Black Lotus

The sex had been amazing. Tia was willing and exciting, and initiated as much or more than he did. She'd promised she swallowed and then proved it several times over. She was confident and direct in bed. Danny thought she had clearly been with a few people before him but, then again, his past wasn't exactly clean.

I can't judge her for that. Besides, I'm with her now, not anyone else.

Danny had always been mercurial with relationships. He'd dated a lot of girls and had a handful of one-night-stands. None had ever amounted to anything lasting—mostly because that physical attraction aside, he usually found they didn't have enough in common to do anything other than fuck. But with Tia, he found the opposite. Though her interests were a little different than his—she preferred anime and Star Trek and he was more into fantasy and comics—her interest came from the heart, giving them a common ground. A lot of boyfriends might not understand why it was important for her to set an alarm for three in the morning to catch a rerun of Akira—"with subtitles, not dubbing," she had stressed—but he got it. He got her tastes and it made it easy to love her. The sex was the bonus for the relationship, not the other way around.

He smiled. It didn't hurt that she was smart, hot, and committed to him.

She does need to get over her temper and her jealousy, though.

His smile slipped a little. As warm and caring as Tia was, she had an insecure jealousy that Danny found off-putting. The incident with Kristen at the comic show had been one of the milder elements. Tia had a habit of glaring at, or even telling off, check-out personnel or waitresses she thought were being overly friendly to him. In a way, Danny found it flattering, since he never thought of himself as anything special—certainly not someone girls would be fighting over, and he loved Tia's dedication. On the other hand, he felt like he was getting increasingly nervous and tense in social situations, as if he had to walk on eggshells every time he interacted with a woman he wasn't related to. Danny hoped that the longer they were together, the more secure she would be; however, the opposite seemed to have happened. He'd told her again and again that he loved her and that he wasn't going anywhere. While Tia was always giddy to hear it, she hadn't altered her behavior either.

He shook his head. It was a conundrum and he wasn't sure how to solve it.

"Danny?"

He blinked and looked up. Phil stood next to him, looking over the tops of his bifocals. "Sorry, Phil. What did you say?"

"You ready to play the final match?"

"Yeah." Danny crossed his fingers. "Is it too much to hope Mike managed to knock Joel out this week?"

"Afraid so."

He sighed. "All right. I'll be right there." Danny gathered up his stuff and moved to the other table.

Joel sat with his chair reclined on two legs, his arms crossed, and a greasy smirk. As Danny took position across from him, Joel let the chair fall to the floor. The metal thunked on the cheap tile. "Ready to get your ass kicked again, Danny Boy?"

"You're the only one around here that likes to get his ass pounded, Jefferson—the bigger and hairier the pounder, the better for you, from what I hear."

"Yeah, your mom's pretty big and hairy."

"That wasn't my mom, that was your last girlfriend's new boyfriend—you know, the one she left you for?"

Joel scowled. Danny knew Joel's last girlfriend had ditched him recently. "You got a big mouth, Carmichael. Maybe someone should shut it."

Danny paused in the act of shuffling. He locked eyes with his opponent. "Anytime you're ready to try."

It hung there between them for a moment. A shadow of uncertainty passed across Joel's face before he uttered a nervous laugh and began tending his deck. A collective sigh rippled through the room and Danny realized they were all waiting for Joel and him to start throwing fists.

Jesus, has it gotten that bad?

Danny had been in a few fights and had done some hand-to-hand sparring in the Army. He figured he could take the asshole easily if it came down to it. Joel was too pampered, too soft—and though he was skinny, he was also utterly lacking in any muscle tone. Attacking Joel outright would cause a lot of trouble, which meant he had to let the other guy make the first move. Would he? Danny glared at the man across the table, whose lip curled when he caught Danny watching him.

Yeah, it's gotten that bad. Sooner or later, we're gonna go at it hammer and tongs. But not yet.

They started the match and immediately, Danny noticed something different. On his first turn, Joel threw down an Island, tapped it for blue mana, and slapped a card on the table Danny had never seen played before. He stared at it.

Ancestral Recall. Danny blinked, then grimaced. Shit, he dug out his Power Nine cards.

"That's right, fuckhead," Joel said. "I'm tired of screwing around with you. I brought out the big guns. Like I said the first time, you don't have a chance."

"We'll see."

The Ancestral Recall allowed Joel to draw three cards immediately. He played two of the free Mox gems, which cost him no mana to play but generated one mana each. He used one to summon a Sol Ring, another mana producer before announcing he was done.

