“That’s fine,” she answered, returning his kiss. “Go ahead. I’ll be there in a while.”
As Ricky entered the mansion, Illea asked, “Hey, either of you to wanna join us?”
“Probably not,” Ben told her. “I’m just going to sit here a little longer and then I’m going to find Geoffrey and see what he wants to do tonight. I think he might be mad at me for not spending enough time with him lately. I have a feeling that all entertainment is going to be his choice for quite a long time to come.”
“Yeah, he’s gonna make you pay through the nose for ignoring him,” she said. “Ben, do you have any idea about what’s crawled up his ass lately? He’s been in such a weird mood these days.”
“He tells me he feels like I’ve been neglecting him,” Ben answered.
“Yeah, right. Poor Ben, I feel for you. You are so whipped.” Illea then turned to me and said, “You have to understand, Ashley, that Geoffrey is Ben’s full-time job.”
“What can I say?” Ben shrugged.
“I know, you love the guy. Personally, I think you’d be bored stiff without the drama he injects into your life. Okay, so you’re out for bowling tonight. Ashley, how about you?”
“Thanks, Illea, any other day I’d love to, but I think I’ll just turn in early tonight. I’m starting to feel tired.”
“Day after the purge,” she remarked. “I gottcha. Well, see y’all later. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight,” I said.
“‘Night,” Ben said.
“By the way, Ben,” Illea turned and said as she walked into the house, “I hope that Geoffrey forgives you soon.”
“I’m sure he will,” he yelled after her, “after I’ve done enough penance. He always does.”
As soon as she left, I got up from the swing, and putting my glass into the cup holder in the swing’s armrest, I told Ben that I was going to turn in for the night.
“I’ll see you first thing in the morning,” he told me. “After we do what we need to do, I probably won’t be seeing you very much except when Arrosha needs me. It’s time for me to tend to Geoffrey now. Besides, I’m sure you’ll like a few days off just to relax and take it easy. And if you have any more questions after tomorrow morning, just grab whoever’s handy and ask.”
“That’s fine, Ben,” I said. “I think I’ll just make it a low-key day tomorrow. Maybe if I spend some quiet time by the lake, something of my past might even come back to me.”
“That would be very nice. Whatever the case, though, I hope that your reflections will lead you toward a decision to join us. We sure would like that a lot.”
“Thank you, Ben. And thanks again for the tour. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Ashley.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
It was alone that I walked through the French doors back into the mansion, dutifully pausing before entering the house proper to exchange my outside shoes for the requisite indoor slippers. Even that small chore took effort, though, since for some curious reason, I’d become suddenly exhausted after leaving Ben’s side. Too bushed to take the stairs, I stopped at the elevator. Water. That’s what I needed, more water. Those last couple of glasses didn’t seem to pack enough punch to do the job. Not knowing where any nearby water fountains were, however, and too tired to walk back to the porch, I realized I’d just have to wait until I got up to my room to pour myself another glass. Bummer.
Before I had a chance to press the button for the elevator, I heard the low hum of its motor as the cage descended. When it reached the ground floor where I stood waiting, the door opened and out stepped the Three Sisters. Silently, I groaned, for even though I was now aware of their situation, I was just too drained to be in the mood for their particular brand of weirdness.
“Hello, Ashley,” they cooed in unison.
“Um, hi,” I said, making minimal eye contact, trying hard not to encourage conversation.
“We’re going for another swim,” the first said. “Would you like to join us?”
“A night time swim. It’ll be ever so wonderful,” chimed the second.
“Yes, so very wonderful. Please do join us,” the third agreed.
“Thanks,” I excused myself, stepping into the elevator as I spoke. “That sounds really nice, but I’m just about to turn in,”
“I hope you stay here with us,” the first continued, not taking the hint.
“Please stay with us,” said the second.
“If you stay, you can play with us. Often,” said the third, as if that were something I would ever find appealing.
“It’s very lovely here,” the first began again before I had a chance to beg off. “You know, we were terribly unhappy until we came here.”
