The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Title: A Hill of Beans

Author: Redsliver

Chapter 16

* * *

Flo was humming to herself as she pulled her car into the Cowie’s driveway. She rapped her fingers happily on the steering wheel. She hadn’t had this newly fucked feeling since her divorce proceedings had started. She didn’t put that on her son, but she wasn’t going to be celibate for three years ever again.

She stopped her car and all but skipped up the stairs to the front door. Mary opened the door before Flo could ring the doorbell.

“You look better,” Mary said, on opening the door.

“Just better? Did I at least make it to good?” Flo posed. The young mother was dressed in a skirt down below the tops of her knee-high leather boots. She had a light windbreaker over a body hugging sweater.

“Darling, if you need to fish for compliments after the smile he slapped on your face last night, go back for round two.”

“Round three.” Flo said, though, she tried not to count Richie’s rounds.

“Really?” Mary said. “Come in, come in. My friend Darlene’s playing with Trevor in the other room.”

Flo stepped in off the step. It was clear she was expected to take off her boots. She squatted down to unzip them. She followed Mary in through to the living room. Trevor was sitting in the living room stacking doll furniture precariously on top of a half turned dollhouse.

“Hey mom!” Trevor said, grinning. “We baked cookies!”

“Oh, really? I thought you had to run away from girl stuff?”

“Cookies are man stuff,” Trevor countered. Then he smirked, looking at the tower that he and Darlene bracketed. His toes swept left. He burst into excited giggling as everything tumbled down violently. Darlene shrieked and laughed.

“I knew that was coming and he still got me,” Darlene climbed up to her feet. She walked over to Flo.

“I know that smile,” Darlene said, insightfully.

Trevor walked over and found himself running straight into Mary’s hand. Mary interrupted Flo preening and wordlessly bragging to Darlene.

“Do you have time for this young man to clean up the toys?”

“Of course I do,” Flo said, squatting down and fluffing up Trevor’s hair. “He’s just like his dad, would never leave his mess for someone else.”

Trevor almost objected. He looked over at them. “It’s also Darlene’s mess.”

Darlene laughed. “More hands will go faster.”

Flo and Mary joined Darlene and Trevor in fitting the toys back into the box that normally sat forgotten in the basement. Flo was surprised to see a tear forming in Mary’s eye. Then she thought of having a kid play Trevor’s old forgotten toys ten years from now. She leaned over and wrapped an arm over Mary.

“You OK?”

“You never stop worrying about them,” Mary sighed. “I just didn’t expect when she moved out of the house she’d be impossible to call or text.”

“That is a nightmare.”

“Does Trevor fight back at every opportunity?” Mary asked.

“He lets one in five hundred go,” Flo laughed.

“That’s a window of hope then,” Mary said. “If you call Lilith to babysit again… No, you’ve never met Harper to ask about her.”

“Yes I have, not enough to have had a conversation, but she’s visited Richie at the restaurant more than a few times.”

Mary saw the smile blooming on Flo’s face. She met someone at Burger King, huh? Mary hadn’t had the opportunity to consider another possibility. She took a moment to tamp down her judgment and make sure her words stayed to herself.

“Hey! I thought you said you were gonna help us!” Trevor complained as he shoved a pink car down into the corner of a box.

“Yeah, I should get home before Caitlin does,” Darlene said. “She and Lawrence have never enjoyed time alone together.”

“You let her out? With her arm like that?”

“She’s an adult,” Darlene said. “You know full well how little you can do, even if you weren’t a lawyer. Besides, she was out with Richie, and you called Lilith, she said Harper was there too. Your daughters make excellent friends.”

“They don’t pick the best boys…” Mary said.

“You want them to pick me?” Trevor interjected, cutting off his mother’s thought. He flexed and Superman posed.

“Oh, sweetheart, more than anything!”

And Flo kept her thoughts to herself.

* * *

Lilith moaned a thank you as Richie rubbed her back and held her hair back from her face. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

“It’s OK, let it all out,” he said.

“I’m pretty sure I just did,” she said. She felt better, but hardly good.

