by Eli Easton
“It’s not like he was taking a shit. He goes in there every day to play Candy Crush and update his OKCupid profile.”
Carla slowly stood and crossed her arms. “Are you trying to get fired?”
“No. I like my job.” That was an honest answer, although the prospect of unemployment scared him much less than it would have the previous week.
“Okay. As of now, you’re on vacation. You have a lot of it saved up anyway. I don’t want to see you back here for at least two weeks. See a therapist, Bram. Then go find somewhere fun and exotic, with lots of cute and easy boys hanging around.”
Maybe she expected him to throw a tantrum or say something inappropriate, because she looked slightly apprehensive. But Bram only nodded. As she watched, he shut down his computer. He hung his lab coat on the coatrack and grabbed his gym bag from under the desk.
“Thanks, Carla,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”
He’d driven to work that morning because jogging had seemed like a waste of effort. Now, he peeled off his shirt as soon as he was inside his car. Then he started the engine and cranked the AC to the max. Even with his sunglasses on, he squinted. Without really making the decision to do so, he pulled out his phone and called Daniel.
Daniel answered after two rings. “Are you all right?” he asked right away. He’d been checking up on Bram twice a day, which was sweet and comforting.
“Nobody’s trying to kill me at the moment. That I know of. But do you have a few minutes?”
“Sure. But hang on—let me go somewhere more private.” After a brief pause, he said, “Okay. This is good.”
“Are you at the shelter?”
Daniel worked in several different locations, but he spent a lot of his time at a shelter for LGBT teens. He’d talked about the place during their evening phone calls over the past few days, Bram huddling comfortably on the couch.
“Yeah,” said Daniel. “And I’m actually in a closet right now, which is pretty funny. But nobody’s going to be listening in.”
“I won’t keep you in there for long.” Bram watched a sparrow land on a nearby tree. “Um, I wanted to ask you something.”
“It’s a little early for a marriage proposal, and this isn’t remotely romantic.”
Bram’s laughter was loud in the car, even with the noise of the fan. “I think we need at least one official date first. The thing is, this week I’ve been kind of… off.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve been doing stuff I would never have pictured myself doing. I mean… nobody’s making me do anything. I’m in control. But I’m finding myself wanting to do some pretty weird shit, Daniel.”
“Yeah.” Daniel was quiet a moment, perhaps gathering his thoughts. “When I was a kid, I was pretty wild. I did a lot of stupid things. But then Ezili Freda chose me, and after a while, I started listening to her. I calmed down. I started putting effort into school. Stopped sleeping around.”
Bram closed his eyes and leaned back against the headrest. “Sounds like your lwa is a lot more responsible than mine.”
“Well, Ghede Nibo’s a lot cruder than she is, that’s for sure. But my point is that I needed to do those things—I needed to grow up and chill out. But you’ve already done plenty of growing and chilling. You needed to loosen up a little. Ghede Nibo’s helping you.”
“Daniel, there’s loosening up and there’s acting like a psycho. I came really close to getting fired today. Carla should have canned me after the shit I’ve been pulling. And I don’t even care all that much.”
“Sweetheart,” Daniel said. Bram’s heart lurched and his breath caught. And Daniel repeated the endearment as if he wanted to be sure Bram didn’t miss it. “Sweetheart, you’ve been a champagne bottle. Now you’re opened and there’s bound to be some initial foaming. You’ll settle. Give yourself a little time. You’ve had an awful lot of excitement lately.”
Excitement. That was one way to put it. But Daniel’s words soothed Bram. “You think?”
“I think. You’ll find your balance. You’ll still be a little bubbly, but… but I think I’ve taken this metaphor about as far as it will go. You know what I mean.”
“Yeah. Okay. Thank you.”
“I’ll be done here in an hour. You want to get together?”
Bram did want that. But he declined. “I think I’m better off foaming solo. I’ll see you Saturday morning, okay?”
“And you’ll be careful until then, right?”
Bram smiled so widely his cheeks hurt. “I will,” he said.
