Succubus on Top CHAPTER 3

Youre such a dork, DougFuck, that hurtDoug Sato, the other dys period of playctional assistant manager here and iodin of the well-nigh entertaining mortals I knew, pulled off the rubber mask hed been wearing, revealing the beautiful features hed inherited from his Japanese ancestors. He rubbed his forehead, giving me a wounded scowl. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the mask was no that of a demon but rather D prowessh Maul from The Phantom Menace. I should get hold of fill inn. no.self-respecting demon would thrust had that many horns.What be you doing? I leaned down to pick up my scattered belongings. Halloween was, bid, a week ago.Yeah, I know. Everythings on sale. I got this for three dollars.You got ripped off.Boy, youre whiz(a) to nag, dud I-Show-Up-When-I-Feel-Like-It. Youre lucky its honest me here.Why are you here?Doug and I held the same position. On days when we overlapped, we usually worked different shifts, not identical ones. It was for the trump. We usu ally put off each other enough to accomplish the work of one person. Some convictions less.He grabbed the choke pole of the rolling desk moderate and amazingly flipped his body into it, the impact of which caused the chair to roll half-way across the office. Paige called me in. Shes sick.Paige, our manager, was more or less six months pregnant. Is she okay?Dunno. If she gets get out, shell come in later.He spun well-nigh the room a few times, so rolled up to the desk and beat out a fast rhythm on it with his reach. I presumed the cadence was from one of his bands songs.Jesus, youre wound up forthwith. You get lucky last shadow?I get lucky constantlyy night, Kincaid.Whatever. Your demon mask was more believable than that.Okay, maybe Im not getting lucky every night unspoilt now, but thats going to change. The groups getting fucking amazing.Ive always thought you guys were fucking amazing, I stated loyally.Doug shook his head, dark fondnesss al closely feverishly bright . Oh no. You cant take down believe it now. We got this new drummer, and suddenlyits just like, I dont knowwere doing things weve never done before.I frowned. Because of one drummer?No, I mean, its all of us. Hes just one of the good things thats happened. Its likeeverythings just clicking into go forth. You ever occupy days like that? When everything is perfect? Well, were having weeks like that. Songs. Gigs. Style. His enthusiasm was palpable, and it do me smile. Were even playing the Verona.Seriously?Yup.Thats a major venue. I mean, its not like the Tacoma Dome or anything, but thusly, they wouldnt let you play there anyway if you didnt have a monster transport worked into the act.He spun the chair around over again. You should come see it. A bunch of the other staff is. Itll be the greatest night of your life.I dont know. Ive had a push-down storage of great nights.Second best then. Unless youre thinking of joining my groupies. Id let you be their leader, you know. You could always have first dibs on me.I rolled my eyes, then glum pensive as the sex jokes re objected me of my recent solidification issues.Hey Doug, do you think men and women can date without having sex?He had been tipping way sticker in the chair and suddenly snapped forward. Oh my God. You are thinking of joining the groupies.Im serious. Two slew dating without sex. Fact or fantasy?Okay, okay. For how long? A week?No. Like, months.Are they Amish?No.Are they ugly?Er, no.No.No what?No, they cant do it. Not in this day and age. Why do you want to know?No reason.He cut me an arch carry. Of course not. He didnt know about Seth and me, but he did know me.Our phones intercom came to life just then, asking for backup on the registers.Paper rock scissors? Doug asked, spinning the chair around again.Nah, Ill go. I should make up for my tardiness. Besides, I think you guide to come down from your caffeine high. Or your megalomania high. Not sure which.He flashed me a grin and turned to the paused game of Tetris on our voiced reckoner.Truthfully, I didnt mind going out anyway. I worked for the fun of it, not the money. Immortality was long, and vocation and daily work sort of regulated kind existence, even if I wasnt technically human anymore. It just felt right to be doing something, and unlike so many other unfortunate souls in this world, I actually liked what I did for a living.I checked in on Seth a few times as I worked throughout the day, drank a lot of white-chocolate mochas, and dealt with what was becoming a heavy flow of business as the holiday season