Bloodlines Ch.06

'That'll do nicely. I just want to turn this around, but my food will have to hold up afterwards, I can't afford to have Dick dine here every day to keep my customers happy. He'd empty my pantry within the week.' He laughed gruffly, clapping Garth on the shoulder.

'Be sure to tell Maria if you need anything; though be careful, she has a sharp tongue in that pretty little mouth of hers. Takes after her mother, bless her soul.'

The food critics were not due for another hour, and Garth decided to take the time to walk around the diner, familiarizing himself with the room. As he walked, he took note of some of the other guests, memorizing their relative positions to add to his spatial awareness of the room. He figured it would be good to practice subtly manipulating them to warm up before doing the whole room like Richard had taught him. As he stopped by the counter, looking into the kitchen area, a scent of a flowery perfume caught his nose. He turned and almost bumped into Maria, who had walked up behind him silently. She was standing quite a lot closer than one would expect, her breath smelling slightly peppermint from her chewing gum.

'Anything I can help you with?' She smiled sweetly as she said it, the bottom of her flaring skirt brushing against his pants.

Garth noticed a pronounced spike of Interest and Curiosity from her, and a definite hint of Arousal. Her emotions were more elevated than he usually saw in most people, something he took to indicate she was a passionate person.

'Anything is a rather wide definition,' Garth said and let his eyes trace the line of her neck. He could see her jugular vein pulse, and her Arousal rose a little as he looked.

'I very much want to sample the food here, to begin with,' he trailed off as his eyes met hers again. 'Anything you'd recommend?'

'Ah,' she said, a touch breathlessly, 'my father won't serve the new dish until the critics arrive, but the crispy chicken salad is very good. The seafood pasta is also very good, we got some really nice shellfish delivered this morning.'

'The salad sounds nice, and perhaps some white wine to go with?' Garth smiled at her and pulled a little on her Arousal, just enough to make it obvious if she was paying attention. 'Any recommendations for dessert?'

'I'm sure I can think of something,' she said and tapped his chest with her pen. 'We can discuss it after the critics have left.'

'I look forward to it, it's always nice to have something sweet after a good meal.' Maria smiled as he said it and then brushed past him to go see to his order. On her way past, her hand brushed his thigh, squeezing it a little to show it had not been a coincidence. Garth felt his cock stir a little, enjoying their little game and the potential of something more.

Garth settled down at his table to wait for the food and reached out with his powers, connecting with the handful of other guests. A few couples and some single people out for an early lunch, no one who stood out in any way. Their emotions were also pretty normal, and Garth started slowly raising their emotions, increasing their general mood and enjoyment. Within minutes, the general feel of the room was better, with people laughing and smiling, their voices a little higher. Maria came over with his order and placed it on his table, looking around and noticing the improved ambience.

'Is this your doing?' She asked as she set the food and wine down, bending a little lower than she strictly had to.

'Mhm,' he confirmed, stealing a glance at the expanse of tan flesh at the top of her cleavage. Had she pulled her dress lower before coming over? He swore he could see a slight change in color right about where he would have expected to find the top of her areola. Garth could sense a little Lust from her as well, a good sign that his dessert could be sweet indeed.

'Figured it was best to warm up a little and set the stage, so to speak. The critics are due in another half hour or so, right?' Maria nodded at him, then leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

'We suspect the woman in the corner is actually one of the critics who arrived early. She might be here to get a feel for the mood of the place, and this certainly helped a lot. My father is very happy. And so am I.' She leaned in farther and brushed her lips against his cheek, 'thank you!'

Garth watched Maria as she walked away, her hips swaying for his benefit, he thought. The food tasted just as good as he had hoped, crispy and juicy and everything freshly made. There was certainly nothing wrong with the food here, if this was any indication of the rest of the menu. Garth sat back in his chair a little after finishing the salad, washing away the final bite with the excellent wine. He had kept a steady but subtle influence going on the guests, easing back now and then to see if his work would be self-sustaining. More people had arrived, and Garth swapped to a blanket influence, keeping his touch as light as he could, simply increasing Joy and Contentment for now.

