Bait and Switch Retype - Complete

"It's coming out of your paycheck then," Bradley informs me heatedly. "And you, Shanna, make sure your orders are clear enough, that this doesn't happen again!" Our boss turns and storms away, to start berating someone else. I can't remember the last time he was this miserable to work with, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why he is. The place is hopping, the orders flowing generally smoothly, and there is a thirty-five minute wait just to be seated. He should be ecstatic.

"I don't need you to fight my battles for me," Shanna informs me as she turns away to go back to the front. "Thanks, though," I barely hear her add, before she's through the doors separating the kitchen from the dining area.

I feel a bit warmer inside after that, though she still refuses to talk to me.

I'm so distracted by worrying about Shanna, the demons, and dealing with Gina, that I actually DO screw up an order, cooking a steak medium-well, when the customer ordered rare.

"Where is your head, tonight, Nick?" Bradley nearly screams at me after Shanna brings the plate back. "That's twice now, you've screwed up. I can't believe how incompetent you are tonight. What did you spend your vacation doing? Giving yourself brain damage, by running into walls? Smoking pot? Or were you smoking someone's pole, instead? Someone's going to have to cover the cost of that steak, and since I know it's not me that screwed up. . ." He is nearly spitting in my face, he's so angry.

For some reason everything comes to a head, and just seems to be too much: Shanna testing me and then ignoring me tonight, Bradley chewing me out, the world likely ending soon, and angels expecting me to somehow save it. Don't they all understand that the weight of the human race is on my shoulders? Well, Bradley doesn't, but Shanna does. I'm just so sick and tired of listening to my bald boss rant and rave, I almost blow up. I just wish he'd quit yelling.

For one second, one split moment in time; I consider walking away, and leaving them all to their fate. Who knows. . .? Maybe the world can take care of itself. I mean, the human race has made it this far, without my help, or even my interference. Why should I be the only one to defend it? I'm just a geek, after all. Not some military strategist or even a skillful negotiator. What chance do I really stand against the technologically advanced and violently alien demons?

The moment passes, however, and I see Bradley still staring at me, waiting for an answer. Looking around, I see that everyone is staring at us. A part of my mind wonders at that; I mean, Bradley is almost always yelling at someone. Why should they stop and stare now?

Then I realize that the big man isn't just staring at me. His mouth is moving, and so are his arms, but no sound escapes his lips. Everyone stares in shock as the man tries to yell and scream, but no volume comes out. It's not that he's choking; I can easily see and even hear him breathing heavily. Then I feel the switch I'd inadvertently created in him, shutting him up. I have, in effect, switched off his vocal cords.

I can't help but laugh. The whole thing just seems too comical. Here is a man I've feared ever since I started working here. Wider in the shoulders than me, even with the extra muscle I've gained, he stands taller, and with his shaved head, he has this intimidating demeanor that usually puts me in my place. But as he tries to talk, his arms waiving, face going red, and occasionally pawing at his neck, he no longer scares me. Somehow the loss of his voice seems to remove any sense of a threat from him. Like Rand al'Thor, I've remembered how to laugh.

"I quit," I tell him calmly, getting my laughter under control. "I'm sick of dealing with your attitude. You run around here, yelling at everybody, chewing them out for perceived issues, and I'm done with it. Take that steak out of my paycheck too, but I'm through." His eyes bulge in shock as I add the next line. "Better yet, shove that steak up your overbearing ass, along with my last paycheck. I'm done."

I calmly untie my apron, and throw it at his feet. Shanna steps up next to me, unties the apron that she keeps her tips and orders in, and throws it at his feet, right next to my apron; after removing her tips, of course.

"I quit, too," she tells him breathlessly. "I only put up with your bullshit for one reason, and now I don't have to. You can eat my paycheck, for all I care."

Suddenly everyone around us is quitting as well, throwing in their aprons, tired of the way the big man has bullied us, and only now that he can't speak, do they lose their fear of him.

Shanna grabs my hand, and pulls me out of the kitchen, as the aprons pile up at Bradley's feet. Only as I'm walking out the front door, do I think to turn his vocal cords back on, and smile slightly as I hear his roar from the kitchens.

The restaurant has been more than busy tonight, and now he has no one to do the work. I feel sorry for the customers, but that guilt doesn't make up for the torment Bradley has caused.

