"Okay, I'll consider myself officially bribed."
* * *
We met up with Petra and Karen for lunch. I pulled Petra in for a kiss and whispered in her ear, "They're in". She smiled broadly.
After everyone had ordered, I said, "Petra. Erika told us something interesting this morning. She said she hates her job and was wondering if there were openings at Renea Impressions for a good graphics designer. You wouldn't happen to know who I'd have to, ahem, do, to get my friend an interview, would you."
She laughed and spent a few minutes explaining about Dillan's old job. "Can you do it?" she asked Erika.
"Yes."
"We'll need to do a proper interview," she said. "Do you have a portfolio?"
"Oh my laptop, which I brought with me."
"If the opening we have is the wrong position for you, I won't hire you," Petra said. "But if that's the case, I can talk to you about other options."
Erika decided that was all right.
We spent the rest of the day around the pool, sipping drinks and loving the weather. Karen led a yoga session next to the pool. Beth and Erika had done yoga before, but half-heartedly. They both enjoyed the session Karen led.
Karen was pleased. "I don't lead them very often. Many of the people at work are more advanced than I am, and Petra leads them. Having to explain the poses really helps you understand them better."
"I got much better once I started leading classes," Petra said. "We used to bring a woman in over lunch for them, but she started making Andrea and me alternate leading the classes. She still comes in as a guest periodically and teaches an advanced class."
Petra turned to Erika. "This looks like the best location for a job interview I've ever used. Did you want to get your laptop?"
"I'll get it if everyone promises no splashing," she said.
The two of them retreated to a table next to the pool. They talked for an hour. Partway through while Erika was showing her portfolio to Petra, I got up and walked over. I stood a little distance away and waited until Petra noticed me.
"May I see? Or would that be inappropriate?"
Petra looked at Erika who said, "Of course. You've seen a bunch of them."
I grabbed a chair and sat down next to Petra. "Did you show her the birthday card you did for me last year? I loved that."
Erika showed her some birthday cards she had done. "I've done some work for local charities," she said, pulling up several advertisement pieces she'd done. "I don't write the copy, and some of them aren't my concepts, but the graphics work is." She pulled up two pieces and put them side by side. They were small on the laptop screen, but you could see them. "The one on the right is the one I wanted to use for an event they were hosting. The one on the left was a concept by the woman running the charity. I couldn't talk her into mine."
Petra looked at the top of them. "The artwork for both is good, but your concept is much better."
"Thank you," Erika said. "I thought so, too."
We finished viewing the pieces Erika wanted to show us. Petra told her, "These are really good as far as I can tell, but I need to send them to the hiring manager. She may have a different opinion, and it's important the woman you would report to be happy with what she'd get."
"That's my cue to go practice some aikido with my own boss," I said.
I grabbed Andrea and pulled her out to the beach. We were all stretched from the yoga, so we went straight into some aikido exercises. Karen and Beth saw what we were doing and ran out to join us.
"That's aikido?" Beth asked.
"Yes," said Andrea. "Felicia, you've been doing this long enough. Why don't you get Beth started. Karen's been developing a bad habit, so I'm going to work with her on that."
I turned to Beth. "There is a spiritual side of aikido, but I don't think I can teach you that. So first you must learn to fall."
I worked with Beth for a half hour. Andrea turned to us periodically and fixed something I was doing incorrectly. When we were finished, we all went back and slipped in the pool, careful not to splash Erika and her laptop.
Beth swam laps for a few minutes, then swam over to Andrea, Karen and I floating lazily in the water. "You guys do this every day?"
"Seventy-five minutes, then shower, dress, and time to grab a fast bite to eat," Karen said. "Every day, mandatory."
"Damn it," she said. "I like my job." She turned to Andrea. "I have a degree in finance and am a mortgage broker at my bank. Damn it!"
"What?" I asked her.
"Petra!" she said from the water. "When is my interview?"