Chapter Eight
SATURDAY MORNING was bright and sunny, but by nine o’clock, the temperature was already far too hot. Bram had dressed lightly in running shorts and T-shirt, a slightly ratty old one with a faded emblem from his alma mater. He hoped the lwa wouldn’t be offended that he hadn’t dressed up, but considering what happened to his clothing last time, he decided to play it safe.
Daniel was shirtless again, beaming at him from the porch. “Nobody killed you!” he called out as Bram approached.
“Not that I noticed.”
When Bram reached the top of the steps, Daniel grabbed him by the waist and pulled him close for a scorching kiss. It took Bram by surprise—he dropped his paper bag—but it was by far the nicest surprise he’d ever received. Daniel’s lips felt as soft and lush as they looked, and he tasted of mint and sugar. His hair was silky, his muscles flexed beneath sweat-sheened skin. He laced his fingers behind Bram’s head as they kissed, and he made deep little grunting sounds that went straight to Bram’s cock. They’d met so recently, and they didn’t really know each other that well, but Daniel’s touch soothed something deep inside Bram; healed a wound, filled a lifelong hole.
“You’re a good kisser,” Bram observed after they parted.
When Daniel grinned like that, he looked even younger. “But practice makes perfect.”
“I’d like to aim for perfection.”
Daniel gave a lock of Bram’s hair a gentle tweak. “Now?”
Oh, Bram was sorely tempted. But he wanted to get the business with Jim settled first. “Later, okay?”
“Done.”
They walked around the house again. If the rainstorm had done any damage to Daniel’s garden, it wasn’t evident now. If anything, the blooms seemed brighter, the leaves more vibrant, the vines more heavily laden. Daniel pointed at a plant as they passed by. “I’m going to have to leave covert zucchini on my neighbors’ porches again, or I’ll never get rid of it all.”
“Sounds evil.”
“Well, I am a vodouisant. I’m supposed to be scary, right?”
As Bram laughed, he thought about how Daniel terrified him less than anyone in the world.
The temple looked the same as last time but smelled strongly of flowers and alcohol. “I hope you don’t mind,” Daniel said as he switched on the lights. “Some members of the société came over last night, and we had a little ceremony. We asked the lwa to guide us today.”
“I don’t mind,” said Bram, touched by the effort. “It didn’t bother the other people to ask for help for some stranger?”
Daniel had been arranging some small items on a shelf. He looked back at Bram over his shoulder. “You’re not a stranger. You’re my friend. They’d be happy if you decided to join the société, you know.” He shrugged. “No pressure. I just want you to know you’re welcome.”
“Thanks.” Bram wasn’t sure if more formal vodouing was in his future, but he appreciated the offer. He’d never belonged to much of anything.
As they had before, they entered Ezili Freda’s room first. Her altar was crowded with recent offerings—a brand-new bottle of perfume, several dishes of sweet food, a pretty necklace.
Before Daniel approached the altar, Bram caught his arm. In a quiet voice, Bram said, “I, um, brought her a couple of things. I don’t know if that’s appropriate, but—”
Daniel beamed. “She’ll be very flattered! It was really nice of you to think of her.”
“I was feeling sort of guilty about, uh, interrupting her fun last time.”
“She told me she understands. Actually, she was pleased you were concerned about me. She’s my protector, remember. She says she thinks we make a good ma—” He shut his mouth with an audible snap and blushed.
“A good what?”
His cheeks still pink, Daniel looked down at the floor. “A good match,” he whispered. He raised his head quickly, appearing worried. “That doesn’t mean you owe me anything or you have to do anything, okay? It’s just her opinion.”
If he hadn’t feared sacrilege, Bram would have shouted with joy. He wasn’t sure if a lwa was a good judge of whether two people would make a good couple, but he was hopeful. Ezili Freda was supposed to be an expert on love, right?
Bram squeezed Daniel’s shoulder. “Good.”
That delighted grin again, stretching from ear to ear. Daniel tugged him close, gave him a peck on the cheek, and then stepped away. “Why don’t you give her the gifts?” he said.
Feeling slightly awkward, Bram drew a bouquet of pink roses from the paper bag. It was an expensive bouquet, although he thought the flowers from Daniel’s garden smelled better. He examined the altar uncertainly, not sure what to do until Daniel stepped in to help. “You can just set them there for now. I’ll fill a vase later.”
