by JG Jerome
Daphne gets us quickly down SR51, onto I-10, and then into the airport. She pulls in at the departures level and manages to get us right on the sidewalk.
We get out, and Marisol wraps me in a hug. “I love you, Jack. It’s a new and wonderful feeling, and I’m not over the novelty yet.” Then she puts on her stern face before continuing, “So you better take care of my man and my sister until I see you next, my Lord!”
I laugh and say, “Yes, ma’am,” before I kiss her goodbye.
Marisol moves to take overwatch, and Daphne hustles over to get her goodbye kiss. She tells me, “Be safe, Master! The Goblins are dangerous. Don’t trust them until you are certain you have dominated their will! I love you, Master!” She kisses me again.
As my lips are released I murmur, “I love you too, Precious.”
I shoulder my new portfolio and grab my rollbag from Solange before we head inside with a wave.
We take the escalator upstairs and take Solange to enroll in Clear. Then we both walk through the Clear lane through security. This beats the pre-check line, which snakes about 50 people deep. We’re through and dressed again in 10 minutes. The pocket dimensions worked like a charm.
We find our gate, and I see there is a Starbucks farther down the concourse. I wiggle my eyebrows at Solange after pointing it out. She laughs and hooks her arm through mine. She murmurs into my ear, “Your Hot Chocolate would like a Mocha Latte, my Lord!”
I turn and kiss her luscious full lips slowly before I tell her, “Dein Wunsch ist mir Befehl!”
“Oh?” she comments. “My wishes are now commands for the mighty Green Lord.”
I smirk back, “Don’t let the power go to your head, Darling.”
She lets loose a sexy laugh as we move briskly towards our caffeinated goodness.
We walk inside the entrance and make our way to the cashier to place our orders. I pay, and then we move past two flight attendants to wait for our drinks. I open my mouth to ask Solange a question, and then I stop and look at the flight attendants. One is a beautiful young lady with dusky skin, generous curves, and a familiar smile.
Chapter 36 - Flying towards the sun
I say, “Hello Erica,” as she lifts her arms to embrace me.
She presses her lips to mine, and I open my mouth to let her questing tongue into mine. I hear a ‘Khm’ from her matronly partner in crime. As we are wrapping up our greeting, she does it again. Then she says, “Really, Erica! I never!”
I look up to her and say, “Then really, you should! I highly recommend kissing Erica every chance you can get!”
Then Solange puts her right hand on my left shoulder and quickly steps in to give Erica a quick peck on the lips before saying, “Hello Erica, I’m Solange. Myra has described your charms, but I think mere words failed to capture how awesome you really are.”
Erica pulls Solange into our embrace and replies with a brilliant smile, “It’s my pleasure to meet you, Solange. Next time you see Myra, tell her I expect her to keep her promise to me. Jack always finds the most beautiful ladies to accompany him.”
I grin at her, “And here I am holding you, Erica.”
She laughs as she finally releases Solange and myself from her hug. I notice she grabs my right hand as she turns and indicates her colleague. “Jack, Solange, this is Krista. We’re both on the Red-eye to Philly.”
I laugh, “Time to buy more lottery tickets! We continue from there to Hartford.”
Erica joins in my laughter while Krista looks lost. Solange is at least familiar with the story and smiles with her normal good humor.
I lift Erica’s hand and kiss her knuckles before asking, “So, how did your mom’s move go?”
She rolls her eyes. She shakes her head as she relates, “Mom was nervous wreck from the very beginning. Then the movers showed up late because the driver for the truck showed up to work drunk. I think he was still on the crew because one of them reeked of alcohol sweat. Two of them reeked of weed, and the other one just reeked. They broke three lamps, two clocks, both of her end tables, and dropped a box with her grandmother’s china. They knocked over the picket fence of her old house and scratched the walls of her new condo. They did not get a good review, and I put in a long list of damage for a replacement claim. Officially, I was on vacation for four days to help mom move. I wanted to take a week off afterwards to recover. It was crazy!”
Solange and I pull her into a group hug murmuring consoling words. I immediately hear a ‘Khm’ from Krista. I look at her with an arched eyebrow as she taps Erica’s shoulder.
