To Rub, Honor and Obey

by Melinda Barron

  Her indignation was back ten-fold. “She is to blame. For all of it. She said horrible things about me and ruined my life.”

  “So the first time you participated in a robbery was her fault? The first time you took drugs? The first time you were arrested?”

  “I never robbed anyone. I took part in burglaries, yes, but no robberies. There’s a difference.”

  “You never stole something from someone’s purse, never lifted a wallet from an innocent citizen just taking a walk in the park?”

  She swallowed hard. How did he know those things? Things that had taken place when she was under eighteen, and were in her sealed records?

  They stared at each other for a few moments, and Moreen felt as if he could pin her to the wall with his dark gaze. Her heart pulsed with anger, and she hated to admit, more than a little fear. This wasn’t an ordinary person sitting before her. She could tell just by looking at him. Forget the fact that he’d popped into her kitchen from out of nowhere, one look in his eyes showed he wasn’t human.

  “What are you?”

  “I’m a Djinni. But more important than that, I’m a demon.”

  She glanced around the room, searching for the crucifix she had from her younger days. Did she have it on a wall somewhere? Could she get to it quickly?

  “I’m not that sort of demon,” Paran said softly. “Well, not all the time. It does rear its ugly little head every once in a while. So you need to behave. My parents are demons. They hate the fact that I devoted my life to the Djinn, but I had lots of brothers and sisters for them to tutor in the ways of darkness.”

  Moreen shook her head, unable to fully absorb his words. “If you’re not here to hurt me, then why are you here?”

  “To teach you a few things.”

  “Fat chance of that. Lecture me about taking the lamp if you want, then get the hell out. There’s nothing you can teach me.”

  “Such big words. I hate to tell you this, but you’re not in charge here. I am. You will obey me.”

  The smirk on his face made her want to slap him. “I obey no one.”

  “Especially the law, hmm? Your lengthy criminal record seems to be a good indicator of that.”

  “Fuck you,” she spat.

  “What a potty mouth.” He snapped his fingers and a bar of soap appeared. It started to fizz as if it were wet, the small bubbles floating into the air. “Do I need to use this?”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. She wanted to throw another dirty word his way, but she didn’t, afraid he would make good on his threat to wash her mouth out with soap.

  She pressed her lips together and shook her head.

  “Excellent.” The soap disappeared and Moreen’s unease increased.

  They continued their stare down, and then she cleared her throat. She leaned forward, clasping her hands together and putting them on the table. “So, you came out of the lamp when I cleaned it? That means you work for me now, not the other way around. I’m in charge.”

  His laughter filled the room.

  “I know the story. Aladdin finds the lamp and he rubs it, and the genie has to grant his wishes.” She poked her forefinger into her chest. “So you have to do the same for me, since I rubbed the lamp.”

  “This isn’t a fairy tale.”

  “Bullsh…” Her voice trailed off when the soap reappeared. “Bull. I rubbed the lamp. I’m in charge. You’re mine. I want money. Lots of it. And I want a nice apartment like Aliya’s, and I want clothes, and I don’t ever want to have to work again. You’ll supply me with everything.”

  “In other words, I’m bound to you as a slave?”

  Moreen sat back with a satisfied smile on her face. “Yes.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  She slammed her fist down on the table as tears formed in her eyes. She couldn’t even catch a break from a genie. “I know the story! My mother read me that story all the time. The genie has to—”

  “I’m not a genie, I’m a djinni. There’s a huge difference. Genies are bound to serve their masters. Djinn are creatures of free will, and they have separate rules.”

  “Convenient for you.”

  “Very.”

  He studied her, and she felt as if he stripped her naked with his eyes, as if he could see straight through to her soul. The tears she’d been holding back slipped down her cheeks. She refused to brush them away, afraid to draw attention to them. When she saw his expression soften, she knew that he had noticed them.

  “I’m not here to make your life miserable,” he said.