Their suspicion was proven correct when the critics arrived a short while later. Darryl met them at the door to greet them, and the woman in the corner stood to meet them as well. The group of six men and women looked around the room, complimenting Darryl on the décor, as well as the generally festive mood. Guests were chatting and laughing all around, smiling as they ate, liberally helped by Garth, of course. Their enjoyment was very real, he just made sure everyone showed it as well.

Darryl seated the critics two tables over from Garth, near enough that he could hear some of their conversation. Darryl excused himself to go prepare the food, and Maria came over to take their drink orders. She winked at Garth as she passed, blowing him a small kiss as well. Spirits were high all around, and Garth settled in to make sure the critics enjoyed their meal. He tried to listen in on their talk without being obvious, but the din of the room made it hard and he had to settle for facial expressions and their emotions. All seemed pleasantly surprised so far, so they were off to a good start. Garth made sure to dampen any overtly negative emotions they displayed, and pulled their Enthusiasm and Joy up as they received their food. He could hear exclamations of surprise and pleasure at the fancy dish. Their plates looked like tiny art installations of chicken and pheasant prepared in different ways. The smell was delicious, and Garth decided he would have to come back to sample the dish with Erica another day.

Darryl came by to ask about the food after a little while, gauging their reactions. He smiled brightly at their words, the reviews obviously positive so far. He flashed Garth a wide grin and a covert thumbs up as he walked back to the kitchen, his emotions dominated by a spike of Satisfaction, Relief and Joy all mixed together. Garth kept the influence up, shifting and altering it to heighten their experience, but very little effort was needed as they plainly were enjoying themselves. After finishing the food and conferring quietly, they left after thanking Darryl for the invitation.

Darryl came over soon after they had left, settling in the other chair and setting down a bottle of a bright yellow citrus liquor and two glasses. He poured them both a healthy measure and held one out to Garth.

'That was a complete success!' He beamed at Garth and held his glass up in toast. 'I don't know what you did, but it worked wonders. They loved the food and the atmosphere, all but promising me stellar reviews!'

'I merely nudged them along,' Garth said modestly, 'the food was the star of the show. I simply helped them appreciate it to the fullest extent.'

'Well of course the food was the star!' Darryl said with a grin, 'but I cannot thank you enough for what you did here today, this could change everything around for us. I want you to know you can come back whenever and eat for free! Thank you again!' He drained the rest of his drink in a long swallow, then refilled Garth's glass and sauntered back to the kitchen. There was an obvious spring to his steps, his whole frame radiating his pleasure.

Maria swayed over a few minutes later, setting down a plate with a small fruit tart covered in whipped cream. Her mouth was set in a pout, Disappointment prominent in her emotions.

'Looks like we'll have to see about a proper dessert another time, we just received a booking for a party of ten, in fifteen minutes. But next time...' She winked at him and blew him a kiss.

'I'll hold you to it,' Garth said before groaning with pleasure at the taste of the tart.

On his way back, Garth made a detour to a local ice cream stand, picking up a couple of buckets for him and Erica, thinking she would appreciate something cold to soothe her tender skin. He never noticed his follower, a middle-aged man who constantly made notes in a little book as he watched and followed Garth around.

The next day went pretty much as the two before. Richard had him sit in on two different speeches for yet another two companies, something Garth found to be a touch boring. On the one hand, he improved his control, and Richard sat with him after each session to go over his performance and progress, but Garth began to find it slightly tedious.

'I'm not exactly complaining, Richard,' Garth said after their final session. 'But I have to admit it is not very exciting to do the same thing over and over.'

'I completely understand, my boy,' Richard said with a touch of humor in his voice. 'This is the slightly less glamorous part of our existence, but it pays the bills even if it isn't for everyone. I had thought to bring this up today in any event. With your progress, I think it's fair to say you have earned a little respite, so to speak.' Garth nodded appreciatively.

''I don't want to be ungrateful,' Garth began, 'it's just a little, boring, to be frank.' Richard laughed at that.

'Yes, I guess it can be a little boring, at least at first. And like I said, it's not for everyone. Tell you what; why don't you take tomorrow off and go out in the city and practice on your own, then we can meet up on Friday morning and discuss what to focus on over the weekend.' Garth smiled, pleased at the prospect of a little free time.