Krista whispers, “Erica! You’re in uniform!”
I hook an arm around Krista. She gives me an alarmed look right before I tell her, “Krista, listen and obey! Relax in my arms.” She does, and I continue, “You will take your drink and wait patiently outside the rail for Erica until we are done talking. From the time you ordered your drink, you will only remember picking up your drink and sipping it while Erica talks to two old friends she met here. Is that clear?”
Krista nods slowly and repeats it back to me.
I tell her, “Good girl, Krista.” She preens from the praise. “From now on you will know me as Jack, but you will always call me Master, even in public. It will make you uncomfortable, but you will do it regardless because you can’t help yourself. Is that clear?”
She acknowledges, “Yes, Master.”
At that point the barista calls Krista’s name, so I release her. She walks over to retrieve her drink, daintily steps past us with a smile, and stands next to the railing between the two tables and the concours to sip her drink.
Erica says, “Jack that was freaky. Your eyes were green, but they glowed like moonlight.”
Solange says, “Jack got that from Myra. I understand she used that ability when you met.”
Erica looks back and forth between us before asking, “Are you aliens?”
Solange and I both chuckle and shake our heads. “Vampires?” Erica asks. We continue laughing as Solange answers, “No sweetie, but we are kind of like ‘meta-humans.’ We have abilities that average humans don’t have. Jack and I are different types, but he has some of my peoples’ abilities because he married Myra.”
Erica gasps with joy, “You two got married?”
I smile back to her, “Of course, Erica! I had to or you would have stolen her away from me!”
Erica gives me back a mischievous grin, “No, Jack. I just would have borrowed her when you were out of town! Speaking of which, maybe I could borrow you for a while on this trip.”
I tip her chin up for another warm, languorous kiss. Then I tell her, “I suspect I will be available Tuesday and Wednesday evening. We fly out Thursday morning.”
Solange kisses Erica’s cheek, “Would you allow me to join you, Beautiful?”
Erica is stunned for a moment before she nods slowly. She asks, “Jack is married to Myra, but what is your relationship to him?”
Solange leans closer and whispers, “I’m his bodyguard and his concubine. I am the same type of meta-human as Myra.” She lets her eyes glow enough for Erica to see. “I also tend mostly toward lust for men, but I find myself desiring to be with the two of you.”
Erica smiles brightly before leaning in to give Solange a lover’s kiss. Afterward she says, “It would be my honor, and I suspect my great pleasure, if you would join us.” She caresses Solange’s cheek gently and then looks back and forth between us. “I have to go, my darlings. I’ll see you on the plane!” She gives us each a quick peck on the lips before retrieving her drink from the counter.
I wink at Solange, and then we say in unison, “Bye, Erica!”
She gives us a brilliant smile before winking at us and turning to Krista. “Krista honey, tell Jack goodbye!”
Krista smiles at me and says, “Goodbye, Master. See you soon.” Erica gives me a mischievous smile.
I wave, “Goodbye, Krista. Nice to meet you. See you soon.”
I hear her whisper to Erica as they walk off,
“Where did ‘Master’ come from? Oh, I’m so embarrassed.”
Erica chuckles, “Don’t worry about the little stuff, Krista. Besides, I imagine he is quite masterful.”
Krista says, “Well I never...Erica, you are so bad!”
Erica laughs, “And you love it!”
Krista does chuckle at that before they walk out of hearing range.
The barista calls my name, and I snag our drinks. I hand Solange hers, “Mocha Latte for my Hot Chocolate!”
She smiles hugely at me and takes a sip of her treat. “You're so good to me, my Lord. I was surprised to see the Winter’s Light in your eyes.”
I shrug, “I didn’t do anything different from my previous attempts; although, it did seem more effortless this time. We’ll have to ask the ladies what color they glowed when I influenced Lisette.”
She says, “They glowed green when you used it on...uh...Myra’s mom.”
“Huh,” I grunt. “Maybe that’s why she did what she did. Maybe I didn’t get a very good hold on her.” I take a sip, and we start walking back to our gate.