Shanna still has a hold of my arm, and is dragging me to her car, but I plant my feet, and she takes a few extra steps, before she realizes I'm not following her anymore. I feel heady with power. The episode with Bradley has flipped my perspective, and right now I feel like I can take on the demons, even without my sister's help. I know that thought is foolish, but right now I don't care. Only it's not demons in front of me right at the moment, it's Shanna.

Sweet, loving, sexy, geeky, devious Shanna; the woman that took care of me after the marathon sex session with Lela, who can equal or beat me in video games and is just as geeky as me, has shared her sister with me. . . And then tested me. She ignores me most of the night, barely acknowledging me, when I try to help her out with Bradley. And now she stands there with a half uncertain smile on her face, looking so innocent and cute. I'm sick of the games, and sick of the deceit.

"No," I tell her, my voice quiet, but underlying it is solid granite. She looks at me, and I can see the fear blossom in her blue eyes. She knows what I'm capable of, and is likely thinking I mean to use my ability on her. Hadn't she paid attention when I told her I'm sick of manipulating people? Well, I guess after what I'd done with Bradley, I can understand her forgetting, but I thought she understood me better than that.

"Nick?" she asks me uncertainly, her voice shaking slightly, as she takes a half step back to me.

"No more games, Shanna. What are we? If you're afraid of me, walk away now, and I won't stop you. I won't make you forget, and I won't use my ability on you ever again," I inform her, my voice staying even and firm. "But if you want to be with me, then you're going to have to trust me. Trust that I won't use my switches to control you, and will do anything else in my power to make you happy, so long as you treat me properly. You have to accept me as I am." I pause for only a second, "So I ask you again: what are we?"

She closes the last of the small distance between us, and without hesitation, places her hand on my cheek. "I love you Nick. I'm sorry for what I did with Julia. I do trust you. I thought about it, and I realize that you made those switches in me some time ago, but only today have I ever been happy when I had no reason to be. I know you won't use your ability on me, to manipulate me." Her blue eyes look directly into mine, and I don't doubt her sincerity. "I want to be with you. . . But only if you still want me."

"Why have you been ignoring me tonight?" I demand, ignoring the plaintive look in her long-lashed eyes.

She drops her gaze to the ground for a moment, and I see her breath mist in the cold air three times before she answers. "I. . . I don't know what to say. You're almost like a god now with your abilities, and what am I compared to that? Hell, I can't even match up to your sister, with her ability to magnify yours." She lifts her gaze back to mine seeking understanding, but I keep my mouth shut, waiting for her to continue. "Why would you want someone as lowly and simple as me? Frak it, Nick! I love you, but I can't see any reason you would want to be with me. You can have anyone you want, with your switches." Her gaze grows fiercer. "I don't want to stand in your way, but after what you did in there, I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep you." I almost. . . almost, laughed at her Battlestar Galactica terminology.

I can still hear the uncertainty and fear in her voice, as she turns her face to mine. I know I have a choice right now. Kiss her, and she's mine, but that means dropping Gina, Nancy, Professor Frankens, mom, and Summer. . . Summer. . .

"You know I still have to be with Summer in order to stop the demons," I say carefully, worry that this one thing may crumble the house of cards, I feel I'm standing on.

I feel her lips on my chin, before she gives me her answer, "As long as I'm there. Do that for me, and I am all yours."

For a moment I'm afraid. Lela's ship will be the most dangerous place in the coming confrontation. Shanna kisses my chin again, and I know my answer now, as I drop my head, and meet her lips with mine. For good or ill, Shanna is now officially my girlfriend.

* * *

We drive to her place, me following in my car, and barely make it in the door, before clothes go flying; neither one of us cares if anyone else is there, as we go straight to her room. As soon as I walk in, I take but a moment to look around, and remember part of why I find this woman so wonderful: from her anime posters, to her figurines, and even her gaming systems, this woman is a true match for me.

Shanna grabs the back of my neck, and pulls me to her naked torso, bringing me back to the reason we're here. Our tongues entwine with one another, as my hands roam across her smooth back, and I feel hers grip my rear end. My throbbing penis is poking her in the ribs, and I pull her tighter to me, squeezing my member between us. I can easily feel her hardened nipples pressing against my chest.

