Turn The Page
Day 3
By Ana and Melvin Melons
1
I knew I was alone in bed before my eyes ever opened. My arms searched for my wife and came up empty. I sat up, my eyes adjusted to the room. There was a narrow beam of light coming in through the window and illuminating a small note stuck to the wall. I stretched and got to my feet, before shuffling across to grab the missive.
Alone in the room, I read aloud. “I went to get some backup. Help Paige find her boss. Make sure you pack your bags, don’t forget that you’re hosting a workshop, and in your bleakest hour, look to the east, find comfort and refuge in dancing flames.” I chuckled; I love her tiny lettering and flair for the dramatic.
I stretched again and scanned the room. All of Ana’s bags were packed and by the door and the sex swing was broken down and wrapped up. I followed suit, packing all my clothes neatly into my luggage and setting some aside for the day. I took a quick shower then got dressed.
The suite was quiet. Paige’s clothes were also packed and sitting outside her bedroom door. I knocked, waited, then poked my head into her room. She wasn’t there. My first thought was that she’d gone to the 5th floor, but then I noticed that the mermaid tail was gone; perhaps I could find her at Babbling Brooke’s.
I headed towards the door and paused with my hand on the knob. “I need to wear a disguise,” I said aloud to myself. I turned and went back to my bags; I pulled out my costume and put it on over my signature violet and brown that I’d need for the workshop. I zipped the luggage back up, realized that I forgot my mask, opened it again, put the mask on, then, finally, secured the luggage for the last time.
I walked the short hallway to the elevator and rode down to a packed 7th floor. I pushed through the crowd of women and made my way over to Brooke’s shop. When I walked in, she was sealing a large box with tape.
“Oh hey!” She blurted out the greeting when she saw me, drawing attention from all around. I could recognize the look on her face; she’d just about exposed my identity but managed to stop herself just in time. “Paige was here not too long ago. I’m shipping her costume to her before I leave town. She told me about what happened. This Chip guy is a real asshole.” Brooke left a pregnant pause, offering me the opportunity to respond with an expression that relayed that she wasn’t done talking and would prefer if I let her finish.
“Selfishly,” she continued. “I was happy to see you all managed to use the tail properly. I love satisfied customers.” She gave a silly grin emphasizing her pun.
“Well, that answers almost all of my questions.” I stepped over to the table and helped her move the sealed box onto the ground.
2
Brooke looked closely at me and wordlessly started adjusting my mask “Do you know where she went?”
Brooke nodded. “She said she was going to hit up the restroom before she headed down to the 5th floor.”
I nodded to her. “Hopefully I can still catch her before she leaves. Thanks for the help, Brooke.”
“Wait!” Brooke stopped me. “I’ll walk with you; I need to pee so bad!” She did a dance to show her discomfort and directed me out into the hall. I waited outside while she closed the gates and locked up her booth. I took her hand, so we didn’t get separated and we weaved through the crowds together down around the corner and along a trail of women that ran the whole length of the hall. As we got near the front of the string of impatient conference goers, we could see that they were all in line for the women’s restroom.
“I can’t be waiting in that line.” Brooke groaned. “I guess they didn’t get the memo that the bathrooms are gender neutral, You’re the only man here, it wouldn’t make sense for you to have your very own facilities.”
Some of the women waiting must have heard her and they rushed into the men’s room in front of us. We managed to jog around the corner just as the last stall door swung shut and locked with a click.
“Come on!” Brooke groaned. “This is so lame.”
I chuckled as I approached the urinals. “I guess I’ll exercise my male privilege.”
Brooke turned and approached with a sigh. She lifted her dress, pinned it under her chin, and she shimmied up to the urinal. “I haven’t tried to pee like a man in a long time.”
I cleared my throat and let out a relaxed sigh.
Brooke mimicked me then spoke again. “I don’t think I remember the etiquette. The first rule was eyes forward.”
I cleared my throat again. “The second is, no talking.” I let the silence linger for a moment, just for effect, then I continued. “I’m not one for following the rules so feel free to ask questions.”
Brooke giggled, then compensated to correct her stream. “Were there any other rules?”
3
“Always leave a space between you and the next person.” I motioned to the fact that she had chosen the urinal right next to mine. “And farting is encouraged.”
Brooke didn’t skip a beat and let one go. “Two out of four is still a failing grade, but at least you know that I tried.”
I cleared my throat again. “There is one last rule. If you shake it more than twice, you’re playing with it.”
