Chapter 3

Joshua feverishly tried to stuff his erect cock back into his pants - getting up so quickly that he almost knocked Claire over onto her ass. He made it a few steps towards his front door - he had a hunched-over gait due to the prominent bulge in his pants - before he turned back to look at his daughter. Claire was still kneeling frozen in place where he had left her - her face contorted into the perverted expression he had told her to make. Anyone seeing her would know immediately that something wasn’t right.

The knock on the door came again - louder this time - and Joshua uttered a curse under his breath as he hurried to the door and peered out through the peephole. He swore again when he saw that it was his daughter’s best friend, Alice. Joshua tried to think clearly through the heavy alcoholic haze; it hadn’t even occurred to him to check to see if Claire was going to meet her friend at the club, but instead it looked like they had arranged to meet here.

While he was still pressed against the peephole, Alice rapped on the door again - the jarring vibration made him jerk backwards and wince in pain. She looked determined and a little impatient that no-one was coming to the door.

It wasn’t ideal, but Joshua decided he would just have to wait her out - if he pretended that no-one was home surely she would eventually have to give up and leave. He was drunk - obviously horny - and on top of that there was no way he could let anyone see Claire in her current state.

Resolved, Joshua peered out at the teen girl again just in time to see her pull her mobile phone out. She tapped the screen for a few seconds before holding it up to her ear and glaring at the closed door - one hand was on her hip and she was pursing her lips in annoyance as she tapped her foot on the ground.

The sound of a phone ringing from only just down the hallway almost made Joshua jump out of his skin. It sounded like Claire’s mobile was in the small laundry room - more than close enough to be heard. Sure enough, when he peeked out at Alice again she was frowning in consternation at being able to hear her friend’s phone ringing from inside but having no one answering the door. She raised her hand to the door again, but this time she used a closed fist to bang on the door.

“Claire!” Alice called out loudly. She banged on the door again. “Hurry up or we won’t get a good spot at the front!”

“Shit!” Joshua hissed quietly to himself. Alice was causing a scene and there was no way his neighbours wouldn’t hear and take note if this went on too long. It might not exactly be a risk, but the last thing he wanted was attention on his apartment when he had an entire basement full of mind-altering fungi growing inside. Joshua turned and staggered back to his daughter - Claire was frozen and unmoving in the same position he had left her in. He quickly muttered an order to her. “Claire - go to your room and shut the door!”

Claire ungracefully clambered to her feet before turning and shuffling towards her bedroom.

“Hurry up!” Joshua said in exasperation. Alice was thumping her fist on the door again. He unthinkingly swatted at his daughter’s rump as she walked by him; even with the current crisis he was in it sent a surge of adrenaline through his mind - Joshua was acutely aware it was the first time he had ever touched Claire’s ass on purpose.

Even with him hurrying her up, it seemed an interminably long time to Joshua before his daughter vanished into her bedroom and closed the door behind her. Now he just had to get rid of Alice. He went back to the front door - taking a deep breath and attempting to straighten his clothing - before half opening it and peering out with a falsely hearty smile on his face.

“Alice!” Joshua said jovially. “How nice to see you again!”

Alice looked taken aback at the door opening after so long and blinked her surprise at his sudden appearance. To Joshua’s chagrin, he watched as the teen girl crinkled her nose at the obvious smell of alcohol wafting off of him. It didn’t seem to bother her too much though - he could have sworn that the corner of her lips quirked upwards for a moment.

“Hey Mr. Marsh.” Alice said in a soft, low voice that was a sharp contrast to how she had been yelling at the closed door. She looked up at him coyly from under her eyelashes. “I was beginning to think no one was home.”

“Uh, Sorry.” Joshua said, stumbling a little at this unexpected tact. “I was downstairs doing work and I - I didn’t hear you at first.”

It might have been because of the alcohol and all the testosterone that todays events had caused to rage through his body, but holy hell Alice looked fine to Joshua right then. Even though she was the antithesis to Claire - being dark haired and slender - he couldn’t look at the girl with anything other than lustful admiration.

Alice was wearing an impossibly small pair of shorts - the hem barely reached down lower than her crotch - and they were loose enough that they hung jauntily off the side of her narrow hips. Joshua swallowed as he realised he could see a great deal of her lacy pink underwear. For her top, she was wearing a diminutive white singlet that only reached down to her midriff - topped with an impractical black jacket that was cut to the same length. Alice’s pale belly and torso captivated him and he only managed to take his eyes off of her skin with great difficulty.

“Working.” Alice murmured with an amused lilt. She sniffed pointedly and grinned - putting her hands on her hips and leaning forward as she playfully admonished him. “You’re so dedicated Mr. Marsh - if I were you I’d be having a drink or two since it’s the weekend after all.”

Joshua’s gaze had helplessly dipped down to the girls chest as she leant forward - and his eyes widened when he noted that Alice hadn’t bothered to wear a bra tonight. She didn’t have overly large breasts - but what she did possess was working very well for her as they bounced under the flimsy confines of her singlet. His cock - which was only just beginning to soften - sprang back into full hardness and he had to hunch over some to try and not making it too obvious.

