***

The rhythmic tapping filled the room as the man drummed his fingers on the dining table. He was lost in thought about which options would meet his needs the best. The man looked again at the simple one sentence message, [The twin foxes are sniffing around one of your long-term projects] Dozens of options on how to deal with them came to mind. He’s dealt with these “foxes” a few times over the years. They were tenacious, but not very imaginative. So, one upping them wasn't hard, but which one should he pick to maximize his profit?

He sent out the simple text [Have A. run interference for now] as he turned back to focus on the lovely lady he was eating with.

Her sweet voice was full of concern as she asked, "Trouble, at work?"

"Nothing too bad, somebody just upped their bid."

***

We walked out of school after cheer leading practice. And even though I had to sit out during the game, Ms. Mirth made me learn the routine. I had missed most of the week and already knew I wouldn’t be allowed to join the squad. Instead, I would oversee the moving of our props to the field and then back. The other cheerleaders in my squad didn’t care if I was there or not. Ever since I didn’t agree to their bet, they had been giving me the cold shoulder. For good or bad, I had been too busy to care, which made them even more unhappy with me.

From their scorn filled words of things like "You think you're so precious because you never been with a man", "What is the point of cherishing your chastity, when your teammates suffer", and “Because of you, she lost her boyfriend” I knew none of them believed the rumors that I slept around for money and that I was one of the six girls in the sophomore class that had never been with a man. It was common knowledge because of a boy with an ‘Appraise’ spell that could determine if a girl was still “untouched”. He was also a gossip so the whole school knew what he did. Normally, this wouldn’t be that important, but because they put me as the prize and I refused, the football MVP of that game somehow learned I was a virgin and was looking forward to “taming” me. After learning I wouldn’t be in his bed as promised, he had insisted on having two girls that night. So, while Ann had volunteered, Tracy was “volunteered” and he got his wish. Tracy’s boyfriend found out two days that she spent the night with another boy and broke up with her. Somehow that became my fault and when I came back, they could finally confront me. In other words, it was a lot of high school drama.

So much had happened that I had forgotten about the bet they made but was glad that my group of friends didn’t join in the complaining. I ignored the others as we walked out together. Neal and his group were waiting. Unlike normal, Victoria had gotten permission to go out to get food. Her dad was pulling a double again, couldn’t pick her up, and the person that was going to check up on her wouldn’t be home until nine, so he reluctantly agreed. So, with happy smiles, we loaded into the boys’ trucks and went out to dinner.

Jeff drove us into the city and the buildings grew taller as we went deeper. The concrete and red brick buildings gave way to towering skyscrapers of glass and steel that reflected the crescent moon in the sky. "Ah there it is." I heard from the back seat. Looking in the direction Brad was pointing; I saw the white glowing letters depicting 'MERLOT'. Unlike most restaurants, this one's sign hovered above the front doors. The enchantment they used couldn't be cheap.

‘I can’t afford this,’ was my first thought as Jeff’s truck followed Neals. The Merlot was an upscale romantic eatery and I only had twenty dollars on me. While I didn’t eat as much in this body and always had leftovers, that was contingent on me not using magic. But I had been casting all day and was starving. When they asked if I was willing to go out to eat, I had planned to buy a large meal at whatever fast-food place we went to. Now, I wasn’t sure I could afford an appetizer.

“Don’t worry. I’ll cover the bill.” Jeff’s voice cut off my train of thought because it held a tone that I wasn’t used to. And while I didn’t quite understand it, my heart beat a little quicker. But…

“No, it’s ok. I’ll manage.” I wasn’t dating him, nor was I the type of person that’d use another because they were better off.

Brad, who had gotten into the back of the truck before I could, had been talking softly to Victoria. He stopped when we began talking and in a frivolous voice, said, “Don’t worry. We haven’t been able to get together lately and planned on treating you to a good meal. It’s on us since we picked the place.”

Jeff quickly added, “And it’s getting late. We won’t have time to switch places and get Victoria home in time.” I looked at Victoria, and while she seemed a little embarrassed, she still nodded.

“Okay, I owe you.” And began debating on if I should dip into my emergency funds to repay him.

“It’s nothing. Your company is worth more than this meal.” My body reacted a little bit to his charming words. But his words also made me feel guilty for some reason. Confused, I didn't answer and silently accepted his generosity. Because of that, the truck fell into silence as we drove into the parking garage across from the restaurant.

I had mixed feeling about his truck. While in it, it made me feel big and powerful. However, getting out of it made me know how small I truly was. It took me a bit to wiggle my way down. I wanted to jump out, but the expensive looking car next to us made me rethink that idea. What if I tripped and dented it? When I finally got out of the truck, I tried to get close to Victoria, but she was walking with Brad to the other truck. Jeff waited for me and took me over to join the others. Then as a group we walked over to the restaurant.

The interior was big, with rows of tables. The vaulted ceilings were held up with golden martini glass shaped columns. Neal went to talk with the maître d and soon we were led through the main dining room, up to the second floor, and into a private dining room. A table for eight people was placed in the center of the room but because we were in a corner room, we could all see the buildings across the street. It was a different street than the one we came from and had glass buildings that had large entrancing and triangle extensions jutting from their tops. They looked like magic castles as the reflective panels glittered from the lights of passing cars.

