Tales of the Change: The Seductress

"And the next day?" His face had grown animated, his dark brown eyes full of life. He must have been good-looking once, she thought.

"I woke up on the floor. My clothes were in tatters. From what happened during the night." Despite everything that had happened since that morning, she couldn't help blushing. "I went to take a shower, looked at myself in the mirror, and nearly fainted."

Wondering, she ran a hand across the glass, trying to convince herself that it was truly her own image she was seeing. She pulled off the ragged t-shirt, the damp cloth falling limply to the floor, then the sweat-stained panties, damp with other, less mentionable fluids. Her pajama pants were somewhere in the bedroom, torn off during the night.

She barely recognized the woman staring back at her. Not one of her features had changed, but they had all been transformed to create an exquisite whole. She ran her hands from her hips to her ribcage, shuddering in sensual pleasure, her skin pebbling as goosebumps formed on her flesh. A corresponding warmth swirled in her stomach, reaching tendrils of desire into every corner of her body. She cupped her breasts in her hands, incredulous. The sad, saggy little b-cups were gone, replaced by gravity-defying c-cups. Fuck. Maybe ds! She pinched the turgid nipples between her thumbs and forefingers, staggering as another bolt of delicious pleasure spiked through her throbbing groin.

Her legs were incredible, the stumpy little limbs transmuted through the same powerful force that had re-cast her entire body. Firm, taut, and finely balanced, they rose in dancer's curves to the globes of her ass.

She spanked her butt playfully, her breath hissing through her teeth at the sting of pain. Running her hands through the unbound glory of her raven-black hair, she considered her face. Formally sallow from too much work and too little light, it blazed back at her, golden like some long-forgotten oriental goddess.

Eddie nodded. "Just what I thought." His eyes were grimly satisfied.

"Just what?" she demanded.

"Why should I tell you?" he scowled. "You were ready to come over here and kick my ass until Ray stopped you."

She dropped her head, ashamed. "I'm sorry, Eddie, I..."

"I wish you'd stop calling me that."

"It's not..."

"No. It's not. Some idiot's idea of a joke. My name has always been Edward. Not Eddie. Or E.D. Short for Erectile Dysfunction." He snorted bitterly, his eyes a wasted landscape, charred to blighted bedrock by despair.

Unwillingly sympathetic, she touched his hand. "So what did you do? Before?"

"Me? I was a statistician. Still am, though I work from home these days. But I'm doing research into the Change. Trying to figure out why it did what it did."

"Why? Not how?"

"I think how is a question for the gods, or whoever pulled this practical joke on humanity. But why? That is a question worth answering.

"You know that the Change effected people from every country. It was seemingly random, with no correlation between age, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation, wealth, education, or twenty other research parameters."

Olivia nodded, intrigued despite herself. Billions of dollars had been poured into trying to find out why the Change had struck some, but not others.

"But no one has thought to ask what happened during the Change. How a person's mindset affected how the Change molded the person they became.

"You were lonely and horny. But you wanted other people to be happy, too. So the Change made you a sex-bomb with the ability to positively affect people's sexual relationships. Others aren't so generous.

"Blue Balls? I interviewed her once when she was in jail. She had just broken up with her boyfriend. He was cheating on her. The Cockblocker? That sad sack of shit hates everyone and everything. The more pain he causes the happier he is."

"So Blue uses her powers to tease and frustrate men. And the Cockblocker simply causes pain," Olivia said softly. She looked at Edward with new respect. "This is a fantastic insight."

"For what it is worth," he said. "I don't know if anyone will listen to a guy whose mere presence makes people's peckers go limp, but I think that all of this," his gesture took in not only the bar, but their entire crazy world, "is a test.

"Don't ask me by who," he continued. "I don't know. But have you heard the expression, 'A man shows what he is when he can do what he wants?'"

"This is humanity's test. And somewhere, we are being judged."

She nodded thoughtfully. "So. What were you doing? When the Change happened?"

He sat for a long moment, unmoving. "I didn't mean it," he said.

He looked up, so much pain in his gaze that her eyes watered with pity. "I can only talk to you because I know you'll understand. Other people..." He trailed off.

"I was alone. I have always been alone. No long-term relationships. Hell, I can barely hold a conversation with a woman without turning into a tang-tungled mess."