Danny looked at the mess in his hands and was able to play a land card and that was it.

On the next turn, Joel fielded one of his angels. He smirked at Danny.

Danny played another land card and then summoned his own Sol Ring. He'd have to soak up one attack from the angel but after that, he could play something to deal with it.

Joel dropped another Island, tapped some sources, and played another blue card. Danny gazed at it in dismay. Time Walk. It meant that he would immediately get another turn after this. Danny glowered but took the attack from Joel's Angel, suffered through another turn where Joel attacked again, played more land, summoned a strong-looking genie, and then Danny finally got to go. Danny laid another land and went to summon his creature—a miniature dragon that, if he spent enough mana, would be able to slay the angel and genie—only to see Joel's counterspell destroy the dragon. The round spiraled out of control and too far behind to recover, Danny went down to rapid defeat.

Joel laced his fingers behind his head and smiled.

Beside them, Raul glared at Joel with undisguised hostility. Tia gave Danny an encouraging smile which lifted his mood. He dug into his sideboard. Okay, he thought. Showing me nothing new. What can I counter with? Unfortunately, he'd already filled his hand with all the anti-blue and anti-white cards he'd brought. He didn't think it would be enough.

It wasn't. The game was almost a repeat of the first one. Danny managed to play his dangerous Juggernaut card on the third turn but it was quickly destroyed by Joel's Disenchant card, which would destroy any enchantment or artifact on the table, including artifact creatures. A few turns later, it was over.

Danny picked up his cards and replaced them in his pack. He didn't offer to bother to shake hands. He and Joel had gotten past that after the first week. He kept his tone neutral. "Good game."

"Good ass-whipping, you mean. You know, if you wanted help, I'd be willing to sell you my Power Nine. Might help you make a decent deck."

"No, thanks."

Liam stood beside Danny. His eyes widened at Joel's words. "Really? You'd sell them? How much?"

"Maybe two hundred for all of them. For Carmichael, twice that," Joel said, laughing.

Liam slumped and nodded. No one in the room needed to be told the young man didn't have two hundred dollars to spend on Magic cards.

"I don't need your cards, Jefferson," Danny said.

Joel leaned forward. "Tell you what, Danny Boy. Get down on your knees and blow me and you can have them for free."

"You want guys to suck your dick, is that it?"

Joel laughed. "You don't want to do it? Fine. Let your girlfriend. She looks like she can suck-start a Harley."

Roaring filled Danny's ears. He bolted out of the chair with such violence that his legs slammed into the table, nearly tossing it into Joel's lap. Joel catapulted out of his chair and retreated, his eyes wide with fear.

In the periphery of his vision, Danny saw Raul grab Tia by the shoulders. The young woman's face blazed with rage. She shouted, "What do you think I am, huh? Some kind of slut? You son of a bitch!" That was followed by a string of Spanish expletives too fast for Danny to follow, though he figured she was questioning Joel's manhood, parentage, and penis size. Raul's grip, however, was too strong for her to break, reducing Tia to screaming and flailing her fists.

Phil pointed at the door. "Enough, Joel. Get out. You're banned from the store."

"What?" Outrage filled Joel's voice. He scooped up his cards and his bag. "This asshole tried to attack me."

Danny's voice dropped to a growl. "If I attacked you, you'd be on your way to the hospital, or the morgue."

"Nobody else here has a problem with Danny, man. Just you. You piss off everyone you play and I'm tired of your shit." Phil pointed at the door. "Out."

Joel's lip curled. "Fine. This two-bit store isn't worth it anymore. I'm going to play with the big boys, up in Phoenix. See you at Superstition Con, Carmichael ... unless you're too much of a pussy to show up." He ran out the door without another word.

Without Joel in the room, the level of tension eased. Danny relaxed and rubbed his neck. "Sorry about that, Phil."

"Hey, man, don't worry about it. That cat has some serious problems. You, uh, want to claim his prize?"

"Nah, save it for next time." He turned to Tia, who had ceased struggling but still glared in the direction Joel had gone. "Sorry you had to hear that, Tia."

She blinked and refocused on Danny. Her aggression vanished, replaced by a wide smile. "Why are you sorry? It's that pendejo I want to kill, not you." She shrugged Raul's hands away. "What did he mean by Superstition Con?"