Petra looked over at her. "That is the worst cover letter I have ever received." She paused. "You're serious?" Beth nodded. "Let's talk informally when I'm done with Erika then I can review what we have."
Erika and Petra finished their conversation. Erika looked very pleased. They both went into the bungalow. Erika came out almost immediately and dived into the pool. She swam over to us and said gleefully, "She's sending my portfolio to someone named Susan. If Susan likes my work, we'll do a Skype interview." She was smiling hugely. "I didn't know how much I hated my job until I heard how great yours was. Now I might get to work there, too."
Petra came back outside. "I mailed your portfolio, Erika, and texted her. I don't know when she'll look at it. I'll call her Monday if we don't hear something sooner." She took off her tee-shirt. I stared at my lover's bikini-clad sexy body as she dived into the pool to join us. She swam straight to me and kissed me. I wrapped myself around her and held tightly.
"If you guys hear a lot of splashing from the pool tonight," I said. "Don't come investigate. I've never made love in a pool before."
"Oh, if I hear splashing, I'm going to come out and watch," said Karen.
"Voyeur!" I said.
"Exhibitionist!" said Karen.
Erika and Beth were staring at Petra and I. "I just can't get over it," said Beth. "If anyone was going to go for other women, I always thought it would be Erika." She turned to Erika. "You did go through that phase."
Erika sighed dramatically. "You know, it was always you I wanted, but you rejected me, so I had to go back to guys."
Beth splashed her. "It was one kiss and we were fourteen."
I grinned. "I was so mad at you two. I went away for a weekend with my family, and I came back and the two of you were all weird with each other."
"She tasted good," said Erika. "But she wouldn't let me try another bite."
"We were fourteen!" Beth said.
Petra and Andrea were smiling at the exchange. Petra told me, "Felicia, as much fun as this is, you need to release me for a little while."
"But Erika had your attention for hours," I whined, petulantly. "It's my turn."
"Child," Erika called me.
"Girlfriend hogger," I told her over my shoulder.
Petra peeled me off of her and I pretended to sulk.
"Beth, I know you work for a bank, but I'm not sure what you do."
The two of them talked for a few minutes. I started a water fight with Erika. "You are such a child," she said, splashing me back. We immediately pulled Karen into it then looked at Andrea. The three of us started stalking her around the pool, giggling. I wasn't paying any attention to Petra, and she snagged me as I went past her.
"You!" she said. "I will bet you three kisses I can beat you to our bedroom."
Then she flipped me into the deep end of the pool and was halfway to the bungalow door before I could get to the edge of the pool and start climbing out. "You cheater!" I yelled after her. "But then, I guess I knew that."
I followed the dripped water into our bedroom. As soon as I arrived, she threw a towel over my head and wrapped her arms around me, then I heard the door slam closed. I found myself thrown onto the bed and then Petra pounced on top of me and started tickling me.
I finally untangled myself from the towel and grabbed her wrists. She reversed my hold and pinned my arms to the bed over my head. We were both breathing hard, and she was sitting on me. W
e were both in swim suits, and I was suddenly exceedingly horny.
"Take me," I told her.
She bent down and kissed me. Then she whispered. "I'm so sorry. I need to go talk to Renea. Pulling you in here was cover."
* * *
It took me about three minutes to get bored. It took me another three minutes to consider and reject handling things myself. I practiced my yoga instead.
The bedroom door rattled a few times and we received some taunts. "I don't do group sex," I yelled at the door, receiving some laughter.
Petra was gone for the better part of an hour. She popped back in, took one look, and told me, "Your form is terrible. What position is that supposed to be?"
"It's called 'Horny Jilted Lover'."
She burst out laughing. "Oh, well, then you're probably doing it right."
I stuck my tongue out at her.
"Don't wear that thing out," she said. "I have uses for it later."
"I have uses for it right now," I said. "Come here."
"Don't you want to know what Renea said?"
