Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

B el sat at his kitchen bar, scratching his ass through the thin fabric of his boxers, drinking coffee, and trying to make sense of a TV program called Good Morning, Atlanta , where overly perky reporters delivered both good and bad news with smiles.

Bel growled at them. Oh, yeah. He now understood why Arianna had called him growly.

Someone knocked on the door. Bel's mood improved. Maybe it was Lio! He grabbed the robe he found in the closet and opened the door.

Jessa and Arianna stood in the hallway, their grins wider than the news reporters'. Oh, hell no. Not this early in the morning on a day off. Bel shut the door and returned to the bar. He'd had enough of smiling people this early in the morning.

Jessa called out, "We're not leaving. You might as well let us in."

"I'm not dressed, I don't intend to get dressed, and I don't want any Brussels sprouts cookies." Though yesterday's cookies had been tasty, Farren said, or he'd been really hungry.

"Oh, there's an idea," Arianna said. "Ow! What was that for, Jessa? Keep your pointy elbows to yourself."

"Stop dreaming up weird cookies!" Jessa barked. She lowered her voice to something sultry. "I kinda like the idea of you naked, Bel. All those muscles." She poured a lot of innuendo into her words.

Oh, right. Succubus. Well, he had to get moving sometime. The sooner he did, the sooner he'd see Lio.

"Okay, you win." Bel rose and opened the door.

"We always do." Jessa's smirk likely brought men running before they realized they should run the other way.

Jessa wore a white T-shirt and a blue denim skirt that probably wouldn't have looked nearly as suggestive on anyone else.

Arianna dressed in jeans, a T-shirt that might advertise a band neither Bel nor Kevin had ever heard about, and flats, which made her appear extremely short next to tall, willowy Jessa.

"Wait on the couch." He jabbed his forefinger in the general direction of the minuscule space he called a living area. "I'll get dressed."

"You don't have to go on our account." Jessa fluttered her lashes, sinking onto the couch and pulling Arianna with her. "We'd love to watch you dress, wouldn't we, Arianna?"

Bel scowled and narrowed his eyes. Wait. That probably made him look like Morrisey. "Aren't you supposed to act professional on the job?" Not that anyone had so far.

"Not on the job. Day off, remember? Now go get dressed. We have a busy day planned." Jessa stared expectantly while Arianna tapped away on her cell phone.

Bel found a pair of jeans and a T-shirt in the closet, something not too worn. He'd need new clothes soon. The ones he'd gotten from the Carnival had seen better days. He disappeared into the bathroom. By the time he returned to the main room, Lio had joined Arianna and Jessa. Lio!

The day suddenly became brighter.

"Oh, you look nice!" Arianna winked. "You should be grateful I'm a married woman, or I'd be on you like a duck on a June bug." Wasn't Jessa supposed to be the flirty one?

"A what on a what?"

Jessa rose and patted Bel's arm. "Don't worry about it. She's relatively harmless. Now, let's get going. The stores aren't going to shop themselves."

Bel tried to catch Lio's eye, but Lio kept his head turned down and remained quiet. Yeah, these two were a bit much to deal with early in the morning. "Did you get coffee?" he asked Lio on his way to the elevator.

Lio gave a slight grin. "They lured me out with the promise of Starbucks."

They rode the elevator up to the ground level, Lio nestling into Bel's side. Right. He didn't like elevators. Bel wrapped an arm around Lio's shoulders, loving any excuse for snuggling. Stairs weren't viable when going from the sublevels to the building's lobby.

"What are we going to do?" he asked to distract Lio.

"We'll start by shopping, and then we'll see a movie. After that, we'll go to a club," Jessa said.

"Why are we doing so much in one day?" Shopping, movie, and clubbing made Bel tired just thinking about them.

"Well, you have your host's memories of Terra, or some, anyway. It's time to make some of your own."

