His Favorite Girl (11 page)

"Flora, what are you--"

She looked up at me, eyes glazed over.  When the right strap of her dress fell off her shoulder, I tried to scoot off the bed, but she came at me too quickly, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her lips to mine.

A hot current of electricity shot through my body.

I turned it on.  Oh God.  I turned it on.

I slipped my hands between us, intent on pushing her away, but when I felt her breasts I squeezed them.  We kissed deeply, licking each other's tongue.  I became lost in the contrast between the smooth muscle of her tongue's bottom and the rougher texture of her taste buds.  Her fingertips glided down my sides, across the seam of my jeans.  We both sat up on our knees as Flora unbuttoned my pants and I ran my hand down her stomach, around her inner thigh, back up again, raising the skirt of her dress until I found the warmth of her crotch
.

In my periphery, Liu flopped off the bed and skittered away, probably to the shower room.

"We have . . . to stop," I breathed, but Flora's lips never left mine, and soon I was on my back with my legs in the air, watching her loose ponytail bounce as she fought with my jeans.

A few moments without contact brought my senses back, and as Flora pulled her dress over her head, I spun around, jumped down off the bed, and backed away, still watching her.  She moved as if in slow motion, the dress like a curtain revealing the prize behind it.  Sharp hip bones, naval, smooth, honey-colored midriff, perfect breasts, and finally her adorable face.

She brought her arms down, still clutching the dress with one hand but slipping the other into her panties and starting to hump her own fingers.

"What's . . . h-happening . . . to me?" she asked.  Her head rolled back and her back arched and she
gasped at the ceiling.  "Fuck me . . . please . . ."

I had to act quickly.  If I stared at her long enough, I would be drawn back in.  On top of the pleasure coursing through my veins, I could feel the Love Drug taking effect, bathing me in emotional warmth, making my heart feel bruised, evoki
ng laughter and undue happiness, naivety, innocence.

Flora's ocean-blue eyes remained fixed on me as she masturbated with both hands.  She cried out, muscles tensing.

I dove for her arm, clutching it just above the elbow and squeezing the little scar with my thumb until I felt the click of the button inside.

Then I fell on top of her and we lay in a tight embrace fingering each other
and making out until the Libido Drug began to taper.

A while later we lay on our backs, glistening with sweat and panting, holding hands atop the damp comforter.

"That was amazing," Flora said.  "Amazing."

"Yes."

"I didn't know I could feel that way."

I turned over, intending to put my arm around her, but instead I ran my finger up and down her breast and around her nipple as I spoke.  "It's not real, Flora.  It's a chemical.  Not natural, not good for you."

She nodded, swallowed.

"Have you ever read William S. Burroughs?"

"I don't know who that is."

"He's a writer."

"Okay."

"He said, 'Anything that can be done chemically can be done by other means.'  I read that once."

"You read a lot, don't you?"

Another nod.  "I love books.  And music.  I just love learning new things, committing them to memory."

The more time I spent around Flora and Judy, the more I felt like a dumbass.  All I had for a counterbalance was Liu, and I'd just broken her nose.

"We better go find Liu.  I hurt her pretty bad."

Flora shot up like a weed and climbed off the bed. She spoke with deep, sincere concern, her voice almost cracking. "Oh
no
, I forgot.  Where did she go?"

Meeting her at the bedside, I took her hand and led her through the corridor into the shower room, where Liu sat by the water holding a bloody wad of toilet paper to her nose.

Flora leaned close to me as we approached and whispered, "Tell her you're sorry."

I wasn't sorry.  I'd reduced her to a beaten child, whimpering and helpless, but despite her very real pain, I knew it was all an act.  The only thing I could think about now was Patton coming to pick her up in the morning.  Liu would play the innocent victim.  She would cry her beady little eyes out and plea for rescue.

And Patton was a sucker for girls in need.

"Is it broken?" I asked.

"I dunno."  Her deadpan, nasally voice made me feel giggly inside.

"She needs a doctor," Flora said.

"Only one of those around here," Liu said.  She pulled the toilet paper away to expose her swollen nose and crusty, coagulated smile.

