Chapter 2

Ch. 02 Song Titles

Buy Me a Boat (Chris Janson)

The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band)

When I Fall in Love (Chris Botti)

Mike awoke on the sofa, Melody still wrapped in his arms. Stroking her deep red hair, he recalled the events of the last twenty-four hours. The art sale, that mysterious locket, the puzzle opening it, all had led to this girl lying on his chest. She had told him she was a genie, bound to be a sexual servant to whoever released her from her vessel. Mike, being uncomfortable with her subservient nature and the idea enslaving her, wished for her to gain free will and to be an equal partner to him. Her gratitude to him for making such a wish had led them both here, lying on the sofa with him half naked.

Melody looked up at him, planting a soft kiss on his lips. “Hey there, sleepy. Did someone tire you out?”

Mike stuck his tongue out at her. “You know damn well what tired me out.”

She giggled her trademark laugh. God, Mike loved to hear her laugh. “I hope that was ok, taking what I wanted like that,” she said. “I’m still figuring out this whole free will thing.”

Mike kissed her forehead. “You were amazing. Knocked me out cold. How long was I out for, by the way?”

“Not long, maybe twenty minutes,” she said, sitting up. “We’ve still got the whole day ahead of us. Whatcha wanna do now?”

Mike eyed her with a grin. “I see that look in your eye, Miss ‘I’m up to no good.’ I know better.” Melody tried her best to appear innocent.

“Honestly,” Mike said, sitting up, “I’ve got questions about your powers. You mentioned that tingling I feel in my head when I make a wish. Did you say you were reading my mind?”

She shook her head. “No. Reading my master’s without his permission is forbidden to all genies, from servants up to the most powerful King Jinn. It would be an invasion of your privacy, and a major ethical breach. The tingle is my attempts to hear the thoughts behind your wish, ensuring I interpret it properly and give you what you intended to ask for. Though, if that bothers you, I will of course refrain from doing so.”

“No, that’s fine, as long as it only happens when I wish for something. I didn’t realize that was something genies were capable of doing. That’s why I was trying to be careful in phrasing those first few wishes. The last thing I want is a poorly worded wish backfiring on me.”

Melody nodded. “That’s understandable. Many of the legends you may have read about Jinn and Genies are rooted in actual events.”

“Like Aladdin and the Genie of the lamp?”

“Yes, although that specific account is only legend. Jinn and genie servants such as myself are fulfilling our primary purpose for existence. There are sexual servants, household servants, and political advisors, to name a few. Some genies are bound to an object, such as a lamp or bottle, as punishment for failing to follow our code of conduct. Genies in such situations were known to twist their masters’ words, attempting to gain their freedom through an ill-conceived wish.”

Mike nodded in understanding. “Ok, so basically, it’s only with my permission that you delve into my thoughts, and even then, you only draw information pertinent to the wish. Is that correct?”

Melody smiled. “Exactly.”

“Alright then ... oh, you mentioned both Jinn and Genies. What’s the difference?”

“That is merely a gender distinction. Males are Jinn, while females are Genies.”

“Are there still many in existence?”

Melody closed her eyes for a moment in thought. “I cannot say for sure. It’s quite possible, but we genies are unable to detect each other’s presence. This is another failsafe for the protection of our masters. In the past, some masters desired to gain power over several genies and sought out other masters. When they began to pit their genies against one another, the laws had to be amended to prevent this. If we were to encounter one, I wouldn’t know for sure that there was a genie nearby, though I would detect a magical presence in the area, as would they.”

“Cool. Ok next question. While you were performing the, um, most awesome, mind blowing blowjob in the history of the world...”

“Oh, I’m just getting started,” Melody shot back.

Mike laughed as he tried to stay on topic. “ ... There was a moment when I heard you speaking in my mind. Are you able to communicate telepathically?”

On cue, he heard her voice in his head again.

Yes, but only with you.

Openmouthed, Mike could only reply, “Wow. That’s cool.”

“Why don’t you try it?”

Mike cocked his eyebrow. “How?”

She giggled. “It’s easy, silly. Just think what you want to say, and direct it to me.”

Mike concentrated. Like this?