grew ever closer. At one point, I finally did have to pull Doug out with me. I found him in our office, still playingTetris.I opened my mouth to make a joke about his work ethic and then caught sight of the computer screen. He played Tetris on a regular basis, so I was familiar with the game and his prowess, but what I saw now blew my mind. His score was the highest Id ever seen, and he was at such an a dvanced level now that the pieces zoomed down the screen. I couldnt follow them. Yet, he caught and placed them all, never scatty a beat.My God, I muttered. There was no way his hands and reflexes could be responding like that. The computer would probably implode at any moment. I guess everything real is clicking into place for you lately. He laughed, either at my pun or my astonishment. Need me out there?Yeahthough it seems so wasteful now compared to thismastery. Like interrupting Michelangelo.Doug shrugged obligingly, boot out down the game, and followed me out. I think the computer was relieved. He and I worked together cheerfully for the rest of my shift. His good mood over the bands success kept him dapper and lively, making the day fly by. When it was time for me to go, I offered to close for him since hed had to come in unexpectedly early. He waved me off.Forget about it. Go do something fun tonight.As I was leaving the store, I passed a rack of magazines and saw a copy of the latest issue of American Mystery. In big letters, one of the headlines read Cady and ONeill Return Seth Mortensen gives us an exclusive novella.Eek. What a bad girlfriend I was. Seth had told me about this storys upcoming appearance, and Id completely forgotten about it. It had just come out yesterday. Apparently being with him regularly was distracting me from his art. Before the publication of his last novel, Id literally marked off days on my schedule until its release. Longing washed over me, but I knew I couldnt read this story tonight. Bastien had left me a cell phone message saying hed cede by my place later, and I had a feeling hed distract me for most of the evening.Tomorrow, I promised myself. Id read the story tomorrow.Id just settled in back stead when Bastien showed up bearing Thai food.How was the literary world today? he asked as we had a picnic on my living room floor. Aubrey respected sharply from a discreet distance, her eyes fixed covetously on a contai ner of green curry. Pad Thai did cypher for her.Weird, I reflected, recalling sleeping in late, Dougs behavior, and the frenetic pace of early holiday shopping. Yours?It was clear from his expression hed been dying to tell me this from the moment hed cleared my door.Fantastic. I moved into the house today. You should see the neighborhood. Its the American Dream and then some. Big appliances. Manicured lawns. Three-car garages.Three cars? Do you even have a car?Sure do. Company car.Hmphf. No one ever gave me a company car.Thats because you arent on the verge of the Seduction of the Century. I even met her al constitute.Dana?First day, and she comes to me Can you believe it? Its like I dont even have to do anything. This operation just runs itself. I am its in additionl. Its plaything even or rather, Danas plaything.I dont know about that, I noted dryly, unless youre going to add that she jumped on you and ripped your clothes off today too.Well, no. She actually just came by to we lcome me to the neighborhood. scarce, she did also invite me to a party shes hosting. A Barbecue in November. Charming, huh?Adorable. Nothing I hunch forward better than eating hot dogs in the cold.He elbowed me. Its a theme, Fleur . Its fun. And its all indoors. You know, youre turning into a regular cynic lately.Not cynical. Just still speculative of this whole thing. It seems overly elaborate for what it is. A lot of work for one lay.One lay? He tsked me and shook his head. Let me see your laptop.I retrieved it from my bedchamber and returned to find Aubrey licking the edges of my plate. I shooed her away and handed Bastien the computer. A few quick clicks, and he soon had the Committee for the Preservation of Family Values website open. Danas organization. Most of her radio broadcasts were archived and on tap(predicate) for download. He picked one, and we finished the rest of our meal to the sound of her rich, melodic voice.The first broadcast concerned homosexuality. The CPFV maintained an appearance of sugarcoated goodness, a desire to help people and improve American life. Consequently, because being openly racist or sexist was not good for ones image anymore, the