The pair of us each shook four times to get the last drops off and to solidify our failing grades, then we stepped away to the sink. Warm water washed over our hands when she spoke again. “Are these rules written somewhere? How do you learn them?”
I lowered my hands into the dryer and slowly lifted them out. “Every man is born knowing. Nobody expects a woman to understand.”
As we stepped back into the hallway I heard Paige’s voice. “Melvin.” She ran over to me. I got jumpy worrying that my disguise had been compromised. I looked around to make sure another mob wasn’t forming and luckily everyone seemed so preoccupied that they didn’t notice.
“Ix ney on the elvin mey.” Brooke interjected.
“Sorry.” Paige whispered. “Daddy M.” She blushed slightly as she moved in close. “Where is Ana?”
“She went to get some backup, whatever that means.” I shrugged as I spoke. It wasn’t my first time trusting Ana to swoop in at the most convenient time and I’m sure it wouldn’t be the last.
Paige bit her lip and tapped her foot. “I need to get down to the 5th floor, find Chip, and get his phone.”
“Can’t we just call the police?” I asked.
Paige shook her head. “I’d get fired for a totally illegal reason and they know they’ll get away with it because they don’t pay me enough to stand up to them in court.”
I nodded along. “Can you go to HR then?”
Paige put her hands on my shoulders and looked me square in the eyes. “I’m HR and he’s, my boss.”
“Right, so then it’s up to us.” I smiled reassuringly to Paige and then I turned to Brooke. “Are you in for an adventure?”
4
Brooke shook her head. “I don’t pay myself well enough to take the day off. But I can give you my number in case you need a favor.” She held out her hand and offered me a bright decorative business card.
“That’s perfect.” I added her info into my phone and sent her a text. I took a picture of the card and handed it back to her. “Beautiful design.”
“Thanks so much!” Brooke paused for a moment before she put out a hand to touch my shoulder. “Did you get the message that the organizers moved your workshop to the larger Annex? It’s the most popular event at the convention.”
I shook my head; even with Ana’s reminder I forgot all about it. It was no big deal; I usually just wing it anyway. “We’d better hurry if I’m going to make it on time.”
We rode the elevator down to the 5th floor. Paige looked me over. “You’re a little over-dressed.” I suppose she was right; a vintage black and red three-piece suit, pentagram necklace, and ghost mask is a lot to take in if you’re not used to these types of shenanigans.
She was wearing the black denim jacket, low cut shirt that stopped frustratingly before the first hint of cleavage, and skirt with white hearts that she had tried on yesterday. Her hair was pulled back into a bun; She looked like she was ready for the office.
The doors opened. It was like stepping into another universe. The crowded hallways of excited women had turned into a sea of barely interested men in corporate approved attire and muted colors; there were polo shirts tucked into slacks with matching belt and shoe leather from wall to wall. I was basically a black hole of attention. Every voice in my vicinity went silent and their eyes locked on me.
“Well, I guess I missed the memo that casual Fridays was extended to Friday Junior.” One man said, extending a hand to me. I barely noticed it through the mask, but Paige guided our arms together for a friendly handshake. “Welcome, we’re all family here.”
I recognized the words, but I didn’t have a clue what the man was talking about. Paige moved in close and whispered in my ear. “Friday Junior means Thursday, Casual Friday is when we all pretend to be relaxed while wearing alternatively corporate approved attire. He’s saying your outfit isn’t appropriate on any day of the week.”
“Oh,” I whispered back to her. I turned to the man, “Eat shit, Normie.”
He gasped and looked at me with confusion.
Paige cleared her throat. “We’re working on leaning into creative self-expression this year to help build engagement.”
5
The man’s expression changed to condescending amusement. “Certainly, we love innovation here.” He released my hand and returned to his clique.
Paige whispered in my ear. “Let me do the talking.” Her arm rose and her finger pointed to the annex. “That’s where we need to go. Chip is giving a lecture on empowering young women in corporate leadership.” She feigned vomiting.
I started to move in that direction, but she stopped me. “He’s already seen your costume, and he knows me. We have to sneak up or cause a distraction.”
“Or both,” I suggested.
Paige stopped to consider my proposition. “Let’s get closer and then make a plan.” She led me through the crowd with confidence that I hadn’t seen from her before. The masses parted for her like the red sea, prompted by spoken incantations like “We’re piloting reverse mentorship. It’s shown to increase productivity by 4 to 7%.” Or “It’s a legacy framework issue. We’re workshopping it.”
None of it made any sense to me and I just nodded along while she worked her magic. We got to the Annex and slipped in the door before hiding behind the crowd.
