Madness or Purpose (9 page)

Opening my eyes, I look up to see Gavin looking down at me. “You ok now?” He asks. “I’m good.” I respond.

We walk in further and Natasha gestures to a salon chair. “I’m sorry about that.” I begin to apologize. “I really don’t have a handle on anything just yet. It’s actually quite frustrating.” “No sweat. I get. Just take seat and we get to work.” Natasha reassures me with a genuine smile and something in her eyes I just can’t explain. Gavin plops down in the empty chair next to me and spins it around a few times. “So, what we create today?” Natasha questions. “I have no idea. This is all Gavin.” I respond shyly gesturing to her place of business. Gavin pipes up, “she is going to be waitressing for Dean.” “Oh, edgy for LEDGE,” Natasha replies with and understanding tone. “What is so special about LEDGE?” I ask. “You got this one Natasha,” Gavin inquires.

“Sure thing, but first things first, Zoe you trust me?” She asks. “With my hair?” “Ya.” “If Gavin does I guess I do too.” I answer. “Ok! To work we go. Now, look around here. What you notice?” I close my eyes, take a deep breath and open them. Natasha takes my bag and hoodie placing them on an open chair. She flings a cover over my clothes and then I notice it.

“No vales.” I mumble.

“Exactly,” Natasha exclaims with a grin. Her aura is a vivid emerald green matching her eyes and accenting the honey gold blond of her long curled hair. I look over at Gavin he has a grin plastered on his face eyes glowing like gold and his mark shines with a golden hue. I cannot see her mark, but I figure it’s in a place covered by her clothing. “LEDGE is bar for guardians like us. We don’t have to hide there. Dean’s bar has certain edgy style. If you want good tips you play the part. Even if you most famous of our kind around.” I heard a thud and a grunt. Looking up Gavin was glaring at her and she was grinning sheepishly. “I am sorry. How was I to know she doesn’t know? Not like you keep me in the loop dear friend.” Natasha defends herself. I keep looking between them, everything gets a bit hazy and I realize I can’t breathe. What is so important about me? Who the hell am I? The lights are flickering and the hair dryer keeps turning on and off. I feel Gavin’s hand on mine.
“Breathe Zoe.

Breathe. Concentrate. Calm down. It’s ok. She is just a bit dramatic. Don’t freak out. I can explain her comment now or later, but I think later is best.

Please don’t worry. You really are just fine.”
I nod and let out a slow breath.

“Forgive me. I speak without thought and excite easily. I promise not scare you. LEDGE is fun, safe, and you are perfect. Do not worry your head. Natasha give you a new spin and you can be on your way!” Gavin steps away letting go of my hand and giving Natasha a stern look while examining his hand. I swear I saw a black mark on his palm. Did I do that? She replies by sticking her pierced tongue out at him. In the mirror I see her t-shirt ride up and reveal a jeweled navel ring as well. The Russian blonde clips her hair back and exposes her ears which are also pierced multiple times on each side. “Ok, girlie. Do you have a preference for bangs?” I think for a brief second. “Do as you see fit. I trust your judgment and knowledge of the bar patrons.” I wink at her and grin. “Do you do piercing as well?” I inquire. Gavin’s body moves up straight in his chair. My eyes are closed, but I am able to feel his aura move and shift. “Yes, is there anything particular you interested in?” “I don’t really know. I have none, not even my ears. I’ve always thought about it.” I can feel her wetting my hair and combing it out. I can feel waves of interest and I think arousal hitting me from Gavin’s direction. I wonder what he would want me to get.

I try to pretend I am thinking, but I am really concentrating on trying to hear Gavin. I can hear other people, but I have never initiated it. The mental messages just hit me like torpedoes.
“Try focusing on a memory, a strong one.”
What the hell?

Who was that?
“Natasha?”
I question.
“Yes, you want to know just try.

I’ll leave you now.”
Holy shit! This is awesome. Ok concentrate. I go back to the moment in the shower when Gavin looked down into my eyes searching for acceptance and sharing his deep feelings of passion for me. All the sudden like a flash of light I was in. Shhh…I told myself. Just listen.
“What the hell is she thinking over there? She wants to pierce something? Her eye brow might look ho, definitely her navel. She can do whatever she wants to her ears, she would look good no matter what, but if she got a snake bite it might make her look too rough. I like the soft features of her face. Why isn’t she answering Natasha?”
“I don’t really know Natasha. I mean I should get my ears done, but what about like my eye brow or my navel? What do you think? You have a few.” I felt Gavin’s aura pulse and dance in anticipation of my decision.

