Succubus on Top CHAPTER 7

We stood grow in the bedroom, frozen, both of us too terrified to blink. Downstairs, the door turn out and footsteps could be clearly perceive on the strenuouswood floor. A low murmur of voices drifted up, the words inaudible.What are we personnel mundanety to do? I whispered. no(prenominal)visual we might be, but I still didnt want to slink through the house with others around. It would also piddle leaving inconspicuously a problem.Bastien frowned, apparently trying to discern the words below. Those are tot anyy potent voices. Not Dana. Come on.He grabbed my arm, and we crept out into the hallway where we could hear more clearly.You confident(predicate) they arent approaching shell? asked an anxious voice.Yup. Theyll be out til, worry, mid night.Cool.Bastien grinned at me. Reese, he breathed.Reese. The son. The son who was supposed to be down the alley at a friends house. That was better than Dana, but still embarrass. I shot Bastien a questioning look. Whats he doin g here? I mouthed.Bastien shrugged by way of answer and moved for me to follow him the balance wheel of the way downstairs. Reese and his friend obliviously do enough noise to c everyplace any of our movements.I hadnt really seen Reese yet and was curious. Id expected a clean-cut, duteous altar-boy type, but he seemed perfectly average in that sullen, T-shirt wearing sort of way. He had Danas threatening hair and blue eyes, paired with just about of Bills unfortunate facial features. His friend had extensive hair and wore a beat-up army coat with jeans.Where should we do it? asked the friend.Reese glanced around. Outside. Otherwise theyll smell it later.Okay. besides roll it in here.They huddle around the kitchen table. Reese produced a tin of rolling papers and a plastic Baggie with enough marijuana in it to keep a family of five stoned for a week.The friend skillfully rolled an enormous joint, and the boys took it outside, going out the express(prenominal) door wed come in. Bastien and I exchanged glances, both of us barely retention back hysterical laughter. We walked into the still-dark living room and stood at the window, observation the boys outside. They left all the outdoor lights come to, non wanting to attract neighborly attention. The joint made a pinpoint of orange light in the blackness as they passed it back and forth.Oh my God, I gasped. This upright unslopedified the hale break-in.Bastiens expression was speculative. by chance we buttocks use this against her.I turned on him. What? Come on. Hes just a kid. No motivation to disembowel him down with her. Besides, if I had his parents, Id want to be high too. Bastien looked momentarily uncertain, in the long run yielding with a runty nod. Okay. Youre right. So. You want to finish the bedroom and then draw out? I doubt theyre going to denounce much going on around them. We went back upstairs, still hoping for s light incriminating photo or piece of paper. No such luck.We l eft Reese and his friend alone, using the front door to make our substantiateaway. in one case we were safely back at Bastiens, we settled into the immaculate living room, defeated.Well. That was pointless, I said.Not entirely. Bastien reached into his pocket and tossed oer Reeses plastic bag.I caught it and tidyed up in my chair. Jesus H. Christ You swiped that poor kids pot?He shouldnt befuddle left it out exchangeable that.I held it up. It was half-full. Theres a special hell for people like you.Yeah, I own a condo in that respect. Besides, its for his own good. Pots a gateway drug, you know. I masst cerebrate this. You dont sound off theyre going to nonice this is missing?Nah. By the time they come back in, theyll be so far done for(p) they wont remember where they left it. Theyll spend the next few days accusing each other of losing it.I shook my head. I know Ive said it before, but this really is a new low. IIm so shocked now, I dont plain know what to do.7 do.An hou r later, we were both on the floor, giggling endlessly, though I wasnt entirely sure what nigh. Bastien passed the joint to me, and I took a hit off it, sighing happily. I handed it back.Im not studying Monique wasnt a bitch, he was explaining, but you pull in 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 sex. 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 like a horse. He paused a moment, then started laughing. She totally did me proud.I sit 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. frustrate your metaphors right. That wasnt a metaphor. It was a, you know He stared off into space, blinking. One of those thing s thats symbolic of another thing. But isnt the same thing. secure like it.You mean(a) a metaphor?No Its like a storylikea pr overb Thats it.Im pretty sure that wasnt a proverb. maybe it was an analogy. I dont judge so.Look, I know these things. I work in a ohOh what?How am I going to get internal?Youre leaving? Or is that an analogy?Im not leaving yetbut you drove meyou whoremongert drive me back.Sure I can. I feel fine.You wish. I havent smoked that much.I rummaged through my purse, found my cell phone, and dialed the head start number in it. Beside me, Bastien muttered about analogies plot of land staring entranced at the smoke swirling off the joint.Hello? answered curing. We hadnt really intercommunicate 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 on that point? You okay?Yeah I started laughing uncontrollably. I am 50 okay.Urn, all right. What do you need?It took me a moment to re member. 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 exercise set and then disconnected.Idiot I yelled at Bastien, eventide though I thought the precisely situation was hilarious, as did he. I went in for a tackle. What were you The doorbell rang. Our eyes went wide as we froze mid-grapple, scare 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 is perhaps 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 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 alo ne. 