Chip was on our right with his back to us. Paige was fixated on him with fury in her eyes. “Empowerment is not a program. It’s a culture.” His words hit her ears and her face flushed with rage.
“He’s giving my lecture!” Paige growled under her breath. She mouthed the words as he continued.
“We must move from performative support to actionable change.” The room erupted in applause at the line.
Paige looked like she might spontaneously combust. “I’ve been working on this for months and I asked him for his opinion, and he never got back to me. Then all of a sudden, he’s giving a speech on that topic.” Her eyes filled with tears, but she held them back.
She looked at me square in the eyes. “Those cheers are for me. I’ve been corresponding with Frank Hollis, he’s been so helpful and this asshole isn’t going to give either of us the gratitude of a ‘Thank you’ but he set up a sex dungeon and was going to try to seduce me!”
She was starting to get loud but caught herself. “He makes my skin crawl.”
6
I put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. “The audience is captivated; you wrote an amazing speech. If we let it slide for long enough to get this phone, we can expose him to the world.”
I caressed her cheek with the back of my fingers; her eyes focused and her posture relaxed. She scanned around then pointed towards a table beside the stage. “There it is.”
I followed her gesture and laying on the edge of the table against the outside wall of the room was our target. The phone was a fair distance away, and I’d need to squeeze behind the crowd to get to it.
I had an idea, but we were interrupted. “Paige,” an unfamiliar voice spoke nearby. He was an older man with white hair and a golf glove already on his left hand as he continued. “We were looking for you yesterday.”
Paige went into corporate mode again and smiled at the man with a hint of admiration. “Frank, it’s good we got a chance to link up.”
The man nodded and motioned towards the stage. “I couldn’t help but notice the voice behind this presentation sounds a lot like the voice from our correspondence. Did you have a hand in shaping the narrative?”
Her jaw clenched while she compiled a generically neutral way to answer. “It’s important that the person closest to the lived experience forms the message.”
Frank gave her a warm smile. “It’s good to see emerging leaders shaping executive narratives.”
Paige’s eyes widened and started to tear up. Her lips pressed together to conceal a smile, and she let out a breath slowly through her nose. “Thank you, Frank. That means the world to me.”
The man made a dismissive gesture. “Good work deserves high praise.”
Paige regained her composure. “Thanks again.”
Frank nodded. “Why don’t you email me your presentation, I’d rather get the information from the source and get a little extra time on the course.” He adjusted his golf glove and gave a cheeky smile and a chuckle at his own clever rhyme.
“I’ll make sure you get the version that reflects the original voice.” Paige’s answer seemed to be good enough for Frank and he excused himself.
“He was nice.” I said, breaking the silence.
7
Paige bubbled over with glee. “Frank Hollis is the preeminent leader in measurable metrics. Before him, equity was a buzzword. Now it’s practically a revenue stream to most companies.”
I put a couple of fingers up to my mask as if I was deep in thought. “Is it even a good thing that companies started to care when it became profitable? Nothing quite crosses the T and dots the I in equity quite like a quarterly earnings call, you know?”
Paige paused to consider. “I don’t think the motive matters as much. With a more diverse structure we can change the culture from the inside.”
I nodded along, “Assuming people don’t pull the ladders up behind themselves.”
“That’s the fault of the current culture, it’s what we hope to eliminate.” Paige clarified.
My phone started buzzing as the alarm went off in my pocket and I quickly stopped it. “It’s time for my workshop. We need to get that phone.” I moved over towards the row of stanchions around the stage. The device was just out of reach, and I’d be very obvious going for it.
Paige touched the back of my hand. “What if we use your workshop to create a distraction?”
“How?” I asked.
Paige snickered. “What if you message Brooke. Tell her to spread the rumor that your workshop has been moved to the 5th floor in Annex 4M.”
That was a great idea. I unlocked my phone and texted Brooke. A short time later she responded with one word. “Done.”
“I guess we just need to wait now.” I adjusted my mask and continued to crouch behind the crowd. Chip droned on a bit more as we waited for a sign that our plan was working.
There was a loud rumble in the distance and a pounding at the emergency exit door across the room. Despite the sign warning so, no alarm sounded when the door opened. A flood of purple shirts started pouring into the annex. Confused conference goers were pushed out of the way or trampled as a massive horde started to fill the room. Brooke was there with them, her attempts to control the mob failing in real time.
“Who is this asshole?” someone in the crowd asked. “Where is Melvin?” No one answered until Chip spoke off script.
