In-Genie-Us!

Her face blushed furiously. "No," Gene continued. "She doesn't. Oh, she might suspect something, deep down, but she would never admit it to herself, because you've never given her a chance to think about it. That has to end. Starting today. You don't have much time. So for once in your too-short, blighted mortal life, Riyad, you have to be the aggressor. You can't stand there making cow-eyes at her and hoping she'll notice. Because she won't. Not because she doesn't care for you, in her own slightly dim way. But because you've been friends for so long that she can't imagine the two of you as lovers. And I don't want to be the one who has to pick up the pieces if this all goes to hell."

Margie's Bridal was tucked away in downtown Mayfield, comfortably snug between Antonya's Candles and a sewing supply store. She parked on the street and walked up to the shop, Gene sauntering slowly after, surprised at how her long legs ate up the ground, and the difference in the way people she passed acted. Before, she had always had to duck out of the way on the narrow sidewalks. Today, other people gave were giving her room.

I could get to enjoy this.

The bell rang as she entered the store, and the four bridesmaids turned as she approached. "Hi, Ray."

"Hi, Tara. Wendy. Odette. Jenny." She nodded at each one, feeling amazingly awkward. Inside this pristine, jasmine-scented shop, she felt appallingly, disgustingly male, as out of place as a harsh, croaking crow in a chorus of songbirds. "Where's Allie?"

"In the dressing room." Tara grinned. "By the time she's done, that dress is going to look like it was painted on her. I'm pretty sure her grandma is going to pass right out when she sees it. That girl might be a Baptist, but the wedding dress isn't so sure."

Shanaya smiled, but her belly growled in a convincing display of hunger, and the other girls snickered as she blushed. She had eaten the apple and the muffin on her way to the bridal shop, but her new body was insisting that hadn't been nearly enough for breakfast. She made her way over to a little nook, where a tasteful display of finger-sandwiches were laid out to keep the people who had to wait from perishing of hunger. She ate two, then a third, then turned at a chorus of giggles.

"I know, girls. Isn't he absolutely scrumptious?" Gene whispered conspiratorially. "And not a gay bone in his body, more the pity. You cannot imagine how good his ass looks in a pair of bikini briefs."

"You've never seen my ass in a pair of bikini briefs," she shot back.

"See the way he treats me?" Gene gave a limp-wristed pout, his hand flopping vapidly as he batted his eyes at her. "And after I saved his old homestead from those terrible cattle rustlers, too." He winked at the other bridesmaids, who were nearly in convulsions. "I told him that my gun had more than six bullets, but did I get any gratitude? Of course not. Men," he sighed. "They're all the same."

She turned away, the tips of her ears burning, but she could feel the eyes of the bridesmaids on her. A few minutes later, Wendy sauntered over, her hips swaying saucily under her skin-tight blue jeans. A full-figured brunette, she had been on the cheerleading team in high school, though she was a year younger than Allie or herself.

"God, Ray, where did you find that guy?" she giggled. "He's funnier than a dog with a mouthful of peanut butter."

"Oh," she said vaguely. "You know. Up at school. We had a couple of classes together. He's like a bad penny. You never know where he's going to pop up."

Wendy smiled up at her, and she found herself looking down at her generous chest. "You know, I think it's pretty shitty that Brad didn't invite you to the bachelor party. You are part of the wedding party, after all."

She shrugged, trying to think on her feet. "That's all right. I don't really know any of his friends, and I think most people know that I don't think he's good enough for Allison. And the only reason I'm a groomsman is because Allie insisted. It'd be just plain weird if I went. Besides," she said gallantly, "then I wouldn't be able to hang out with all of you lovely ladies."

"You're sweet." Wendy slid a bit closer. "You know," she said, "all this wedding stuff has me feeling kind of...romantic. Everyone knows that you've been carrying a torch for Allie since we were all in middle school. And that for some reason she's never looked twice at you. After the reception is over, how about you and me go somewhere and have some fun? Or," she added, indenting her lower lip with her teeth, "we don't even have to wait that long. You're really cute, Ray. And it's a damn shame that the girls around here don't notice."

Shanaya swallowed. Inside her shorts, her cock felt oddly heavy, tingling pleasantly. What would it feel like, she wondered, to have Wendy's large breasts in her hands, to feel her nipples grow fat and thick under her touch?

