Misty (16 page)

Although Misty was back to looking like her old self—even better—Brick wasn't feeling her at all. All she talked about was building an empire and putting together some type of nonreligious mega church. The shit she talked gave him a headache. He'd been listening to Misty's schemes since they were in third grade, and frankly, he was sick of it. He didn't share her desires for money and power.

On some real shit, it was only a matter of time before he rolled out, but he needed to be sure that she was being cared for adequately. Needed to know he wouldn't have to worry about her after he left.

He bought the first round of beers for him and his boys and sat back in his seat, ready to enjoy the tits and ass show. The MC announced a dancer who went by the name, Island Girl. She pranced onto the stage while Caribbean music blasted from the speakers. Accompanying her set was a backdrop of sand, seashells, and tropical foliage beneath clear blue skies, and when she started swaying her hips, Brick had an instant feeling of déjà vu.

Island Girl didn't have a long weave like the other dancers; she wore her hair in a short and sassy style. The way she moved her hips in time with the music was a sensual sight, giving the impression that she was actually fucking. Something about her reminded him of Anya, and he suddenly remembered the dream of Anya dancing in the moonlight. He recalled the way he'd cum all over himself and felt a bout of shame, but one glance at Island Girl and his mind filled with lust while his dick grew unbearably hard.

Brick was usually a mere observer, but Island Girl turned him on, prompting him to get out of his seat and walk up to the stage, where he made it rain with fifty one-dollar bills.

His buddies, unaccustomed to Brick spending money on anything but beer, clapped his back and cheered him on when he returned to his seat. When Island Girl's set was over, Brick wasn't the least bit surprised when she strutted in his direction.

He welcomed her onto his lap, enjoying the feel of her soft body, the scent of her perfume. He stuck a five in her bosom and took the liberty of squeezing her titties and stroking her nipples. Island Girl let out a soft moan, and moved one of his hands down to her crotch. Feeling her clit pressing against the soft fabric between her legs, Brick stroked the nub with the pad of his finger, while his lips found their way to her neck. But in his mind, it wasn't Island Girl who was rubbing her butt against his crotch. All he could think about was Anya and her sweet deliciousness.

•  •  •

He drove home slow as a snail, careful not to swerve or show any signs of being intoxicated. He hoped that when he got home, Misty would be sound asleep and not waiting up to show off her new dental work. Now that her physical appearance was up to her standards, she was going to start her new clairvoyant practice, and the dude, Gavin, was going to loan her the money to get started, and Brick wasn't opposed to the idea. As soon as Misty was financially stable, Brick would have a clear conscience about telling her goodbye.

The lights in the apartment were dim when Brick arrived home. He could hear the sound of water running in the bathroom. Had the health care worker left water running in the bathtub when she left earlier in the evening? He rushed down the hall, expecting to
see water flooding out the bathroom. But he encountered a sight far more bizarre, a sight that staggered him.

Misty was in the bathtub, covered from the neck down in soapy bubbles. Her hair was piled on top of her head, with tendrils cascading to her shoulders and sticking to her soapy skin. She sent a glorious smile his way. Her smile revealed teeth that were even and pearly white. She looked more radiant and beautiful than ever before. And what was even more amazing was the fact that she was moving her arms with ease as she bathed herself. With a look of triumph in her eyes, she leisurely stretched out an arm and soaped it up with a bath sponge. And while Brick gawked at her, she sensually propped up a leg on the ledge of the tub.

He blinked a few times before managing to speak. “Misty,” he said in a choked voice that was filled with awe. What the fuck was going on? He realized he was slightly drunk and everything, but how the hell did a holographic version of Misty get in the tub? Eyes bulging and his heart pounding, Brick's head swiveled in the direction of the bedroom, irrationally expecting to see the real Misty, unmoving, lying in bed. When he saw that their bed was empty, his head jerked toward the tub. Mouth gaping, he made sounds but was unable to form an articulate sentence.

He cleared his throat and finally said, “What the fuck is going on? How are you moving your arms and legs and shit?”

“I'm healed, Brick. I'm not paralyzed anymore.” She slid her leg back into the bath water and then drew her knees up to her chest.

“I don't understand.”

“I healed myself, Brick. No doctor operated on my spine. No one in the medical profession could help me; you know that. I told you something wonderful happened to me while I was in a coma. I told you I had gained psychic abilities, but you refused to believe. Are you a believer, now?”

Brick nodded mechanically, while his mind raced with questions.

“Would you hand me a towel, Brick? I'm ready to get out.”

Misty rose out of the water and stood. Brick turned his head away, giving her privacy.

“Don't be afraid to look at me, Brick. I'm back, baby. This is the real me. I'm not crippled or sickly anymore. And I want to make love to you. I want to show you how I feel.”

With his eyes aimed toward the floor, Brick gave Misty a towel. “I don't know about all that, Misty. It's too soon. You need to talk to your doctor; find out if it's all right.”

“Fuck my doctor! He didn't do shit for me, so why do I need his permission?”

Brick rubbed his forehead in frustration.

“Help me out of the tub, baby. I'm still a little unsteady on my feet.”

He reached out a hand. “This is crazy; feels like I'm in the twilight zone.”

“I don't understand it any more than you do, and I'm not trying to figure it out. My hands started tingling in a weird way and I touched my left hand and it straightened out.”

“But that's some sci-fi shit; it doesn't happen in real life.”

“I'm living proof that it does.” She stopped drying her shoulders, and handed Brick the towel. “Help me dry off, and then let's get in the bed.”

