Chapter 14: Joseph Dyne – Monday, June 22nd, 2015

I put down the novel on the battered coffee table. I wasn't the Ian Fleming fan Matthew suggested I'd be. I leaned back and pinched the bridge of my nose. I had work tonight. I wish I could have started then. Sitting bored for two hours and then catching a bus held no appeal. I'd have given the company two extra hours for their measly twenty four bucks.

Things had been quiet these last few days. Matthew had been spending most of his time out and Craps was at St Mary's every free moment he could find. I had finally beaten Mass Effect 2. Arkham City was sitting next to For Your Eyes Only.

I checked my phone, probably for the first time since Saturday. Seems that I missed out seeing Jurassic World with Paul and the boys yesterday. Fuck it. I tossed my Blackberry next to Bond and The Bat. This place was clean, I had no interested in getting a snack, and sitting at my computer held no sway. I was just going to simmer on the black leather couch until I had to peel myself up and walk out the door.

"So, this is the homestead," The door opened with Matthew's voice. Fuck. I grumbled, but he might help the time drive by a bit quicker.

"Cleaner, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Laughed, sarcastically, a mellifluous voice. What was Matthew doing with all of these women? I wondered if this was Deborah. I'm pretty sure you don't take your millionaire boss-girlfriend to the slums.

"Yeah, I guess. Any word from Gwen?" He asked as he stepped out from the porch and saw me on the couch, "Hey Joe!"

"Yeah, hi," I said as I waited for the girl to walk up next to him. She was gorgeous, a taller than his jaw black woman in sock feet. She had straight black hair around a heart shaped face. She wore more pink than you often saw on adults, just her tank top and her lipstick. Her shorts were tight around a beautiful ass and she had long beautiful legs. She had the easiest smile. I immediately liked her.

"Eden, this Joseph," He waved between us and she followed him into the living room. I reached up to shake her hand.

"And Joe, this is Eden, she's a waitress from work. And I think my new girlfriend?" He still had that uncertainty that was quintessentially Matthew. Eden rolled her eyes at that.

"Yeah, we're saying that now," She said with a patient smile.

"Excellent," He beamed, kissed her and fell back into the armchair at the end of the sofa. Eden settled down, between us, at the other end from me.

"Yeah, congrats," I shrugged. I wagered the imminent relationship explosion was postponed only because that Sara girl he had helped out had felt compelled to clean up the place. I figured I would have a completely insufferable roommate by fall.

"Didn't you need to get something?" Eden asked Matthew and he looked confused, "Before we met Gwen for dinner?"

"Fuck! Right..." He slapped her thigh as he stood up. Way more Alpha Male than I had ever seen from him, "I'll be right back."

"Hi," She said to me after Matthew had rushed across the apartment to slam his door shut.

"Hi," I said back.

"So, um, how long have you known Matthew?"

"Since Uni," I recalled, "We were in the same classes mostly first year."

"I would have loved to have known him in his college days," She smiled.

"No, you really wouldn't've," I shook my head. She laughed agreeably. Our first year, she would have been what? 14? 10? Even excluding that. I'm pretty sure 19 year old Eden would have found 19 year old Matthew intolerable. Matthew had loved Janine and the rest of the women in the world were pieces of shit. Except his sisters, I guess. I almost agreed with him. I kind of wished Janine had broken him more thoroughly. Maybe, he would have pulled himself out of his own ass much sooner. She had her life now and we had our own.

"So what did you guys study?" She asked, "I was a sociology major."

"We all dropped out of math," I spoke for Matthew, Janine and myself, "Actually, I guess Matthew flunked out."

"Why'd you leave?"

"Ask the pill bottles behind the mirror," I shrugged, "I wasn't medicated and my support group of friends all but disappeared."

"Ick," She squirmed. Not the best nice to meet you conversation.

"Fuck! Holy shit why'd they take a gun!" Matthew erupted from his bedroom.

"What the hell?" I asked as Eden grew wide eyed.

"Oh!" And then Matthew was laughing like a felt vampire who just counted to a thousand.

"You have great taste in men," I nodded in her direction.

"Yep, this is all on me," She frowned. Whatever she was talking about flew on over my head.

"What are you guys doing tonight?"

