Eighteen Months

by Giulia Napoli

  I found out from the concierge that there was a rock concert at an outdoor venue that evening. I asked if he could get us two tickets. He did, so we planned an early dinner and then would go to the concert.

  After lunch, I thought Rina might benefit from having to get around independently, an idea she appreciated, but wasn’t very fond of. I talked her into it, though, so I dropped her at the entrance to one end of a big mall, and told her I’d meet her at a store I’d looked up online, which was on the second level, almost at the other end. If she got hopelessly lost, she could call me, but she’d have to pay me back in sexual favors. She gave me a nervous chuckle, said, “Thanks a lot, pal,” and got out with my … with her white cane. I drove around to the other end and went up to the boutique to shop while I waited.

  About forty minutes later, I was starting to get worried. Then I saw her tapping along, finding the door, and coming in. I heard a clerk ask Rina if she could help her. Rina checked to see if she were in the right store, and then asked if there were a twenty-something woman with short, carrot-red hair anywhere around. The clerk brought her back to me.

  “I was getting worried,” I said as Rina reached me.

  “This is a very large mall,” Rina pointed out. “And it’s shaped weirdly. It’s like an ‘S’ shape with side malls going off from the right or left at slight angles. I got sidetracked into one of them three times on the way here. That wouldn’t have happened if I’d been going the opposite direction. But I made it.”

  “How many times did you ask for directions?”

  “Three times. The people I found were very polite – I think especially after they saw that my eyes didn’t both point in the same direction, but I’m not sure. I also got propositioned once and spent five minutes talking to some guy who identified himself as ‘Doctor Dree.’”

  “The record producer?”

  “No. That’s spelled with one ‘e’ and is pronounced like ‘Dray.’ He made a point to tell me his was D-R-E-E. He sounded about my age. I think he thought I was a light-skinned African American, because of my hair.”

  It was interesting to me that Rina was talking about her new body totally as though it were her own.

  “Did he ask you how long you’d been blind?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t think I could tell him it’d been about 16 hours, so I told him for a year. That’s true, but this wasn’t my body when it happened. I didn’t say that.”

  We both laughed. “You did fine getting here, even talked to people. You should be proud,” I said.

  “You know what, I am. I’m feeling pretty good right now. Did you find anything worth buying?”

  “Yeah, two tops, one pair of shorts, and one pair of dress pants in my size …”

  “Your new size or the size I am now?”

  “Well that was confusing.” Since Rina was feeling comfortable in her current body, I decided to clarify again for the sake of future conversation. “Since you are that way and I’m this way now, that body is you and this one is me. So, starting over, I picked out two tops, one pair of shorts, and one pair of dress pants in my size, which I’m gonna go try on, and also two different tops, shorts, and dress pants in your size, meaning mostly bigger tops, for you to try on.”

  We found a dressing room large enough for both of us. I tried my stuff on first, and Rina felt me up, telling me she thought everything fit. Then she modeled what I’d picked out.

  “That top and shorts looks great on you!” I had to admit.

  Rina was running her hands over herself to get an idea and wiggling around to test how the clothes moved. “Wow, I have great tits!” She exclaimed.

  “Yeah, you do,” I admitted. I’d never seen my modified naked body before Rina took it over last night. That was the look I danced naked with, that thousands of people had now seen, but not I until last night.

  That, in itself, was very strange.

  I’d decided that I didn’t like the look of the greatly-enlarged, round breasts as much as the firm, little teardrop breasts that they’d replaced, but I could appreciate their sex appeal. They were big and boldly sticking almost straight out; they didn’t much resemble natural breasts. They were a guy’s wet dream kind of breasts. The look of the rings and nipple studs was a little shocking. I’d gotten used to how they felt, but seeing them was different. Oh well, there wasn’t any way to take them out, even after I stopped dancing. I thought I could get used to how they looked. I’d have too. They were there for the very long term.