“You sure? A few more deep breaths for safety, OK?” He urged her.

She nodded and tried her best. Her head was clearing. Except for the remnants of her eye makeup, the color was gone from her face.

“Don’t you have a girl for this?” Lilith moaned, as she reached for his hand and he helped her to her feet. She wobbled until she stood tall. She leaned over and hugged him.

“He’s got me,” Caitlin said. “But there’s no way in hell I’m lifting you up.”

Lilith frowned. She looked at Richie.

“Where’s Nat?”

“You need some water, electrolytes,” he said. Caitlin had set a glass of water and the bottle of Gatorade down next to the sink.

“Thank you,” she said, sipping the water lightly and rolling her cracked throat.

“She kept on, driving Zita home,” Richie said.

“And then she took Richie’s parents out for pancakes, to give us an hour or so.”

“She did?” Richie said surprised.

Caitlin tilted her head at Lilith. “You seemed to want to ask her some questions.”

“I’ve got another question,” Lilith said, her fingers slipping to get the plastic seal off the top of the Gatorade. Richie patiently took it from her hands, tore the plastic, uncapped the nipple, and unsealed the mouth. He handed it back to Lilith, ready to drink.

She sucked a blue mouthful and swished it around before swallowing. She moaned, but she was starting to feel human.

“Hey Lil,” Richie said. ‘What do you think about the sex from last night?”

She flicked her eyes at him, trying to consider how to answer him. She failed to push her thoughts sharply through her hangover, even as it slowly abated.

“I was drunk,” she said. “If you want tips on how to better pleasure a woman. Talk to the red cripple.”

“Not the superhero name I wanted,” Caitlin mumbled.

“I’m not worried about how well I did,” Richie said.

“Seriously?” Lilith asked. “I always feel like I should’ve done better.”

“Seriously?” Richie asked.

“Yeah,” Caitlin said. “Did I just lay there? Why didn’t I cum? All kinds of stuff eats you alive the next day. Guys don’t get that?”

“I didn’t know girls got that,” Richie said. “But the answer to that is more practice, right?”

“OK, stop smiling like an idiot,” Caitlin said.

“Why should he? You’re worse than he is,” Lilith said, putting down the water glass and picking up the Gatorade again. It didn’t look like she was drinking more than a few dribbles at a time.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t have to ask ‘Why didn’t I cum?’ since I started fucking Richie,” Caitlin said.

“There is that,” Lilith said.

“I don’t care about how well I did,” Richie said again. “I care about how you feel about having joined in last night and doing things again.”

“It was great,” Lilith said. “Totally do it again. I think Zita needs someone there to hold her hand. But… What about Harper?”

“What about Harper?” Richie obviously dodged. Obvious to Caitlin. Lilith was still focused on recovery.

“You didn’t murder her right?” Lilith asked.

“Jesus Christ! Of course not!” Richie said.

“Good,” Lilith said. “It’s fun getting a little fun with Zita and even Caity—”

“Even Caity?” Caitlin growled.

“I’m not The Ox,” Lilith rolled her eyes. “I like dick. But it’s fun with cool girls.” She put her finger up begging for a second. She tucked her face into her shoulder and did her best to quietly belch out. She tasted her breath when she looked Richie in the face once again. “Sorry.”

“So, dick for Lilith, check,” Richie said. “I’m just doing my best to take care of my girls. Are you one of my girls?”

“Like Harper?”

“Harper was first,” Richie said. Lilith frowned and looked at Caitlin. Caitlin also heard the dodge and frowned behind Richie’s shoulder. She said nothing.

“Like Nat?”

“I don’t know what to do about Nat,” Richie said. “And I don’t think I can go ask someone who knows the answer.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of a touchy subject,” Lilith said. “But I’m not Nat.”

“Oh,” Richie looked disappointed.

“I’ll throw some fun to Caity or preferably Zita.”

“I get it, I’m not the prettiest of us—”

“I don’t think that’s what she’s saying,” Richie said. Lilith punched him. “Ow, what?”

“When a hot chick is legit worried she’s not pretty, you don’t let her keep thinking that!”

