“She’s jealous,” Heather said, after I’d finished fucking her that night. “You should do something about that.”
“Who, Brandi?” I laughed. “No way.”
“Oh, please, Andy.” She rolled her eyes. “That poor girl’s had a crush on you that’s obviously been waiting for years to be fed.” Shaking her head, she said, “I have no idea what you did to her, but it woke something up deep inside her.”
I groaned. “Fuck.”
She rolled over and looked at me. “Why? Can’t it be a good thing?”
I sighed. “I’ve been trying to get through this thing without ruining anyone’s lives.”
“You silly boy!” She punched me in the shoulder. “That girl’s teetering on the edge of happiness. Just take care of the jealousy.”
“How?”
“Just tell her to stop.”
I gave that a bit of thought. I guessed I could do that. I started laughing, and pulled Heather on top of me for another go.
Zeroes
Chapter 6: An Honest Man
Phoenix: Friday Morning
That second go was a mistake, I thought as I squinted into the mirror the next morning. Heather’s plane was leaving too early; the sun hadn’t even begun to rise when the alarm woke me, and in the Arizona summers, the sun always rises early. I looked at Heather in the mirror. “I’m going to let Brandy in on it.”
“You’re not serious, Andy.”
“And maybe the rest of my harem.” I still winced at that word.
“Andy, Andy, Andy.” She shook her head. “You can’t keep your mouth shut, can you?”
I grinned toothily at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Eric, you know that’s one of their complaints.” I knew from the tone of her voice she was talking about ZGS.
I shrugged. “Nobody’s freaked out so far.”
“It’s your funeral.” She said, then froze when she realized the implications of her statement. “Just be careful, Andy. You’re playing with fire.” A chill went down my back as I met her eyes, but that only steeled my resolve.
Then the doorbell rang, and we scattered, trying to dress ourselves and get everything together as quickly as we could.
The ride to the airport was awkward. All of us were a little sleep deprived; Brandy was more obviously hostile. “Bimbo, cut it out.”
She immediately let loose a giggle. “Cut what out?”
“The jealousy, princess. Stop it.”
“Oh.”
The ride was a lot more pleasant after that. Brandy even had the decorum to give Heather and I some privacy in front of the security line.
“I’m going to miss you,” I said, just as she was saying, “I think I’ll miss you more this time than last time.”
We laughed, I took her hands in mine and leaned in for a kiss. “Take care of yourself, okay?”
“I should be telling YOU that, Andy.” She look at Brandy, then back at me. “Be careful.”
“I’ll try.”
Soon, she was lost in the throngs of people trying to make it through security. I was tempted to stay and watch, but Brandy was waiting for her promised breakfast, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.
I put my arm around Brandy and said, “I have something to tell you.”
She immediately looked stricken. “Is... is it bad?”
“No,” I said. “It’s just serious. It’s something you deserve to know.”
“Um, okay?”
“Don’t worry about it, princess. I’ll tell you when we get breakfast.”
Suddenly, her face broke into a smile, and she giggled. “If you say so, Eric.” She was relaxed as we drove to the restaurant, and I distracted her with more small talk. I didn’t want her behind the wheel of a potential death machine when I broke the news.
We finally got to The Breakfast Club (don’t blame me, I didn’t name it) around the time of the sunrise, and sat outside, where we could have some privacy. Soon, waffles came to the table. Brandy looked over the waffles at me. “So, you were going to tell me something?”
“I’m a mind controller.”
She laughed. “Jordan said something about that. What’d she mean?”
“Remember how I hypnotized you?”
“Yeah.” She gasped. “So you’re an evil hypnotist?”
“Not exactly. It’s hard to explain.” I started digging into my waffle. “Kind of a long story.”
Her voice dropped to a husky alto. “Go on.” She looked at me, her mouth quirking into a smile.
“Remember the whole seizure thing?”
“I remember being told about it. I wasn’t around when it was happening.” She made a face. “Except for that one time.”
“Yeah,” I said. “Anyway, apparently every seizure I had...” I cleared my throat. “’Branded’ the people around me.”
