The Devil in Apartment 13

by Tiana Laveen

  He shrugged that thought off his mind and continued to listen to her discuss various things. It was simply something he’d have to work through. She was engaging, made him smile, gave him a deeper glance into the human psyche – one he’d missed for so, so long. Her kindness shinned through everything, and he found that especially puzzling and beautiful. He’d pegged human beings wrong. Surely, she couldn’t be the only one in existence with such philosophies, positivity, and benevolence.

  “So I told the cab driver to keep the change.” She took a sip of her wine. “She needed it far more than I did.”

  He nodded as she kept talking, but his stomach growled, no matter how much he ate. He wasn’t hungry for the lamb and perfectly sautéed veggies though… He wanted the warm bouquet between her legs.

  Shaking the napkin off his lap with a sway of his knee, he bent down to as if retrieve it from the floor. Instead, he crawled under the table towards her, like a crouched tiger on the prowl. She jumped when he pressed his palms to her knees, forcing her long legs apart and her lilac nightgown to rise, bunching around her thighs.

  “Shahzad! What are you doing down… down… there! Oh my God… my God!” Face buried deep in her pussy, he sucked and lapped at the soft, wet folds. She buried her fingers in his hair, pulling him to her. Closer. Gliding his hands up to her hips, he held her tightly in place, his fingertips teasing the hem of the cotton fabric of her gown as he feasted. He increased his pace gradually, taking her clit into his mouth and sucking slow, then fast.

  She vibrated and rocked against his lips, gyrating her body as she reached for the table, holding on for dear life. He relished her essence and sucked up her juices, intoxicated from the rich, feminine flavor she provided. “Fuck!” She came hard, tumbling half out of her seat. His mouth filled with her sweet and salty tonic and he lapped up every drop. Dragging her down onto the floor with him, they undressed.

  Vivian pushed him back against the wall, grabbed his erect dick with both hands, and slid her tongue slowly up and down the length, their gazes hooking every now and again. Sighing with delight, he moved his hips up and down, meeting her mouth, pumping between her lips. She took more of him, and then a bit more as he grabbed a fistful of her hair and greedily fed her.

  “Yes, baby… just like that. Don’t stop… don’t fuckin’ stop…”

  The woman devoured him, gagging and slurping, licking and running her hands all along his slippery shaft. She twisted and turned her hands at the base of his pumping cock as saliva and precum merged, a natural lubricant resulting from her handiwork. His abdominal muscles clenched as his climax loomed, begging for release. Yanking her away, her eyes wild and her expression filled with desire, he stumbled to his feet with her in tow. Carrying her onto her couch, he slammed her down on her back, placed one of her legs around his neck, and thrust his tongue deep down her throat. Scratching and pawing at one another in a wild, lustful fit, he jammed his hips between her legs and practically came undone as his name rolled off her tongue. Her body shook then stiffened upon his entry. He delivered deep pelvic plunges inside her, going to the depths of her wetland, as far as he could travel.

  She cried out, muscles tightened, eyes rolled as he slammed into her fast and rough, dripping and falling apart, begging for release beneath him. Their urges were met with more intense ones – it seemed the next thrust could not arrive soon enough. The vixen sank her teeth into the side of his neck like some vampire in desperate need of a fix. Fingers sprawled, the skin around the knuckles pulled tight, she gripped the couch as he took her under.

  “Shahzad!!!” Her guttural moans shook his core, and she came once again, pussy potion flowing from her essence, covering his cock in her anointing. He could no longer hold back… perhaps it was written all over his face for she looked both hungry and concerned. With a deep, rippling yell, he burst inside of her, exploding hard. Manically pumping his hips, his dick seemed to have a mind of its own as he released within her. Their warm, wet bodies grinded slower and slower until they quieted and rested against one another like fallen trees. Harsh breathing escaped his mouth as his heart raced. Her heart was galloping just as fast. Rugged touches merged into gentle embraces… soft kisses across quivering lips. Eyes wide then shut… Soft colors on the inside, throbbing nature and stiffness, then relaxation… sweet relief.