“Ears are easy. Your facial structure is good for eyebrow ring as accent.

Navel is really up to you. Takes some time to heal and you be careful not to get it caught on anything.” The Russian explains.

Natasha keeps clipping and snipping away at my beautiful hair and I just keep hoping Gavin is right about her talent. I can tell she is close to done when she gets out the blow dryer and hair products. My eyes are still closed but I can hear the lids being unscrewed from jars and tops being popped off aerosol cans. “Open your eyes.

See new face of Zoe!” Opening my eyes I gasp. The reflection staring back at me is edgy, modern, and sexy. Natasha has given me bangs that fall across my forehead to the side over my right eye and layered it in choppy angled layers the longest reaching barely to my shoulders. I look over at Gavin to gauge his reaction. I can feel the waves of lust roll off of him and his aura is pulsing and dancing. “Maybe I should step in back and give you two some, how do you say, privacy?” Natasha giggles and Gavin’s face turns red. We both laugh at him and he turns to face the window. “How about those piercings,” Natasha asks. “I think we should do the ears and eye brow.” I announce. Gavin spins back around with a grin on his face. “How many in the ears and which brow?”

Natasha asks. “You are the pro. Do what looks best!” “Ooo…fun!” Natasha gets to work.

Gavin and I leave hand in hand with Natasha’s number programmed in my phone and a silly photo of her that will pop up every time she calls. Gavin had to hold my hand while she did the piercings so I didn’t accidentally electrocute her or throw her against a wall. It was actually becoming easier to control things, but I was no pro that is for sure. Gavin kept sending graphic pictures through our connection and I had to pull my hand out of his so I could concentrate enough to walk.

“You are such a pervert!” I scold him. He shrugs and a smirk spreads across his face. “Where are we off to now Gav,” I ask. “Food and clothes,” he answers. “I didn’t hurt you did I? You know, with the mark that was on your hand?” “Not much he lifted his hand, there was no visible mark.” “You know I didn’t mean to, right?” “Of course, you didn’t mean to ZZ. I’m not stupid.”

Gavin just smiles and we get back into the truck.

We spend the rest of the afternoon going from store to store as Gavin dresses me and then buys my clothes. By the time he feels satisfied with my new wardrobe and the few things he buys for himself it’s 6pm and I am dog tired. Speaking of the dog...”Gavin did you leave the back door open for Relic? If you didn’t you get to clean up her mess!” “Nah, I left it open for her she should be fine and her bowl was full when we left.” He grinned cockily. We may live on the third floor but we made a grass patch on our balcony in a big flat planter so Relic could always take care of her business while we were out. While we make the long three flight journey up the stairs to our apartment, I remember what Natasha had said to me before she started chopping my hair. The Russian said something about me being the famous guardian. I’ll have to remember to drill him on that one later.

When we reach the top of the stairs I can hear the dog whining from the other side of the door. Gavin gets the door open and she leaps up putting her paws on his shoulders. Relic licks his face in greeting. “Nice to see you too drooling mutt,” he mumbles under his breath. Gavin helps me set all the bags on the futon and then he clips Relic’s leash on. “I’ll be back in a couple minutes and I better not find you passed out on any floors when I get back ZZ!” He warns as he disappears out the door.

I lock it behind him and start to rummage through the bags. I take mine to my room and start hanging things up and putting things in the correct drawers. I hear Gavin’s key hit the lock and he calls out my name as he and the dog return. “I’m in here.” I respond. His head pops around the corner and he makes his way to where I stand near the dresser. I turn back around to finish putting clothes in the drawers and I feel his arms slip around my waist. He nuzzles the back of my neck with his nose and in doing so parts my hair exposing my neck.

His touch is already like flames on my skin and my mind starts to blur. I can feel his lips against my neck and I lean into his embrace. It’s strange how long I have wanted this with him and never really realized so did he. Relic interrupts us by ramming her food bowl into my thigh. I look down at her and pat her head. “You would want to eat right now wouldn’t you,” I say to her. I unwrap myself from Gavin’s embrace and follow the dog to the kitchen to feed her.

After feeding the dog I rummage through the bags we left on the counter for our subs and chips. I grab the deli bag and spin to the fridge to get us some drinks. I grab myself a bottle of coke and two beers for Gav. I kick the door shut with my foot and head to the living room.

