########

 

 

Lina circled around it but did eventually admit she had "something" at home for "relaxation". I urged her to indulge in it. 

 

The leftovers we had from supper went with her in a plasticware container, which she promised to return as soon as possible. 

 

As I pulled my car up to her apartment, she also promised, "Despite the fact it is probably mine, I won't move or use that much..."

 

Lina paused, then added, "At least, aside from...single-player joysticks." She managed to say it with just a small blush.

 

After she went inside, I stayed for a minute. While I was used to my bookmarked dick pics, they had gotten me a little bothered. Even more bothered was knowing the beautiful man meat to start the weekend was so hidden away that no hint of it was left. 

 

I panted a little. My mind flashed. Maybe this was the sort of bet where an extra Lina was just an accidental result. Maybe reality would rewrite, and I would never know anything had happened. I couldn't even be absolutely sure of my own memories. For all I knew, I was actually Greg, Lina was the real one and, fuck, maybe vacationing Lina was John. And the bum?!

 

Once the panic had flooded me, it washed away. Okay. Do what I can. Which meant making Lina's temp work as painless as possible, as I hoped things went my way. As well as keeping Deb's nose out of it. 

 

No trip to the pub tonight. The one nearest my place had mid-week special events that didn't reek of the shame and pity of most ladies' nights. One time I went, they even had a gaming competition with some jumping-shooting team thing. If they were having it this week then I had to mention it to Lina. No matter what, she deserved some fun.

 

Since it wasn't too late when I got back, I checked my messages and pulled up my address book. Nothing. Big, fat nothing from mom. To be expected. I looked at Russell's number too. My great-uncle. Amputated left leg. More commendations than I could ever imagine. The steady, kindly presence in my early years when mom and dad went at each other. I wanted to see him and my niece, Edith. 

 

I rang him first. Those goddamn short rings again. His voicemail was full, and it kicked me off. Edith was a night owl, so I probably had a better chance with her.

 

"Babs! Hiya! Are you coming over?"

 

Her voice shook with excitement I had to deflate sooner or later.

 

"Hi! Yeah! I really want to. It's been too long." 

 

She giggled and answered, "Okay! See you in a bit."

 

"Wait. I'm not actually in the area right now but we can make some...Are you there?"

 

At some point, the sound had cut out. I tried to ring her back, but the line dropped off every time I tried to connect. Every foul fucking word I could think of got shoved right up the symbolic ass of my phone company. I resigned myself to texting apologies and best wishes but, even then, I didn't get a single, damn acknowledgment anything was sent. 

 

Oooh... the thought of how my phone would fly through the air and slam against the wall. But not yet. Someday. Trade up. Keep the original. Climb on top of the plaza and fling it towards the river with a big middle finger as the last thing it saw.

 

While I visualized all that, I practiced with a firm toss of the phone against my pillow. I'd done it dozens of times to vent. It landed and flipped end over end across the comforter. It blinked on with a gray screen I never ever wanted to see.

 

With clenched teeth, I nearly growled at it. No effect. It had been factory reset. Pain in the ass. Fortunately, I was covered with cloud saves for bookmarks and more. Still wasted an annoying amount of time. 

 

Once it was restored, I poked around to make sure everything was in order. Proper number of dicks. Favorite music. Series of apps in all the right folders. Video....oh shit.

 

I dove into every app, nook, and possible hiding spot but no luck. The video I'd recorded of Greg becoming Lina, my only objective piece of evidence, had been purged to the electronic ether. Gently, but with my nails clenched, I set the phone down beside me. In my head, I was driving it through the earth like one of those crazy special attacks from Lina's game the other night.

 

Shifting on my side, I looked at the empty space next to me. 

 

No Greg or Lina. No problem. I slipped a hand down my pants.

 

The dicks were still fresh in my mind. Deep breath. I didn't want to push things too early alone. Instead, I visualized my fingers were someone else's, which was as difficult as trying to tickle yourself.

 

Greg is here, I told myself, he's just beside the bed and I'm teasing myself for him. My pants slid off. A replay of Friday, his hands over me, holding me. A broad, firm, but soft touch across me.

