I looked at the page. "You write your own notes."
"The first time you start writing in a book can be traumatic. We're taught to revere books, and writing in them is almost sacrilege. But here, look. The recipe calls for a certain amount of celery."
"You wrote how many stalks."
"Right. Otherwise you have to measure. Celery is almost always the same size, so this recipe calls for four stalks. If the stalks are small, I might use five."
"Got it."
"Last," she said. "It's more fun to cook with someone else. Or for someone else."
I smiled. "Are you inviting yourself over?"
She laughed. "Yes. Or Karen. She'd love being invited." She paused. "I'm busy tonight. Andrea and I are attending an event. But you could invite Karen."
"It's my night to talk to Beth after dinner. Would Karen be offended if I kick her out after dinner?"
"No, just let her know your plans."
"Thank you, Petra. I'll get these back to you tomorrow."
"Keep them for a week or two. You can pick up copies of the latest issue in the grocery store. If you like them, subscribe."
"I will."
* * *
My phone rang.
"That's my queue," Karen said. "Dinner was lovely! You can invite me any time." She kissed my cheek on the way to the door.
I grabbed the phone. "Hi Beth!"
"Someone sounds happy," she said.
"I am," I told her. "But I'm so horny I'm ready to hump this phone. If I hang up will you call me back so it vibrates?"
We talked until late.
* * *
Dream Petra was sitting on the floor, cross-legged, a few feet away. I rolled over and looked at her. "Why are you way over there instead of over here kissing me?"
In response, she slid backwards away from me a few inches.
I lied back, staring upward, wondering if there was a ceiling somewhere above us. Everything was dark except the space immediately around us. The floor was stone, but somehow I wasn't uncomfortable lying on it. I stretched and was surprised to find my entire body working.
She clapped.
"Catch you?"
She nodded.
"If I catch you, I get to kiss you?"
She nodded.
I rolled over and got on my hands and knees. I didn't feel like standing was a good idea. I started crawling to her. She clapped quickly then slid further away. I crawled more quickly and she jumped to her feet and skipped away.
I sat back and looked up at her. "Seriously?"
She nodded.
I began climbing to my feet. I swayed, and she was immediately at my side, steadying me. I stood up, clasping onto her. She took a couple steps backwards, but held onto my hands. I took a cautious step towards her, then a second, then pulled her into a kiss. She kissed me deeply, then pulled away, holding onto my hands. The next kiss cost me four steps before she let me kiss her. The next one cost four less cautious steps. Then she dropped my hands and walked backwards away from me. She stood ten feet away and waited for me. I followed after her and she kissed me, her hands clasping my bottom.
Then she whispered, "Catch me," again and danced away.
This time whenever I got close, she danced away. I began moving more quickly, but still she danced away. She would wait until I was almost to her, then dash around me, giggling, humming, and singing her strange words.
Finally I caught her. She melted into my arms and kissed me, then pulled me to the floor.
I woke up.
* * *
I tossed a bathrobe on and wrote a quick note for Karen. "Going for a hike, leaving at eight if I haven't heard from you. Felicia." I made sure the door would not automatically lock, stepped down to Karen's door, knocked loudly enough she'd hear if she was awake but not so loudly that I'd wake her, and slipped the note under her door.
After a shower, I dressed for a hike in the woods and pulled out my maps. I knew exactly where I wanted to go. It was a little further away than last week, but there was a hike I'd wanted to do for a long time. I had not felt like I was in shape to do it in the past. I made sure I had the maps I wanted and prepared my backpack.
At seven-forty-five, there was a knock at my door. I popped down and Karen was there in a bathrobe, holding my note. She still looked three fourths asleep.
"I won't be ready by eight," she said.
"I'll wait. I have water and lunch for us."
"I'll hurry."
It took her about forty minutes to get ready. I let her back in the apartment and she was looking much perkier. "Where are we going?"