8
“We’re in the middle of a presentation. There is no Melvin here.” Chip’s voice was annoyed and his posture went rigid.
“They said he was giving his workshop down here.” One woman declared.
“You were told wrong.” Chip argued with them.
Paige got my attention “This is our distraction.”
I slid against the wall and behind the crowd. I tipped to one side trying to reach the phone on the table. Paige took my hand and acted as a counterbalance while I stretched further. My fingers reached, inches away from the phone. I stretched one last time, my body strained and my balance wavered. I was the closest I had ever gotten to our goal when tragedy struck.
From my sleeve, the barest bit of my purple shirt was exposed as I reached. It was enough to be immediately noticed.
“There he is!” one woman was pointing at me, then another and another.
Paige looked from me to Chip and the burden returned to her shoulders.
Chip had already noticed us and lunged for his phone. My fingertip touched the phone and time slowed down. I dug my nail into the soft rubber case and tried to pull it closer, but it wouldn’t budge. Chip snatched it away and hurdled into the crowd and out the door without a word.
“Fuck!” Paige shrieked, giving chase. I followed and at my tail was another stampede of women, Brooke trying in vain to redirect them.
Chip pushed through the crowd and into the nearest elevator. Paige and I watched the numbers going down and crammed into the next one. As the doors started to shut, Brooke broke from the crowd and dove barely clearing the doors as they closed behind her.
Paige and I helped her to her feet. “Are you okay?” Paige asked.
“I lost control of them. I thought I could use the mob mentality for the greater good.” Brooke panted.
“You did well, we just didn’t manage to hold up our end of the bargain.” I was removing parts of my costume as we rode down, having been found out there was no sense in wearing two sets of clothes anymore. I roughly stacked the garments and presented them to Brooke. “Can you keep this safe for me?”
9
“Of course.” Brooke said, gathering up my discarded garments and folding them neatly as the elevator came to a stop on the main floor. The three of us stepped out into the lobby. There was a commotion outside, and we saw Chip throw a valet to the ground and drive off in a sports car.
“He’s escaping.” Paige growled as she charged past the bar where we’d met two days ago. She emerged out onto the street and tried to get the attention of a nearby cab. “Can you follow that man?”
The driver shook his head. “I’m not getting involved in whatever you’re up to.”
There was a rumble from behind and the three of us turned to see the mob had reached the main level and were barreling towards the lobby doors. It was our last choke point before we were completely surrounded.
“Last chance if either of you want to get out of here.” I said, defeated.
“There’s still hope for a miracle.” Brooke replied.
“Even if it’s dwindling fast.” Paige added.
As the first of our pursuers started to come through the doors there was another rumble in the distance, this one deep and mechanical. Tires screeched and engines roared as two motorcycles barreled into the parking loop and skidded past us onto the sidewalk. One of the riders was a large muscular woman wearing a leather jacket, band t-shirt, and jeans. The other was a smaller woman, similarly dressed.
They both removed their helmets and set them on their bikes before approaching the crowd. Both women had black hair, the smaller had it undercut on one side, the other was pulled back into a ponytail that trailed down her back.
I recognized the two of them immediately. “Thor’n, Nikki. What are you doing here?” I asked.
Paige and Brooke gazed in awe staring at two of the women from my books.
“Ana hired us as security.” Nikki said as she and her wife moved towards the crowd.
Thor’n spread her arms wide as she caught the first of the obsessed fans and held the line. “Not so fast!”
“Ope, hold up now. This exit is closed!” Nikki threw herself against another door, holding it shut and gesturing for us to turn around.
10
When we did, we saw quite a sight. A large black bus barreled into the loop and rolled up under the overhang. It slid to a stop next to us, silhouettes of 5 women dancing naked around a bonfire emblazoned on the front and side with giant gothic lettering spelling “Coven of Hags, Farewell Tour”. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the sticky note that Ana had left this morning. I wasn’t sure if it had come from the east, but I was confident this was the dancing flame she had referenced as our salvation. The door opened and there was my wife, her arm extended to us with a look of determination on her face. She delivered her line with a fake Austrian accent, “Come with me if you want to live.”
Paige and I hurried onto the bus, but Brooke hesitated. “I’ll hold down the fort on this end.”
I looked back at her from the stairs. “Thanks for all your help, Brooke. I’ll find you when we get back.”
She nodded and waved. Then she slunk away out of sight of the crowd.
