Hell Inc.

by C. M. Stunich

  “Is Levie okay?” I blurted without thinking. I sounded desperate; it was disgusting. Thomas ignored me completely and spun on his heel. Fuerella followed quickly, blowing me a kiss as she passed.

  “The sphinx will show you out. Good luck, human.” She chuckled again and disappeared around the corner in a whirl of petticoats. I glanced down at the sphinx. Essentially, I was its prisoner. I stared down at its paws, the size of dinner plates, and could only imagine the sharpened points of its claws tearing into my flesh. I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and suddenly ached to be a part of an organized religion so that I had someone to pray to.

  “Why me?”

  When I arrived back at my apartment, sphinx in tow, I found Terrence waiting at the front door for me, a bouquet of pink tulips clutched in his right hand. I was glad that the vampires had sent me home with just the sphinx. Levie was still wrapped up in business with his cousin, so I didn't have to worry about the two of them officially meeting each other just yet. Though he was probably going to flip when he realized I was at home without him.

  “I thought we weren't meeting until tomorrow?” I asked tentatively, accepting the flowers with a smile. The sphinx ignored the both of us and walked right through the beige, plywood door into my apartment. At least it was still acting polite, even if it was technically holding me hostage. Terrence ran a hand down the front of his suit and adjusted his tie in nervousness. The black jacket looked great against his light skin, and it looked expensive as hell. I knew little to nothing about designers, but I was betting this was a name brand something or other.

  “I just wanted to leave these at your doorstep as an apology. I didn't expect to see you here.” I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door. I motioned him in with a flourish of my hand. I felt exposed and vulnerable in the hallway though if another set of supernatural baddies decided to kidnap me, I'm sure they could smash right through the cheap walls of my apartment without putting in much effort.

  “Well thank you, Terrence. That was sweet.” He followed me inside before casting one last glance over his shoulder.

  “I'd offer you something to eat or drink,” I said, tucking my hands behind my back and trying to pretend that my pulse wasn't starting to race. Terrence made my body go crazy. I wasn't used to it. Even Levie didn't set off my hormones in quite the same way. I didn't understand it so I did what I always seemed to do when confronted with something I didn't understand, I avoided thinking about it. “But I think all I've got in there is some Rice-a-Roni and a Powerade.” Terrence smoothed down his tie and tried to ignore the sphinx who was sniffing around his feet as if it had just discovered something important.

  “Perhaps I could run to the store and pick up a bottle of wine?” I tapped the bouquet against my left palm and thought about it. If Levie came back to find Terrence and me lounging in my living room with glasses of red wine, he'd probably have a panic attack. Then again, the thought of a mini date with Terrence sounded like a good way to unwind. I laid the flowers down on the coffee table.

  “That sounds nice. I haven't exactly had the most relaxing of days.” Terrence smiled knowingly and held out an arm. I took it gratefully and ignored a growl from the sphinx.

  We walked down the stairs, arm in arm before I realized I didn't have a vehicle. The vampires had kept mine as 'collateral.' They could keep it if it made them feel any better. It's not like it was worth anything anyway. “Uh, we'll have to take your car. Mine's ... mine's in the shop.” Terrence nodded as if I'd already told him.

  “Of course. Not a problem.” When I saw the vehicle we were headed towards, I realized it definitely wasn't a problem, at least for me. He was driving a black Mercedes. I didn't recognize the make: the term CL-600 didn't mean much to me, but it was beautiful. I felt suddenly awkward in my old, faded blue T-shirt and jeans.

  “Gee, I didn't know they paid so well at the museum. Maybe I should get a job there.” I was babbling nervously, but Terrence didn't seem to mind. He opened the door for me silently before making his way around to the driver's side. The sphinx sat on the sidewalk outside of my window. His eyes were blank, but his lower jaw was tense with stress. I didn't know if he planned on riding in the vehicle or staying where he was, but I was going whether he wanted me to or not.

  The interior was absolutely decadent, all glove soft leather and hand polished Poplar wood. It was intimidating to say the least. Terrence climbed in and shut the door carefully, adjusting the seat before he started the car. I looked at him quizzically.