"Are you up for a serious hike?" I told her where I wanted to go.
"Yes!" she said.
We had a great day together and arrived back at the apartment at four.
* * *
Andrea arrived carrying flowers. "Those are beautiful," I said. "Thank you." I invited her in. She hung up her coat and helped me arrange the flowers. Petra and Karen both arrived shortly after.
"I'm empty handed this week," Karen said. "I was going to get flowers but someone lured me away instead." I laughed.
Petra had a bottle of an Italian red wine. She opened it.
Skype began to ring shortly after everyone arrived. We carried Erika into the kitchen.
"Ha!" she said. "I have wine this week."
When dinner was nearly ready, I said, "Dinner this week is informal. We need to have all that lovely red sauce while we're watching the movie."
"What movie?" Karen asked.
"Dracula!" said Erika, ominously. "Gary Oldman and Winona Ryder version. And if anyone even thinks about getting serious, we're going to heckle you instead of the movie."
"Who are you tonight, Erika?" I asked her.
She produced a stake and hammer. "Van Hesling," she said. "Vampire Hunter. Who do you want to be..." Erika began playing a game of eenie-meenie-minie-moh. "Andrea?"
She smiled. "Renfield."
"Ooh," Erika said. "Excellent choice. He's fun to play. Now you pick someone."
"Petra?"
"Winona Ryder's character?" she said hesitantly.
"Ah, the female lead," said Erika. "Mina Hawker."
Petra looked at me, but I looked pointedly at Karen. "Karen," she said. "Who do you want to be?"
"I don't want to be the vampire," she said. "Is there another vampire hunter?"
"Keanu Reeves was Jonathan Hawker. He's sort of a pansy at the beginning but kicks butt later," Erika said. "Although he gets really lucky. And later marries Winona Ryder AKA Your Boss."
"Ooh, I get to marry Petra. I can handle that," she said, laughing.
I smiled wickedly. "That makes me the count." I looked pointedly at Karen. "I was hoping you'd want to be one of the female characters."
"Why?"
"Because the only other female characters are either more vampires or Lucy Westenra," Erika said, laughing, "who Dracula bites early in the movie."
We carried the food out to the living room and got everything ready. Erika and I hit play at the same time, and we all settled in to watch.
Parts of the movie we heckled. And parts of the movie we acted out. I pulled out a cheap set of plastic fangs from my pocket and slipped them in my mouth when no one was looking. Erika was expecting it, but my three guests were surprised and laughed. Later I got off the sofa and began stalking towards Mina, played by Petra.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I can't see," Erika said. "But I bet she's stalking you. Mina, she WILL bite you if she catches you."
"You wouldn't," she said to me.
"Oh yes, she would," Erika said. "I'd run!"
Giggling, Petra leapt from her chair, and I gave chase. She ran around the apartment, giggling and neatly avoiding me until I got her cornered. Andrea and Karen were giggling as well.
"Oh no, Mina!" Andrea said. "You're in trouble now. Don't leave too nasty a mark, Vlad!"
Petra tried to dash past me, but I caught her. She offered only t
oken resistance, and allowed me to push her against the wall. She got quiet as I pressed my body against hers, pinning her to the wall. I stood on tip toes to reach her neck with my mouth, then popped the plastic fangs out into my hand and gave her neck a quick kiss.
"Aww," said Karen as Petra and I returned to our seats, giggling. "I thought you'd really bite her."
I laughed. "I thought about it, but I decided that might be carrying things a tiny bit too far."
We watched the rest of the movie, all equally irreverent, although there wasn't any more chasing around the apartment. The movie ended and Erika said, "I'll email you tomorrow, Felicia. I'm thinking tear jerker."
"Anything but Ol' Yeller," I said.
She laughed and signed off.
Karen got out of her chair and began checking out my movie collection. "If you don't like Ol' Yeller, why do you have it?" she asked, waving it at me.