  I didn’t know if I’d keep the breasts or not when this was all over. They really dominated Rina’s chest, which would be my chest again shortly. I did wonder how messed up my stretched titties would be if I had the implants removed. Without even more cutting, they’d probably sag all the way to my bellybutton. I might be stuck with these big orbs like I was stuck with the nipple jewelry.

  I liked the bellybutton jewel the best. All the metal in my clit and labia, Rina’s pussy for the moment, was kind of disturbing, but that was never gonna change either. I wasn’t as sure that I’d ever get used to it visually. It was terrific for sex, though!

  Over Rina’s objections, I bought her clothes and mine. I made her find her way back to the door where she’d entered the mall as payment for the new clothes. I picked her up there twenty minutes later.

  We got back to the hotel and laid around naked, having what Rina calls “light sex,” until it was time for an early supper. We went to an Indian restaurant close by. The north metroplex has a large population from India. The food was authentic and absolutely fantastic. After a relaxed dinner we went back to the hotel to change for the concert.

  “Feeling it yet?” I asked Rina.

  “Definitely.” I gave her the Easy X cocktail in her left upper-arm.

  “That’s different,” she noted.

  “The Easy X evens everything out. The heroin in there is mostly rendered slow-acting. It’s there to keep the sex drive under control.”

  “I didn’t realize Roger Junior was such a pharmacist.”

  “I hear he’s hell’s own pharmacist,” I responded.

  By the time we left, the Easy X was doing its work on Rina. I was delighted to find that I didn’t miss it at all.

  She couldn’t keep her hands off me while I was trying to drive. “For God’s sake, Rina, I’m gonna wreck the car.”

  “No you won’t.” Her hand went under my short skirt and started pulling on my thong. I wore G-strings all the time at work, of course, so I’d sort of naturally switched to thongs. Rina always wore them and I was wearing her clothes now. Rina pulled them down to my knees and started on my clit.

  “Stop iiiiIt!” I shouted as I came. Fortunately we were stopped in traffic entering the concert location.

  “Damn it, Rina, I can’t drive when you’re doing that! Doesn’t it seem strange for you to be messing with your own body like that?”

  She lifted her head for a moment and looked at me, unseeing of course. She had a curious look on her face, like she was considering what I’d said.

  “I’m messing with your body, Alie. Not mine. This,” she dropped a hand onto my pussy and twiddled my clit rings, ”is you, not me.”

  I had to agree that it was now.

  The concert was great, though Rina made me go commando and I had to walk in short, careful steps to avoid cumming, as we made our way to an open spot on the lawn. I was completely distracted by arousal and I almost didn’t make it without fingering myself to climax. Now I knew first-hand what Rina had gone through.

  We sat on a blanket at the outdoor arena and my lover wouldn’t leave my pussy alone. She hadn’t worn panties at all when we’d left the Crowne Plaza. Unseeing, she flashed someone nearby at least twice. She didn’t realize it, of course. I decided to tell her later, just to tease her when the moment was right.

  We each climaxed several times at the concert. Quietly, I’d thought, until we were walking out and a guy carrying two lawn chairs looked at me, smiled broadly, and said, “You g
uys sure had a good time tonight.”

  Though we all laughed, though I regularly stripped in front of hundreds of people, I was mortified.

  Back at the hotel later, the friskiness continued well into the early morning.

  We slept in until almost 11:00. Rina was a mess, already starting withdrawals. I think they were worse because she had no experience with them. I gave her a do up as quickly as I could. Moments later, she was floating. I was concerned to see how much she enjoyed the high.

  **********

  That afternoon we were strolling, hand-in-hand, through a beautiful, well-tended arboretum, alternately relaxing in the shade and soaking up sun. Afterward we’d stopped at an ice cream stand for hot fudge sundaes. We were sitting at a picnic table when two young guys came up to us.

  “Excuse me,” one of them said. I got the immediate impression that he was always very polite.

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Can we ask your friend a question?” He asked me.

  “Sure,” I said. “She’s blind, not deaf.”

  That made him nod his head knowingly, but I could tell I’d made him uncomfortable. Rina spoke up, “Whatdaya wanna know?”