"Games and stuff at another waitress's place," She blushed. I didn't press. I didn't want to ever, ever, ever hear about Matthew's sexual exploits ever again. Hell, one time with gin and Janine was enough.

"Sounds fun," I moved on. Matthew's door flung open.

"Hey, Joe," Matthew peeked his head out of his room, "My computer's dead. Can I borrow yours for like twenty minutes?"

"Yeah, it's in my room. You probably need the password."

"1 Q 2 W 3 E 4 R, you hacker," He shouted back and I got a little red. You don't announce that shit in front of others. On the other hand, it was about time I stopped using the password I thought up in grade 8 computer class.

"So, you're reading Bond books?"

"That was my first, and probably my last."

"Good on you," She sniffed, "Fleming's a bit too misogynistic for me."

"What do you read?" I asked, books always being my neutral topic. You ever have that first conversation with a person? When the wheels in your head start turning, like a slot machine, and you're wondering what topics you could discuss with this person. Politics, ideas, gossip, sports, science, the weather. The wheels were locking into place. The last person I met through Matthew rolled up sports, sports, sports.

"I like classics," She shrugged, "The last book I read was Frankenstein."

"Shelly is so fucking wordy!" I grumbled. She smiled. I saw Matthew had chosen well.

"Yeah, though Sense and Sensibilities is my favorite all time book," She grinned, prompting me. I had never read Austen. I figured I'd give her a shot with Eden's recommendation on the pile. I'm sure I had Sense and Sensibilities and Sea Monsters on the shelf above the Xbox games.

"I'm partial to The Captain and The Enemy," I decided. One favorite book is very hard.

"I don't know it," She admitted.

"Graham Greene," I smiled, "Read it. There's a copy right over there next to the My Little Pony DVDs."

"Yours?"

"The books are mine," I shrugged, "You're dating the Brony."

"Ew," She chuckled.

"Sweet!" Matthew strutted out of my room oblivious, "I got what I need."

Eden and I were laughing at him and he just smiled as we finished. He had changed his clothes. The ratty dishrags he wore to work had been seriously upgraded. It was so surprising to see Matthew in new clothes that I actually noticed what he was wearing. It was simple, he wore a plain black t-shirt and new pair of jeans. This girl meant something to him. I hope he survived her. He was carrying a grocery bag with a green book showing through the dull plastic. He was giddy and impervious right now. That was for the best.

"You ready to go, babe?" He smiled and Eden got up and tucked her hair behind her left ear. She crossed to the bookshelf and picked up the thin paperback.

"Room in your bag for this?" She asked and Matthew took it.

"Joe! Quit mind fucking all the pretty ones," He jokingly scolded as he tucked the book into his bag.

"Never!" I laughed.

"It was, uh, nice to meet you," Eden said as she plucked a tag off the back of Matthew's jeans. He took her hand and they made to leave.

"Probably nicer for me," I laughed a little neutrally, "Take care of him. He's fragile."

"Yeah, thanks buddy," Matthew laughed and flipped me off.

Gwendolyn Ashcroft – Monday, June 22nd, 2015

I drove up to Matthew's apartment buildings. I didn't like this area of town. Gottingen was a block up and they had a decent gay bar that I sometimes went to on its comedy nights. I didn't usually drive. I wasn't usually by myself. I pulled into the cul-de-sac between Matthew's tower and the middle one.

I had only ever been out this way once before. Matthew's apartment, new to him at the time, had become the after party of my first Flynn's Christmas party. I had been twenty and felt considerably more invincible than I did right now. This driveway in winter was chaos. It seemed benign now, just grungy. One of the visitor parking spots was empty and I pulled in.

I had had the most embarrassing day. In the trunk were bags of purchases including several I'd have much rather have collected via the internet. I fished my phone off the front bench but before I could text that I arrived the passenger door flew open.

"Jesus, Gwen! Calm your tits." Eden replied to my surprised shriek.

"Sorry, I just don't like it here," I looked around and I only saw three other people. One was a scruffy looking college kid who gave me a concerned look before wandering off. The other two were Matthew and another girl. Holy hell! Really? He had told us he was going to get one more girl today and, from the conversations I had been having with Eden, that had already been exceeded by two hundred percent. This girl, obviously part of the building's cleaning crew, was dressed in a splotchy t-shirt and had her tight braids held away from her face by a blue bandanna.