  “This is just a company car, Ginger. I'm using it while I'm in town.” Now I was really confused.

  “But I thought you worked at the museum?” Terrence pulled the car into traffic before answering me. The sphinx began to run alongside of us and didn't seem as if it was going to have any trouble keeping up.

  “I haven't been entirely honest with you.” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “I don't work for the museum. My company was merely sponsoring the exhibit. We have a vested interest in that sort of thing.” I raised my eyebrows at him and tried to relax against the expensive seats.

  “So, am I still in deep shit over the pot?” God, I was so self absorbed, but it had popped out of my mouth before I'd thought of anything else to say to break the silence. He laughed which did the favor of wiping the guilt away from his face.

  “No, Ginger,” he said, wiping a small tear away from his eye. “I took care of it.” He glanced over at me, and I marveled at the bright blue-green of his eyes. They were so beautiful; they almost seemed inhuman. “I feel better now that that's out of the way. Now, can you tell me something?” I nodded. “How long have you been able to see things that are not of this world?” I bit my lip and tried to stall for time. I hadn't ever told this story before. No one had really ever asked, and I'd been smart enough to stop asking questions about my visions at a very young age.

  “I've always seen things, Terrence. I thought for awhile that I was crazy, but the stuff that happened to me always seemed so real.” I folded my hands in my lap and focused my attention on them. “I've always felt so alone because of it. Nobody understands and nobody sees the world the way that I do. It makes it sort of hard to connect with people.” Terrence kept his face very calm and understanding while I talked, but I could sense some excitement from him.

  “So is that why you decided to sell your soul?” Right. He was curious about the whole wishing thing. I mean, who wouldn't be? For a second though, I had actually thought he was interested in me.

  “Yeah, it is. I just couldn't take it anymore. I just wanted something different.” I'd gotten that wish all right. Along with a heap of trouble. No fortune for Ginger. No eternal youth. None of the things that most people wished for, I would get. All I got were problems. You made those mistakes yourself, I chastised. I knew that, of course, but it didn't make it hurt any less. I sold my soul for problems. Big ones.

  “Have you used your last wish yet, Ginger?” he asked me, breaking my own self pitying rant. I waited until he'd pulled into the grocery store parking lot before answering.

  “No, I haven't.” I took off my seat belt and turned towards him. “Why do you ask?” He smiled at me with his full, ripe lips and set my body on fire again.

  “Just curious is all.”

  I felt like his voice had a menacing ring to it, but I wrote it off as paranoia when he reached over and put a hand on my arm. My reaction to him was too strong for me to ignore because of one strange comment. I've never been a very good judge of character.

  The sphinx had managed to make it the market at about the same time we did and proceeded to follow us around the store, glaring. I noticed that its amethyst eyes were locked onto Terrence in particular. It didn't seem to bother him, but the constant rumbling and growling behind us was driving me nuts.

  “Terrence,” I said, stopping in the middle of an aisle, hands planted on my hips as I turned to face the sphinx. “Why don't you head over to the checkout. I'll be there in a minute. I just want
to talk with my friend about something.” Terrence acquiesced, and I waited until he was out of earshot.

  “What is your problem?” I snapped at it, standing on my tiptoes to glance around the aisles and make sure that nobody saw me talking to myself. “I'm sorry if you don't like me going out, but that really isn't any of your business.” The sphinx stared back at me, face blank, and then licked its shoulder with an intense vigor.

  I threw up my hands in surrender and turned away, meaning to catch up with Terrence, when I saw what aisle we were in.

  Condoms.

  I trailed over to them nonchalantly and stared. It wasn't like I'd never seen a condom before. I had taken sex ed in high school but damn. There were just as many condom choices as there were tampons. I examined the boxes.

  “Large, extra large, and super grande? What the hell is this Starbucks? Where are the small ones?” A woman had just come down the aisle and was in the process of choosing baby diapers. She paused and stared at me strangely before tossing the diapers into her basket and hurrying away like I was a crazy person, her cart plowing right through the bathing sphinx.

