Chapter 7

“I think that would nice,” Riza says over the phone. “It really would be nice, and I’m certain Josh will like it.”

“Then it’s settled,” David says, clicking the end button on his phone. He and Riza have been divorced for just a little over two years. Riza has custody of their son, Josh. Since then both have remarried, David to a woman with a kid already. Since the marriage, both Josh and his stepbrother, Owen has become best friends. He looks over at Mr. Lindon and says, “I’ll take it.”

“Excellent choice,” Mr. Lindon says, pleased to hear it. “Shall I warp it up for you?”

David grimaces. “I don’t think you got a box big enough for it.”

Mr. Lindon glows as he smiles. “I have a great deal of things, you never know.”

The man chuckles at that. “Well, I never thought I’d be buying a plant like this in a bookstore.”

“Yes, I have tried to make it less like a bookstore and into something more, but I love books.”

“Plants too, by the looks of it,” David says, gesturing to the small greenhouse off past the books.

“Well, yes,” Mr. Lindon agrees. “She will love this plant. The next time you think of purchasing another, please come back to see me.”

David scoops up the plant and smiles. “Should I ever find myself with another ex-wife, I think I will.”

The day goes by pretty slow. When David’s wife gets back from some last minute shopping for him with Owen, he loads the boy up to take over to Riza’s. David really dislikes Christmas because it is when Riza asked for the divorce. What made it worse was the divorce wasn’t finalized until the following Christmas. He had tried everything he could to make it work, but Riza had already found Hank, and had been fucking him for nearly six months at that point.

It is Josh that opens the door when they arrive. “Hey Dad,” the boy says. “What’s the plant for?”

“Your mom,” David says.

“Oh ... cool,” he says with complete disinterest. Then he turns to redheaded kid next to the man. “Hey Owen, come on. Do I have something to show you.”

David watches them go, waiting outside for Riza to appear. Ever since the divorce she won’t let him step into her house without an invitation. They have had their quarrels in the past, but he almost feels like a vampire needing to be invited in every time. Eventually she appears and waves him in.

“That’s a very interesting plant you have there,” Riza says. “Is that the present you bought for me?”

“Yeah, we’re going to call it a peace offering,” David says, following her into the kitchen.

“You don’t have to buy a plant to make a peace offering, she says.

“My therapist says that a gift, like a plant, is a good symbol when making a peace offering,” he says, setting the plant down on the table.

“Therapist?” she repeats. “Huh?”

“Well, it’s a step forward,” David continues. “I mean, we want what’s best for Josh. And there is no reason that we need to be at each other’s throats all the time.” Riza turns and laughs. David finds it offensive, but it’s easy for him to not get angry. He is after all bullshitting her about the whole matter. “What’s so funny?” he asks, feigning be hurt emotionally.

“Next you’ll want to have barbeques and hang out with Hank while I hang out with your wife,” she explains.

“That is a step I hope to see in the future,” he says, putting on a serious face. “Being together as a family through a common bond, such as Josh, can be a healing experience.”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?” she asks, suddenly feeling a little like an ass.

“Of course,” David slathers on the lie. “There is no reason to go around hating each other for the rest of our lives. Happiness is born every day, so why not start on a holiday when things are supposed to be forgiven and things made anew?”

“I think I like this change in you, David,” she says. “I think we can look to a better future. Would you like to stay for dinner?”

David isn’t too surprised that she bought into his lies. He shakes his head. “No, we have dinner plans. But thanks for the offer. Let’s get through the holidays and slowly inch into things.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Riza says, feeling her face heating up with a little redness in her cheeks. “Yeah, we don’t need to rush anything.”

“Well, I’ve got to go,” David says. “Enjoy the gift. I’m told that when it blooms, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before.”

Riza watches the man leave, feeling good about the revelation. She is filled with optimism and cannot wait to look forward to the new year ahead. When she hears the door closed, she looks briefly at the plant before slipping out of the kitchen.

“Alright you two, it’s time for bed,” Riza says to the two boys.

“Already?” Josh asks.

“Yes, you know you have to get to bed before Santa will come,” she says.

“When’s Hank getting home?” he asks, brushing off his mother’s words.

“He’s working late tonight, but he’ll be here when you wake up in the morning,” she says. “Unfortunately he had to work late tonight.”

“Dude, let’s go,” Owens says. “We’ve got to go to sleep so Santa will come.”

Josh looks over at his friend and sees the anticipation behind his eyes. “Yeah, that’s a good idea I guess,” he says quickly. “The faster we go to bed, the sooner Christmas will get here.”

“Alright you two,” Riza says. “Brush your teeth and change your clothes first.”

“Yeah, okay Mom,” Josh says heading down the stairs to his bedroom.