As Zoe comes around the corner from the kitchen I have to do a double take. She just doesn’t look like herself. I mean she looks like herself, but well, hotter is the only way I can explain it. It’s like taking a gem that is already beautiful and polishing it to make it shine. I take the bag and my beers out of her arms and thank her by giving her a peck on the cheek. I want to do so much more, but I can keep myself in check. No need to rush anything. We UN pack our sandwiches and she reaches in her hidey hole in the cardboard coffee table for her secret rum stash to add to her coke. Not legal and already a closet drinker…ha ha. I shake my head at her. “You know you don’t have to hide it in there. I’m not going to steal it.” I smirk at her. Her face reddens and she slugs me in the shoulder.

“I’m not hiding anything!” “Whatever. I won’t judge,” I say through a mouthful of sandwich.

I let Zoe flip through the channels.

I finish my food and empty my first beer. A moment later Zoe finishes and I collect our trash and take it to the kitchen. I grab us each another drink on my way back and plop down next to her. She raises her eyebrow and the sunset seeping through the curtains reflects off the jewel on her new piercing above her left eye. How did I get so lucky I wonder? I don’t know. Once I am settled Zoe wiggles her way into my arms and snuggles up next to me. I open the other bottle and let the dark beer linger on my tongue before swallowing. Zoe sits up for a moment and fixes her new bottle of coke with her rum. When she gets resituated she slips her hand in mine and the fire burns low and steady.
“Now, you have some more explaining to do Mr.!”
I know she is grinning even though I can’t see her face.
“Ok, tell me what have I promised to remember to explain?”

“How am I so special? Who is it people think I am?”
Zoe reminds me.
“Oh yeah, well. You know how every religion and ethnic background has myths, legends, you know, stories?”
I ask her. I see her nod in my head so I continue.
“Well, guardians like you and me we have some of those too. It has been said that one day a soul more powerful than any before it will be born and placed into two guardians. It’s been said that they will possess the greatest gifts ever bestowed on any being and they will save all guardians.”
I let out a slow breath as I watch her mull over my thoughts.
“Why do they believe it is us and not someone else?”
She asks. “
It has also been said that one will be hidden and the other will find them before they are known. Others think it refers to the vale we believe your mother put over you. I was the only one who could see your aura.”
Zoe runs through her memories and picks out moments that seem to support those theories.
“I can see why.”
She finally says.
“I don’t know exactly what the gifts are or what we are supposed to do with them, but I guess we can just keep winging it. You know, make it up as we go.”
Zoe pulls her hand out of mine and rolls over to face me.

“Whether or not we have a choice in this, I am glad it’s you with me.” With that she kisses the hollow of my neck and sends a shock all the way to my toes. “Oh god, do you even know what that does to me ZZ?” I groan. “Probably the same thing it does to me…of course I know I can feel it all.” She reminds me. Zoe kisses my neck and then up my chin and finally my lips. I pull away and nuzzle my face in her hair.

“What if you do that thing you did, again? I don’t want to end up knocked out on the floor.” “Gav, just take it slower. Keep your lusty ways in check. I’m not going anywhere, besides, for all we know it was just because we were going at it for too long and my mind was out of whack.” She defends. I didn’t feel like arguing her scent was intoxicating and the heat of her body was driving me wild! “Well, I guess there are some questions we can’t get the answers to by being careful.” I pull her down on top of me and run my fingers through her new hair. All her piercings seem to be practically healed. That didn’t really surprise me. We both seem to heal fast at least she has begun to.

As her face meets mine I give into my own desire. Her lips are sweet from the soda and rum. I slide my hands down her shoulders to the small of her back. I gently apply pressure as my hands move down her body. Zoe begins to run her hands through my hair and grind her body against mine. Her thoughts are erotic, erratic, and fast. We both go blind again and all we can do is feel. I sit up and she straddles my lap our shirts come off and Zoe’s skin feels like fire under my touch. I spin her around so she is sitting on my lap facing away from me. My head is resting on her shoulder.
“What are you doing?”
She questions.
“You said to keep my lusty ways in check and take it slow so I have an idea.”
I think back at her. I am too consumed by running my tongue the soft skin of her neck and shoulders and adjusting myself to actually speak. She is sure to wiggle back and forth across my crotch making me moan into her shoulder. I bite her shoulder and she gasps, but she likes it because she presses her ass against my erection.