  I turned back to shelves and tried to locate a brand with a more realistic sizing structure. It wasn't like Levie needed small ones, but still ... men could be so stupid. And there I went, thinking about Levie again. “But who says they're for him?” I stated, grabbing a black box with shadowy naked people on it. Levie or Terrence, I figured it was bound to happen soon enough anyway and wondered if I should buy them. I'd have to hide them from both boys though; I didn't want them getting the idea that I was buying the box for either of them.

  I grabbed a box of tampons, too, just in case Terrence should ask what I was purchasing. He waited for me while I went through the checkout, and I couldn't help but blush as the clerk rang up the items. He raised one overly pierced eyebrow, and I pretended to sneeze into my arm so I could avoid his gaze. I grabbed the tiny paper sack and followed the sphinx's golden furred butt over to the exit.

  The drive back to my place was filled with the usual sort of first date chatter. Where we were from, what our families were like, and a whole lot of other nonsensical dribble that meant next to nothing. I found comfort in the lighthearted conversation though. It was nice to just take a breather and relax for a moment.

  Levie was still missing when we got back to the apartment, and I wondered what sort of business he and his cousin had that would take so long. At the very least, I was glad to get some alone time with Terrence. I was becoming attached to Levie in a way that I found disturbing. After my wishes were gone, so he would be as well. Terrence and I, on the other hand, shared residence in the same dimension. That made us just a bit more compatible in my book.

  I grabbed the flowers he'd given me earlier off of the coffee table, and we made our way into the kitchen. I was fumbling around in the cabinets for a vase as Terrence used the corkscrew that I'd given him to open the wine.

  “If you could guide me to your glassware, I could pour us a drink.”

  “Of course.” I opened another cabinet and handed him two, long stemmed glasses. I went back to searching for a vase while he poured the wine. When I couldn't find one, I gave up and set the flowers up with some water in the sink.

  He held up a glass to me, and we clinked them together lightly. “To our research,” he said, and I gave him a look that said I had no idea what he was talking about. “To helping you reverse your wish. You still want to do that, don't you?” I blushed, embarrassed at having forgotten the obvious. Terrence had that effect on me. The Queen Bee was just as cool out of the hive as in.

  “Oh yeah. Of course I do.” I took a second sip and set the glass back onto the counter while I mulled around the taste in my mouth. I'd let him select the wine since I wasn't exactly an expert on the stuff. It was certainly different from anything I'd ever tasted before. Lighter, fruitier and with an underlying hint of rose that I found unusual.

  I glanced up at Terrence to ask him about it, but the look in his eyes froze me where I stood. He was gazing at me with undisguised passion in his face. The abrupt change in character worried me.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, taking a step back as he gave a wicked smile.

  “Not anymore. I can't resist you, Ginger. Everything about you turns me on. I've wanted you since I first saw you at the museum.” I took a step back and looked around the counter for something that I could use as a weapon. Was Terrence really some kind of perverted stalker or what?

  He reached for me, and I moved my arms as if to push him away and then stopped. His usual charm was making my insides go crazy despite his bizarre behavior. I felt a rush of heat through me, and when I looked into his glittering eyes, my thoughts were scrambled at best. Why would I want to push him away? He wanted me, and I wanted him. Where was the harm in that?

  Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew my thoughts were being affected by the drink, but I couldn't control myself. A moment later and my body was fully committed to the circus and began to pulse and throb even worse than when Levie had touched me.

  Terrence wrapped his arms around me and ground my hips into the counter with the pressure of his. We kissed each other fiercely, and I felt his hands sliding up my belly while I moaned into his mouth and reached for the button on his pants.