When the elevator door opened, Jessa sashayed in red high-heeled shoes, talked, and looked in a hand mirror all at once. She contorted her lips while applying lipstick, but she didn't stop talking, making her words garbled. "First, we have to buy you each a cell phone, but not until we get Lio some coffee."

While Bel didn't really want to go shopping, he'd love to see Lio in newer, better-fitting jeans, tighter T-shirts, and shoes that hadn't been salvaged from the Carnival's lost-and-found. He didn't want to contemplate how they'd gotten there.

Bel's outfit wasn't much better, but he wasn't the one with the hot body that needed showing off. As they passed through the security checkpoint, Jessa threw the walrus-mustached guard a kiss, which he pretended to catch in his fist.

Rather than leading them to the company cars, Jessa approached a sporty little SUV and pressed a button on the driver's side handle to unlock the doors.

"We can't take your car," Arianna said as she unlocked a nearby Hyundai Sonata.

"Why not?"

Arianna regarded Jessa with a look Bel's host interpreted as Duh! "Have you looked in the back? There's not a spare inch of space. How are we supposed to carry packages?"

"Trust me. I'll make it fit."

Lio swiveled his head back and forth between the two women. He caught Bel's eye. "This is quality entertainment, and trust me, I know. I would've spent my afternoon yesterday watching cop shows if I hadn't run into you."

Bel sidled closer to Lio and tuned back into the bickering.

"Well! I never!" Jessa huffed.

Arianna rolled her eyes. "Of course you have."

Jessa grinned. "You might be right. But my SUV has more cargo room."

"Yeah, when it's not full of whatever the hell that is. Have you seen the trunk on this bad boy?" Arianna patted the hood of her car. "I've put four bodies in there before."

Bel wrapped his arm around Lio, willing him not to be triggered by the remark while desperately hoping she was joking. Arianna hadn't sat in on their meetings and likely didn't know of Lio's ordeal. He'd end the argument.

"No offense, Arianna, but I think Jessa's ride has more legroom." He gestured to his lower half to remind them of his size. "Can we put the boxes in your trunk and take Jessa's?".

Jessa stuck her tongue out at Arianna and climbed into her vehicle. Lio and Bel moved the boxes from Jessa's SUV to Arianna's car.

Bel got in the back. Maybe Lio wouldn't get upset today. Lio glanced around, and his hand trembled when he offered it, but his tentative smile did things to Bel's insides. Bel helped him onto the seat and with the seatbelt.

He didn't blame Lio for being a bit afraid of vehicles after what happened to him.

"Should you two be sitting next to each other after the fight you just had?" Bel glanced back and forth between the two women. Not that he'd give up his seat next to Lio.

"Why would you say that?" Arianna asked.

"Aren't you mad?"

"Hell, no!" Jessa met Bel's gaze in the rearview mirror. "We're besties. We bust on each other all the time. Don't mean nothing by it, right, my sister from another mister?"

"Right you are," Arianna replied, adding a fist bump. "Now, let's get some coffee before I reconsider." She glanced over her shoulder into the back seat. "What do you say, Lio? Are you up for being my bestie if I need to replace Jessa?"

Lio remained quiet, sinking further into Bel's side.

"I saw him first," Bel said, easing the tension in Lio's shoulders. "You said something about coffee?"

"Caffeine addicts, the lot of you," Jessa huffed.

They pulled into the Starbucks drive-thru fifteen minutes later by the dashboard clock. They all ordered, Jessa turning up her nose at Lio and Bel's choice of Café American with cream and sugar while she and Arianna went into detail about skim milk and extra shots of expresso. Jessa paid, and then they were off again. It was excellent coffee, all the better because Bel didn't have to make it himself or even walk through the Carnival.

Lio sipped his coffee and stared out the window, but Bel didn't sense any distress, so let him be. They rode to a packed parking lot and what appeared to be about a hundred stores.

"Where are we?" So many cars. So many people. Would Lio be okay?

"My favorite outlet mall." Jessa found an empty parking spot and turned off the vehicle.