Olivia smiled at the weak joke. "That night?" she prompted.

He looked down and took a long swallow of his beer, grimacing at the tepid flavor.

"Some guys at work had fixed me up with a girl. Blind date. She was nice. Attractive. Very bright. Computer programmer for one of the big multi-corps downtown.

"But I made a hash of things. Again. And I was thinking of sex, and whether I would ever have it again. So when that presence spoke in my mind, asking what I would do, I lashed out.

"I thought, or said, that since I was never going to get laid again, as far as I cared, the entire world could go to hell, and the entire useless fucking human race could wither away and die.

"I didn't mean it. Unfortunately, however, whoever did this to us took what I said literally.

"I haven't been able to get an erection since. And I hurt others around me. Took a while to figure out that my problem was having an effect on everyone else.

"So I stay away. From everyone."

Olivia's heart broke in sympathy. But another part of her rose to the fore, howling in excitement.

A challenge.

Olivia did not lack for lovers these days. The mere hint that The Seductress was looking for a bedmate would have half the men and a sizable portion of the women in the restaurant at her side in moments, eager for the opportunity to spend the night in her arms. And that didn't even take into account the rumors of the sexual prowess gained by those who pleased her.

She wasn't tired of sex. Or jaded with the ease with which she acquired it. But there was something to be said for having to work for it.

Edging towards the subject, she asked, "What have you tried?"

The self-hate on his face could have torn the flesh from his bones. "Masturbation, of course. Complete failure. Porn. Both written and visual. Everything from Skinemax to sketchy web sites on the internet. Pills. Shots. Therapy. Phone sex. And twice," he swallowed, refusing to meet her eyes, "I paid for it."

"There is nothing morally wrong with paid sex between consenting adults," she murmured. "You don't have to be ashamed when you are with me. I'm not judging you."

"Tell that from a boy who was raised in the buckle of the Bible Belt," he replied. He raised his hands to ward off her flashing eyes. "Hey. I don't disagree with you. But old habits die hard. Didn't make a damn bit of difference anyway. They didn't do me any more good than anything else.

"I still have a sex drive. I can create fantasies until I am ready to go crazy. But there is never a response from my cock."

She leaned forward on the table, her chin cupped in one hand. The other drifted down towards the junction of her legs, knowing fingers easing open the folds of her core. "There is one thing that I did not hear in that checklist, Edward," she said, meeting his eyes with her own. "Anyone who you might have had an emotional attachment with."

"Emotional attachment? I was a freak. I am a freak. Maybe if I had been married my wife would have been willing to try. But try to get a date when the whole world knows you can't get it up, Olivia. Let me know how that works out for you."

"You silly ass," she replied. "If you're trying to break this thing..." She frowned. "You are trying to break this thing, aren't you?"

"Are you serious? I would give anything in the wide green world to wake up and find this was a nightmare."

She nodded. "So, if you are trying to break this thing, the worst thing you can do is to look at it as solely a body issue. A wise man once said that the largest erotic organ is the mind. Being with someone you care about is the greatest turn-on of all."

She raised a hand, cutting off his protest. "Hello? Who is the expert here?" She stood and twirled in a circle, the ragged hem of her dress rising to expose the golden flesh of her thighs. She noted happily how his eyes tracked their movement, his face hungry.

Gotcha.

She held out her hand. Numbly, he took it.

"Come on, Edward. We're gonna get you laid."

Ignoring Ray's stunned look of disbelief, she took Edward by the hand and led him stumbling out of the restaurant.

*****

As they settled into the leather seats of her car, Edward turned to her.

"Are you serious? Or are you just fucking with me?"

"Oh, I'm serious, Edward. And I'm fucking with you. Or I will be soon," she said, one cheek dimpling as she smirked." She pulled out of the parking lot. "Despite everything, I like you.

"Ray was right, you know. I've heard about you. The yin to my yang. The man cursed by impotence, who also makes others impotent, living in the same city as the woman who works to help everyone find their sexual soulmate?

"But I never heard that you tried to impose your curse on others. Never went to a wedding and made sure the groom couldn't perform. Never hung outside prom to make sure every boy there had a miserable night. You're not like that.