  “Bedroom?” he whispered. I nodded back and grabbed his hand, dragging him right past the bag of condoms that I'd tossed onto the counter and into my bedroom. My mind hazily tried to remind me that I barely knew the guy, that something was wrong. This wasn't like me at all, but the voice of reason in my hand was being completely and utterly annihilated by the feeling of Terrence lying on top of me. My knees were bent and my legs spread. We were still kissing passionately and only broke apart briefly while Terrence pushed my jeans down and pulled my panties off and flung them away. You're acting like some sort of animal in heat! I thought, but my rational mind no longer had any influence on me as I unbuttoned Terrence's pants as fast as my hands would allow. I pulled them down to his knees as he knelt between my legs. I went for his boxers next and then giggled sensually as I wrapped my hands around him. He was very hard and very ready. Terrence ripped my shirt off of me and threw it across the room.

  It was then and only then that I was able to pause. Terrence, on the other hand, had resumed kissing me passionately and angled himself to enter me. I tapped on his shoulder.

  “It's getting really hot in here,” I said trying to think through the haze I was in and wondering if I'd turned on the heater.

  “Yes Ginger, yes it is,” Terrence mumbled, not sounding at all like himself. That was when I saw them; flames were dancing along the side of the bed.

  “My bed's on fire!” I screeched, the effects of whatever it was that had taken over me retreating slightly. Terrence didn't seem to notice.

  “Of course it is; I knew it would be that way between us.” I shoved him off of me and onto the floor and then followed suit.

  That's when I noticed Levie standing in the doorway.

  My shirt was draped partially over one wing, and his fists were clenched with rage. He was shaking, and his jaw was tightly clenched. My body was still pulsing with need, but my mind had cleared enough to let me realize how horrible the situation was. Terrence stood up slowly and rubbed his head. I grabbed his pants and pulled them back up, covering his erection and hoping that I wasn't hurting him.

  “What's the matter, Ginger. Why are you stopping?” Terrence groaned, reaching for me.

  “You,” Levie thundered. “You leave now!” Terrence turned around and stared at him. I couldn't see his facial expression, but he looked considerably less disturbed than one might think.

  “If you want to join in,” Terrence said. “That's okay. I don't mind other guys.” Wow. Whatever it was that had affected me seemed to have taken over Terrence as well. At least, that's what I thought. Levie stormed forward and picked Terrence up by his shirt.

  “Get ... out ... now ... ” he snarled, and when Terrence didn'
t immediately respond, he dragged him through the apartment and opened the front door.

  “Please, don't hurt him, Levie,” I cried, grabbing my pants and trying to put them on while rushing after them. Levie shoved Terrence into the hallway, tossing his coat after him, and slamming the door, locking the dead bolt behind him.

  Levie whirled around, and I was frightened by the full extent of his ire. I hoped he'd extinguished the fire on my bed, but there was no way for me to go in and check with his eyes locked onto me like that. I backed away from him into the kitchen, but there really was nowhere for me to go. My mind was still a sex oriented blur, and although I could think, I was having a hard time trying to explain myself. It never even occurred to me that I had done nothing wrong.

  I leaned back against the counter and bumped the paper bag. It fell onto the floor, spilling tampons and condoms at Levie's feet. He picked up the black box and stared at it for a long moment.

  “You bought these for him?” he asked quietly, and I cringed. This was looking worse and worse. I shook my head vigorously.

  “N-no. You don't understand. I ... ” My brain pushed for me to explain. “I didn't.” Wow. Nice one, Ginger. He's totally going to calm down now. Levie stalked forward and threw the condoms onto the counter. I cowered away from him, wondering when I was going to burst into flames. He stopped about a foot in front of me and spit at the floor. The mat in front of the sink caught flame immediately.

  “Don't cringe away from me, stupid girl. I'm not going to hurt you.” I knew the moment he spotted the wine as his face took on a more alarmed expression. He picked up a glass and held it front of his face. His nose wrinkled, and he glanced up at me abruptly. “Did you drink this?” he asked. I nodded.

  “Terrence, too. I think he drank more.” Levie closed his eyes for a moment, and the flames on the rug went out. He turned away from me and poured the contents onto the floor. I was slowly regaining brain function, and I suddenly felt very defensive. “It's just some fucking wine. What's the big deal?” I asked, shaking my head as I tried to clear it. “What the fuck is going on?” Levie threw the glass at the wall, and it shattered. Little bits of glass exploded across the floor between us.