| With Friends Like These ... |
| Harry pulled the Jeep into the parking lot of a moderately sized store front, off by itself in a relatively quiet part of town. In a previous life it might have been a mom and pop grocery. Now it had lingerie hanging in the windows and signs proclaiming that you had to be 18 to enter, under a banner reading �Ye Olde Sexe Shoppe.� He�d been here a few times himself in the past when it had been called �Ray�s Adult Bookstore.� It had been one of the less sleazy such places Harry knew. Old man Ray must have retired and sold the place. The new name sounded � interesting. New Agey?
So far the day had been going well. Harry and Bob had gone out for brunch at an IHOP, then headed toward Angie Vandermark�s place. Bob was getting used to riding around in the Jeep, covering as much ground in half an hour as it would have taken him a day to walk. Angie had been exuberant at the return of her mother-in-law�s rings, and had paid him cash for the rest of his fee. So with a pocket full of money and a mild feeling that he was opening Pandora�s Box, Harry grabbed the bag holding Bob�s skull, got out and headed toward the front door. // Remember � don�t ask about things out loud, ok? Let me do the talking. // he silently reminded Bob. // I remember, Harry. I promise I won�t embarrass you � // Just the idea of a sex shop was enough to get Bob excited, and therefore Harry was feeling a bit horny himself as he walked in the door. Inside things were pretty much as he remembered. Up front, a collection of women�s lingerie including such classics as the French Maid�s uniform, Cop�s uniform, Catholic Schoolgirl. As well as a number of filmy negligees that really wouldn�t have covered anything. Then there was the leather. Collars, harnesses, cuffs, the whole 9 yards. And other items not specifically to be worn: whips, riding crops, handcuffs, other implements of bondage and domination. Harry quickly turned away from that section � that was SO not his scene. Even so, as he walked through the store, he felt his arousal building. He figured Bob couldn�t help responding to so much openly displayed erotica. Behind the clothing were several racks of magazines. Penthouse and Playboy, of course. But far beyond that. Photo specials for every conceivable fetish. Girl on girl; guy on guy; fat chicks, skinny chicks, chicks with dicks. // Chicks with dicks? // Bob�s mental voice practically squeaked. Harry almost had to laugh at Bob�s somewhat horrified reaction. // Yeah, Bob. Pre-op transsexuals. Guys who turn themselves into women. Some of them are scary ugly � but some would put Murphy to shame. // // You mean they � you said pre-op � as in operation? They � they cut it off? // // Yup, // was all Harry answered, trying very hard not to laugh. He could feel Bob�s reflex to try to protect his private parts, which were surprisingly still at full attention. Usually a reaction like that would cause a man to lose interest, but not today. In fact, Harry was feeling hornier than ever. // Lets move on, shall we? // // Yes, let�s � // came Bob�s surprisingly meek reply. They walked right past the rows of video tapes and DVD�s. Their magic made any use of that sort of technology problematic. Once in a while, one of his girlfriends would bring over a DVD player, and if Harry was very careful and didn�t work any magic, he could make it through a movie. But owning a player? The first time he�d do any major magic, the thing would be toast. Not worth the money. Finally, Harry came to the counter in back where they had the toys. Behind it stood a gorgeous woman � tall, red hair, curves in all the right places, wearing a black halter top that was full to the brim. She smiled at Harry. �Good afternoon, sir. How may I help you?� Her voice was low and sexy with a velvety purr that went straight to Harry�s already inflamed groin. // Harry? Something�s not right here � // Bob�s voice whispered in the back of Harry�s mind. He ignored it. �Uh, hi. I, uh, guess you�re the new owner?� Harry managed to stammer out. �Why yes! Uncle Ray wanted to retire, and I wanted a little place of my own, so �� she waved her hand to claim her domain. �I�ve cleaned it up a bit, added some things to make it more attractive to women clients as well. Nothing says a sex shop HAS to be a fleabag, does it?� Harry was having trouble keeping his eyes away from her breasts. Fortunately, that was where her name tag was located. Probably intentionally. It said her name was Patricia. �Um, no, not really. Actually that�s why I always liked this place before, it was lots less creepy than some of the other ones.� Patricia smiled at him. �So what can I show you, Mr �.?� She let it become a question. �Uh, Harry, just call me Harry.