"The best thing I can say about Matthew right now is that he hasn't got a racist bone in his pants," Eden mumbled as she also looked over the skinny black girl.

"He's also kind. He listens," I pointed out. The thing was I had to talk to be heard and by the time I got my words together Matthew would double this harem. I felt a shudder under my skin. I pictured Eden, the girl in tower and I dressed in Jasmine like garb. Diaphonous oversexualized costumes as we lounged around a gold inlaid pool, drinking wine and eating grapes until we were called up to our king. That'd suit Courtney best; she kind of had that young Barbara Eden look.

"Nice doesn't mean good, Gwen," Eden slumped in her seat. The car was still running and she turned the dial on the radio until she heard Our Lady Peace. She closed her eyes and smiled a little. I would have preferred something less 90s depressing. I looked over to see Matthew wave good-bye to the janitor girl and followed Eden to the car without another slut in tow.

"Hi, Gwendolyn," He singsonged as he slipped into the back, "Oh, my God. I love this car. Leg room in the back!"

"Thanks?" I said, "Are we going to..."

I let the question die off as Matthew buckled in. Eden heard the safety belt click and grabbed her own at the shoulder.

"Do you live alone, Gwen?" He asked. I pouted, one Gwendolyn was better than none, I suppose.

"For the moment," I looked around and started backing out. Eden had buckled in just before I started forward out the cul-de-sac intending to go home.

"For the moment?"

"Well, I live with this girl Jacklyn," I explained, "She went back to school a couple of years ago and is now on a work term with her degree," I eased out into traffic and had to turn right because of how wide my car was and despite the empty nine pm streets, some jackass had his truck wiggling around to my left. I didn't care to drive through Uniacke Square, but I was just being paranoid.

"Good for her," Matthew declared lazily.

"So she's paying rent but probably won't be back for until Septemberish," I sighed.

"These bracelets are a pain," Matthew derailed the conversation. Well there wasn't much more to say. I was glad he hadn't started grilling me about Jacklyn. I kept my mouth shut, "There's got to be a better way."

"Why do you have that church book?" Eden looked over her shoulder and asked. I couldn't see it in the rearview but I suspected I knew it to see it.

"Is that the magic book that lets you be a wizard?" I asked recalling my first encounter with Dawn.

"Sort of," He shrugged, "Well that's a bald faced lie. It's like the shittiest written operating manual for magic."

"Sounds like a church book to me," Eden quipped and Matthew grinned. I finally turned up North St and was beginning to feel better. It was still a bit of a drive to my south end apartment.

"Yeah," He said through his smile. He was ripping page to page, clearly only reading headings or snippets before jumping through to the next. He went forward and backwards while the next song, Neil Young the DJ had said, played through. He settled on a page a few blocks before I pulled into the garage. He hopped out of the car before I had reached for my seatbelt. He was laughing and Eden was standing with her hip cocked and her eyes impatient when I joined them in the cluttered parking garage.

"The, uh, the--" I shut my mouth and just opened the trunk with my keys. I handed one bag to Eden and took the big black paper one with the pink tissue paper for myself, "Did you two lock your doors?"

Matthew turned back and locked his doors. Eden and I waited, and then led him to the elevator. I lived on the third of five floors. Like usual, we didn't see anyone else on the way to my apartment. I didn't take a full breath until my door was secured behind the three of us.

It was a great apartment for one person but would feel a bit cramped when Jacklyn returned. The kitchen was big and to the left of the front door. To the right of the door was the closet that was filled with my sneakers, more than a few pairs of winter boots and the sandals Jacklyn had left behind. The living room had a big fat fluffy sofa in front of her monster flat screen. A little mahogany table sat between them. Oscar, so named because he had been transplanted to the apartment in a can, offered a bit of leafy shade in front of the white curtained window. The bathroom was tucked behind the closet and our bedroom doors were on either side of the couch.

Matthew was at home in a moment. He kicked his frayed and stained sneakers towards the closet doors and crossed the room to flop down on the sofa. Eden rolled her eyes to me as she took off her shoes and tidied up his and hers together. I then kicked off my shoes the way Matthew had and Eden started snickering.