Jessa hopped out and waited for Bel, Arianna, and Lio.

Lio seemed very quiet today. Bel would have to keep an eye on him. Maybe the prospect of being around so many people overwhelmed him.

Jessa pointed to one end of the complex. "We'll start there and work our way up. If you guys see something you like, don't be shy. We've got the department credit card, and we're ready to shop."

The first store sold cell phones. Jessa and Arianna walked Bel and Lio through features and options, most of which went over Bel's head. Just like at Starbucks, there were too many options. "I don't need anything fancy. Get what you think will work." Bel definitely didn't want to try reading the tiny-print manual included in the box.

"Morrisey's is practical without too many features. We'll get you one like his." Jessa turned her attention to Lio. "How about you?"

Lio jerked like he'd been caught daydreaming. "It's not like I have many people to call."

"Yes, but we might need to talk to you."

"Then get me what you're getting Bel."

Jessa paid for the purchases, handed the bags to Bel, and headed outside, followed by Arianna, Bel, and Lio.

The next store sold underwear. Bel picked out a few basic boxer briefs while eyeing a pair of sexy blue briefs with cutouts that he'd love to see on Lio. They'd cradle his ass so well, giving peeks at what lay beneath.

Bel walked away until his rising erection went down. He couldn't help noticing that the blue briefs wound up in the shopping bag when Jessa paid. Yeah, Succuba. She probably never considered asking first.

Unless Lio had been eyeing the briefs, too.

Next came jeans and T-shirts. Bel made a few selections and headed for the counter.

"Not so fast," Arianna said. "Try them on."

Arianna and Jessa sat in chairs by the dressing room, waiting for Lio and Bel to emerge.

Bel came out first. The jeans fit him fine, but the T-shirt hugged his chest a little too tightly.

Jessa clapped her hands. "It's perfect!"

Lio kept his head down while modeling for them. Jessa wisely said, "Those look nice. Red looks good on you," not saying anything that might embarrass him.

They tried on shoes and decided on a pair of loafers each, tennis shoes, and some low boots.

Again, Jessa paid. "You can never have too many shoes, but these'll get you started."

They stopped for lunch in the center of the complex.

"Okay, there's any kind of food you could want, so get what you like and meet us back here in about twenty minutes." Arianna peeled a few twenties off a stack and handed them to Bel, and then she wove her way through the crowd toward a sign that read, "Burritos."

Jessa headed in another direction, putting extra motion in her hips and likely feasting on the sexual energy released by her passing. The table full of college-aged guys swiveling their chairs to get a better look probably provided one hell of an appetizer.

"What do you want?" he asked Lio.

Lio didn't even look at the fast-food options. "Whatever you're having is fine."

Oh, no. Lio wasn't going to disappear inside himself. "Come on, we'll find something you'll like." Something with pictures, preferably.

The first place he tried had eggrolls and pans of noodles on display. The scent of cooking meat made his mouth water. "Do you like Chinese food?" Bel asked.

"Do they have those cream cheese thingies? And spring rolls?" Lio asked. "I'd love some of those."

Bel ordered cream cheese wontons, two spring rolls, two egg rolls, and an order of chicken fried rice. What a relief to see Lio relax and make decisions for himself, no matter how small.

"You've been awfully quiet today," Bel said while waiting for their meals. "Are you all right?" He felt guilty for making the smile leave Lio's face.

"It's just a bit much, you know?" Lio replied. "I don't know what my life was like a week ago, and now I'm in someone else's body, accessing the few memories they left behind."

"Then learn the same way everyone else does. By trying things and deciding for yourself."

Lio lowered his voice to a whisper, though eavesdroppers would be hard-pressed to hear anything with all the chatter going on around them. "Being told I can destroy the world terrifies me, you know? Am I putting all of you in danger?"

Bel tried his best to offer reassurance. "We're determined to keep that from happening. You've also got Errante and the Carnival cheering you on." Bel narrowed his eyes in a playful scowl. "You wouldn't want to doubt Madame Persephone, would you?"