Whoever designed it really knew his stuff and I kept glancing at it, as the others took their seats. It wasn’t that long, but I was still the last to sit and ended up between Jeff and Janet. The white table clothes, silver table settings, and even the dimmed overhead lighting gave the room a rich, classy ambience. A waiter came in, handed out menus and after taking our drink orders, left. I opened the menu and saw things like caviar for seventy-five, eight-ounce steak hundred and twenty, and a hundred and thirty for a lobster. The cheapest things on it were the appetizers that started around the twenty-dollar mark.

Jeff leaned over, his masculine scent filling my nose and he said, “Just order whatever you want. I recommend the lobster; it’s fresh.”

“Thanks,” I said but was still wondering what I could get to fill my stomach for the cheapest cost. Maybe the Bisque? I never had it, nor did I know what it was. But it was “cheap” in comparison to the other choices. I was still trying to decide, when the waiter came back. Seeing my indecisiveness, Jeff took my menu, smiled, and said, “She’ll have the twin lobster tail with the jumbo crab cake.” He looked at me when he said it, trying to judge my attitude as he ordered. I wasn’t hypocritical and since I had already agreed to come, I smiled to reassure him that his choice was fine. While I liked steak, it had to be well done which wasted the quality of the meat. Or so I heard because I never had the chance to test it.

My plate of food looked like it came out of a movie. Glancing around, I saw that the chefs, behind the scenes, had given each dish an artistic flare. Jeff’s steak was covered with a white sauce with stalks of asparagus leaning against each other to tee-pee above it. Multiple waiters kept placing dishes and soon our table was filled with glazed sweet and spicy shrimp, prime steaks of beasts I never heard of, and various sea foods. They all looked delicious.

I focused on the dish in front of me and began to eat with gusto. While half our group ate in silence. Whether it was training or party of the upper-class culture, I didn’t know. But it was something I noticed everybody at Roy’s party always did. Victoria or my table manners weren’t as good as theirs, but we tried to mimic what others did, even though they didn’t seem to care.

I was so engrossed in my meal that I didn’t notice, until I was almost done, Victoria and Brad were now sitting closer together. She was currently laughing at something he had whispered into her ear. I watched as they happily whispered back and forth. Unsure how I should feel. My feelings for her were just starting to grow stronger, and I was a little jealous. It wasn't like I was innocent since we started dating. Nor was I planning to remain chaste. We had talked about it before and I still remember her saying, "I want you to get stronger, even if that means we won't have a normal relationship". I hadn't felt too much about it, but people in this world switched partners quickly. It made me a little insecure seeing her getting along so well with somebody else. Especially, since I wasn't sure how "dating" and switching partners worked in this world. For all I knew, eating a fancy dinner in a public place was enough to indicate a breakup and getting together with another person.

I was lost in my thoughts when my phone dinged. After opening it I saw that Victoria had sent me a message, even though I hadn't seen her take out her phone. A simple text of [do you want his spells?] made my heart warm. 'So that's why,' I thought and sent back, [not if it causes you trouble] before putting away my phone.

Victoria glanced down, smiled, and leaned a little more into Brad. But it wasn't just her. The others were pairing off as well. Ann was the most obvious and had her hand under the table. Neal's goofy look gave away what she was doing to him with it. But even Janet, who normally hid her relationships, had moved so her chair was as close to Paul as it could be. I was pretty sure something was going on, but unlike Ann, neither Paul nor Janet's face showed any traces.

Jeff was the only one at the table other than me that was acting normally. He saw me looking and like me, pretended that nothing was happening. He cut a piece of medium rare steak and continued to eat with elegance, and I couldn't tell if he found it as awkward as I did.

Victoria gave me a wink as her hand slipped under the table and I heard the faint sound of a zipper being opened in the silent room. It was too silent, so I could occasionally hear some of what everybody was doing. I coughed in embarrassment and tried talking with Jeff. But I wasn't a social animal and lamely said, “Thank you for dinner, it was delicious. I… ummm… really enjoyed it.”

He seemed to know I was trying to cover up the noises and played along, “It was my pleasure. If you ever want to come again, just let me know.”

“I… I... Will. But between practice, exercise, and homework, I don't have a lot of time. Even tonight, I'll have to stay up late to finish everything.”

"Then I will have to thank you for making time to join me tonight. If you like, I can help you practice or study. Just tell me the time and I'll be there."

I nodded but just said, "Thanks" before changing the subject to make small talk. It was five more minutes before Victoria brought her hand back out. She gave me a look before saying, “I need to tidy up. Steph, can you come with me. I don’t want to go alone.” When I didn’t move, she came over, and took my hand. She didn’t pull hard, and I finally got up.

The bathroom was down the hall, and we walked in silence. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to start the conversation. We walked into the bathroom, but it wasn’t empty. A stall was being used, so Victoria leaned in and as she whispered, “This is for you.” She held out her hand and water began to seep out of her skin and run down her fingers. It collected there and formed a tiny ball with a thick white liquid in the middle. She held it in front of me. “It’s Brad’s. Swallow it and see what spell you get.”

