My damn mind, that thing that was so freaking hard to turn off, was finally silent.
Chapter 7 – Amanda
There was a pounding somewhere in the distance. I tore through the swell of unconsciousness while oblivion tried to push me down. My lids peeled off my eyes, and I gazed blankly into the gloom of my bedroom.
My phone was dead on the charging pad. The damn thing came unplugged again, something I hadn’t noticed when I set the phone down.
I forced myself out of the covers, pausing only to grab a sweatshirt. Bits and pieces of a dream flitted through my mind. It wasn’t until I faced the front door that my heart skipped.
Did last night really happen? I ran my hands over my body. It didn’t feel satisfied, which made sense since I’d been denied the release in the dream. I thought I remembered taking care of the itch with the purple bunny ear toy, but that was also the same time I took the sleeping pills, so who could say? The only evidence was the smell of the pool.
I definitely went swimming and didn’t bother to shower. That was the only thing I could say with certainty.
An angry fist thumped on the door.
Something told me it wasn’thim. No…he wouldn’t bother knocking.
“He would have found a way in.” My whisper came out as a hollow rasp.
Clearing my throat, I inched forward and pressed my face against the wood. On the other side of the peephole was a platinum blonde with big tits and a wriggling puffball in her arms.
Great.
Running my fingers through my hair, I gave the sticky, chlorinated mess a fluff. There weren’t enough beauty aids in the world to make me presentable for the demon spawn waiting on the other side.
“Carole! Good morning, what a pleasant surprise!” I smiled widely as I pulled the door open.
Brown eyes raked over me. “It’s two o’clock in the afternoon, and you’re still not dressed?”
Crap, there went my Saturday morning. Stupid pills.
And now my stepmom had caught me.
Just freaking great.
With a stifled sigh, I stepped aside and let the child of Satan enter my sanctuary. A man, who was as tall as me with a groovy handlebar mustache, ambled behind her. I hadn’t noticed him, but what was another witness to this disaster? Carole seeing me made it ten times as bad. The man gave me a friendly smile, but I caught the grimace he shared with Queen Barbie as I locked the door.
“We have our work cut out for us,” Carole said flatly.
Ignoring the jab, I made a beeline for my espresso machine. “Can I offer either of you a coffee?”
“Ooh, a Cafspress 800! I have the 700 model. I would love to see what kind of joe the upgrade makes,” the man said in a heavy accent that I couldn’t place.
I gave him a short nod. “It’s worth every penny. Carole?”
“No…thanks.” The sniff was implied. “Is there volcanic spring water? Chandler is thirsty. Aren’t you, precious?”
The puffball sneezed.
“Ack, do you have perfume or a Scentsy pot? You know Chandler’s allergies are sensitive to inorganic scents!” Carole whipped her plastic face around, searching for the source of the dog’s sneezes.
“I have an air plug.” I jerked a thumb over my shoulder. “Didn’t know you were coming, or I would have smudged the place.”
The strange man hid his laugh by trying to seem busy.
“Here you go. I’m Amanda, by the way.” I handed the cup of coffee to the guest.
“Bill.”