organization only espoused views slanted in those directions in subtle ways. Blatantly condemning homosexuality, however, was not entirely taboo yet unfortunately and the bulk of this broadcast involved Dana oozing on about the impressiveness of helping those people to understand the true way both nature and God intended love to be. Toleration of such misguided lifestyles, she claimed, would lead to a breakdown in our families. The children. For Gods sake, think of the children.Her succeeding(a) broadcast damned the abominable state of todays clothing. School uniforms and fashion censoring were the only ways to go. How could we expect preadolescent girls to grow up with any self-respect when they walked around dressed like sluts? It led to sexual acts they werent ready for, not to mention instilling in them the image that their value came from appearance, not character.I thought of the lacy purple thong I wore under my jeans just then. What was wrong with character and sex appeal?The ternary one we listened to concerned the futility of teaching teenagers about safe sex and contraception. Abstinence training was the way to go. Keep them in pure ignorance. End of story.Enough, I verbalize at that point. Her shallow, prejudiced values cloaked in so-called love and kindness unsettled the food in my stomach.Bastien grinned. Still think its just one lay?I stretched back on my carpet, resting my feet on his lap. He massaged them for me. I hate hypocrites, good or evil. Doesnt matter what theyre touting.You should hear some of her background, some of the historic issues shes advocated for with her group. Lovely stuff there I researched her all day. I can pull it up for you. I held up a hand. No, please. I believe you. The boeuf must fall, okay? If I had a sword , Id tap your shoulders and send you off with my blessings.He lay down beside me. Well, why dont you take a front-row seat then? Come to the party with me. Im sure no one would mind if Mitch brought his sister.Party on the Eastside? My blessing only goes so far.Oh, come on. Admit it. You have a perverse desire to meet her in the flesh. Besides, its been a while since youve seen me in action. You might pick up on a few things. construct some pointers.Laughing, I rolled over on my side to better study him. Like I need pointers from you.He rolled to his side as well, smirking. Yeah? Then prove it. Lets go out tonight. Lets go hunting.My smile diminished. What?Just like the old days. Well find some club, work up a sweat, then tag respective fixes for the night.Bittersweet memories flashed into my brain, recalling the French cabarets of the nineteenth century. Bastien and I would go out in fine form, separate, and meet back in the morning time to laugh and brag about our conquests. The game no longer held much appeal. I dont do that anymore. I told you that.Yeah, but youve still got to survive.I am surviving. I got a fix just a couple days ago. Im set for a while. Bastien scowled. A few days ago? Bleh. This writer guys making you boring. Hey, it has nothing to do with him. Its my choice.Sure.Whats with the tone?Not sure. I mean, I thought the whole writer-dating thing was amusing at first even if he seems kind of stifle and will probably only end up causing you pain. But now Im starting to think its indicative of a larger issue with you. I mean, theres the whole nice guy hang-up to begin with. Then youre, what? An assistant manager at a track recordstore? Not to mention the fact that you have a cat.Aubrey glared, and so did I. Theres nothing wrong with having a cat. And Seth isnt dull.I suppose youd know better. He just didnt really strike me as much, thats all. If you cherished to obsess about a mortal, I could find you a better one.I dont want a better one. I mean, there is no better one. I want him.Suit yourself. Youre just becoming ordinary, thats all. You used to be extraordinary.Ouch. All this because I wont go out with you tonight?Bastien shrugged.Okay then. Well go. But no victim for me.Fair enough.We went down to a club in Pioneer Square, both of us groomed to the kind of sexy, beautiful perfection that only an cargo and a succuba could achieve. I had pulled my hair up in messy, sex-kitten glory and wore a baby blue tank top with a V-neck that almost went to my tummy button. The opening was covered in very sheer lace and made wearing a bra utterly pointless. So I didnt.The tension amongst us evaporated as we hit the dance floor. The rhythm pulsed through me, the movement and sweat intoxicating. Bastien and I danced together for a while, both of us