* * *
"Baby, that was the best."
"For me too. Maybe we can do it again sometime. I'll call you if I'm ever back this way."
"But I thought you loved me. You said..."
"What? I never mentioned love. Love is for fools. I take what I want and give pleasure in return. You, sugar, weren't bad, but I've had better."
Picking up her leather jacket, the tall women leaned down, kissed the small blonde on the lips and walked from the room.
* * *
For a moment there was unbearable silence. Suddenly the lights came on, and Mari and Maopa blinked. People were moving down the aisles, heading for the exits.
"Phew! That thar was the best un yet. I ain't never feeled quite like this at the other movies."
"I know what you mean. I'm ready to cool off. You want to go for a walk?"
"I'm thinking it might help some but ain't so shore it's gonna cool me down enough ta wait very long. This un made me hornier than a horny toad."
"Well, we passed a park on the way here. Let's go sit for a while. I don't have the energy to do much else."
Grabbing Maopa's hand, Mari pulled her lover up and slipped down the aisle and out of the theater. Glancing back at the title, Lady Cop in Toyland, Mari grinned. "This one might be worth seeing a second time."
"Dang right. We needs to learn more bout them toys they was a playin' with. What was they called? Dildies?"
"Dildos, I think, although she kept talking about geckos and turbo rabbits."
"Yeah. I kept alookin' tah see what in tarnation a geeko was. Finally figured they just gave them vebrators fancy names."
"I have to admit I was confused for a while too."
Holding hands, the two walked a few blocks until they came to a small park. Sitting on a bench near a fountain, they tried to watch the pigeons and squirrels but couldn't prevent themselves from snuggling. Several people walked by and looked at them strangely but said nothing.
Mari felt the urge to kiss Maopa and leaned down, her warm breath caressing her companion's cheek and lips. Just as she was about to make contact, a flash distracted her. Looking up, she noticed a thin, slimy looking man standing near them with a camera. He tipped his hat and grinned.
"You two should really get a hotel room," he said and walked away.
"Who in tarnation was that?"
"Probably a fan of Yemaya's. I guess we'd better head on back to the apartment."
"Not before we done buy some new bed fixins. We done run out."
The last thing Mari wanted to do was go shopping. Trying to think of a reason not to, she looked up and down the street as if it would provide her with the excuse she needed to forego the inevitable. She noticed a sign two blocks away that gave her hope.
"That man. He said something about getting a hotel."
"Yep. Guess he thank we was gonna do it right here."
"Well, why don't we get a hotel? It would save us having to go shopping, and truthfully, I don't feel like it."
"Me neether. I think it be a mighty fine idee."
Grinning like schoolgirls, the two marched hand in hand toward their destination. Once inside, they strolled up to the check-in counter.
"Can I help you?" The young woman smiled amiably.
"Yeah, we wants a room."
"How many nights?"
Mari looked at Maopa, who raised her hand and counted on her fingers. "Twelve nights."
"Let me check and see if we have one.... We have several rooms and five suites. What kind of bed do you want?"
"What kind has yah got?"
"Kings, queens, and doubles."
Mari and Dakota gave each other a confused look.
"What's the largest one yah gots?"
"King, of course."
"Then we be wantin' a king."
"King it is. Will you be putting this on your credit card?"
"Shore nuff."
Mari nudged Maopa and pulled her aside. "You know we get the bed pretty wet. I don't want to be sleeping on cold, wet sheets and bedding. It kills the mood."
"Yeah. Me too."
Turning back to the clerk, Maopa grinned. "We wants a diff'rent room each night, if'n yah don't mind."
"Excuse me?"
"Yah knowed. A diff'rent room. We don't like sleepin' on wet beddin'."
"Oh, that's no problem. Laundry always makes sure the sheets are dry before they put them on the beds."
"Oh, it ain't that, darlin. We tend to get them mighty wet with our activitees, if'n yah knowed what I mean."
Maopa winked and gave the woman a mischievous grin.
"Oh... ohhhhh! Um, sure. Sorry. Um... let me see."
Quickly typing on the keyboard keys, she leaned toward the monitor and stared at it. "Here we go. It's going to be a little complicated since checkout is at eleven, but it's doable. Tonight you can have 132 and tomorrow 221. You know, we do change the sheets every day, so switching rooms really isn’t necessary,” the receptionist explained.
“Does yah change them thar mattreeses too?”
“Well, no, that’s not neces…”
“Then we wants a new room every night.”
“Okay. It'll take a while to reserve the others so I'll do it later, if that's alright."
"That be fine, chil'."