Lio chuckled. "Not on your life."

Bel grew serious again. "You're not doing this alone."

This time, Lio's smile was bittersweet. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me."

They got their meals and bottled water and met Arianna and Jessa at the table. Jessa had a contented smirk on her face as she stared at nothing.

"Don't mind her," Arianna said. "She wandered through a lingerie store. The lust is thick in there."

Jessa shook herself and turned her attention to a plateful of sushi while Arianna attempted to wrangle an enormous burrito into her mouth. Beans, rice, and beef rained down onto her plate. Arianna moaned. "Oh, this is so good."

Bel dipped his egg roll in sauce and took a bite. Lio ate his crab Rangoon, a contented sigh coming from his lips.

When Bel and Lio finished eating, Jessa pulled the cell phones from the bag and removed them from their boxes.

"Okay, Lio. This one is yours. I've already programmed our numbers in there. If you need anything else, read the teeny tiny script on the pamphlet or ask Greg. He's the resident techie." She handed the other phone to Bel, and then she scooted to his side of the table. "I want you to look up the local theater and pick something to watch."

"But I wanted—" Arianna began.

"This is the first movie these two will see. Do you really want it to be a chick flick?"

"I don't mind," Lio said. "My host had a thing for Jennifer Aniston and Sandra Bullock."

"Sounds good to me." Bel might wind up napping during the movie despite his host's unasked-for input, who wanted to see anything involving the Avengers. Such individualized suggestions were becoming more muted by the day.

They threw their trash into the receptacle, carried their packages to the car, and drove to the theater on the other side of the complex. Arianna and Jessa nearly dashed across the parking lot while Lio and Bel lagged behind.

Did Lio realize how close he stayed to Bel? Not that Bel minded one bit.

"Emilio came from a poor family. He didn't get to see many movies unless they came on TV," Lio finally offered.

Emilio? Right, Lio's host. While Bel regularly delved into Kevin's memories, sometimes he forgot that Lio had a host, too. Come to think of it, so did Jessa and Arianna.

And Farren and Morrisey. All travelers, all occupying bodies that once held other entities. Nope, not weird in the least.

Lio and Bel waited while Jessa and Arianna stepped into a line to buy drinks and popcorn while Bel checked out posters for upcoming movies. He also people-watched and was curious about family dynamics. His parents only had one spawn… child. What would it have been like to have siblings, even if they argued like the boy and girl at the snack counter?

Jessa fluttered her eyelashes at the man behind the counter. "Two large popcorns and four drinks, please." The man grinned widely, running an appreciative gaze over her. Jessa likely snacked on his lust.

When Jessa and Arianna returned, Arianna handed Bel a tub of popcorn and Lio a cardboard carrier with four drinks. "Shall we?" she asked, urging Lio and Bel from the brightly lit lobby to the darker part of the building. She pulled out her cell phone to show to the ticket clerk, then traipsed down the hall, where she opened a door.

Bel squinted into the darkness a moment before his vision cleared. He found four seats that appeared to be in a suitable location in the half-full theater and sat down, pleased when Lio sat beside him.

He glanced around, noticing far more women than men. Arianna pulled a tissue pack from her pocket. Maybe Bel should've asked more questions.

Previews and commercials played for what seemed about a half-hour before the movie started.

Bel rested his elbow on the armrest, placing his head on his hand. He'd just about dozed off when Lio said, "I'd like to go on a picnic like that. And swim in a lake. It looks like a lot of fun. My host went to Lake Tahoe but stayed in the cabin the whole time."

"I'll take you anywhere you want to go," Bel blurted out, jerking his head off his hand.

Soon, the scene changed, and the female lead held a cat in her lap, confiding her secrets to the furry creature.

Lio said, "I'd like a cat. Farren and Morrisey have some, but I've not met them." He nodded decisively. "Yes, I want a cat."

