completed the ensemble.
“We’re looking for Gus,” she announced, propping one hand on one skinny hip and
“He’s not here.”
you to know where he was, he’d have left word with you.”
“I want to know where Gus is!” She was louder now. Maybe she thought we didn’t
“I can’t help you.”
on something. Her eyes did look stoned. My gaze slid to her faithful companion who stood
mine, slid away.
came down to that. I wasn’t quite sure about the stocky brunette. I was fairly sure that two
their own instincts.
The blonde turned back to me. “Did you, like, want to change your mind?” she
that they could scream rape or God knows what, and they might be believed. Being gay
capable of anything. Even lusting after college co-eds.
don’t know. Maybe it wasn’t rational, but I had a real reluctance to start crunching skulls and
She advanced on me. “Listen, queer bait, we want an answer!”
her. I ducked back, putting the counter between us.
wrong time. She tried to jump across the counter top to scratch me. I backed out of range of
“For fuck’s sake!” observed the brunette.
none too gracefully over the other side with sales receipts and assorted invoices. I slipped
Sabrina rose, shook her blonde mane out of her face. “I can make you so sorry,” she
perfume. Obsession? Shalimar? Brimstone?
Jake looked like the house had hit him first. There was a discreet square of white over
of the closed door.
saw him check. He turned back, shoved open the door, and leaned inside the doorway. I
One arm was clamped to his side as though to brace himself. He didn’t know what he was
I knelt, gathered the fallen papers and books. My heart was kicking hard with a rush of
moved like he hurt.
“Yeah. Sort of.” I felt like an idiot. I couldn’t picture Jake letting a pair of girls chase
happened.”
“So what are you doing here?” I asked. “How are you feeling?”
wait till we were behind closed – and locked and bolted – doors. Today, in particular there
rested on the counter, giving him a friendly shake. “Nice to see you.”
“Oh?” For a second I actually couldn’t think who Kate was. Then it registered. Kate.
wasn’t sleeping with me.
“Yeah.” He smiled, a goofy smile.
He nodded. His eyes met mine. Fell away. “Yeah. That much we’re agreed on.”
“Right.”
opinions were exchanged, a video was recommended: Cursed with Christina Ricci. This
ones. I sighed. Signed out.
Devil. But the majority of Satanists seemed to view Satanism as an abstract philosophy with
Of course, according to the Religious Right, anyone who wasn’t practicing conservative