� �OK, Harry,� she purred. �What are you looking for?� Her voice implied it might just include her. // Harry! // Bob shouted. He could feel Harry falling deeper under her spell. And a spell was exactly what it was. This woman � if it even was a woman � was using magic to influence her customers. A serious no-no in the magical community. You didn�t use magic on unsuspecting mundanes. // Harry, listen to me. She�s using magic to make you horny. Make you buy more. Harry! // Bob suddenly remembered that when they were joined, he could tap into Harry�s magic. He reached out, gathered in some power, and sent it toward Patricia. It dispelled the glamour, and suddenly Harry was staring at a rather plain-looking, flat-chested young woman in her early 20�s. �What the � ?� Harry sputtered, suddenly coming to his senses as Patricia�s magic was dispersed. // Bob? Did you do that? // // Of course I did! Had to get you to come to your senses somehow! // Patricia stood there, terrified. Her �act� had been discovered. How had this guy done that? Was he going to hurt her? Harry glared at her. �Is Patricia your real name?� She nodded. �Everybody calls me Patty. But I thought Patricia sounded more � sexy.� Harry sighed. Now that he wasn�t under the effects of her glamour, he could easily sense her power. It wasn�t much. She might not even be aware of exactly what she was doing. �Patty, did you know that it�s wrong to use magic to influence normal people?� Her eyes got wide. �You � you know about magic?� Harry nodded. �The question is, do you?� She shrugged. �What�s to know? I can do stuff � just little things.� // She hasn�t been taught, Harry. Her power is small enough that she�s been off the Council�s radar. // Harry nodded, accepting Bob�s analysis of the situation. // What are we gonna do, Bob? I sure as hell don�t want to turn her over to Morgan � // // Well of course not. But maybe we could trade her some harmless erotic spells for some of her � merchandise? // Bob was *so* predictable. Harry sighed and ignored him. �Patty, first thing. You�re not alone. There are lots of people who can �do stuff.� Some can do more than others.� Harry glanced around, and when he was sure they were alone, he conjured a small ball of energy in his hand. Without warning, he flung the energy ball at one of the video viewing rooms behind the counter. Electronics sparked and sputtered. �Patty, the magical community has rules, just like the rest of the world does. It�s not right to use magic on unsuspecting mundanes. And besides, you never know who�s going to come through that door. You got lucky � the first real magic practitioner you ran across was me. I�m a nice guy. If it had been a Warden � gods forbid Morgan himself, you�d be in big trouble right now.� �W � warden? M � Morgan?� She stuttered, startled by the small explosion caused by the energy ball. �Wardens are the cops of the magic world, Patty. And Morgan, well � he�s an uptight, lawful-good, by-the-book type who isn�t big on second chances. I don�t want to think what would have happened if he�d wandered in here �� // Not that I can even imagine Morgan in a place like this � // Bob smirked from inside Harry�s head. // Don�t distract me! // Harry grumped. Obviously his ploy had worked. Patty looked very small and young as she cowered. The fear of Morgan was well entrenched. �I�m sorry, Harry. I really am. It�s just � I have to make this work. People don�t take me seriously when I look like this working in a sex shop. Uncle Ray was ok, people expect a crotchety old guy in a place like this. They don�t feel comfortable with a plane jane girl like me. They want something more �� Harry sighed. Lies usually weren�t worth the effort. But as long as it went no further � �Patty, the glamour is ok. Everybody �dresses up� for work. I guess your version is just a little more extreme. But that�s all, ok? None of the rest. No pushing your customers, making them feel horny. That�s not fair.� Patty looked at him with fear in her eyes. �Are you gonna tell this Morgan about me?� Harry laughed. �Hardly. Morgan and I aren�t exactly what you�d call best friends. I made some mistakes when I was young too �he still doesn�t trust ME.� His expression got stern. �But if I get wind that you are still �pushing� people, I�ll have no choice but to tell him �� Terrified, Patty nodded. Harry sighed. �Sorry about the booth back there �� Patty shook her head. �Don�t worry about it. That machine was always acting up anyway.� Harry laughed. �Of course it would. Magic and technology don�t mix well. That was the booth closest to you, Patty. Your magic was what was making it act up.� �Oh!� It was obvious that it had never occurred to her that she was causing the problem. �I guess I�ve got a lot to learn, huh?