I pulled the door shut behind me and the bus started moving forward. I grabbed a handle near the ceiling for balance. Paige and Ana were strapped into the front seats.
Paige pointed a finger. “He went that way!”
Ana cranked the wheel to the left and then hard to the right as we moved out onto the street. The lights were in our favor, and we quickly found Chip sitting at an intersection in the stolen sports car. The bright sun was reflecting off the glossy red paint into our eyes.
“What do we do now?” I asked my wife.
Ana didn’t look away from the road. “I hadn’t thought this far ahead.”
“Maybe if we just get out and knock on his door he’ll give up?” Paige couldn’t even deliver the suggestion without laughing at the absurdity.
The light turned green and we followed him, pulling right up behind him in the center lane at the next intersection.
“I mean,” I started. “I suppose it’s worth a try.” I stepped out the door onto the street as the rumble of two motorcycles roared up behind us. Thor’n passed me on the right and I could see Nikki stop at the left of the sports car.
As I approached the door I caught sight of Chip in the side mirror. He was staring right at me. I stopped moving, “We just want the video deleted, my dude.” He stared blankly back at me. “I honestly don’t know what you hope to achieve here.”
11
He continued to ignore me, and I saw his fingers flexing on the wheel. He was going to bolt when the light changed. “Okay, we’ll do this the hard way.”
I looked to Thor’n and her head turned towards me. Her muffled voice boomed through the visor of her helmet. “You’d better get back on the bus and strap in.”
I jogged over, climbed back in, and pulled the door shut. “I think he’s about to run.” I called out as I buckled into an empty seat.
I heard a car engine rev up along with two motorcycles. I couldn’t see what tires were squealing, but a cloud of black smoke obscured the front window.
“Ana,” Nikki’s voice came through the radio. “There’s an industrial area up ahead. We’re going to push him in that direction and try to trap him. over.”
Ana grabbed the radio mic and pressed the button. “Copy that Veilbreaker. You and The Cinder Matron will control the sides; I’ll force him forward. Scissoring Switch, over and out.” Ana chuckled to herself as she hit the gas.
We all moved forward and out of the cloud of tire smoke. We traveled about a block before our guardians forced Chip to make a right turn down a long stretch of cracking industrial road. Chip was swerving all over to avoid potholes and debris. The smell of a water treatment plant came and went before we made another turn down a dead-end road.
There was a chain-link fence on three sides and a hill down into a junkyard. Chip didn’t stop; he charged forward. The red sports car smashed through the gates and down the hill.
The two bikes entered first, and the radio blared again. “Veilbreaker to Scissoring Switch. Park that bus and block the entrance.” Ana Angled the bus so that the entrance was no longer an escape path. Nikki and Thor’n circled back and stopped outside the bus, they dismounted their bikes and stepped inside with us.
They removed their helmets and looked us over. “We need to herd him into a trap.” Thor’n said, taking a seat near the kitchen.
“Agreed.” Nikki responded. She opened up a high cabinet and started digging through. A series of colorful dildos fell out and onto the couch below as she searched, then she pulled out a couple of handheld radios before stuffing the toys back into the cabinet and turning the lock. “Paige and Melvin. Take these.” She extended them to us.
Paige grabbed hers with a star-struck look in her eyes. “It’s nice to meet you, Nikki and Thor’n. I couldn’t sleep last night, and I read Old Fashioned while I was lying awake.”
12
Nikki glanced at her with a smile and a nod and then went back to planning. “He’s already trapped inside.” I took the other radio as she spoke. “We need to close in the walls around him.”
I stood and moved to the window. I scanned the junk yard below and saw a large electromagnet hanging from a crane. “There!” I pointed at it and the four women followed. “I can move that magnet down one of the lanes and when he drives under, I’ll pick him up.”
The ladies all nodded to me and each other. “Paige,” Nikki started. “You should ride with me. Ana, stay with the bus, make sure he doesn’t get out.”
Ana nodded. “I’ll be your tactician if anyone needs a bird’s eye view.”
The rest of us stood and stepped outside. “Thor’n, can you drop me off at the crane?”
She nodded to me as she placed her helmet on again and straddled her bike. I sat behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist. The engine growled as it started and we headed down the hill. I couldn’t hear the radio in my pocket clearly, but I could tell Ana was guiding Thor’n through the narrow lanes of crushed vehicles stacked high on each side. It wasn’t long before we pulled up to the crane and I realized just how high I needed to climb to get to the operator’s seat.
Thor’n looked up as she turned her bike around. “Good luck, we’re counting on you.”