"Do you want me to call him?" I asked dry.

"No."

"Are you sure?" Flora asked.

"Did I fucking stutter?"

Flora tensed and squeezed my hand.

I didn't know where to go from here.  Sighing, I said, "Can we
get
you anything?"

"Sure can," Liu said.  She started kicking her feet out like a little kid anticipating a birthday gift.  "I get to see James whenever I want, and tomorrow I'll tell Patton I fell.  If I
don't
get to see James whenever I want, I tell Patton something different."

"How about I just finish the job?"

Liu stood shakily, but she stared me down like a hawk.

"Go ahead," she said.

Flora squeezed so hard I could feel her rapid pulse--or maybe it was my own.  I turned away and pulled her along with me, back to the room.

We got dressed and sat at the table eating more brownies with soda.  For a while neither of us spoke.  Guilt was starting to weigh on me heavily, not for hurting Liu but for hurting Flora.  I had disappointed her, and I wasn't sure she'd ever look at me the same way again.

"I can't get over these brownies," I said finally, trying to spark some kind of conversation.

Flora nodded slowly and chewed, eyes cast to the tabletop.

I opened my mouth to say something else--more meaningless small talk that would have amounted to nothing--but Flora beat me to it.

"I don't like violence," she said.

"I know.  I'm sorry."

"It scares me."

"I won't do anything like that again.  I promise."

"People are being
murdered
here," she said, her voice growing louder.  "Isn't that bad enough?"

"I'm sorry, Flora."

She began to trace invisible shapes on the table with her finger.  "I know you own me and all and I probably shouldn't ask . . ."

I waited for her to finish until I realized she was fighting back tears.

"I don't own you, Flora.  I bought you, yes, but only because I wanted to save you.  You would have been taken away by some asshole millionaire who would have kept you in a box and only taken you out to rape you over and over."

"I know," she said, starting to cry.

I took her hand.  "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it.  Just ask."

"I want you to buy another."

"Another what?"

Finally she looked up at me.  "Another Favorite Girl."

─To Deny Her─

THE DISCUSSION ran so late I ended up falling asleep before giving Flora a definite answer.  I tried to explain the logistics to her, that Ted's bank account was being charged a million dollars a day just to keep Sean from coming to confiscate her, and if I bought another Favorite Girl, Flora's time with me--her time in general, with Sean's killing spree in full swing--would be cut in half.

Every argument I made was met with, "I don't care."

She told me she couldn't stand the thought of her sisters and the other girls being killed while she got to enjoy brownies and wine and television and all the other trivial perks of being alive.

I told her I didn't know how much money Ted had.  She didn't care.

I told her Patton would disapprove.  She didn't care.

I went so far as to suggest that buying another Favorite Girl might well be cutting my own time in half.  She still didn't care.

In the morning she didn't bring it up, but I could tell she was avoiding me, waiting for me to make a decision.

I called in breakfast, a new comforter to replace the blood-stained one, and some supplies for Judy.  I couldn't wait to crawl through the air ducts and see her.  In here I felt like an outcast.  Flora and Liu had separate reasons for not speaking to me, but after a while it felt like them against me.

James was his usual cocky self when I answered the door.

"
Lot of stuff this morning," he said, handing me the bag filled with Judy's supplies.  "What's the deadbolt for?"

"I needed something hard and jagged to stick up your ass, you nosy little prick."

He laughed aloud.  "I enjoy your company more and more every day."

"I bet," I said.  "Now fuck off like a good little servant."

"Nuh-uh!" Liu called in her muffled voice, coming up and stepping past me.  "Come inside for a little while, James."

"Goddamn, your face is busted!  What happened?"  The tone in his voice made even me feel bad for Liu.  Like he enjoyed her being ugly.

Liu's smile faded instantly.

"I fell."

"How many times?  You look like shit!"

He was right.  Overnight, her nose had swollen to three times its size and both her cheeks were black and purple.

"So what?" she said, getting defensive.  "You don't want to fuck me?"

That changed his demeanor.  Without another word, he
wheeled in the food cart and followed Liu to the couch.

"I'm gonna take
a shower," I called after them.