"Ray!" Allison's voice broke the spell like a bucket of cold water. She turned away, but not before he could see Wendy's grimace of frustration. "You're here!"

She hardly had time to blink before she found herself on the receiving end of a huge hug. She gathered her friend into her arms, amazed at how they fit together, the top of Allison's head snugging in beneath her chin. She felt so warm and soft in her arms, so right. In her shorts, her cock gave an enthusiastic twitch, laying fat and thick against her thigh.

"I said I would, didn't I?" she whispered, her breath stirring her friend's curls.

Allison's arms tightened, then she let go, tipping her head up to look into her face. "God, I'm glad you're here. With Brad halfway to Mexico by now, I need a man's opinion."

"Halfway to a whorehouse, if I know him," Odette muttered, just loud enough for them to hear.

Allison pretended not to notice. "So?" she asked, turning slowly. "What do you think?"

Shanaya swallowed as a surge of pure need poured through her. From the moment they first met, she had thought her friend was lovely. But now, in her wedding dress, her beauty struck her at an instinctive, primal level.

She was swathed in white lace from chest to knee. But the shimmering white cloth revealed more than it hid. Tiny gaps showed tantalizing glimpses of Allison's tan skin. And her neck and shoulders and upper chest were completely bare, the neckline of the dress plunging in a deep vee that exposed the inner swells of her large breasts.

"Holy Kali preserve me," she breathed, feeling the blood pounding in her groin. Desperately, she tried to shift so her rising cock wouldn't tent the fabric of her shorts and reveal her uncontrollable desire. "Allie, he doesn't deserve you. You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life."

Allison stared at her, taken by surprise by her blurted confession. "Oh! I almost forgot." Shanaya dug in her pocket. "I have something for you."

Her friend glanced down, then back up quickly. Her skin darkened. "Yeah," she whispered unsteadily, biting a lip to hold back a lewd snicker. "I think you do."

"Well." Caught out, she decided to brazen her way through it. "Can you blame me? It's your own fault, you know."

The blond girl cocked her head. "My fault?" she said quietly, as if she didn't want the other girls, gossiping in the corner with Gene, to hear. "How?"

She grinned. "Well, if you were a pimply, horse-faced, sour-mouthed old bitch," she observed, "I don't think I would have had this sort of reaction." She pulled out the necklace, wrapped in its black velvet cloth. "Ready to try it on?"

"Sure." She turned, lifting her hair off the back of her neck. "Put it on for me?"

Shanaya set the necklace on Allison's chest, then moved her fingers to the chain, her fingers fumbling at the clasp. Somehow, she couldn't concentrate. Allison's warm, female scent was all around her. And they were so close, her chest against the blond girl's back as she tried to do up the chain, her groin pressing softly against Allison's bottom. She closed her eyes, fighting for control. And was it her imagination, or was Allie pushing back towards her just the tiniest bit, her rear swaying in a circular motion as she rubbed against her burgeoning erection?

The clasp caught with a faint snick, and she backed away, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt. Allison hurried to a mirror, exclaiming in delight.

"Oh, my God, isn't this gorgeous?" Drawn by her excitement, the other girls wandered over as well. She fingered one of the gold links. It seemed to glow with its own inner light, making the dress appear even more dazzlingly white. "Ray, this is wonderful! Isn't it, girls?"

Tara shook her head. "Jesus. We might as well give up right now, ladies. We don't have a chance. No one at the wedding is going to notice anyone but Allie. Where in the world did you get that necklace, Ray? She looks like something out of a Hollywood movie!"

"Bollywood, more like," she said. She had introduced Allison to the wonders of India's over-the-top movie industry years ago, and every few months, she and her friends indulged in a binge watch of the latest hits, giggling at the elaborate song-and-dance scenes and choreographed fights.

"It's perfect," Tara said firmly, and the rest of the girls murmured agreement.

"And all I have to do is not gain one single pound in the next twenty-four days," Allison said. Her hand fingered a link in the necklace, and she caught Shanaya's eyes in the mirror. "Thank you, Ray," she said. "This means a lot to me. Please thank your mom for me, too. It can't be easy to let someone else wear your mother's jewelry."

"Jenny?" Margie herself emerged from the fitting room, a cloth measuring tape draped around her neck like a prayer shawl. "You're next."

"Ugh," the dark-haired girl said. She slapped her bottom. "Now we'll see how much of Mom's cooking has gone to my ass in the last month."