Perfect! You’re a quick study. As you are my master, I am never more than a thought away from you.

Really? Even if we’re nowhere near each other?

Of course, Melody replied. We could be universes apart, and I would still be with you in a moment’s notice. That’s how strong my connection to you is.

“Very nice. Although, I have to admit, I love hearing your voice in reality,” Mike replied. “Your laugh has got to be one of the sweetest sounds I’ve ever heard.”

She giggled. “Yep, that’s the one,” Mike said.

Melody kissed him on the cheek. “You’re the best. A better master than I could have ever dreamed of.” She moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder. “What other questions did you have?”

Mike thought for a moment. “Honestly, I want to learn more about Melody the person. Likes, dislikes, interests and such.”

“Well...” she said, seductively raising her eyebrow.

“Besides sexual interests!” Mike laughed at himself for not anticipating her response.

Melody giggled. “Fine, fine. I haven’t developed any real likes or dislikes. I mean, I was only born about twelve hours ago, and I’ve only had free will for a little over an hour. If I’m going to find out about my interests, as I can tell you would want me to, why don’t you tell me more about what makes Mike tick?”

Nodding, he responded, “Fair enough. Let’s see, I’m twenty-six years old, born and raised here in Atlanta. Went to school at Auburn University and Florida State University, became a professional musician after that. Currently play second trumpet for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.”

“Ooh, a musician! How delightful ... and sexy...” Melody interjected, twirling her hair between her fingers.

Mike laughed. After all, being a band nerd had never done him any favors with the ladies in high school.

Man, how times do change.

“Outside of that,” Mike continued, “I’m pretty introverted in my personal life. I try to avoid dealing with people unless necessary. Of course, the ones I actually choose to keep around as friends, you included, aren’t people,” he said with a wink. “A typical relaxing day for me is being a homebody, watching superhero movies, and playing video games.”

Melody’s eyes perked up. “Video games you say? That sounds like fun.”

Mike looked at her with hope in his eyes. “You like video games?”

She smiled. “Well I’ve never played them, but based on knowing the concept of what they are, I think they’d be something I’d enjoy quite a bit.”

That was all Mike needed. “How bout we fire one up? I’ll show you the ropes.”

He stood up and moved over to his entertainment center. Checking his game collection, he looked for the perfect first gaming experience for Melody.

Call of Duty? Nah, too violent for her first game. NCAA Football? Eh, maybe not, the controls are pretty complex. Oh, perfect!

He pulled out one of his favorite games ever, Mario Kart Wii. “How about a race?”

“I’m game,” Melody replied with anticipation.

Mike powered up the system and handed her a controller, giving her a basic rundown of the button configuration. She was a quick study, and they were soon off on their first race.

“Ok, I’ll make sure I go easy on ya. I want you to have fun, after all.”

She shrugged. “Your funeral.”

Damn! Little trash talker!

Mike won the first race in convincing fashion. This was in large part due to Melody being so entranced by the game’s graphics that she forgot she was supposed to be racing. The three walls she ran into didn’t help either.

“Crap ... this is harder than it looks,” Melody sulked.

Mike laughed. “Well it doesn’t help when you say, ‘Ooh, what’s that? Hey that’s pretty! What’s over there?!’ Classic.”

She stuck her her tongue out at him. “One more go! I got you this time!”

Mike chuckled. “You got it. But no crying.”

Their second race was much more of an even match. Mike was still going rather easy on her, but he noticed she was getting much better in a hurry. But as he thought he was going to win, she snuck up behind him with the dreaded Blue Shell weapon, beating him at the last second.

“YES!” Melody squealed with excitement.

“Dammit!” Mike couldn’t believe how fast she had caught on. If she hadn’t just been born today, he’d have sworn she was hustling him. “Ok, from here on, no more going easy on you!”

“Bring it,” she whispered seductively.

Mike eyed her for several moments. “I don’t think I need to remind you of how unsportsmanlike it would be to use any kind of sex appeal to your advantage.”

“Fine...” she said rolling her eyes.