Bram obeyed. Then he took out a bottle of perfume. “I hope this is okay,” he said. He’d never bought women’s scent before, and he’d had to ask the girl in the store for help. She assumed it was for his girlfriend. It was expensive, pink, and came in a fancy bottle with a lush satin bow.
“Perfect,” said Daniel.
Finally, Bram pulled out the last gift for Freda. It was a bracelet made of small heart-shaped links. It had set him back over two hundred bucks, and the salesgirl was convinced he was the most thoughtful boyfriend ever. He placed it next to the necklace.
“You chose exactly the right things,” said Daniel. “No wonder she likes you.”
Bram stood back while Daniel completed the ritual. Afterward, they walked to the ghede room. Bram glanced at the bed, feeling slightly guilty. The bedding had been straightened since his last visit.
Bram had brought presents for Ghede Nibo too, of course: a little bag of hot peppers, a container of the spiciest curry his favorite Thai place could dish up, a spool of purple ribbon, a deck of cards, a black top hat. The hat had taken considerable searching, but Bram found it at a shop that sold adult dress-up clothes and upscale sex toys. Passing the shelves of toys had made him blush, which was silly.
“I brought cash too,” he said and placed a pile of crisp twenties on the table.
“This is costing you a lot of money. Is that all right?”
“It’s fine.” Bram’s bank account was healthy. He and Jim had never been big spenders, and he’d been the beneficiary of Jim’s life insurance. It seemed fitting to spend a little of Jim’s bequest on helping get rid of the homicidal soul.
Daniel chanted as he poured from a fresh bottle of rum, and Bram silently implored Ghede Nibo to help them put Jim’s soul to rest.
They walked back into the main room. “Daniel? Will Jim be all right? His gwo bon anj, I mean. Getting stuck in a jar isn’t awful?”
“It’s a lot better than wandering. The jar is like… like a home. Someplace to feel safe. And eventually the gwo bon anj will settle beneath the waters, where it belongs. Someday it may become reincarnated, or it might even become a lwa.”
Bram nodded. He could understand feeling better in a safe place. He’d be terrified if he were homeless. “Okay.”
Smiling gently, Daniel took a jar from a shelf. It was about the size of a mayonnaise jar but more rounded and wrapped in blue cloth. Red sequins spelled out Jim’s initials. “One of the société ladies helped me make it,” Daniel said. “I’m not very good at arts and crafts.”
“Those were his favorite colors.”
“I know. Ezili Freda told me.” He patted Bram’s arm. “Go ahead and have a seat, if you want.”
Back on the same folding chair as before, Bram watched Daniel place the jar on the floor near the big central pillar. He felt a twinge of guilt when Daniel removed the fuchsia robe from the armoire. “I didn’t ruin it?” he asked.
“Nope. Just popped the buttons. I sewed them back on. That much crafty I can handle by myself.”
This time Daniel took off his shorts before he put the robe on. He stood naked and unselfconscious, smiling at Bram.
“Jesus,” Bram said with a moan. He wanted to run across the room and settle his hands on Daniel’s slim hips, drop to his knees on the packed dirt ground and nuzzle at his groin, feel Daniel’s cock harden in his mouth. Even as he watched, Daniel’s cock twitched and grew half-hard.
“I think we’re thinking the same thing,” said Daniel. “And it has nothing to do with vodou.”
“I’m mostly thinking you better put on that robe before I do something stupid.”
With a soft laugh, Daniel complied. He turned on the CD player. Drums pounded, this time more quickly, and people sang on this recording. Daniel picked up his beaded gourd from next to the CD player and shook it like a rattle. He closed his eyes and moved his feet quickly in time with the drums. His chant joined the recorded ones.
Ezili Freda appeared almost instantly. As before, Bram saw just a flash of the lwa over Daniel’s body, and then only Daniel again, but now with a more sinuous movement of the hips. She gave Bram a sexy smile. “Bonjour, mon cher. Je suis heureuse de te revoir.”
Although Bram wasn’t sure what she’d said, he nodded respectfully. “Bonjour, ma’am. And, uh, merci for recommending me to Daniel.”