“You’re too young to be talking about drinking, Alice.” He managed, pulling his gaze back to her face with effort. He was shocked to see that the teen sported what looked to be a satisfied smile on her face until she hid it. Did she like him looking at her as though he was some kind of pervert? He felt like he was in a daze - first everything had happened with Claire, and now her best friend had turned up on his doorstep dressed like the very definition of wanton temptation. Since when had his life included things like this?

“Oh, I’m old enough.” Alice smirked softly.

“Yeah, so Claire tells me.” Joshua muttered in resignation without thinking.

“She’s right.” Alice said softly, looking up at him through smokey, half-closed eyes. She then stood up a little straighter and asked in a more normal tone. “So where is Claire? We’re supposed to go see a movie tonight.”

“A movie?” Joshua said slowly and uncomfortably. She was really getting under his skin - what the hell was wrong with him! Did he suddenly turn into some kind of lech without realising? On top of that he couldn’t help but note that Alice was far more savvy than his daughter - if Claire had simply told him that she was seeing a movie with Alice tonight he wouldn’t have batted an eye. Instead of being smart though, she had decided to exercise her smart mouth; treating her father with contempt and challenging him - all of which had lead to a series of events that had ended up with his daughter dosing herself with the spores. All of this was her fault - the fact that he had been put in the position of being tempted by her body was on her. “Uh, what are you seeing?”

“Oh, nothing that great.” Alice said airily. “Some random comedy. Or maybe a romance. Its more something to do, you know?”

Alice looked up at him with a speculative expression.

“Why, did you want to come with me to see the movie?” She asked him, winking suggestively.

“I’m not sure that would be appropriate...” Joshua fumbled. She was playing him like an instrument and he didn’t know how to regain control of the conversation.

“You’ll hurt my feelings Mr. Marsh.” Alice teased him. She reached out and casually put her hand on his arm - her touch felt electric. “If it isn’t ‘appropriate’ to see a movie with me, maybe you would feel better about inviting me in for a drink?”

“I - I thought you were seeing the movie with Claire?”

“That’s true.” Alice sighed, pursing her lips as if in disappointment. “I guess I’ll have to have that drink with you another time. Raincheck?”

“Alice, I - I mean, it’s not -” Joshua stuttered. He dimly cursed how drunk he was - he just couldn’t seem to gather his thoughts.

Alice took advantage of his distraction to deftly slip passed him and into his apartment. Her slender body brushed against his and Joshua caught a sudden waft of her scent - she smelt intoxicatingly good.

“Some other time, Mr. Marsh.” Alice promised as shegave him a faint smile over her shoulder. “I’ll get Claire - she’s probably so intent on getting ready she doesn’t realise what time it is. You wouldn’t want us to miss the movie.”

“Alice - wait!” Joshua said desperately. “ Claire’s - Claire’s sick.”

“What?” Alice asked, surprised.

“Yeah.” Joshua said, inventing wildly. “She didn’t look well when her mother dropped her off. I put her to bed before and she was out like a light straight away. That would be why she didn’t hear you before.”

“Is she alright?” Alice asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

“Yeah - she just needs to sleep it off that’s all.” Joshua assured her, sweat beading on his forehead. She had distracted him too much and had managed to get into his apartment. It didn’t matter how hot she looked, he had to get rid of her so he could deal with his Claire.

“Damn.” Alice muttered to herself. “And we bought tickets already...”

She paused and looked up at him and spoke a shade too quickly.

“For the movies.” Alice said, recovering herself. “That’s a shame because we already bought the tickets.”

“That is unfortunate.” Joshua said, smiling. He could feel himself start to relax now that it looked like he was past the danger. “But there’s nothing really you can do about it.”

“I guess.” Alice sighed. Then she brightened up and turned back towards Claire’s bedroom. “I’ll just go and see how she is - maybe she’s feeling better!”

“No wait -”

“I won’t wake her if she’s asleep. I’ll just see if she needs anything.” Alice said, looking back at him coquettishly and giving him a slow smile. Her next words came out very playful. “If she’s too sick to come out maybe you can have a drink with me after all.”

Joshua gaped after Alice as she stepped lithely down the hallways towards Claire’s bedroom - for a precious few moments completely off-balance by the sexy teen. All too late though the reality of his situation slammed into him; Alice could not under any circumstances see Claire in her current state. He hadn’t told his daughter to get into bed and to pretend to be sick - he had just told her to go into her room. As soon as Alice opened the door she would find his daughter standing frozen and docile - and there was nothing he could say that would explain that away.

Panicking, Joshua turned in the opposite direction and opened the door that led down to the sub-basement. He took the stairs so fast in his inebriated state that he very nearly tumbled head first down them. He hurried over to the bench where he kept his refined samples of the fungal spores and grabbed one of the small vials - pocketing it, and then rushing back up the stairs. Joshua was panting when reached his daughter’s bedroom and arrived just in time to see Alice freaking out as she took hold of her friend by the shoulders.