“No pressure,” I sighed as she started to drive off.
I put my hands on the cold metal rungs of the ladder and started to climb. From my pocket I could hear the radio as I put hand over hand and refused to look down.
“Why is this place deserted?” Paige asked. There was silence before she continued. “This is Slutty Siren. Over.”
“Copy that Slutty Siren, this is Scissoring Switch, it looks like it’s a holiday and this is a Union Shop. Over.”
“That makes sense.” I heard Paige’s voice again and then there was another pause. “Over.”
“This is Cinder Matron, where is the target at? Over” Thor’n asked.
Ana responded with directions. I looked out over the yard. I could hear Thor’n and Nikki’s motorcycles but not see them. I finished my climb, reaching a metal landing and sliding into the crane operator’s chair.
13
It had been a long time since I’d used heavy machinery, but it wasn’t too different than I remembered and I figured out the controls quickly. I started moving the crane around, but I couldn’t see down into the rows.
“This is Indigo Messiah. I’m in position and I’ve got control of the crane. I can’t see anything inside the aisles from here though. Over.” I sat the radio down next to myself on the chair.
“Copy that Indigo Messiah, this is Scissoring Switch, I can guide you from my vantage point once we’re ready. Over.”
I sat back and waited. I watched the yard below for any signs of the target. Nothing.
There was a call on the radio, and I heard gravel colliding with vehicles. “Cinder Matron, I Found him!” A cloud of dust rose over the lanes and I started moving the Crane towards the area.
“Indigo Messiah,” Ana called out over the radio and started giving me directions. “There’s a choke point 4 rows ahead.” I followed her instructions and moved the crane forward. “That’s it, now left about 50 feet.” I moved the magnet again. “There! Right there. Here he comes, lower and use the magnet.” I let the magnet down. It went slowly, too slowly. A few seconds passed before it went below the lines of cars.
“If that thing doesn’t go faster, you’re going to miss him. You should try the next choke point. Veilbreaker over.” My radio squawked next to me.
I raised the magnet back above the aisles. “This is Indigo Messiah, where is the next choke point?”
“Scissoring switch here. It’s 5 rows forward.” I extended the crane arm further, counting as it moved. “Just a little left and lower it.” I started lowering the magnet and moved the arm; it hit the top of a row and scraped loudly before sliding loose and crashing against the other wall, then it wobbled on its way down.
The radio erupted with Paige’s voice. “You’ve got this Indigo Messiah. I believe in you.”
The sway leveled out and I flipped on the magnet. There was a hideous scratching sound and the cable swung out. I lifted the magnet and it swung back and forth while the eerie sound of an engine revving with no ground contact filled the yard.
“You got him. Oh my god, I can’t believe you all did this for me!” Paige called out. “This is Slutty Siren by the way.”
14
“Scissoring Switch, Good Job Indigo Messiah. I’m so wet right now, it’s a good thing that I’m in a bus full of Dildos.”
I picked up the radio. “Somebody come and get me to that bus right now!”
My cry was met with silence, too much silence. After a lifetime of waiting, I heard the roar of the bike’s engines firing up.
“Come down. I’ll pick you up.” It was Thor’n. She didn’t follow up but I heard her start to move through the rows. I moved out and climbed down, avoiding looking where I was going. The radio was silent throughout the whole climb.
Thor’n was waiting for me at the bottom, and I hopped on the back of the bike. “What’s going on?”
“We were too late.” Her answer shook me.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“He uploaded it and sent it out back at the light, right before he did the burnout.” We both rode in silence after that. I felt like a pit opened up in my stomach. She trusted us and I had failed her. If I could have gotten that phone, or maybe I shouldn’t have taken her to that room. Maybe we should have left her sitting alone in that bar. I shook away the intrusive thoughts. We aren’t the ones to blame.
We came around a corner, and I saw Chip’s car suspended high in the air. I looked up as we rode beneath it and I could see him looking back at me. He spit, and it missed us. Thor’n stopped and we looked up at him.
“Why?” I asked.
He didn’t answer, but he did reply. “You are literally beneath me!”
I felt a rush of adrenaline, one of many so far today. I didn’t throw anything or rage at him. Instead, I steeled myself. I wasn’t about to let him keep us from Paige any longer than was necessary. Thor’n twisted the throttle and we headed away.
I ignored him and we rode on as we continued to the bus. Nikki had loaded her motorcycle onto a rack at the back of the bus and Thor’n did the same. I walked around and went inside. I could hear Paige sobbing in the back and Ana comforting her.
