Satisfaction Guaranteed

by Samantha M. Derr

  "Now I can sew this body back up, and we can bag the innards."

  *~*~*

  A hot cup of tea in my hands, I leaned my head against the back of the sofa in Hennen's office. I hadn't expected to forget the smell of dead bodies so quickly, but the cleansing afterwards left nothing behind, not even the slightest hint. Hennen stood in the corridor, talking to someone in a police uniform. The man in uniform shook his head a lot as Hennen spoke, but when Hennen finally fell quiet, all the uniform did was sigh and give a short answer. Hennen smiled and entered the office.

  "You haven't fallen asleep, have you?" he asked as he leaned against the wall next to the door.

  "No," I replied. "I am tired, though. How do you do this every day?" How do you have so much energy?

  "Because someone needs to take care of these people. Someone needs to help them find their killers."

  I sipped my tea and let the bitterness roll over my tongue. "Your assistant must feel honoured to work with you."

  Hennen snorted. "Not quite. I have a different assistant every day, and they all feel the job is a waste of their abilities."

  "Why?"

  "Because they'll never do more than assist me. I'm not training them. I know it sounds harsh, but I need someone to help me do my job, not someone who does my job for me."

  Hennen's voice only poorly masked his frustration. But I got what he meant. Everyone with a bit of talent towards Hennen's job would find assisting him unfulfilling. I, on the other hand, couldn't remember a day where I'd been this tired from working. Granted, I'd already done a day's work and visited Mister Wolvet, but neither of those had tired me like this. I smiled. This felt good. "They're fools."

  "I won't argue that. You never told me why you visited me?"

  "I wanted to talk to you. About what you said during lunch yesterday." It had been a long two days.

  "Mmm. Seeing that we're both rather tired, what about dinner? My housekeeper makes a mean beef, ale, and carrot pie."

  "No dairy in it?"

  "None at all."

  "Sounds good then. Cart or walk?"

  "A cart is waiting to take me home. Might as well use it."

  I wasn't even sure I'd make it walking. I finished my tea and rose from the comfortable sofa. "In that case, Mister Kovu, may I escort you downstairs?"

  Hennen reached out for my hand and kissed my palm. "I'm the honoured one now."

  I led him out of the building and to the waiting cart. The driver greeted Hennen as if he were an old friend and filled the trip with cheerful banter that made the ride seem shorter.

  The house was dark when we arrived, though as soon as we entered the wonderful smells of the promised food greeted us. Hennen stopped in the middle of his dark hall.

  "Are the lights on or off?"

  "Off."

  "Ah. Right." Hennen clapped his hands twice, and suddenly a number of lights started glowing. "Only a few of the lights turn on when I clap. So if you need more, you'll need to tap the lights yourself," he added as we entered his living room.

  The living room was large, but so was the sofa taking up almost half of the long wall across the room. In the other half of the room stood a dark wooden dining table. And the tulips I'd given Hennen were placed on it. "You spelt them."

  "The tulips? Vere did. My housekeeper. She insisted I should enjoy them for as long as I could."

  "She knows her plants. They look as fresh as they did when I gave them to you."

  "They smell the same as well, but it won't last much longer." Hennen walked towards a door. "We can eat in here."

  I expected to meet Hennen's housekeeper in the kitchen, but it was empty, save a covered casserole. "Where is Vere?"

  "Oh, she's off on Fridays. She always leaves me her beef, ale, and carrot pie, spelt to keep until dinner time, and stays with her youngest daughter. She'll be back around lunch time tomorrow, after her weekly market trip."

  Right, so it was just the two of us. "Tell me where I can find plates and cutlery and I'll set the table."

  "Middle cupboards and drawers."

  His plates weren't as chic as I'd imagined, but sturdy stoneware in earthen tones, the sort my mother had as well. It helped me feel less out of place. Hennen offered beer to go with dinner, but I opted for water instead. It didn't feel right to spoil dinner with serious talk, so we kept it light while we ate, but as soon as we were finished, Hennen asked me again why I'd been looking for him.