  “Are you sure? I’ve never had anything easy in my life. Why should you be any different?”

  He cocked his head in disgust. “You feel very put upon, don’t you? You feel as if the world is out to get you.”

  “I’ve never caught a break in my life. Never. Life sucks and don’t give me that shit about making lemonade out of lemons. It doesn’t work.”

  “But I’ve always liked lemonade.” He waved his hands and two glasses appeared on the table. He took a sip from one and indicated she should take the other. Instead, she absently rubbed the lamp.

  “Great. I get a genie with a sense of humor.”

  “I’m not a genie,” he said. “I am here to help you learn some new things about life. Things you’ll enjoy learning.”

  “Unless it involves bettering my life, I have no desire to learn anything new.”

  His laugh was soft. “Oh it does, but nothing will be handed to you. You’ll have to earn your lessons, and you’re going to learn to love yourself.”

  “Oh, yeah. That’s gonna happen.”

  “It’ll happen. I guarantee it.”

  He sat forward, resting his elbows on his hips. His long hair cascaded over his shoulder, giving him a devilish look that made her heart race. She tried to stop it, calm it down. She didn’t want to like him.

  He gestured at her with the hand that still held the glass. “We have lots of things to work through, you and I.”

  “I’ve got news for you, I already have two jobs and I barely make ends meet. Plus I still have to put in my community service hours at the center. I have no time for you or your little lessons. So shove off. I rubbed the lamp. I’m in charge, not you.” She’d been careful with her words, careful not to say something that would cause the soap to reappear. She had no doubt this time he’d use it.

  “You’ll have time. Lots of it.” He stood and ran his hands down his side, calling attention to his washboard abs.

  She swallowed hard, then averted her gaze.

  He crossed to her and put his hands on the arms of her chair, effectively caging her within. “Be ready for me tomorrow around five.”

  Heat cascaded off his body and she felt her nipples tighten; moisture built between her thighs. Damn he was sexy, maleness rolling off him like rain off a rooftop.

  She shifted her gaze toward the window. “I’ll be working at five.”

  “No, you won’t. Be ready for me.” Then he disappeared.

  Moreen stared at the spot where he’d stood. She clenched her clammy hands into fists, fighting back the fear that roiled in her stomach. If she hadn’t taken that freaking lamp, none of this would be happening. She reached out to push it away from her, but it disappeared, only to reappear on the other side of the table, shimmering in the moonlight that drifted in through the window.

  She gasped, and then she put her head in her hands and sobbed.

  Just her luck to figure out genies were real, only to discover that the stories of their obedience were off.

  Way off.

  Chapter Three

  “You can’t fire me! I need this job.” Moreen tried not to pound her hands on the desk as her boss stared at her coolly.

  “You were rude to a customer yesterday, and you know the rules.”

  “I wasn’t, I swear it! Let me talk to this woman, she’ll admit she’s never met me. I wasn’t even working yesterday evening. She had to be talking about someone else. Please Mr. Jamison, please.
”

  She hated to beg, but she had no other choice. She needed this job. It was the better paying of her two, and it kept a roof over her head. Plus, if her probation officer found out she’d lost it, there would be hell to pay.

  “I’m sorry, Moreen, but the lady identified you from staff photos. She threatened to sue unless you were terminated. She said you spilled coffee all over her and then told her to deal with it. The company can’t afford that type of publicity.”

  “Please, it wasn’t me!”

  “I have no other baristas with, and I quote, ‘red hair and huge breasts.’ I’m sorry, really I am.”

  Paran.

  Moreen held back tears as she looked around the room, expecting the black-haired genie to come forth. This was his doing, she was sure of it. He said he wasn’t going to make her life miserable, and then the first thing he’d done was get her fired from one of her jobs. She was sure when she left the overpriced coffee shop and went down to the little deli on the corner where she also worked, that she would find herself gone from there, too.

  Well, he’d told her she’d have time for him. And now she would, since she didn’t have to work. Fear about how she was going to pay her rent, her bills, raced through her.