She spins us around, and suddenly shoves me away from her. Caught off balance, I trip backwards over her bed, and land on my back. She smiles wickedly at me, and I can't help returning the smile. She saunters slowly over to me, lightly running a finger seductively from her lip, down along her breast, belly, and then finally to her pussy. I can see that her crotch is already sopping wet, when she pulls her finger away, and a string of liquid connects her finger back to her crotch.

She reaches the bed by this point, bends over my waist, and licks her way up my thigh, until she reaches my balls. Sucking one of my eggs between her lips makes me moan in pleasure, before she licks her way up my shaft to the head. Her eyes meet mine with a smile in them for a bit before she swallows the large head between her soft lips, and I feel myself hit the rear of her throat.

Dropping my hands to the back of her head, running my hands through her red-dyed hair, I enjoy how her tongue lashes around my prick while she sucks on the knob. She has nowhere near the skill of Polkins, or even mom or Nancy, but what she lacks in skill, she more than makes up in vigor.

She pulls her head up, and uses her saliva to run her hand up and down my member. "I know you won't use your ability to control me," she says softly, and I grow suddenly wary, "but are you willing to use it on me if I want you too?"

My first impulse is to deny her, but if she wants me to, then I won't really be manipulating her, right? "What do you have in mind?" I ask cautiously.

"I'm just thinking how much more interesting this can be, if you use your switches to stimulate or entice me, while we make love," she says, emphasizing her words with a quick lick along the length of my shaft. The word 'love' leaves her lips with a purr and I feel a delicious shiver run along my spine.

"Are my skills not good enough?" I ask, slightly insulted.

"No!" she promises immediately, realizing how she must have sounded to me. "I have never had a better lover, I promise. I just want to get really kinky, is all," she pouts cutely.

Why not? I figure. If it makes me a better lover, and truly pleases her, then is there really any reason not to, other than being selfish?

I use my hands on the back of her head to guide her back to sucking my cock, as I make more switches in her. She moans around my cock as her nipples grow stiff, and become more sensitive, rubbing against my shins, her pussy gushes as I increase its flow, and just for good measure, I make her asshole start to tingle. She starts to go wild, sucking hard on my long rod, and using her hands on the length that can't fit into her mouth, as I feel her have a slight orgasm.

"How's that?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Oh, frak, yeah!" she moans, diving up my body, and kissing me passionately. Her hands are travelling all over my body, as she's overcome with sexual desire. I feel her reach down, and try to get my cock into her sopping wet slit, but I'm not ready for that yet.

I break the kiss long enough to flip us over, and tell her, "Uh-uh," before taking a second to suck on her hard sensitive nipples. I kiss my way lower and as soon as my lips touch her swollen labia, her liquid cum gushes out of her, coating my face in the delicious substance. I love the way this sexual woman tastes, and lap up all I can. Nibbling on her labia, and sucking hard on her clit, I shove my tongue as deep inside her small hole as I can. All of that in conjunction with my switches sends her into orgasmic bliss again and again.

Finally she can't stand it anymore, and painfully grips my ears, pulling me up, until we're eye to eye.

"If you don't stick that fat fraking cock in my pussy right now, I'm going to lose it," she informs me through gritted teeth.

"Aye, aye, Starbuck," I tell her, grinning to let her know I'm enjoying her terminology. Wondering what exactly 'losing it' means, I decide to oblige her. My cock slips into her, all the way up to her womb, in one stroke. She's never been this wet before, and as soon as I'm seated inside her, her cunt grips my length hard, as she comes yet again.

I decide that I'd better dial back my switches a little, or she's going to be too worn out, before I even have the chance to finish.

"Oh, god," she moans, with her hands on the back of my neck, and our foreheads touching, "I never knew anything could feel like this!" She presses her lips to mine, in a hungry kiss for a few seconds, when I feel her legs wrap behind me, and pull me into her even deeper. Once more I feel that strangling circle engulf my rod, and moan with her at how good she feels. "Fuck me, Nick. Fuck me hard, NOW!" Apparently we are done with 'Fraking,' and now it's time to 'Fuck!'

I pull out until I feel that ring slip loose, and then drive back into her, making us both grunt. She's so wet and hot inside, it feels like my hotdog is in an oven getting cooked, but it feel so good, I don't want to stop.