  Despite Hennen being unable to see me, it was hard to look at him. "I want to know how to not let it matter."

  "Being a drifter?"

  "Yeah. It's all people see."

  "And that's where you're wrong, Marek. Only those who know treat you like that, but you treat everyone as if they do know. Do you know why that is?"

  "Because once they find out—"

  "And how do they find out?"

  I frowned. Oh. "Because I all but tell them."

  "Yes." Hennen took my hand in his. "I know it's not easy to change. But you're an intelligent person, Marek. You care. You saw my blindness from the beginning."

  "You always walked into the shop as if you owned the place."

  Hennen laughed. "I practised. I had to, I was sick of being afraid to trip over every bit of rock sticking out of the ground."

  "So, I need to practice to walk like you do."

  "It's not about mimicking me, Marek." Hennen rose and pulled me up with him. "It's about building your confidence."

  Didn't mean I couldn't start with practising my walk and go from there. I wrapped my arms around him, tilted his head up, and brushed my lips against his. Hennen sighed into my mouth. He smelled clean, cleansing clean, but as I kissed him, he tasted of dinner and the beer he'd been drinking, and I wanted more. And I wasn't the only one. Hennen was already undoing my buttons when I tugged at the hem of his shirt.

  "Bed?" I asked.

  "Too far," Hennen replied as he undid the last button. "Sofa's comfortable enough."

  We dropped clothes everywhere as we made our way to the sofa. Hennen looked gorgeous. Hairless chest, hard cock nestled in grey curls, and while he was mostly lean, his belly was softening with age. He lay down. I knelt beside him and rested my head on it with a smile.

  Hennen shot up, jostling me. "Is the curtain closed?"

  I blinked and turned my head. "Nope. But there's a lace hanging that hides us from view well enough."

  "Are you certain?"

  I pushed him down and kissed the spot above his navel before working my way up. A kiss here, a nip there, all the way up to his neck. "You sure you don't prefer a bed?"

  Hennen's breath hitched. "Just... just get on with it."

  "Bossy," I said, shaking my head, but I rose and draped myself over him anyway.

  He bucked up the moment our cocks met, and any teasing I had planned flew out of my mind. I put my hands on both sides of his head and pushed against him. Hennen drew a shaky breath and pushed back, eliciting a groan from me. I claimed him in a bruising kiss, one he answered in equal measure. There was no rhythm, no elegance, but neither of us seemed to care as we rutted against each other until we both came.

  Groaning and panting, we held each other as we rode the waves. And when I could finally think again, I brushed my lips against his and asked, "Bed now?"

  "In a minute," Hennen replied, still sounding out of breath.

  I lay my head on his shoulder and smiled. I could give him a minute.

  *~*~*

  Charging pebble after pebble, my mind drifted off to waking up next to Hennen two nights in a row. I smiled. Both nights we'd rolled apart and onto our backs some time during the night, and we woke up with our shoulders touching and our fingers entwined. I tried to tone down my smile, not wanting Ansa to ruin my memories with her comments.

  All weekend, whether spending time with Hennen, walking to the flat to feed Lois—who wouldn't let me go until I'd rubbed her belly, and she'd covered me in hair and scratches—or sitting in my small flat late Sun
day night, our conversations ran through my head. Not just about me trying not to expect people to see what I was just by looking at me. About Hennen needing a steady assistant as well. Though any serious thinking on my part was ruined by the images of Hennen naked, especially the one of him swallowing my cock Sunday morning. I couldn't remember ever having had a better weekend.

  I checked my pebble bowls. Still plenty left to charge, but I wasn't going to make it before my energy level became too low. I couldn't take much more of these days. The weekend had been so good, energy wise, that when I returned to my flat the last night, I had enough energy to play my violin for two minutes. I'd picked it up on impulse, but it had felt so good in my hands that I couldn't resist playing something. I wanted to play for Hennen, but would he have the patience to only hear two minutes of a song? Not to mention having to take a nap afterwards.