  “I really am sorry, Moreen.” Mr. Jamison pushed an envelop across the table. “Your last paycheck.”

  Sighing heavily, she untied her apron and threw it at him, then picked up her check. “Screw you.”

  After storming out of Mr. Jamison’s office, Moreen made quick work of cleaning out her locker. There wasn’t much there, just her purse and a book she’d been reading.

  She felt the gaze of her former co-workers on her as she walked through the crowded coffee bar to leave. The need to make a scene built inside her, but she fought it down. She wouldn’t give Paran the satisfaction.

  Moreen slammed through the front door and ran straight into a chest. Paran’s strong arms wrapped around her waist.

  “Hello, my little felon.”

  “Get off me.” She pushed at him, but he held her tight. “You’re not here to make my life miserable, huh? Are you going to pay my bills for me, my rent?”

  “I have another job lined up for you, don’t worry. One job where you will make more money than both of these… menial ones put together. Plus, you’ll have a little more time off, time for me.”

  “Where?”

  “The Cave of Pleasure.”

  She snorted and shook her head. “I’m a convicted felon who’s still on probation. I can’t work at a bar. What am I suppose to tell my probation officer the next time I see him?”

  “Well, technically you’ll be working in the office, helping with the books. You won’t be working in the nightclub.”

  “One of the terms of my probation is that I have to keep a job. What you just did could get me thrown in prison.”

  “And you have one, so don’t worry.”

  He stroked her cheek and she jerked away from him. “Is there any use of me going into the deli? Or did you screw that up, too?”

  An envelope appeared before her face, her name written across it. “Your final check.”

  Tears burned her eyes. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a job when you have to say yes to the felon question?”

  “That’s why I found one for you.” He pulled her closer. “Are you hungry? I know I am.”

  Cold shivers raced through her body as the air shimmered around them and the sidewalk, and the people walking on it, disappeared.

  Paran released her and she gasped. They were on a hillside now, nestled inside a copse of green trees. Wildflowers dotted the landscape.

  Moreen whirled around, staring at the beautiful countryside. “Where are we?”

  “In the Rocky Mountains outside Colorado Springs. A nice cool afternoon for a picnic, don’t you think? There’s a small lake nearby where we can take a dip later. After we’ve eaten and had a talk.”

  “Right. We’re in Colorado.”

  “You don’t believe me?”

  “Why should I? Maybe you’re a magician and this is all a grand illusion.”

  He waved his hand and a thick blanket appeared on the ground. A basket sat at the edge. “I made sandwiches. Nothing too fancy, I’m afraid. Just some subs with turkey, your favorite if I’m not mistaken.”

  She wrinkled her nose in disbelief. “Yes, it is.”

  “Then, there’s potato salad, which I adore, and some fruit. Get comfortable and we’ll eat.” He sat and started to unpack the basket, fixing a plate for both of them as she stood and watched him.

  “I have things to do today, including an appointment with my probation officer at five. I can’t miss that.”

  “And you won’t. Sit and eat.”

  His hair was tied back today, flowing down his back. His tight black T-shirt and jeans outlined his perfect body. From the bulge between his legs, she knew he had a healthy sized cock. She trained her gaze on the sandwich, trying to erase the thought that had just passed through her mind. It was hard, though. It had been a long time since she’d had sex.

  A very long time.

  “Food first, sex later.”

  The smoldering look in his eyes made her tremble. “So you can read my mind?”

  “It doesn’t take a mind reader to follow your gaze, which was trained on my dick” He sat her plate on the blanket and took a bite of his own sandwich. “But, to answer your question, I read people. Their expressions, their movements.”

  Moreen’s stomach growled as she watched him eat and she shrugged, resigned. She might as well take advantage of a free meal. She sat down and took a bite of her own, rolling her eyes in pleasure.