“Branded? Like we’re cattle?”
“More or less. It’s marked you, and a lot of other people.”
“Uh-huh.” She sounded skeptical. “And what do these marks—or brands, do?”
“They let me put thoughts into your mind that you’ll accept as your own. When I tried with you, the sham hypnosis was the only method I’d figured out.” I took a bite of my waffle. “That’s how I made it so easy for you to resist smoking. I did a few other things, too.”
She gasped. “So that’s why I seduced you?”
I grinned. “Well, yeah.”
“And why I’m having all these dick-fits?”
“Dick fits?”
“Like nicotine fits, but with dicks instead.” She winked at me. “I guess I forgive you, as long as you let me fulfill that craving.”
I laughed. “That’s the plan.”
“Still, none of that is proof,” she said, logically. “I mean,” she blushed, “I’ve always had a crush on you.”
“Yeah, I figured that out.”
“Sooo, proof?”
“What does the word ‘bimbo’ mean to you?”
She made a face. “It’s a tool of the patriarchy. It’s completely misogynistic. It’s an insult men use to demean women, it implies they’re silly and empty-headed and slutty.”
“And how do you feel when I call you one, bimbo?”
She immediately giggled, then her eyes widened, and she gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. Then she laughed. “You suck!”
I grinned. “Still forgive me?”
She bit her lip. “I suppose.” She frowned in thought—it was adorable. “So, can you read minds, too?”
“Sometimes, I think.”
“Sometimes?”
“Only people I’ve branded.”
She looked at me, her eyes sparkling. “So, what am I thinking right now?”
I’d had some idea what to do—and among other things, the ILYSKN mp3 player had certain training subroutines. It wasn’t quite like riding a bicycle, but it was close—and so, looking into her eyes, I slipped into her mind, and blushed. My cock twitched.
She laughed, taking her foot and rubbing it against my leg, moving up towards my crotch. “Looks like it worked.”
“We can’t do that here!”
“Why not?”
“I eat here!”
She shrugged, rubbing her foot tenderly over my crotch. “They’ll deal.”
“Finish your waffle first.”
She stuck her tongue out at me. “Yes, Master.” Then she pouted. “Spoilsport.”
She did finish her waffle first. Then she licked her lips, saying, “Time for dessert,” and slid under the table.
Her mouth was sticky and hot. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the table. Then the waitress came over with the check, and I noticed she was breathing heavily, and she was flushed. “Here you go, honey,” she said, breathlessly, looking at me with heat in her eyes. “Th...thanks,” I gasped, checking her nametag, which was pinned to a heaving chest. “Kelly.” Then I pulled out my wallet and set a card on the table. She grabbed it and walked—well, more staggered, away. After running the card, she sat down at an empty booth—I didn’t much mind, not being in any rush while Brandy was under the table. The noises Amber was making at the table were getting to be a distraction, but not much of one as I rode Brandy’s mouth to orgasm. What surprised me was Kelly’s almost simultaneous shriek as she came at the next booth.
I looked over at Kelly, who was just sitting there, legs open, panting heavily, looking at me. I could sense my brand on her—that was new. Brandy slid up from the floor, taking her spot across from me. I was still looking over at Kelly—she was clearly plus-sized, especially in her chest, but she carried it well. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really stand her face; I don’t know how to describe it, but the features were just all wrong. I thought they might look better, if certain things were changed or rearranged. I’m sure she was a very nice girl, but I didn’t feel the urge to do anything with her.
I wondered how she’d been branded. When she came back to the table, with the card, I looked up at her. “Have you been out of the country recently?”
She frowned. “No, darlin’. Why?”
I swear it looked like the features on her face were almost swimming, shifting unnaturally. It made me uncomfortable, I had to look away. “You just look familiar.”
“Well, I’ve worked the morning shift here for the past year. Maybe you’ve come in before?”
I frowned. “Maybe...” But that still wouldn’t explain the branding.
She wrote her full name (Kelly Ashini), as well as her phone number, on the receipt as she passed it back to me. “Here’s your receipt, hon,” she said, winking.