"Gwendolyn?" My ears picked right up, "Can you get some candles? Eden bring the bags over."

I handed her the sex toys and Eden set off while I muttered an "Of course, Matthew." There were a couple of white stick candles in the drawer under the microwave and several orange, purple and pink ones scattered around the room anyways. I went to grab the box of matches but remembered better. I took a pair of short brass candle holders and joined the pair on the couch. Eden was at his right hand. I was at his left.

"We should order food," He said, "Pizza?"

"Yeah, sounds good," Eden agreed.

"Alright, call Daddy Mike's, no onions, some meat. They had a decent deal for a large 5 topping and medium garlic fingers," He announced and started taking the other things out of his bag. He had a novel, the church book, a gold and white music box, a notepad and a visibly chewed Bic pen. An address was scribbled on the front page of the notepad. He had underlined it twice and exclaimed it three times.

"Hi Daddy Mike's what can I get you?"

"I have an order for delivery," I said. I ordered what Matthew had asked. Pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, green peppers and jalapenos. Eden seemed alarmed at that. I asked about the deal. Eden's puppy dog eyes exchanged the garlies for cinnamon sticks.

"Half an hour, forty five," He replied, "Cash, debit or credit?"

"Cash," Matthew had placed two twenties on the table. We still had Deborah's credit card and Matthew commanded Eden's and my money as well. I felt warm to see him pay for it. I said thank you to a hang up and put my phone on the table.

"Alright," Matthew had been studying a page in the book a few moments, "Clear the table."

I grabbed my phone back. Eden took my kindle and put it on the floor before Jacklyn's door. Matthew aligned the music box. Then he dug through second bag of stuff and pulled out the stainless steel Zippo I had bought on his insistence. He set it down in front of the music box.

"All right girls, are you ready?"

"Ready for what?" Eden asked scooting forward on her cushion and had her butt in contact with Matthew's thigh. I moved forward on his left but left him a little room.

"I'm going to make this lighter magic."

"It's not magic already?" I asked.

"Was it when you bought it?"

"I don't think so," I hedged.

"OK, wizard," Eden taunted the title, "What's this going to do?"

"I don't know what should a magic lighter do?"

"Oh! Whoever looks into the flame can't move!" I got excited. Both turned to me.

"I like that," Matthew grinned and I grinned back. Eden inaudibly tutted.

"Cool, so how does this work?"

"Well," He grinned like he was being sneaky, "First you need the right ambience."

He lit both candles, using the lighter, and put them in the holders on either side of the music box. I got up and hit the switch for the overhead light. There was a bit of ambient light leaking in from the streetlights outside and the light over the stove was still on but Matthew called me back, leaving it alone. He returned the lighter to it's place in front of the music box.

"And now," He said as I settled down on his side again, "We begin."

He reached across and opened the music box. Inside, where there was usually a little statuette of pirouetting ballerina there turned a two dimensional copper fairy. She had thin wings and curtsied with her ankles crossed and her skirt pulled up. There was no definition on her her face and her hair was bent a little out of plane. She turned for the almost three notes before it went silent.

"Oh, uh," He chuckled, "I guess I should wind it up first."

"OK," Eden slunk back as Matthew moved ahead to grab the box. There was a knob on the bottom and he turned that for a good minute. He put the box back into place, fussed a little, and then opened the top again.

"Alright, ladies," He said to the beginnings of Swan Lake, "This lighter is Mine."

I felt something powerful then. Eden and my eyes turned towards the steel zippo. Already Matthew's clear thumbprint scuffed the cap. "And when I open this lighter and spark its flame, it will stop whoever sees from moving and thinking."

We waited for a few minutes. Matthew closed the music box lid.

"Do you think it worked?" He asked, nervously. Eden was surprised at his tone.

"Something happened..." Eden agreed.

"OK, Eden, get up, walk to the kitchen and walk back," He said and Eden got up. She looked great in the candlelight. I felt a bit of an ugly duckling around her. I sighed and fell back. She got to the kitchen counter and turned around. Matthew had his lighter in hand. She started walking. It didn't light on the first try. Matthew got sour and ripped his thumb down the flint wheel. Spark, flame, and Eden easily walked over and sat down next to him.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The last wizard was cock," Matthew muttered, "We have to try again."