Danny watched the room empty. Since the "excitement" had ended, most of them were packing up and leaving. Mike nodded to them as he walked out. In the span of a few moments, he, Tia, and Raul were the only ones in the room. Danny said, "It's a convention next month, out on the east side of Phoenix. They're planning a massive Magic tournament. Two-hundred fifty-six players. Supposed to start at seven in the morning that Saturday and go until they finish. Twenty-five-dollar entry but the winner walks with two grand." He grinned. "We're already all signed up."

"Who is?"

"All three of us. I paid the entry fees for us."

Raul bumped fists with him. "Thanks, hermano. I gotcha covered."

"I know you do, brother."

Tia put her hands on her hips. "Do I have to pay you back too or do I get a girlfriend pass?"

Danny ran his eyes up and down her body. "You can pay me back in other ways."

Raul groaned and rolled his eyes.

For her part, Tia blushed and looked away but even then, Danny spied the small smile forming on her face. He said, "They should be mailing our passes and entry cards this week. I had them send yours directly to your apartment. In the meantime, we have that doubles tournament next week. That'll be a good chance to practice."

They nodded. The doubles tourney was being hosted at another big store in town, the Cool Cactus Comic Shop. The owners there had just started getting into Magic tournaments, hosting the events on Thursday evenings. Danny had tried the first few times but found the organizers to be a bit more formal and stiff than Phil and Barry, and they charged a higher entrance fee, so he hadn't been back. Team play was something he hadn't done much of and it piqued his interest. Danny and Raul had planned to play as a team but, on hearing about the tournament, Tia had begged Danny to play with her, saying it was something they could do together. Unable to deny Tia when she put her hands on his shoulders, caught her lip between her teeth, and stared into his eyes, Danny had relented. Laughing at that, Raul had asked Mike to play with him and to their surprise, the taciturn man had agreed.

Raul chuckled. "Yeah, we'll see how that goes. Playing as a team takes a different strategy."

Tia threaded her arm through Danny's. "Doesn't matter. We'll have fun regardless. Right?"

"Right," Danny said with a straight face. "As long as we win."

She snorted and punched him in the shoulder.

#

Tia rose from the bed and stretched her arms over her head. She arched her back and tilted her head. Her curly black hair swished as she cracked her neck. The curve of her body thrust her hips toward the bed.

Danny gazed at her perfect backside. Even though his cock was all but raw, it still twitched at the sight. He never got tired of seeing her ass or squeezing and kissing it.

She glanced over her shoulder and laughed. "Good view?"

"Awesome. You are so sexy."

She turned and half-bent over the bed. She kissed him gently. "I need something to eat before we go. And a shower." She sniffed. "We both need a shower." She turned and headed for the door.

Danny sat up. "What are you doing?"

"Going to make a sandwich."

"Naked?"

She shrugged. "Why not?"

"But ... what if Raul comes in?"

"He's gonna be at work right until he comes to the tournament and then go straight there. I already told him you were coming over a couple hours early. He knows what that means."

Danny shook his head. "I can't get over how open you are about your sex life with him, Tia."

Tia turned and slithered back into the bed with the grace of a swan. She snuggled up to Danny. The heat from her body beat at him. "Why not, amor? He knows I'm a big girl now. Plus, I know about all his lovers. We share the space here, so we both think it's best when we're honest. Avoids misunderstandings. Besides, we don't discuss details. It's not like I tell him how often you—"

"I got it." He squeezed her shoulders and she sighed contentedly, pulling closer. "You know I love you, right?"

"I love you too, Danny." They cuddled for a few seconds before she lightly slapped him on the chest. "But we should probably get going."

They ran through the shower together, without getting too distracted by each other's bodies. Tia laughed when he tilted his head back and spit a stream of water like he was a marble statue in a fountain.

An hour later found them cleaned, dressed, fed, and on their way out the door. Danny swung past his apartment to drop off the mail and grab his cards, and they were off. He let Tia drive. She liked driving his little Toyota truck, and he found her to be a careful, defensive driver, so even the crazies on the Tucson city streets didn't worry him much. Tia's hand drifted across the gearshift to rest on his thigh. No matter where they were, she always wanted to be in contact with him.

The Cool Cactus Comic Shop sported a modern veneer of glass and white concrete and—unlike The Wizard's Tower—a large parking lot. Tia found a spot; they went inside, hand-in-hand, and signed up for the tourney in the back room, which was crowded with rows of folding tables. He noted some of the regulars from Wizard's Tower, including Mike and Liam. Tia wanted to look at the painted figurines in the case out front, so Danny walked back out front with her and held her hand while she examined them. He thought the workmanship was excellent but felt they were all a little overpriced. Still, he noted Tia's eyes lingering on one six-inch figure of a winged valkyrie with sword raised aloft.