I felt bad when, after walking out of the restaurant, I tossed the receipt.
“So, that was weird?”
We climbed into Brandy’s car. “What was?”
“That waitress. What happened between you two when I was under the table?”
“Sometimes, I haven’t figured out the mechanism yet, my erect penis becomes a transmitter.”
“Ohhh.”
“It only affects people I’ve branded.” I frowned. “I don’t know where I could have branded her.”
“Well, you come here a lot.”
“Yeah, but I only started having seizures overseas. This was my first time back.”
“Oh,” she said, frowning. “Maybe she was in the hospital?”
“Hmmm, maybe.” It still bugged me.
“So I guess you’ve got a lot of these girls?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s okay.” Then she stopped. “Is... Heather?”
“No.”
She sighed. “Oh, good. I don’t think I could handle that.”
“But you could handle the waitress?”
“Yeah.”
That was interesting. We spent most of the ride in silence and thought. As she dropped me off, I said, “You remember that hypnotist we talked about? Demetrius?”
“Yeah?” She gasped. “Is he one of you?!”
“That’s how it seems.”
“No wonder he’s so popular. Even Sheldon seems to like him!”
We laughed, and then looked at each other as we realized the implications.
Phoenix: Friday Midday
Once Brandy dropped me off at my house, I decided to call Stephanie - she was my best friend, I had to tell her. Besides, I’d kind of barged in on her masturbation fantasy and enslaved her in the process. She deserved to know.
“Hey Squish, you busy?”
“Um, not really.”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Should I be worried?”
“I hope not. But you should come over.”
“K. I’ll be right over. Lunch?”
“I’ll start up the barbecue.”
“Oooo, you’re cooking? This IS serious.”
“Oh, shut up, Squish.”
“Yes, Master.” She was laughing, but I knew she’d be serious about that soon enough. “See you soon.”
I threw some steaks on the barbecue (there’s really no other way I can cook) and started some water boiling for pasta, too. Soon enough, she was there.
Phoenix: Friday Afternoon
Stephanie was one of my first renters, and still had her own keys - I trusted her with my life, so why not with my property too?
“Hey, Squish!” I called through the kitchen window. “Can you grab me something to drink?”
“OJ okay?”
“That’s great. I need to get off this coffee kick Kiki started me down.”
“You fell off the wagon? Naughty boy!” She laughed as she came out the door with the carton of juice and two glasses. “Remind me why you still have a coffee maker?” She set her armload down on the patio table, and started filling glasses.
“Oh, Mike left it.” Mike was a former tenant, he’d been in and out of my rooms since Stephanie had been there.
I grabbed a glass and drained down half. “Thanks, that hit the spot.”
“So, what’s so important I had to leave the show?”
I hadn’t even realized the time. “You didn’t have to leave the show! I didn’t mean you had to come over now.”
She gulped down some OJ. “Well, next time be more specific, silly!”
“Next time, if I’m taking you away from something, tell me.” I flipped the steaks over; they landed with a sizzle. “Did you see my boiling water on the stove?”
“Yeah. It was boiling.”
“Could you dump the penne in it?”
“Yeah, sure.” She dashed back inside. “Should I set the timer?”
“Just stir it. It’ll be ready when the steaks are done. Hey, heat up the pesto sauce?”
“Yeah, sure.”
As she dug into her steak, she looked up at me. “So, what do you need to talk to me about?”
“Didn’t you start wondering why I started calling you Squish?”
She giggled and blushed. “You said I had squishy hugs.”
“Not anymore, though,” I said. “Except for your chest.” She immediately shifted to show off her tits to me. “I meant why I started using the nickname again.”
“Um,” she blushed really deeply. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”
“I hypnotized you while you were masturbating in the restroom the other day.”
“What?” The blood drained from her face as she sputtered. “I... what? You weren’t there!”
“Not exactly.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m kind of psychic.” It wasn’t getting any easier to admit that. “Like, I can control minds. I took a peek to see what you were fantasizing about, and...” I described the whole scene to her as her breathing got increasingly ragged.