The setup was the same. Align the box and lighter, Eden and I shimmied up to the edge of the couch. Matthew scribbled something down on the notepad and tried again.

"This lighter is mine," He announced redundantly, "And when I spark its flame, whoever sees it won't move or think!"

"I don't like the think part," I said.

"Me either," Agreed Eden as he closed the lid of the music box.

"What are you doing?" I asked, "You didn't do anything new."

"Oh, go over to the kitchen and walk back," He grumbled. I sighed and followed Eden's circuit. Matthew got the flame going on one try this time. I carried on and sat back next to him.

"God fucking dammit!" He slumped back, "Get the lights Gwen."

"Ok," I said with a little offence.

"I'm sorry, get the lights, please," He smiled at me and I back at him. Eden leaned over Matthew's shoulder to read the page he was stuck on. He seemed to be scanning it but not taking his time. He reached to turn the page as I sat down. Eden's finger stopped him, she was pointing about a third of the way down.

"It says here you have to tell a subject to do something," She declared.

"I tried that," He sighed, "It didn't work when I said the lighter did something."

"Oh, I know, but then you said the lighter would make someone not to move. I think you have to tell them to stop."

"Oh, yeah, I flipped that as well," He grabbed her chin and kissed her. She fell away with a sad smile, he turned back to his altar, "Lovely assistant, the lights."

"Yes, Great and Powerful Matthew," I said with reverence and comedy. He smacked my ass as I walked to the switch. I felt like I wanted to be offended. We were back in the light of candles and stoves.

"This lighter is mine!" Again he repeated himself, only now he was booming and projecting. I could see from the toothy smile on his face that he was excited to make progress, "Whosoever looks upon its flame will stop until the flame is extinguished."

"I think that deserves a lighting flash and a mwahahahaha," Eden groaned.

"C'mon have a bit of fun," Matthew chuckled as he closed the lid, "So what do you think this time girls?"

"It works," I shrugged, "I guess."

"Alright, let's see then. Abra Kadab--" He lifted the lighter and flicked it open. The flame sparked and in that instant the lid snapped shut, "--cited to see what happens. Alright, who's my volunteer?"

"I'll do it," Eden stood up and crossed over to the kitchen. She was walking back. Matthew again had to work the flint wheel harder than usual. He was attempting a third strike.

The snap of the lighter closing startled me. It was like the room had rushed back. Matthew had somehow moved across the room. He jumped and celebrated. I looked to Eden and mirrored her confusion.

"What happened?" I started to ask.

Matthew gestured to the two twenties on the table, "Pizza's on its way up, I buzzed her in."

He cackled as he walked into the washroom. His door shut while she knocked on my apartment door. I walked over on unsteady and confused feet. I opened the door. She was a teenager, or maybe twenty. Tall and busty in a cute top and a baggy pair of shorts. I didn't want Matthew to see her.

"28.70," She said and I handed her the money. I moved to close the door in her face.

'Change?"

"No," I hurried.

"Oh, thanks! Have a good night!" She chirped and spun off down the hall. I breathed a sigh of relief as I carried the pizzas over to the table. I moved the candles to one side of the music box. The smell of cinnamon was so tempting. I was dipping my second stick in the frosting cups, Eden was almost caught up, when Matthew left the bathroom.

"Good?" He asked as he stepped over my thighs to his spot in the middle of the sofa. He reached for the pizza.

"These are criminal," Eden happily moaned around a cinnamon stick.

"That's great," He smiled as he took his first bite. He complimented me before he finished chewing, "Excellent choice in pizza."

"Thanks, it's what I like," Although I usually went onions over the bacon.

We took our time eating, I had a couple bottles of red wine to go with the pizza. I was tilted when we were done but Eden and Matthew were not. The cinnamon sticks dropped off with temperature. I licked some frosting off of Matthew's lips. For the moment I was having fun. Eden seemed a bit rigid but she let go after her fourth and final glass.

"What else did we buy today?" Giggled Eden. She covered her mouth and blushed at that. Matthew guffawed and it was my turn to blush as Matthew took the black bag from under the table. Oh, we were on this now? He tore out the tissue paper like a child on Christmas morning.