 

But the killjoy reminder of Lina dragged me down. I needed to get going and stay going otherwise I'd be left with an unsatisfied mess. Lina. She didn't do anything for me. But...what if the image in the video, the change before my eyes, had run in reverse?

 

Lina fussed on the bed. Her legs kicked back and forth against the sheets. Her clothes melted away. The place between her legs swelled. The puffy skin inflated like a slow balloon. Manly bulges dropped back into place. Between the folds, she was a grower of epic proportions. The tip slid up, taking a little coat with it.

 

I crept between his legs and urged it to full girth. It was dappled with his sweat and the oncoming aroma I craved. His swollen chest receded but broadened with his meaty pecs and perfect little nipples. Even in his groggy state, his arms bulged and wrapped their strength around me.

 

His darkening locks drew back and swirled, like pulling a sharp edge across a ribbon. My hands could get lost in his gorgeous, brown hair. I straddled his broad, sumptuous waist as bands of coarse hair decorated it. He pumped up as I kissed his full, deep lips. 

 

I held the feeling. He was inside me, a memory from the other night layered over. It was working. 

 

It kept going as I slipped into the bath, renewing the fantasy with other parts first. Finally, I reached a surprise apex with his grin looming over me, created from Lina's curious expression. 

 

Phantom Greg carefully teased my lightly-inverted nipples. It was enough of a massage to keep things going long enough to remold Greg four times over. Eventually, the girls closed up shop and there was nothing left to do but get properly clean. 

 

It was fun. Didn't last as long as real Greg but it got a little of the frustration out. I could've brought out my rabbit, but I wanted to feel someone, even if it was just a trick on myself. 

 

After some tea, I finally made my way under the covers. The other side was still empty. My last thought before sleep was wondering what it would be like if my thoughts and daydreams actually could change someone's body. I could remake a real Greg. I wavered outside of arousal and envisioned splitting Lina into a twin sister for her convention-going self while giving me back my Greg. If I could place a bet on that, then it would be perfect.

 

It also would've been perfect if my night had been filled with such thoughts or simply dreamless. It wasn't.

 

I found myself at the office. Someone had decided to paint all the fixtures on the walls, even the illuminated fish, a faint-gray color. Everyone in the waiting room had these long burritos. Apparently, we had a rogue burrito vendor who opened up a shop in the office somewhere towards the back. Another thing to deal with. 

 

Outside the windows, there were mountain peaks. Also, a logging crew was cutting down my favorite elms. I was at my limit. I had to talk to Greg about this. 

 

His area was littered with chasmic holes that needed to be patched with plywood, just like when the swim team started digging in the bathroom and we had to lock it off. The doorknob squished in my hand as I turned it. 

 

Video game posters given away by local stores covered his walls. The grass on the ceiling was dropping moss in thick, gooey clumps. 

 

"Just made it. It's the best ever." Greg waved me over to look at the sub sandwich on his desk, but I had to tell him about the trees they were cutting down outside. They had no right to take down those trees! They were my favorite trees! I could see them, so that meant I had a right to them.

 

A man in a black lycra, full-body suit spread open the door. He looked like if Superman had been covered in jet-black ink. He reached his hand in Greg's direction and said clearly, "You're mine."

 

Greg stood up from his chair with a frown and asked to see the man's identification. The man turned his hand into a fist. Greg gasped with surprise and a swell of pleasure. I wanted to go over to help him, but I just stood like a statue. Greg's slacks tented with arousal. 

 

I watched in prickly horror as the strange man bent his hands down. Greg dwindled in his clothes. His gorgeous, manly bulk retreated, and his clothes sloughed off to the ground. I could only marvel at his rigid dick a moment before the man wiggled his fingers and it also melted away.

 

In just a few heartbeats, it had hidden away between his thighs. His balls briefly-swelled before being sucked inside, leaving a puffy, pink cleft behind.

 

As Greg diminished, the mystery man bulged with a lycra-clad dick deforming the shape of his outfit. Greg rubbed his soft thighs together and moaned with a voice losing his normal strength and depth but rising to a faint, frail tone. 