“No wonder it seemed so real...” she gasped, almost panting. “Why are you telling me this?”
“You’re my best friend!”
“How’d you land this gig?” She took a bite. “Was it the brain tumor?”
“Kinda. Not quite.”
“’Splain.”
“Apparently, I’ve always had these powers.” I shrugged. “The seizures the tumor caused made them go off on everyone around me.”
She almost choked on her next bite, she was laughing so hard. “That must have complicated things.”
I waited until I finished chewing to join her in laughter. “You have no idea, Squish.”
“So,” and here she started sounding like the analytical Philosophy Major I’d met. “How does it work?”
“I don’t know everything about it, yet. But apparently, I can somehow mark someone...”
“Kinda like branding cattle?”
“Uh, I guess?” I shook my head. “And after that, I can use that brand as... I guess, sort of like a window into the soul and mind.”
“Sort of like opening a port so you can hack people’s brains?” Computer science had been her minor.
“That’s about as apt an analogy as any.”
“And you can read people’s thoughts?”
“Only if I’ve marked them.”
“Well, why not mark everyone?”
“Two reasons.” I paused to take a few bites. “One, every mark is, at least metaphorically, a piece of my soul.”
“And the other?”
“There’s others out there like me, and the brands are exclusive.”
“Exclusive?” She furrowed her brow, then her eyes widened. “Oh! Want to keep a low profile?”
“More like I don’t want to make any more waves.” I shook my head, sighing. “The seizures helped make sure I’d never have a low profile.”
“If it’s all seizure related, how’d I get involved?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Apparently, you got marked earlier.”
“Oh?” She smiled at me, winking. “How?”
I blushed. “I honestly don’t know, Squish.”
“Is that why I’ve been having hot fantasies of you?”
“How long have you been having them?”
Now it was her turn to blush. “Since we met.”
“You’ve been fantasizing about getting hypnotized?”
“Well, more like submission.” She grinned. “Hypnosis only showed up after that hot stunt at your birthday party.”
“See, that surprises me. You’ve always talked about how much you like tying others up.”
“Other women,” she said. “When I’m with guys, I’m the sub.”
“Huh. Now that I didn’t know.”
“Eric, what were you hoping to get out of this meeting?”
“I don’t know.”
Her eyes twinkled. “Yes, you do.”
“I wanted forgiveness,” I said. “And reassurance.”
“Why? You could just make me do that.” She shuddered.
“Yeah, but can you see me doing that?”
“I guess not.”
“There you go.”
“Is that why Heather was here?” At my startled look, she continued. “You took her mind and brought her down here?”
I laughed. “No, that’s back-asswards. She’s one of them! She came down here to tell me a bit more about the whole damn thing.”
“That’s kind of coincidental.”
I laughed. “Not really. Apparently, she became my physical therapist because I had the potential.”
“So your relationship was a sham?”
“Not really. She was actually a physical therapist. And they just encouraged her to start dating me once the romantic feelings developed.” At her nod, I added, “The real coincidence is Erin.”
“What about her?”
“She’s... like me.”
“She’s one of them too?”
“No, she’s more like one of me.”
“Erin’s got a much bigger chest.” Her eyes twinkled as we laughed. “So, she can control minds too?”
“It doesn’t work that way, apparently. Only men.”
“That’s a wee bit unfair.”
“That’s what I said.” I shrugged. “But I guess the world doesn’t work that way.”
“Does Erin know?”
“Not yet. She was going to be dinner.”
“Oh? Who was breakfast? Jordan?”
I sighed. “No, not her. She’s... been branded by someone else.”
“Oh no, Eric! What are you going to do?”
I growled. “Tear that mark out of her.”
“Sounds violent.”
“It’s either that or kill the guy.”
“Oh.” She toyed with her food. “So what do you have to do to Jordan, then?”
“I’m going to have to fuck the brains out of her.”
She laughed. “It sounds like you mean that literally.”
“Whatever it takes.”
“So, who was breakfast?”
“Brandy.”
“Miss Legally Blonde? She’s hot. Another slave?”