Maopa pulled a credit card from her pocket. She handed it to the clerk, who did a double-take.
"You're Yemaya Lysanne!" she squeaked, looking at the taller woman. "You're the Illusionist. Oh my God. I've always wanted to go to one of your shows."
Mari wasn't sure how to respond and looked at Maopa.
"We be trying to have some privacy, so if'n yah don't mind, we'd appreshate it if'n yah'd keep quiet about this."
"Oh. Sure, I'll just tell the boss. She knows how to keep the public out."
"Thank yah much, and what be yah callin' yohself?"
"Scamper."
"Scamper. That be a heck of a name."
"It's really just a nickname, but I like it better than Mary."
"Well, Scamper, would yah mind orderin' us a couple of pizzas while we makes ourselves at home?"
"Not at all. Anything special?"
Maopa gave her the list of ingredients and then the two spirits went to their room, anxious to try out some new positions they had observed in the movie. Once inside, Mari remembered she had forgotten to ask the clerk something.
"I'll be right back," she said and dashed out the door.
Scamper apparently was busy figuring out the room assignments. Mari gave a small cough and she looked up.
"Oh, Ms. Lysanne. I didn't hear you."
"That's okay. Listen. My friend was wondering about something and wanted to know if you could help her out."
"Sure."
"She's been hearing about some toy shops in the area. Are there any near here?"
"Toy shop? Well, there's a Toys "R" Us six blocks from here. Is she looking for something for her kids?"
"No, that's not exactly the kind of toy she was wondering about."
"Well, that's the only toy shop near..." Scamper gave Mari a strange look and then blushed. "You mean 'toy' shop, don't you?"
Mari smiled and nodded.
"In that case, there's one just up the street."
"Thanks, Scamper."
"And Ms. Lysanne. If she's shopping, tell her to check out the Jack Rabbit series. I think she'll enjoy it, and so will you."
"Uh huh." Amused, Mari headed back to the room, making a mental note to leave a message for Yemaya to send the young clerk some tickets to her next performance.
CHAPTER 17
THE WATER WAS COOL, but not cold enough to chill the heated bodies of the two women floating tiredly on its surface. Apparently even the spirit world couldn't provide an infinite amount of energy to replace what they were burning during their stay in Mari's realm. Yemaya and Dakota weren't sure how much time had passed since their ancestors' departure, since time wasn't relevant. The one thing they were sure of, howe
ver, was they couldn't last much longer if they continued on their present path.
"I'm not saying I'm tired of this place," Dakota said, "but I don't think I've ever felt this exhausted."
Yemaya gave her a lazy smile. "I know what you mean. I've lost count of how many times we've made love. If we add in the times we just practiced a little foreplay..." She let the sentence drop knowing Dakota would understand.
"Oh yeah. There's more things to sex than sex sometimes. You’d think while we are here, our energy would be limitless."
"Maybe being human limits us. It would make sense. This is not our world."
"I suppose. Speaking of which, I wonder what's happening in the real world."
"I've done my best to avoid thinking about it. Not that Mari or Maopa would do anything to harm our bodies. They're more responsible than we would be if the circumstances were reversed."
"Yeah, and as spirits, they at least have an advantage we wouldn't."
"Especially since your grandmother is human, or was at one time."
Dakota snickered. "Knowing Granny, I wouldn't count on that being an advantage. I think she was a wild one in her time, and besides, she doesn't know much about our time."
"Would you please not destroy the security blanket I've created?" Yemaya reached over to pull Dakota closer to her. "You know, no matter how much I've tried, I can't seem to sink on this lake. I can dive fine, but the moment I want to surface, I'm there."
"So I've noticed. I suppose it's a built-in safety thing."
"It would make sense. Mari does control the oceans and waters. Besides, it really wouldn't make sense to think a spirit could drown. I wonder..."
Before she could finish the sentence, the Illusionist felt a presence nearby. Looking around, she couldn't find anything out of place. Puzzled, she stood up and walked toward the shore.
"Hey, what's up?" Dakota quickly followed her.
"I'm not sure. I get the feeling we're being watched."
"Here? No one can come here without Mari's permission."
"Normally I would agree. However, since she's not around, someone might be able to gain entrance."
Dakota glanced around. "Do you think it's Intunecat? He'd be one to barge in uninvited, I think."
"No. Actually, he's the one spirit that wouldn't come uninvited or unannounced, at least not here. He seems to have a great respect for Mari, even if he is a little unpredictable."
"That's putting it mildly." Dakota smirked. "Maybe it's just our overactive imaginations. After all, I can't remember fucking like bunnies."