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 think shell notice that your whole fucking house smells like this? Jesus. Your pupils are the size of her granny panties. Virtuous or not, she isnt stupid. meet 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 unbroken smoking. Below, I comprehend 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 immediately noticed the rage afoot. I wasum, busy. Upstairs.I see, replied Dana. Her tone was in one case again set to cool and trendal. I decided Bastien had imagined the agile and friendly rapport he kept claiming they had when alone. Wel l, I apologize for disturbing you, but when I dropped off the cookies earlier, I think I may have lost an earring.I straightened up. Cookies? He hadnt mentioned that. Maybe he was making progress after all. Cookies. I wondered what smorgasbord 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 act 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 stop 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 must have lost it somewhere else. Thanks for tone.Sorry I couldnt help you.Its all right. She allowed an elegantly crafted pause. Isnt that Tabithas purse over there? Is she here?Oh, shit. I had a flavor Bastien was thinking the same thing.Uh, well, 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 moved to the living room, so I could sneak invisibly down the stairs and raid the kitchen without them knowing. stand up, I gift the joint out in the upstairs bathroom and moved on to my collusive descent. Pot doesnt usually mess with motor control the way alcohol can, but it can for sure distract you from ordinary things. Like watching where youre going.About three steps down, my foot slipped out from to a cut back place me.I uttered a sailor-worthy expletive and slid painfully down the rest of the way, landing hard on my butt at the bottom, my legs twisting into unnatural positions underneath me. I had barely enough sense to outing back to a visible Tabitha, lest Bastien and Dana think a clumsy ghost had just fallen down. A moment later, they came running.What happened? exclaimed Bastien. He sounded more upset about the interruption than my immediate health.II tripped sounding down, I tried moving my left ankle to a more comfortable position. I winced. It equipment casualty 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 controversy with Dana. She support 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 felt the ankle with cautious, expert precision, carefully examining each inch. I appreciated her s olicitous concern and apparent first-aid know-how, but the thought of this wretched char touching 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 hatred me or something? he hissed once we were alone.This wasnt my fault, I countered. I think youve got a defective stair.Defective my ass. The only thing thats defective is your sense of timing. Do you know how close 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 kind of guy.I wasnt babbling. And theres no way she knows Im high.Oh, come on. If you were any higher, youd I shut my mouth as Dana returned with the ice pack. She knelt by my feet and car efully set the pack on the injured ankle. I grimaced at the sudden change of temperature, but the shocking cold did numb the throbbing.Still concerned, she surveyed the rest of my lower leg with those sharp eyes. Again, she felt around the ankle area, her hands gently touching here and there. She frowned. I could be wrong 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, looking 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 wrong with the stairs, said Bastien. Tabithas always been clumsy, thats all. Its legendary in our family.Dana, oblivious to me conspicuous at the incu bus over the slam to my gracefulness, glanced over at my shoes sitting near the door. They were strappy and black, with three-inch heels. are 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 walk around in shoes like that all day will do serious defame to your feet. Not only that, they send a message that you have no shame when it comes to The doorbell rang then. no(prenominal) of us moved at first, and then Bastien rose, looking amazed that this night could get any worse.Dana dropped her mechanical press lecture and switched to a medical one. You really need to be careful with this. Too much render 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, thanks for coming to pick me up.He continued to stare, and then the faintest gleam of understanding 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 big(p)ly.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 meet 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, steering us toward casual conversation.Neither of us answered. A couple months, I said at last, wondering if my virtue was once again beingness assessed.She make a facial gestured. How nice.I started feeling those creepy vibes again, and suddenly I did want to leave. I tried to sit up, and she rushed to my side. Someon e 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 hardened in the passenger seat, Dana offered a few theatrical role 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 afte r 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 affect when I gave him my order. When it came up, he wordlessly handed me my bag of four tacos, two bean burritos, and a tostada. I dove into them before hed even accelerated away.When we got back to my place, he didnt give me the chance to t humb 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? tummy 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 gluttony on hold. WellI dont know. I just figured, well, no. Eithe r that, or you had some tragic historylike you got drunk 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 plenty 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 shameless 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 panicked 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 death 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 nearly 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. Especially after you made me pancakes this morning. You know, those suddenly sound really good 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 strong and affectionate. He sighed and turned pensive again. There apparently was more seriousness to come. Id like to try dormancy 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 offset 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 suffering from weed-induced horniness and hey, in another reality, shouldnt we have been entitled to symb olise sex? but I suddenly and desperately wanted to hear him articulate 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 scotch 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 tension 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, wishing he were staying.Drifting off to sleep, I finally contented 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.