Starting their third race, Melody got off to a quick start, but a couple of banana peels from Mike put him back in the lead by the start of the third lap. Rounding the halfway point of the track, he got hit again with the Blue Shell, Melody zooming past him. It took every ounce of skill he had, but he was able to trip her up at last as she rounded the final curve, passing her at the last second for the win.

Mike pumped his fist in victory. “That’s what I’m talkin about!”

Melody flexed her sore fingers. “Wow, you’re good when you go all out.”

“So are you,” Mike replied. “How’d you get so good at that?”

“Not sure,” she said, shaking her head. “After the first race, it all seemed so natural to me.”

“Hmm...” Mike thought for a moment. “I wonder if has anything to do with that ‘ideal woman’ thing you mentioned? I’ve always been impressed by, and attracted to, girls that aren’t afraid to hold their own in video games.”

“That could be it,” she mused. “Let’s play another one! What else ya got?”

Mike hesitated for a moment, before suggesting, “Well, Call of Duty is a lot of fun, and as fast as your reaction time was in Mario Kart, I think you’d do well at it. Only thing is, it’s a pretty violent, shoot-’em-up game. That ok with you?”

With zero hesitation, she replied, “Sounds like fun to me.”

Mike needed no further encouragement, switching over to his PS3 and grabbing a couple of controllers. After firing up the game, he went over the controls before playing a practice round. Mike hid his character somewhere on the map, and Melody had one minute to find and shoot him. Upon killing him for the first time, she jumped in shock, her adrenaline pumping.

“Wow, this is intense!”

“Yep,” Mike agreed. “The developers worked hard to try to every moment the look and feel of an action movie. Ok, I’m hiding. Let’s go again.”

She found him much faster this time around, starting to get a feel for using the radar and how the maps were structured. After two more rounds of hide and seek, he had Melody hole up in a central location to practice being attacked from various directions. At first, he bested with little effort, but she soon got better at her aiming and reaction time. By the end of the ten-minute round, Melody was surviving around two of every three encounters. Seeing her rapid improvement, Mike felt she was ready for the next level.

“Well, this should be fun. You ready to go online?” Mike knew the online players would be in for a shock when they went up against her.

“Sure,” she said with a smile. “You wanna use those?” She pointed to his two gaming headsets charging in the TV stand.

Mike got a wicked smile on his face. “Definitely, but lets keep the fact that you’re a girl a secret until we start thrashing these losers.”

He activated the Bluetooth connections on the headsets as they entered the pre-match lobby. Muting his microphone for a moment, he turned to Melody.

“Remember, some of these guys have a huge bias against girls who play video games, especially if they’re better than the guys. If they start acting like assholes, be strong, and don’t take any crap. You have full permission to put them in their place.”

She smirked. “Random dudes acting like jackasses who aren’t my master? So not a problem.”

“Atta girl.”

They spawned into their first match, taking place on a pretty large map. “Ok, stay out of the open on this one, there’s lots of sniping spots,” Mike cautioned.

As the match progressed, Mike was taken out by sniper fire with regularity. He managed to stay alert, though, calling out sniper locations to his teammates. Melody used a stealthy setup with a silenced weapon, and was able to sneak around the map with little effort, taking out said snipers from behind. One player in particular kept returning to the same sniping spot, allowing her to ambush him again and again.

“SON OF A BITCH!!!” He had now died five times in a row. “Who’s the little pussy who keeps doin’ that?”

Hearing his complaining through the headset, it was all Mike could do not to laugh in his face. Anticipating that he would change his tactics, Melody was ready, planting a land mine in the spot she had been hiding in. Sure enough, he attempted charging the position, only to be blown to smithereens. Melody couldn’t help but unleash her trademark laugh into the microphone, revealing that a girl was the one dominating the match.

“No fucking way,” he seethed. “The hell is a fucking GIRL doing here?!”

Melody giggled. “Last I checked, she’s kickin’ ass and takin’ names.”

“Shut up and suck my dick, bitch. That’s where you belong.”

Mike had expected this kind of reaction, but that didn’t make him any less enraged at this idiot. Just as he was about to unleash on him, felt Melody’s hand stroking his knee, helping to calm him down.