She had a throaty laugh. “Mon plaisir, Abraham. Merci pour les cadeaux.” And as if a thought had just occurred to her, she danced her way into her altar room. When she came out a minute or two later, the new necklace was around her neck and the bracelet glittered on her wrist. She’d tucked one of the roses behind her ear.
“Très belle,” said Bram, exhausting his stock of French phrases.
Without breaking her rhythm, she gave him a regal curtsy. Then she moved closer to the pillar and the spirit jar and danced in circles around them, sometimes waving her arms, sometimes seeming to address the jar with her singing.
Bram was neither surprised nor frightened when Ghede Nibo possessed him. It was an oddly familiar sensation and somewhat comforting, like having a trusted friend take over a difficult task. With the lwa in charge, Bram rose from the chair and pulled off his shirt. He skipped into the ghede room, where he plunked the pair of single-lensed glasses on his face and the top hat on his head. He chortled happily before guzzling several ounces of the chili-laden rum and then—pulling forward the waistband of his shorts—pouring some of the liquid onto his rapidly hardening cock. The heat of the rum thrummed in his veins and sweat poured from his body, the salt of it stinging his eyes.
Bram had never been much of a dancer. Unless he was allowed to clutch his partner and sway to a slow song, he felt awkward and gangly. But not only was Ghede Nibo an excellent dancer, he could somehow sway and prance and leap without dislodging his glasses or hat. Bram sort of hoped that later on his body would remember how to move like this.
Ezili Freda smiled at him when he reentered the main room. Ghede Nibo took off the hat before he bowed deeply for her. “You are beautiful as always, my lady,” he said in Creole as he replaced the hat.
She answered in French. “And you are a terrible flatterer and flirt, as ever, gravedigger.”
“As ever. I take it my boy meets your high standards?”
“He’s a good boy.”
“And very pretty,” said Ghede Nibo, swiveling his hips from side to side. “Dance with me, my lady. Let us make such a wonderful spectacle the gwo bon anj cannot help but be drawn to us.”
Bram hadn’t realized that was the plan. Maybe it wasn’t—maybe it was just Nibo’s scheme to get his hands on Freda again. If that was the case, his
scheme was successful, because she swayed to him and settled Daniel’s garden-callused hands on Bram’s shoulders. Ghede Nibo took her hips and tugged her a bit closer.
Their dancing resembled a tango, but faster and much, much bawdier. They rubbed against each other, dipping and spinning. Bram’s cock strained at his shorts, and Daniel’s hard length ground against him. It was as close as they could get to sex without taking their clothes off. They were exceptionally graceful and never missed a beat. Although their skin was slick with sweat and their lungs worked hard, their steps were flawless. And the damn hat remained perfectly in place.
Ghede Nibo had his arms wrapped tightly around Freda as he mouthed at her long neck. She scratched his back with her fingernails, just enough to sting beautifully. Their groins were pressed tightly together, and Bram’s head filled with the scents of citrus, rum, growing things, and sweat. He bucked his hips forward, meeting Daniel’s answering thrust, and realized he was very close to climaxing. Judging by the wild look in Daniel’s eyes, so was he.
But a breeze eddied around them all of a sudden, stirring the dust that their dancing had kicked up. A strange feeling accompanied the breeze—a cry not quite heard, an embrace not quite felt.
Still not faltering in their dance, Ghede Nibo and Ezili Freda moved apart until only their hands touched. They stepped closer to the jar. Freda released one of Nibo’s hands so that instead of facing each other, they now danced side by side, both of them watching the jar.
“Come,” Ezili Freda sang. “Come home now, my little one. The waters await you.”
On the other side of the jar, a vague shimmer appeared in the air, like a heat mirage over a stretch of hot road.
Ghede Nibo sang, his voice resonant. “Come. It is time for you to leave this boy. It is time for you to leave this world and go beneath the waters. It is time.”
The shimmer seemed to hesitate. For a very brief moment, it coalesced into a transparent figure: Jim, naked and pale, staring at Bram and crying.
Despite the lwa riding him, Bram tried to lurch forward. He wanted to hold Jim one final time, comfort him, tell him good-bye. But Ezili Freda kept a fierce grip on Bram’s hand and Ghede Nibo wrenched his body back a step.