“We were separated from each other, so very often, “ added the second.
“But here we can be together. All the time,” remarked the third. “We never have to be apart again.”
“I’m happy for you,” I responded, trying to be nice.
“You look so very pretty now,” the first continued. “More than pretty, really. You look… delectable.”
“Delectable, oh, yes,” declared the second. “Tasty, even, I might add.”
“Indeed, indeed. So tasty that we could just eat you up!” chirped the third.
“Quite, quite,” they giggled simultaneously.
Despite Ben’s explanations concerning the Sisters, I was still taken aback by their odd comments that passed for compliments.
“Okay. Well, listen, gals,” I replied, with as little enthusiasm as possible, hoping to put a quick end to the conversation. “I’m really worn out from last night’s purge and it’s been a big day for me, so I’m just going to make it an early night. Bye for now.”
“Good night then, our sweet Ashley. Sweet and pleasant dreams,” they said in sing-song unison as they strolled off, holding hands.
I watched them walk away in lock step as I closed the elevator door and pressed the “up” button. Even though Ben had said I would get used to them eventually, I highly doubted it. The manner in which they always spoke either in turn or in unison seemed eerie to me; and no matter how open-minded I tried to be, I still could not shake the feeling that there was something definitely unhealthy about the three of them.
***
Once upon the second floor, I headed for the bedroom. The door was open and Illea, dressed in a fifties’ style bowling outfit, was standing in front of the full-length mirror, pulling her hair up into a pony tail. For the first time, I noticed the music box to her right, the one used for her transformation ceremony. It caught my eye because it was out of sync with the rest of the furnishings, having a distinct old five-and-dime store quality. Covered by a cheap laminate that had peeled away in places, it was old and worn and obviously often handled. Nevertheless it still seemed much loved, such as a child’s beloved doll or stuffed animal.
“Hi,” she said upon seeing me. “I’m almost finished here. I’ll be out of your way in a jiffy.”
“Take your time,” I replied, feeling my energy level rise again as it had when I was with Ben. “Don’t hurry on my account. Illea, do you mind if I ask you a question?”
“Of course not. Go ahead.”
“I ran into those three women again at the elevator and can you tell me, are they always that strange?”
“The Sisters? Oh, yeah. All the time.”
“Do they always have to talk in sync like that? It’s so weird.”
“I know, it’s creepy at first, isn’t it? They definitely take some getting used to.”
“That’s what Ben said.”
“I know. It was my mantra for two months after their arrival. I’m just starting to get used to them now.”
“And they’re always together?”
“Definitely. They’re pretty much joined at the hip. Arrosha says she’s going to individualize them one day when they’re ready, and I hope this doesn’t sound cold, but personally, I can’t wait. Oh, well,” she said, putting down her hai
rbrush, “at least I don’t have to share a room with them. I wouldn’t mind, except that they’re always on the prowl, if you catch my drift.”
“Oh, so I wasn’t just being paranoid about their intentions, then,” I replied.
“Are you kidding? No way. As a matter of fact, the only other thing they’re ever interested in is hearing stories all the time. Now, some of the others, especially Robert, Ben and Geoffrey, are great storytellers, but me, I’m not much of one. Besides, it’s just too much work for me to have to entertain a group of adult women on a constant basis.
“I hope you don’t think I’m being bitchy, because I tried very hard to make friends with the Sisters when they got here, but I finally had to give up. They’re just not interested. It was kind of sad, too, because after all of these years with just the guys, I was badly in need of some female company. Honestly, Ashley, you have no idea how relieved I was when you showed up. It’s so incredibly nice to have another woman around here that’s actually right in the head. You seem so normal, do you mind that I’ve already designated you as best friend?”
“Not at all,” I said, happy with the notion. “I’m completely flattered.”
“Great. Now we can dish. So tell me, while we’re on the subject of the Three Sisters, have they asked you to ‘play’ with them yet?”
“I got an open invite at the elevator.”