"If you want a cat, I'll get you a cat." He'd have to ask Arianna later how to find one.

The movie progressed as the main couple began to fall in love. The story affected Lio, for he snuggled in and rested his head on Bel's shoulder. The female lead baked a cake for the leading man.

"Would you bake me a cake?" Lio asked. "I don't care what kind. I just want someone to bake me a cake."

Bel didn't know how to bake a cake, but he'd learn. He'd also learn how to make the lasagna dinner the couple on screen enjoyed and get someone to help him pick a wine.

Then came the sad part: the man had to go away, and the woman cried. Bel thought the movie had amazing surround sound effects until he noticed sniffling all around him and Arianna loudly blowing her nose while Jessa helped herself to a tissue from Arianna's purse.

Then Lio sniffled, too. Bel put his arm around Lio's shoulders and pulled him close. It was like he felt Lio's pain and would do anything to make him feel better again. Was a bond forming already, allowing him insight into Lio's moods?

The man came back, got down on one knee, and proposed marriage. The woman smiled and said yes, and the movie ended with thunderous applause from the spectators.

Lio appeared to be far more comfortable with the outing when Jessa and Arianna took them to a dimly lit restaurant. Candles flickered on each table, and the scent of tomato sauce and spices hung heavy in the air.

Bel noticed several couples sitting at tables. Were they on a date? What would it be like to bring Lio here, just the two of them?

Jessa carried in a couple of shopping bags, making Bel curious, but he didn't ask. She'd tell him when she was ready.

They sat down at a table for four, and Lio hurried to claim a chair next to Bel.

A young man approached almost as soon as they sat down. "Good evening. I'm Jack, and I'll be your server this evening. Can I start you off with drinks? We have an excellent house Chianti."

"A glass of chardonnay." Jessa turned to Arianna. "I called it first. You're the designated driver."

"That's why we should've brought my car." Arianna let out a good-natured huff as she opened her menu. "I'll have sweet tea."

"Water," Bel said, showing solidarity with Arianna.

Lio waved a hand. "Same."

Jack tapped away at the mini tablet he held. "Would you care for appetizers?"

Jessa didn't bother asking anyone else. "Mozzarella sticks and bruschetta for the table, please."

"Anything else?" Jack looked from Arianna to Jessa to Bel and then to Lio, his eyes lingering appreciatively there.

A sudden spike of protectiveness, or maybe jealousy, hit Bel hard. He might've glared—he wasn't sure.

Jack glanced away, and Bel was pleased to know his message was received. "Very good. I'll put in your appetizer order and return with your drinks."

Jessa met Bel's gaze and chuckled, though she didn't mention his jealousy or whatever the hell that was. He hadn't meant to be so obvious.

Jack returned with their drinks and the appetizers and bustled off again, carefully avoiding eye contact with Lio. Lio didn't seem to notice anything amiss because he was too busy looking around.

"This place is amazing," Arianna said, looking up. "Have you guys thought about what you might want to do?" she asked in an abrupt change of subject. "Morrisey said you could stay at the compound and possibly join FAET."

Lio answered, "I don't know yet since I don't know all our options. What kind of lives do travelers live in the city?"

"The same as anyone else. They work jobs and come home, some to families. They mind their own business and blend in with the human population mostly." Jessa waved her hand toward Arianna. "I give you exhibit A: she works and lives at the compound, and so does her husband. But we know a bartender who blends in so well you'd swear he was human if you didn't know better. Of course, he's been here for quite some time. He's on his second body."

"How does being with a human work, though? We live longer, right? And we can find a new body if the old one fails." To Bel, the different lifespans seemed like an insurmountable obstacle.

"Since most of the traveler population in Atlanta is relatively new, it hasn't been an issue yet." Arianna snagged a mozzarella stick off the communal plate. "And the bartender met his wife after acquiring the new body. We know our secret will get out eventually. Folks like FAET are helping us prepare for that day."