I winced. “I really don’t like that word.”
“So pick something better. I’m sure if you tell your slaves to use it, they will.” She stuck her tongue out at me. “How does leman sound?”
“Lemon?”
“No, leman.”
“What’s it mean?”
“A secret mistress, or a sweetheart. It’s old. 18th century or something.”
I laughed. “I like that. How’s it spelled?”
After that, we just hung out. I showed her my new sculpture, we went out and caught that new movie Evening with Clare Danes, and spent the rest of the afternoon trashing it. Then I got on the computer and emailed my harem (I’d given up on finding a replacement for that word), telling them that they were my lemans, now. My email list was getting bigger—five women in Italy, four in Arizona. And that didn’t count the Evies, who were pretty much my slaves. Of course, my ‘herd’ (including Kelly, the waitress from earlier) was even bigger than my harem, and I didn’t have most of their emails.
Phoenix: Friday Night
Finally, I called Erin. I was sitting on my bed in my bathrobe, fresh from the shower. I was flipping through her file—Heather had left it behind—as the phone rang. She picked up after a few rings. “Eric?”
“Hey, angel. You busy? I was thinking we could do dinner.”
“Um, I got a midnight shift. Goose Egg?”
“Sure, I’ve been meaning to swing by there, get a feel before I go to see the Demetrius show.”
“Oh, right.” A tingle of guilt shivered through her voice.
“Look, I’ve got some things to talk about. It’s kind of important. Can we meet at ten?”
“Yeah, fine.”
“Can you pick me up?”
“What about the motorcycle?”
“Staples on the head don’t go very well with helmets.”
“Ah, right. Yeah, I’ll try to be there by ten.”
“Okay. I’m going to nap, so I can make sure I’m up by then.”
Seriously, I’d been up since three in the morning, and I was recovering from surgery. I hung up the phone and darkness almost immediately overtook me. The clock said 11:00 when I finally woke up to another ringing phone. “You’re late, angel.”
“Were you sleeping?”
“That’s not the point!”
“Well, I’m out in front, now.”
“Okay, give me a few to throw something on and get down the stairs.”
“Fine, honey. See in a bit.”
Luckily, I’d left the clothes I wore earlier today on the floor; I quickly shoved myself into them, grabbed the folder and headed downstairs. Erin got a brief glance at the folder as I climbed in her car. “What’s that? ILYSKN?”
“It’s a folder on you.”
“I’ll never get used to your sense of humor, Eric.” She laughed. “No, really. What is it?”
“I’ll explain when we get to the restaurant.”
“Okay, Mister Mysterious.”
“That’s me.”
“You been having fun with your slaves?” She rolled her eyes. “That was quite a display you had on your birthday.”
“You kind of twisted my arm.” I sighed. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that.”
“What about?”
“You’re untouchable. No matter what, my powers will never affect you.”
“Me specifically?”
“Well, anyone like you. Like us.”
“Huh?” She looked at me, and nearly swerved into oncoming traffic.
“Keep your eyes on the road!” After calming myself down, I said, “Look, let’s just get to the restaurant, and I can tell you without the threat of red asphalt.”
“Fine!”
I remembered, once again, why we’d broken up. I began to have second thoughts. But no, I steeled myself—she deserved to know.
The shadowed face of ‘Demetrius’ (or J-Rock) stared down at me, hanging on the wall of the Goose Egg, just above another poster advertising karaoke every Sunday. Almost nothing at The Goose Egg was edible, at least to my tastes. So I just ordered my usual: breaded cheese sticks with marinara sauce. As we waited for the food to arrive, I passed Erin the file. She flipped through it and immediately gasped.
“Where did you get this?”
I pointed to the front. “ILYSKN.”
“What is that?” She frowned. “Why does it sound familiar?”
“They’re the people behind that weird phone call, remember?”
She nodded. “But, why do they have a file on me?”
“You’re one of them. Or, one of us, or something.”
“Okay, honey. You’ve got to be more clear.”
“You’re a numen, angel.” At her expression, I continued. “It’s Latin. It kinda means ‘god’. It’s the word they use to describe, um...”