“Boy, that didn’t take long. Listen, don’t feel singled out. They invite everybody to ‘play’ with them. They’re really not that picky.”
“Well, doesn’t that make me feel special,” I laughed. “Seriously, though, how should I handle it? They kind of frighten me a little.”
“I know they can be off-putting, especially at first, but don’t let them scare you. They’re harmless for the most part. First, remember that they don’t have any real interest you, so if talking to them gets to be too much, just tell them that Geoffrey’s looking for them. It’s fast and it’s foolproof. They’ll leave you so fast, it’ll make your head swim and they’ll spend up to an hour looking for him.”
“Isn’t that a little mean?” I asked.
“Not at all; it’s definitely worth their while. Once they find him, unless he’s with Ben, which is less and less these days, he’s always up for a good ‘play’. ‘Play’, by the way, is the expression Geoffrey invented for, well, you know. The Sisters actually picked up that word from him.”
“Somehow, from what Ben’s told me, that really doesn’t surprise me.”
“Yep, that’s our Geoffrey,” she smiled. “Horny as a little monkey in heat, just like those three,” she said, tilting her head toward the direction of the bedroom next door. “Always realize that even though those girls go around asking for company constantly, they don’t really care if they find it. If they don’t have anybody else to join in, they’ll just go ahead and ‘play’ amongst themselves. I would have thought that they’d be pretty much ‘played’ out by now, but I’m starting to think that’s an absolute impossibility. And I’ve never seen anything act as a deterrent, either. I mean, they’re always at it. We even have to chaperone them in public when we go into the city. Yep, when it comes to ‘playing’, they’re true soul mates with Geoffrey in that arena.”
“And Ben doesn’t mind?” I asked.
“Ben’s exceptionally good at turning a blind eye to where Geoff’s concerned. Besides, the Sisters are almost a moot point because nobody, but nobody’s ever going to get between those three women.”
“Ben and Geoff’s relationship seems to odd to me. I mean, I still don’t get it.”
“It definitely is odd, especially these days. But there’s really not much to get. Okay, here’s the dynamic with those two: Geoffrey does exactly what he wants, when he wants, and Ben puts up with it.
“It’s a shame, too, because Ben’s a real sweetheart and the most loyal friend you’ll ever hope to find. And he’s a total dream man for those of the gay persuasion. Not that he’d ever recognize it, because he’s too busy being monogamous. He’s faithful to Geoffrey to a fault, not that Geoffrey actually deserves it.”
“He did mention that Geoffrey wasn’t exactly the faithful sort,” I said, trying to be diplomatic.
“No shit. He’s what Ben calls ‘complicated’, although I’d find another word for it, like ‘dead’, if he were my boyfriend. Geoff might be emotionally gay, but in every other way, he’s what you might call ‘multi-sexual’. And that’s putting it nicely. Now, he’s always minded his manners around me, but Geoffrey’s the sort that will basically screw anything that isn’t nailed down. No, I take that back. He’ll screw it especially if it is nailed down. He’s so bad, in fact, I’ve often joked that I would pity any poor extraterrestrial that might have the rotten luck to land upon our lawn. Since it looks like you’ll probably be staying here for good, you should be aware of that.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem. I know I don’t have to worry about Geoffrey hitting on me. He doesn’t seem to like me much.”
“I wasn’t going to bring it up, Ashley, but I noticed that. It is so weird, he’s never reacted to a newcomer that way before. I don’t know why, but he’s had an attitude toward you since you came here, even when you were in that coma or whatever it was you were in. But last night, well, I just wanted to slap him, he pissed me off so bad. He’s been pretty caustic to Max, our bartender, a lot lately, too, but Max never had a very good attitude to start with. But you, I don’t know what he’s got against you.”
“Ben says he’s jealous because he’s been spending so much time with me.”
“Yeah, I know that’s the official story and I wouldn’t tell Ben this, but I don’t buy it for a minute.”
“You think it might be something else?”