I roll us over, and get fully seated inside her womb again, as I pull her chest to my lips and suck hard on her sensitive nipple. Her hips start rocking back and forth with a fervor that will soon have me coming, as it whips my cock around inside her womb. I look down between us, and can see her frothy juices pooling on my pelvis. I can even feel a steady stream of them running between my balls and thighs.

Suddenly Shanna yelps, as her cunt clamps down harder than ever before on my meat, and I start to cum with her, shooting my seed deep into her, filling every bit of her vagina.

Shanna's still breathing heavily, when she collapses on top of me, her cheek pressed to mine, and it takes me a moment to realize that she actually passed out.

I soon follow her into slumber.

* * *

We're in my car, driving, with the sun setting behind us, and the moon already sitting high in the sky.

"You don't have to come with me," I tell Shanna. I've tried to talk her out of coming, without trying too hard, and making her suspicious, but it hasn't worked. "I promise you, that I plan on breaking it off with Gina."

"I know," she tells me calmly, her hand lightly resting on my thigh. "I just want to have a small talk with Gina, too," she tells me. "I trust you."

I wonder at that, wondering if she's playing some game or another, but she's assured me she's not. Calling Gina over the phone to break it off isn't an option for me. I feel like it's the chicken shit thing to do, and know that the blonde deserves better than that. Shanna insists on coming with me, and I'm just not up to arguing with her anymore.

"Now, you told me that Gina knows about your ability, but not how you got it, right?" Shanna asks me, her tone curious. "And not about the alien?"

"Yeah," I answer, wondering what Shanna is planning on talking to Gina about, "she knows nothing about Lela."

"Lela, yes. What about her mom?" she asks next.

"To the best of my knowledge, Nancy doesn't know about any of it," I tell her.

"You know, you can make her forget all about you," Shanna tells me solicitously, and I glare at her. She knows how I feel about using my power like that. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Sheesh, you'd think I asked you to rob a bank of something."

"Not a bank," I mumbled, "just someone's mind and memories."

"Well, I guess if you put it that way. . ." she says quietly. "But how do you explain what you did to Gina and Nancy, then?"

"I was still learning, and made mistakes," I tell her defensively. "That's why I'm so careful about using them in people now."

"Okay," my girlfriend finally relents. And then changes tactics. "What about me?" She asks, and I'm thoroughly confused. "Can you tell if I have the magic gene? Maybe I could magnify your power, so you won't have to lay with your sister."

"It doesn't work like that," I try to let her down softly. "Everyone seems to react differently to the gene being activated. In some, nothing happens. In others, they simply die. Only a few gain abilities."

'She doesn't have the gene.' Somehow it doesn't surprise me that Lela is watching us at the moment. I decide against telling Shanna the news.

She remains silent for the rest of the drive. I can understand her drive, though. She now sees me as some mythic person, and is trying to find a level ground to stand on. Shanna isn't the type of woman to stand behind a man. She wants to be right next to me.

When I ring the doorbell, Nancy answers the door.

"Oh, Nick! I didn't expect you. Come in!" She's cheerful as she greets me and even smiles as Shanna comes in after me. "I'll go get Gina."

"That's okay, mom." Gina says at the top of the stairs, "I'm here." She looks at Shanna for a few seconds, her mouth tight, before looking back to me. "I wasn't expecting you either, and by the look on your face, I can guess why you brought Shanna. . . Or is it Shannon? I can't tell you two apart," this last bit's directed at my girlfriend.

I'm not aware of any look on my face, thinking that I'd kept my features calm, but I guess Gina knows me too well to fool her.

"I'm Shanna," the woman says, "and I actually made him bring me. I want to talk to you, if you don't mind."

I can see the hurt in Gina's eyes, and it hurts me too, but she's always known that we aren't right for one another. At least, that's what I tell myself. Am I making a mistake with Shanna? Only time will tell, and even then, only if I defeat the demons.

Gina shrugs her shoulders despondently before turning around to head to her room, and Shanna follows. When I step after her, Shanna stops me. "You stay and keep Gina's mom company. This is girl talk."

"Be nice to her," I say, and she arches an eyebrow at me, while she bats her long lashes. I don't buy the innocent look.