'Thank you, it'd be great to have a little time to be a tourist as well, and a chance to practice my skills in other settings. I think I've got the trick of seeing the overlay figured out. When I start out by mapping the room first, I can see it clearly now, and I even see glimpses when I walk around the street.'

'Excellent, we'll have you seeing it everywhere in no time; it's just a matter of figuring out the technique. Now, I shouldn't have to, but I must caution you to behave when you use your power outside my direct supervision. A little fun and games is all good and well, but don't abuse your power, and don't get caught by any civilians. Even if you are not being watched, other neuro's will report you if they see you go too far.' That sobered Garth's enthusiasm up a little, but he knew it had to be that way.

'I'll behave,' he said quickly.

'Good boy, now be off and enjoy your free time, meet at 10 at my place on Friday.'

Garth spent the way back to the hotel trying to figure out what to do the next day. There were a number of places he would like to visit while he was in the capital, way more than he had time for, but he figured they would have time to cover at least a few the next day. The forecast was good, so he figured he would suggest picnic at the park and maybe a hike to the small hilltop overlooking the city at least. Perhaps he should call Danny and see if he had a table for them the following evening? He had left Erica to recuperate since her piercing, but he figured it was high time he got back to being Master again, especially if they were going to spend the day out and about. A wicked smile spread across his lips as he got in the elevator, coming up with various ways to push Erica's buttons, both literally and figuratively.

Garth pushed the door to their small suite open and saw a familiar mop of red hairs on the bed, Erica's naked body only covered partly by the white sheet she used in the summer heat. He reached out to give her a welcoming tug of Arousal, his customary greeting. As he connected, he stopped dead in his tracks. That was not Erica! He recognized the emotional patterns, but he could not say for sure who it was yet.

'Master,' Erica whispered in his ear from behind. She had snuck up behind him, coming from the bathroom and surprising him. 'Ginny is all worn out, let's leave her be for now.'

'Ginny?' Garth asked as he turned and let his eyes linger on Erica's naked form as she stepped in close for a kiss. 'What's she doing here? Not that I'm complaining, not at all.'

'I was lonely and horny, and she had the rest of the day off while the two of you were out doing whatever you do with Dick. She wanted to stop by and catch up, and one thing led to another once we started talking about you. I had to show off the piercing as well, and before I knew it we ended up in bed. I think I wore her out after two days without an orgasm.' Erica snickered and radiated Satisfaction. Garth smiled and grabbed a handful of her hair, then pushed her down on her knees and thrust his groin towards her face.

'Be a good pet and get me warmed up before we wake up Ginny.'

'Yes Master,' she replied dutifully and got to work. Garth discarded his shirt as she started sucking his cock. Next, he stepped out of his shoes and the bunched-up pants around his ankles. When his cock was fully hard and covered in her saliva, he pulled her up and led her towards the bed, explaining his plan.

Erica felt very naughty as she crawled carefully onto the bed, trying not to disturb Ginny where she lay snoring softly. She shifted a little as the mattress creaked, but remained insensate as Erica spread her legs and pushed her pussy towards Ginny's face. The piercing still throbbed a little, but the soreness and swelling was all but gone. In any event, her need for sexual stimulation far outweighed any discomfort she felt. Two orgasms were not nearly enough in her opinion.

'Wakey, wakey sleepyhead,' she said in a gentle voice as she stroked Ginny's mop of red hair, her pussy now almost touching her face. 'I have something for you.'

'Whaaat,' Ginny said in a sleepy voice, but smiled widely as she opened her eyes and stared straight into Erica's pussy. 'Is that for me?' Ginny shifted her face forward and licked gently up the exposed slit, then flicked her tongue across the piercing. Erica felt a tiny jolt of discomfort, followed by a wave of pleasure from her groin and up her spine. The piercing flicked against the hidden part of her clit, an entirely new sensation for her. Erica sighed with pleasure and scooted even closer, allowing Ginny to cover her entire pussy with her mouth. She looked up quickly, watching as Master tiptoed closer to the bed, his delicious cock sticking out like a battering ram aimed for Ginny's rear end.