  How much energy would I have left at night if I were Hennen's assistant? Hennen didn't offer, and with us dating I didn't see that happening, but despite the terrible stench and the cut open bodies, I'd probably enjoy that job a lot more than I did this one. More physical work than use of talent, but would that be so bad? Not for me. It would be interesting and different. If only to listen to Hennen speak into his machine, to figure out what it was he meant with those strange words and phrases.

  A hand on my shoulder startled me. It was Roni, looking concerned. "Are you all right?"

  "Sure. Why?"

  "You didn't seem to hear me. It's time to stop. You're draining yourself."

  The bowl with pebbles was nearly empty now. And when I raised my hands, they were trembling. What a stupid, mindless drifter I was. There was no way I was going to make it home on foot.

  "You really need to pay more attention, Marek. You can't afford to delve too deeply into your reserves."

  Normally, I'd grunt something about not needing a minder, but Roni was right. I'd been too deep in thought to pay attention to my energy levels. I sighed. Draining myself this much meant missing half a day's work tomorrow. Either I slept until I was fully replenished, or I quit at lunch time to keep myself from delving into my reserves again. "I'm sorry."

  Roni shook her head. "Don't be. In all the time you've worked for me you've only rarely let yourself cross the line. Sleep in tomorrow. We'll be fine."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Sleep in and replenish. Do you want to talk about what's keeping you so distracted?"

  Tell Roni I was thinking about another job? "No. Not right now."

  "It's not Hennen, is it?"

  I couldn't stop myself from smiling, and Roni chuckled. "Good for you, Marek. You deserve some happiness."

  Something Hennen had told me as well. Happiness and not caring what others thought. There was nothing I could change about being a drifter, but that didn't mean I had to let it define who I was. It sounded so good when Hennen said it, but carrying it out wasn't as easy.

  "Don't go chasing thoughts again. Go home, Marek, before you fall asleep." She disappeared into the shop for a moment. When she returned, she handed me some nukkels. "Don't let me catch you trying to walk home. Take a cart."

  "But—"

  "No excuses. Get a cart, get home, and go to bed. I don't want to see you until you're fully replenished."

  I raised my shaking hand and saluted her. "Yes, Boss."

  No matter how dull the job, at least I had a great boss. Open minded like Hennen, non-judgemental, well, not about my drifter state. She had plenty to say about my tendency to stick to one-night stands. But she liked Hennen.

  Suddenly, I couldn't stand not telling her. "I've been thinking about changing jobs."

  Her smile faded a little, but she nodded nevertheless. "I've been expecting it for years. I know you're not happy. What sort of job are you thinking of?"

  I shrugged. "Something that requires more physical work and less energy. It's nothing definite yet, but it's interesting."

  "Interesting, huh? Not a word I've ever heard you use about any of the jobs you've tried."

  "I know. I'm sorry. You're a terrific boss, but..." I didn't know how to finish that sentence, so I didn't.

  Roni's smile returned. "If you find something that makes you happy, I'll gladly let you go. And if I can't find a replacement before you leave, I'm sure Ansa wouldn't mind picking up the slack."

  She would, but the twinkling in Roni's eyes told me she'd enjoy Ansa trying to get out of it. Roni was the boss, after all.

  "Thank you. I'm not sure if the job is available, but I need to find out."

  "I hope you find it, Marek. I really do. Now. Go home and sleep it off."

  I stumbled more than walked outside, and grabbed the first available cart home.

  *~*~*

  I barely even remembered getting home, and I must have fallen into my bed dressed and all, because I woke up in my clothes some time mid-morning. My blankets had fallen on the floor, and Lois had turned them into a nest for her to sleep in. I raised my hand over my eyes. No shaking. Which was good. My mouth was dry and my stomach screamed for food. Apparently I hadn't even eaten before falling asleep. Well... at least I'd made it home.

  With a sigh, I hoisted myself out of bed, fed Lois, undressed myself, and threw my clothes into a washing bag. Shower first? Or breakfast? My stomach rumbled loudly, making the decision for me, and, naked, I fixed my breakfast. I missed my newspaper, but running down and up all those flights of stairs was not on my list of things to do right now. So I talked to Lois a bit, who'd finished her food and was back to lounging on my blankets. She meowed as I talked to her about becoming Hennen's assistant, though I doubted she cared much where I worked, as long as she was fed. I couldn't afford the fancy stuff, of course, but she liked the cheap cat food well enough. That and anything left over from my own dinners.