 

Still, I could do nothing about what was happening before me. The thick muscle across his lovely arms and thighs became glossy, free of hair, and slick with sweat. But the scent was all wrong. The smell I knew so well was buried by a dense, womanly aroma. I felt sick.

 

Bright, flaxen hair spilled across Greg's faint, shrunken shoulders. The man in black effortlessly lifted up what was left of my man and plunged his clothed cock into...her slick groin. 

 

Greg didn't fight the assault. She bobbed her head and rocked her pelvis, urging the invader onward. As he plunged deeper, Greg's chest swelled with his nipples spreading. Soon, heavy breasts bounced on his chest as the man quickened his strokes. 

 

Panting, begging for more, Greg didn't notice as I started to cry out for him, the spell on me momentarily broken. It didn't matter, Greg was so caught up in getting fucked. 

 

As I screamed, so did Greg. The man in black left a pale mess all over and inside...her.

 

With a deep voice that made everything around quaver just by speaking, he said, "You're mine forever, girl. A sealed, always-hungry pussy from a sealed bet for all your days."

 

Greg nodded, as though she didn't understand what the man had told her. She could never go back. My man was gone. 

 

I pressed with all my effort to get up and tackle the man in black, but I just twitched my leg in bed and shook myself from where I was lying on my side.

 

"Geez. Fuuuuck. Oh shiiiit. Oh, fuck...my tits are fucking sweaty as shit."

 

They were soaked, with the underboob area feeling the worst. It felt itchy. I didn't need to get a pimple there again.

 

Gingerly, I disentangled myself from the covers and got to my feet. Of course, it was like ten minutes before my alarm.

 

I was damp all over. My hair clung to me. What had I dreamed about? Fucking? No. Some all-black thing was fucking Greg and changed him into a sexed-up version of Lina. Deep breath. 

 

My heartbeat finally started to settle. Just a dream. But, I had to remind myself the events of the weekend were still real. My phone didn't have the video anymore, because of bullshit, but the calls to John's voicemail and other Lina were still there. 

 

Shutting my alarm off, I stripped out of my nightclothes and got washed up. The water cleared my mind of shitty dreams. 

 

After finishing in the bathroom, I got my usual clothes together. Button-up blouse, circle neck top, pleated business skirt, and comfortable heels. Color-wise, I went deep blue with a touch of light. I could probably add in my tan blazer, but my evil phone said it was going to be a warm October day. The whole week would be warm. 

 

Before breakfast, I rang Lina's place. A few long rings then the sound of the phone tumbling across something. At arm's length, I could hear her ask, "Hello?"

 

"Babs here. You okay?"

 

More fussing with the phone. "Yeah. Just finishing up in the shower. Sorry! I'm used to like an hour later and uh...but I'm up and gonna be ready soon. Everything okay?"

 

I just asked her if she wanted me to make her breakfast on the go. Egg and cheese toastwich maybe with a pack of yogurt and some granola?

 

She pondered it as she set the phone down but quickly told me, "Okay! Sounds great!" 

 

I put a reminder on my untrustworthy phone and the fridge to buy eggs tomorrow since I'd be running through them faster. Breakfast was nice and I made sure to enjoy my scramble as I packed up Lina's meal. 

 

The air outside was dense, but a gentle sort of muggy which hadn't been dispelled by the dawning sun yet. 

 

 

Lina gave a giggle, which sounded like she was fighting back hiccups, before clearing her throat and coolly relaying, "Ma'am, I am a collector. I treat my joysticks with delicate affection so they can keep playing long into a session of single-player action." She couldn't keep a smile from creeping over her face. 

 

Her eyes had a slight halo of gray beyond the normal eyeliner she wore. Merging onto the road, I asked, "Did you sleep alright?"

 

Her first answer was a wide yawn which she barely-covered with her palm. After shifting in the seat, she managed, "Sure did!...Eventually. Love my own bed. How was your night?"

 

Stopping at the light to the main road, I answered, "Pretty good. I had fun. Some... intense dreams but no worries." 

