Other Places 2: Road Blocks

by P. S. Power

  She waited for him to finish the drink and took his glass, setting it on the carpet a few feet from them and pulling his legs around for some reason. It was, he realized, so that she could rub his feet. She did it through the socks, but he kind of wished she wouldn't since they'd been trapped in his shoes all day and couldn't be that clean anymore. It did feel good. Enough that he melted a little inside.

  "Or, you could just tell Charisa that she can walk. She tried to have my granddaughter executed. Don't tell Kaitlyn this, but it had nothing to do with her, and everything to do with that bitch being jealous of my success. She tried it, back in the seventies, and ended up a small time porn star. It burns her up that I'm making this really work. Going after my family is too much. I could respect a bit of sabotage, but that? It's an invitation to take things to a level that my kind seldom does." She pushed a little harder on the ball of his foot, not paying attention, until he tried to pull away in pain.

  That got him to think about things and finally shake his head.

  "No, I can't risk leaving anyone out. Why don't you use this to... I don't know, get back at her? I have no clue how to do that kind of thing, short of assassination, but you might know what would get to her. You don't get long to work it out, but we can schedule her for the last day, going in?" That was actually his idea, making her go last, but Judy sat up and went to the phone, smiling at him as if he were wonderful, so she clearly had some other idea in mind.

  That meant he could wander to the kitchen and start making something to eat. He didn't know what Judy might want, but if it was more advanced than Mac and Cheese or a T.V. dinner, they were going to have to get take out. That he could actually do that now was a shock to him, all over again. In fact he'd immediately gone to the Raman cupboard to look for something to eat. They had it, since the first thing he'd gotten nearly was six cases of the stuff, just in case the cash ran out. Zack had learned not to take things for granted, he thought. That was the plan at least. Always be prepared.

  He ended up being a little more adventurous than Mac and Cheese, adding browned beef to a box of the stuff with an actual cheese sauce packet. Zack had already eaten, but was starving again and it was clear he needed more. That, and to do his energy exercises, which he'd been neglecting. He did it at the stove, and was just adding it all together when Judy walked in, her eyes bright and face looking like it was Christmas morning.

  "All taken care of. She even had to thank me for getting her a good spot, without waiting there for three days first. So not only do we get to take out revenge on her, or at least start, but she won't know what hit her." There was a brief pause and then she steepled her fingers in front of herself dramatically. "Mwa-ha-ha!"

  Nodding he gestured to the beefaroni and saw her shake her head, meaning he could have as much as he wanted, since Troy wasn't around and he didn't think that Bey, when he got in, would be eating food. For some reason that did remind him to pick up Rebekah first thing in the morning, which would be a good time to ask about some deliveries of her product to his place.

  Judy seemed happy, and sat to watch him eat, her youthful face smooth, and while less than perfect, it was about right for her chosen profession.

  It made him think.

  "Hey," He made sure to swallow before talking, since his grandmother would have to call and scold him otherwise, knowing that he'd done it with her secret grandma magic. "You aren't as good looking as the other Alede. How does that work?" The second the words where out he realized that tact might have been a good plan, but she actually smiled about it, not taking offense.

  "We all have a good looking form and one that's less so. You know that we can switch genders?" She looked at him as if it would freak him out or something, her face going blank.

  "I've seen that. It messed me up more than a bit when I was looking for Kaitlyn, because I kept finding Kyle instead. I didn't really notice a big difference in looks, between them. I mean, different, but Kyle is about the same as Kaitlyn that way..."

  "Not really. Kyle is... Oh, let's call him a solid eight point five. Kaitlyn is a ten. You probably just didn't notice because she hides her looks in her natural form. She was born a girl, not that it matters really. We all just pick whatever suits us and run with it. Some trade off every ten years or so just to keep things interesting." She waved a bit and then smiled. "So Joe, my male form, is hot. Actually so good looking that I can't take him out for the movie industry. Too many men would be attracted to him and think that meant he was gay. You know how that goes."