Tia murmured, "Oh, I like that one."

"Do you?"

"Yes. Look at all the detail in her armor and her wings. She's beautiful."

Impulse seized him. "Let's get it."

Her eyes widened. "No, it's too expensive."

"Not if it makes you happy." Ignoring her half-hearted protests, he had the store's cashier pull it from the case and ring it up. He was happy to see it came with a styrofoam box to keep it from getting broken when traveling. Danny handed it to her. "Here you go, Tia."

She cradled the figurine in both hands and stared at it for a moment before she looked at him again. Tia wiped a tear away and her voice fell to a whisper. "Gracias, Danny."

Their lips met in a gentle kiss. Danny's heart hammered in his chest and his mind swam. He and Tia had fucked each other raw but the power of their passion at that moment made him feel invincible. He felt an overpowering need to grab Tia, rush to the nearest church, and make her his forever.

They broke apart after a moment but she stayed close. Her hot breath tickled his neck. "I love you so much, Danny. I hope you know that."

"Same, woman." He smiled at her. "Now, come on. Box that lady up and we'll put her in the truck, so she'll be safe." They did, then came back and resumed browsing.

A few moments later, Danny saw Raul wander in. His best friend clutched a knapsack and still wore his work clothes. "Hey, hermano. Ready to kick some ass?"

"Yeah." Raul shook hands with Danny and hugged his sister. "Is Mike here?"

Tia pointed. "We saw him in the back."

"Good, I'm gonna go see if he wants to work out a strategy." He wandered into the tournament room.

Danny cleared his throat. "We should probably do the same."

"What's there to know? You concentrate on killing them and I'll cover you. My deck should complement yours nicely." She raised an eyebrow. "You helped me build it, remember?"

"You're probably right. Let's just have fun."

He leaned in and gave her a light kiss. For a moment, Danny's heart soared. And then ... that voice he hated so much interrupted his thoughts.

"God, I'm gonna be sick."

Danny broke away and counted to five before he turned to the speaker. "If you're busy puking, Joel, at least none of us have to listen to the bullshit coming out of your mouth."

Joel glowered.

Danny caught a glimpse of the man hanging just behind him. "Simon, what are you doing?"

Joel thumbed over his shoulder. "My partner."

"You don't really want to play with his asshole, do you?"

"He wins games," Simon said with a shrug.

The bell over the door jingled and a woman stepped inside. She was six feet tall, blonde, and sported a lithe athlete's body. Danny supposed she was still attractive, in an overly made-up kind of way. Her clothes clung to her curves and he noticed her tits were bigger than he remembered.

The new arrival's cold eyes settled on Danny and she grinned, though there was little warmth in it. "Hey, Danny."

He nodded. "Susan. Long-time, no-see."

She slunk across the floor. Danny became very aware of Tia squeezing his hand with ferocious fingers. A quick glance at her flared nostrils and narrowed eyes told him that his girlfriend was on the edge of an outburst.

Susan extended her arms for a hug but Danny extended one hand, palm out. Susan stopped. Her smile slipped. He said, "You still make quite an entrance."

"A girl tries." Her eyes flicked to a steaming Tia. "Who's your friend?"

"Tia."

"His girlfriend," Tia barked.

Susan gave voice to a throaty laugh. "Oh, honey, you're trying too hard."

Danny gripped Tia's arm before she went for the other woman's throat. "So, uh, what are you doing here? Slumming?"

"I just came down to see my good friend Joel compete. Good luck to you." She smirked and sauntered toward the back, followed by an equally smug-looking Joel and Simon.

He already knew Susan's ass was world-class; with the human dynamite smoldering next to him, Danny resisted the urge to verify that fact. He moved his eyes back to the figurine case until she was out of sight.

"Who. The fuck. Was that?" Tia bit off the words in small, sharp bits.

"Susan Prestridge. She was in our graduating class. Head cheerleader, valedictorian, and thorough stuck-up bitch. Her family's pretty well-off. I mean, she drove a Jaguar in high school, if that tells you anything. And I admit, I had a crush on her back then but she wouldn't give me the time of day. She pretty much only dated jocks or other rich kids. I heard she went back east to Harvard or something."