Nikki and Thor’n came inside. Thor’n to the driver’s seat and Nikki sat next to me on the couch. The bus started; we turned and drove back towards downtown.
15
Nikki listened as Paige was speaking then whispered to me. “She’s calling all the people close to her to warn them not to look.”
I nodded. We all drove in silence back to the hotel. I text Brooke and she met us in the lobby. She had done us a huge favor that we didn’t even think to ask for. We were several hours late for our checkout, but she spoke with the hotel and explained our situation. The staff got all of our luggage and held it for us at the front desk.
When we came back outside and found that a crowd had gathered around the bus. Thor’n called them the groupies. She explained that some of the hags liked to put on a moving show and that these men were the audience. I felt like I recognized a few of their faces from another Coven of Hags concert, but I couldn’t be sure, I was pretty swept up in the moment. We loaded loaded everything into the storage compartment of the bus and Brooke joined us.
The sun was setting as we pulled away again, long shadows stretched across the streets.
“You’re all coming to our show tonight, ya know.” Nikki announced.
“Will you be inviting me on stage again?” I asked.
Nikki smiled at me. “It’s not a ritual show this time; you’ll just have to enjoy the music.”
Ana came out of the back and closed the door behind herself. “She’s resting, but she was asking for you, Melvin.”
I waited until we stopped at a light and I shuffled back into the bedroom. Paige was lying face down on the bed, her jean jacket was tossed on the end table and her sobs had subsided. She was staring blankly out the window watching light fade from the city skyline.
“How did your calls go?” I asked.
She looked up at me, smiling weakly. “Everyone was supportive and nobody had seen it yet. They thanked me for the warning and promised if they see anyone sharing it that they’ll report it, and they won’t look at it themselves.”
“That’s good!” I put my hand on the small of her back and gently rubbed. She let out a soft sigh and lifted her shirt, exposing her bare back. I kept soothing her, my hand went up and down her back, massaging her neck and shoulders. “May I?” I stopped at her bra strap, gently lifting.
“Please,” Paige started. “Please free me from at least this one of life’s prisons.”
16
My fingers twisted the clasp, and it came free. I caressed her newly exposed skin and the marks on her back slowly started to fade. “I can free you from as many prisons as you’d like.”
Paige reached down and put her thumbs in her skirt before sliding it over her hips and kicking it off onto the floor.
I moved my hands further down, gliding over the swell of her ass cheeks and giving her a firm, grounding squeeze.
She reacted positively, letting out another long, pleased sigh as I rubbed her. I continued for some time, just kneading gently and staying quiet while she stared out the window as the last glimmer of light left the sky
“Let me get some oil.” I stood and poked my head out the door. Nikki was naked from the waist up and my wife’s head was buried in her chest. “Do you have any massage oil?”
Nikki giggled, wrapped her arms around Ana’s head, and shook her breasts in my wife’s face. “It’s gonna be on your left, by your head.”
Without looking away I opened a small cabinet and retrieved a bottle. I watched Ana’s tongue play with Nikki’s nipple rings while Brooke watched and touched herself through her dress in the front seat.
The groupies following along with us took notice as we stopped at a light and charged closer to get a better look. I checked the bottle to confirm that I had the right stuff. “Thanks. Have fun” I winked to them and stepped back in with Paige.
The sun was down now, and the room was dark except for the streetlights outside the window. Paige hadn’t moved, and I sat down next to her. I popped open the bottle and squeezed some into my hands and rubbed them together to warm the oil.
The commotion in the front started to get louder, then Thor’n said. “I’ve always enjoy driving a sex bus around a city!”
I could hear laughter and giggling that I recognized as Ana and Nikki, and a third voice who I assumed was Brooke.
Paige perked up too, then returned to gazing out the window. “You don’t have to stay here. I don’t want you to miss out.”
17
I put my hands on her back and spread the oil across her skin. I pressed in and my hands glided across her back muscles.
She let out a deep breath as I reached her shoulders. “I just keep thinking that my career is ruined. No matter what I do now, this is all they’ll see.”
My hands paused for a moment. “Paige, you’re so much more than the parts of yourself that people might judge.”
“I know,” her voice was soft and barely audible.
I continued, “Frank Hollis himself was congratulating you on your work. I heard the lecture you wrote, and you obviously know what you’re talking about, plus you actually care about the subject matter.
I paused, but she remained silent.
“You’re talented,”
“You’re smart.”
