Page 12 of Two For One

She moaned loudly and while I was a little weirded out, but I would have given my left nut to see her come. Her breathing was a little loud, but nothing was louder than the two cats still fucking around with each other.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, guys! I can’t have a little self-care in peace. That was a good fucking sex scene, you assholes!” she yelled. “I’m going to sell you fuckers so I can listen to my books in peace!”

I chuckled, relieved she was just getting herself off to an audiobook and not some guy who she called, daddy. I walked quietly to the kitchen, hearing her move around in her room accompanied by the sound of water. Maleficent came to say goodbye and I gave her a quick pat, leaving before she caught me. Slowly opening the door, I shut it and closed it with my tools. I went down the stairs silently, leaving the building without being spotted. The neighborhood was quiet as I slid into my car, pulling out my phone to jot some notes and get Maleficent a treat because I needed her on my side if I was going to keep visiting.

Fuck Merlin.

4

Xiomara

WHEN A MAN HANDS YOU A HUNDRED, SMILE BUT WHEN HE HANDS YOU TWO HUNDRED, MAYBE SMILE FOR REAL.

Fall was slowly arriving, the days were getting cooler, and I couldn’t wait till the leaves started turning. It was the start of my favorite season and getting closer to my favorite holiday. Grabbing my bag out of the car, I walked across the street to the post office.

“Hello, darling!” Silvia greeted me from behind the counter.

“Hey girl. How ya doing?” I asked, putting all my envelopes into the bin she had left out for me.

“Well, I’m here,” she sighed. “Girl, you have a lot of envelopes today! That's great!”

“Yeah. It’s really starting to take off. My monthly snail mail has grown a lot this month,” I said, putting the last of the envelopes into the bin. “It’s close to Halloween and I always get the biggest surge around this time.”

“Can you do a reading for me?” Silvia asked nervously.

“Yeah, I can,” I said smiling, hoping to ease her nervousness.

“How…how much?” she asked.

“Are you sure you want one?” I asked, getting some weird vibes from her. “You know we don’t need to know everything.”

“I think he’s cheating on me,” she whispered.

“He probably is,” I said, grabbing her hand feeling her uneasiness. “Always trust your gut.”

She nodded. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I know some people who can kick his ass,” I said, earning a smile.

“I might take you up on that offer.” She wiped her eyes.

I took a deep breath, wondering if I should intervene.

“If you still want a reading, I can give you one, but I have a feeling that you are right and my feelings are never wrong,” I said, squeezing her hand.

“I think I just needed someone to—” she sighed. “I think I just need someone else to say it so I can process it.”

“He’s cheating, Silvia. Leave the bastard,” I said, as someone walked in. “If you need help, let me know. I really do know people.”

“What about something to keep him away? Or make him pay?” She smiled at the new customer.

“I can make him stay away,” I said, patting her hand. “Or we can make him pay, help lady karma out so he gets what he deserves. You just let me know when you are ready for that.”

“Ok, thank you,” she said. “Have a good day.”

“You too, don’t take any of his shit. You are a strong woman and he’s lucky you dated his sorry ass.” I walked away, hoping that she left him before it was too late.

I took a left, walking to the local craft store, taking a deep breath and enjoying stretching my legs. The closer I got to the store an overwhelming feeling of being watched came over me. Glancing behind me quickly, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.