“I just got off the phone,” Bekah said over the line. She sounded scared. She sounded stuck. “Well, I just got off the phone with mom and she…” Bekah cursed. “I can’t believe she did this to me.”
“Bekah, slow down. What’s going on?”
Siren looked at me from across the room. “We have plans tonight. We were going to watch a movie. She can’t—”
“See, they have all been trying to set me up with a few guys.”
“Set you up?”
“Yeah, my family. They won’t take no for an answer, and now I am in a bad place and I need your help.”
“If you need my help, you will get it.”
Siren stared at me from across the room and shook the case of the movie we had planned on watching at me.
“My mom keeps talking about this nice church boy that my aunt in Salem goes to church with, and I keep telling her that I am not dating right now.”
“Give me the phone,” Siren said. She reached and Guardian shoved her hand away. Siren looked at her arm as if she had been hurt, but there was no way. There was no selling that lie, so she looked away and huffed.
“They showed him a picture of me and they said he was interested and…” Bekah sighed but there was stress in it. “Well, he is in town.”
“Did you invite him?”
“NO!” Bekah said. “No, I did not. I told them no, that I didn’t want to meet him. Mom called a few times insisting I go down to Rolla and meet him, but I refused. Well now he has taken a bus on his way to some such bullshit and he has a layover in Springfield, and mom wants him to stay at my place.”
“Your mom invited a guy you have never met to stay at your place?”
Siren stood and walked to the kitchen. She chewed her nails and I could see her thinking.
“Yeah,” Bekah said.
“Are you wanting to have him over?”
“Jesse, I am waiting.” That was Siren.
Silence over the line, and Siren comes into the living room of my apartment in South Towers and looks at me.
“What is she asking for? Because we have plans,” Siren said.
I covered up the receiver. “We don’t have plans if Bekah needs help. We have a whole scoop of helping Bekah,” Guardian said. He uncovered the phone. “What do you need?”
“I was hoping he could spend the night at your house. Mom insisted that he stay with me. Said he is a good church boy and that I need a good man anyway. She is trying to break my chances with you. And she won’t take no for an answer.”
“He lives in Rolla?”
“Let him stay over at her house. We have plans,” Siren said. She stared for a moment at me, then ripped her shirt off. She undid her bra and suddenly Guardian was looking at her breasts. “You can have all of me, if you want. Just have him stay at her place.”
“He is stuck in Springfield for the night and they say he doesn’t know anyone here, and he will be stuck at the bus station if I don’t go get him. Please, Jesse, I don’t want him in my house. If I don’t do something, and he calls my aunt, she will give him my address.”
“Anything you need.”
“NO!” Siren said. She pulled her skirt off and was standing in the middle of my living room with her panties and nothing else on.
“Go get him. Pick him up and bring him over here. He can sleep on my couch tonight.”
“He sure the fuck cannot,” Siren said.
“Siren, get dressed and get the fuck out if you can’t handle this. A good church boy is spending the night at my house, period. And if you don’t like it, then get the fuck out,” Guardian said. He said it cool and calm. And his anger, delivered in a calm way, scared the shit out of her. She started jerking her clothing back on and stormed into my bathroom.
“Bring him. I have an extra pillow, an extra blanket, and my couch is comfortable as hell,” Guardian said. “I got you covered.”
I hung up. Siren walked back into the room and glared at me. “You promised that we could watch Once Upon a Time in Mexico tonight. That is why you bought it. You are breaking your promise for her.”
“Yes,” I said. “Every time.”
“How are we ever going to be happy if you keep letting this girl into your apartment whenever she wants to be?” Siren said.
“Again, I will say…” Shadow was out now and he had some inkling of what was going on. “You and I are not dating. We have not dated for years. Steven and I have decided that I can’t handle a fucking girlfriend right now, and that is how it will stay until I have my head right.”
“I do everything for you.”
“Never asked you for shit,” Shadow snapped.
“How about I stop buying you movie tickets and fast food?” she said. “Then we will see how long you can handle not being my boyfriend.”
“Steven said—”
“Steven, Steven, Steven, the man isn’t even a good therapist.”
Shadow stood. He walked to the door and opened it. “Out.”
“No, I’m not leaving,” she said.
“Then I will grab you by the fucking hair and drag you to the goddamn door!” Shadow yelled.
She turned and smoothed her hair. “Listen, let me say my peace, and then we will let this guy come to our apartment.”