 

She held a faint smile. "I bet you dream of stuff I can't even imagine. I used to have some very vivid dreams when I was young."

 

Checking the traffic, I urged her, "Oh? How so?" Had to be careful. If I delved into her dreams then she might inquire in turn. 

 

"I could feel numbness from outdoor cold. If I ran then my legs really ached. My dream bladder was worse than my waking one, but it followed the other's cue a lot. I had special sheets to an embarrassing age. One parent blamed the other for all of it. And I couldn't get the weight of that off my shoulders. Sorry."

 

I assured her it was fine as we arrived at the plaza. Past the streetlight were the hazy remnants of fog. I pulled around the side and parked in the area marked "staff" in the back. We were the first car in the lot.

 

After unlocking the back door with my key, I used another to set the alarm properly. Lina carefully ate the breakfast I made for her. She laid down several napkins for the crumbs and wiped down the table afterward.

 

I lit every room except for Greg's office. Using the bathroom mirror, I pulled my hair into a nice, arching ponytail and put on my glasses. I had my contacts, but it felt like a glasses sort of day. 

Lina complimented me and then asked, "Should my hair be back too?" I assured her she was fine as I gave my hands a fine coat of apple-scented lotion. I offered her a dollop and she applied a nice, fragrant layer. 

 

Before the first of the other employees arrived, I made Lina a little clip-on badge with the company logo and her name. She wandered a bit, peeking into the office, and noted, "Hasn't changed that much over the years. Lots of memories..."

 

I watched her reaction when I flicked the light on in there. No lingering on Greg's desk, his paperwork, or the decorations. No wait, she smiled at the classy band posters. But, that was it. 

 

Sliding her sleeves up, she asked, "Where do you need me?"

 

Pretty much everywhere. We'd be understaffed. But should I put her out front to take patient information and answer calls or deal with John's stuff? I already knew the answer. Both.

 

I couldn't just throw her off the deep end though. I put her at the front desk but also joined her. 

 

Fortunately, I had an old cheat sheet with important numbers from when I started out. It was laminated. While we still had time, I walked her through it.

 

Not enough time to take her through the full privacy policy and billing forms but I jotted down a few notes as they occurred to me. Monday would be heavy with the orders spilling over from Friday. Greg considered getting a tablet for data entry, but I could scan and fax faster than getting that lazy brick to wake up and get a good connection when I tested one. Just point me to a copier and I will whip the fucker so hard it doesn't even think of paper jams.

 

Calls came first. I answered with it turned so Lina could listen in. Routine orders. Copy of a drug test for employment. TB testing. Check on a lipid panel. And a wellness exam. It would have to be scheduled with the nurse practitioner. Lina was quick, making her own notes on a nearby pad. I started some sheets and relayed the details to her. Soon the fax machine would be humming.

 

Walk-ins followed after that. A panting lady with a motorized wheelchair. She handed a paper to Lina and she asked her to sign in. Lina kept a calm, kind smile even as I noticed her shoulders were tensed. I chimed in and asked our first patient how she was feeling today and if she needed something to drink. I also considered hypoglycemia but without the benefit of a chart on her yet.

 

To my relief, she'd just been yelling at her ex-husband on the drive over. Here for an x-ray of a hip injury. After the next few people, I started to ease away from Lina because I needed to get these processed and sent back to the others, who I heard milling about already. Deb would show up soon with her googly-eyes, plume of over-permed dirty blonde hair, and big mouth. 

 

Still, they were at the other end of the office, so it would take a while before Deb noticed Lina. I buried her in work. The others got their orders as soon as I could request back copies that didn't look like charcoal tracings because someone's scanner contrast was shit. Or they had monkeys banging on the buttons. 

 

I responded by drawing "RESEND" in whiteout across the front. I was tempted to say more but I knew to restrain myself.

 

If I had to name one single, great timesink around the office, it was charting. Now, we didn't have the crunch of a full-scale medical office or even the horrors of an ER, but it amounted to sooo much time taking down and organizing information. Making sure that printouts were error-free, that forms got to the right places, billing was processed properly according to federal laws, and it was all archived accurately. So busy. And that was when I didn't also have to pull on some gloves and ferry an extremely-full cup of dark, sloshing pee with a broken lid to the right place. 

