Ride along

As Cherie steps over the property line, you don't feel the usual "snap" of the tether. Instead, you focus your essence on the base of her skull. You sink into her visual cortex, your presence a cool, violet fog in the back of her mind.

The world through Cherie’s eyes is saturated. The green of the lawns is too bright; the sky is a piercing, unnatural blue. Because of your presence, she is hyper-aware of the male gaze. She sees the construction worker down the block stop and wipe his brow just to watch her pass. She sees the delivery driver's eyes linger on her hips.

You have a front row seat to Cherie's thoughts. The girls say Mack wants us to 'LIVE,' huh? Is this living? Running in circles while my husband pays a neighbor to 'correct my posture'? I wonder if Mike is watching me right now. I wonder if Lisa is looking at those photos of me. God, my skin feels so sensitive... even the wind feels like a touch. I admit, I feel more alive now than I have in years.

As she rounds the corner onto her street, she slows to a walk, winding down andcatching her breath. Nathan is outside watering his lawn. He’s well-respected, successful, and always perfectly polite, but today, your presence in Cherie's head shifts the gravity of the meeting.

"Morning, Cherie," Nathan says, his voice deep and resonant. He looks at her—really looks at her—his gaze traveling from her flushed face down to her heaving chest before meeting her eyes again. "You're out early. Trying to beat the heat?"

You pulse your essence. You don't control her, but you whisper a single, dark prompt into her ear: “Show him how hard you've been working.”

Cherie doesn't shy away. She leans against a lamp post, arching her back slightly, a move that makes her chest press against the thin fabric of her top. "Just trying to keep up with the 'Professional' standards in the neighborhood, Nathan," she says, her voice sounding huskier than she intended. "Mike has been... very demanding."

Nathan’s grip on the hose tightens. He sees the "New Cherie"—the one the house has awakened. "I can imagine. If you ever find Mike's methods too... intense... let me know. I have a few techniques for 'recovery' myself."

They both linger for a bit too long, the silence between them thick with a sudden, illicit tension that shouldn't exist between neighbors. Cherie breaks it by looking over her shoulder at the house. When she turns back, she says, "We're having a BBQ tomorrow afternoon. Feel free to come by."

With a slow nod, and never breaking eye contact, Nathan responds, "Sounds great. I'll be there."

Cherie stands there, her heart hammering before turning and walking back inside her house. “Did I just flirt with Nathan?” she wonders. “Mack... what are you doing to me?”