I am not a prude. I hope. I just, well, getting a cardboard package from a UPS guy was less embarrassing than an hour and a half shopping spree in an overly decorated adult store. I had walked in, the clerks, a couple in their mid-fifties were sitting back and watching one of the TVs. The other three TVs were showing quieted softcore pornography and commercials for sex toys. They were watching Buffy on Netflix. One of the later seasons, with the nerds.

I pulled myself out of the drunken daydream as Matthew handed me a fat flesh colored dildo with a suction cup. It was still in the box, as was the smaller white one and harness that rested in Eden's lap. Matthew pulled out a pair of fuzzy cuffs.

"I don't think we need these," He smiled and tossed away thirty five bucks. The last thing was a skinny four inch plastic vibrator and a sleeve of way overpriced Energizer AAs. They seemed to make all of their money on the batteries. Matthew was giddy, it was like the first time he had seen a sex toy in person. I figured it might be.

"Well, this is going to be a party," Eden announced with diminishing enthusiasm.

"C'mere," He pulled her by her wrists. The box crumpled between them as they kissed.

"So, what, are you going to magic these as well?" I asked as they broke apart. Matthew turned with a smile. Eden fought back a scowl.

"Sort of, but we need something," Matthew looked around, "Where's your TV remote?"

I reached across his waist, smiling near his face as I pulled the remote from between Eden and his cushions. He kissed the tip of my nose and I couldn't help but smile. I remembered how I felt just a couple of days ago. Envious of Eden and Matthew. I was here now, Matthew was sexually charged and so was I. Eden struggled, but Matthew would catch her up.

"Alright," He flicked on the TV and we got baseball. I don't think I'd watched TV TV since Jacklyn had left. If she wasn't coming back I'd cancel it and save the four dollars a month. He quickly scrolled up to the porn channels. A sign asking us to contact our cable provider for more info appeared when he clicked on Axel Braun's Dark Knight XXX, "I didn't think you'd have these channels."

"I could've told you that," Eden snorted.

"Well this is something I wanted to try," Matthew smiled and handed me the remote. I had also taken the vibrator and batteries. He reached for the music box.

"Don't you have to move the candles back?" I asked.

"What matters is that we're focused," He lied. Something was important, Eden could see that too.

"All right," He began as the little fairy turned and oscillated. This time he ignored Eden and took my jaw in both of his warm hands. I flickered a grin. The rest of everything seemed to fall away. Matthew was kind of cute without that scraggly beard. I touched his cheek, it was stiff and coarse, he would need a good shave tomorrow, "Gwen, the cable box is mine. Whoever uses it to watch TV will have access to the porn channels."

And we waited. Eden spoke after a moment. "That didn't work."

"You've reached Bell Aliant," The automated voice service said in my ear, "For service in English press 1. Pour service en Franc--"

"Gwen?" Matthew shook my shoulder.

"Oh," I was startled to put down my phone. I hit the call end, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," He said, "I should have figured that. Leave your phone for now."

I looked down and saw that I had dialed in the cable number again. I didn't even recall looking it up, I sure as shit didn't know it offhand. Matthew took my phone and we turned the television off.

"Well, I guess--" Matthew's phone chirped its default tone. I didn't recognize the beautiful redhead he was smiling with. I guessed it was one of the girls from today. Kendra? I shook my head and read the name Cleo.

"Hey, it's your new best bud," Scoffed Eden.

"What?" I asked.

"Matthew made her think they were best friends," Eden sighed, "He should have just fucked and enslaved her."

"No," Matthew denied, "I'd rather keep most girls unAware. It doesn't seem right to make girls like you two. It matters that you're important to me."

"It matters to us too," Eden admitted, "I'm sorry about Rajani. I was just a bit upset. I don't share too well with other girls."

"I've never even tried to before all this," I admitted.

"Me neither," Smiled Matthew, "The problem with Rajani wasn't you, Eden. It was Sara."

"Yeah? I don't want to be like her," I agreed.

"I don't want a stock of carbon copy girls either," He fell back into the couch. The fairy slowed to a halt. I closed the lid and started winding it. He looked at me with more than a bit of interest.

"So what?" Eden carried on, "Unless you tell Sara exactly what you want she'll assume anything her last master wanted goes. Maybe he wanted mindless sex bimbos? It would explain Sara and Phoebe."