"I do like it," I said. "But I'm not sure I'm ready to sob in front of the three of you yet."
"Oh," said Andrea. "I'd be right next to you, sobbing away."
"Not me," said Petra. "I don't sob. I might shed a dainty ladylike tear, but never sob."
We carried everything into the kitchen. Petra went to the sink and started rinsing everything. "I'll help Felicia clean up," she said.
I walked Andrea and Karen to the door.
"Same time next week?" Andrea said.
"Absolutely," I said. "Erika will pick the movie, and if she said tear jerker, you can expect to cry. We don't heckle tear jerkers and we don't heckle anyone who cries."
"So it will be a different mood," Andrea said. I nodded. "I'd still like to come," she added.
"Good."
"I'll be here, too," Karen said.
By the time I got back to the kitchen, Petra had the dishwasher loaded and started and the cooking dishes nearly washed. I put the remaining leftovers in the refrigerator and started drying pots and pans.
We finished and I walked her to the door. "Thank you," I told her.
"It was just a few dishes," she said.
"Well, that too. But I was thanking you for letting me chase you around the apartment."
She laughed. "I'm forty years old," she said. "I haven't acted this young in a long time. I very much enjoy being reminded that we all have a childlike side and we should let it express itself from time to time."
"If I get off work at a decent time on Tuesday, I want to cook. Would you like to come over? I don't promise it won't be an utter flop."
She winked. "I know the number of the Chinese restaurant down the street, and they deliver. In case it's an utter flop. I would love to come."
* * *
Dream Petra was laughing as I chased her around the room. She was dressed in an ornate, nineteenth-century gown just like Mina Hawker's in the movie last night. She let me catch her, earning me a knee-shaking kiss.
I pulled away and asked her, "Where are we?"
She looked into my eyes then looked away. She raised a glowing hand, then the light left her hand and floated to the ceiling before splitting into several pieces, each of them just as bright as the first, and they spread apart, lighting the entire room.
"Wow!" I said. "That was beautiful. Will you teach me to do that?"
She nodded.
I looked around. We were in a round, stone room. I'd never seen the walls before. The ceiling above us rose to a peak at the center, suggested the roof of a building. The floor and walls were stone. There was no window or door. It was a big, round, empty room.
I roamed the exterior of the room, running my hand along the wall.
I turned back to her. "There are no doors or windows." I watched as she walked to a section of wall. She gestured, and a narrow opening appeared in the rock. She looked out and then gestured to me.
We were high in the air, several stories high at least. I looked out over a beautiful, multi-colored forest. But there was a cold draft coming in the window. I wrapped my arms around myself and stepped away.
"It's beautiful," I said. "But cold."
She nodded then ran her hand in front of the opening, and it disappeared. The draft disappeared immediately. She stepped up to me and ran her hand over my arm, which now was full of goose bumps.
"You've been keeping it warm so I don't get cold."
She nodded. She held up one finger for a moment, then disappeared.
"Hey!" I said. "Come back!"
She was gone for a minute. When she returned, she was holding a thick blanket. She wrapped it around me, snuggling me in tightly, then went back to where she'd made the window and opened the rock again.
"Thank you," I told her. We looked out the window together, my head on her shoulder.
"It's beautiful," I said again.
It was early morning, and we appeared to be facing south. I couldn't see the sun, but the light had that early morning look to it. The trees were huge. I saw a brightly colored bird fly past.
I turned to Dream Petra. "Where are we?"
She kissed me quickly then said, "Welcome to Siriena."
I woke.
Falling
Monday night Dream Petra was dressed in rough leather clothing. She looked a lot like Kate Beckinsale from Van Helsing. On a rack in the corner of the room was a similar outfit in my size. As soon as I opened my eyes, she kissed me very quickly, pulled me to my feet, and pointed it out to me. She pulled me over and started to help me get dressed. There were even shoes.
None of it fit quite right. She tugged a few things around, then her hands glowed, and the clothing adjusted more to my size.