Wiggling her eyebrows, Dakota pretended to leer at her lover.
"Fucking like bunnies? Where in the world did that come from?" Yemaya laughed and slapped Dakota on the arm. "I do not fuck, sweetie. I wine and dine." Lowering her voice to a low, sultry level, she leaned close to Dakota's ear and whispered, "I caress and stroke. And when you start moaning, I make sure your body comes alive under my hands, my tongue... my touch."
Dakota shivered. Her stomach clenched, causing her to press her hand against it. Whenever Yemaya used that soft, deep, seductive tone, she knew she was going to lose the battle, not that she cared. After all, the Illusionist was a master at making both the world and time disappear, to be replaced by the magical revelation of what true love really felt like.
"Okay. Okay. You win!" she gasped. "I was only teasing."
Yemaya gave her a smug smile and ruffled her hair. "But I wasn't." Her gaze promised more pleasures to come.
She spun around suddenly and looked at an empty spot near them. "Whoever you are, show yourself!"
Dakota squinted, trying to see something she couldn't see. "Ummm..."
"Shhhhh. Watch."
Moments later the air shimmered, reminding Dakota of a heat wave. Within seconds, a ghostly figure appeared and solidified.
"I'm beginning to think I've lost my touch." The ghost gave the two humans a sheepish grin. "I was hoping not to intrude on your pleasures."
"Then why did you?"
"To answer a question, nothing more."
"What question?"
"One I need no longer ask. I now have the answer."
"Then as a courtesy, how about telling us what it is."
Dakota listened to the exchange but decided not to join the conversation. Apparently a battle of wills was taking place between her lover and the ghost. She had confidence that Yemaya could hold her own against anyone.
"The question or the answer?"
Yemaya's eyes narrowed menacingly. She had never been one to play word games. Saira decided to relent.
"I'm not able to as it would give you the answer and you're not ready for it now."
"And I'm supposed to just accept that?"
"You don't have much choice, do you?"
Yemaya didn't answer. There was something familiar about this entity.
"I know you," she said, her mind racing to remember where they had met.
"No one knows me. A few know of me, though. You are now one of those few."
"You talk in riddles, probably because it gives you an advantage over those who sense your presence, or at least you think it does. Unfortunately for you, I know I'm right. We've met before."
The apparition gave a slight nod. "Yes, and you will figure it out without my help, Illusionist."
Yemaya gave a start. Suddenly images of her minutes in the sarcophagus flooded her mind. "It was you," she said.
Not understanding what was happening, Dakota stepped closer to Yemaya and put her hand on her lover's arm.
"What is it?" she whispered. Yemaya gave her a quick glance but immediately turned her attention back to the ghost.
"You now have the answer to your question," the apparition said, starting to fade.
"Wait!" Yemaya called. "Who are you? At least answer that."
"The answer wouldn't give you what you seek but only create more questions. Believe me when I tell you that all will be revealed in time."
Seeing Yemaya's frustration, Dakota stepped forward. "Listen, I don't know what this is about but I know Yemaya. Unless you give her an answer, she's going to dwell on this for the rest of our vacation and I frankly don't think it's very nice of you to barge in and ruin things like this. I don't know who the hell you are, but I would rethink things if I were you. We have connections in high places." Dakota glared at the ghost.
Saira wanted to laugh but knew it would hurt the human's feelings and anger her lover. She decided to partially answer the Illusionist's questions.
"Apparently, you have a champion and fierce defender in this one," she said to Yemaya, motioning toward Dakota. "I would hate to have her hounding me through time, so I'll answer some of your questions, but only those I can answer without jeopardizing what is to be."
"You interrupted my escape during my performance," Yemaya said.
"Unfortunately, that's true, and it cost you your life."
Dakota stiffened and was about to comment. Yemaya wrapped her arm around her lover and squeezed gently, a signal not to interfere.
"I remember losing consciousness."
"You didn't have time to regain your concentration before you ran out of air. Your lungs ran out of air, and your heart stopped. I had no choice but to move you forward in time."
"Move me forward? You're a time traveler?"
"That's the simplest way to describe me. I move in whatever direction I'm pulled. Had I not disturbed your concentration, you would have accomplished your trick without a problem. Since I was the cause of your death, I corrected my mistake and positioned you where you were supposed to be. You weren't supposed to feel me, but apparently you've inherited some of Mari's traits."
"You know my ancestor?"
The more the apparition talked, the more questions Yemaya had.
"I have said all that I can say. If you think this will ruin your time in this world, I can position you just prior to my arrival. It will not affect me, but you won't remember that I was here."
Saira - TI5 Page 11