I paused and finally said, "Thanks." Something I had said too many times tonight. But that's not why I paused. I just realized that Victoria wasn't on the list of virgins I saw on the forum. Thinking back, she never said anything about being with men, just that her kissing a girl, that it felt good, and she was confused about what she wanted. My imagination had filled in all the rest.

“Of course. I want my woman to get stronger. Besides, men don't last long under my 'Create Water' and ‘Quivering Pond' hand jobs.” She had a proud look on her face, as she handed me the water. “Swallow it quickly, we don’t know if there is a time limit yet and I don’t want my efforts to go to waste.”

I took it with mixed feelings. The surface of the water was firm, but the tips of my fingers sank in a little. It was like I was skimming them along a pool of water. But how should I take it? The “pill” was as long as my fingers so swallowing it whole wasn’t going to happen. But at her urging, I opened my mouth, held one end, and pushed the other one in with the thought of biting a piece off. The firmness of the part that entered started to dissolve and I saw beads of sweat forming on Victoria as she concentrated on controlling her spell while letting another part go. I kept swallowing the liquid mixture as more and more of it filled my mouth. There was a delay as I drank the last of it and when I thought it wasn’t going to work, I heard, "Medium Level Fire Magician DNA Acquired. Absorbing, analyzing, adapting... Extracting, Randomizing Highest Level Spell... Congratulations Level One Spark Spell Learnt"

“I got it, the level one ‘spark’ spell.” I couldn't help but feel disappointed. The fact that it showed his DNA was medium grade, but his highest-level spell was a level one, meant he was just being lazy. What a letdown.

Victoria didn’t get to reply because there was a whoosh as the lady, in the stall, finished. I quickly shut up as Victoria went to sink to tidy up. Her lips were a little redder than normal, like she was wearing light lipstick. I watched her happy reflection, as a woman in a tight dress went to join her. Her muscular form stretched the fabric to its limits. Aife’s tall, broad shoulder frame was hard to miss. She noticed me off to the side and said, “Ah… its little Stephanie, right? You really impressed me on the show.” Victoria finished and came back to me. Since I was by the door, she quickly added, “Don’t run away. I’ll give you my contact information. The production I’m currently on has need of strong kids. If you want to join me, you can let me know.”

“Really?” I had been thinking of trying to become a singer or actor but... “Sorry, I just have too much going on with school and training.”

She gave a deep, manly laugh, as she dried her hands. “Nonsense! You’re pretty, and powerful. Two of the three things you’d need to get ahead. The third one, you’re too young to know. Plus, the director is a cheapskate. Trust me, if you can lift the prop, he’ll work around your schedule. Here’s my business card. I’m going back before my date gets impatient.” She handed me a plain white card, before stomping off down the hall. Her deep voice echoing as she yelled back, "Don't forget to call me."

We followed her out, and I watched Aife’s retreating back when Victoria grabbed my arm and shrieked into my ear. “Oh my god, that was Aife! Aife was talking to us! AHHHAHHH!”

“Shhhh, I know, I know. Calm down or we’re going to get kicked out.” I tugged on her arm, trying to bring her back to reality. Her eyes were shining with enthusiasm and her soul seemed to have flown away from meeting a star. It was a side of her, I never saw before. It’d be cute if we weren’t in public. The men’s bathroom door opened, and Victoria’s head turned towards the noise. I watched as her eyes widened and she seemed to realize her gaffe. A man in his forties walked out. He was wearing a business suit and when he saw us, he frowned and said, “I wondered who was making all that noise. Turns out it’s just some rabble that lacks proper manners”. He walked away with a, “Hmmph, I call down and…”

He turned the corner, and I didn’t hear the rest, but even I knew that screaming in a high-end establishment probably wouldn’t end well for those that brought us in. The only thing going for us was that nobody came out and we had until he called to get away. A look of horror crossed her face and she said, “We should go.”

I laughed at her obvious statement, “Yes, come on.” And like two uncultured heathens, ran back to our room.

***

In a secret lab, in an undisclosed location, a chubby, balding man with thick glasses looked at the man that just barged in. The ham sandwich, that was about to be his dinner, lay forgotten on the floor. It had been knocked there when he hastily stood up.

"Is it ready?"

The chubby man looked at the bubbling vat in the corner. "Y... Yes sir, but..."

"Good, release it near the target."

"But sir..."

"You have your orders!" The man turned and left as fast as he came.

With a slightly bewildered look, the chubby man’s skin opened along his arms and legs and various bugs poured out. His size shrinking as they did. The bugs scurried down his body and into the lab before he picked up the thick report he had been using as his dinner plate. He began talking to himself, his voice full of doubt, "... Maybe I can use the G73 model. The F48 exploded, the k96 didn't work... It's not ready, but..." He looked at the computer screen and the blinking red dot. Grabbing the report, he began thinking about what he would need as his weak voice continued to list off the parts.