7 Years Bad Sex (12 page)

Spell
. Ugh. Ugly word. Almost as bad as curse. Banish the thought, quick, quick.

‘I know you wanted a couple’s reading,’ Sam continued, ‘but I couldn’t get to you as a couple without reading you individually first. So. Alex.’

Alex sat up straighter even though Sam had done nothing other than say his name. The man was intense!

‘Alex, I sense you’re in great turmoil. You’re unsure of yourself, and you’ve recently done some very unusual things. There’s a presence about you that suggests you’ve been in medical care, but I can’t get to the reason why. I hope it wasn’t anything serious.’

Damn it, he was good. How did he do that?

‘And Casey.’

Casey started trembling again, and Alex held her hand more tightly.
Hang in there, I’m right here.

‘Casey, you’re desperately worried about having children. I’m getting lots of mixed messages from you, but I think you’d like children, if perhaps not right now. However, you’re worried about conceiving. No, don’t speak.’

Once more, Alex peeked through his eyelids and saw that Casey’s and Sam’s eyes were still closed.
How had Sam known that Casey was going to say something?

‘As a couple, you’re in uproar,’ Sam continued. Every word hit home like a blow to the head. ‘You’ve only recently been married, but your relationship isn’t at all what you’d expected. You’re struggling to re-establish intimacy, although I can’t get to the reason why. It’s as if—’

Sam halted, and when he continued speaking, there was a hint of a tremor in his voice. He was breathing in short sharp bursts, almost as if he had been running. ‘There’s a cloak around that side of your relationship that I can’t penetrate. I can’t see into the darkness. It’s almost as if that side isn’t there. I’ve never seen anything like it.’

Alex’s heart plummeted.
If he mentions a curse, we’re out of here.

The psychic was silent for a long moment, and his breathing gradually relaxed again.

‘This is now. However, I see light in the future. I see calm oceans and clear skies. I see sunshine, and I see—yes, I see children. Two—no, three. Two boys and a girl.’

Wow
.

‘And now I’m going to have to ask you to leave please.’

Quite abruptly, the psychic let go of their hands and stood up. ‘I won’t charge you for this consultation. Just please—please leave.’

‘You did say light, though, didn’t you?’ Casey stood shakily. She was very pale. She looked drained, Alex noted.

‘I did, yes. Definitely light. Hold on to the light. And children.’

Sam avoided eye contact with Alex when he spoke those words. Casey, however, had his full attention, and Alex felt perturbed by the dynamics.

‘Never forget the light,’ Sam said one last time directly and only to Casey. ‘Goodbye.’

And he ushered them out the door.

 

~Casey~

 

‘What the hell was that?’ Alex asked when they were safely ensconced in a rattling, homeward-bound Tube carriage.

‘He was odd
,
wasn’t he?’ Casey giggled. ‘But ever so clever, how he figured us out. How did you find him?’

Alex waved a non-committal hand. ‘On the Internet. His website and Facebook pages are full of glowing testimonials.’

‘He’s certainly spot on, don’t you think?’

‘I’m not so sure. I feel like I’ve been had,’ Alex confessed.

‘How can you have been had? He didn’t even make you pay. How much was it supposed to have cost anyway?’

‘You don’t want to know.’

‘Oh. That much, huh?’ Casey smiled. ‘Did you get out of it what you wanted?’

Alex chewed his lip. ‘Did you?’

‘Oh yes,’ Casey laughed. ‘I found that whole “dark cloak” thing really disturbing, although at least he didn’t see a curse in our aura. A dark cloak could mean anything. Just a bad patch, for sure. Right?’

She looked at Alex for confirmation, and Alex obediently offered it. ‘Right.’

‘Right,’ Casey repeated. ‘But he was
really
positive on the light and the children. I meant to ask him when, you know, when we can expect—that—to happen, but I forgot.’ She shrugged. ‘Still, doesn’t matter. “Hold on to the light”,’ she chanted, copying Psychic Sam’s tone perfectly.

Alex muttered. ‘I know it was my idea, but it seems a bit mumbo-jumbo to me.’

‘The trouble with you is that you
are
confused, like the man said. You don’t know what to believe. You don’t know if you
want
to believe in any of this stuff.’

‘But I thought you didn’t either?’ Alex objected.

‘I don’t. But I’ve decided to follow the tried-and-trusted horoscope policy.’

‘Which is?’

‘I only believe in the good bits. So, no more fretting about curses but instead looking forward to “the light”. Job done.’ She smiled.

Alex shook his head. ‘In that case, my mission is accomplished. As long as you quit worrying about any—’

‘
Don’t
even say it,’ Casey begged.

‘Okay, I won’t.’

Casey leaned her head against Alex’s shoulder while she allowed her mind to freewheel. For some reason, she felt reassured. It was all hocus pocus, she knew that, but it was comforting to be selective. And even acknowledging the ‘dark cloak’ wasn’t so bad with the promise of light at the end.

Casey felt more optimistic than she had for a while. She looked forward to the afternoon’s rehearsal and the big gig the next day. And she looked forward to the day after, when perhaps they would try out the miracle medication. Who knew what would be around the corner? Casey was certain that things were on the up.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered into Alex’s ear. ‘I know this was a bit uncomfortable for you, but thank you anyway.’