"Good.  You stink," Liu said.
  James had already plopped down and kicked his feet up on the coffee table.  Liu straddled him and started unbuttoning his shirt.

I took the bag over to the table and fished out the box of plastic storage bags, a common kitchen item that people who are catered to everyday have no use for, and filled a few of them with biscuits, bacon, sausage, strawberries with a sprinkle of sugar, and a
few different kinds of cheeses, stuffing them in back in the bag one by one.

Flora
met me on my way to the corridor.

"Can I come with you?"

"Sure."

"What's in the bag?"

I considered telling her about stashing Judy in the secret room but thought better of it.  No need to overload her with nerve-wracking information.

"Don't worry about it," I said.

"Okay."

I dropped the bag on the floor near the Jacuzzi pool and walked with Flora to the shower, the big open room with dozens of raining heads suspended from a cage of water pipes
above.  Flora removed her nightgown and underwear while I turned on the shower.

"I need to use the bathroom first," I lied.  "You go ahead and I'll join you in a minute."

"Okay."

I watched her walk into the hot rain, a beautiful sight from which it was difficult to pull my eyes, but I had some sneaking to do.

Back at the pool, I snatched up the bag and made my way into the vent.

When I arrived at the secret room, Judy was already awake, chewing on a granola bar and reading a book.  I waved at her as I pulled myself out of the air duct.

"I have to be quick."

Judy nodded.  "They'll be looking for me today.  You probably shouldn't come back until tomorrow."

I climbed down the staircase and started emptying out the bag one item at a time, starting with a small blanket.

"I'll get you a better one when I can."

"This is fine," she said.

I pulled out
the food, a six-pack of bottled water, and a six-pack of soda.  Judy took a bottle of water immediately.  She must have run out last night.

"The breakfast is still warm.  Just ordered it."

"Thank you," she said after swallowing a gulp of water.  "Granola bars and bananas get old pretty fast."

Next I pulled out a small notepad and a pen and handed them to her.

"Make a list of what you need.  Food, books, alcohol, whatever.  I could get you one of those little portable DVD players.  Or a laptop.  Seriously, Judy, anything you want."

"I'll think about it."  Looking around the room, she laughed and said, "I've got plenty of time for it."

"Hopefully you won't have to stay here long."

She shrugged.  "I'm kinda enjoying it so far.  Feels like camping."

"Camping alone sucks though."

"It's not so bad.  I have my books.  When I read I forget where I am."

I forced a smile.  "In that case, I might need to get a recommendation."

Lastly I pulled out the deadbolt set, along with a screw driver.  I started for the trap door under the staircase, but Judy stopped me.

"I'll take care of that," she said.  "You need to get back."

I handed them over and hugged her, holding on for so long she had to remind me to get the hell out of here.

I looked back before crawling into the duct and found her opening the bag with bacon and biscuits.  Behind her was a line of books stacked upright along the wall, held in place by the unopened bottle of wine I'd given her last night.

The girl had discipline.

Unlike me.

I made it back to the shower without arousing suspicion, and though Flora was nearly finished, she stayed with me.  She even offered to scrub my back, which I soon realized
was just an excuse to touch me.  Back scrubbing turned into ass-groping, and when I spun around, surprised, she stood on tiptoes and kissed me.

"We can do stuff again, if you want," she said.

"Do you actually like girls?" I asked.

"I think I might
only
like girls."  She paused for a moment, staring up at me with her big blue eyes through the spatter of hot water and the steam.  "I think I might only like
you
," she said.

If I could have changed anything about myself in that moment, it was my bisexuality.
  Patton and I must really be meant for one other, each of us having a Flora's love to deal with.  I was the terrible one for not resisting.  What's worse, I knew that if I found out Patton had given into the very same temptation, I would be devastated.  Probably condemn him as a statutory rapist, even though his Flora and mine were only six months apart in age.

What the hell was I supposed to do?  Deny her sexual exploration, physical affection, emotional bonding--all the things an eighteen-year-old girl has every right to experience--when these may well be her last few weeks, or even days, on Earth?

I was a monster if I denied her.

If Patton couldn't understand that, to hell with him.