Bel still couldn't believe he could join the human population and not worry about being a Princeps, a Lux, or Lio being Tenebris. They could simply be Bel and Lio, work, come home…

He'd need Lio's input before making too many grand plans. Maybe Lio didn't want the same things. Errante said they could return and travel with the Carnival. Would Lio want that?

Then again, Bel had been happy here, even with the worry of human discovery imminent. Humans appeared fascinating.

The server returned and took their orders. Like at the diner, Bel just chose an item and pointed. Maybe he wouldn't have to explain his aversion to reading.

This time, though, Lio ordered something different. "What is that lady having?" He nodded toward an adjacent table.

"That's eggplant parmesan," Jack answered.

Lio folded his menu decisively. "I'll have that."

So good to see Lio stepping up and losing some of his bashfulness. He'd been through a lot in a short amount of time. Bel didn't blame him for going quiet occasionally.

Bel stared at his plate of spaghetti when Jack sat it in front of him. The scent of tomato sauce and spices made him hungry, but he tried to ignore the hints of oregano and what they brought to mind. He hadn't asked Morrisey how the cases were going, simply being glad he wasn't required to follow up.

"Y'all need to eat," Jessa said, though she'd only ordered a salad. "You'll need your strength for dancing."

"Dancing?" She'd mentioned a club, right?

"Yeah, we told you we're taking you to a club. You're getting the whole ‘single humans on Saturday night' treatment."

Shopping, lunch, a movie, and now dinner. Bel was getting tired, but he'd keep going if the rest of them wanted to. Dancing might be fun.

After dinner, Jessa handed Bel a shopping bag. "You two go change."

"What? Why?"

Jessa nodded at Bel and Lio. "You can't go clubbing in your old clothes."

Bel was learning not to fight with Jessa. He and Lio went to the men's room, where they decided which clothes belonged to whom based on size.

They each went into a stall to change.

"I think these are too small," Lio said through the wall.

Bel dressed hurriedly and opened the stall door.

Lio appeared a moment later in skin-tight skinny jeans. The glittery T-shirt hugged his every muscle, and the red went well with his skin tones. Seeing Lio's package highlighted in denim made Bel's mouth go dry. His fingers itched to smooth down the planes of that flat abdomen or take the two lovely handfuls of ass into his hands.

Lio, turning to look into a mirror, snapped Bel from the moment.

Bel had the same problem with the fit of the clothes, and he tugged at the waistband of his jeans. "I know we gave them our sizes, and I don't remember trying these on." Besides the jeans, Bel wore a too-tight, sleeveless T-shirt showing off his bulging arm muscles.

Lio stopped, his eyes growing wide.

"What?"

"You. In the shirt…" Lio stared, a touch of admiration in his eyes.

"I look ridiculous, right?"

"That's… not a word I'd use." Lio turned away, but not before Bel saw the flush to his cheeks. He tended to blush so easily.

Bel knew the feeling. "You look amazing."

Lio stared critically into the bathroom mirror. "I feel ridiculous."

Bel shrugged. "Me too, but take my word for it. You're gorgeous."

One side of Lio's mouth hitched up. "You're not so bad yourself."

The words raced around Bel's brain. Lio thought he looked good. Win! He put the clothes they'd taken off into the bag, and they returned to the table to find that Jessa had changed into a shimmery shirt with a plunging neckline. Arianna looked the same as she had all day, head propped on her hand, diamond ring flashing on her finger.

Jessa dug into her bag and handed Lio and Bel each a wallet. "IDs and a bit of cash. You have your cell phones if we somehow get separated."

Jack returned with a black plastic tray containing the bill and Jessa's credit card. He did a double-take and ran an appreciative gaze over Bel and Lio. Jessa took the card and signed the bill.

"Let's go, my honeys! Atlanta awaits!" She must've gotten quite the lustful meal in the restaurant, judging by the added bounce in her step.

Bel summoned up the energy to follow her to the parking lot.

Succuba should come with warning labels.