How was the library still open? She checked her phone, then checked it again, just to be sure. So much had happened since she ended her workday she was sure it should be much later than just after eight pm. The lobby of the library was brightly lit, making her squint, feeling out of place.

“Tell me again, why are we here?” she asked him with a scowl. She didn’t belong here, not now, not for the purposes they were supposedly pursuing. “Perhaps you are taking this teacher thing too far…”

He snorted, walking deeper into the library and she just watched him for a second. Even from behind he was a sight to behold, his black suit perfectly cut to his body. His limp was barely noticeable, perhaps only because she was watching for it. He cast a look over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised in question. She licked her lips, then hurried to follow. She continued to appreciate his backside as he lead her deeper into the library.

They walked past the book drop and the check out desks, past the computer labs and media rooms. “I have been pursuing perspective gentleman for you based on what I have observed to be your particular sexual preferences. Later, we may branch out into others who you might not typically consider, but who would be excellent partners, but for now, we will stick within your margin of comfort. There is a man here who I believe you may find suitable.”

She licked her lips apprehensively. “My what? My ‘particular sexual preferences’? Uh…how do you know my type?” she asked him carefully.

“Little hansa, it is my very nature to recognize desires and to deliver them. When you desiderate for something enough, I become responsive.”

“Desiderate? What’s that mean?” she asked, annoyed and uncomfortable.

“Desiderate? Is that not an English word? Perhaps I am pronouncing it incorrectly. I believe the meaning is to long for something, to desire something greatly? Your English is not my native tongue. For example, you have a particular fondness for well defined obliques and rectus abdominis in a male partner, and appreciate a boyishly handsome face. You desiderate those kinds of men,” he said over his shoulder as he took her father into the library. They passed the children’s section and headed further into center of the building.

“Sure, I guess. I don’t know that word. Wait, I, ah, what? The rectus? Like-” she began.

He cut her off. “Abdominals, hansa, abdominals. You enjoy, oh what is it called…a six pint?”

She blushed and she was glad he wasn’t looking, but she had a feeling he knew she was anyway. “Six pack!” she hissed. “And I do not-”

He turned back to her, his finger over her lips. “Shh, you are in a library, hansa,” he told her with that slappable smile. He ran his finger down her lips and she stepped into it, longing for his touch. “You will always be unable to deceive an incubus regarding your desires,” he told her with a half smile on his lips.

“I…ah…” she stuttered. When she didn’t continue, he traced her lips with his finger, then turned abruptly, heading further into the library. Her lips burned where his finger had been.

They wandered through shelves of books, stopping at the end of the row of shelves. He leaned to look around the shelf. When she moved to do the same he put his arm out, blocking her path. She looked at him in question.

“The man there, behind the information rotunda. His name plate declares him to be Josh. He would find you desirable, and has the features you prefer in a male partner. As we discussed during our walk here, you approach and ask him for libations after his shift ends. I have been tracking him, he will relinquish his station at nine pm promptly, and will vacate the premises by nine fifteen. Take him out, and then take him to the hotel which I provided you a room key. I will give you more direction as we move along tonight,” he whispered to her conspiratorially.

“Yeah…he probably still goes home to his saltwater fish. He doesn’t have a girlfriend?” she asked him, peeking around the corner despite his arm barring her. She was surprised she still remembered him. She hadn’t thought about him in years.  

Godwin spun to face her. “He does go home to his saltwater fish…” he trailed off, sounding suspicious. “That was not a lucky guess…”

She bit her lip. “He and I…we, ah…” she hedged.

“You know this Josh?” Godwin asked, frowning deeply.

“Ah, yeah,” she mumbled. “Josh, ah, I can’t remember his last name. I dated him for a few weeks. We went to college together. I am willing, maybe, possibly, perhaps to admit that I might have a type…” she said, toeing the floor coyly.

Godwin was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. She fidgeted, nervous she had already messed up their game, and partially relieved that she wouldn’t have to go through with their game. Stupid! she chastised internally. What was she doing? She was going to seduce a random stranger? Was it worse that she already knew him? It was hard to say which was worse.