“I don’t know,” responds Solange. “She may have already had that plan in her head. Since you didn’t override it, she executed it. Another possibility is when you told her to create a pocket, she’s wily enough to create it around your presence in her mind. If you had used Winter’s power against her she would have shrugged it off.”
I nod, “I think the pocket is similar to how I defeat attempts to influence me. I sense the attempts, but I just shrug them off. Since I developed that ability under Christie’s influence, it’s difficult to tell.”
We arrive at the gate ten minutes before the boarding call. We sip our drinks and make small talk as I peruse the passengers. I notice a tall, slender woman with platinum hair holding a small portfolio similar to mine. She catches me watching her and gives me a small smile. I smile back in kind and then continue to scan after holding her eyes for just a moment. She seems familiar, but I can’t place her.
I send a quick email from my phone to Reddy and Don, copying Supreet, that I won’t be able to join them in the office until Tuesday mid-morning. Then I pull up my boarding pass on my phone. I see Solange pulling hers up, too.
Then we get called to board.
We make our way down the jet bridge to find our seats 4C & 4D. I put mine and Solange’s roller bags in the bin as she slides into the window seat. I sit down, slide my portfolio under the seat in front of me, and buckle in. The tall, slender blond smiles at me before she sits across the aisle from me.
Erica walks up with a sad look on her face. “May I take your drink orders, darlings?”
I look up at her, “What’s the matter, Erica?”
She says, “The Captain was walking up when I was kissing you. I guess she was standing in line when I kissed Solange. I didn’t see her, but she pulled me aside and told me she would have to report me. It’s a shame, I’ve spent more than a couple of overnights with her, but she is a stickler for the rules. You’re only supposed to kiss spouses in public when wearing the uniform, and even then we’re supposed to keep it ‘chaste,’ which of course is up to interpretation. I’ve been written up twice. I’m not sure what they’ll do this time.”
I tease her gently, “You’re a kissing bandit?”
She gives me a sad smile, “Not really. I had a boyfriend who was a gate agent. I got caught kissing him multiple times, and I finally got written up. About eight months ago a young barista in Philly who always takes good care of me mentioned it was his birthday. I asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and he said a kiss from me. He’s a really sweet kid, so I gave him a kiss. I thought it was pretty chaste but a retired flight attendant was in line. She called in to report me. Apparently there was quite an investigation to figure out whom she was reporting. Unfortunately, it was a dead spot for the security cameras. It was my word against the retiree’s. Now this.”
Her smile brightens considerably, “This one was worth the penalty. Hopefully, I don’t get fired.”
I tell her, “I’ve been thinking of getting a corporate jet. Would you be interested in crewing it? I haven’t started to look yet, but I think it would prove useful and economical considering I need to start traveling with a bigger entourage.”
She says, “I’ll let you know how this turns out. Either way, I’m open to talk. So, drinks?”
Solange orders a Pinot Grigio, and I decide that and a club soda sounds good. Erica winks at us and takes orders from the tall blond and her seatmate.
Erica goes off to fix drinks, and I hold Solange’s hand as I lean my head back and close my eyes. I get jostled a couple of times as the poor bastards in the cattle car - AKA ‘economy class’ - trundle past. I don’t let it bother me. Solange was watching them all closely when I closed my eyes. I’m sure she still is.
I hear Krista’s voice on the intercom encouraging everyone to put their butts in seats. Shortly thereafter, Erica comes by and apologizes that they won’t be able to serve drinks until we’re at cruising altitude.
I feel the aircraft push back as Krista starts to talk through the safety briefing, so I watch Erica’s dance. You wouldn’t think anyone could make the safety briefing look like erotic dance, but Erica manages it. She smiles at me the whole time, and it looks like she’s putting a little extra effort into it. I mime clapping when she’s done, which elicits laughter from Erica, Solange, and the pretty blond across the aisle.
This pilot is serious. We arrived at the end of the runway right after the safety briefing. We sit for not more than a ten count after that before she takes off. Erica barely gets belted in before we’re airborne. We’re up in the air for about ten minutes before she comes on and introduces herself as ‘Captain Jeannie.’ I didn’t get a look at her, but she has a lovely, rich contralto voice. It reminds me of ‘Ms. Parker’ from ‘the Pretender’ TV series from years ago.
