"So, what do you plan on doing with the woman?" Kaya asked, seated on his lap, butt in black yoga pants spilling and squishing against his thigh and crotch, her back leaned on his chest.
"Seduce and conquer," he replied with a shrug. There had been no other plans. It wasn't that he trusted his luck, no, only that ample preparation would never - and never had - betray him.
"That's a rather crude and vague plan," she chuckled lightly.
Another shrug. "Has always worked."
"Do you plan on making her a priest?" She asked, lips pursed, and eyes staring at the floor.
Hec was bewildered; he had never had issues with Kaya regarding him laying with other woman. She had even been an participant in some. He eked out a tentative, "Yes?"
"Is her authority going to be higher than mine if she proves more useful?"
His reply was immediate. "No."
The edge of her lips curled to a smirk, "So there's a no issue if I say, ask her for a loan? Not much. Just occasionally."
"Why?" He asked baffled. When the deal with Mrs. Olivera went through, they would be rich enough to buy whatever they fancied.
She leaned closer, her breaths hot on his ear. "Just introducing the woman to the hierarchy, chief," she licked earlobes, causing his spine to tingle, "nothing serious." She purred, "I just want her to see who's your favorite."
Suddenly, Hec was aware of his erection poking into her butt, soft and doughy, and of the scent of green apples emanating from her hair and body; he sniffed her neck in a trance, inhaling deeply, breaths erratic as desire told ahold of him once more.
There was no way he could resist the temptresses advances - she knew him like the back of her hand.
"Pound me till you pass out, chief, and leave everything to me for today," she whispered. "I'm your kitty, after all." She lifted his arms wrapped around her sinewy waist and set it on her breast, her lips descending on his with her tongue out.
Hec was happy to let go and let his instincts and desires take over. It reminded him he had grown.
The vibration of his phone roused Hec awake.
He stretched his arms on the chair and pulled his phone out, turning the alarm off – the time was 2:00. Now that he had vented twice, the way his mind felt, as though a veil had been lifted and he had taken back control of his himself, was exhilarating.
His mental tendrils swayed out his head, escaping the office from under the gap in the door, and descending downwards, eventually covering the entire Shifting Gear. A detailed map formed in his mind, steady details filling out wherever he focused, sensing several more presences in the gym. He could only ever control his mental abilities when in his optimal condition.
Usually, at one, Kaya and him would switch shifts to oversee the gym. Leave everything to me, she had said. She was reliable and considerate like that. He would've felt guilt if the numbers of patrons in the gym when she was present didn't surge so massively. He had sensed twenty people in the gym, almost full around two at afternoon, and they were closing at three.
The attendance was never this high when it was his turn.
Ever since she modeled in that red yukata for a fashion magazine, her account on the web had picked up steam, and she had a lot more acquaintances and admirers. Her before and after photos were quite the shocker.
They believed they could achieve what she had, fame, beauty, to be a figure of envy for the masses – Hec knew they couldn't.
Letting people revel in their fantasies made Hec a lot of profit. Besides, it wasn't like they were partaking in something harmful; they were working out, even if the advertisement for his gym was, well, not fake, but misguiding.
Hec had more than once thought about the looks on their faces if they were to ever find out Kaya never actually worked out. He chuckled.
A half an hour workout since he didn't want to get worked up. A five minute long cold shower. Five more minutes to get ready. A minute to collect the pills. That was the schedule.
He exited his office and downstairs. There was a lot more grunting, groaning, huffing, and hissing going on with a lot more people around, the music playing mere background since everyone had their headphones on.
He saw their gazes linger on Kaya and him, hopeful, envious, men and women alike.
He had built this gym to attract the affluent, and crafted Kaya to attract faith.
Before the counter, there was a group of five, men and women, taking pictures with Kaya behind the counter, letting customers enter and exit without any obstruction. The faith points were visually increasing, and they weren't filming the people working out; it was against the rules. He was fine with it.
However, there wasn't a spot open for him in any of the machines. Was he going to coerce someone off the equipment? No. That was bad business. Though they were regulars and didn't contribute much to the gym's overall revenue, about ten percent, if he were to treat them crassly, the word would get around, and no one influential wished to associated with bad press. Was he going to wait? Also no.
He scoured the gym, ignoring the premium members and hot women, gaze stopping after spotting an old bald man on the bench press on his final reptation. The prey.
With wide steps, Hec was suddenly stood over the old man with his left palm grabbing the middle of the bar.
"Come on, sir," he encouraged. "This is nothing for you."
Had Hec not interfered, the old man would've completed the set with no problem, and started another , but when Hec applied a little weight with his fingers, bogging down the bar, the old man struggled, adjusting himself on the bench, with his face turning red.
Exhaust yourself and get out of here old man, he thought. Five seconds, and old baldie still hadn't lifted the bar completely, arms trembling.
"Not like this."Hec shook his head. "One final push. Come on." When the old man did push, Hec lifted the bar a little, and the rep was complete.
The old man got up, hands on his hips, and taking deep breaths. "Thanks Hec," Tony thanked. "Couldn't have done it without you."
Hec held in a chuckle. "Only this time,," he advised sternly. "Don't go so heavy on the weights next time."
The old man was off, and Hec began his workout.
Quick repetitions for five sets of dumbbell and bench press to get a pump going, body squats, cable flies, pull ups, and he was done.
Walking up to Kaya, the fans already having left, he instructed her to send everyone off at exactly three and headed upstairs to take a shower. He didn't want many people sighting Mrs. Olivera entering his establishment. Though her husband spent the most of his time in Sen, a port city to the North, he was a powerful man and if word got out, there could be problems. A man of Mr. Olivera's caliber would require him to display all his cards to deal with and it wasn't time for that yet.
"Well, look at you," Hec murmured, crouching down to caresses the Glob lovingly, tablet like pink pills, seven of them, scattered about.
Though his child wasn't entirely conscious, it understood instructions. Not verbal, but mental. It was a transmission of thoughts and emotions. "All obedient and calm." He transmitted. The Glob quivered, as though understanding.
He focused on the pills and willed for the panel to appear.
[Half Pill - Two pills created from a single corpse]
Picking them up, he placed them into a zip bag he pulled from the breast pocket of his black suit jacket.
Thank you. I'll be back tomorrow with your food. He transmitted, and left, closing the vault door behind with a loud thud.
The time on the grand father clock showed 3:15.
He looked at his phone, a message from Kaya relaying that they were only a few minutes away. Mrs. Olivera would be led in through the back door of the parking lot.
The door to his office was ajar, a cyber punk themed melancholic tune straying in from the empty gym downstairs.
He took a seat, and with no one around to distract him, he closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax. Hec was comfortable with himself now, no longer fearing the loneliness and his own thoughts. Maybe it was the certainty of Kaya accompanying him wherever he went form hereon, be it to the Empire on the Elese Continent to the west, or the expansive and perilous Night Forests to the east, that made him confident.
The roar of an revving engine drew him out of his contemplations. Was he feeling nervous? Hec examined himself. No, he concluded. Preparation and power was the closest an individual could come to certainty in this world.