“You bet I do. I think it’s got more to do with that bug that Geoffrey’s had up his butt lately than with jealousy. Ashley, he wasn’t always like he is now. I mean, even taking into account Geoffrey’s infamous ‘restlessness’, as Ben likes to call it, the two of them were quite the fabulous pair until Geoffrey started changing. Lately, he’s been treating Ben like shit and he never used to do that before. I mean poor Ben; I just love him to pieces and I feel so bad for him these days. It’s really hard to see him suffer just because Geoffrey seems to have forgotten what side his bread’s buttered on anymore.
“Now don’t get me wrong. I love Geoffrey and absolutely adored him until just recently. He’s meant the world to me ever since I got here. I guess you could say that whereas Ben’s always been the big brother I never had, Geoff was always like this outrageous, irreverent, over-indulgent uncle to me. He spoiled me rotten and he had this way of making everything seem exciting. He used to be so naughty but so nice at the same time. He’d entertain us all for hours because he was so charming and witty. Sure, Geoff’s always been a little irreverent and a bit of a black sheep, but he was always so much fun. But then, several weeks ago, he started being less and less fun. It was really subtle at first, but he gradually stopped acting like the Geoffrey that I knew and loved. I mean, it was weird, almost like he was being taken over by pod-people or something.”
“And Arrosha didn’t notice?” That was something I still could not fathom.
“No, he’s had her fooled completely and Ben wouldn’t let me or anybody else here tell her. Ben’s incredibly protective of Geoffrey, so he wouldn’t let us breathe a word to her. To be honest, Arrosha’s the only one that he really minds his manners around these days, and he’s an absolute angel with her.”
She shook her head, obviously frustrated. “Geoffrey’s such a turkey. I hope he snaps out of this funk pretty soon. I don’t like new Geoffrey. I miss old Geoffrey and I want him back. I really wish I knew what was going on in that warped, pointy little head of his.
“Oh, well,” She let out a deep sigh and shrugged her shoulders. “I guess that’s all the dirt around here that’s fit to print. And just listen to me, rambling on and on. Sorry, it’s just that I’ve never really had a woman
friend before to talk to and I guess I got a little carried away.”
“Hey, don’t apologize. I love intrigue,” I told her.
“Well, anyway, enough about us for now. Let’s talk about you. I’ve been dying to ask you all day how your essence trip last night went.”
“I thought it was incredible,” I told her, “but I don’t remember too much of it anymore, except that it was pretty trippy.”
“So you enjoyed the ride?”
“Definitely. It was a real blast.”
“I’m so glad to hear that. I was worried about you.”
“Why?”
“Your essence trip ended in a very unique way. It’s never happened before and it got us all scared. Do you remember what it was that frightened you so much at the end?”
“No. I don’t even remember being frightened. What would make you think I was?”
“Well, just before you passed out, you screamed. It wasn’t just a little scream either. Bloodcurdling is more the word I’d use. It scared the crap out of us.”
“No, I don’t remember that at all,” I responded, puzzled. Wow, you’d think I would, if it was that bad, but I’m drawing a complete blank.”
“That’s probably for the best. Forget I asked and don’t even think about it anymore. You probably don’t want to remember, anyway.”
But once brought up, I could not stop thinking about it. I continued in silence trying to dredge up what might have frightened me enough last night to make me scream, but nothing came forward. Too soon, though, my thoughts were once again cut short by the activity of the household.
Ricky stuck his head into the open doorway and said, “Hey, babe. I waited and waited, but you didn’t come down. Still up for bowling tonight?”
“Oh, hon, I’m sorry. Ashley and I got to talking and I lost all track of the time. Of course I still want to go. Ashley, now are you sure you don’t want to join us?”
“I’m sure. I know it’s still early, but I’m ready for bed. It’s been an eventful couple of days.”
“Another time, then,” she said, wrapping a chiffon scarf around the band holding up her pony tail. “Just go on to bed and don’t worry, I’ll be really quiet coming in. You want me to close the door on my way out?”
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