  They ate in silence for a few minutes, and it amazed her how quickly he ate his food. When he’d swallowed his last bite, he waved his hand and a second sandwich appeared on his place.

  “I didn’t think I’d need one, but it turns out I’m starved.” He took a bite and frowned. “Not near as good as the one I made by hand, but it will do, I suppose.”

  She almost choked on her food when he spoke next. “Tell me about the first time you were arrested.”

  “What is it that we’re doing here? This is your life Moreen McGee?”

  “I know the answers, of course, but I want to hear them from you. Aliya told me a little, about your high school years.”

  She dropped her sandwich and let it splatter on the plate. “Oh did she? How nice for you. I should have known this was all her fault. Shit, it’s not enough that the bitch ruined my life, but she has to come back and gloat, is that it? She’s a big shot advertising agent with a nice apartment and a gorgeous man to fuck and I’m sitting here with a man who thinks he’s a demon.”

  The bar of soap floated in front of her face. “Careful, felon. I’m tired of your nasty words. This is my final warning.”

  She nodded and the soap disappeared.

  “Now, answer my question.”

  “What? The first time I got arrested? Oh, let’s see... um, it was a week after Aliya the witch told everyone I’d slept with the entire baseball team. It wasn’t true, of course, but everyone believed her. They laughed at me in the hallways at school, called me a slut. She egged them on by telling them the positions we had supposedly used.”

  Moreen swallowed hard. “My parents grounded me and took away my allowance money, my freedom, everything. So, to get back at them, I went into a store and stole a six-pack of beer. I hate beer, but that didn’t matter. The clerk saw me and called the cops. I got hauled off to juvie court, and fined five hundred bucks.”

  “And then?”

  “Well let’s see, I stole Mrs. Watkins’s purse from home-ec class. I dumped it outside her doorway and took the wallet. Steve Jenkins saw me and told the principal. So I was expelled from school for a month.”

  “Everyone was talking about how bad you were, and you just wanted to prove them right, yes?”

  She pushed her food away. “Is there a point here?”

  “What
happened after that?”

  The words, ‘none of your f’ing business’ almost tumbled from her mouth. Instead, she took a deep breath. “When I went back to school, I kept getting into trouble. I got to be an expert at stealing and vandalizing things. My parents would barely speak to me because they felt like I reflected badly on them. So, they decided to move to Brooklyn. But someone from my old school knew someone at the new school, and it started all over again. And then I met Randy.”

  “Your partner in crime?”

  “Yes. He took my virginity, and he taught me how to snort coke, and then he taught me how to steal for the money to get more coke. Six months after we moved to Brooklyn, my parents kicked me out. I hated them at the time, but I don’t blame them now. I was out of control. I moved in with Randy and his parents, who were criminals themselves.”

  He leaned back, propping himself up on his elbows. The food, except for what she hadn’t eaten on her plate, disappeared. “Let’s skip to the part where you get arrested and get ten years probation.”

  “One more year to go,” she said softly. “One more lousy year, and you make me lose my job.”

  “We’ve been over that. Tell me what happened with your last arrest.”

  His stern voice reminded her of the judge who had sentenced her, who had told her that he’d gone easy on her, despite the fact that she flouted all the rules and would probably never amount to anything.

  “When I was twenty-one, Randy’s parents kicked us out. Or I should say his mother did. His father was back in prison, and she wanted to shack up with some other guy. Randy and I started breaking into houses to get our money. One night, we were cleaning out a house when the owner came home early. Randy beat the crap out of him. The only thing that saved me from going to prison was the victim’s testimony at my trial. He told the judge how I’d tried to pull Randy off, how I’d kept my boyfriend from killing him with a kitchen knife.”

  She held up her arm to show a scar on her forearm. “He got me instead.”

  “So Randy went to prison?”

  “Fifteen years for B&E and assault with a deadly weapon. I got ten years probation and a ten thousand dollar fine, which I’m still paying off. I also got a stint in rehab. I’ve been clean ever since.”