 

At least the back was doing their thing. And then, Deb asked, "Will Greg be in today?"

 

I answered quickly between sorting forms, "No. Personal matter." And, just as quickly, I gave her a request which I knew should take her a while.

 

Back up front, Lina looked a little frazzled. She had a line before the desk and was torn between processing, calls, and people asking her stuff out of turn. I headed off the third group. Some of them I knew well. 

 

First, they included people who were sure we had somehow caused some problem like weight gain, higher cholesterol, or pain, because of our procedures. They were to be kicked back to bitch at their referring physician. 

 

Then, the bill dodgers. Some of them had legitimately-misfiled claims and I wanted to work with them. Others were delinquent on agreed billing from months ago. Now collections was harassing them and it was our fault. My favorite was a woman who claimed her husband was dead, so she didn't have to pay a bill. He made an appearance in the office that same afternoon. They mostly made me smile till they threatened to sue us for one thing or another.

 

We got the drug reps before they pushed on to the greener pastures of other offices and a handful of people who swore by the tablets I swore at. So far, it was better than I expected. We survived. Probably my favorite moment of the morning was when a young woman asked Lina for medical advice on a red skin spot because she thought she was a doctor. 

Lina moved around a lot, crouching, hustling, and tending to calls and paperwork. She still had a line, but it was soon under control. However, I noticed Lina hadn't gotten up to use the bathroom yet. I wasn't keeping a careful count but, due to its location, it was hard to miss whenever someone went over there. That worried me.

 

During a lull, I rolled up a chair beside her and asked her if she needed to take a break. She stretched her feet and asked, "Am I supposed to?"

 

I shrugged and leaned close to privately whisper, "Don't you need a restroom break?"

 

Lina frowned and curled her mouth. She remarked, "Now I do."

 

I took over her queue as she excused herself. I tried not to kick myself and did my best to leave her alone until lunchtime. She did go back several times but less as the lunch crush approached. 

 

As I filed sent orders, Deb crept over and said nervously, "Greg. Isn't here today."

 

"Personal matter."

 

Her eyes wide, Deb added, "But that girl is. His cousin. Who has only come by on three instances I know about. For John. But John isn't in today either. More personal matters?" She sneered.

 

I adjusted my glasses, held my gaze, and told her, "That girl...is Angelina Rose Owlswatter. Her family pays our bills and she is running the front office by herself because she was needed. No more rude questions or you'll have to find somewhere else to poke holes in people for a half-day."

 

Her sneer slipped away to a scowl. "I've been here since before you. You can't talk to me that way. I've known Archie for years. He would never stand for this."

 

"He retired. Greg is the boss now. And, when Greg is away, I'm in charge. And I take care of the staff, those who are present, those who can't be here on a given day, and those who won't be here for long." I folded my arms and told her, "Make sure you're the first group and there'll be no problems."

 

Deb tried to stare but she didn't have it in her. Instead, she muttered, "I do my job. Just see people missing. And last night. Saw a bright light in the sky."

 

I held my eyes on her. "It's called the moon."

 

She flipped a hand dismissively. "I know the sky. I have a telescope in my yard. Something strange. Going on..."

 

Oh, for fuck's sake. Probably for peeking through the trees at other people's windows. 

 

"Yeah, it's space invaders, Deb. Every single one of us." 

 

Lina just happened to be passing by on her way to the restroom. She halted and chirped in, "Space Invaders?! Where? I have a top fifty score on the DS registered with Twin Galaxies."

 

Deb bent her head back but said nothing. I smiled and answered, "I'll tell you at lunch." 

 

Lina smiled with her hands in front of her and said, "Okay! Back soon."

 

Once she was away, I let out a deep breath and told Deb, "I should be at my mother's wedding this week, but I am doing what is needed of me. I don't need gossip and I will not tolerate unprofessionalism in our workspace. So, are we good now?"

