Having accomplished their burning task of making love for the first time, Austin and Liat enjoy the afterglow.
“The question burning in everyone’s mind is—was it as good for me as it was for you?” she teased.
“I certainly hope so, or I’m completely useless.” He kissed her deeply. “Do I pass muster?”
“Oh, yes. I think you’re acceptable,” she said, trying to sound clinical and professional.
“Good. Hate to think I’d fallen down on the job.” He kissed her again, his hands fondling all the soft curves of her body. “Does this mean I can call you my girlfriend now?”
“Would you like to?”
“Very much, yes.”
“If it will make you happy, I suppose so.”
“Blissfully.”
“You really mean that, don’t you.”
“I do. I like the idea of having you for my girlfriend. You’re smart and funny—and we’re genetically compatible, which I do find is necessary for a good relationship.”
“Yes, surely you’ve had enough of alien vaginas.”
“Surely, I have.” His fingers drifted down, teasing her legs apart. “But not of yours,” he admitted with a grin. His lips made the same journey. He licked and nibbled from her mouth, down. Nudging her thighs apart, he licked her.
Liat moaned, writhing in the bed. With a grin, he continued.
Something banged against the trailer. Austin sat up, puzzled and angry. He thought at first it might be Dwight, but there was no reason for him to be here. Then, he thought it might be night security, but they had never cared if he spent the night in his trailer before. Another thud made the trailer shiver. He realized it wasn’t someone hitting his trailer, it was coming from the sound stage.
“Call security,” he said, grabbing his Sponge Bob boxers and jeans. He found a shirt and shoes.
Liat fumbled with the phone, doing her best to dial the number. Austin took his cell with him and picked up a nine iron from a set of golf clubs he rarely used. He hopped lightly on the pavement, walking toward the sound. In his mind, he knew this was foolish, but something potentially threatened Liat. He wasn’t worried about himself. He’d survived years on the street. He wasn’t afraid of much and knew he could defend himself.
The banging noise continued several more times, along with a string of loud expletives. Whoever it was didn’t care that they might be overheard. Though, if Austin and Liat hadn’t been in his trailer, he probably wouldn’t have been.
A car engine revved, followed by a squeal of tires. An almighty crash echoed through the night. The walls of the sound stage shuddered. Austin dodged The Magician logo as it fell, crashing to the pavement a few feet away, in a shower of glass and shattered plastic. He turned away, shielding his face. He felt the glass sting his back. That didn’t stop him. He dashed into the building behind the intruder.
Liat rushed to the door, wanting to scream when she saw the sign fall. She kept still, knowing that Austin’s safety depended on her silence. Whoever it was didn’t know they were there. She’d made sure to tell security to approach silently. She could see Austin outlined by the streetlights that dotted the studio compound. He disappeared around the corner of the building, golf club raised.
A black SUV trimmed in gold, with sparkling spinners, sat in the wreckage of what had been the garage door they used to move big set pieces in and out. Torn metal and battered lights hung from the wall and ceiling. Electricity crackled and popped. Wishing he knew where the breaker box was, Austin moved quietly, circling the SUV to come up on the passenger side. He jumped forward, opening the door, but the vehicle was empty. The airbags had deployed, cracking the windshield. Smoke filled the interior.
Austin backed away. He heard more cursing. A deep male voice bellowed from the far side of the building, where the special effects equipment was kept. Tracking the sound, Austin crept across the floor, skirting set pieces and furniture.
“Aha! Bastard!”
Irving. Why am I not surprised?
Easing closer, Austin tried to see what the former director was doing. He had a hammer and was going after the lock on the explosives cabinet. The special effects director was particular that everything was locked up tightly every night. Very little was kept on the sound stage itself, but there were enough explosives there to start a sizable fire. He knew there were likely to be other volatile substances around. In a self-contained little world like this, any manner of chemicals could be found.
Where are the damn security men?
The lock finally gave way. With a shout of glee, Irving opened the doors. He started grabbing bottles and boxes. He knocked things off the table near him, piling everything on it. Austin made up his mind to act. He couldn’t wait for security.
What would The Magician do? He’d do something clever and shag the girl. Think, man!
Working his way forward, he did his best to come up behind Irving. Taking out his phone, he found the button to turn on the flashlight. When he was in position, he spoke.
“Oi, mate!”
© 2015 Dellani Oakes
Dellani Oakes 