  “Uh … I’m not sure how to ask. Did you ever hear of a dancer named Minx by any chance? Except for your hair, you are a dead ringer for her.”

  That was the first time anyone had ever approached me about my dancing alter ego, and I wasn’t even me at the time!

  “Is this Minx person blind?” Rina asked?

  “As a matter of fact, she is. Her eyes are like yours. They have that same allure.”

  Rina looked up, more or less at him, expressionless.

  “Sorry,” he said. “I guess I was wrong.”

  “Told ya,” his buddy said.

  Rina smiled then. “Yeah, I’m Minx.” She stood up, did a few pelvic thrusts and a certain shimmy I’d become famous for, one hand behind her head the other on her groin.

  “I TOLD YOU!” The first guy said, thrusting his fist in the air.

  “Son of a bitch,” the other replied. “We saw you back in May. That place cost us a fortune, but you were so worth it. We stayed for all five of your shows.”

  “Where’d you learn to dance like that?”

  “Just practice, I guess. And I pretend I’m having sex on stage.”

  “God, it definitely works,” the first guy said in awe. “Can we get your autograph?”

  “One for both of you or one each,” Rina teased.

  “One each.” He produced a couple pieces of paper. I had a pen in my purse and handed it to Rina.

  “What are your names?” She asked.

  “Jeff and Brick.”

  “Who is who? Just ‘cause I can’t see you doesn’t mean I don’t want to know you.”

  I thought Rina was playing this for all it was worth.

  “I’m Brick.”

  “Bend down here, Brick.” He did and she carefully ran her hands over his face and hair. Then she pulled him down and kissed him on the lips.

  “Come here Jeff.” She repeated her performance, then wrote two notes: “Love ya, Brick, you’re a great kisser - Minx,” and “Love ya, Jeff, you taste great - Minx.”

  The two guys hopped in their car and drove off, gushing and waving. I told Rina and she waved back.

  Back in the car, returning to the hotel, I told Rina that was the only time Minx had ever been recognized. “It looked like you were thoroughly enjoying yourself,” I said.

  “I was. How often do I get to impersonate a celebrity?”

  “Based on what I saw of that little dance you did, you were dead on. Where did that come from?”

  “Alie, I’ve seen your performance a hundred times. I’ve been studying.”

  “Well,” I said, “That’s a hundred times more than I’ve seen it.”

  “I’ve told you before. Don’t be a whiner.”

  That night we stayed in the hotel and took advantage of the Easy X I injected into Rina and had sex until we essentially fell into comas from exhaustion.

  I woke Rina early the next morning and gave her last fix to her. At 10:45, about 8 minutes before the 60 hours were up, we sat down, lit cigarettes and, holding hands, waited to switch back.

  “You know, this might not happen at exactly 10:53,” Rina noted.

  It didn’t. It happened at 10:57. We checked out at noon and Rina drove us back to River’s Edge.

  My world had contracted around me again. My blind eyes dripped tears as I cried for my lost vision. I was glad I’d had this respite, but it made it harder to go back to being handicapped.

  Rina and I had grown even closer because of our time as each other. Our relationship coasted easily through the rest of the summer. I was confident it would roll along, always picking up momentum.

  Not exactly.

  Chapter 19 – It Must Have Been Love

  Summer ripened into autumn. I was still shooting up twice a day. I was worried that I might soon need to increase the smack in my morning do up. I wasn’t getting the full effect anymore, and that dose wasn’t moderated by Easy X. So in that regard, at least part of the time, I was a common heroin junkie, whose habit was likely to grow to keep up with her physical need. Rina was aware of this and I could tell that it bothered her more and more as time went on.

  I was trying my best to hold out. I didn’t want to fall any farther, even if the tea would work to end the dependence once I quit the Jolly Roger.

  Autumn was still warm up until late October when the nights became cool and crisp and the days felt fresh and clean. Near Halloween I told Rina I was pretty sure that I couldn’t get through the day anymore without another fix in the afternoon. She begged me not to do it, saying my vision would probably start to return in another month or so.