"So where do you live?"

"We're not going to your place?"

"You need to be relaxed if we have any chance of beating this. Home is where you will do best, I think."

He directed her to a small, neat house in the southwest suburbs, with a small, neat lawn in front. She followed him through the door and into an obsessively clean living room, and sighed. Every sign pointed to a man who fanatically imposed order in his life to make up for the chaos which the Change had made.

He went into the kitchen, pulling two wine glasses off a shelf. "Something to drink?"

"No," she smiled. "The last thing you need in your system right now is alcohol. Where's your bathroom? We need to shower."

His throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Together?" he said nervously, and she swore viciously, furious at what the Change had done to this scared, scarred, decent man in front of her, and ashamed of how she had misjudged him.

"Maybe later," she smiled softly, putting the full force of her abilities behind the words, welcoming the embarrassed flush as his face turned red. "But we'll both feel better when we're clean." She followed him into his bedroom, where he wordlessly pointed at the master bath. She shook her head. "You first."

While Edward used the shower, she wandered around his house, trying to understand him. As she had suspected, the entire house bore the imprint of a mind that was almost compulsive in its need for order. No dirty dishes in the sink. No spider-webs in dusty corners. The turtle tank was clean, the occupant swimming in clear water. Even the sad little shelf of erotic DVDs was filed neatly by title.

Which was itself a difficult task, as so many had 'XXX' in the title.

"If you would like to borrow some, you're welcome to them. They never helped me."

She turned and smiled at Edward. He was wearing a pair of shorts and a clean t-shirt.

"No need. I have some of these already. But usually I make my own fun these days."

He nodded. "I suppose." She eyed him critically. He looked marginally more relaxed, but still bore himself with the air of someone who was waiting for life to kick him smack in the face.

She led him back into the bedroom. "I'm going to clean up," she said. "How about you put on some nice, soft music and lay down while you wait? I won't be too long."

With a sigh, he lay down on the bed. "There's clean towels in there," he said. "Let me know if you need anything else."

She poked her head back around the corner. "Just you, naked, when I come out." She shut the door, but her laughter lingered in the air behind her.

*****

How to do it? How to reverse the effects of the Change and restore this man? Give him some of his dignity back? From her own experiences over the last few years, she knew how fragile a man's ego could be. Once they lost confidence in themselves, the effects accelerated, driving them deeper and deeper into a spiral of self-loathing.

She dried herself in a wonderfully warm, fluffy towel, and considered the contents of her purse. Like the TARDIS and all other purses, it was bigger on the inside. From its depths, she could conjure any one of a hundred different outfits; everything from the most expensive lingerie to the most depraved roleplay was only a heartbeat away.

No, she decided. Any attempt like that would only serve to increase his need to perform. She needed him relaxed.

In the end, all that she took out of her purse was a bottle of scented oil. She considered perfume, then shook her head, a sly smile flitting across her features. With a pleased whimper, she dipped a finger into her seeping folds, gathering the moisture that lingered there. She dabbed the finger behind her ears, in the hollow of her throat, and between her breasts. Lastly, she willed her nipples flat, disguising her unending arousal for the first time in months.

She closed her eyes, whispered a soft prayer to whatever gods might be listening, then wrapped the towel around her waist like an Indian sari, the golden skin of her thigh emerging from the slit whenever she took a step.

Opening the door, she stepped into the dim light of the bedroom. Soft jazz played on the radio on the nightstand, and she was pleased to see that Edward had indeed removed his clothes, and was lying on his back on the bed.

Very pleased.

If he's a shower, not a grower, I'm still a lucky woman. But if he's a grower, well, I'm going to have one hell of a good night.

The idea that she might not be able to bring Edward to an aroused state never even thought about crossing her mind.

She slowly swayed towards the bed, hips moving in a seductive strut, her breasts bouncing not quite in time to the rhythm of her steps. Smiling, she looked down at him.

"You look about as relaxed as a man about to face the guillotine," she said. She held up the bottle of oil. "Why don't you turn over and I can give you a massage? And after that," she said, half laughing, as he rolled over onto his stomach, head pillowed on his arms, "we can see if the irresistible force has any effect on the immovable object."