Richie caught the next punch.

“There’s no way Caitlin doesn’t know how hot she is,” Richie said, “Right Cait?”

“It’s still nice of you to say it,” she said. “Oh my god! You always told Harper she was pretty! Was that because you had to lie to her to keep her happy?!”

Lilith caught the told. Her stomach twisted but that part of the hangover passed.

“You know what?” Lilith said. “Let’s do it.”

“Do what?” Richie said, caught between two women he wasn’t keeping up with.

“Me, you, Harper, threesome. Tonight. How many guys get to fuck sisters?”

“The way Nat’s sniffing around, I’d say Richie’s got that in the bag!” Caitlin laughed. Richie frowned at her. She took a moment and waved herself down but the laughter did come back a couple of times. “Sorry! Sorry!”

“Lil, you’re not at your sexiest.”

“Still, on the table. You and me and Harper…”

“He’s right,” Caitlin said. “I’m gonna take… Shit, I can’t drive. Harper! No, I don’t think Mary’s in the car lending mood. Zita?”

“Doesn’t have her license,” Lilith said. “What are you on about?”

“First, we’re gonna get you feeling good inside, then we get you and Harper looking good outside. I haven’t had a girls’ day with Harper in forever! It’ll be the best. And then we can all come back here for Richie.”

“You’re just trying to muscle yourself into our threesome!”

“Yeah, of course I am. I had sex for a week over Christmas vacation and back in September. I’m not giving up getting laid ever again!”

“You’re saying you got Lilith,” Richie interjected. “Be careful with your arm.” He leaned in and gave Caitlin and Lilith quick kisses and fled the bathroom.

“Did he just ditch us?” Caitlin grumbled.

“Or you really need to pass me the mouthwash.”

Caitlin leaned in and sniffed. “For my own self esteem I want to believe you.” She picked up the bottle of Scope. “And your throat’s so fucking sour I can live with that.”

* * *

Zita lay on her bed, holding her pillow down on her face, and suffering through existential fear.

Lilith threw up her spiked drink!

Flo stole the spiked drink!

Nat drank the spiked drink!

Zita had been trusted with one job and it had gone catastrophically wrong. Richie had still fucked her though. He had held her. He had said he loved her.

He said he loved Lilith.

Caitlin.

Perla.

Oksana.

Flo.

The sun, the moon, the stars, and the goddamned worms within the dirt. Nat had clearly spiked him with ecstasy.

Maybe he didn’t love her? Zita screamed through her pillow which wasn’t the muffler she had hoped it’d be. There was a knock on the door.

She dragged the pillow of her face and sat up. “What?”

“Hey candybutt,” it was her father, “Everything alright?”

“Boy trouble.”

“Can I come in? Do you want Mom? Is Lilith around?”

“She drank too much.”

“Mom never drinks too much. Nor does she ever drink not enough. She drinks exactly as she means to. Like a wizard.”

Zita laughed and sighed. “Come in, Dad.”

Her father, Vince, opened the door and grinned his big grin. The very same grin Zita had inherited and been gaining and losing every other minute the last few days. He walked over and sat on her unslept in bed by her feet.

“You’re in love with your friend’s boyfriend,” Vince said, with a strange amount of understanding.

“And he knows it and he cares but he’s not giving up his girlfriend,” Zita said.

“Good.”

“What do you mean good?!” Zita growled.

“Hun, if a guy you like’ll sleep around on his girlfriend and that’s how you make him your boyfriend? Sooner or later, he’s gonna sleep around on you and the next girl’ll make him her boyfriend.”

“You were the other guy for Mom,” Zita accused. Her eyes went wide. “Did she cheat on you?”

“No, honey,” he said. “Your mother’s special. And she never cheated on Jared. She strung me along for four weeks while she worked up the courage to actually tell Jared they were broken up. She’d hugged me once during those weeks and she felt guilty about it.”

“Richie’s special,” Zita said.

“I’m sure he is,” Vince said. “But it sounds like he needs to handle himself and Harper, or he’s gonna hurt you more.”

