He lifts an eyebrow.
“When you get drunk,” I explain. “You sometimes don’t realize what you’re saying and can reveal things you wouldn’t if you were sober.”
He nods slowly, as if he’s understanding. “If I were to get drunk, I’d reveal that I was a genie and now have magic.”
“It’s a possibility.”
He presses me against his chest. “Then I never want to get drunk.”
“Good, because I don’t like guys who drink.”
He smiles, then frowns. “They have alcohol on Ortarus, but I don’t think it has an effect on Ortarians like it does on Earth. Maybe it’s not as strong. I can never imagine the king lowering his guard. He protects his magic at all times, because that’s what gives him power.”
I turn around so our chests are touching and I can look into his eyes. “What exactly was your job there, if you don’t mind my asking?”
He brushes his fingers through my hair. “The males would take care of the physical tasks—lifting and fixing things, for example—while the females took care of the cooking, cleaning, changing the beds.”
“And you didn’t use magic?”
“I hardly had magic.”
I squeeze his bicep. “Is that why you’re so muscular? Because you lifted heavy things?”
“I don’t know, but I’m glad you like it.”
I bite my lip. I don’t want to utter my next words, but I feel like I should warn him. “Uh, you know that’s not going to last, right?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your muscles. If you don’t work out, they’re going to disappear. I guess when you were a genie you remained the way you were.”
He frowns. I giggle, kissing his cheek. “Don’t worry. We can go to the gym together. You’ll see that it’s not so bad.”
“I didn’t know being human was so much work.”
I playfully slap his chest. “Are you regretting coming back to Earth?”
He pulls me even closer to him. “Oh, no. Hell no.”
Chapter Fifteen
A voice calls my name. I want to open my eyes, but something is preventing me from doing so. It’s as if they’re glued shut. The only thing I can make out around me is a strong smell. Like flowers encircle me. The smell is familiar, but I can’t remember from where. My mind seems to be flat like the lines of an EKG machine, my ears ringing like someone has died.
Is it me?
There are no sounds around me, other than someone calling my name. I can’t tell if it belongs to a man or a woman. It’s muffled, as if I’m underwater. It’s uttering more words, but I can only make out my name.
Trying to open my eyes is futile. They’re still glued shut. When I try to respond to the person calling my name, no sound leaves my mouth. It opens and closes, but makes no noise.
Feeling around, my hand closes over grass and flowers. The familiar smell attacks me once again. Am I in the same meadow as my other dream?
A hand grabs my arm, tugging me up, as though I really am underwater, which doesn’t make sense, since I’m able to breathe.
“Lily.” I’m pressed against a hard, muscled chest. “Wake up, Lily.”
My eyes shoot open, and the first thing I see is Sebastian’s face. Light shines all around him, causing him to glow. Am I in heaven? Has Sebastian joined me?
He clutches my shoulders, not hurting me, but enough to show how worried he is. He shifts, blocking the light. I realize now that it’s only the sun. I’m not in heaven, but in my room, on my bed.
“Lily?” he says for what must be the hundredth time. “Are you okay?”
The voice calling my name. It wasn’t Sebastian’s. It was softer than his voice, almost music-like.
Pulling out of his embrace, I push some hair over my shoulder. “What happened?”
“You were tossing and turning in bed. But not the usual kind…It was like you were in trouble. Like someone was hurting you.” He scoots closer and takes me in his arms. “Was it a nightmare?”
“I don’t know.”
He looks into my eyes. “Do you want to tell me what it was about?”
I nod and am about to tell him, but my lips press together. “I don’t remember.”
He arches an eyebrow. “You don’t remember?”
“Sometimes people forget their dreams when they wake up. It’s normal.”
He just stares at me, concerned. I place my hand on his. “Sebastian, it wasn’t a big deal. Like I told you, it’s normal to have dreams.”
He plows his fingers through his hair. “Are you sure you don’t remember?”
