Chained - Jenlisa

Secrets Within Secrets

 

Lisa's face scrunches and she blinks rapidly, taking it all in. Her hands have dropped from me to rest limply on the couch, but at least she hasn't pushed me off her. I sit on her lap patiently, chewing on my bottom lip, and hope her response to what I've just told her isn't aggressive.

Eventually, her eyebrows shoot up and she blows out her cheeks. "I knew there were secrets within secrets," she says. "But I didn't expect this. I assumed any type of organized group of humans would be lethal. It's a relief that we will be helping rather than slaughtering my own."

"So you don't mind having two jobs?"

Lisa looks up at me and smiles. "As long as I'm with you, I don't mind anything."

I giggle and give her a soft kiss. "Good."
 

She spreads her legs, spreading mine as well, and rests her hands on my thighs. "When am I expected to run with these wolves?"

"I was given the file a few days ago but I think it's still an open case. I'll call and see."

Her hands massage my thighs and she hums in thought. "I haven't run with Weres in decades. With this new job I'll be given the chance to get reacquainted with the magical world once more. Who runs this government branch, again?"
 

"I don't know any of the big players, but the man I've been talking to, mainly, is called GDragon."

"Human? Or a literal dragon?"
 

"Yes, human. That is just his name." Was Lisa joking or being serious? I look at her funnily before continuing, "but I've been to their network and there's people other than humans working there."
 

Lisa gives me a smug look that I never thought I'd see cross her face. "You finally believe in witches and magic then?"
 

I roll my eyes. "Maybe I do."
 

She snickers and slips her hands to my backside to pull me close to her. "You will see my world and be amazed. Maybe we will meet one of my kind."
 

My words get caught in my throat at that. Lisa seems so excited to meet someone like her, but I asked around and GD hasn't come across anyone like Lisa in his lifetime. In fact, he only has writings about Lisa's people. Old, decayed writings that made him, and many others, believe that Lisa's people were extinct. But I don't have the heart to tell her that terrible news.
 
So, forcing a smile, I brush my fingers through her hair and say, "Yeah. You can have a new friend."
 

Lisa's excitement ebbs away, and I know she just experienced my shame. "What's wrong?" she asks, unsurprisingly.
 

I shake my head slowly. "We can talk about it later. Let's just enjoy each other, okay?"
 
 
Lisa gazes into my face and I hold my breath, but then she smiles in resignation. "Okay." Her eyes flick behind me and she puckers her lips. "What did you bring home?"
   
 
"Oh!" I hop off her lap and hurry to the bags by the door. "I wanted to make you comfortable when you got home so I bought a few things. Donuts, of course," I chuckle, wiggling my eyebrows. I take all the bags to the kitchen and place them on the island counter. "Some stuff I was going to make for dinner, DVDs, and a bunch of stuff for your room. I was going to change your sheets and curtains all that."
 
 
"That's great," she says as she stands and walks over to me. "What kind of sheets?"
 
 
"Silk. Dark maroon."
 
 
She gives me a look that makes me think I've done extremely well with my choice or extremely wrong.
 
 
"Silk is a wonderful sensation on the skin," she says. "Intercourse is nothing less than fantastic."
 
 
My hands pause in taking the groceries from their bags and I let out a nervous, ugly sounding chuckle.
 
 
Lisa is so bold without meaning to be. It's as if she has no filter.
 
 
"The stains are a bit difficult to get out," she goes on, moving to help me put the groceries away. "But making the stains are well worth the trouble. Would you like to try?"
 
 
The tomatoes slip from my hands but Lisa catches them deftly. "Are you even healthy enough to... you know..." I manage to say, my cheeks heating up. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for Lisa to take me on her new sheets, but I don't want to do anything too strenuous and end up having her sent back to the medical ward. Though that would probably make for a great story one day.
 
 
"To have sex?" Lisa asks, putting the tomatoes in the fridge. "I think so. I'm sort of running on empty, though. Maybe after I've eaten some more I'll be ready to actually give you joy."
 