Erica brings drinks and snacks, then touches my shoulder before heading back to the front galley.
I turn to toast Solange. I think the wine is actually pretty good. Then Solange’s eyes narrow right before I feel a hand on my left arm. I turn to look The pretty blond is withdrawing her hand, and then returns it holding out her wine glass. She says, “Cheers, Jack.”
“Cheers,” I respond and take a sip. I ask, “Do I know you? You look familiar.”
“I imagine,” she says with a smile. “I understand you’re sleeping with my grand-niece.”
I’m befuddled. She taps her temple with her left hand and looks like she’s concentrating. She says, “May I?”
I think I’m catching on. I nod warily. Then I hear, *Hello, Jack. I’m Serena. Forgive my glamour. I’ll try to show you my true face when I find some privacy. I’m known as the Lady of the West.*
I send back, *The tap of the temple gave away that L’liana is likely your grand-niece. She’s a lovely girl. I love her dearly.*
Serena nods, *She is. I hope she learns her lessons in Cherry. I would love to have her back at my court.*
I smile, *I’m afraid she isn’t feeling like it’s much of a punishment.*
Serena sips her wine with a small, *I know. She has been singing your praises since she met you. Especially since you made love to her.*
I just raise my eyebrows.
She continues, *She was gushing. Is she still telling you she’s 26?*
I smile, *I’ve suspected she’s fibbing for some time. She’s very knowledgeable on a wide variety of sciences and skills. I think she's older, but I don’t know how much.*
*Very astute,* she sends as she salutes me with her wine glass. *She’ll soon be turning 127. Legally she is an adult, even by our laws. I wish she would act like it more.*
*Really?* I ask. *I thoroughly enjoy her childlike playfulness. Yet, I’ve seen her be serious when she needs to be. Mostly when she is responsible for teaching me something.*
Serena cocks an eyebrow as she asks, *What is she teaching you, Jack?*
I chuckle, *All kind
s of things, Lady Serena.*
Serena responds, *Dissembling are we? Okay, Jack. I’ll leave you alone. I hope we might have a more frank discussion at some point. I’ll leave you with this thought. The Nameless have accepted a contract on you from somewhere in Morocco. The contact spoke Arabic. He went cheap and hired an assassin rather than hiring a kill. The news is about two weeks old. That’s all I know at the moment. I also hear that you approached them about an alliance recently. If you manage to kill their assassin, I think they may respond to your approach.*
I grimace, *Shit! As if I don’t have enough to worry about. I was hoping to minimize the bloodshed.*
She sits back in her seat and looks forward while taking a sip of her wine, *They are like the Goblins. They respect strength. Killing one of them means you are worthy of them. It’s regrettable, but it is the only way you will likely get to treat with their leader. She’s a tough, old bitch.*
I follow her lead and sit back and sip my wine, *Not a wolf-shifter, though?* I hear her laughter tinkle in my mind. I add, *We’ll work it out. I’ve got bigger immediate problems. After I recover my family, there’s someone out there called the Dread Lord. Do you know anything about him?*
I see her nod slightly from the corner of my eye. *I’m familiar with the term. We’ve had six of them since the last Green Lord. All I know is the current one supposedly makes the earlier ones look like bumbling fools.*
*Lovely,* I respond. *Well, thank you for the information, dear Lady.*
*My pleasure, Green Lord. Goodbye for now,* she responds. The smile in her voice is bigger than the small grin on her face.
I lean over to Solange, “That was interesting. The blond across from me is the Lady of the West.”
Solange leans forward and scopes Serena out. Serena waves. Solange says, “Hello. I’m Solange Schatten. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Serena says, “Hello Solange. I’m Serena. It’s a pleasure.”
I drain my wine and quickly drain the little cup of club soda. Then I say, “Ladies, it’s a pleasure. I’m going to try to get some sleep.” Erica is walking up the aisle handing out masks and earplugs. I thank her, open the mask to let it air, insert the earplugs, and pull on the mask.