‘You’re welcome,’ Alex said softly. ‘But please don’t tell Liza, she’ll have a field day.’

‘I won’t. I love you, Alex Morgan.’

‘I love you too, Casey Morgan.’

 

Casey felt immensely reassured after their visit to Psychic Sam. In her heart of hearts, she knew that this was ludicrous, but she was willing to let Sam’s positive vibes cancel out the negative vibes of the curse.
There will be light
, she reminded herself.

As a result, she breezed through the afternoon’s dress rehearsal. Her energy and drive surprised everyone, and she could tell that Liza was dying to ask questions. However, Casey had become very skilful at evading the bass player, and she managed to dodge Liza’s questions all afternoon.

The promotional gig the next day was a resounding success. Casey was on top form, and she whipped the crowd into a veritable frenzy. The two-hour set flew by, and Casey left the stage on a glowing high. She felt great. She felt invincible. This was what she lived for!

They gained the safety of the backstage area, retreating into a dimly-lit and empty side room. Alex wrapped her into his arms and kissed her deeply.

‘You look positively orgasmic, Mrs Morgan,’ he whispered in her ear.

‘Speak for yourself,’ Casey whispered back. ‘I’m so glad we’ve still got our stage mojo. This was awesome!’

She gasped as Alex tightened his grip around her waist. ‘How’s about trying out that bedroom mojo later?’

Casey giggled. ‘Are you sure?’

She noticed Alex frowning and hastened to elaborate. ‘Silly question. Of course you’re sure. I’d love to. Of course I would. As long as we’re not both too exhausted.’

‘I’m a stallion,’ Alex assured her. ‘I’ll rock you tonight.’

Casey exploded with laughter. ‘I can’t believe you said that.’

Alex grinned. ‘But you liked it anyway, didn’t you?’

Casey grinned back. ‘I like the promise of it!’

‘It’s more than a promise. It’s a guarantee, remember?’

‘Be careful what you wish for,’ Casey intoned in a witch’s voice. ‘Who knows what other curse you may bring on yourself?’

Alex guffawed loudly. ‘Excellent.’ He kissed Casey once more, and she could feel his arousal against her thigh.

‘Someone’s home already,’ she chuckled softly.

‘Told you I’m a stallion,’ Alex growled. ‘And you’re killing me here.’

‘Am I?’ Suddenly Casey was overcome by mischief.
Now
was the time, right here.
Why wait? Why risk everything dissipating again?
So what if they were in a random room with an unlocked door. Big deal. Liza and Myles had disappeared to the green room, and they were bound to be otherwise preoccupied—most probably with the buffet. Nobody knew where she and Alex had gone. They had a few minutes. And a few minutes was all they needed.

With reckless abandon, she dug her hands deeply into the back pockets of Alex’s jeans and pressed him hard against her. She heard Alex gasp, but she quietened him with a kiss before he could speak again. He got her meaning.

Ferociously kissing her in return, Alex lifted her off her feet and sat her down on a nearby table. Casey moaned when he broke their delicious kiss to tilt her backwards until she was lying down, almost spread-eagled, on the table top.

‘I was enjoying that,’ she protested.

 

~Alex~

 

‘You’ll enjoy
this
a whole lot more,’ Alex promised with a suggestive smile. Deftly he unbuttoned her shirt and dedicated his mouth to ‘the girls’. He inhaled her sweet scent, and his universe became fuzzy.
Yes! So good!

As though from far away, he watched Casey’s hands fumbling impatiently with the fly of his jeans. He stood very still so as not to make her job more difficult.

‘Why, hello,’ Casey murmured seductively when she had set him free. ‘Do you come here often?’

‘I’ll do my best,’ Alex replied hoarsely. He was panting heavily. His jeans slid off of his hips and fell to his ankles. He tugged impatiently at Casey’s trousers, and she obligingly wriggled and squirmed until she, too, was free.

Alex bent forward to kiss her again. He entwined a hand in her hair and pinned her head down. Casey arched her hips, and he could hear her take a deep breath. He was dizzy with the urgency of his need, and he thought he would expire when he finally joined her.

‘Hmmmmm,’ Casey moaned softly, matching the exact rhythm of his movements. She wrapped her legs around his waist and forced him tightly to her. Overwhelmed, Alex closed his eyes. Lights danced behind his lids, and blood roared in his ears. He was so close,
so close!

Dimly, he was aware of a commotion in the corridor outside. Voices and laughter became louder, rushed by, and grew fainter again. Casey never stopped moving, and Alex thought he had probably imagined the whole thing, until—

‘
Perfect!
You can set up in here for the interview.’

Without warning, the lights flicked on fully, and an explosion of sound filled the room. Alex opened his eyes, squinting in the sudden glare. He stared, aghast, as Emily stepped through the doorway, followed closely by a burly man holding a TV camera and a tall blonde woman with a microphone.

Alex stood frozen, unable to move, unable to speak. He was very much joined to Casey, naked from the waist down, and displaying his buttocks and more for all to see. The embarrassment nearly killed him. For a microsecond, the world stood still.