  The funny thing was that he did, if not first hand. It was a thing that guys did. Not him, since he didn't have issues that way, but a lot of them did it.

  "Neat. So, why don't the Shifters think of you as awesome all the time? Their supremacists keep going on about how two forms are better than one, and people you want to have sex with have to catch the attention..."

  He was trying to joke, but it was actually a point of real political stuff, according to Judy.

  "Well, they do, really. Not as much as those that can turn into an animal, but it's certainly there. We're kind of second or third on their list of who's worth listening to. The Vampires are about seventh or eighth, since tossing small cars around gets the attention, then it's almost everyone else and finally regular Humans. They've had some issues there in the past, so aren't fans."

  He practically shoveled the beef and cheese dish into his mouth, using his napkin only because of childhood training. It was a bit insane, but he was still just starving for some reason and couldn't get full. Judy, being a good guest, pretended not to notice.

  "This current thing is a mess, of course. Everyone keeps waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the next attack or a declaration of war from some fringe group that sends us all into a tizzy. I know it will be hard for you to get, but for the most part, our wars are both big and small at the same time, when they happen, which is rarely." She waved her hands in the air, as if trying to show points on a map that didn't exist. "We have people spread all over the place, and some of the groups, like Vampires, don't have their own homeland. The Alede either. We mainly claim New Zealand, which is why the women there have sex more often than anywhere else in the world on average, but don't tell anyone. So if a big fight breaks out, it's mainly local, since we can't really travel around quickly. Here it would basically mean that the Vampires and Shifters would fight things out, and whoever the Trolleinkein and Kobolds side with would win, most likely. No one else has the numbers to make that big of a difference. Well, the Mages, but they don't do well in war."

  She didn't explain that one at all. Instead she waved at the kitchen, her eyes lighting up.

  "Have you thought about remodeling? This isn't a bad space really. Add some larger windows, maybe marble countertops and a hardwood floor?"

  Zack nearly cried poor, then remembered he wasn't, and shook his head anyway.

  "I don't own it. The landlord might frown on all that."

  She laughed, covering her mouth delicately and then making a funny face at him.

  "OK, first, make an offer on the place, I bet that he'll sell. Second... No, he wouldn't. If you added a hundred thousand to the property value, he'd be wild about the idea, not whining about it. At least until he had to pay the taxes on the place." That got her to grab a pad and pen from her own gear, which was in his bedroom and start planning a full scale remodeling project.

  Zack looked at her for a bit, then shrugged.

  "The basement too? Bey is going to be staying there when he's in town..."

  She clearly had no idea who that was, other than an old Vampire, but was excited to have something to do. That was just good sense, because they still didn't have cable, or even a nice television to watch, or the internet. Zack had been so busy that he hadn't thought about it and Troy, for all that he was interested in that kind of thing, wasn't exactly holding the keys to Zack's bank account or anything.

  That meant he walked around with her and took notes for a while, and then
sat while she made phone calls, getting workmen set up for the next day. He had a checkbook around somewhere, in his room, that Keeley had given him, so it should work out well enough, even if it did cost lots of money. Judy didn't ask what he was willing to spend on the whole thing, but he figured that it wouldn't break him totally and that was good enough. He was putting his foot down if she tried for diamond encrusted anything. Especially in the bathroom. He wasn't a rap star after all.

  He did get the bed that night, and she didn't complain that Troy was out working until the wee hours of the morning, though he was there and playing a video game when Zack got up, as well as eating pancakes.

  He took a big bite and paused the game, which seemed to be a new one and pointed at it. "Assassin's Pride. Kevin from the club lent it to me. You know, the bouncer? I have to hit the hay soon, but your new friend made me breakfast. She's awesome by the way... Um," He pushed the plate away and looked a bit guilty, but kept looking directly at Zack anyway. "I've... kind of been sleeping with her. I mean, she volunteered, just like, you know, climbing into bed with me and whoever was there and she's... a bit freaky. In a good way, but..." Troy's slightly dusky face was a bit red underneath, which meant he was clearly embarrassed by the idea that he was poaching that obviously from Zack. It was a good sign, even if taking three days to ask about it probably wasn't.