I wrack my brain. Images fly into my head. They’re hazy, but I can make out the area around me. “The meadow, I think.” I look at him. “I couldn’t open my eyes, but I think I was in the meadow. You know, from my last dream. There were flowers and grass and trees all around me.” I pause. “Someone was calling my name.”
“Who?”
I shrug.
“We have to figure it out.”
I squeeze his hand. “I don’t think we should make a big issue about it.” Call it denial, I don’t know. But I don’t want to deal with this…whatever it is. Sebastian and I are finally together. We can have the future we’ve always wanted. I’m not going to let some strange dreams get in our way.
“I’m going to do research,” he says, a determined expression on his face. “While you’re at work.”
It’s cute how handy he’s getting with the internet, but I wish he wouldn’t worry so much. It can very well just be a weird dream.
“Sebastian, I’m fine.”
He shakes his head. I rest my hand on his chest. “Please let this go. Forget about it. It was just a dream. It doesn’t mean anything.” It can’t mean anything. I don’t want it to.
Sebastian’s eyes meet mine. “Maybe it doesn’t. I’d still like to do research.”
He’s not going to drop it unless he knows for sure that nothing’s going on with me. I appreciate his love and care, but I wish he’d listen to me. I don’t want him to find something. I don’t want things to change. I just want to live happily with the man of my dreams.
I climb out of bed. “I have to get to work.”
He reaches for my hand and clasps it. “I’ll have breakfast with you.”
“That’s okay. You can sleep some more.”
He gets out of bed. “But we always eat breakfast together.” His worried eyes search mine. “Are you upset with me?”
“I don’t know.”
His face falls, and I feel a stab to my stomach. I don’t mean to treat him this way, I just need some time to myself, to collect my thoughts. Two weird dreams don’t mean anything, do they?
I slide my hands in his. “I’m sorry. I’m just tired.”
He nods unsurely. “If you don’t want me to eat with you—”
“No, of course I do. But once I leave, you should go back to bed.”
He shakes his head. “I’m not tired. There’s a lot I want to do today.”
“Like?”
“Clean up, look for a job…” His voice trails off. I bet his next words would have been, “Do some research.”
I lean forward to kiss his cheek. “Okay.”
We get ready, then go to the kitchen to eat. Sebastian stands before the stove with his eyebrows creased. “What’s wrong?” I ask.
He’s quiet, still staring at the stove. “I should learn to cook, shouldn’t I? You come home from work very tired. I should have dinner ready for you.”
I wrap my arms around his waist, resting my chin on his back. “That’s sweet of you, but it’s okay. You know how much I love to cook.”
He nods. “It’s probably not a good idea for me to attempt it on my own. The last time I tried, I nearly burned the house down.” He smiles. “We talked about cooking together, and I’d really love to do that. And to share your other interests, too.” He frowns. “I don’t really have any of my own.”
“Sure you do. You love game shows,
you love helping people. You’re curious and want to learn everything. You want to be a nurse.”
He nods again. “Do you think I can get a job at a hospital?”
“I’m not sure. You probably need your GED.”
“I’ll research it.”
I laugh and kiss his cheek. “You have no idea how adorable you are.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Adorable?”
I gather some pots and pans to prepare breakfast. French toast seems like a good idea. “Yeah, the way you want to research everything. I just think it’s adorable.”
“I thought guys my age aren’t supposed to be adorable. I’m supposed to be…manly.”
I giggle. “See there you go again being adorable.”
He looks completely lost. I pull him by the shirt and peck his lips. “Don’t question it. Just keep being the way you are. I love you, my adorable genie.”
He yanks me closer. “And I love you, my beautiful Lily.”
Chapter Sixteen
I’m smiling as I stab my key into the lock of my apartment. Sebastian is going to be so excited when he sees what I bought for him.
