Sara touched her own gossamer dress and asked, “Should I wear one too?”
Maeve shook her head no, “This is what I do to remind me of my commitment and vows. It's what's worked for me. You gotta find your own reminder – you're your own woman. The Vinculum Primo before me wore a wedding ring. How she got anyone to see past it, I never understood. It didn't work for me.”
Nathalia finished up the brushing and picked up the already hot flat iron off of the table next to her. With great skill, from much practice, she sectioned off the hair and smoothed each piece with the straightening implement.
“Third, I think it's sexy and hot and I think it adds to my allure. It makes it easier to get everyone’s attention in a smoky loud club.”
“As if you ever needed any help!” Elle countered jokingly. “Ya'll see tonight. All eyes are on her the second we step out of the car. Jolie, you better find your mate quick before he becomes infatuated with her like everyone else.”
Jolie looked down at her delicate blouse and small breasts and for a moment she looked worried. Nathalia was quick to jump in, “Jolie, she's just teasing Maeve about being such an attention hog. You've got nothing to worry about. You'll be a dream come true to your mate, his fantasy come to life. He'll recognize you for the rare jewel you are and all the super models in the world couldn't garner his affection. You'll see. Maeve's magic is an incredible site to behold.”
Maeve felt an edge of a feeling of confidence. Nathalia must be broadcasting it to Jolie. Her tattooed shoulders rose slightly and her spine straightened. She held up her head, gently shaking away the seed of self doubt. “Thanks.”
Nathalia finished up with her best friends hair and signaled her with a tap on the shoulder. The Abbess went stiff and still for a moment; the tell tale that she was broadcasting a message to someone. Maeve stood up and crossed over to the mirror to check out the finished product. Sara couldn't help herself. She reached out and stroked the still warm hair. “It looks amazing, so shiny; I think I can see myself in it!”
They were really going to have to look into the binding and loosening of hair thing. Maeve’s hair had always seemed kind of magical. Nathalia wondered what would happen if they cut it; would she lose some of her powers temporarily, like the Samson in the bible? Nathalia spoke, breaking Sara's enthrallment. “I love each of you and am very proud to be Abbess to such a group of caring and independent women.”
Just then Alisha brought in a tray with some stone necklaces on it and set it next to Nathalia quickly and silently before exiting again.
“All of these stones have spent time in the afterglow and in the full moon light. I believe they carry a small charge and can help you with your spells tonight.” Nathalia explained as she handed one to each sister.
Nathalia took on a very serious face and laid down the law before issuing her blessing for the night. “As always, the Vinculum Primo is in charge while off grounds. She is the voice of the sisterhood tonight and all decisions go through her. No one makes any move to use their gift without Maeve's permission. With that out of the way, lift your stones to the sky. May you have a wonderful and successful night of Love, Sex and Magic!”
Chapter 2
“MAEVE!” The doorman's deep voice called out before Maeve was all the way out of her car. He put up the velvet rope, stopping all other traffic from the sidewalk into the club. Jolie, Sara and Elle followed Maeve right up to the front entrance of Heaven. Jolie inspected every person in line, carefully comparing each one with the image from her dream.
The doorman threw his tree sized arms around Maeve and lifted her off the ground as if she weighed no more than a child. Her entourage giggled as she tried to squirm her way down. She gave up her hopeless fight and hugged him back.
“Tank, it's good to see you too. Now put me down; I'm losing the feeling in my arms, you're squeezing so hard.” Tank complied but laid a wet one on her cheek on the way down.
“How was the honeymoon?” she asked him. She pushed the jealousy down, way down.
He flashed a big toothy grin at Maeve and then winked at the petite girl just inside the door tearing tickets and stamping hands. “Great. I don't know why I waited so long. I should've married Marcie years ago.”
“I wouldn't a' had you years ago, you big meat head.” Marcie commented from her post right inside the door. Maeve took the few steps necessary to reach the threshold and planted a kiss of her own on Marcie' neck. “You needed to grow up a little and realize what a catch I am.” Marcie shouted back at her new husband. “I have you to thank for that, Maeve.” she said a little more quietly while clasping Maeve's hand.
“COME ON MAN, I'm freezing my nuts off out here!”
Tank pointed his giant sausage finger down the line in the general direction of the shout. “You show some respect; this is Maeve Lovejoy. You wait your turn.” His shout hushed all the complaining, but he did go back to inspecting ids and patting down suspicious characters.
“Big turnout tonight?” Maeve asked the spiky haired pixie granting entrance into Heaven.
Marcie responded with a shrug, as if it was always this way. “O'course, its Thursday - They're all here to see you. Enjoy girls! See you later.” She waived them in and went back to work.
Maeve pushed her way through the crowd to the clear spot where her companions had stopped. Sophmaker Sara questioned Maeve. “So, which one did you sleep with?”
Maeve lovingly slapped her trainee on the rear before responding, “That's none of your business, Sara. Now, take Elle and go tell Israel we're here and that I'll be out on the floor in a few minutes.”
She could hear Sara tell Elle as they left, “I only asked because he was so big. He tossed Maeve around like a rag doll. Imagine what he could do in the sac!”