  Lois didn't have any answers for me, but the talking helped nonetheless. The worst Hennen could say was no, right? Not that I wanted to hear that word, but I had to try. Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't had a taste of what being Hennen's assistant meant. Maybe I wouldn't have been thinking about getting another job so much. Maybe I would have still been content to charge pebbles. But my mind kept going back to how satisfying helping Hennen had been, and I wanted that every day. Not the mind numbing, energy draining charging of pebbles with a side dish of Ansa's contemptuous comments.

  Nothing guaranteed being treated better at the police station, but the job would be worth any degrading comments I got. And the fact that I couldn't stop thinking about it, even through showering and getting dressed, was enough for me to decide to pay a visit to the police station before going in to work.

  I picked up my newspaper on the way out—hoping I could read it during lunch—and took the first available cart to the police station. I could have walked, but it would give me way too many opportunities to chicken out, and that was the last thing I needed to do. Didn't mean I wasn't trembling and out of breath when I stood before the station. Didn't mean I didn't want to turn around and run away. But I took a deep breath and entered the station and asked to see Hennen. A young woman in uniform led me to Hennen's office. She even went so far as to announce me before gesturing for me to enter.

  "What a nice surprise," Hennen said in greeting. "Though, I hope you didn't come for an early lunch. I'm expected in the lab."

  I cleared my throat, shook my head, and cleared my throat again before I could finally answer Hennen with a simple "No."

  "Sit down before you fall down, and tell me what's on your mind."

  My hands didn't stop trembling as I sat, and I grabbed the side of my seat to stop fiddling with them, and cleared my throat, again. "I'd like the job." Yeah. That came out really well. I opened my mouth to explain, but Hennen beat me to it.

  "What job?"

  That was an easy one to answer. "Your assistant."

  Hennen dropped his pen. His eyes flittered left and right as he stared at me with his unseeing eyes. It looked weird, but was strangely soothing. "My assistant?"
>
  "Yes." I swallowed. "You need a fulltime assistant, not training a new one every week. You need someone who doesn't mind work that doesn't involve spending energy. Someone who doesn't mind the stench or the sight of blood. I can be that person." That sounded a lot better. I forgot to mention someone who wouldn't complain about being forced to do such menial work... but I was sure Hennen would understand that.

  "It's not a regular day job," Hennen said, though he was smiling now.

  "I know."

  "I don't even know if the captain will go for it, though the apprentices would be very grateful."

  "But you would hire me if you could?" My heart pounded in my throat now, and my hands hurt with how hard I grabbed onto my seat.

  "I would. Yes. Instantly."

  That was good, but I couldn't help ask Hennen why he would.

  "Because of the reasons you mentioned. And because you're choosing it regardless of what others think of you. Which is a pretty big step for you."

  I wasn't sure I was all that noble. "I liked assisting you."

  "I noticed. It was refreshing to have someone assisting me without constantly reminding me they're too talented to be doing the job."

  "I—"

  "Don't ruin it by talking yourself down now, Marek," Hennen interjected, and I shut my mouth. "I'll talk to the captain after lunch. Does Mistress Volker know you're planning to leave her?"

  "Yes, but I only told her I may have found a job opportunity. I can leave at any time."

  "Good to know. If the captain agrees I may wish to employ you as soon as possible."

  Now it was my turn to smile. "Thank you."

  "No, Marek. Thank you. I didn't think there was anyone willing to do the job I needed them to do."

  "You never thought about hiring a drifter, you mean."

  "Honestly? No. But not because I didn't think they could do the job. The thought never came up to me. Besides, drifters are rare."

  "And counsellors aren't exactly gearing up to helping us find a job we enjoy."

  Hennen frowned. "Isn't that what they're there for?"

  "You'd think so, wouldn't you? But once we have a job and don't have any pressing problems, they think we don't need help."