Melody replied into the headset, “Unfortunately for you, the only blowjob you’ll be getting is the land mine you just stepped on. Oh, and this frag.” She tossed a grenade into his hiding spot, killing him once again.

“FUUUUUCK!!!”

As his rage grew, now even the other players were laughing at him. As much as some guys had a stigma against girl gamers, this group seemed to be able to recognize true skill when they saw it.

“Damn, girl,” one of the others chimed in. “You good. And you sound hot. Looks like you in the ATL with me. Wanna hook up?”

Mike rolled his eyes. Like this douchebag has a shot with you, he thought to Melody.

He’s so cute. He has no clue how out of his league he is, she replied.

As the match ended, she said in a sultry voice, “Sorry boys, but I only have eyes for one smoldering stud of a man. Say hi baby!”

“That would be me,” Mike said with a sense of pride.

“Well that’s enough fun for us today,” Melody continued. “Now we’ve got some real work to do...” They signed off as catcalls and whistles echoed through their headsets. “That was fun!”

“Sure was. I still can’t believe that tear you went on,” Mike replied. “You annihilated them out there!”

As they basked in their post game glow, there was a knock at Mike’s door. Walking over to check the peephole, Mike could see it was his upstairs neighbor, Sandra. As he opened the door, Mike heard the now familiar greeting from bubbly single mom of two kids.

“Miiiiike! How ya doin’ son?” She grabbed him in a hug before he could even think of protesting.

Sandra seemed to be in a rather good mood today. Dressed in a white tank top and loose sky blue workout shorts, she had her straight, black hair pulled back into a ponytail. Mike had never been attracted to black women, merely out of personal preference. Still, he could appreciate that she was quite a good-looking woman. Slim and athletic, her light black skin and warm eyes helped her appear younger than the woman in her late thirties she was.

Mike hugged her back. “I’m doin’ pretty good, Sandra. What’s got you so excited today?”

“It’s Tyler’s birthday next Wednesday, so I’m throwing him a pool party today.” Tyler was her twelve-year-old son, soon to be thirteen. “My brother’s cooking burgers and dogs on the grill. You’re welcome to stop by for some free food, Mr. Starving Musician,” she said with a wink.

“That sounds awesome, though I don’t have a birthday gift or anything-”

“Mike, hush,” she interrupted. “After you’ve looked out for him these last three years, helping with homework, being that positive male role model, being there is gift enough. That boy really looks up to you, ya know.”

Mike knew it was true. Three years ago, he had given Tyler his first trumpet lessons. Even though he only stuck with it for two years, the two had connected quite well. Mike had used those lessons to teach him not only about music, but also some important life lessons. Staying on schedule, avoiding procrastination, refusing to settle for anything less than his best effort. All these things had helped keep the boy from straying away from a difficult path to follow.

Tyler’s ultimate respect for Mike had come a little over a year ago, during the winter storm of 2014. With the entire city iced in and the interstates clogged with abandoned vehicles, Mike had been walking from his apartment to the Baptist church across the street, checking in to see if there was any help they required with Atlanta’s stranded travelers. As he made his way back, he had seen Tyler with a group of three of his friends from the public school he attended at the time. Clearly a rough crowd, Mike overheard them talking about “free samples” from the stranded vehicles on the interstate.

As Mike approached the group, clearing his throat in the process, the group scattered, except for Tyler. Staring openmouthed at Mike, Tyler knew he was in big trouble. Mike realized that he was the youngest of the group, and was subjected to peer pressure on a daily basis. Mike called Sandra, letting her know that he had met up with Tyler while out walking and that Mike would make sure he got home before dark.

Mike explained to Tyler that there were some things he needed to see. While talking with his friends, Tyler didn’t have any reason not to go along with them. Mike planned to give him exactly that. As they walked along the main road leading to the interstate, Mike stopped at one car with a middle-aged man leaning against it. The man introduced himself as Carl. He worked construction around the city as an independent contractor, and got paid in cash every Friday, with no option for direct deposit. It being Saturday, Mike could safely assume that he had his pay from yesterday in the car with him. Mike asked him what would happen if someone were to come along and steal that money from his car. As Carl eyed Tyler, he could tell what Mike was getting at. He confirmed that losing the money would result in him falling behind on his rent and having to make some tough choices between paying his heating bill or buying enough food for his family of six for the week. Mike thanked Carl for his time and insight, shaking his hand as they parted.