“Spit it out, Eric!”
“Psychics.”
“Wait. So, I’m psychic?”
“Yeah. We both are. So’s ‘Demetrius.’”
“And so that’s why we’re immune to each other? I can’t control your mind?”
“You can’t control anyone’s mind. Only guys can do that.”
She frowned. “That’s a little unbalanced.”
“Women kinda get other stuff. At least that’s what Heather told me.”
“Waitaminute, honey.” She held her hand up. “Heather. The Heather? Kiki Heather?”
“Um, yeah.”
“Your ex told you all this?”
“Yeah. She’s a numen, too. She works for them.”
She crossed her arms. “Well, that’s convenient.”
The waitress finally came with my cheese sticks and Erin’s salad. “Thanks, Tess.”
She looked down at me. “Anytime, Eric. Haven’t seen you around here much.”
“No,” I laughed. “Don’t have much excuse to come down here anymore.”
“
Erin blurted. “We broke up!” My heart ached with the pain in her voice.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I’ll stop butting my head in, now.”
I patted her hand. “It’s okay, Tess.”
“Come back for karaoke some time, okay?”
Erin looked at me with daggers in her eyes after Tess had left. “What was that all about?”
“What was what all about?”
“You taking her hand! Were you flirting with her? Is she one of your slaves now?”
“No! Why do you always jump to conclusions?” I sighed, gritting my teeth. “Can we get back to the topic?”
“What topic? Oh right, your ex.”
“No! Not her. The company. ILYSKN.”
“Right. Her company.”
“Erin, can you just give it up?”
“Fine! So tell me everything else your ex said.” She snorted. “The one with a fucking file on me!” She punctuated that with several slaps of the table with the folder.
“Relax. They have files on almost every numen.”
“Oh, yeah. That makes me feel much more comfortable. I’m one of the faceless masses!” Her face twisted. “Just one of the many people they’ve decided to spy on.”
“Can you keep your voice down?” I hissed. “This was a bad idea. Just forget about it.”
“You’d love to be able to make me do that.” She glared. “But, oh yeah, that’s right. You can’t!“
“Please, angel, let it go long enough so I can tell you the rest.” I waved at the posters advertising the hypnosis show of ‘Demetrius’.
“I take it he’s a no-man, too?”
“Numen.”
“Whatever.”
“And he’s got Jordan, Taffy and Xiao Mei all under his control.” I glanced back at Tess. “And Tess, apparently. It’s almost irreversible.”
“Fuck, honey,” she said. “I brought all of them to the show. Well, except Tess. What can we do?”
“Unfortunately, once a mind is branded, it kinda has to stay that way.”
“So, what can you do?”
“I can try to replace those brands with my own.”
“How?”
“Sex?”
“Of course. It’s got to be sex. You have to have sex with Taffy, and little Xiao Mei, and Tess, who you’ve been drooling over since we started dating. And...” She hesitated. “And Jordan too?” I nodded. “Ew!”
“I don’t really like it either.” Tess brought the check; I set down my credit card. “My treat,” I said to Erin.
She shrugged. “Free food? You won’t hear me object.”
After Tess brought the check back, I filled out a rather generous tip (okay, sure, I thought she was cute, and nice), signed, and we got up to leave.
I grabbed the folder, “Don’t want to forget this,” I said.
“Oh no you don’t,” Erin said. “I’m keeping that with me. I’ve got to get to work.”
I checked my watch; it was almost midnight. “Um, angel. How am I getting home?”
She smiled at me, a little cruelly. “You figure it out.”
“I guess I’ll just hang out at the Audubon until I find a ride home.”
The Audubon Club was the same as I remembered it when I broke up with Erin. Its lobby was decorated like a wildlife lodge, mostly pictures of birds—Boobies, Tits, Woodcocks, owls, and some shags. There were also stuffed birds and rather detailed wooden bird carvings scattered around the room. Finally, to complete the ‘sitting room’ vibe, it had several leathery club chairs. I sunk into one and fell asleep almost instantly.