  No words exchanged.

  When his erection materialized once more, he resumed his thrusts. They came quietly together, shuddering against one another, desperate for each other. With a sigh, she held onto him when he carried her to her small bathroom. Swan décor stood out in the space; how she seemed to love them. He sat her down on the closed toilet lid, turned on the shower, and when it was nice and warm, coaxed her under the gushing stream. They bathed, held one another, shared simple smiles. After a while, he stepped in back of the stall to allow her full access to the water. Her eyes grew wide when he lit a cigar right there. Leaning up against the wall, he simply watched her, then motioned for her to draw near. She did and he handed her the cigar. Hesitantly, she accepted it and took a puff. After a few coughs, her lips curled in a grin. Smoke eddied upward, blending in with the steam. She handed it back, and they stood there, smoking together, passing it back and forth.

  If I love her the way I know I do, I’m going to have to tell her what I am. I will tell her soon. She won’t believe me though. But I must tell her. I could lose her… but withholding the truth is like losing her, too. Because then she’d only be in love with half of me… the part that I show her. I believe deep within that she is to be my wife. Human life is so short… I don’t want to waste valuable time. I can’t say I feel it in my soul, because I have none – but I am a spirit… energy in many forms.

  It’s too complicated for most to understand. When people look at me, they see a man. When religious zealots look at me, they see a devil. I kill. I rescue. I destroy. I provide relief and smiles – all within a single day. It’s my nature. It is what I was created to do. I apologize for nothing…

  I explain myself to no one, until NOW. What words should I use? Should I say to her, ‘I am a magician without rabbits, without sleight of hand?’ All of my tricks are real. All I care about though is how she views me. All I care about is her opinion of me at this point. I know her wishes; I have them memorized. When she looks at me, I am what she wanted. But perhaps that’s because she’s never seen the ugly side of a Jinn… She will never endure that from me. I will protect her and never cross that line. For some, I am their nightmare. For my Love, I am her wish come true…

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Strange Bedfellows

  “Our love feels like finally being able to breathe…” She smiled as she mumbled those words, setting her cellphone down onto her kitchen counter. Shahzad was away in Morocco for family business but planned to return by the end of the week. He’d been gone for a few days, and she missed him so, but he kept in constant contact. He was so attentive, generous and yes, sexy, she couldn’t help but be totally enamored with the man… She knew she was definitely falling in love. Though he was mostly an open book, there were still parts of him that remained a mystery, a cloud of dark dust settling upon invisible star chaos. Perhaps that was what kept her on her toes with the man. Being constantly intrigued. She pushed the thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand. Career ventures.

  Vivian flipped through the magazine, then checked out her resume on the computer. She’d begun the process of creating a website after being hired by Tavern Times Magazine to do a monthly exposé on various local NYC spots, in search of the best weekend beer deals in the city. The pay was nothing to write home about, but it would give her the experience she’d need to eventually get a chance with larger publications and hopefully, land a more lucrative and prestigious deal. Minutes turned to hours and she decided to take a break. That evening she’d be going to work, and there would be no quiet or peace. It was now or never. She got up from the chair in her kitchen, stretched, and poured herself some chilled orange juic
e. Just then, her phone rang. Running back to the table, she didn’t recognize the number, but something compelled her to answer.

  “Hello?”

  “STOP IT!” someone screamed with a shaky voice.

  “What? Who is this?”

  “Vivian! I know it’s you doing it! You’re… you’re sick! I fuckin’ hate you!”

  It was then that she recognized the voice: Shante’, her old roommate.

  “Shante?! What are you talking about?”

  “I can’t sleep! You must’ve put something in my food, did some black magic or something. I don’t know what the hell you did, but stop it! I will give you the money, okay?! Please, just stop it!”

  “The money? But you already gave me the money weeks ago…”

  She was met with silence.