I feel terrible for the little argument we had this morning. Not that it was really a fight, I just don’t want us to ever be upset with one another. I know that’s going to happen—couples always fight—but I don’t want him to ever doubt how much I love him.
Throughout the day at work, I couldn’t stop thinking about my dream. No matter how much I wanted to push it out of my head, I couldn’t. As much as I want to forget about it, the truth is that I’m worried. Sure it only happened twice, and they weren’t exactly the same, but I’m still bothered by them. Who was calling my name? What’s the significance of the meadow? I’m not entirely sure I was in the meadow the second time, but I’m pretty sure I was. Oh, this is too confusing. I really need to forget about them and focus on the good things in my life, like Sebastian, my friends, and Mom. We text, talk, and video chat practically every night. I miss her like crazy. She told me she’s seeing that guy George who went to high school with her. She wouldn’t go into too many details, just told me she’s enjoying herself. I’m more than glad that she’s giving dating a shot.
She’s also spoken to Sebastian a few times and seems to love him more and more each day. I wish we could visit her more often, but money is tight. Sebastian’s determined to get a job to help out with the expenses. I love him for that, but I wish he wouldn’t worry about it so much. As much as we need to be responsible, I’d like him to enjoy being human. He didn’t have a childhood. It was stripped away from him.
I push the door open and enter the living room. The place is completely dark, except for the sun shining through. It’s five in the afternoon, light enough to see, but still dark. What’s going on? Is Sebastian sleeping? Did he go out?
The lights turn on, and I look at the switch, where Sebastian stands with a large smile on his face.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
He grins. “I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise? I have one for you, too.”
His eyes fill with excitement and curiosity. I rummage in the shopping bag and pull out a box. When he sees what’s in my hand, he laughs. “Popsicles.”
I hand him the box. “Remember how you told me you wanted to try one, but couldn’t because you were a genie? Well, now you can.”
He envelops me in his arms, kissing me. “That’s very thoughtful of you. Thanks! I’ll put it in the freezer.”
“Don’t you want one?”
“Soon. I have a surprise for you.”
“What’s the surprise?”
He smiles crookedly. “Aren’t surprises supposed to…surprise you?”
I groan. “You’re killing me.”
He chuckles, then puts the Popsicles away and takes my hand. He lifts it to his lips and gives it a soft kiss. Then he leads me to the dining room. The air gets knocked out of me when I take everything in. The table is covered with a white tablecloth and two sets of dishes and utensils. Two candles sit at the center, and a salad bowl is in between the two plates. Soft music plays. The lights are dimmed.
“Sebastian,” I say, my voice low. I’m so touched by all of this that I can hardly get a word out. “This is beautiful.”
He takes my hands. “I want to show you how much I love you.”
I gaze into his blue eyes, eyes that are filled with nothing but his emotions for me. They’re so raw that I can feel them deep in my toes. “We must think alike because I bought the Popsicles to show you how much I love you.”
He pulls me close, pressing his lips to my neck and brushing them down the length of it. My hands curl in his hair as I push myself even closer, wanting us to be one. My eyes flutter as I moan. Sebastian is moaning, too, but his comes from the back of his throat, as if he can’t get enough of me. I can’t get enough of him, either.
“Sebastian,” I rasp.
He continues letting his lips roam over my face, from my forehead, down to my chin, across to my ear, down my neck, sending electric jolts to each part of me.
“Do you think we should eat first?” I ask.
His mouth is on mine for half a second before he pecks my nose, then nuzzles it. “I’d have you for dinner.”
I lightly slap his chest. “Did you read that somewhere?” I tease.
He beams. “I saw it on TV.” His smile drops. “Did I get it all wrong?”
I tap his nose. “Nope. You got it just right.” My eyes move to the salad bowl on the table. “Did you make this?”
His face reddens and he massages the back of his neck. “Macy and Andy helped me. I told them I wanted to do something special for you. Andy helped me with the music and the candles. Macy and I worked on the salad. As for everything else, well…I used magic.”
