Calm Before the Storm

When the sun began to set Trevor rang his serving bell to arrange a dinner. The woman who responded dispatched several other servants to collect his friends from their suites, then led him out of the palace and down to the restaurant.

Trevor had selected a steakhouse. The outside was the same adobe as most of the other buildings along the lakeside, but the inside looked exactly like what you'd expect from an upscale restaurant: dim lighting, dark wood, and red leather booths tied the ambiance together.

He didn't have to wait long until Natalie arrived. Trevor was out of his seat before she could make it to the booth. In no time at all he had her folded into a hug.

"Hey Trevor."

"Hi Nat."

He just held her, as if by doing so he could prove to himself that she was safe. When the hug had gone on for perhaps too long he felt Natalie's hand gently pushing on his chest. Obliging, he stepped back.

"Come on," he said. "I have a table for us."

They sat across from each other in a semi-circular booth built to fit half a dozen people. No sooner had their butts hit the cushions than a waiter appeared to take Natalie's drink order. Trevor nursed a beer he'd ordered while he waited.

"So," Trevor said when the waiter had departed, "are you doing alright?"

"I'm hanging in there."

"You're not just saying that?"

Natalie shrugged. "I'm not exactly thrilled but yeah, I'm doing alright all things considered."

"And they're treating you ok?"

"Other than the ****, yeah. The suite they set Laura and I up with is pretty nice. It's right on the edge of the lake. It has a rooftop patio."

"You always wanted a rooftop patio."

"And now I have one. If I'd known it was this easy I'd have gotten kidnapped by an insane group of sex slavers years ago."

Trevor laughed through his nose. His sister could do that; she'd always been able to cut through his anxiety.

"What about you?" Natalie asked.

"What about me?"

"You doing alright?"

"Yeah. Of course. I'm not the one on the chopping block." Trevor ran his finger over the lip of his beer bottle.

"Trevor. Come on. I know you. You're going crazy up there, aren't you."

"Maybe a little," he mumbled.

"Have you done anything stupid yet?"

Trevor took a long pull of his beer. "No."

"What was it."

He drummed his fingers on the table. "I tried to **** Violet."

"Did it work?"

Another sip of his beer. "No."

The waiter returned with Natalie's drink: a dark lager. Trevor had always preferred wheat beer. The restaurant was apparently well stocked with both. Natalie waited for the waiter to leave before she continued. "Well that figures. And don't go trying anything like that again."

"I'm not just going to let them get away with this."

She sighed. "All I'm saying is, pick your battles. And just so you know, even if you do find a way to get me out of here, which I know you're trying to do, I'm not leaving you behind. So make sure you have tickets for two."

"Natalie, if there's a way out you're taking it."

"You heard me."

Natalie met his gaze firmly and the two stared each other down for a long moment. Trevor broke first. Beating Natalie in a contest of wills was like getting a cat into a carrier; you could do it, but not if they thought it was your idea. "Fine."

"Mhm." She didn't believe him. And she probably shouldn't.

"Any signs of...you know, the transformation?"

"Nothing yet. Did Violet say anything to you? About what it might be?"

Trevor shook his head. "No, nothing."

The two shared their drinks in companionable silence for a little before Trevor next spoke. "Listen. I know that this goes without saying, but I want to say it anyways. This place can change people. They can get inside your head." He winced a little thinking about how effectively they'd rewired him earlier that day. "But Nat, I promise, no matter what they do to us, I'll never hurt you. Never."

"Come on Trevor. I know that."

"I mean it." He was deadly serious.

Natalie reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "I know." She let go and took another sip of beer. "Violet doesn't seem to think so though. I wonder what she knows that we don't."

The dark implications of that were left unexamined as Paige and Riley arrived. "Riley! It's good to see you," Trevor said, standing to give his friend a hug and a pat on the back. "And Paige. You too. I'm glad you guys could make it."

"It's not like there's a lot else going on," Natalie said as she scooted over to make room. She now sat next to Trevor, with Paige and Riley taking their places across.

"Well, Dr. Friedman apparently had other plans," Trevor said.

"She's busy preparing for the contest tomorrow," Riley told them.

"Maybe we should be as well," Natalie thought out loud.

The waiter made another round to collect orders from Riley and Paige.

Trevor had prepared himself and he didn't think he had reacted outwardly to Riley's appearance. It was definitely strange though. The contrast between his now-feminine face and his still-masculine body was disconcerting. To say nothing of the simple fact that Riley's face was no longer his own. That might be putting it too strongly; he still looked like a version of Riley. But he'd known Riley for over a decade now. This would take some getting used to.

"How are you doing?" he asked Riley.

He swallowed. "Better. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't doing so great earlier. But I'm better now." He reached out and took hold of Paige's hand. "Dr. Friedman helped me out."

"She did?"

"Yeah. She talked me down a little. She was really nice to talk to, actually."

"You don't have to sound so surprised," Trevor laughed. "I told you that she wasn't as bad as you thought she was."

"Well you can hardly blame him," Natalie said. "Mostly you just complain about how much work she gives you."

"Yeah," Trevor said defensively, "and how helpful she is with it."

"Eh," Natalie made a wobbling motion with her hand.

"What about you?" Trevor asked Paige.

She squeezed Riley's hand more tightly. "Alright, I guess. I could have it a lot worse."

Trevor pushed down an intrusive thought about what exactly Paige had had done to her.

"Look, Paige," Trevor said. "I said this to Natalie earlier, but I want to say it to you too. No matter what this place does to us, I want you to know that you're safe with me."