  “Vivian, you need help! You think this is funny, a game? I messed up, okay? I’m sorry! Just please stop!” And then the phone went dead. Confused, Vivian returned to her orange juice and thought about the strange phone call. One of many things that didn’t add up. Honestly, the last two months had been the most bizarre yet most fascinating of her entire life.

  I met a great guy. He’s handsome, funny, attentive, hardworking and rich. My ex-boyfriend who’d done me greasy got into an accident, then was robbed, and the woman he cheated on me with, my own damn cousin, got on probation for a crime she may not have even committed. She has a criminal record now, not to mention their relationship is dead with a restraining order to boot. He has been trying to get me to respond to him by apologizing to me over and over via text message and email, telling me how wrong he was. Then, there’s the Super. I think Sam’s ass apparently quit – thank God. He was creepy and sexually harassed some of the tenants including me. I haven’t seen him in forever and that is a relief.

  On top of that, there’s my sister, who has been struggling for the last few years health-wise. She lost a bunch of weight, became active in the gym, and is now looking like a damn snack. She even got invited to do some Weight Watcher’s commercial after she joined their program to help with her fitness journey. My mother also called and let me know that all her old medical bills got paid by some good Samaritan; she has no idea how or who. My father called and apologized for not being more in contact with me and my sister, and he is the most stubborn, non-apologetic man I know! I got a job offer with a reputable magazine and I’ve been getting great tips at the bar. I am having the best damn sex of my life. Shante’ paid back the money in full, I think… This is just strange! How could all of these great things be happening?! I sleep like a baby, my man spoils me, I don’t even hate my apartment anymore… this is insane.

  She picked up the phone and called Liz. Typically, she would be the voice of reason.

  “Hey, Viv! If you’re calling me to try and call off tonight, you better not even think about it!” Vivian chuckled.

  “No, no… I’m not. Hey, I know you’re going to think this is crazy, but I wanted to run something past you.”

  “Yeah? What’s going on?” Vivian took a deep breath and ran down all the blessings, good luck, and just plain amazing good time she’d been having to her friend.

  “…And I know karma is real, and I believe good things can happen to good people – you know I am an optimist. But I had been having such shitty luck beforehand, I don’t know.” She shrugged. “It just seemed strange that everything would work itself out that fast, and so awesomely, too!”

  “Okay, do you want me to be honest with you?”

  Vivian sighed. “Yes. I think.”

  Liz laughed at that.

  “I think you’re so used to things being shitty that you are like, I don’t know, waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

  “Well, that’s probably true, too, Liz, but I realized something today. Just now.”

  “What?”

  “All of this good luck started after I met Shahzad… Now what are the chances of that? Think about it! Literally up until the day he walked into our bar, things were a mess in my life. Now it’s like all of my wishes are coming true!” She chuckled dismally. “I mean, seriously, Liz. Everything I wanted to happen either has just happened or is in the process of occurring. Now I get some strange call from Shante’ to leave her alone, accusing me of black magic! What a nutjob! But what struck me the most is that she’s not acknowledging she’d paid me back the money. In fact, she said just the opposite. I mean, I saw the bank statement. It came from her account, transferred to mine, just like when she’d pay her portion of the rent to me.”

  “She’s probably on drugs, Viv! I mean, seriously! You said she dated some pretty shady guys, too.”

  “She does. Well, at least, she did. I don’t know about now but it’s probably still the case.”

  “One of them could be supplying her. That’s probably why she couldn’t pay her portion of the rent.”

  “That’s true, but it doesn’t explain how this all began after I met Shahzad.”

  “Well, I mean, what are you implying? You think he’s some Fairy Godfather?” Liz cracked up laughing. Vivian felt rather silly when she put it that way. “Oh, I know! Maybe he’s a genie! If so, I need one too!” Liz teased.

  Vivian shook her head.

  “Okay, very funny. All I know is that it seems odd that I met him, then he literally bought the building I live in and my life changed.”

  “Look, honey, there’s no way one person could make all of that happen. Some of it is in fact humanly impossible.”

