by Sam Cullan
Chapter Twenty
Will was smiling, even if he was sweating and gasping for breath. Alice lay next to him, her broad smile pushing her flushed, plump cheeks even higher. Will stared at her face, and it confirmed what he'd already known - she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. He smiled at the cute little dimples in her cheeks, and at her wide, deep blue eyes. He smiled at her perfect, straight, white teeth. She was always a Goddess in his eyes, but now she appeared to have attained an even higher level of purity and perfection.
“You're amazing. Beautiful. Perfect.”
“You're not so bad, you can be sexy when you want.” Alice giggled.
“Err, thanks. I'll take it as a compliment.”
“You should. Nobody ever made me feel like that.”
Will felt pleased that he'd made her happy, and also very smug. He'd always fancied himself as a good lover, but considered that very few women deserved to benefit from his remarkable skills.
“I'm hungry.”
“I guessed that, from the way you were munching on me.” Alice was getting cheeky.
“Cheeky girl, I might have to spank you again.”
“Let me get my energy back. We should probably go out.” Alice knew there would be nothing edible in Will's cupboards.
“Hmm, suppose so.”
Alice rolled on top and kissed him, her tongue pushing firmly against his. Will could tell she had more than enough energy left to take him to the brink of exhaustion, or heart failure. He grasped her buttocks and marvelled at her perfectly toned, perfectly shaped form. She was firm yet soft, her cheeks reflecting the curvature of his large palms and her body had moulded itself against his, like two halves of a giant sticky peach. They shared their flesh, but more importantly they shared a cognizance. Will hardly dared think it, but he thought Alice might be his soul-mate - that elusive, mythical creature he'd so often ridiculed.
“You're determined to finish me off, aren't you?”
“Nah, I need a rest.”
“Well you don't seem tired.”
“Are you?”
“Yes!”
“So let's go eat.”
Alice reluctantly eased her body off his, and stood by the bed. She allowed him to gaze freely upon her naked body, almost inviting his adoration. She felt strangely at ease, not afraid to exhibit herself, and not just because she and Will were now confirmed lovers.
“You're stunning.”
“I know.” Alice winked, and stroked her groin suggestively.
“Your skin is so … glowy.”
“Huh?”
“You're glowing.”
Alice looked down and ran her hands slowly over her body, enjoying the sensation of her finger tips caressing her tingly pink flesh.
“I feel kinda good.”
“I can confirm that.” Will winked.
“You wanna touch me?”
“Nooooo, I need food and rest. I'll touch you later. Assuming you haven't jumped some random, good-looking bloke in the street.”
“Hmmm, I could, couldn't I?”
“Yes ... I mean no. I mean, I doubt anyone would turn you down.”
Alice appeared to be giving the suggestion some serious consideration, but was interrupted by her cell phone. She'd hardly used it, mainly because the reception in Will's house was, at best, sporadic.
“Hi mom. What's up?”
Alice was listening intently, and making occasional uh-huh and hmm noises, as well as nodding at the plastic object. She put the phone down and started hopping.
“Oh no, are you turning into a rabbit?”
Alice was now jumping, spinning around with her arms stretched out.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes ...”
Will thought she was taking her rabbit transmutation very well, and he quite enjoyed watching her jump.
“I did it, I did it, I did it ...”
“Err, Alice? Hello?”
Alice stopped jumping up and down, and jumped on Will.
“That was mom. She just heard from my agent. I got the part.”
“That's nice.” Will was puzzled because she usually got parts before the parts were even thought of. Producers, directors, writers, and actors were usually falling over themselves to work with Alice.
“This is a BIG part, Will. This could be the AA.”
“AA?”
“Academy Award … the ...”
“Yeah, I know what that is. Congratulations.”
“Can't say too much now, but this is BIG, Will.” Will got the picture.
“So, do you have to get back?”
“Three days.”
Will's heart sank, along with his jaw. He'd just accepted that Alice might be good for him, and he for her, and now she was going to be thousands of miles away with her rich, famous and very attractive crowd of show-business types.
“I'll miss you.”
“Aww, poor little Willy.”
“I will.”
“Will you be able to get back here? In a few weeks? Months?”
“Here?”
“Yes, here. Unless you're dumping me.”
“No, not dumped yet, need more man love. Well, it's a long way ...”
“From L.A., I know.”
“From London.”
“London?”
“London, England. Silly Willy.” She was back to the old Alice, and Will didn't miss the horny rabbit Goddess at all.
“Bitch.”
“Hehe, let's go celebrate!”
“You're paying.”
“You bet. Come on.”
Will was relieved, on a number of counts. As they headed out to celebrate Alice's new and handily-located job, Will stopped and picked up the eight-pointed star.
“You wanna take this for safe-keeping?”
“Nah, stupid thing probably fell out of a cornflakes packet. Come on!”
Locking the door, Will turned and saw Alice with a hand cupping an ear.
“What's up?”
“Listen.”
Will listened. Suddenly he was aware of a horrible scratching noise like thick, pointed claws scrabbling across the tarmac. A shiver pulsed through his body; what ravenous beast was coming for him now? He froze, but Alice was hopping again - out of the path of the marauding monster. She let out a scream and hopped into his arms as the creature shot past, disappearing into the dark hedge beyond his garden.
“Jesus, that was creepy. But kinda cool. Don't see many badgers round here.”
“Will, you seem to exert some sort of magnetic attraction over animals - it's kinda weird, ya know?”