Allison's phone beeped as Jenny followed Margie into the fitting room. Tara handed it to her. "Brad."

"Well, at least he's checking in. So far." Her fingernails tapped at the screen. "He's on the ground in Cabo. Him and the rest of the crew."

"Already? Good grief. What time did he leave?"

"His flight was at six, out of Memphis. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid," Allison fretted. "I was reading on the internet just a few days ago how the cops down there are all crooked and if they get the chance they'll throw you in jail until you get people back home to pay a great big bullshit fine, even if you didn't break any laws."

"I'm sure he'll be just fine," Tara said soothingly. "He's been there before, right?"

Her friend snorted. "Yeah. The way he talks it up, it's only about one step below heaven. Nothing but booze and sunshine and girls walking around topless."

Tara and Wendy and Odette exchanged looks. Tara sighed and shook her head. Wendy glared at the floor.

Shanaya took her courage in both hands, though her voice seemed to waver in her ears, regardless of its deep tone. "Well, I think he's a damn idiot, Allie. I don't care if the beaches are ass-deep in Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, there can't be a single woman there who's as gorgeous as you are. And I don't see why he has to fly to Mexico to see a pair of naked breasts. Not when he could see yours every night."

"He doesn't even act interested anymore," her friend muttered. A few feet away, Tara's eyes were wide with surprise, but she gave Shanaya a single vigorous nod, as if to say, good, keep going!

She wanted to. She really did. But the words dried up in her throat. How could she pour her heart out here, right in front of everyone?

Luckily, Wendy came to her rescue. "My brother was hanging out with Brad's brother Matt a few days ago. And Matt says that Bobby and the rest of them plan to hit a strip club as soon as they get off the plane. God," she grimaced. "Why are men such pigs?"

"Oink," she muttered, blushing.

"Oh, not you, Ray!" Wendy continued as if Allison wasn't standing there, her hands clenched into fists as she heard about her fiancée's secret plans. "You're almost an honorary girl. One of us, you know? Not that you're gay like your friend over there," she pointed her chin at Gene, who gave them a languid wave. "But we know you've got more on your mind than the next drink or how quick you can get to a titty bar. You're...you're a decent guy, is what I'm trying to say. You deserve a girl. And some women," she said, slanting the would-be bride a look, "deserve better than what they have."

The conversation went on, as each girl was fitted for her bridesmaid's dress in turn. And, in turn, they took turns trashing the groom, never mentioning him by name, but being sure to bring up each fault, each character flaw, and eviscerate him with the sort of genteel politeness which southern girls seemed to learn at their mother's breast.

"Well, bless their hearts," Jenny sighed at last, as Tara came out of the fitting room. "They can't help the way the Lord made them. But you would think that men would try to learn once in a while. At least a little."

"Well, if we did," Shanaya put in, slightly in awe of the complete and utter dismemberment Brad had undergone at the hands of the four young women, "we might figure out that we could get along without you. And then where would you be?"

"Some of us? A lot happier, without a man fucking up our lives," Jenny said bluntly. She smiled at the room. "Well, looks like we're all done. Let's take a look and see if Margie still knows what she's doing."

"I heard that!" came a voice from the back.

The bridesmaids pushed Allison in front of the mirror, and then surrounded her. In their pale green dresses, they looked like spring leaves surrounding a flower with gorgeous white petals. Allison shone, her tan skin glowing as she smiled at their compliments.

"Wait!" Wendy said. "We need a groom. Ray, get over here!"

"Oh, come on," Shanaya said. "Dressed like this?" She gestured at her shorts and t-shirt and deck shoes, feeling ridiculous compared to the five women. "Besides, I'm not really-" she cut herself off as a wave of dizziness broke over her. In the corner, Gene straightened, shooting her a warning glance.

"Not really what?" Wendy demanded. "Come on. We need a man in here."

Reluctantly, she allowed herself to be prodded next to Allison. "Now get in close," Wendy said, pushing at her shoulder. "Gene, or whatever your name is. Get over here." She tossed him her phone. "Take a picture."

"Your wish is my command," the djinn said, winking at Shanaya.

As he snapped the pictures, switching out phones as each bridesmaid demanded pics of her own, Margie wandered out from the back. "Oh my goodness," the older woman breathed, putting her hand over her mouth as she gazed at them. "Ray, you're in the wedding party, right?"