  “That’s true…”

  “Just enjoy your time with your boyfriend, embrace these new opportunities life is offering, and live your life, girl! If anyone deserves all of this and more, it’s you!”

  “Thank you, Liz. I’ll see you later tonight, okay?”

  “All right, doll.” She disconnected the call.

  Vivian’s unease did not abate. Things remained unresolved.

  I love Shahzad… I love him so much that I can’t even put it into words. He can be a little intense and domineering at times, but I know he means well. He works hard and sometimes long hours, but he still makes time for me. Why am I analyzing the hell out of this? I guess Liz is right. I’m so used to disaster striking that when my luck changes, I look at it sideways. Her shoulders slumped. I can’t explain why I feel so… unsettled though. There’s just something about him… Maybe he inspired me in some way to go after my dreams a bit more vigorously and he is just one of those people that has like a magical quality about them? That could definitely be it. Nothing is wrong with that. He said I inspired him, too. That’s why he’s in Morocco. Said he wanted to take care of a few things family and business wise and that one day, he and I would travel there together.

  She smiled at the thought. Drinking the rest of her juice, she went to the bathroom to shower for work. This time, she brought in one of Shahzad’s cigars along. She tiptoed out of her attire and lit it. She thought about their shower together not too long ago, and how he had produced a cigar out of nowhere and lit one. She hadn’t smoked in so long, and yet, when they shared it, it felt so good.

  That was another thing: he always seemed prepared. And what about those bottles on the mantle in his penthouse? They glowed. I felt like they were looking at me… I swore I heard something when I touched the yellow one… It was so strange!

  She shook the thoughts out of her mind and waved the cigar about in an absent manner. That gesture made her feel as if he was right there with her, and she drew comfort from that, a warm feeling she’d never had before, and one she wouldn’t dare relinquish…

  It was three in the morning. The witching hour. The week had been spent catching up with family and old friends. Shahzad was beat. He flopped down onto his couch, finally back in New York. Much to his surprise, the trip had been fairly uneventful. He was certain Nizar or someone else would’ve contacted his family and alerted them of his dealings with the ‘human.’ He’d already made it clear that he’d met someone and any arranged marriages and the like were still out of t
he question.

  I want Vivian to come over right this second… I crave her. I want to fuck, make love, taste her… I want to hold her and smell her skin… I wish I could just make her appear here. Well, I could, but she’d be terrified and probably end up in a mental institution afterward. He shook his head. I’ve got to tell her. I can’t live like this. She needs to know the truth. I’m tired of the secrets. I told my family I refused to hide the truth from them, either. Lying is not love…

  For the last century, his family had accepted that he was simply the black sheep, and would not be forced to follow every single one of their norms, though a sense of unspoken disappointment did loom in the air during his visit. His mother had made it clear that she would be calling soon to discuss something she never hinted at. As soon as she’d entered his mind, his phone rang. He turned towards his fireplace mantel. All the ancestors were awake and glowing. His heart began to race as he answered the call.

  “Hello, Mother.” He stood, his hand on his hip, and started pacing slowly back and forth. “I was expecting you.”

  “I know. Nizar called us right as you were leaving. That’s why I told you I’d be calling. He said it was urgent.”

  Shahzad closed his eyes and shook his head. He prepared himself for the drama that was about to ensue. He’d confided private things to Nizar, things no one else knew. So now, this was the part where he’d regret it all.

  “What did you two talk about?”

  “Actually, he spoke to your father, your brothers… all of us. He explained that… you’ve changed, but for the better.” Shahzad stopped in his tracks. “He said he grilled you, asked you many questions, and that you proved yourself true… He said he asked you, ‘What will you do when she dies?’ And that you replied that a short time with her was better than none at all. He told us much more, but this proves we must believe and trust you, Shahzad. As foreign and strange as it is to me, you’ve fallen in love with a human. I am only feeling this must be true because last week, I had a dream about my great-great-grandmother…