I pressed my palms into her. “If the people in the industry feel the overwhelming need to judge and criticize you that’s their problem. It sounds like they’re the problem you were working on eliminating, and you still can.”
She started to speak, then let out a sigh.
“And there’s nothing saying that you can’t keep working on the problem, even from the outside.
“But that’s all they’ll talk about.” Her voice came out as a whisper as I pressed hard on her back. “I don’t want to be a punchline.”
I moved my hands down to the small of her back, my fingers pressed into her flesh, and she let out a comfortable gasp. “Even if you are, there’s nothing wrong with being a punchline.” I paused to let out a kind chuckle. “If anyone should know, it’s me, and I turned it into a career. It’s a moment in your life but it doesn’t define you. It’s just part of what makes us all human.”
Paige exhaled slowly and her body relaxed as I moved the massage down to her ass and started kneading. “I want to believe that. I’m just scared it’ll all overshadow everything I do for the rest of my life.”
18
I moved down to her legs, making long, medium pressure strokes with the palm and heel of my hands. “You’ve worked too hard for too long to let them take that from you. You already spoke to the important people in your life, and they’re all on your side.” My tone was gentle and firm, “And so are we.”
I could see Paige’s eyes soften in the reflection on the window. “I guess… I guess I’m just not ready to let them define me.”
I smiled as I worked on her feet and toes. “As far as I can tell you’ve never let anyone define you. That’s one of our favorite things about you.”
She pondered a moment while I finished up. I grabbed a towel and started to clean the excess oil from her skin. “Until you say otherwise, I’m right here where you need me.”
I laid down next to her and she snuggled up close, throwing her arms over my chest and a leg over my waist. I gently stroked her face and hair with one arm, and the other swung over her, gently rubbing her back. We laid in silence for a while, watching block after block of city streets pass us by. The city was alive, with people walking, riding, loitering, and don’t forget the groupies who seemed to double the number from earlier.
As we lay together, I felt her breaths slowly steady, and with her bare chest pressed against me I could feel her heartbeat level out. Our peaceful moment continued until a sound from the other room got both of our attention. We heard Ana make a sound that I recognized, a long moan that turned into a pleasured cry.
I snickered and nuzzled her with my chin. “That’s what Ana’s scissoring orgasms sound like.”
Paige was silent for a moment and then she sat up and looked at me right in the eyes. “How about that raincheck from yesterday?” Her hand moved past my waist and her fingers started caressing me through my pants with the skill and acumen of a Congresswoman from Colorado on a date to a live theatre performance. She unclasped my belt and unbuttoned my pants then pulled them down and freed me. The grief-stricken corporate drone was gone, and my red headed slut had come out to play.
Paige moved between my legs, her lips sealing around my cock and her tongue teasing the tip. I felt myself swell until her mouth was strained to contain me.
She stood up and shimmied her panties down, then mounted me enveloping my cock with her tight wet pussy.
My hands freed the rest of my clothing as she started to ride me. Paige’s hands pressed on my chest and she grinded, her nails pressed into my flesh and my hands grasped her around the waist.
19
Paige glanced out the window and watched the groupies outside for a brief moment, then she reached out with one hand, feeling around the dark until she found the light switch and flipped it on.
Outside the window several groupies looked up at us. One man fist pumped and shouted something that I couldn’t make out. We stopped at a streetlight and a crowd gathered at the window. Paige started riding hard but suddenly stopped and gave me a sheepish grin. “Taking charge like this is fun and novel, but it’s not what I’m looking for.” She laid back down on her belly and presented her perfect ass to me. I climbed on top of her and moved her until she was pressed against the window.
The crowd outside cheered as they watched us.
My hips slapped against Paige’s ass loudly enough that I was certain the rest of the bus knew what we were up to. As we started moving again, I pulled Paige back and rolled her over. I continued to thrust deep inside her while my lips and tongue enjoyed her nipples.
I took one hand and placed it gently over her mouth. I applied light pressure and I felt her warm breath as she started panting heavily. She couldn’t speak, but her body was begging me not to stop.
She breathed hard behind my hand but remained silent. Her hips bucked and her back arched. I didn’t even notice that I was close, but as soon as she climaxed I did as well. Her reaction was silent, but mine wasn’t. I let out a bellow and a roar as my cock throbbed, again and again. I filled her up, but it wasn’t over yet. Her steely blue eyes met mine as I removed my hand from her mouth and revealed her smile beneath.
“I’m glad you stay hydrated,” she quipped. “That was exactly what I’ve been needing.” She waved goodbye to the groupies and switched off the light.