Head upstairs

Blake is going to have to wait. In a rare moment of honest self-reflection, Xabar acknowledges that he is not in the best of spirits and is not, perhaps, exercising the best of judgment. A bit of rest and a chance to have a bite to eat will help both of those deficiencies immensely.

Grabbing his bag, he makes his way upstairs. Despite his relationship with Glynda, he has not spent a lot of time in the residential part of this building. Notwithstanding his proficiency with Compliance Spells, he has learned that it is generally best to avoid the parents of any girl in whom he has an interest. For some reason they invariably take a dislike to him.

One exception was Mrs. Osgood, who thought he was charming, even though she knew he was bopping her granddaughter, Meg. That would be a lot more comforting if she hadn’t said so while committed to St. Dinkledörf’s Home for the Aged. He also could have done without her offering to join her granddaughter in a threesome with Xabar. He could still see her leering at him from her wheelchair, tongue wagging out of her toothless mouth, before orderlies wheeled her back to her room. The image still caused him to want to pour bleach directly into the memory centers of his brain.

He arrived at the top of the stairs and found the door to the apartment unlocked. Going inside, he observes the tidy, modest dwelling, which included a sitting room and small kitchen/dining room, with doors leading to Mrs. Peterson’s room, Glynda’s room, and a washroom.

Xabar went into Glynda’s room, threw his bag on the floor, and flopped down onto the bed. Hearing the springs of the mattress creak under his weight, he thought, “That will get old very quickly. I wonder if Mrs. Peterson’s mattress is any better. The Compliance Spell seems to be intact for now, but if we keep her awake all night with this noise, that might take things to the breaking point.”

The thought of making the mattress creak all night with Glynda brought a smile to his face, however, and put him in a better mood than he had been in all day. He started to think about his longer-term plans. He guessed he had two-to-three days, tops, left in Mrs. Peterson’s Compliance Spell. It was unlikely she would take much of a shine to him once it wore off, especially since she would retain full memory of everything he had said and done while she was under the spell. In retrospect, he should have handled things differently, but the way Glynda was coming on to him that night called for quick thinking and quick action.

“Quick thinking and quick action are my strong points,” reasons Xabar. “Without those qualities, not only would I still be a virgin, but I’d probably be in jail... not to mention castrated by any one of a dozen pissed off fathers and husbands!”

So he’d have to find new living arrangements within a day or so. He thought again of trying Hager’s parents, despite what his friend said. “Surely they can’t be as miffed at me as that!” he thinks. “Maybe if I bring them a gift — something to show them that I’m a decent, honest guy whom they can trust?” He looks around the room, wondering if he can swipe anything from here that they would like.

He also thought again about trying Hager’s sister. He smiled at the thought of finding Triana at her home, alone, lonely, **** for protection and companionship.... And hopefully either very forgiving or very forgetful. If only he could legally use magic!

His thoughts are interrupted by He hears a knock at the apartment door. It must be his dinner, and not a moment too soon!