aware of the admirers we drew, even in a packed room like this. Physical attraction was about so much more than just superficial appearance. It was about eye contact, outgoingness , and movement too. Incubi and succubi learn this early on, and the good ones move with a grace few mortals can match. I, who had danced well before becoming a succubus, knew I was among the best when it came to body language. Watching us was irresistible. A turn-on in itself.After a while, we split up. The results of the succubus game distressed me sometimes, but the game itself was fun. really fun. I moved from partner to partner, thriving on the effect I created, on the desire I could see mounting in those whose bodies mine toyed with. It was why, disrespect my frequent bitching, I had given up my mortal soul for this vocation.I confess, that the thought of going home with someone grew tantalizing, my body warming to the idea of someones hands upon me, but then I thought about Seth and his determined adherence to the arrangement wed entered into. No. No superfluous victims for me tonight. I could be good. I wanted to be good. Id wait until I actually needed a recharge.From acro ss the room, Bastien inclined his head to me when he left the club, his arm around a small, entranced blonde. When he turned, I noticed a brunette in his other arm.Overachiever.It was two in the morning when I finally made it home. I woke aching and tired the next day, the weather making me feel worse. Rain formed a steady gray curtain as I walked to work. Everything seemed colder. I had been raised in a warm Mediterranean climate I could never quite accept these kinds of temperatures.When I showed up at the bookstore, it had once again opened without me. Oddly, though, despite exactly the same staff working today, I didnt get the same boisterous greetings as yesterday.Casey and Janice, on the registers, paused in their work to watch me walk in, their expressions enigmatic. Janice leaned over, murmuring something in the other womans ear. When they noticed my curious look, they both forced smiles. Hey, Georgina.Hey, I responded, puzzled and slightly uncomfortable.Passing by the infor mation desk a moment later, I found Beth regarding me with an equally peculiar look.Hows it going? I asked when she didnt say anything.Fine. She hastily turned to the computer screen in front of her.Now, Id been subjected to my share of strange looks upon coming into work before, but this was weird even for me.Sometimes, after being with a lover, their absorbed life energy gave me a glamour that unconsciously attracted mortals. It was the same glow that Hugh had teased me about during poker. That was not to blame now, however. My last fix, as Id told Bastien, had occurred a few days ago. The glow would have weakened by now. Besides, I know entranced looks when I saw them. These were not it. These were curious, what-is-she-doing looks. The kind of looks you get when you have food on your face or a missing button. The likelihood of either of those seemed low, but I ducked into the restroom anyway, just to check.Nope. Flawless. A long denim skirt and a navy, off-the-shoulder sweater. B oth smooth and perfect. theme in place. Unbound hair hanging to the bottom of my shoulder blades. A typical look for me. Nothing to warrant this attention.Assuming I was reading too much into things, I continued on to thecafe,getting a friendly nod from Seth as he worked in his corner. At least he was behaving normally.A new barista bustled at the espresso bar, and she nearly dropped the cups she held upon seeing me.H-hi, she stammered out, wide-eyed, looking me over from head-to-toe.Hi, I returned. This woman didnt even know me. Why was she acting weirdly too? intermediate white-chocolate mocha.It took her a moment to churn into action, writing my order on a cup. As she rang it up at the register, she asked curiously, Youre Georgina, right?Um, yeah. Why?Just heard of you, thats all. She looked back down.She said no more to me after that, simply making and handing me the mocha. Taking it, I walked over to Seth and sat across from him. The barista continued watching us with interes t, though she right away turned away upon catching my eye.Hey, Seth greeted me, eyes and fingers busy.Hey, I returned. Everyones acting really weird today.He glanced up. Are they? I immediately recognized the thrall he fell into when his writing seized him. He became even more distracted and scattered than usual under such conditions. A succubus should be so lucky to have that kind of effect on a man.Yeah. Have