Godwin looked up, nodding, disturbing her self condemnation. “This will still work, and perhaps be easier for you. Yes, nothing changes. Seneca, here are my commands. Approach him, do what you must to get him to the hotel. I will be with you, and I will continue to provide you with commands throughout the night. You wear my collar. I promise you now and always, so long as you wear my collar that you will be safe with me.”

“How will you talk to me, if people can see you when you do?” she asked him, still studying the ground. At his declaration that they were moving forward with the plan, her stomach both dropped in terror and flipped in joy. She was a confusion of emotions she didn’t fully understand. But…she would listen to Godwin. Her stomach twisted, and so did her core, the two definitely opposing factions.

The look in Godwin’s eyes had her gulping. He reached out a finger and trailed it over his collar around her neck and she shivered at the intensity of it. Despite him not actually contacting her skin, she could feel his touch intimately. Her eyes rolled shut with the intensity of it as she experienced feelings she couldn’t find words for other than amazingly intimate, which didn’t even come close, but was the closest she came. His fingers traced the collar around her neck and she could feel him, could feel what he was feeling. She could…he was in her mind.

She looked up at him, not afraid at all. This intimacy was something deep and profound. Seneca… she felt his words in her head.

“When you are touching the collar you can read my mind?” she asked aloud.

Think your response to me, she heard him say without words.

She bit her lip, unsure how to actually think her response. Couldn’t he just read her mind? She hesitated and his fingers tracing the collar reassuringly. She wished she could purr, she enjoyed his fingers stroking her collar that much. Godwin…

Good job, hansa, he responded without words. This is not, I cannot read your mind. I can speak to you this way, if I am in contact with the collar. I am sorry I did not prepare you for this beforehand, but I assumed it would be better this way.

She nodded, her eyes still closed as she floated in his touch. He trailed his finger along the rim of the collar once more, then dropped his arm back down to his side. She nodded again, opening her eyes and he winked at her.

“You ready?” he asked her with that slappable smile.

She nodded, afraid to say anything.

“Seneca, you will seduce Josh tonight and bring him to the hotel. Do you understand my commands?” he said to her, his voice authoritative.

She swallowed hard, her nerves fluttering wildly as her core twisted in anticipation. She nodded again, her throat feeling too tight to respond.

“Say it, Seneca,” he said, her name sounding so elegant the way he said it. “Tell me you understand.”

“I understand…pelang,” she muttered, her voice low and raspy. She was proud of herself for remembering the word.

A shocked look crossed his face, and then he smiled at her encouragingly. “Go on, then, ghanza,” he said, stepping to the side. She hesitated for a moment and he trailed a finger along her collar again, giving her confidence.

She took one step, then her body was moving for her. She knew what she had to do, and she was prepared to do it, because Godwin told her to, and that was enough to make her want to do it. Pleasing Godwin pleased her, brought her pleasure, which she could then use to make him feel good. The thought fueled her, spurring her forward with a surge of confidence.

Josh looked exactly as she remembered, a bit nerdy but tall and skinny. His short, dark brown hair was combed over in a way that screamed ‘librarian’. All he needed was a pair of beat up, chunky glasses with tape on the nose piece to complete the ensemble, he already wore a red and tan plaid sweater vest over a short sleeved white button up shirt. He smelled good, though, fresh and clean and masculine. Not as good as Godwin, but she remembered why she had been interested in him in college. Josh was a Wren, and a pretty good tasting one at that if she remembered correctly.

Josh didn’t look up as she approached, distracted with something on the computer in front of him. She waited patiently, leaning against the chest high counter. Why were library and bank counters so high? The counter was a perfect height for her to rest her breasts on, so she did.

“How can I help you?” he asked, sounding almost bored. He hadn’t even looked away from the computer screen.

She leaned in further over the counter, pressing her breasts together in what she hoped would be a flattering way in her low cut lavender blouse. “Sure,” she said, trying to sound sexy but just feeling awkward. God, why was she so bad at this?

He looked at her, then, really looked at her, and she saw the recognition light up his face. “Seneca?” he questioned, leaning forward with a look of recognition in his eyes. “Seneca Mahon?”