"I already know what she said," I told her. "She told you, find a way to hire them, don't spare the expense. Only she used more words."
Petra laughed. "That's a good summary."
"Your phone went off while you were gone," I told her. "It didn't buzz long enough for my needs though."
Petra leered, then cocked her head. She disappeared. A few seconds later, I felt myself pulled...
And found myself in her bed in her tower, and I wasn't wearing any clothes. Not that I had been wearing that much to take off in the first place.
The moment I arrived, she launched herself at me. Her mouth was on mine, and it took three seconds for her fingers to slide inside me. Then she used her magic and I was screaming her name.
Then she pushed and I found myself back in our bedroom at the bungalow, still screaming her name.
She was laughing quietly at me and looking exceedingly pleased with herself.
"I'm going to get you for that," I said.
"I surely do hope so," she replied
I was still lying on the bed shuddering with after effects when she stepped from the room. The applause started before she could have taken three steps into the living room.
It took me ten minutes to compose myself.
I stepped out of the room. Karen, Andrea and Erika were lounging in the living room. They had a bottle of wine opened. I immediately began receiving catcalls, which caused me to blush horribly. I looked out the window, and Petra was talking to Beth at the table by the pool.
"You know," I said. "She told me she wasn't an exhibitionist, but she surely does enjoy making me scream when other people can hear." I sighed. "She has a magic touch, I have to hand it to her."
Andrea poured a glass of wine for me and I collapsed in a chair.
Erika was bouncing in her chair. "I have a Skype interview Monday morning. Susan emailed back that she loved the work."
"Congratulations," I told her.
* * *
After dinner, Petra told me, "I'm going to offer Beth a job. Renea is currently handling finance for the company, but that's hard to do from Siriena. We've been trying to find someone who could take over the entire job, but that's been problematic. So Beth will need to go back and forth with Renea for a few years. She doesn't remotely have the experience to handle the job alone. I think it will work okay, and much better than the other choices we've had available to us."
I hugged her.
"Erika is going to get her job, too, unless she and Susan don't get along. Susan is brilliant and all her other employees love her, but Dillon was a bad hire."
"You are so getting some tonight."
She laughed.
"I can't offer Beth her job until I'm also ready to offer Erika hers. So don't say anything to either of them."
"I intend to have my tongue way too busy to say anything to anyone," I told her.
* * *
I got up with Petra early Sunday morning. We both popped over to Siriena. I asked questions about how she pulled Beth over and how to anchor her. Andrea joined us shortly and the two of them spent thirty minutes trying to teach me magic. I was able to feel a tingling when I tried to pull light into my hand, but that was as much as I got before they gave up on me for the night.
I watched while the two of them began to summon Beth and Erika. It took Andrea what felt like twenty minutes before Erika appeared on the bed. I covered her with a blanket and kissed her forehead. She was able to follow me with her eyes.
"Are you okay?" I asked. "One blink for yes, two blinks for no."
She blinked once.
"Just so I know that wasn't an accident," I said. "Can you give me a 'no'?"
She blinked twice.
"You know what's happening," I told her. "Just a little physical therapy. If I made it, you can."
She blinked once.
I moved out of the way.
It took a few more minutes for Beth to appear. I repeated the same drill with her. I put my hand on Petra's arm while she was singing, and suddenly I could feel what she was doing. I took my hand away, and the feeling was gone.
"Petra," I said. "Will it bother you if I touch your arm?"
She shook her head, still singing. I stood behind her, leaning against her back while she hummed and sang to Beth, and put my hands on Petra's arms.
Erika disappeared first with Beth following seconds after. Petra and Andrea stopped humming and singing. "I could feel your magic," I told Petra. "While you were singing, if I touched you. Would you make the light again?"
I kept my hands on her while she made the light glow in her hands. Then she made it explode like fireworks.
I sat down on the bed next to her and concentrated. It took me a few minutes, but I got a weak ball of light. It only lasted a few seconds, but I did it!