  "She's an Alede. A succubus? They drink sex energy. I mean, only after you've used it, so it isn't that big of a deal, but that's the reason there. Really you should probably do it with her before you go to sleep, since I don't know that she's had anything today." He shrugged and looked at the kitchen, knowing that Judy would know he was talking about her. "Also, she's a famous actress, so don't let anyone know that she's here. If the tabloids find out she'll have to leave, I think. Then I won't get any pancakes unless I make them myself." That would be a sad, sad thing too, since his didn't look half as good.

  As if knowing what he really wanted from her, the lady herself walked out with a large plate of the things, six high and the size of Zack's face, smothered with butter and syrup.

  "Here you go!" She handed it to him, to eat in the living room, and then winked happily at Troy. "I agree on the sex idea, if you get some time? It's the best way to start the day!"

  That got Troy to hurry with his own eating, since, for some odd reason, a hot actress wanting to bang you seemed to get a man's attention. The odd thing there was that, while Zack did think she was pretty and nice, and knew that his girlfriend was just assuming that he was sleeping with Judy anyway... He really didn't want her. He did want sex however, which was confusing. It wasn't some little thing either.

  If Kaitlyn had been around, he would have done her right then and there for instance, or Barb. Even Nikki or Hildegard would be nice, he decided. But not the good looking actress?

  Mirror Him chimed in then, his voice a bit playful instead of biting.

  'Don't forget your boyfriend Edom. I know you want his chocolate yumminess too. I get what you mean. Maybe it's just that you feel, I don't know, responsible for her? It don't make sense, but then you often don't. You should totally be banging someone tonight. Maybe Lisa? I bet she could use some hot Zack lovin' about now. On the rebound after being dumped and just off of drugs? All her defenses have to be down, don't they?'

  That was probably true, but felt wrong. She was a lesbian for one thing and even if she was willing, which Zack wasn't certain of, he was her employee. That meant they needed to keep things professional, right?

  'Then do Nikki. That whole pierced punk thing is kinda hot. I bet she does anal on the first date. You should at least see if Lenore wants to do something. She's been working her ass off and all you've done is get her some blood. You better not cheap out, today is the fourteenth. If you don't get her at least flowers she's going to dump your ass, and you'll be back to sweet talking lefty there.'

  Zack actually looked at his hand and sighed. There was some truth to that, wasn't there? It was early still, so he got the phone book and used his card to get a flower delivery made to the Mall for her, and as an afterthought, a smaller arrangement each for Lisa, Jennifer and Barb, since they were friends too and, as MH pointed out, V-day was an excellent time to set the groundwork for sex with women who's boyfriends didn't step up, or even remember them. Or girlfriends.

  He wasn't doing the whole female population of the Mall, since that would be far too obvious. Then he twisted his face and realized that he needed something a lot more special for Lenore, if he was even doing that little bit for other women, and decided on jewelry. It meant finding an open shop for it and being fleeced on the price, coming in last minute like he was, the older man in the store seeing him coming from a mile away, but the guy did wrap it for him, his wire rimmed gold framed glasses sparkling under the store lights.

  Thus armed he got into work at eight, and managed to go and find Rebekah at Jonas's apartment, in Maine. He had to pound on the door a little, but didn't mind waiting really, even if it took ten minutes for her to get to the door, a bright red silk robe wrapped around her, showing that she was really that pale all over. She wasn't half as careful about closing the front as she might have been, so he knew that she had pubic hair to match the copper stuff on her head.

  "Ah! Sorry, sir... I'll be... Just a second. I said to come early, and got side tracked." She seemed panicked or something, like he was going to leave her?

  True, it was eleven here in Maine, but he wasn't exactly worried about it in particular, as long as he made his schedule on time. He got left at the door and there was a bit of rushing from inside the place, but other than some hushed talking, and some thumping sounds, nothing seemed out of place. Four minutes later the Manthori Vampire was at the door, her hair a mess and smelling of sex, but there, and ready to get back home.