“Hey, Josh, how’ve you been?” she asked him, smiling her fake ‘so happy to see you’ smile.

“Wow! Seneca, what’re you doing here? I haven’t seen you in years! How’ve you been?” he said with genuine interest, turning to face her fully.

She smiled, hoping it seemed normal and not weird and awkward, which was how it felt. She had to stop forcing this. She kinda knew Josh, this shouldn’t be so weird. She had to act normal. She just had to remember how.

“Ah, you know, livin’ the dream and all. How are you?” she dodged, tucking stray hair behind her ear so she had something to do with her hand.

“Oh, I’ve been okay. What have you been doing with your life? What are you doing here? Did you need help finding something?” he asked eagerly. His smile suggested he was very obviously excited to see her again.

“Finding something?” she asked, remembering she was supposed to be making this look casual. “Oh, no, I, ah…well, sure, I guess…ah, I was walking around the area and,” she began, feeling the lie flow from her but unable to stop it, “well, I felt like I should come in. I know it must sound stupid,” she said, feeling moronic, kicking herself for exactly how stupid and cheesy it sounded. There was no way he was going to buy her stupid lie. Why was she always so dumb?

Her self doubt began to fill that void in her again. She was going to let Godwin down. He would be disappointed in her, maybe so disappointed he might take his collar back. So disappointed he might quit their partnership and leave her. Her heart sank and she almost ran from the counter in shame. She would have run, but then she felt Godwin’s spectral touch on her back, sliding down from between her shoulder blades until it stopped at the crease above the swell of her buttocks.

She looked up at Josh, her heart in her throat, so sure she messed this up. It wasn’t even that hard, and she already messed it up! She couldn’t do anything right.

“That is so weird,” Josh said, leaning closer to her. “I was thinking about you the other night. About when we saw each other for a while. And now, here you are, brought here by just a feeling. I think, perhaps  we were supposed to reconnect,” he said with a smile. He had thin lips, but a nice smile. “Whatcha ya think?”

Was he hitting on her? Maybe she hadn’t messed this up as badly as she had thought. Or, maybe he was just being nice to her because it was so obvious that she was bad at flirting. “Yeah, maybe,” she agreed weakly, studying the black and green marbled formica under her fingertips.

“Man, it really has been a long time, Seneca. A few years at least, right? When did you graduate?” he asked familiarly.

“Yeah it has. Four years ago? No, five now, since I graduated. God, has it been so long? Isn’t that crazy?” she said, feeling calmer with his familiarity and with Godwin’s touch resting so comfortably on her lower back.

“Yeah…would you…ah…I mean, it just seems like a sign, us meeting again like this, don’t you think?” he asked, smiling shyly.

“I guess so,” she agreed nervously, fidgeting with her hands. Godwin pinched her with his ghostly touch and it took all she had not to jump. “I mean, yeah, it does seem like a sign. Did you…do you have plans tonight? After work?”

He turned his head in thought. “Nope, nothing tonight.”

“Would you…you wanna go get a drink after work? You know, to catch up or whatever?” she asked him shyly, studiously examining the patterning in the formica.

“Oh, yeah, sure, that sounds great,” he replied eagerly. “I get off in like…” he trailed off, looking over at the computer, “thirty minutes or so, then I gotta help lock up for the night. I could meet you somewhere, so you don’t have to wait for me.”

She nodded. “That sounds good. I’m staying at the hotel over on Market tonight, they have a bar in the lobby. Would you want to meet me there in like an hour?” she asked him, trying hard to look him in the eyes.

He had nice eyes, too, hazel speckled with flakes of green and gold. He smiled and she wondered why they broke up originally. She honestly couldn’t remember. “Sure,” he said, placing one warm hand over hers. He squeezed it warmly then released it, pushing himself away from the counter.

She mirrored his movements, stepping back from the help desk. “I’ll see you in an hour or so, then. You know where it is?”

“The Old Chicago? The speakeasy?” he asked and she nodded. “Yeah, I know where it’s at. I’ll see you soon, Seneca. I’m so glad you stopped in tonight.”

