Page 7 of Vibes

The bullet itself is still encased inside the plastic wrapping, and I have to break the second seal to even get to the thing. It’s surprisingly well packaged and the damage to the box seems superficial.

“Huh,” I say, dropping it on the counter to turn the box over. The directions are sparse, saying it has an internal battery that doesn’t need charging. I get the feeling this thing isn’t going to last very long. “Quality products my ass.”

The bullet rolls ever so slightly on the countertop, causing me to frown. I don’t think the countertop is that uneven. Grabbing a towel and the spray, I spritz down the bullet, checking again to see if there’s a charging port or some place to pop in a battery. Nothing.

“That’s what I get for shopping the discount rack,” I say, shaking my head before collecting the packaging and tossing it in the trash. I leave the bullet to sit for a few minutes in the disinfectant. In the meantime, I go grab the wine from the fridge and a glass from the cabinet, knowing I’ll probably want more. I turn on a show in my bedroom in lieu of my couch and slump into bed for another night of staying inside. It doesn’t matter if it’s still fairly early, I’m over today.

I watch an entire episode, gulping down the wine, before I go back to the bathroom. Grabbing the little toy once the cleaning supplies are put away, I walk back and set it on the bedside table. There’s an on/off switch at the base, so it’s easy enough to operate. I recline into the pillows and get lost in the mindless TV show again.

As I pour the last of my wine, I look at the toy. Might as well get my money’s worth before it dies. If it’s only got so much battery, I better make it count. Hopefully it’s super stimulating so I can get this done and over with quickly.

What a dreary way to think about sex and masturbation.

“Well, let’s see if you’re worth the bargain,” I say, finishing off my glass. I’m drinking more than usual tonight, so I guess that explains why I’ve decided to go rogue and talk to the sex toys. Is that better or worse than talking to myself? “Can’t remember the last time I bothered with a bullet.”

I shimmy out of the boy shorts I tossed on, pushing the t-shirt up to palm my breasts and tweak my nipples to get me in the mood. The sounds of the TV fade to background noise as my eyes flutter and a small moan escapes my lips. I’m in need of a release more than I realized.

Shifting my hand down, I search for the little button on the bottom and click the bullet on. The arousing buzz of the toy lasts for exactly two seconds before it’s shattered.

“Oh, oh yes!”

3 Changing My Luck

Lachlan

She shrieks at my outburst, throwing me for distance to the edge of the bed. To be fair, I didn’t know I’d actually be able to speak when someone finally turned me on.

I think it’s kind of a happy surprise. I still have my voice!

“What the actual hell!” Iris cries, and I’ve rolled so I can only stare at the back of something else instead of at the little wallflower. I was quite enjoying the visual of her teasing herself, making those rosy nipples harden as she played before inviting me to the gates to heaven.

Okay, that was cheesy as hell. But beggars can’t be choosers when you’re stuck as a mini vibrator.

“Holy shit, holy shit,” she breathes, and I hadn’t realized she was still talking. My outburst was pure joy. I may not have a dick right now so this is as close as I’m going to get to real sex for the time being. I should’ve known a talking vibrator might send her over the edge.

Now that I know I can talk, I really want to do it again. Apparently, I can’t speak when she isn’t pushing my button, which makes explaining so much harder.

“Why did you drink the wine,” she continues to mutter, and I wish the bed was slanted enough so I could roll again and see her. “You’re hallucinating. There’s no one here. There’s literally no one here! That vibrator does not sound like Lachlan.”

Yes! She recognizes me. Finally, things are starting to go my way.

Now I feel kind of bad for scaring the life out of her. When I found my voice again, I thought I’d have the pleasure of speaking from my mouth, not from a void when someone pushes a button.

“Okay, okay,” Iris breathes, and I feel the slight dip as she sits on the bed again. I roll over some, and catch sight of her. Her cheeks are puffed, like she’s still fighting to keep her cool, and her hands clench and unclench on her lap. The shirt fell down to cover her body once more. “No one is watching you. No one is here. Oh, God, maybe I should call Cora. She likes weird shit. I definitely did not hear Lachlan just now.”

Cora. That bat-shit crazy witch would probably laugh herself to death when she hears what happened. She didn’t stop Iris from buying me, so is she setting us both up? Or is she just plotting, moving pieces of a puzzle around that I can’t see from this immobile jail? When I see Flynn next I’m going to beat his ass for getting us tangled up in their drama.

Iris doesn’t look at me again. Instead, she grabs her phone from the bedside and frantically taps the screen. I expect her to text, since most of the people I know in school refuse to answer calls, but she taps the screen once more and stands, holding it flat on her palm before she walks out of my line of sight.

Maybe she’s being helpful and letting me listen in so I don’t have to try and guess what Cora says. I can’t wait to hear how all this bullshit came to be.

Unfortunately, the call goes to voicemail, and with Iris out of sight all I can really hear is her groaning before she flops down on the bed. She jumps up just as quickly, making me bounce on the mattress until I’m laying on my side facing her.

Wide blue eyes peer down at me, and she’s clutching a pillow to her chest like I’m some sort of demon from hell.

“I should’ve had less wine,” she groans, dropping her head to the top of the pillow. “I’ve cracked. Is it finals? It could be finals coming up in a few weeks. But I’m not usually this stressed out.”

Is she… talking to herself? And now she’s not even talking about me!