She nodded, wondering what the problem was.

"And who's taking pictures at the wedding?"

"My cousin Bobby," Tara said.

"Well, when he does, you girls make sure he gets some good pictures of these two together, and you make double sure I get a copy. I want to hang one up here in the store." She pointed to the walls, where pictures of other couples were prominently displayed. "My God. I've been making dresses in this town for nearly forty years, and I haven't seen anything like it. The way you two set each other off, like sunshine and shadow. It's unbelievable."

"I'm not that dark," she protested, only to have her comment ignored as if she hadn't said anything at all.

"Come on, chickies." Margie waved the girls in front of her like a flock of ducklings. "Playtime is over. Out of those dresses and back into your regular clothes. We're closing soon."

Twenty minutes later, the women were back in their street clothes. "Whew," Wendy said. She wriggled her body happily. "I'm glad to be out of that thing. It's a gorgeous dress, Allie, and thanks for not choosing something absolutely hideous, but good God, a woman needs room to breathe, you know?"

"You got that right. I'm going to have to put my fridge on lockdown so I don't split the seams on your big day," Tara added. "No ice cream for me until Allie says 'I do.'"

Allison made an unhappy face. "I was hoping we could all go out. I know we didn't really do much for our bachelorette party, so I wanted to buy everyone dinner tonight to say thank you."

But the girls were all shaking their heads. "Sorry, sweetie," Wendy said, and the other women murmured agreement. "I've got a man who expects his dinner on the table as soon as he gets home from the lumberyard. Maybe Saturday, all right? We'll go out, bitch about our husbands and boyfriends, get ripshit drunk, and do something that none of our kids will believe in twenty years."

The girls laughed, but Shanaya could see Jenny giving her the eye. A quick jerk of her head towards Allison made her meaning clear.

She cleared her throat. "I'm not doing anything tonight," she said. "And my mom texted me a little bit ago, saying that her and Dad are going to be driving up to Paducah to visit some friends and maybe hit the casino up there."

"Hold up." Tara stared at her. "Aren't you the one who's always saying that the lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math? But your Mom goes to a riverboat casino?"

"Yeah," she grinned. "But Mom plays poker against people who are even worse at math. They can't believe this sweet little Indian lady is a cutthroat card hustler.

"So anyway, Allie," she finished. "How about I take you out to eat? My treat," she hurried on as Allison hesitated. "Come on. Barbeque at the Boar's Nest. You can't say no to that. I haven't eaten there since last summer."

"Well..."

"Go on, Allie." Wendy smiled at her kindly. "Treat yourself for once. You deserve it."

Her friend smiled. "All right."

Chapter 5: Eaten Out

"Those fucking bitches."

"What?" Shanaya asked, startled, as they drove to the restaurant in her car. They had left Allison's at the store, confident that it would be safe. A far cry, she was forced to admit, from the precautions she had to take in Louisville.

Allison laughed bitterly. "Did you hear them? All damn day. Brad this and Brad that and Brad some other damn thing. I knew they didn't like him, but I didn't think it was that bad. He's my fiancée, and they're acting like they wouldn't spit on him if he was on fire."

I know I wouldn't, she very carefully didn't say. "All we want is what is best for you, Allie."

"Oh, I know." Her best friend slumped back in the seat as they pulled into the restaurant. "It just makes me so damn angry."

"Well, here's the thing," she said cautiously, getting out of the car. She looked across the hood at Allison. "Are they wrong?"

"What? Oh, Jesus, not you too!"

She took a deep breath. Here was her chance. She might never get a better one. "Listen to me, Allie. You know I would never hurt you. And if I'm wrong, you can tell me to go to hell. I'm a big boy. I can take it. But think. You've been going out with Brad for months. You're marrying him in just a few weeks. And I've never actually heard you say that you love him."

Allison stared at her, her mouth hanging wide. Twin spots of color burned high on her cheeks. Abruptly, she turned away, her heels clicking as she crossed the baking parking lot.

Well, she didn't slap me. That's got to be a win, right?

She caught up with her as she entered the restaurant, the air conditioning a welcome relief after the stifling heat outside. Shanaya pretended she didn't see the way Allison's cold-stiffened nipples poked at the cloth of her t-shirt, making the fabric perk up in cute little tents, though her cock certainly did. Inside her shorts, it set up a low, muted throbbing, a sensual counterpoint to the low rumble of the music.