“Me too,” she said, unsure if she meant it or not. ed since she ended her workday she was sure it should be much later than eight pm. The lobby of the library was brightly lit. She squinted, feeling out of place.

“Tell me again, why are we here?” she asked him with a scowl. She didn’t belong here, not now, not for the purposes they were supposedly pursuing. “Perhaps you are taking this teacher thing too far…”

He snorted, walking deeper into the library and she just watched him for a second. Even from behind he was a sight to behold, his black suit perfectly cut to his body. His limp was barely noticeable, perhaps only because she was watching for it. He cast a look over his shoulder, an eyebrow raised in question. She licked her lips, then hurried to follow. She continued to appreciate his backside as he lead her deeper into the library.

They walked past the book drop and the check out desks, past the computer labs and media rooms. “I have been pursuing perspective gentleman for you based on what I have observed to be your particular sexual preferences. Later, we may branch out into others who you might not typically consider, but who would be excellent partners, but for now, we will stick within your margin of comfort. There is a man here who I believe you may find suitable.”

She licked her lips apprehensively. “My what? My ‘particular sexual preferences’? Uh…how do you know my type?” she asked him carefully.

“Little hansa, it is my very nature to recognize desires and to deliver them. When you desiderate for something enough, I become responsive.”

“Desiderate? What’s that mean?” she asked, annoyed and uncomfortable.

“Desiderate? Is that not an english word? Meaning to long for something, to desire something greatly? For example, you have a particular fondness for well defined obliques and rectus abdominis in a male partner, and appreciate a boyishly handsome face. “You desiderate those kinds of men,” he said over his shoulder as he took her father into the library. They passed the children’s section and headed further into center of the building.

“I, ah, what? The rectus? Like-” she began.

He cut her off. “Abdominals, hansa, abdominals. You enjoy, oh what is it called…a six pint?”

She blushed and she was glad he wasn’t looking, but she had a feeling he knew she was anyway. “Six pack!” she hissed. “And I do not-”

He turned back to her, his finger over her lips. “Shh, you are in a library, hansa,” he told her with that slappable smile. He ran his finger down her lips and she stepped into it, longing for his touch. “You will always be unable to deceive an incubus regarding your desires,” he told her with a half smile on his lips.

“I…ah…” she stuttered. When she didn’t continue, he traced her lips with his finger, then turned abruptly, heading further into the library. Her lips burned where his finger had been.

They wandered through shelves of books, stopping at the end of the row of shelves. He leaned to look around the shelf. When she moved to do the same he put his arm out, blocking her path. She looked at him in question.

“The man there, behind the information rotunda. His name plate declares him to be Josh. He would find you desirable, and has the features you prefer in a male partner. As we discussed during our walk here, you approach and ask him for libations after his shift ends. I have been tracking him, he will relinquish his station at nine pm promptly, and will vacate the premises by nine fifteen. Take him out, and then take him to the hotel which I provided you a room key. I will give you more direction as we move along tonight,” he whispered to her conspiratorially.

“Yeah…he probably still goes home to his saltwater fish. He doesn’t have a girlfriend?” she asked him, peeking around the corner despite his arm barring her. She was surprised she still remembered him. She hadn’t thought about him in years.  

Godwin spun to face her. “He does go home to his saltwater fish…” he trailed off, sounding suspicious. “That was not a lucky guess…”

She bit her lip. “He and I…we, ah…” she hedged.

“You know this Josh?” Godwin asked, frowning deeply.

“Ah, yeah,” she mumbled. “Josh, ah, I can’t remember his last name. I dated him for a few weeks. We went to college together. I am willing, maybe, possibly, perhaps to admit that I might have a type…” she said, toeing the floor coyly.

Godwin was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. She fidgeted, nervous she had already messed up their game, and partially relieved that she wouldn’t have to go through with their game. Stupid! she chastised internally. What was she doing? She was going to seduce a random stranger? Was it worse that she already knew him? It was hard to say which was worse.