"I guess in dream land, you can do anything."
She frowned and shook her finger at me.
"Oh, right," I said. "Siriena."
She smiled and clapped her hands.
"Why don't you ever talk to me?" I asked her.
In response, she kissed me again, then she took my arm and pulled me to the wall. She gestured, and an open doorway appeared. She pulled me through. We were in a curved corridor at the top of a set of stairs leading. We turned around and she gestured. The opening disappeared.
"If I wake up while we're out here," I asked. "Will I be okay?"
She nodded before taking my arm and pulling me down the stairs. We descended until we came to the bottom. In front of us was a stone wall. She gestured again, and an opening appeared for us to step through to the outside. It was chilly but not cold. We stepped through and she turned and closed the doorway.
We were standing in the courtyard of a large castle. There were four other towers as well as a large building connecting two of the other towers. We stepped away from the tower, and Petra turned around. She touched me, then pointed to the tower we'd just left. Then she held her hand to her own chest before pointing to another tower.
"My tower?" I asked. "And yours?"
She nodded. Then she took my hand and pulled me towards her tower. She gestured as we drew near. An opening appeared. We stepped through. I looked over my shoulder as the opening disappeared. She pulled me up the stairs to the top of the tower.
There was a room at the top. It was identical to mine, but furnished. We stepped in. Dream Petra did the thing she did with her glowing hands, and the room was lit.
The room looked remarkably like Real Petra's bedroom. I smiled. I roamed around the room for a moment then turned back to her. She was standing next to the bed and made a "come here" gesture.
I walked towards her as if I were stalking her. She giggled. As I got closer, she gestured, and all my clothes disappeared! I looked down and laughed. "That's a good trick," I said.
She pulled me to her and kissed me deeply, her hands grasping my ass and squeezing. I pressed myself into her, my head tilted back to accept her kiss, my own arms wrapped around her.
She turned me around and pushed me backwards onto the soft bed. I giggled as I fell backwards. She reached down, grabbed my feet, and finished flipping me onto the bed. She followed me onto the bed, crawling over me and look
ing down at me as I arranged myself comfortably.
"Mine," she said, then began her humming and singing again.
"Yes, Petra. Yours."
She kissed me desperately, her tongue probing deep inside my mouth. As she kissed me, she climbed on top of me until she was straddling me.
I reached for her with my hands, but she pulled away from me and caught my hands. She pressed them to the bed over my head. She held them there while she kissed me again, but I pulled them out of her hands and reached for her again.
She caught my hands and pushed them back to the bed over my head. As soon as she let go of me, I reached for her again.
She growled at me. Then I watched her hands begin to glow. She pressed them into my shoulders and my arms suddenly turned into spaghetti and fell to the bed. She ran her hands down my body, and my entire body went limp. I couldn't move a single muscle above my neck.
She took my now limp arms and positioned them with my hands lying on the bed above my head. She sat up and crossed her arms over her chest and looked at me.
"That is so not fair," I told her. "You're cheating."
I struggled to move, but she'd left me with nothing below my neck. She stared at me, still humming and speaking her words, but waiting for me to decide what I was going to do.
"Please, Petra. I want to touch you."
She shook her head.
I tried offering her puppy dog eyes, but that didn't get me anywhere.
"Please, Petra. I don't like this."
She simply folded her arms tighter.
We were running out of time, and I didn't want to wake up with things like this. "Petra, I'll be good. I'll behave."
She looked at me suspiciously.
"I promise. I'll behave."
She smiled then ran her hands over me again and I could move. I flexed my arms, adjusting them very slightly, then pointedly pressed them into the bed where she had left them.
She bent down and kissed me, her long black hair teasing my face. As always, she tasted amazing, and I wanted her so badly. I wanted to hold her. My arms flinched in desire and she immediately pulled away, glaring at my hands. But they were still where she had left them.
Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series) Page 8