“My.”
“Fine, your. Just close the door. Let me explain.”
Shadow closed the door but stood right next to it.
“Steven has been your therapist for how long?”
“Since 2000.”
“And it is now 2003, and you still can’t be left alone without committing suicide. Are you making any progress?”
“Hair, then?” Shadow said.
“Fine, I’ll drop it, but I don’t feel safe letting some stranger stay at your house without meeting him first.” She walked across the room and tried on her best worried face. “He may be a bad guy.”
“Yeah, that is why he is staying with me and not Bekah.”
“Bekah is a big girl. She can take care of herself.”
Shadow made for the door.
“Ok!” She shouted. “Fuck. I will let him stay the night but she can’t just drop him off and leave. And I need to see that he is a good guy before I am going to let him stay the night. Bekah may not care who she exposes you to, but I do.”
We waited in silence. The phone rang and Siren picked it up first.
“Yeah,” she snapped. Silence. “Why can’t he stay with you? Jesse is having a bad day.”
“He is staying at my place. Hang up the phone. Tell her I’m on my way down to open the door for her.”
“He’s coming.” She hung up and slammed the phone on the table.
When I saw him, I noticed that he was indeed a good looking guy. Dark hair, dark eyes, athletic build. Glasses that made him look a little like Harry Potter, so that is what we will call him. Harry. He walked well. Guardian could tell this guy could fight, and Guardian watched as Bekah walked to the sign-in sheet, and he saw that guy taking Bekah in.
She had short red hair with wispy bangs that made her look cute. She had a body that had done yoga for three years that made her look sexy, and this guy was seeing the sights as he walked to the sign-in sheet.
“I’m kind of hungry. Can we go out to eat, Bekah?” Harry said.
“I got food upstairs. Do you like Ziti?” Shadow said. “It’s homemade. Good shit.”
“Yeah sure,” he said. “Ziti is fine, I guess.”
Signed in and headed up in the elevator, and while Bekah talks to both of us, my eyes are on him. This guy is hungry. He is starving, but not for ziti. Harry wants to get Bekah alone. And I can see from the look on his face that he is smart. Smart, and bending that mind of his to getting to her house.
Harry was a Good Church Boy with a flaming libido, and Bekah was the only thing that could sate it tonight.
“He’s hungry,” I said as I walked in the door, looking at Siren. “Warm up some ziti for him.”
“I made that ziti for you!” Siren snapped.
“And there is plenty, and this guy is hungry, so he needs ziti.”
“I am not getting him a plate of the ziti I worked so hard on for you and only you.”
“It’s cool. I’m not that hungry anyway,” Harry said.
Bekah looked at me and I saw fear in her eyes. Guardian answered that fear and motioned to the couch. “Sit,” Guardian said. “Sit down and let’s watch a movie.”
Bekah waved a hand in the direction of my expansive movie collection and smiled. “He has about everything.”
“Well, you are not watching Once Upon a Time in Mexico. That was what me and Jesse were going to watch for date night,” Siren said.
“There is no such thing as date night, Siren. What do you want to watch?” Guardian asked Harry.
Harry pulled his eyes from Bekah and back to me.
Guardian knew exactly what Harry wanted to watch.
“Anything is fine.”
Guardian snapped his fingers. “Harry Potter. This guy,” Guardian said. “That is who you remind me of, Harry Potter.”
The guy squirmed. “Thanks, I guess.”
Bekah sat on the far side of the couch as Siren headed for it. I dropped down between Harry and Bekah.
Siren huffed and stared at the two of us sitting next to each other, and she stormed to the chair and dropped in it. She crossed her arms and looked at Harry.
We started a movie. I leaned back on the couch and put an arm around Bekah. She leaned in to an embrace, and Siren stood and stormed to the kitchen.
“Bekah, can I talk to you?”
I heard bits and pieces over the sound of the movie.
Date night.
No, I don’t want him there.
No.
Can’t stay here.
Jesse said he could.
Get out.
“Bekah,” Shadow said. “You’re missing the movie.”
“Dude, I don’t think Bekah wants to watch this movie. I think me and her ought to get going,” Harry said.
Ronin leaned in.
Ronin said something.
Harry leaned back and looked at his watch. It was getting late, and Bekah looked at me from the kitchen. She walked to the middle of the floor.
“Harry, you are going to stay here at Jesse’s tonight.”
“Wait, what?”
“No,” Siren said.