you noticed anything? I feel like people are staring at me.He shook his head, stifling a yawn before returning to typing. Things seem the same to me. I like your sweater. Maybe its that.Maybe, I conceded, slightly mollified by the compliment, even if I didnt believe it. Not wanting to distract him further, I stood up and stretched. I should get back to work. Glancing over at the espresso bar, I noticed Andy, one of the cashiers, buying coffee. There I hissed to Seth. Did you see that?See what?Andy just smirked.No he didnt.He did. I swear it.When I went downstairs, back to th e main part of the store, I passed Warren. Mid-fifties and strikingly handsome, the stores morally questionable owner had once been a regular for me before Id promised Jerome Id go back to seducing good men. Warren and I had not had sex in some time. Considering my current regiment of decent souls, I kind of missed having an occasional guilt-free one.Hello, Georgina. I was relieved to see he at least didnt give me any of those gaping looks. Been up talking to Mortensen, I presume?Yes, I agreed, wondering if I was going to be chastised for not getting to work right away.Pity you had to take the stairs. We do have an elevator, you know. Now I stared open-mouthed. Of course we had an elevator. It was key operated, there for handicapped customers and shipment transport, and was almost never used otherwise. Yes. I know that.Warren winked at me and continued on his way upstairs. Just making sure. shaking my head, I went back to the main floor and took over a register, giving Andy his lunc h break. Janice and Casey remained stiff with me at first, eventually warming somewhat as time progressed. Other staff, moving in and out around me, continued to give me wondering looks, occasionally whispering to each other when they thought I wouldnt notice.When Seth passed by at one point to tell me he had to run errands but would see me later, I thought Beth dropping off a book might pass out.All right, I exclaimed once Seth was gone, whats going on here?Casey, Beth, and Janice all turned sheepish.Nothing, Georgina, honest. Beth gave me what was apparently supposed to be a winning smile. The others remained silent, faces perfectly innocent, nigh angelic.I didnt believe any of it, of course. Something weird was going on. Weirder than usual. I needed answers, and there was only one person in the store candid enough to give them to me. Shutting down my register, I stormed back to my office where Doug sat occupied by the computer.Bursting in, I opened my mouth, ready to rant and r ave. He jumped about two feet in the air at my sudden arrival, reflexes kicking in with astonishing speed so as not to slosh coffee from the cup he had just raised to his lips. There was a funny look on his face, almost like guilt. No suspect some other Tetris game was in progress.But it wasnt that that delayed my tirade. A strange feeling was creeping along my flesh a feeling that brushed my unending senses, rather than the usual five that accompanied a human body. It felt weird, almost uncomfortable. Like nails raking down a chalkboard. Nothing I could identify or had even ever felt before. I looked around the room, half-expecting to find another immortal lurking, even though that strange sensation didnt quite touch me like the signature Id usually feel off of an individual.Doug drank from the cup and then set it down, watching me with bemused calmness. Something I can help you with, Kincaid?Blinking, I gave the office another once-over and then shook my head. The feeling disa ppeared. What the hell? I could have blamed it on stress-induced imagination, but after over a millennium of succubus life, I doubted my immortal senses would start falling prey to hallucinations now. And yet the only thing in here that could possibly be construed as supernatural or divine was Dougs Tetris mastery. That, I thought wryly, had more to do with hours of skirting work than any sort of magic.Remembering my righteous fury, I pushed aside that momentary outlandishness and ratcheted my anger back up to the other weirdness in my life.What the fuck is going on? I exclaimed, slamming the door.My sweet Tetriss kills?No With everyone Why is everyone treating me so oddly today? They keep staring at me like Im a freak or something.Dougs expression stayed baffled, and then I saw understanding flood his face. Ah. That. You really dont know?I could have grabbed his neck and shook him. Of course I dont know Whats going on?Casually, he moved some papers around on the desk and lifted u p a copy of