Maeve leaned over to say in Jolie's ear, “She's right, you know. Tank's alota fun to be with. There's something to be said for having a lover who is 3 times your weight. We did positions I didn't think physically possible. Marcie's a lucky girl.”
Maeve smiled at the memory and turned to see Jolie's reaction to her reminiscing. Jolie hadn't moved. She was staring straight forward. “There he is.”
Maeve followed Jolie's gaze across the room to the side bar. Maeve tried to spot who her friend was talking about. There were so many people there. “Which one?”
Just as she asked, a young man with a fauxhawk turned with his drink and locked eyes with Jolie. Jolie's intake of air was quick and her response was breathy, “Him”.
A shadow of disappointment passed Maeve's face, but was gone in a flash. “JD's your mate?” Maeve had planned on making JD her mark tonight. He was of the Family, the one Margaux had told her about.
Jolie repeated his name as if it contained magic, “JD...JD...”
Maeve interrupted her, “Come on sister, let’s go introduce you.”
Jolie and JD made a beeline through the crowd to get to each other, almost as if they were magnets, unable to fight the natural pull. Maeve followed behind her friend. She kissed his cheek before introducing them, “JD, this is my good friend Jolie. Jolie lives at the house with me. Jolie this is JD. He's a DJ here on a regular basis. JD, I don't even know, what's your real name?.... ”
JD stuck his hand out for Jolie and said, “John David...JD stands for John David”, answering Maeve's question but never taking his eyes off of his new beloveds face. When neither responded to her, Maeve made an excuse that was ignored, and left them standing there staring at each other to head out to the dance floor. It was time to get to work.
***
As soon as he saw her enter the dance floor Aaron shot from his chair to the rail, dragging Lucas along with him. “Who's that?”
Before Lucas could answer, the Dee Jay's voice rang out over the speakers. “All you out there looking for love, get to the dance floor. “
Heaven erupted with excitement. Lucas's, “That's her, the one we were telling you about.” was joined by a hundred other's “Come on!”, “She's here”, a
nd “Let's go”. A flood of people flowed down the stairs and onto the floor, taking Lucas with it. Aaron stood transfixed. He couldn't take his eyes from the short and rounded beauty dancing in the void at the center of a sea of partiers. She was hourglass shaped, and the tightly laced black corset helped accentuate that. Her long brown hair hung down past her waist and it reflected all the colors shining down from the catwalk above. Her low cut jeans were littered with chains that jingled as she undulated her hips in a detailed and mesmerizing pattern. To Aaron she seemed a strange marriage of modern woman and old world beauty, and he knew right then he would need to see her again and again.
It was hard to describe, but Aaron felt that she was drawing something with her hip and arm movements. There was a pattern there in the air but he couldn't get a lock on it. It was somehow a direct reflection of the modern yet ancient sounds of the music, or maybe it was the other way around.
Maeve's arms began to whip out grabbing a girl here, a boy there and coupling them up. Some girls with other girls, some boys with other boys, a couple from one side with a girl from the other, but mostly boy/ girl twosomes were made as the music began to build. Each pair or group began to dance with the people they were matched with. Aaron noticed two of the massive doormen close to Maeve. She grabbed up a guy and matched him with the beastly employee, who quickly danced him off the floor. Then in a second, it happened again. Lucas was close to the center now and after she whipped her arms out, he was left standing with two very attractive young ladies.
Now that everyone was matched, the music really started to build. As the music rose so did the sexual tension. People all over started to kiss. As if a kind of hidden sound in the music signaled the response, couples around him started to kiss too. Then scaffolding began to lower from the ceiling. It was loaded down with canisters pointed in all directions. The gas blasted first very warm and then, whoosh, the entire club is covered by a blanket of extremely chilled fog. The temperature of Heaven plummeted instantly.
In the fog, Aaron lost sight of Maeve and when it cleared, she was gone. Disappointed, he perched on the arm of one of the black leather couches of the VIP 2nd floor lounge, as the dancing crowd dissipated somewhat. He was stunned when Maeve herself skipped up the stairs and plopped down on the couch right next to him. In choosing that seat, Maeve had given him a perfect view of her cleavage, poised as he was, slightly above her. Aaron stiffened, afraid of getting caught gazing at that beautiful valley, but unable to keep from looking. After being served a Diet Coke, it was she that spoke first.
“Why didn't you join us down there?” She asked. “You're not in a relationship.”
Aaron was still a little too stunned, sitting next to this goddess, to wonder how she knew that about him. “Maybe I was afraid you'd couple me with Dozer”, he said gesturing over her shoulder at the man keeping guard at the entrance of the VIP section.
Maeve laughed. It was loud and hearty and everyone within earshot smiled. “It's not like I thought they made good couples with the bouncers. That's my way of quietly kicking them out of Heaven. They're married and their wives wouldn't appreciate them hooking up out at a club. I had 'em escorted out and sent home to their waiting families.”
“So, you don't let married people join in on your fun and games?”
“Oh, yea I do. All the time. IF their spouses are here and also willing to be paired or grouped up. There are a few couples here tonight that I matched for. I don't look down on the swinger lifestyle, just the lying cheating lifestyle. I don't care for people who don't honor their vows; I don't take my vows lightly, nor should anyone.”
