Mushrooms Ch. 02

Weird, I thought. But was it that weird? I mean, I was definitely better looking than I'd ever been, but was it enough to make people openly stare?

"You see it too, huh?" Iris commented after coming back. She busied herself wiping the counter in front of me so we could talk. "There's somethin' about you, Brian, an' that's no lie."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Iris subtly jerked her head to the other side of the room, where the women were seated, all in different booths with their friends or families. "Them women sending you looks like you a piece of meat and they starvin' wolves."

She was right. That's what those looks were like. It made me feel a little uncomfortable, even despite my raging confidence. "Maybe," I said, not wanting to give the topic any more oxygen. "Could just be my cologne."

Iris laughed. "Play it down all you want, but I know what I'm seein'. I saw it in that girl you was with yesterday, too."

"Maisy?"

"Yeah. Sparky little thing, she was. Cute, too." She punctuated her words with a wink that had me wondering if she liked girls, too. "Is it really like that, with you and her?" She was talking about what Maisy had said to her, about us being casual, leaving me open for Iris.

"Yep," I said as levelly as I could. The idea was still so alien to me, yet here I was, getting to know Iris at Maisy's insistence. "Sure is."

Iris shook her head wonderingly. "I never expected, you know? Where I come from, that sort of thing is more than frowned upon."

I wasn't surprised. Small towns weren't often known for their progressive thinking. "I hope it's not too weird for you," I told Iris earnestly. I suddenly had the urge to be completely honest with her. "Truth is, I care about her a lot, but at the same time, I was excited to come and see you, too."

Iris eyed me critically, one eyebrow raised. "You ain't toying with me?"

I shook my head slowly. "Nope. In fact, I want you to come around tomorrow. We have a pool and a hot tub." I waggled my eyebrows, and she chuckled.

"Well, that all sounds fine," she began, "but who's 'we?'"

"My roommates and I. Becca, April and Maisy."

Iris' eyes popped. "You live wit' her?"

"Who? Maisy? Yeah. We're roommates." I probably should've mentioned that earlier, come to think of it.

"And two other girls? You fuckin' them, too?" Iris had the presence of mind to drop her voice at that last part.

I laughed. "No! I'm not. Except for Maisy, they're just regular roomies." I left out the April stuff; there was really nothing to report there, anyway. I wasn't sleeping with her, and I wouldn't be for as long as I could avoid it. Which is about until she gets you alone, a voice of reason said in my head. Then you're screwed. "Come on," I pleaded, reaching out to touch her hand. "You'll have fun, I promise."

Iris had looked about to say no, but when I touched her hand, she wavered. "This ain't some weird cult thing you got goin' on, or somethin'?" I could see the joke in her eyes, but there was still some uncertainty about coming over.

I laughed and spread my hands innocently. "No weird stuff, I promise. Just me, a barbecue, and maybe my roommates if they're around, but we don't really hang out together anyway."

"'Cept for that pocket rocket Maisy." Iris said flatly.

"Yes, except for Maisy," I confirmed. "What do you say?" I waited patiently, letting her process her decision. It really was a strange situation, but she seemed to be taking all in well enough. Better than most people would, anyway.

"I don't know what the problem is," I began blithely. "I mean, I'm a guy asking a girl he likes to come over and hang out in the house he shares with three other girls, one of whom he sometimes sleeps with. Seems simple enough, to me."

My gambit worked. With a reproachful glare, she flicked her cloth at me threateningly, but finally nodded. "Alright, alright," she said, relenting. "What time?"

I gave her the details, then settled the bill before saying goodbye. I walked out of the diner smiling like an idiot. I took another trip to the grocery store to get supplies for tomorrow so I could grill up some lunch for Iris and I and whoever else happened to be there. I hoped nobody would be around, except for Maisy. The thought of her and Iris together had me more than a little excited, but I kept my hopes under close management, for now.

I also ended up filling up a trolley with more stuff for myself; if I was going to be managing extreme hunger, I wanted to have enough food in the house to supply me with the required energy.

When I returned home, the house was quiet. Maisy and April's cars were nowhere to be seen. Becca's was in the drive, but there was no sign of her, which meant she was most likely up in her room. After putting away my groceries, I ducked out to the pool area and checked the water balance before scooping out the few leaves that had blown in. Next, I gave the hot tub a good clean. It was empty right now, but I would fill it up tomorrow morning in preparation for Iris' visit. The thought of her voluptuous ebony body in a bikini -- or less! -- sent a thrill of excitement through me.

I busied myself for the next little while tidying up the yard and pool area and finished off by taking a dip. The summer heat was really picking up, and it was nice to rinse off the sweat with a swim. I pulled my body through the water with long, powerful strokes, amazed at how effortless it was. I'd never been much of a swimmer, but now... I lost myself in the exercise for a while, feeling out my body.

*

Smacking lips dry with thirst, Becca finally ventured from her room in the afternoon, cautiously making sure nobody was around. Pulling on clothes had been too hard, her skin too sensitive to bear the feel of material scratching against it; even her softest fabrics had felt like sandpaper. Unable to endure the thirst any longer, she had forced herself to drape a sheet around her body, grimacing at the rough feel.

Now, she shuffled down the hallway, confident Maisy and April were out. Brian's car had been out there, but she could hear him in the pool. Her ears should not have been able to pick that up, but her senses had been in overdrive since eating that fungus. Her glasses lay forgotten on the floor in her room; upon waking this morning, she had no longer needed them, her eyesight sharp and clear for the first time in her life.

Her body felt lighter, too, as if she'd burned away a measurable amount of fat in only the last 18 hours or so. Every muscle ached, however, as if she'd been exercising intensely and now was suffering lactic acid build-up. The splashing in the pool never stopped as she shambled into the kitchen as quickly as she could and filled up the biggest water bottle she could find.

The intention had been to take it back to her room, but upon letting the cool, clear water touch her lips, she drank greedily, emptying the two-litre bottle in big gulps before filling it up again. No sooner had the water been consumed than the hunger set in, a ravenous, animal urge to eat. Snatching open the pantry -- someone had stuffed it to the brim recently -- she grabbed whatever she could fit into her arms before disappearing back into her room.

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END OF CHAPTER TWO

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