Owen looks at the woman and smiles. “I’ll make sure he brushes them good.”

The door to the basement closes, and as soon as it does, Riza hears a noise coming from the kitchen. She doubts that Hank is home, so it has to be something that fell. When she steps into the kitchen there isn’t a mess anywhere and nothing obvious has fallen from a shelf or counter. All the cabinets are closed too. “Maybe I’m just tired,” she mumbles to herself.

“Maybe you are,” a voice agrees with her. “Maybe you should have a seat somewhere.”

“Who said that?” she asks, spinning around in a circle. She’s never heard the voice before, and if not for seeing the two boys going downstairs, she would assume they were playing a trick on her.

“Make yourself comfortable,” the voice continues. “Have you had enough sleep lately?”

“I’ve been sleeping just fine,” she replies, not really thinking about talking to a disembodied voice. “Christmas shopping has been a little stressful, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Maybe a glass of water is all you need,” the voice suggests.

“Where are you?” Riza asks.

“Why, I’m right here, the voice says.

“Where exactly?” she asks.

“On the table of course,” the voice answers.

Riza looks at the plant, really looking at it. It looks like any ordinary plant with green stalks and leaves, pink and white flowers. Then it moves. Suddenly the stalks are moving like vines. Two broad green leaves flitter and come together right before her, forming a face.

“What... ?”

“I am Yoolock,” the voice says.

“How are you talking?” she asks staring curiously at the plant.

“I’m in your head,” Yoolock says. “I cannot communicate physically.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to sit and relax,” he answers. “Have a drink of water.”

“Well, you’re the plant,” Riza states. “Shouldn’t I get you the water?”

“I do not require water,” he says. Suddenly a flower comes forward toward the woman. It stops right in front of her face and opens up. The flower takes on the form of a cup full of clear liquid. It does not cross her mind to question him about the liquid. She even cups the flower softly with her hand, lifting it to her lips. The water is clean, almost sweet even. “What do you enjoy doing when not occupied with Christmas shopping?” he asks mildly.

“Oh, I don’t know,” she begins to answer. “Many times when Hank is home, I like spending time in the bedroom fucking.”

The smile that comes onto her face intrigues the plant. More tendrils, all with flowers on the ends spread out. One in particular reaches out to tease along her cheek. Riza doesn’t move away as it touches her, though the caress does cause her to shiver just a little bit. When another tendril tugs at the hair tie holding her ponytail, she allows it to be pulled and her hair spill out over her shoulders. Despite the relative comfort in the house, goosebumps tickle her arms.

The tendril with the cuplike flower slides from her hand. Her fingers slacken, feeling the smoothness of the petals sliding off her fingers. Another tendril moves to her arm, brushing lightly, caressing her warm flesh. Her eyes move to it, seeing the flower bud’s journey pause at her elbow before moving upward. The bud blossoms as it slides along her shoulder. Then it moves higher to cup the side of her face.

“Often I have dreams of experience I could bring to a woman,” he rumbles in her mind. A tendril slides under the hem of her shirt, curving up around the base of the breast. She takes a deep breath as she stares at the leaf face of the plant, feeling the warmth in her cheeks. “Is it my words or my touch that brings warmth to your face?” he asks as his petals caress her cheek.

“I ... I’m not quite sure,” she admits.

The answer seems to please the plant. “If my touch makes you blush, then you are not afraid?”

“I probably should be,” she says with a shrug. “But no, I’m not.” Riza smiles at Yoolock. “I don’t why, but I find this situation I’m in with you to be something erotic.”

“Oh?” Yoolock runs the flowered tendril slowly back up her arm, the petals moving in spirals along her flesh. The voice in her head has lowered to just above a lingering whisper. The plant’s desire is apparent with the tone of the single word spoken without voice as it is in his flittering touch.

“Your touch is ... nice...” she admits. “I don’t know what I would expect, certainly not this though ... from a plant...” She closes her eyes for a moment, feeling the petals make their slow caress along her skin. Her fingers curl against her shirt.

“Hmm...” the plant rumbles in her head, the tendril moving to her shoulder. From there it traverses across her body, dipping down to slide firmly over her breasts. It squeezes a breast, the grip careful but the strength behind it deliciously apparent. The petals move closer together like closing into a bud again, ultimately skimming over her nipple before slipping away.

Riza’s nipple is erect under the rough fabric. She swallows thickly, feeling a tingle of warmth between her thighs. That feeling is very familiar—something that Hank knew how to invoke every time he touched her. It is a feeling that before Hank she had not felt in a very long time. David could never seem to invoke it, but Hank could and Yoolock certainly can. She shifts around, her eyes moving along the plant’s stalk and its base.