As the pair walked back towards the apartment complex, they stopped by the convenience store in the Shell station nearby. Approaching the counter, Mike could see that Syed was working that day, a man he had met and conversed with on several previous occasions. Mike noticed that his shelves and fridges were quite well stocked as compared to the other gas stations in the area, which were picked over. Asking Syed how it has been for him, the immigrant from Pakistan described the lengths he had gone to over the last two days to prevent looting. He had been acting almost in a dual role, both as bouncer and cashier, to ensure his livelihood was not taken from him. Only one attempted shoplifter had been successful, and Syed showed the bruise on his shoulder from the ensuing scuffle as the thief barreled past him.

Thanking Syed, Mike could tell that Tyler was processing this new information. As they approached their apartment complex, Mike asked Tyler what he had learned in the last hour. Tyler now realized that, in stealing what wasn’t his, he would also be taking money, food, and ability to live away from another person; a person who worked hard for what they had. Still, Tyler knew that saying that to his friends would cause them to turn against him. Mike confirmed that he was probably right, and that it sounded like he needed new friends.

Mike decided to leave the decision of whether to tell his mom up to Tyler. Thinking about it the entire walk through the apartment complex, the boy decided to tell his mom the truth. While Sandra was disturbed at the behavior his friends were encouraging, she was grateful to Mike for providing the positive influence her son desperately needed. Thankfully, she was able to get her kids into a successful charter school the next fall, resulting in a much more positive social environment for both of them.

Snapping back to reality, Mike finally acquiesced. “All right, I’ll make an appearance. And ... is it ok if I bring a plus one?”

Sandra cocked her eyebrow. “Plus one? There a girl in your life I ain’t found out about ... yet?” She peered around Mike to catch a glimpse of Melody, who smiled and waved at her.

Mike laughed and rolled his eyes. “You’ll meet her at the pool. We’ll be there in about an hour or so,” Mike said glancing at the clock. That would put them there around 5:30.

She shrugged, responding in her distinctive southern drawl, “Alright, alright, we’ll see y’all later!”

“Bye, Sandra.” Mike locked the door behind him. He turned to find Melody waiting in expectation. “So yeah,” Mike finally said, “That’s Sandra, my neighbor. Sweet lady.”

Melody nodded. “I can tell. So, what oh what can we do for a whole hour?” The look on her face got more seductive by the second.

Shaking his finger at her, Mike replied, “Well as for me, I haven’t had a shower and a shave yet today, so I think I’ll do that real quick. Gotta look presentable and all, right?”

Putting on her best pouty face, she whimpered, “Why do you keep resisting my advances? That’s so hurtful and mean and-”

Before she could finish, Mike grabbed her tight, planting a heavy kiss on her lips. As they parted he eyed her smugly and said, “First thing you gotta know about me: that pouty face has no effect.”

She rolled her eyes in response. “And the second?”

“If we start something like that now, I’m pretty sure we’d never stop,” Mike said with a wink.

Melody giggled. “I guess you’re right. Anything I should do while you shower? Want me to clean up around the house or anything?”

Mike shook his head. “No way, you’re not my housekeeper. Why don’t you browse through my video game collection or maybe check out what’s on TV? Develop those interests and whatnot, ya know?”

“Sounds great,” she said, kissing him on the cheek before sending him off to the shower.

Mike stripped down in his room, then made his way to the shower, stepping inside once it had warmed up. As he relaxed under the flow of warm water, he began to contemplate Melody meeting his neighbors.

Sandra will want to know about Melody! Where she’s from, how we met...

At first, he thought of starting the conversation with Melody, but then decided against it.

Mike finished up washing his hair and shaving, shutting off the water flow once he was done. He toweled off and combed his hair, then slipped on a red polo shirt and khaki shorts. Putting his glasses back on, he rejoined Melody in the living room. She had found his Nintendo 3DS.

“Playing Pokémon eh?”