Paige nodded. "I know that. I trust you." She offered him a soft smile.

"What," Riley said. "No promise for me?"

Trevor snorted, but it was Natalie who spoke first. "Please, you're out of his league."

"I could land Riley," Trevor said, feigning indignation. "I'd butter him up with a spreadsheet."

"That'd probably work," Riley laughed.

"You said that..." Paige suddenly trailed off and blushed furiously.

"What?" Natalie asked.

"Nothing," she squeaked.

"She thought of something funny, but she doesn't want to say it," Riley told them.

"You can't just clam up on us like that," Trevor said. "Spill it."

Paige looked around the table and realized that they weren't going to let her off the hook. "Riley said that, um...he said that I was the only one allowed to spread his sheets." The last few words came out all in one rush and then Paige buried her head in her hands.

Trevor burst into laughter while Riley just looked proud.

The conversation was interrupted by the arrival of their meals. Trevor cut off the first piece of his steak and entered heaven. It was the most melt-in-your-mouth buttery steak he'd ever had. He'd have killed for this steak. He'd have toppled empires for this steak. As he ate this steak, Trevor saw god.

His friends seemed similarly impressed with their own meals.

After a few minutes of nothing but quiet chewing Natalie finally broke the silence. "So, Paige. I was thinking of heading into the shopping district tomorrow. Want to come?"

Paige finished chewing her food. "I don't know. I don't think that it's really for me."

"Why not?" Trevor asked.

"I don't know. I just don't think it's for me."

"It's not all sex shops if that's what you're thinking," Natalie told her. "I asked. They have normal shops too."

"Oh," Paige said, a little embarrassed at having been read so easily. "You're sure?"

Natalie nodded, taking a bite as she did.

"Violet said pretty much the same thing," Trevor confirmed.

"Alright then, sure."

"Well," Trevor said to Riley, "if they're having a girls day then we should do something too. Violet mentioned batting cages. Want to go?"

"I haven't swung a bat in years man," Riley said.

"It's like riding a bike," Trevor said. "Besides, we can set the machines to pitch slowly if you need training wheels."

Riley didn't rise to the bait. "Sure. Why not. It's not like I've got a busy schedule."

"Awesome," Trevor said. "Hey Nat, Laura's your roommate right?"

"Mhm," she said through a full mouth.

"Could you ask her if she wants to join us?"

"Sure. I think she'd be happy to go."

The conversation carried on after that, and against all odds the four of them had a good night.

***

Paige laced her fingers through Riley's and pulled him closer alongside herself. Dinner had been nice, a breath of fresh air at the end of a terrible day. But this was the first time she and Riley had been alone since the whole the whole thing had started, and that was much better.

To her left were the placid waters of the lake, beautiful and serene. Paige was looking right though, with admiring eyes and a wide smile.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Riley asked.

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "No reason."

"And that was for?"

"No reason," she giggled.

Riley beamed, but just as suddenly his face fell. She pulled him up short.

"Riley? What's wrong."

"Nothing. Well, nothing but, you know," he gestured around vaguely.

He wasn't telling her something. Obviously he had a lot to be upset about, but she knew him very well and there was something specific on his mind. "Talk to me."

"I'm fine, really."

He offered her a smile but Paige wasn't buying it. She took his other hand in hers as well. "Please, Riley. We can't afford to hide things. Not now."

He dropped her hands. He wouldn't meet her eyes. It was several long moments before he started to speak, but Paige waited patiently.

"I'm...worried," he said simply.

"About?"

"About...us."

Her heart stopped. "What? Riley, what are you saying."

His eyes shot wide. "No, I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry. I just meant..." Riley's eyes started to tear up. "They're going to change me, Paige."

"They're trying to change us both."

"Yes, but they're changing me more. I already have a different face. They'll keep going. And I'm worried because...because you're not going to want me when they're done."

By now Paige was crying too. "Riley, there's not a thing they could do to you to make me stop loving you."

"You're telling me that you like me like this?" he spat bitterly.

Paige reached up and ran her hand along his cheek. "I'd love you like anything. It'll take a little getting used to, but it's nothing we can't handle."

"And when it gets worse?"

"Then we'll handle it more," she said. "Riley, I could never leave you because I could never want to be with anyone else. We're as strong as ever."

Riley wiped his eyes then took her hand back. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Riley looked away, ashamed. "I should have been paying more attention to you. I can't imagine what you're going through. I've been so absorbed in my own self-pity that I haven't even asked you how you're doing yet."

"I'm alright, Riley. Like I said at dinner. It could be much worse."

"Paige, there's no way you're alright with all this."

She sighed. "I guess I wouldn't go that far, no."

"I'm here for you."

"I know," she said, squeezing his hand. "The whole thing is disgusting. What they want me to do..." she shivered. "I know that there are people who are...into...that sort of thing. But I don't get it. It makes me kind of sick.

"I'm not worried though. I've been under pressure to have sex my entire life and I've held up so far. If I can resist jumping your bones I'm pretty sure I can resist anything." She gave him her best flirtatious smile.

She hoped it was a good one.

Riley laughed, which was probably a good sign.

"Besides," she continued. "If they really do manage to get me to do...that...then, well, it'll be with you."

She felt her face flush. She couldn't believe that she'd just said that.

"That was hard for you," Riley said with an infuriating smirk. Then it softened to a smile. "Thank you. For talking to me. For making me talk to you."

"Any time."

She pulled him in for a kiss and on the shores of the lake the young couple lost track of time.