Ever since she'd gotten hurt, whenever Brick attended to Misty's care needs, it was in a clinical way, and never, ever did he perceive her in a sexual way. “I can't do that, Misty.”

“Why not?”

“I gotta take a shower, to get this dirt off of me.”

“Fuck that. Do you think I care about a little bit of dirt after being dead below my waist for so long? All that time you were with
my mom, I dreamed about this day. I want to feel you inside me. I really need you right now.”

Brick shook his head. “Something's not right about this, and I can tell you in advance, my dick is not gonna get hard.”

Misty's mouth fell open. “What are you saying?” She made a scoffing sound. “I'm all fixed up, better than before, so don't tell me you're repulsed by me.”

“No, it's not that.”

“Then, what is it?”

“When I left for work this morning, you were paralyzed. Now you're standing up and moving around, and I can't wrap my head around any of this.”

Misty snatched the towel from Brick's hands, and wrapped it around her body, cinching it above her breasts. “Can you carry me to the bedroom? I'm starting to feel a little weak.”

Brick swooped her up into his arms and as he took strides down the hallway, Misty began kissing and licking his neck. “Can you imagine how tight my coochie probably is?” she whispered in his ear, trying to arouse him.

He placed her on the bed gently, eyes averted, unwilling to take a good look at her. “Do you want me to get a nightgown or something for you to put on?” he asked, his eyes darting in the direction of the bureau drawer that contained her nightwear and her panties and bras.

“I like sleeping nude. How could you forget that?”

Brick sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, holding his head, in despair.

“Why don't you want me, Brick?” she asked, rubbing his back and caressing his shoulders.

“It's too soon,” he mumbled, studying his dusty boots.

“But I need you, Brick; it's been so long.”

He sighed again, realizing that Misty wasn't going to let up until she got what she wanted. To be able to please her, he started thinking about the stripper, Island Girl, and then he thought about the dream he'd had about Anya. When his dick jerked to life, he stood up and began slowly peeling off his work clothes and underwear.

S
oon after Brick left for work, Audrey arrived, using her key. With her knitting bag in hand, she was looking forward to a routine day of getting Misty groomed and fed and then watching hours of TV, along with intermittent naps throughout her work day.

But Misty had other plans for the nurse. “I'm in the kitchen, Audrey,” Misty called out cheerfully.

“What are you doing in the kitchen?” Audrey asked as she closed the front door, rushing toward the sound of Misty's voice. Even though Misty didn't sound like she was in distress, the sight of her empty wheelchair in the living room filled Audrey with dread, and she imagined her patient sprawled out on the kitchen floor, badly injured.

Finding Misty sitting on a high stool, leisurely drinking tea, Audrey dropped her knitting bag, the metal needles spilling out and clattering onto the floor. “How in the world—”

“Don't freak out, Ms. Peabody,” Misty said sternly, accidentally using the offensive nickname she'd given Audrey. “I've already had to deal with Brick's shock, and I need you to get a grip and listen to me carefully.”

Audrey frowned in bewilderment as she nodded her head. “Are you okay? You called me Ms. Peabody…do you know who I am?” Audrey asked with a worry line etched in her forehead.

“Of course I know who you are. Ms. Peabody is my pet name for you. Anyway, what you're witnessing is a miracle. I have healing power in my hands. I don't know how or why this happened to me but I know there's a reason. I'm thinking about starting a business venture, but I'm going to need my benefactor, Gavin Stallings, to help me with it.”

“What kind of business venture?”

“I don't want to talk about it; don't want to jinx my project. Anyway, I need to look my best when I approach Gavin for a loan. He's very much into art and beauty, you know, and I think he'll be more inclined to help me if I looked more polished and up-to-date. This junk my mom picked out for me while I was paralyzed needs to be dumped in the trash.” Misty looked down at her no-brand jeans and scowled. “You and I are going to get in your car and drive straight to the mall, and I'm going to finally put some of my donation money to good use.”

“The mall isn't open yet,” Audrey replied in an awestruck voice, gazing at Misty with adoration as if she were a heavenly creature.

“We're not going to a nearby mall. We're going to King of Prussia, and having to deal with rush-hour traffic on Seventy-Six West, it might take about an hour and a half to get there.”

“Right,” Audrey murmured, still staring at Misty. “Your mouth, uh, your teeth—the dentist did a wonderful job.”

“Yeah, he did and he was paid a small fortune for his expertise. I want to keep you on as a helper because I get tired easily, but I called the agency and fired that girl that comes after your shift ends. Now that I can chew food, I need someone who can do more than light cleaning and grinding up fruit and vegetables in a blender.”

“If you're hungry, I can make you some breakfast before we leave,” Audrey offered.

“Nah, I'm good. I want to eat at the food court in the mall; it's been a long time since I've done that.”

Misty slid off the stool with ease and grace. She walked across the floor effortlessly and put the mug in the sink. Audrey peered at her in fascination.

“Now that I'm back on my feet, this place is gonna get a lot messier,” Misty said. “But I'm going to be far too busy to deal with housework,” she added.

“I'll clean up for you.” Eager to please, Audrey hustled over to the sink, picked up the mug, rinsed and dried it, and then placed it inside the cabinet. For good measure, she wiped the countertop and inside the sink.

Misty dazzled her with a charming smile.

As the two women passed through the living room, Audrey paused at Misty's wheelchair. “Do you think we should take it with us; you know, in case you want to get off your feet?”

“Hell, no! I want that thing in the trash along with every boring piece of clothing in my closet.”

“Instead of throwing everything away, why don't I box it up and take it to Goodwill?”

“I don't care where you take it, as long as it's out of my line of vision.”