“Yep,” she said, smiling. “I can see why you like this game. It’s got lots of strategy to it. Like a giant game of chess.”

Mike nodded. “That’s one of the reasons I’m so good at it. I can out strategize almost any human opponent.”

She giggled. “Nice. So what did you want to talk about?”

“Yeah, I had the thought in the shower that Sandra is going to want to know about you. How we met, where you’re from, that sort of thing. What do you think we should tell her?”

“Anything you want. We can always craft a perfect backstory for me. That sort of thing is covered under my powers of anonymity and privacy. How do you think we would have met under normal circumstances?”

Mike thought for a moment. “Probably with online dating sites, to be honest. It’s a pretty mainstream way of meeting people nowadays.”

Melody flashed that perfect smile. “Sounds great. To ensure that our story can be corroborated, I can use my powers to create online dating profiles on a website where we would have met. Sound good so far?”

He nodded. “Yep. Probably should make it one of the free ones though. Anyone who knows me knows I would never sign up for a paid dating website, since I’m pretty sure they’re a bunch of rip-offs. Let’s do it.”

Tingle. Flash. “Done. We now both have online dating profiles, set up to show an appropriate amount of correspondence before meeting.”

“Ok, cool,” he said. “Now, what about where you’re from?”

“Sure, I can create the specifics of my background. That would allow me to blend in with modern society, ensuring our anonymity. Though my origin would need to reflect my lack of family, since I can’t create people out of thin air. The easiest answer to that will be to make me an orphan. You’ll need to decide where I originate from, as well as a last name. Once those are settled, I can fill in the rest of the blanks myself.”

“Alright, let me think ... let’s make your last name Roberts, and you’re come from Houston, Texas. If you can, see if you can develop a sweet little southern drawl; ever so slight, nothing extravagant. Let’s say you’re twenty-five. At that age, you’ll need some form of degree or training for whatever we say you do for a living. Is that enough to get you started?”

Melody closed her eyes for a few moments. “That should be perfect. Leave the rest to me. Is that an official wish?”

Doing his best impression of Patrick Stewart, Mike replied, “Make it so.”

Tingle. Flash. “All set hun,” she said with a wink.

Her new accent sent chills up his spine. “Ooh, that’s sexy...”

By this time, it was nearing 5:20, so the pair decided to start walking towards the pool at the front of the apartment complex. Stepping outside, Melody’s face became a symphony of childlike wonder.

“Wow ... this is incredible! I can feel the breeze, the warmth of the sun ... it’s better than I ever imagined it would be.” After finishing her unintended reenactment of the opening scene from The Sound of Music, Melody squeezed Mike in a tight embrace. “Thank you ... I really am a lucky, lucky genie.”

“Remember, all life has to offer you. Not because I allow it, but because you deserve it. Period.” A couple of tender kisses later, they were headed off towards the pool.

As they strolled through the complex, Mike asked, “So, Melody Roberts, tell me all about yourself.”

She giggled, responding, “Well, I grew up in Houston, mostly in orphanages. My birth parents abandoned me at the doorstep of a fire station when I was only a baby. I tried to get adopted several times, but the system is pretty messed up. I also tried to stay away from foster homes, having heard way too many horror stories about them. I did manage to develop an artistic streak in middle school and high school. I was able to combine that with a great essay about my childhood to attend the University of Houston on scholarship. I now have a bachelor’s degree in photography ust moved here at the beginning of the year to try to start a new life from scratch.”

“Photography? Nice,” Mike nodded with approval. “Have you done many jobs?”

“Just a few odd jobs here and there, haven’t hit my stride yet. I did create some web space to house a portfolio with samples of my work. Plenty to convince anyone that my background is legitimate.”

“Cool. So, I guess we were attracted to each other online based on our mutual artistic interests?”

“Definitely,” Melody responded. “I also loved the fact that you had such a strong faith in God. Having the upbringing that I did, faith was almost unheard-of, but talking with you about your experiences convinced me that I ought to check it out.” Her face turned rather serious. “That, by the way, is completely true. It’s clear to me how important your faith is in your life. Seeing the incredible person it’s made you into, I want to be a part of that too.”