“Couch is comfy and I have an extra pillow and a clean pillow case. You’ll be fine,” Jesse said.
“What time do you need to be at the bus station tomorrow morning?” Bekah said.
Harry was thinking. He looked at me. He looked at Siren. “Six, I think.”
“What does your ticket say?” Guardian said. “Let me see your ticket.”
“No,” Harry said. “I am able to read my own ticket and it says six. I’m not really that tired.”
“It’s one now. When I kick everyone out of here, you can hit the hay,” Guardian said.
“Jesse doesn’t even sleep until four. How is he supposed to get any rest?” Siren said. “Bekah is going home and going to bed right away. It only makes sense for—”
“Bekah to get going,” Guardian said. “Siren, get out.”
“He is hungry and wants ziti,” Siren said. “I’ll warm him up some. Goodnight, Bekah.”
“Night.”
I walked her downstairs.
“I think he had other plans,” Bekah said.
“That man is not getting anywhere near your house. I’ll slit his throat first,” Ronin said.
Bekah stopped. She turned and looked at Ronin for a moment. She knew better than to ask who he was, but she did not know him, but she could feel him. Bekah and Ronin had a bond. She stepped closer to him and he leaned in toward her as if they were drawn to each other.
They both pulled back and Ronin shifted away. Bekah ran her hands down her body and took a deep breath.
“Thanks, really.”
“This is nothing to thank me for. I got him. Be back at five thirty.”
The door was locked when I got to it. “Open this door now,” Ronin said.
“I am sorry,” Siren said as she opened the door. “I don’t know, force of habit I guess. I heard the door close and I just locked it without thinking.”
I came into the room and dropped into the chair. Siren stood in the kitchen with her back turned.
She came back in and dropped onto the couch. She looked around nervously for a while before turning to Harry.
“Do you want me to take you to Bekah’s?” she asked.
“Bekah does not want this guy at her house,” Guardian said.
“I know where she lives. She has a big bed.”
“He stays here.”
“You can fuck her if you want to. To hell with it, I’m taking him. Come on.” She motioned for Harry and he stood up.
“You walk out of this apartment with him and I will immediately call Bekah. She will come get me and we will go to an all-night diner until it is time for this guy to go to his bus. You can take him. He will be with you all night.”
“Fine.”
I turned to Harry and Assassin popped a knife. Harry’s eyes widened and Assassin pointed the blade at him. “If your cock gets anywhere near that girl, I will slice it off for you and nail it to your forehead. This conversation ends here. Right here. Right now,” Assassin said.
“Look dude, I was just looking for a place to sleep until the morning.”
“The couch is comfortable. You’ll sleep like a baby. Siren, get your shit. You’re going home. And if you ever say anything like that to anyone ever again, I will kill you.”
She stood and grabbed her bag. She stormed to the door, and she walked to the elevator without waiting for me. She hit the button and it closed before I could get in it.
I hit the stairs and rushed down them. I made it to the elevator before it opened. I glared at her.
“I don’t feel safe,” she whined.
“Then the fucking door is that way. Sign out and get out.”
She scribbled the pad and made for the door.
“One week.”
“Excuse me?” she said.
“One week, I don’t want to see you for one week.”
“Fine.”
“You just offered to take that guy over to Bekah’s house so he could rape her.”
“Oh Jesse, she wants it,” Siren said.
“That is why she brought him here and ran, huh?”
Siren walked out the main door and I held it open after her.
“Do not come back for one week.”
Upstairs, Harry sat on the couch frozen with fear.
“Let’s watch a movie.”
“I’m tired.”
“Tired now?” Guardian said. “Well let’s just go to bed then.” I grabbed my extra pillow and put a new pillowcase on it. I threw it to him and dropped a blanket on the couch.
“Goodnight.”
I turned off the light and dropped into my bed. Ronin stared at him for a while and Harry laid perfectly still.
One hour, two, time passed and as it did, Ronin watched the couch and watched the clock. After two hours, Harry sat up and turned on the lamp by the phone.
“Look, I got a friend in town and I want to call him to see if he is awake and can come pick me up.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, it’s cool. I haven’t talked to him in a long time, so I don’t know if he is still here, but I might be able to get a ride tomorrow.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
This was Hymnal’s good church boy. He was on the prowl that night. He didn’t get what he was after.
For more about the series Reality of the Unreal Mind, visit Amazon.
Jesse Teller 
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