I fling my arms around him. “Everything is amazing and I can’t wait to try it.”
Smiling, he takes my hand and leads me to the table. I stop walking when a thought hits me. “We’re not dressed right.”
He scans his clothes. “You’re right.” He snaps his fingers and a white tux appears on his body. “What would you like to wear?”
“Where are you getting everything from?”
He shrugs. “Nowhere. My magic is very powerful now and I’m able to create things out of nowhere. Just like I created the prom dress for you.”
“Can we keep everything?”
“I don’t know.”
I stare at him as another thought hits me. “Do you think you can create money?”
“I’m not sure.”
I pace around. “If you’re able to create things—fancy things like that tux—do you think we can get rich? I mean, is that even ethical?”
He watches me pace, not saying a word.
“What exactly are the rules?” I continue.
He raises his hands helplessly.
“You have to be getting the stuff from somewhere.”
He gently takes my arm. “Lily, can’t we just enjoy ourselves? Why does everything have to be right or wrong? Why can’t I please you with my magic?”
I stroke his cheek. “I’d love for us to enjoy everything, but I hate to think of us taking things for free. We need to pay for everything we take.”
“But I’m not stealing. I snap my fingers or wave my hands and things happen.” He waves his hand over me and a green dress appears on my body. It reaches just above my knees. “I don’t know where it comes from,” he says. “Maybe nowhere.”
I head over to him and check the tag on the back of his tux. There is no designer listed there. Is it possible that this really doesn’t belong to anyone? If Sebastian can create anything and everything, does this mean we can be rich? I shake my head. This is too confusing.
Sebastian takes my hands. He looks so sad and disappointed. I want to kick myself. He spent hours working on this dinner to make it perfect and I’m ruining it. He’s right. We don’t have to worry about technical things right now. We should enjoy ourselves
.
I haul him to me. “I’m so sorry, Sebastian. This dinner looks amazing. Let’s sit down and eat.”
We make ourselves comfortable across one another and Sebastian pours us some Coke. We clink glasses. “To our future,” I say.
His eyes are intense as they bore into mine. “To our future.”
We taste the salad. It’s a blend of different vegetables with a delicious dressing that doesn’t seem to be part of this world. “This is so good!” I say.
He smiles. “Macy and I worked on it, but I added a little magic touch to make the whole thing come together.”
I bend forward to kiss him. He takes hold of my chin and tilts it up to pop kisses on my neck. “You’re beautiful, Lily.”
Butterflies flap around in my stomach. He’s said this to me more than once, but it feels like it’s the first time. “Thanks. You look very handsome tonight. I mean, you’re handsome all the time, but…” I press my lips together.
He laughs. “Thanks.”
We finish up the salad, and then Sebastian snaps toward the kitchen, where a waiter comes out, holding a tray of food. I gape at Sebastian. “You created a waiter?”
“Just for tonight.”
“What happens to him when we’re done?”
“He disappears, I think. It’s like he never existed.”
I nod, forcing myself to relax. Why shouldn’t Sebastian and I enjoy his magic if no one is getting hurt? This waiter isn’t real. He was created just for tonight. He has no life, no family, no future. Once we’re done, he goes back to being nothing.
“Thanks,” I tell the waiter as he pours some soup into my bowl. He bows, serves Sebastian, then walks out. Sebastian and I try the soup. Delicious.
“I have good news,” he says. “I applied for a job.”
“Really? Where?”
“A delivery boy at the supermarket a few blocks away. They don’t require a GED. I have an interview next week.”
I grab his hand that’s resting on the table. “That’s great!”
He nods, playing around with his soup. “I’d like to help out more.” His eyes meet mine. “I don’t feel comfortable using magic all the time to make life easier for us, either. I’d like to be a human like any other guy. But we can have some fun every now and then, can’t we?”
Loving the Genie (Genie's Love, Book 2) Page 9