Then again, what about his Flora?  She had the same rights, and her time might be even more limited.

I could only deal with what was in front of me.

Cupping her cheeks with my hands, I gave her a slow kiss.

"Tonight we'll make Liu sleep on the couch," I told her.

"Let's do it now," she said, and I felt her fingertips tickling my thigh.

I pushed her hand away.  "If you want me to buy another Favorite Girl, I need to go talk to Sean."

Her eyes lit up and she threw her arms around my neck, squealing. 
"Really?  Thank you, Melissa!  Thank you so much.  I love you!"

I hugged her back.  "I love you, too, Flora."

We wrapped ourselves in large towels and came back to the room, where we could hear the sound of flesh slapping against flesh.  I couldn't see them from here because of the partial wall dividing the bedroom area from the living area, so we rushed to the closet before they finished and got dressed.

They were still going at it when we came back out.  We sat next to one another at kitchen table to have breakfast and watched them switch from a standing doggy-style position to Liu lying on her back and letting James deep-throat her.

"I could
never
do that," Flora whispered.

"Some people like it, I guess."

"Do you?"

"Hell no!"

"Have you ever done it?"

"Girls don't do that," I said.  "They let it be done
to
them."

"Well?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Really."

"What was it like?"

"I don't know.  Like being force-fed a kielbasa sausage."

Flora laughed, spraying biscuit crumbs all over the table and covering her mouth.
  When she recovered, she put her hand on my thigh.

"In his case, maybe a Vienna sausage," I said.

She laughed again, leaning against me.  What a little flirt she was turning out to be.

James grunted and pulled out of
Liu's mouth.  When he turned around, my Vienna sausage theory went out the window.  His dick was narrow but long, like one of those peppermint sticks grocery stores sell around Christmastime.

Liu spent the next few minutes coughing intermittently.  With her busted nose, mouth-fucking had to hurt like hell.  I never understood the appeal of submitting oneself to painful sexual experiences.
  When Ted used to tie me up and choke me, it didn't stimulate but rather diminished my sex drive--and my love for him, one selfish suggestion at a time.

"Who's next?" James asked, toweling himself dry with his collar shirt, starting with his chest and working down to his strangely thin penis.

Suddenly he scowled, and I looked over to find the most revolted, grimacing look on Flora's face.

"Looks like you're not in high demand around here, James," I said, taking a bite out of a large strawberry.

He picked his pants up off the floor.  "You loose bitches couldn't handle me anyway."

"
With that car antenna you have for a dick, I bet every girl feels loose."

"Eight inches, baby, anytime you want it."

"You'd have to fold it in half to make it worth a fuck," I said, "and then you've only got four."

He buttoned his shirt in silence, cocking his head several times as if starting to say something, but he didn't.  Liu came up and hugged him from behind.  He turned, pulled her against him, squeezed her ass with one hand and a breast with the other, and
whispered something in her ear.

He gave me the middle finger as he was leaving and left the door standing wide open.  I stood to go close it and only made it a few steps.

Sean appeared first, strolling into the room like he'd just rented it at a hotel.  He was wearing dark jeans and a clean white t-shirt, a shocking sight since I'd never seen him out of his usual black suit.  I made some crack in my head about casual Fridays and almost laughed, but suddenly my entire image of Sean changed.

He only wore suits because his boss and older brother demanded it.

This was the real Sean.  A man dressed in ordinary clothing, able to walk anonymously among ordinary people.

So he can select from the crowd.

Brian scuttled through the door about ten seconds after Sean, looking angrier than I'd ever seen him.

He sought
me out immediately.

"Where the fuck is she?"

"Who?" I asked.

"Judy goddamn it!"

I'd known this was coming, but I hadn't prepared for it.  Instinctively I put on my angry face and shouted back, "Don't come in my room screaming your fucking head off! 
Asshole
."

He st
ormed up to me, stopping short a few feet.

"I went to get her from her room," he said with purposeful calm.  "She can't
leave
her room until I let her
out
.  Now where . . . the fuck . . . is she?"

I took a step closer to him and with a mocking tone said, "I . . . don't . . . know."