From beneath her came a rueful chuckle. He had a nice laugh, she thought. She wondered what he had been like, before the Change blighted his life.

She tossed the towel to one side, uncapped the oil, and poured a generous amount into her cupped hand. She knelt at his knees, her legs straddling him, and softly touched his back, gentle fingers kneading the knots softly, trying to ease the tension in his rigid muscles.

Gradually he began to unwind, his body sinking further into the mattress, his breath coming deeper. His eyes closed, he said in a sleepy murmur, "I've never had my very own geisha before. Did you acquire this skill with the Change?"

"Of course," she replied easily, pouring more oil down his spine to pool in the small of his back. Her thumbs smoothed oil upwards, then her arms spread wide to run her hands over his shoulders and biceps. He wriggled contentedly under her touch, the curves of his ass flexing, rising up to meet her touch. "What use does a computer programmer have learning massage? None. But the Seductress? She does. And enjoys using those skills."

She anointed her own body with the fragrant oil, shuddering in bone-deep pleasure as her slick hands rubbed it into her chest and belly. Dropping low, she ran her torso up the length of Edward's back, her breasts softly sweeping up the pale skin.

And below her, she felt him begin to respond to her touch, shivers running down his body. At the top of one stroke, she paused, her breath hot in his ear, and her tongue reached out, the tip flicking delicately on the rounded lobe. Then back down, her hands reaching under, clutching his broad shoulders as she let her full weight come down upon him. Up and down, up and down, and she felt the welcome tingle as her arousal began to grow, the familiar ache in her womb, desiring above all else to be filled. Filled with hard, pulsing, life-giving heat.

Slowly.

She stopped herself. "Turn over, Edward," she whispered.

He flipped, and his brown eyes were gentle and sad. "I think you're wasting your time," he said, with a look to his groin, where his long phallus sat limply in its nest of hair.

"And I think that my time is my own to waste. And that you are giving up far too easily. If you think I am leaving before I cum three or four times, you have lost your mind.

"I have not yet begun to fuck."

His lips twitched, then he gave a bellow of laughter. "Seriously? You're quoting John Paul Jones at me?"

She nodded, then cradled his face in her hands. Lowering her face to his, she kissed him. "You aren't the only one in this bed, Edward. Your dick might not be ready yet, but I don't think your mouth or hands are broken. Let's see what you can do with them."

Yes. Make him concentrate on me. Not on his cock.

He returned her kiss with a passion and skill that stunned her. His warm hands firm on her hips, his mouth opened under hers, lips rubbing, tongue questing into her mouth, finding its mate, and joining it in happy play. Her hands tightened on his shoulders as the throbbing in her loins increased, mounting with every beat of her heart, the lips of her sex opening, ready to welcome a visitor who had not yet arrived.

"You're good," she whispered, her eyes sparkling, then kissed him again, moaning. "Very good." Her knees squeezed his ribcage and her black hair fell around them, shielding their faces as his hot tongue played over the curves of her mouth, his teeth pulling her lower lip toward his before letting it go. Her breasts pressed lightly against his chest, and she sighed as his hands, drawn irresistibly, swept up her torso until they reached their bounty.

She sat up, eyes gleaming as he fondled them, a low growl sounding deep in her throat as his thumbs brushed the puffy rises of her areolae, her nipples tightening, lengthening into proud buds of pleasure.

He paused for a moment, his eyes taking in her nude splendor.

"You're..." He shook his head. "You're magnificent."

"You're pretty damn hot yourself," she replied, bending down to kiss him passionately. His gentle fingers kneaded her breasts, and she stopped the kiss only so that she could give him her nipple.

His hands caressed the skin of her back as his mouth opened to take her in. Hot mouth, clever tongue, sweet, firm lips. They combined to drive her mad. His mouth worked in time with her heartbeat, suckling at her nipple like an infant, taking more and more of her breast into his mouth with every pulse, his teeth softly scoring her inflamed flesh.

And then he moved to the other one, repeating himself, repeating the actions that were driving her into a sexual frenzy, without even calling upon her powers. His fingers were probing at the cleft of her ass, the tips drawing near her aching cleft as her free hand mauled the breast that his mouth was not working on, pinching fingers pulling the nipple out from the surrounding flesh, her mouth open, panting with lust.