 
Okay, so if I make dinner real quick, we can eat in record time and be in bed within the hour...
 
 
Lisa chuckles low and wraps her arms around my waist. "Excitement is running through you."
 
 
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about having you."
 
 
She hums, pressing her mouth to my neck to make my throat vibrate. "Are you wearing a new perfume?" She inhales deeply and I swear I feel teeth barely scrape against my skin.
 
 
I swallow hard and breathe with my mouth open slightly. Lisa's hands travel up and down my back and she steps closer to me, placing a leg between mine. "It's just... something I, uh." My skin prickles as a tongue trails wet heat up the side of my neck to my ear. "Something I picked up."
 
 
Lisa growls and I feel her teeth expose themselves to my earlobe. "It mixes well with your natural scent."
 
 
"Christ..." My eyes roll shut and I tip my head all the way back. Lisa grasps onto my thigh and lifts my leg, pressing herself into me, her mouth clinging to the column of my neck. I imagined our moment of being reunited would be me taking care of her, but this isn't bad. Not bad at all.
 
 
But then Lisa's tummy rumbles hungrily and I remember dinner. I groan and push on Lisa's shoulders. "I need to make your welcome back dinner and set up your room and..."
   
 
She whines but lets me go, her eyes that bright glow that makes my legs weak. "After?" she practically begs.
 
 
Chuckling, I pat her chest then focus on the last of the bags on the island. "Yes, okay, after." My body is humming for now but I can wait. I know it'll be worth it.
 
 
Lisa accepts that and fishes out her new linens. "Can I fix my room up?"
 
 
I was going to do it as a surprise but since that cat's already out of the bag... "Sure, if you really want to. Don't forget the curtains, pillow cases."
 
 
Gathering everything into her arms, Lisa saunters away. I watch her go and notice how much thinner she looks, how her muscle mass has lowered, how she has more sharp angles than I remember. It hurts my heart knowing that the weight loss was a side effect of her capture and hospital stay. With the way she devours everything in sight, though, I imagine she'll bulk up again, and fast. As long as she's happy and healthy.
 
 
"This is a new bed," Lisa says from her room. "And dresser."
 
 
"Yeah," I call back. "Everything is new."
 
 
There's some shuffling and I hear a closet door slide open. "New clothes?"
 
 
"New clothes," I confirm. But she's probably too small for her new wardrobe, now. At least she has belts. I bought her a really cute buckle shaped like an L that I hope she wears.
 
 
I shove the plastic bags in each other and bundle them up then throw them in the bottom of the pantry. You never know when you'll need a plastic bag. Then I finally get started on dinner. I plan on making pasta, one of the only things I can actually prepare and not totally screw up. I should probably add more meals to my repertoire but I need the time first. Anyway, Lisa likes cooking, I think.
 
 
The TV drones on in the background, left on and forgotten, as I move about the kitchen and I idly listen to what's being said. Canned laughter echoes in my ears and suddenly Lisa is nearby, throwing empty yogurt cups into the trash. At least three or four go into the bin, licked clean it looks like. I didn't even know she liked my yogurts.
 
 
Lisa leaves and once again I'm left alone. I prepare garlic bread and toss it in the oven to heat, then stir the pasta, enjoying the smells starting to fill in the apartment. I've never formally made dinner for Lisa before, and I hope she likes it. Or at least doesn't tell me if it's terrible. I'd never cook for her again out of pure shame.
 
 
An unexpected gust of wind causes my shirt to lift annoyingly, forcing me to turn the burner to low so I can investigate without ruining dinner. The glass doors leading to the deck are wide open, allowing the harsh wind outside to enter the apartment. I go to close the doors but find Lisa sitting on the cement barrier, precariously perched, her legs dangling. She's so close to the edge that I fear the strong winds will knock her right off of the barrier to send her crashing to the street below. But she scoots back a little and gets a firm grasp on her seat.
   
     
"What are you doing?" I ask, moving out to the deck. My hair is whipped around and I grab what I can to tuck it behind my ears.