  I told her I’d held out as long as I could stand it, and I didn’t see the problem since Roger Junior would give me all the White Nurse I needed. Besides, like she said, I’d be off of it completely after I’d been working at the Jolly Roger for eighteen months, and could quit and buy-out my contract. That would be right before Christmas, if my vision started to return like it was supposed to.

  We had a big argument and Rina stormed out. She told me she didn’t like me stoned in the morning, and REALLY didn’t want me stoned all day, which I would be if I also shot up between 1:00 and 2:00 in the afternoon. I didn’t see what the big deal was.

  She didn’t come home all night, and I couldn’t get her on her mobile. In the morning I got up, mainlined, and tried to track her down. She didn’t answer her phone at work. Once my morning high began to dissipate, I became so upset I could hardly think. At 2:00, I shot up again. I had to. I was still stoned when Rina came in about 3:30. I tried to talk to her, but I wasn’t in very good shape. I’m sure she could tell immediately that I was floating from a recent high.

  “Rina, I needed the gravy. You should know. You were in this body for two days and you felt it.”

  “Fuck, Alie! You’re even talking like a junkie! You can’t even say ‘heroin!’ And now you’re … I don’t know what you are!”

  “Fucked up?”

  “Yeah, ‘fucked up.’ Which means high on heroin, on the street!”

  “Please, Rina, try to understand. This is only for another month or so ...”

  “How can you say that? I can see how much this means to you.”

  “IT MEANS NOTHING, RINA! I HAVE TO HAVE IT! But not forever!” I couldn’t believe she didn’t get it. I was gonna quit as soon as I left the Jolly Roger.

  “I don’t want you like this, Alie.”

  “I’m not like this, Rina. This is only temporary. How can I convince you?”

  “Alie, you’re addicted to illegal drugs. I can’t deal with that.”

  “Why, Rina? It’s only for a little while yet.”

  “You like it too much!”

  “No I don’t! You liked it, but you were only in here for a couple days. I can give this up, Rina!”

  “You’re a junkie, love
.” I could hear her starting to cry.

  “I will give this up!” I screamed. “In only another month!”

  “If I were you – and I was – I wouldn’t be able to.”

  “WELL I CAN!”

  Rina said nothing more.

  I heard her rustle around, apparently gathering some of her things, and she left without saying another word, though I repeatedly tried, in my drugged stupor, to get her to talk to me. I’d begged her to stay.

  Megan called me later, between dances at the Jolly Roger, to tell me Rina was at her condo. That’s where she’d gone both times after she’d left our house. Megan didn’t want me to worry. I told her I’d come over after my last performance.

  Rocco dropped me off at Megan’s condo. I asked him to wait for me, hoping he’d be taking us both home. He didn’t mind. When Megan answered the door, the first thing she asked me was, “What’s going on? Rina won’t tell me. She’s been crying her eyes out.”

  “Oh God. I said.”

  “Alie?”

  “Can I come in and talk to her?” I asked.

  “Come on in. She’s in my bedroom, lying down. Speak quietly so she won’t hear, and tell me what’s happening.”

  “Let me talk to her.”

  “Tell me first, then we’ll see. I’ve rarely seen anyone as upset as Rina is.”

  She wasn’t going to budge on that. I’d have to tell her something. “First off, Megan, I’m a junkie. I’m hooked on heroin.”

  “Oh Jesus, Alie.”

  “It’s a long story, and it’s far more complicated than it seems on the surface.”

  “The surface looks very complicated, Alie.”

  “It gets worse.” I decided to tell her the whole thing, from when I was sentenced to be blind up to the present.”

  “That explains one thing,” Megan said.

  “What?”

  “Why Rina keeps blaming herself. I’m sure she feels responsible for getting you into that job in the first place.”

  I hadn’t thought about that for a long time. “She knows I don’t blame her at all.”

  “She blames herself anyway.”

  “In another six weeks, I’ll be able to quit, and use the tea to break my addiction. So I don’t see what the big deal is. If I’m high all the time for the next six weeks, so what? It hurts, Megan. I need that afternoon fix!”