“Vows? Your husband isn't into the lifestyle?” Aaron hoped his interest was veiled in their casual conversation.
“No, I'm not married. I don't need romance; I came here to dance.”
“You're certainly good at it. I couldn't take my eyes off of you.”
His compliment had an effect on her judgment and Maeve replied before she could sensor herself. “That's kind of the point – that particular dance designed to captivate everyone in the club who's ready and available.”
“Captivating everyone who's available sounds like it could come in handy to a single guy. Teach me?”
“I can't; not that dance. It's kind of a secret, but I've another one I think's just right for you. It melts away stress like snow on a hot summer day.” Maeve stood up, facing her new dance student. “I can't sit around too long anyway. I need to get back to the floor. Dancing's kind of my job here.” She reached out and took Aaron's hand. “Will you come with me?” She asked seductively.
The thought of seeing Maeve dance up close was too tempting to resist. Aaron stood up bringing their bodies and faces very close together. “Sure.”
Maeve smiled and spun around, never dropping Aaron's hand, leading him toward the staircase. As they made their way to the dance floor, the crowd in front of them stopped moving. Maeve stopped short and Aaron pressed into her back. She brought his left hand up and crossed it in front of her, placing it on her bare right shoulder. Neither could ignore the feeling of his forearm resting on her mounded breasts peaking over the top of her corset, but both pretended not to notice. She fingered the simple black tattoo that covered most of his outer forearm. Maeve leaned back even more, pressing herself into him, and leaning her head back to rest on his shoulder. She turned toward his neck and said over the music, “Name's Maeve by the way.”
Her breath brushed his neck and ear and he leaned down to answer her, giving her the same sensation. “I'm Aaron. Nice to meet you.” He stunned himself when he planted a kiss where the creamy white skin of her shoulder met her neck. He was never this forward. What was wrong with him tonight? He hadn't even had anything to drink.
Once they got to the dance floor, he decided there must be something in the air that was making everyone act that way. Lucas was still there dancing with those two young blonds Maeve had matched him up with and JD was with a tattooed girl he had never seen before, but it looked very serious.
He nudged Maeve and gestured at his friends. “Is there a vaporized aphrodisiac in that ice cold blast that went off a while back?”
“No, just liquid ice jets. Aren't they great?! I had 'em installed as soon as I saw them. They drop the temperature of the club 20 degrees! Just because we live in Texas doesn't mean we have to suffer while we dance.” She shouted as they started to dance.
She signaled DJ Israel with a strange sign and he started to mix in a new beat. She gained Aaron's attention and pointed down toward her feet, as she began to weave the relaxation spell. Much to her surprise, Aaron immediately began to match her movements. He was a natural. A man born to dance with a woman of her talents. She would have to be careful what spells she did around this one.
Once they had done the tranquility spell a few times, and Aaron's back was less stiff, and she was confident the spell was working on him, she changed her movements. Again he matched her turn for turn, spin for spin. Then she tried to make it difficult, doing moves with her hips she knew were physically impossible for a man to do. He was not foolish enough to fall for her tricks. He knew better than to embarrass himself by trying those moves. Not to be out danced, he did his own version of everything she did. His dancing was masculine and sexy. She threw her head back and really let loose, knowing he could match any dance she threw at him.
Her body was sparkling with minor perspiration from their recreation. The ends of her long hair tickled the back of his hands as they danced. She smelled like warm birthday cake and vanilla ice cream. The alarm sounded, signaling the impending blast. Not wanting to lose her again in the fog, afraid she might be a dream, he reached out and grabbed her hips, pulling her to him. Their torsos were pressed tightly together by the time the liquid ice reached them. She moved slowly in the haze, rubbing against him.
It took longer for the haze in his mind to clear than it did for the fog to dissipate. No wonder the guys liked this place. It was intoxicating. He looked around for his frie
nds and wondered where JD and his pink haired dance partner got off to.
***
Maeve smiled at her friend as Jolie led JD up the stairs into the section where she and Aaron were already resting. She gestured to the bartender and he nodded. He carried over the very expensive bottle of champaign in the sterling ice filled seau along with two crystal flutes to the new couple. Maeve raised her glass of Diet Coke to them as the bartender said the words she had given him. She could read his lips, “Maeve sends this to the new couple on their first night.’May your days be good and long together on this earth'. Enjoy”. She drank to them.
Maeve threw her leg over Aaron's in a casual yet intimate way and turned her attention back to him. He was trim and taller than her, but then again, who wasn't. He had dark eyes and dark hair, cropped very short. He didn't really fit in with the club kids, with his thick sideburns, rectangular black glasses and old fashioned gas station attendant jacket. In fact, he looked more like the type of guy she would go after if she were free to date. A nerd with a sexy secret; a wolf in sheep's wool. When she got her fantasy back under control, he was thanking her for the dance.
“But it's me who should thank you. I've not had that much fun dancing in a while – it had started to feel like work. The job took it away, and you gave it back to me. I don't meet many people who are that skilled.”
Ishtar Bound Page 2