“I don’t mind if he hurts me more,” Zita said quietly.

“That’s not a thing a dad wants to hear,” he sighed and moved forward and hugged his daughter. “Nothing’s easy, when it comes to love. You gotta do what’s hard for him and for you.”

“I didn’t do what he was hoping I would,” Zita said, as she pulled back and looked into her father’s eyes.

Vince, smartly, didn’t say “That’s exactly what a dad wants to hear!” though he thought and had to summon a feat of effort to keep the grin off his face.

“I’m worried I disappointed him,” Zita said.

“You know all of those group projects in school? The ones where they put you and three of your classmates together and you do all the work?”

“Yeah?”

“You know you quit the track team because you had a cold and screwed up a day of practice for the relay race?”

“This isn’t about—”

“You always want to please everybody, Zita,” Vince said. “If Richie’s the kinda guy you’ve told me he is. If you do the right thing and he gets disappointed? It’s only gonna be for a minute. And if he’s not the kind of guy who can look back with a clear head and see you did your best? He’s not the guy you imagine he is.”

Zita nodded. She grew quiet and returned a big hug from her dad. He got up and walked to the door.

“I’m gonna trust you to handle this, but if you want me to talk to Richie, Mary, or Dick. I’m ready and willing. You know why?”

“Why?”

“Because, I know who my daughter is, and she doesn’t disappoint.”

Zita smiled as her father closed the door.

* * *

Oksana parked her car in Perla’s driveway. Perla licked her lips and frowned at Oksana.

“I’m not looking for a good night kiss,” Oksana said. “I wouldn’t stop you if you felt obligated.”

“I do feel obligated,” Perla said, frowning at the front window of her home.

“Sweet! I’m gonna get handsy!”

Perla pushed Oksana’s face back from her without looking.

“I’ve never hid a boyfriend from Papi,” Perla said, “I know we’re the girlfriends of one guy, but maybe you should come in and say hi?”

“How weird are you gonna make it?”

“What? Me?”

“Well, is it gonna be, ‘Hey, Daddy, this is my co-girlfriend Oksana!’ would be pretty fucking weird, you know?”

“I call him Papi,” Perla said, countering.

“Oh my god, that was what you were really thinking!”

“I went to a party last night and my friend, The Ox, drove me home this morning.” Oksana said, really hammering in her nickname.

“That’s not a thing. We’re not making that a thing,” Perla grumbled.

“Why not? It’s badass.”

“You’re not badass.”

“But I could be…”

“And oxes… Oxen are strong. If we keep pretending you’re strong. You’re gonna end up trying to pick up Zita so she can,” Perla stopped talking to waggle her tongue through her fingers in a vee, “upside down in a standing 69 or some shit. You’re gonna drop her on her head and make her retarded.”

“OK, what if I call you a Shining Pearl. Pokemon Pearl? Fuck, I don’t know a good pearl nickname.”

“You made it to 20 years old without calling yourself The Ox, Oksana. You’re not good with nicknames. Please stop trying.”

Perla took a big heavy breath.

“Are we friends?”

“I hope so. If we’re gonna share Richie, I don’t want us being enemies. I hate cattiness.”

“And you chose to like girls.”

“I didn’t choose to,” Oksana said, icily.

“Oh! What, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I know,” Perla tried another big breath. It was starting to work. “I’m thinking too much about Papi. My dad.”

“Yes, I know who you mean when you say Papi,” Oksana said. “You know what you need?”

“What?”

“Someone else to make the choice for you,” Oksana said, turning off the car and unbuckling her seatbelt. “Let’s go say hi.”

Perla couldn’t help but smile in thank you as she unbuckled her belt and got out of the car to lead her friend in to meet her dad.

For the first time, since all of her old friends had moved away, Perla felt like she could really use the word friend and mean it.

* * *

Don sat down as his brother was brought out to the table. Frankie looked worse than ever. His hair was messy. He clearly hadn’t showered (but Don didn’t know if he could have showered his first weekend in prison.) Frankie’s shirt was askew.

“Dad and Mom are signing off to take you home,” Don said.