 

Her mouth quivering in a faint pout, Deb gave me a passive nod and said, "I'm ready. For whoever....you send back next..."

 

I left without emotion or grandstanding, but I punched the air with a grin once I was inside a private nook of Greg's office. Felt good. Of course, I couldn't really fire Deb because she was contracted through an agency, but it would be incredibly easy to get someone else. 

 

Archie used to credit her with more hours than she would report to the agency and paid her more than she would claim in taxes. Greg put a stop to the first part, but she still hadn't been audited. Yet. 

 

Was all that necessary? Not really. Did I enjoy it? Fuck, yeah. Deb did the bare minimum unless I was on her. Archie (bless his heart) considered her like family, so she took advantage. She could bitch at him next time they met, whatever. I did my job. 

 

And I got back to it.

 

Somehow, we finished up the whole load and the walk-ins. The last was Darren, a young boy with growth hormone deficiency. He looked small and stout for his age. I'd seen him in once or twice. He stared at the floor with hot, flush tears in his eyes. Though I did my work, I kept an eye on Darren.

 

Lina crouched beside his chair and talked to him with a smile. I caught only snippets, bits of Lina's life she'd shared with me too. She gave Darren a tissue and he blew his nose loudly. His mother stroked his short, brown hair. 

 

After a few minutes, Darren made his way back while holding Lina's hand. She guided him to Deb's chair. His arm tensed up and wouldn't settle. Lina brought up something called "Smash Bros". I knew nothing about it but Darren did. He chatted with her as Deb worked. He flinched when the alcohol swab came out but Lina kept his attention on her. Special attacks. A video online with characters making silly sounds. He smiled despite his red cheeks.

 

Deb announced, "All done." Darren looked quietly at the little pumpkin patch band-aid on his arm and said a quick, "Thank you."

 

On his way back to the hallway with his mom, he turned, wrapped his arms around Lina in a hug, and said, "You're a nice lady, Misses Owl. Thank you!"

 

Lina sent him off with a wave and beamed as she returned to her work. 

 

After that, it was just making sure nothing had been fucked up and we were set till the second half of the day. I just had a few calls and some confirmations. Once those were done, I asked Lina where she wanted to go for lunch.

 

"Your pick", she told me with a grin.

 

Any of the nearby pubs would've been fine but I decided to go with Culver's. Lina waited in my car while I set aside my afternoon work and closed up the office. Once in the car, I took a deep breath and looked over at Lina. 

 

Quiet tears were running down her cheeks with blooming redness around her eyes. Her lips curled but she didn't whimper. 

 

I leaned over. "Aww, why are you crying?"

 

Her tears flowed as she blinked. Through a stuffy nose, she answered, "Cause I got a hug and he called me nice..."

 

It's hard to hug someone when you're both sitting together in the front seat but I did my best, rubbing her shoulder as she shuddered and sobbed. It was ever harder not to think of who she was supposed to be but I focused on who she was in that moment. 

 

She added, "He's a good kid and....he should be a happy kid." I nodded and gave her a little time to collect herself.

 

As I drove, she had little relapses where she needed a tissue from her bag. She even admitted quietly, "I dunno why I'm crying so bad but...he's a sweet kid..."

 

With a sniffle, she said, "I know boys are supposed to be a handful but I wanna have one someday. A boy and a girl. I'll teach them both to love games and not destroy each other, except in a friendly match." She chuckled warmly through the last of her tears.

 

She didn't dwell on her words but I did. As we both ordered a salad, some chili, and custard, I returned to that thought. Children. Babies.

 

Greg-as-Lina could have them. Maybe. Was she on a pill or an IUD? She wasn't sexually-active but plenty of women used birth control for concerns beyond pregnancy. It begged the question: Did she have a cycle? It would likely be normal for her unless she said otherwise. But I didn't want to encourage her ideas. 

 

If she somehow got pregnant from sex. The idea caught in my head with the fragment of my dream. Sure, the forces that oversaw and controlled bets couldn't make things permanent, but they also weren't unfair or cruel. And they definitely would not unmake an innocent, unborn life. 

 

If she got pregnant, then she might actually become Lina for real.