Godwin looked up, nodding, disturbing her self condemnation. “This will still work, and perhaps be easier for you. Yes, nothing changes. Seneca, here are my commands. Approach him, do what you must to get him to the hotel. I will be with you, and I will continue to provide you with commands throughout the night. You wear my collar. I promise you now and always, so long as you wear my collar that you will be safe with me.”

“How will you talk to me, if people can see you when you do?” she asked him, still studying the ground. At his declaration that they were moving forward with the plan, her stomach both dropped in terror and flipped in joy. She was a confusion of emotions she didn’t fully understand. But…she would listen to Godwin. Her stomach twisted, and so did her core, the two definitely opposing factions.

The look in Godwin’s eyes had her gulping. He reached out a finger and trailed it over his collar around her neck and she shivered at the intensity of it. Despite him not actually contacting her skin, she could feel his touch intimately. Her eyes rolled shut with the intensity of it as she experienced feelings she couldn’t find words for other than amazingly intimate, which didn’t even come close, but was the closest she came. His fingers traced the collar around her neck and she could feel him, could feel what he was feeling. She could…he was in her mind.

She looked up at him, not afraid at all. This intimacy was something deep and profound. Seneca… she felt his words in her head.

“When you are touching the collar you can read my mind?” she asked aloud.

Think your response to me, she heard him say without words.

She bit her lip, unsure how to actually think her response. Couldn’t he just read her mind? She hesitated and his fingers tracing the collar reassuringly. She wished she could purr, she enjoyed his fingers stroking her collar that much. Godwin…

Good job, hansa, he responded without words. This is not, I cannot read your mind. I can speak to you this way, if I am in contact with the collar. I am sorry I did not prepare you for this beforehand, but I assumed it would be better this way.

She nodded, her eyes still closed as she floated in his touch. He trailed his finger along the rim of the collar once more, then dropped his arm back down to his side. She nodded again, opening her eyes and he winked at her.

“You ready?” he asked her with that slappable smile.

She nodded, afraid to say anything.

“Seneca, you will seduce Josh tonight and bring him to the hotel. Do you understand my commands?” he said to her, his voice authoritative.

She swallowed hard, her nerves fluttering wildly as her core twisted in anticipation. She nodded again, her throat feeling too tight to respond.

“Say it, Seneca,” he said, her name sounding so elegant the way he said it. “Tell me you understand.”

“I understand…pelang,” she muttered, her voice low and raspy. She was proud of herself for remembering the word.

A shocked look crossed his face, and then he smiled at her encouragingly. “Go on, then, ghanza,” he said, stepping to the side. She hesitated for a moment and he trailed a finger along her collar again, giving her confidence.

She took one step, then her body was moving for her. She knew what she had to do, and she was prepared to do it, because Godwin told her to, and that was enough to make her want to do it. Pleasing Godwin pleased her, brought her pleasure, which she could then use to make him feel good. The thought fueled her, spurring her forward with a surge of confidence.

Josh looked exactly as she remembered, a bit nerdy but tall and skinny. His short, dark brown hair was combed over in a way that screamed ‘librarian’. All he needed was a pair of beat up, chunky glasses with tape on the nose piece to complete the ensemble, he already wore a red and tan plaid sweater vest over a short sleeved white button up shirt. He smelled good, though, fresh and clean and masculine. Not as good as Godwin, but she remembered why she had been interested in him in college. Josh was a Wren, and a pretty good tasting one at that if she remembered correctly.

Josh didn’t look up as she approached, distracted with something on the computer in front of him. She waited patiently, leaning against the chest high counter. Why were library and bank counters so high? The counter was a perfect height for her to rest her breasts on, so she did.

“How can I help you?” he asked, sounding almost bored. He hadn’t even looked away from the computer screen.

She leaned in further over the counter, pressing her breasts together in what she hoped would be a flattering way in her low cut lavender blouse. “Sure,” she said, trying to sound sexy but just feeling awkward. God, why was she so bad at this?

He looked at her, then, really looked at her, and she saw the recognition light up his face. “Seneca?” he questioned, leaning forward with a look of recognition in his eyes. “Seneca Mahon?”

“Hey, Josh, how’ve you been?” she asked him, smiling her fake ‘so happy to see you’ smile.

