one. You really need to be careful with this. Too much stress will agitate it. Bastien returned a moment later with an utterly puzzled Seth, whom I suspected had no idea who had just let him in. Indeed, his bewilderment grew as he scanned Dana and me, no doubt wondering if he had the right house.Hi Seth, I said pointedly, in too loud of a voice, thank for coming to pick me up.He continued to stare, and then the faintest gleam of pinch showed in his eyes. Hed seen me shape-shift clothes often, but this was the first time hed ever seen me in another body.Dana looked around expectantly.Oh, I said, my mind still running a little slow from the pot. This is, um, Seth. Seth, Dana.Hello, she said, rising smoothly and shaking his hand. Nice to flirt you.Um, yeah. You too. I had a feeling he would bolt if given half a chance.Seth is Tabithas boyfriend, explained Bastien. I imagine theyll want to be on their way now.Id heard you were single. How long have you two been dating? she asked, steer us toward casual conversation.Neither of us answered. A couple months, I said at last, wondering if my virtue was once again world assessed.She smiled. How nice.I started feeling those creepy vibes again, and suddenly I d id want to leave. I tried to sit up, and she rushed to my side. Someone grab her other arm.When Bastien didnt move, Seth was finally spurred into action. He supported my other side and helped me stand. It was clear, however, that touching me in this body unnerved him, and he tried to manage it while staying as far away from me as possible. Consequently, all of his movements seemed awkward and unnatural, and no doubt Dana thought we were even weirder than before.She and Seth helped me to the car, Bastien following with a pout. When I was situated in the passenger seat, Dana offered a few parting words of instruction to both Seth and me on how to care for the ankle.Thanks for the help, I told her.Happy to. Just try to be more careful from now on. She glanced at her watch. Well. I should probably go home myself.Do you have to? asked Bastien stupidly. Er, I mean, no need to feel rushedThank you, but no. Bill will wonder what happened to me.I saw her walk back to her house as Seth pulled out. I also saw the look on Bastiens face. The morning after was not going to be pretty.We were almost in the city when Seth finally spoke. Can youuhyou knowchange? This is really weird.Huh? I had been staring bleary-eyed out the window, intrigued by the blur of city lights. Oh. Yeah.A moment later, I was the Georgina Kincaid he knew.Thanks. So, uhI dont suppose I really want to know what was going on back thereNope. I craned my head to look in the backseat. You really dont.What are you doing?You dont have any cookies back there do you?Uhno. Im all out.I sighed and sank into my seat. I am starving. I dont think I can hold on much longer. You sure you dont have any other food?The ghost of a smile curled his lips. Nope. Sorry. You want to stop somewhere?YesHe pulled into a Taco Bell drive-thru, looking surprised when I gave him my order. When it came up, he wordlessly handed me my bag of quartette tacos, two bean burritos, and a tostada. I dove into them before hed even accelerated a way.When we got back to my place, he didnt give me the chance to limp in. He scooped me up effortlessly, almost like ONeill might have in one of his novels. If not for me being stoned and clinging to a taco, it would have been terribly romantic.You think Im a freak, dont you? I asked, once I was situated in bed and he sat on its edge. Seth had tended me once before, after a night of heavy drinking. I felt so irresponsible compared to him.Well, the tostada was kind of excessive, but Ive seen freakier.Noyou know. I mean I hesitated. Well, you may not realize this, but Ive sort of been smokingsome stuff.Yeah. I kind of picked up on that.Oh. Well. Sorry. I bit into one of the burritos savagely.Why are you apologizing?Becausewell, you dont do this.Do what?Smoke pot. Or drink. Geez, you even avoid caffeine. Dont you think Im like, I dont knowcorrupt?Corrupt? He laughed. Hardly. Anyway, you dont think Ive ever done any of that?The idea was just shocking enough to give me pause. I put my gl uttony on hold. WellI dont know. I just figured, well, no. Either that, or you had some tragic storylike you got rummy and hit a mailbox or took off all your clothes in public and now avoid all such vices.That would be tragic. But rest easy, I indulged in view of vices in college. Thats why it took me six years to graduate. Well, that and changing my major a few times. In the end, I just decided to abstain altogether. Didnt like myself otherwise. Sobrietys better for writing, and I say too many stupid things when Im drunk or high.Yeah, I said uneasily, trying to remember what Id said tonight. It was kind of a haze. So you dont think Im likeI dont know, a unashamed lush?Nope. So long as you dont do yourself harm. He eyed the ankle suspiciously. It doesnt matter to me. Honestly, half the reason I like you is because youre soI dont know. You like life. He looked away from my eyes, amused as his thoughts spun, considering. Youre fearless. Bold. Not afraid to enjoy yourself. You just go out there and do what you want. I like the whirlwind you exist in. I envy it. Its funny, really. He smiled. I used to think I wanted someone exactly like me, but now I think Id be bored to decease with another version of myself. Im surprised I dont bore you sometimes.I gaped. Are you kidding? Youre the most interesting person I know. Aside from Hugh maybe. But then, he installs breast implants and buys souls. Thats a hard combination to beat. But hes not tight as cute.Seths smile increased, and he squeezed my hand. Silence fell between us again, but this time it was kind of cozy.Thanks for rescuing me, I said slowly, and forwellI mean, Im sorry about last night. Sorry I shut down.His face sobered. No, Im sorry. I shouldnt have No, I said firmly. Dont blame yourself. It was me too. My fault too. And really, I was the one who started it. I should have just talked to you about it then. particularly after you made me pancakes this morning. You know, those suddenly sound really go od again. I looked at him meaningfully.We shouldnt have done what we didin bedbut, at least we did manage to stop. Thats worth something.I nodded, crumpling up the Taco Bell bag and tossing it across the room into my wastebasket. Score.He studied me, eyes warm and affectionate. He sighed and turned pensive again. There apparently was more seriousness to come. Id like to try relaxationing together again, but I supposewe should take a break from that. I mirrored his sigh. Yeah. I suppose. Remembering something, I cocked my head and gave him a sharp look. Hey, hypothetically and Im not offering this, so dont get any ideas would you, like, give up part of your life to sleep with me? Er, but I meannot actually sleep He laughed out loud, the laughter underscored with a wry edge. Thetis, Id give up part of my life to do any number of things with you.My interest flared. Like what?Wellisnt it obvious?I leaned toward him. Maybe I was still high and wo(e) from weed-induced horniness and h ey, in another reality, shouldnt we have been entitled to make-up sex? but I suddenly and desperately wanted to hear him check out what he wanted to do to me. Tell me.He shook his head. I cant. You know how I am. His eyes narrowed intently. I could maybeI could maybe write it for you, though.Really? Not in published story form this time?Yes, not in published story form.Id like that.I must have looked expectant because he laughed. Not tonight, Thetis. Not tonight. I think we both need some sleep.I was let down but could see the wisdom here. Having more time would ensure some good writing, I guessed. Furthermore, it was hard to be too sad when the tightness from last nights mishap appeared to be gone. Our rapport and affection had returned, and watching him, I felt my feelings for him practically increase by the second. We chatted a bit more, and then he kissed me lightly on the mouth and rose. I wistfully watched him go, need he were staying.Drifting off to sleep, I finally cont ented myself by thinking about all the things I wanted to do to him. It was a long list, and I was out before even getting through a fraction of it.