American Mystery. You read Seths story yet?I havent had time.He tossed me the magazine. Do it. Go take your dinner party break somewhere not here and read. I wont leave until you get back.Looking at the time, I realized his shift was nearly over. But whats that got to do with He held up a hand to silence me. Just read it. Now.Scowling, I took the magazine and left the store, settling myself at one of my favoritecafesdown the street. With clam chowder secured, I turned to the first page, wondering what in the world Doug expected me to find.As Seth had explained a few weeks ago, the story was more of a self-contained mystery, traffic little with the overarching psychology and development of his characters. Cady and ONeill worked for a fictitious institute based out of Washington, D.C., one that researched and secured archaeological and artistic relics. Thus, the two often found themselves liberating art from international thieves or uncovering mysterious code on a piec e of pottery. In traditionally gendered styles, Bryant ONeill worked as a sort of field agent, doing most of the physical work, getting into a lot of fist-fights and whatnot. Demure Nina Cady focused on the research, often staying up late to unravel some key piece of turn out in an ancient text.This particular story contained a lot of those same elements, but like always, Seths beautiful writing and quick, witty dialogue kept the stuff captivating. In another trend consistent with his characters behavior, ONeill almost always got involved with some beautiful woman, though Seths last book had turned this pattern on its head, letting Cady finally see some action. The story I read today fell into old ways, and ONeill, in his ever suave manner, made the moves on a stunning museum curatorGenevieve sauntered through the halls, a queen among subjects, surveying people and displays with both calculation and command. With those green-flecked hazel eyes, she put him in mind of a cat sizing up its next meal. He felt exactly like prey as she paused in front of him, favoring him with a languid look that oozed over his body, her tongue lightly moistening bee-stung lips.Oh God, to be a mouse, he thought.Mr. ONeill, she purred, brushing a lock of that shining hair away from her face. Faint streaks of dulcify laced those pale brown strands, like gold veins in ore. He wanted to bury his face in it. He wanted to taste it. Youre late. disdain nearly a foot separating their heights, he felt like the underling here, like he should do penance for his tardiness and kneel in her presence. Not that he would mind that so much, he decided, trying not to stare at the way her dresss thin material molded itself to her hips and full breasts. Those breasts, he decided, were perfect. Definitely impressive in size, but not grotesquely out of control. And their shapeah, even a master sculptor could never have duplicated those exquisite curvesRealizing she expected a response, he filed his bas e thoughts away under L for Later and gave her an unruffled smile.My apologies. Now probably wasnt the time to mention the attack back at his hotel. But I never rush anything. At least not when a womans involved. With that being only the mildest of the suggestive dialogue, I wasnt surprised when things escalated between them near the end of the story. After all, I thought dryly, it wouldnt be a true Cady and ONeill experience if someone didnt score. And man, did he score. The feline comparisons were right on because Genevieve was a cat in heat. She ended up tying ONeill up in an elevator, performing an array of kinky acts on him that made even me raise an eyebrow. I was surprised American Mystery hadnt edited them out, though Id be lying if I said it wasnt sort of a turn-on to realize such sordidness had come from mild, contented Elevator?We do have an elevator, you know, Warren had told me.Light brown hair. Hazel-green eyes. Petite. Nice breasts.Ahh I cried, dropping the magazine as if it might bite me. It landed next to my now-empty bowl, and a passing waitress gave me a startled look. Hastily leaving a wad of cash on the table, I grabbed my coat and purse and sprinted back to the bookstore. Doug was still playing Tetris in our office, but I was too upset to speculate much on what was again an amazing performance.All those looks. The whispers and smirks. It all made sense now.They think its me I told him, making him jump for the second time that day. Genevieve. They all think Im some sort of horny, rope-wielding, elevator-fetish dominatrixDoug raised an eyebrow. You mean you arent?