“It's just my animal magnetism. You should know.”
“I'm not an animal.”
“Oh, Alice, I have to disagree.” Will beamed, and Alice punched him.
Will eased the Rover from its space and slowly edged out of the close, looking out for badgers, rabbits, donkeys, monkeys, parrots and zebras. If they were there, they were hiding, so he accelerated up the road, wondering if he smelt like any of the aforementioned creatures.
“Maybe you smell like one.”
“One what?”
“One of those animals that find you so attractive.”
“You read my mind.” Witch.
“Of course I did. And don't call me a witch.”
That was creepy.
“And don't call me creepy.”
“OK, this is getting weird.”
“I think it's kinda fun!”
“Alice, you're scaring me. Something about you is … different.”
“Reading your mind? I could always do that.” She thought how much she liked teasing him but that she would probably put his mind at ease later.
Will desperately tried to think about laundry, dish-washing, clouds … anything other than what he usually thought about. He thought he’d have to kill Alice if this continued.
“You can't kill me.”
“OK. Kill me. This is worse than death.”
Alice smiled, enigmatically. Will
thought this was very, very unfair. He thought about food.
“Italian it is, then.” Alice was enjoying herself.
Will drove to the only Italian restaurant in town, thinking about the things he wanted to say to Alice, but hadn't dared to. He figured he may as well make use of her powers. Alice was digesting his thoughts, and as they walked arm-in-arm to the restaurant she gave an answer.
“I don't think I killed Marvin.”
“If you didn't, the bloody rabbits or the burying-in-a-wet-hole thing did.”
“We'll see.” More enigmaticism followed.
Alice knew Will was worried about her, but she didn't feel at all worried. On the contrary, she felt as if her life was about to get a lot better, as well as Will's, and Marvin's. She followed Will up a flight of stairs, emerging into a modest and dimly-lit room. A waiter greeted them.
“Good evening Sir, good evening Miss.” He showed them to a small, candle-lit table.
Alice tried to read the waiter's mind, but there was nothing.
“Why am I always Miss?”
“People assume you're my daughter, I guess.”
They ordered wine, and Will allowed Alice to select dishes from the menu, which he couldn't understand.
“I only know spaghetti Bolognese, or lasagne.”
Alice smiled and held his hands across the table.
“We have to go back.”
“Where?”
“Gidwell.”
“Are you mad?!”
“Trust me?”
Will felt he had little choice but to not say no bloody way.
“Look, about this mind-reading thing.”
“Don't worry, I was kidding - sort of. I can, sometimes, sense things. It's hard to explain. Tonight, it seemed clearer. Doesn't work on everybody.” She looked at the waiter.
“It's like you're in my head, and that's a dark, muddled, dangerous place for you to be.”
“It's not like that … I feel … at one, with you.”
“Really?”
Alice smiled, less enigmatically. “Really.”
Will seemed happier, and almost knew what she meant. Soul mates.
“Yes, soul mates.”
“You're doing it again.”
“Sorry, I'll turn it off.”
“You can do that?”
“No. Dork.”
Will smiled. At least she still had her sense of humour. “But why do you want to go back?”
“I dunno, I just know I have to.”
“OK, but I'm taking precautions.”
“What?”
“You go in first.”
“Wuss.”
“Yes.”
“Isn't it funny, how things turn out?”
Will wondered why she was still asking him questions, but she didn't reply.
“Well, I never thought I'd be sitting here with you, having been almost killed by a man who you then killed, and after having the best few hours of my life with you. So yes, it's funny – weird funny.”
“You never know what life has in store.”
“Which is why I have my philosophy.”
“Live and let live?”
“Yeah, and with an open mind. What surprises me most is that you were so open to me.”
“I try not to judge books by their covers. I like interesting, intelligent people. Never thought I'd sleep with you, but there ya go. Must be fate.”
“I hope so.”
“Whatever happens …”
Alice had a look that Will recognized, and he interrupted.
“Don't. Don't talk about the future. Just let it happen.”
Alice understood, and zipped her lip. She didn't want to think about the future, except for her Oscar nomination, and inevitable win. Everything else would just fall into place.
The waiter returned, still with an unreadable or empty mind, and they tucked into their pasta. After the third glass of wine Alice's lunchtime session was catching up with her. Will's cheesy quips and clever witticisms had her in stitches and Will was just happy to be the entertainer. She had entertained him enough - on screen, as well as off - and it felt good to be leading the play.
The evening passed quickly, and it was getting late. They were the last ones to leave the restaurant and even some of the staff had sloped off by the time the waiter persuaded them he should go home. Alice linked arms with Will, and he gave her a short tour of the town centre. It was eerily quiet, probably too cold for most. The tree-lined main street was always lit with soft yellow lights, but now there were also garish Christmas-y creations hanging across it.
“Do you like Christmas, Will?”
“Not really. It's all about the commerce now.”
“True, but what about the spirit of Christmas.”
“You forget who you're talking to.”
“Sorry, Mr Devil.”
“Are you religious?”
“Umm, yeah, I guess. I was brought up that way.”
“Me too.”
Alice thought Will's smile was enigmatic, and left him to his thoughts. They completed a circuit of the town centre and arrived back to find a flyer on the Rover.
“Shit, not again. Watch my back.”
Will picked it up and read the words. “Lonely this Christmas? Come and make new friends at the Newington 55+ Club.”
“There ya go, pops - sorted.”
Will punched Alice, before smothering her giggles with his mouth.