* * *
Beth and Erika were waiting in our room when Petra and I popped back.
"Are you two all right?" I asked.
"Yes," said Beth. "It's disconcerting but not scary." Erika agreed with her. We talked about it for a few minutes.
"Who is up for a swim?" I asked.
I chased them out, put my suit on, and was in the pool seconds later. Petra joined me shortly. I was floating on my back in the water. She walked over to me, sinking into the water, then stepped up behind me so that my head was resting on her shoulder. She kissed my ear.
"I love you," she said quietly.
"I love it here," I said. "Winter is coming, and I'm not looking forward to it."
She teased my ear with her lips. "The seasons in Siriena are opposite of ours and milder. It will be a wonderful summer coming up."
I rotated around and latched onto her, wrapping my legs around her waist and my arms around her neck. I held her as the two of us bobbed in the water.
She pulled us into deeper water. Soon I could tell she was swimming.
"Am I too heavy?" I asked her.
"No," she said. "You feel so good, Felicia."
I squeezed her more tightly for a moment.
"You're a woman of such extremes," she said. "Smart and good at your job, firey when wronged, and yet so playful and childlike at times. The mix is intoxicating."
"Will you love me forever?" I asked.
"Yes."
* * *
Sunday night went the same as Saturday had. I practiced making the ball of light, then watched as Petra and Andrea summoned Beth and Erika. Beth managed to squeeze Petra's hand before she disappeared. Erika popped out at the same time and looked sullen later but got over it quickly.
Everyone else exited the bungalow for the Skype interview. Beth pulled me aside and asked if I had information on her status.
"You're sure you want the job?"
"You know," she said. "I didn't at first. I like my job. And when I asked for an interview, I was half kidding, because I was sure there would not be anything for me. But then Petra told me about the job." She pau
sed. "Yes, Felicia, I want the job. It's what I went to school for. I have a masters in finance, and my current job isn't using any of it." She looked away. "Did you ask because you're hoping I'd say 'no' and wouldn't feel too bad when Petra can't offer it to me?"
"No," I told her. "I wanted to be sure. I didn't want you taking a job just because you thought you had to. You don't have to."
"So I got the job?"
"I think you damned well better act like I refused to answer all your questions or I won't be screaming in joy tonight. "
She smiled. "Do I have to move to Minnesota?"
"I don't know," I told her. "Maybe for a few weeks. Erika too."
"She got the job, too?"
"She's in there interviewing with the hiring manager. You know what Erika's work is like. The only reason she won't get the job is if she and Susan hate each other."
After that, I went back to my lounge chair and rolled over. "Do me," I told Beth.
She laughed and applied sunscreen to my back.
Erika came out a while later and sat on the pool deck between my chair and Beth's. "I like her," she said. "Oh god, I'm so nervous."
"You two realize if you get jobs, you owe me. The things I had to do to Petra to get her to hire you. Oh my god, it was rough."
They both laughed then exchanged looks.
"Oh shit!"
Before I could move, they had me pinned face down to the lounge chair and were tickling me.
"Not fair!" I told them. "But paybacks are a bitch!"
They spent several minutes tickling me and didn't let up until Petra walked out of the bungalow. "A little help here!" I said to her.
"If you insist," she said. She grabbed a free foot and went to town on it.
They finally relented. I rolled over and glared at them. "Paybacks are a bitch. Just remember that."
No one looked remotely intimidated.
Petra sat down next to the pool and took off her blouse. She had her swimsuit on underneath it. She gestured and Karen and Andrea moved their own lounge chairs closer. "You know," she said. "I have never in my life offered a pair of jobs to anyone while wearing a swimsuit."
Erika and Beth started squealing.
"Hey, you two," I told them. "Show some professionalism here."
"Petra," Beth asked. "Would it be professional to throw Felicia into the pool?"
Pulled to the Dark (The Siriena Series) Page 18