“No.” Frankie said. “No.”

“What do you mean ‘No’?” Don said. “Do you want to stay in this place?”

Technically it wasn’t prison, as the facility was for medical inmates. Not specifically mental health, but the long term stays were for mental reasons.

“I’m not going to move away,” Frankie said. “What I need is here.”

“Look, someone signs for you until the trial, or you stay here. Mom and Dad are willing.”

“You can do it.”

“But I won’t.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! You’re supposed to be my brother!”

“You went over to Flo’s place against permission, Frankie. I have her and we have Trevor to think about.”

“I love Trevor! He’s the best and he’s not gonna end up like me!” Frankie said, shaking his head. “He’s got you.”

Don sighed. He looked over his fuckup little brother.

“Mrs Cowie’s not happy with the idea of you leaving with Mom and Dad. She doesn’t think you’re sick enough in the right way to get off with that kind of conservatorship,” Don sighed. “I can’t house you. But there is a halfway house, that’s willing. You have to wear an ankle bracelet. You have to take drug tests. One fuckup and its jail. Not a second chance with Mom and Dad, Frankie. Straight up jail.”

“But I’d get to stay?” Frankie said. “Then I have to do it.”

“Mom and Dad land tonight. We’ll talk things over with Mrs Cowie, and then we’ll come see you. Best behavior. If there’s any trouble, I will not help you.”

“Thank you,” Frankie said, smiling.

Don didn’t smile back.

* * *

Harper frowned as Morwen called in a pale thin haired woman to their viewing of the Richie show. It was hard to keep track of time. Harper wasn’t certain she was sleeping. Hours were passing, days, but there was no dark space, no dream time. Everything was a continual run of consciousness and disconnected memory.

Morwen pulled aside the skirts of her long gown and the thin-haired woman sat squatting between Morwen’s knees and licked and fingered without a word. Morwen rolled out a smug smile and picked up a piece of sticky fruit from the table.

“I could make you do Valerie’s work,” Morwen said, licking her fingers clean.

“I know,” Harper said, tightly.

“I do prefer younger and novel,” Morwen said. “Who do you think Richie tires of first? I, mmm, think it’s your sister.”

“Can I have someone come in for me?” Harper asked, looking at Valerie’s almost robotic attention.

“Oh?” Morwen turned her vocalization into a tease for Harper. “You’ve grown a taste of the finer sex?”

“The fairer sex?” Harper asked.

“I have dark girls too,” Morwen slipped another piece of peach in between her lips. “Forbidden fruit is so lovely.”

“I didn’t mean white and black…” Harper frowned. “That’s where the words come from though? Huh… Who’s the fairest of them all?”

“Oh, oh… Oksana easily,” Morwen said. “Caitlin’s too prone to freckles to keep her skin fair.”

Harper glowered at her.

“Don’t worry,” Morwen reached across the table and squeezed Harper’s fingers. Harper scowled at the sticky juice Morwen hadn’t licked away. “You’re still young and novel. But I don’t want to get addicted until our deal is finished.”

Morwen started panting and breathing raggedly. Valerie suffered blandly through it, seemingly knowing when to take her tongue and fingers back before leaving without a word.

“So we wait until Friday?” Harper said.

“Do we?” Morwen laughed brightly. “Lilith is unfinished. Your mother is beyond frustrated. Darlene Little has more attention on her daughter than Caitlin thinks. You think he can last until Friday? You don’t think he’ll be forced to end this sooner?”

Harper found she couldn’t throw away Morwen’s fingers. But she could smirk and say.

“Would it matter? Lilith’s bean is wasted harmless on Flo’s back lawn? He will never use it.”

“He put it past her lips,” Morwen chuckled. “That is commitment enough for me.”

“But is it for your bosses?” Harper grinned.

“There are always rats or birds or something,” Morwen said. “I appreciate your attempts at scare tactics. Yet, I’ve played this game enough. The last bean is his last way back to you.”

Fucking please, Mom… Harper thought. Stew impotently in your worry and hold down your anger. Like no woman in our family has ever managed to do.

* * *