“Wow! Seneca, what’re you doing here? I haven’t seen you in years! How’ve you been?” he said with genuine interest, turning to face her fully.

She smiled, hoping it seemed normal and not weird and awkward, which was how it felt. She had to stop forcing this. She kinda knew Josh, this shouldn’t be so weird. She had to act normal. She just had to remember how.

“Ah, you know, livin’ the dream and all. How are you?” she dodged, tucking stray hair behind her ear so she had something to do with her hand.

“Oh, I’ve been okay. What have you been doing with your life? What are you doing here? Did you need help finding something?” he asked eagerly. His smile suggested he was very obviously excited to see her again.

“Finding something?” she asked, remembering she was supposed to be making this look casual. “Oh, no, I, ah…well, sure, I guess…ah, I was walking around the area and,” she began, feeling the lie flow from her but unable to stop it, “well, I felt like I should come in. I know it must sound stupid,” she said, feeling moronic, kicking herself for exactly how stupid and cheesy it sounded. There was no way he was going to buy her stupid lie. Why was she always so dumb?

Her self doubt began to fill that void in her again. She was going to let Godwin down. He would be disappointed in her, maybe so disappointed he might take his collar back. So disappointed he might quit their partnership and leave her. Her heart sank and she almost ran from the counter in shame. She would have run, but then she felt Godwin’s spectral touch on her back, sliding down from between her shoulder blades until it stopped at the crease above the swell of her buttocks.

She looked up at Josh, her heart in her throat, so sure she messed this up. It wasn’t even that hard, and she already messed it up! She couldn’t do anything right.

“That is so weird,” Josh said, leaning closer to her. “I was thinking about you the other night. About when we saw each other for a while. And now, here you are, brought here by just a feeling. I think, perhaps  we were supposed to reconnect,” he said with a smile. He had thin lips, but a nice smile. “Whatcha ya think?”

Was he hitting on her? Maybe she hadn’t messed this up as badly as she had thought. Or, maybe he was just being nice to her because it was so obvious that she was bad at flirting. “Yeah, maybe,” she agreed weakly, studying the black and green marbled formica under her fingertips.

“Man, it really has been a long time, Seneca. A few years at least, right? When did you graduate?” he asked familiarly.

“Yeah it has. Four years ago? No, five now, since I graduated. God, has it been so long? Isn’t that crazy?” she said, feeling calmer with his familiarity and with Godwin’s touch resting so comfortably on her lower back.

“Yeah…would you…ah…I mean, it just seems like a sign, us meeting again like this, don’t you think?” he asked, smiling shyly.

“I guess so,” she agreed nervously, fidgeting with her hands. Godwin pinched her with his ghostly touch and it took all she had not to jump. “I mean, yeah, it does seem like a sign. Did you…do you have plans tonight? After work?”

He turned his head in thought. “Nope, nothing tonight.”

“Would you…you wanna go get a drink after work? You know, to catch up or whatever?” she asked him shyly, studiously examining the patterning in the formica.

“Oh, yeah, sure, that sounds great,” he replied eagerly. “I get off in like…” he trailed off, looking over at the computer, “thirty minutes or so, then I gotta help lock up for the night. I could meet you somewhere, so you don’t have to wait for me.”

She nodded. “That sounds good. I’m staying at the hotel over on Market tonight, they have a bar in the lobby. Would you want to meet me there in like an hour?” she asked him, trying hard to look him in the eyes.

He had nice eyes, too, hazel speckled with flakes of green and gold. He smiled and she wondered why they broke up originally. She honestly couldn’t remember. “Sure,” he said, placing one warm hand over hers. He squeezed it warmly then released it, pushing himself away from the counter.

She mirrored his movements, stepping back from the help desk. “I’ll see you in an hour or so, then. You know where it is?”

“The Old Chicago? The speakeasy?” he asked and she nodded. “Yeah, I know where it’s at. I’ll see you soon, Seneca. I’m so glad you stopped in tonight.”

“Me too,” she said, unsure if she meant it or not.

The Game Chapter 9: Collared

The Game Chapter 11: First Date