Yoolock’s withdrawn tendril is quick to seek her out again, this time finding its way onto her leg. It slides up slowly, massaging and caressing at the muscles beneath her silky flesh as it goes. Another tendril runs along her cheek, nearing the side of her mouth. And another runs equally slow down her neck to trace the line of her shoulder blade. Riza lets out a light huff, feeling the touch. Her eyes have become unfocused as her body responds to the touches of the parasitic plant.

First there is a tendril, then another and another ... having a lover with tentacles is bound to be interesting—even if it isn’t even human. She leans back a bit into the chair, the skirt draping along her tight better.

The plant takes the cue, running a flowered tendril up her leg. Though it still massages, the movements between movements shorten. Before long, Yoolock runs his petals firmly along her inner thighs. “Mmm,” the plant murmurs soothingly inside her head. The tendrils quiver against her skin. Another tentacle sneaks out, tracing the opposite shoulder blade, moving across the sensitive places at the base of her neck. “You seem to be enjoying yourself,” the plant teases, tracing a bud along the cut that leads from her hip to crotch, stopping just short of her light bush.

Riza blushes even more deeply at this. “I never thought that a plant could be so entertaining. I can’t believe a plant can arouse me like this,” she says, trying to hide her enjoyment. She doesn’t want it to be obvious that she is happy for David’s change in attitude or the fact that he has brought her perhaps the most wonderful gift ever. Her eyelids flutter as she feels the tentacles and petals move along her. Both her nipples are standing erect and strong. The other parts of her are aching just as warmly.

“I certainly didn’t hear denial coming from you,” the plant whispers inside her mind, pulling its tendrils from her. Riza shifts against the hardness of the chair. The plant slides its tentacles downward, a petal now resting against her inner thigh with its petals mere inches away from her snatch. Riza is looking with eyes full of lust and craving as a tentacle pulls up her skirt. “Your body seems to enjoy my touch. And we haven’t even gotten to the best sort of touching.”

“It would seem that you know how to your stems and flowers in more ways than what they are meant for,” Riza remarks, shifting her weight on the chair and making it easier for the plant to pull up her skirt to have better access to her most private place. The wooden chair isn’t so comfortable, but the plant’s touch is a divine balance between gentle and firm and makes the woman forget about any discomfort caused by the furniture. And though she has had plenty of boyfriends and two husbands, she is a bit nervous to go further with a plant. Even going as far as she has already is insane. But Yoolock is something special, and his careful intentions are proof that he will be gentle, giving her an experience that she will never forget.

“You will find out just many ways soon enough,” the plant teases as it lifts the skirt, though not so far as to entirely uncover her. For a moment, Yoolock playfully hesitates, the face-like leaves looking at her as if glancing at her for approval. Then it drop down and disappears beneath the fabric. Tendrils begin the teasing, a single bud running up and down the front of her cunt. It runs over the folds, across her clit before inserting itself slightly and then running down again. “You’re so wet,” his voice comes into her mind again as another bud reaches out and runs along her warm cunt lips. Another tendril takes the opposite side and parts her folds. A tentacle worms its way forward through the opening of the leaf face where its mouth ought to be, slipping just the tip within her. It curls and twitches there, gently teasing. “Feel good?” the plant asks teasingly. “Do you want more?”

When Yoolock first started touching her on the outside of her twat, Riza shivered and became even wetter. As it starts to probe more deeply, with the tentacle finally finding its way in, she lets out a small whimper of pleasure, and nods. She can only imagine that if the plant has a cock it would certainly be pretty erect and throbbing by now. What Riza had not imagined is that it would feel so nice or that the plant would take its time like this when she knew many men would have quickly sought completion. Even Hank takes his time, yet his touch is nothing like what she feels now. Her head lolls back and she moans as she feels the teasing, probing attention of her snatch. Riza’s thighs tighten for just a moment before she forces them to relax. Her knees spread apart a second later.

Though Yoolock cannot see her nod, let alone her body, he can feel the woman responding. He can hear her murmuring in pleasure as her legs spread through the vibrations of the air. “That’s it,” he urges mentally, using a free tendril to push aside the skirt and allowing the material to pool around her hips. Riza has a good view of exactly what the plant is doing to her. The tendril drops her shirt and moves, slowly to her clit. As the woman watches eagerly, Yoolock slides the tentacle tongue deeper, curling and twitching it inside her. Unlike a cock or even a phalange, it allows for greater motion to seek out those hard to hit and wonderfully sensitive places to touch and caress them. The tendril against her clit begins to move—just the tip trailing over the nub in swift, gentle circles. Two more tendrils move outward to take hold of the woman’s legs, keeping her from squirming too much under the plant’s skillful ministrations.