  It still took a while, since it wasn't Node to Node travel, which meant some walking was involved, but she seemed both subdued and pretty pleased the whole time.

  "Thank you. I wish we could do that more often. He's very sweet, Jonas." She didn't mention anything for a long time, just walking along with him, in heels, as they worked through various shortcuts and bends in space to speed things up a bit. It was odd, but he was able to see a lot more of them now than he used to, he thought.

  "So, I can have that blood ready, when you need it?"

  He smiled and nodded pretty happily.

  "I hear you can send it Fed-Ex?"

  "It's a different service, but about the same thing, except with refrigerated trucks, yes."

  "Great. I need some for my house? Bey is staying with Troy and me. Kind of a roommate thing, like I mentioned? At least when he's in town, so that would be good. Actually if it's marked well you can send it to Yoghurt World there and I can take it home with me? That way no one will have to be there to sign for it." It seemed like a plan, but she stopped walking suddenly, staring at him as if something were horribly wrong.

  "The Bey is your new housemate? I... Know you mentioned something, but... You know that little Vampires everywhere are taught that if they misbehave, The Bey will come and kill them, right? It's like setting up house with the Bogey-man." She pronounced the word with an almost British accent, instead of saying boogieman like Zack would have.

  He nodded anyway.

  "Except I just know him as a nice guy that's saved my butt half a dozen times in the last three months. Saint Bey, practically. He's really nice too. Always willing to help people out and all that. I bet he's tidy. He just seems like he would be, doesn't he?" She'd met him, at least once before. It was at a party though, but the Vampire woman nodded, her red eyes still a little wide.

  "I guess he does, come to think of it. Well, I'll get that done, the blood deliveries. I would anyway, for The Bey, if only to curry favor. I shouldn't say that, or you'll expect it for free, but I would." She gave him a wry look that showed a lot of pointy teeth. It wasn't a smile, but was an unguarded moment for her, he realized. That probably meant she was comfortable with
him.

  That was good though, right?

  "So, call when you need me to deliver you for your next date, or vice-versa. You two should go to Paris or something. I can do that too. Maybe other places, if you let me work it out in advance. It's easiest for me, going Node to Node, so try to find places close to one, so we don't have to do this all the time." He waved at his feet, indicating the walking, even though it wasn't that bad yet.

  Rebekah at least didn't try to demure or claim she couldn't afford it.

  "What's the price?"

  "Well, if you help me keep the needy Vampires and my guests in fresh blood on demand, that should work. I'd ask for sex too or something, since you're kind of hot, but Jonas would kick my behind for that, so I better not." He didn't know that the man would, but it seemed about right, didn't it? He was pretty young after all.

  She smiled, letting her teeth show again. It looked fierce, but happy.

  "You think I'm hot? Ooooh. This is my lucky year then, isn't it? First I get Jonas and now get a crack at the Line Walker? OK. I don't think Jonas will mind that much. He knows the score that way. I'm so much older than him that I'm sort of expected to have a stable of lovers anyway. So, whenever you want. Just call."

  It was a lot more blunt than he'd been expecting and was tempting, to say the least.

  MH took over, ripping his control away and grinned.

  "Fuck yes! If it wasn't for the obvious sloppy seconds I'd be doing you right now, over in those bushes." He pointed so she could see what he meant. "Damn, I wish I'd brought some rubbers with me. Well, next time, we're totally doing it. I'll be in touch. Soon."

  That got a giggle from the Vampire, but they both kept walking, and reached her door without Zack saying anything to take that idea back. It wasn't like he felt bad about the idea, or like it was cheating on Lenore, but there was only so much energy he had for the day and he really was going to save it for his girlfriend that way. Temptations aside, it was Valentine's Day and while he might not know anything about being with a girl for that particular holiday himself, he had a feeling that sleeping with other women was kind of bad form, all things considered.