Another wave of pleasure washed over her as Ginny forced her tongue inside her pussy, licking her insides and humming to add vibration.

'Is Garth coming back soon,' Ginny asked as she pulled back for a quick breath, her lower face glistening with juice.

'I'm sure he'll be here soon,' Erica said, 'very soon.' Then she grabbed Ginny's hair and pulled her back down to her pussy.

Garth watched the erotic display, yet again thinking they could have been sisters, maybe even twins if you compared their bodies only. The sheet had slipped from Ginny's body almost all the way, only covering her lower legs. Her ass was almost to the end of the bed, her knees bent and pussy poking out. Silently, Garth got up behind her and aligned his cock with her opening, making sure the angle was just right. With a quick motion, he grabbed her middle in both hands and thrust forward, sinking almost all the way inside in a single thrust. Ginny gasped and turned, though Garth had her pinned and she could only turn her head.

'I'm back,' he said, 'did you miss me?'

'Mmm, yes, I wanted to feel that thing inside me again. Hope you don't mind?'

'Why would I mind,' he asked and started fucking her in long thrusts, holding onto her thigh for leverage. Ginny just laughed and continued licking Erica's pussy.

A few hours later, Ginny walked out the door on unsteady legs, her hair disheveled and knees shaky. They had agreed to meet up the next morning for a trip to the park, but she could not spend the night, unfortunately.

'We used to have so much fun,' Erica said as she nuzzled up to his chest, fingers trailing his curly chest hair. She was draped next to him on the bed, their legs intertwined. Garth could feel the hard nub of her piercing as she softly ground her pussy against his leg, slowly working herself towards another orgasm, it seemed.

'We would spend the weekends at her house when her parents were away, licking and fuckin each other senseless all day. We even had to call in sick one Monday because we were so sore we couldn't walk to school.' She laughed at the memory, grinding her pussy a little harder against his leg.

'I love the piercing, by the way. I can grind myself to an orgasm in minutes like this, and if I cross my legs and bounce them, I can make myself come wherever I want and no one will know.' Garth slid his hand down her spine, stroking her back as she softly rocked against him, her pussy leaving a wet trail on his leg. She hissed as he slowly pushed a finger into her ass, the intrusion making her come. She trembled slightly as the tiny orgasm shook her body before she drifted off to sleep on his chest.

Garth lay there for a while, holding her and caressing her body, wondering what he had done to deserve this. He was definitely falling for her, hard and fast. The thought both warmed and scared him. With very little experience in relationships, he felt a little panic at the way he was feeling, but it felt right as well. He wanted to tell Erica how he was feeling, but he was afraid she would not feel the same. A pretty pickle indeed, he had no desire to settle down in any way, but the thought of losing Erica filled him with dread too. Sleep came slowly, and what there was of it was troubled.

Garth rubbed the sleep from his eyes to find the bed empty. Erica's side was still warm, so she was probably not far off, but when he called for her, he got no reply. He sat up and absentmindedly stroked his morning wood a few times, enjoying the stimulation though not looking to jack off or anything. It was more of a morning ritual. Of course, Erica entered just as he was doing that and arched an eyebrow over the small tray with cups and some pastries.

'I see you decided to start without me,' she said cheerfully while setting the tray down. She shrugged her summer dress off, revealing she had gone to the breakfast buffet with nothing underneath.

'You kept tossing and turning but wouldn't wake, so I decided to get us some coffee and breakfast. I think one of the servers noticed I didn't have any panties on when I dropped a cup and bent to get it, honest mistake.' Garth very much doubted it had been a mistake, at least if her stiff nipples were any judge. He liked how she was growing into her exhibitionistic side, even if it made it harder for him to embarrass her and put her on edge. Luckily, he had some ideas of new buttons to push today.

'Yeah, a lot on my mind lately,' he said and rose to go to the bathroom. 'Richard keeps my busy, and it's all a lot to take in.' Not the whole truth, but at least not a lie either. He did not want to risk talking to Erica about his feelings until he had sorted through what this all meant to him. Erica pouted a little, she had been about to kneel and no doubt play with his cock, but nature called and would not be denied.