� Harry sighed. The last thing he needed right now was an apprentice. But maybe there was somebody else. �About two years ago, I came across another young woman like you, Patty. I don�t have time right now to teach you myself, but maybe Lydia can show you the ropes. I�ll call her tonight, and have her contact you here. OK?� Patty was torn. Harry rather terrified her, but he was also one heck of a good looking guy. She�d almost hoped � but she guessed that wasn�t going to happen. Especially after she�d tinkered with his thoughts. �OK.� // Um Harry � now that we�ve got our wayward sheep back in the flock, can we return to *OUR* business here? // Bob nudged. Harry couldn�t help chuckle at the petulant tone in Bob�s mental voice. �Harry? Is something funny?� Patty asked, sounding a little hurt. Harry suddenly realized that Patty thought he was laughing at her. �Oh, uh, no, Patty, that was nothing � uh, nothing to do with you. I, uh, just had a stray thought �� Now she was looking at him a bit strangely. He needed to distract her, or his image as the imposing, powerful wizard was blown. �Um, Patty, actually I did come here looking for something � uh, personal �� He had to admit she had a point; discussing sex toys with this earnest young woman felt awkward. Patty sensed his reluctance. And it made her point. �Would you rather talk to Patricia?� Harry blinked, then blushed as he realized she was right. �Uh, yeah, actually � but just the image, right?� And then Patricia stood before him. This time, however, he was only mildly entranced by her ample bustline. He was actually able to appreciate the lovely violet eyes. �Of course, Harry,� that velvet voice purred. OK, he�d allow the voice as well. Part of the big picture. Now � how to explain. �Um, well, I�m looking for something � a toy � for, um � anal penetration.� By the time he got the words out, his face was burning. Patricia�s eyebrows went up. That she hadn�t been expecting. �For yourself, or with a partner?� She didn�t ask, but it implied a question about the sex of that partner. Harry ignored it for now. �For myself � I�m kind of curious �� // Oh, that�s an understatement! // Bob remarked drily. He could feel Harry mentally swatting at him and slipped back into the background. For a rather unassuming young woman, Patty really did know her stuff when it came to her merchandise, and her clientele. She�d seen guys like Harry before. Straight, but bi-curious. Maybe he had a girlfriend who wanted to try a strap-on. Or maybe he found himself fascinated by another guy for the first time in his life. These days most people figured it out young, but not everybody. Patricia confidently opened the display case and brought out a couple of items. �If you�re just starting out with anal play, these are a good choice.� A small butt plug and a set of anal beads were wrapped together in one plastic package. The plug�s use was obvious to Bob, but the beads intrigued him. // Ask her about the beads, Harry. // �Um, ok, I get the plug. But the beads?� �See how they�re graduated? You insert the smallest first, and gradually work your way up the string with each one getting larger. It helps open you up, slowly. Then you pull them out one at a time just as you start cumming. That �pop� as they�re pulled out adds an extra kick.� She was so matter-of-fact that Harry wondered if she had first-hand experience. // That sounds like fun! But we want something more, something like those. // He directed Harry�s eyes to a collection of dildos and vibrators. �Um, yeah, that sounds good. How about something bigger �� Patricia saw where he was looking. �Well, from what you�ve told me about magic and tech, you probably don�t want a vibrator. But a dildo would work fine. If you�re doing it yourself, you probably want one of these with a handle.� She pulled out what Harry could only describe as a penis-sicle. It was pretty big, about 10 inches long, and easily as thick as Harry�s own cock, with about a 5 inch handle sticking out of the bottom of it. It was very realistic looking. Harry picked it up; it was made of some kind of plastic that had some give to it. It didn�t exactly feel real, but it was close. But looking at it was almost enough to make him afraid of doing this for real, if Bob�s dick was anywhere near that big. // Oh, it is, I assure you // came the ghost�s self-satisfied reply. // You heard that? // Harry grumped. Bob just chuckled. �Um, maybe eventually � how about something smaller?� Patricia had seen his eyes widen in fear at that size of it, and had already selected something a little more sleek. This was much less realistic looking, cast in a clear resin with a purple tint. It was no more than an inch thick at its thickest part, and smoothly contoured. �Since it�s stiffer, it will be easier to insert and remove, and it�s much thinner.� Relieved, Harry smiled. �That one�s just right.� // What are we here, Goldilocks and the three bears? // Bob snarked in the background. Harry couldn�t help it. He just laughed out loud. // Where the hell did you get THAT from? Not like I read a lot of children�s stories � // // I was around when your mother and Justin were young children, Harry � // // Oh. // Harry realized that Patricia was giving him that odd look again. He had to come up with an explanation fast. �I, uh, was just thinking what Bob would say .. first too small, then too big, then just right. Like the Three Bears �� Patricia chuckled. She hadn�t caught the connection. �Bob�s your boyfriend?� she asked. �Um, yeah, sort of � he�s not here right now. But we talk a lot �� Patricia nodded; long distance relationships were a bitch. But from the way Harry had responded to her magic earlier, she was pretty sure he wasn�t exclusively gay. So she made one last try. �Well, if you want some help in trying those out, I�d be glad to fill in for him �� She gave him her best seductive look. Harry blushed. In a previous life, he�d have jumped all over that offer, even knowing that Patricia was just a glamour. But now, he realized he really wasn�t interested at all. �Uh, thanks, Patricia, but I think we�ve got it covered � I�ll, uh, take these.� He indicated the beads and the purple dildo. Patty sighed and accepted the loss graciously. She reached back under the counter for one last item. �Don�t forget the lube, Harry. Trust me, you�ll need it.� �Oh! Uh, right.� Harry fumbled for his wallet as she rang up the sale. Patricia put his purchases in a plain brown paper bag and handed them to him. �Thanks for stopping by, Harry. I hope I�ll see you again? Maybe you�ll bring Bob by when he comes to town?� �I hope so, Patricia. Someday �� Harry smiled wistfully as he headed out the door. As they climbed back into the jeep, Harry felt a rush of lightheadedness. // Harry? Are you all right? // Bob�s voice dripped with concern. Harry bent over the steering wheel, trying to pull himself together. �Think you�d better get back to the skull, Bob �� he finally answered. // Oh. // He was torn between being concerned for Harry and annoyed that this had happened now. He�d been looking forward to getting home to try out their new toys. But Harry�s well being was far more important. Bob made a quick exit, his spirit form ghosting back into the skull. It wasn�t in the usual backpack; that was still a mess from Harry�s excursion to the dump yesterday. Instead, it was in a soft leather satchel that Harry had dug out of a closet this morning after taking one look at � and smell of � the backpack. Within a minute of Bob�s departure, Harry was feeling much better. �Sorry about that, Bob,� he muttered quietly as he started up the jeep. This time limit on their sharing seemed to know just when they didn�t want it to get in the way, and of course, that was when it did. Sometimes Harry wondered whether it was entirely sane to have a best friend named Murphy � Which was when it finally clicked into place that �best friend� was exactly what she was. Murphy was his best friend, Bob was his lover. The world was neat and orderly again. Not that it would stay that way for long, but at least for the moment it made sense. When they got back to Harry�s place, Bob materialized beside him. �Harry? Feeling better?� Seeing the concern in those icy blue eyes touched something deep inside Harry. �Yeah, I�m fine. Just glad that didn�t hit me AFTER we�d started driving �� Bob visibly shuddered; the thought of an accident at 50 mph terrified him. �Indeed.� Harry reached out and �touched� him in their private gesture, reassuring Bob of his presence. Then changed the subject. �I�m gonna lay down for a bit, though � late night last night.� His grin highlighted his enjoyment of that late night. Bob smiled at him. �It was rather � intense, was it not?� Harry chuckled as he stretched out on the couch. �Oh, yeah �� Bob watched with amused affection as Harry settled in for his nap. Only after he heard the soft snores that assured him that Harry was well and truly asleep did he dissolve his presence. He hadn�t had a moment to think about the legend that Connie had helped him translate last night. Somewhere in there was a clue, something that they could use to give him a real body, one that could hold Harry close as he so dearly longed to do. While Harry slept, he would ponder the legend of Tsukata � and when he woke, THEN they would have some fun with their new toys! continue to Chapter 9 Send me some Feedback Back to my Dresden Home page Back to the Jade Palace Home Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
| Chapter 8 |