The Devil in Apartment 13 Page 13

  Amina… He stepped to the fireplace.

  “What was in the dream?” he asked as he picked up the gold bottle. He heard a soft feminine voice coming from it. He’d have missed it if he wasn’t paying attention.

  “Gold clouds, white lightning, blue rain… I saw a tree branch, forked like two legs. You were in the dream, but your back was turned the entire time. You picked up the tree branch, kissed it, held it high towards the sky. It began to rain. Big blue drops… White lightning struck, then gold clouds parted and the pink sun shone through. I heard Amina’s voice. She said, ‘He has a wish. Let him have it, even for only one second in time.’ The dream made no sense to me then, but now, it does completely.” Shahzad smiled as he filled with elation. He ran his finger along the golden bottle once more. “You would have chosen that anyway, but this puts my mind at ease. We shall have a wedding for you here in Morocco. You can have one there, too. You can have two.”

  “If she accepts my proposal, of course.” His good feelings vanished in a flash.

  “Why wouldn’t she? Who wouldn’t love my son?” He smiled sadly into the phone. “Nizar stated she is quite smitten with you. She has been to your office. Everyone saw her. He said she was quite lovely but more importantly, she couldn’t keep her eyes off of you, he said.”

  “She does love me, but she doesn’t know that I’m a Jinn, mother. This could end very badly. Regardless, I am going to tell her tonight. This could be the beginning of a beautiful life together, or it could be the final beat of the most beautiful time in my life. I could end up telling stories of regret to my nieces and nephews: the time when Uncle Shahzad fell in love with a struggling, beautiful soul, a hardworking bartender, just trying to make it in Manhattan. I granted her wishes, but she didn’t believe in Jinns or worse yet, she did, and hated them so…”

  The dream of a clear potion moving slow and easy like globs of radiant spherical magic swaying from left and right in a gold bottle haunted her like thirteen unlucky ghosts being chased by a black cat under a ladder sprinkled with spilled salt. Vivian turned on the nightstand lamp and glared at her clock. Almost five in the morning. She sank back on her pillow and closed her eyes for a spell. Her night had been restless, her body in need and her mind at work.

  She’d come home from the bar and clonked out as if she’d never slept a day in her life before. She was a bit sore from sleeping in an awkward position, maybe due to the odd dreams, so she finally rose off the bed and stretched, careful to not make any sudden twisting motions to further exacerbate the slight crick in her neck. Darkness fell over one side of her face as her feathered bang shrouded part her vision. She sat clutching the edge of the bed with both hands, her heart, head, and pussy missing her lover, her confidant, her friend…

  Shahzad, what are you doing right now?

  Her lips curled in a smile for she knew that later that day, she’d see him. She couldn’t wait. He was probably asleep at his home at that moment, despite him being an early riser. He’d gotten back to New York so late, on a red eye flight, and she’d received a ‘good night, Love’ text from him hours prior.

  She made up her mind to get into the groove of the day. After washing up and brushing her teeth, she put on some clean underwear, an oversize peach sweater, and form fitting jeans.

  Feet covered in ultra-fuzzy black socks she’d picked up from some guy selling hats, keychains, and scarves on the corner last Winter, she scooted about in her kitchen fixing coffee while listening to a humorous podcast. She stretched and wiggled her toes, a sense of comfort washing over her.

  As she stirred cream into her coffee, bits and pieces of her dream the evening prior kept popping into her mind. The vision was so vivid, detailed and strange. And a bit disturbing, too. She leaned against the kitchen counter beside the coffee maker, crossed her ankles, and stirred the coffee. Around and around she went, the spoon clinking against the mug. The world around her vanished as she drifted in her thoughts. Only that spoon and her memories of the strange dream remained in focus.

  I wonder where Shahzad got those bottles from at his home? I saw them on his fireplace mantel and a few at his job in the lobby. Does he have any of those same bottles in his apartment office here, too? I wonder who designed and made them? They were so pretty… but they… they seemed to be actually breathing, especially that gold one. Why would I dream about that? It bothers me…

  Time passed as she cleaned up around her place, sweeping the dust away to the sounds of Raheem DeVaughn’s, ‘Love Reunion.’ After eating a banana and a bagel with peanut butter, she plopped down onto her living room couch with her phone and checked her social media accounts. That lasted only a short while for she got sick of all the drama in her feed in minutes. She popped back up and decided to tackle some ironing. After she’d gone through a few pieces of clothing, her phone rang.

  “Heeeey, baby,” She smiled into the phone, so happy to hear from her sweetheart. “I know you got in late so I figured you were sleeping.”

  Shahzad yawned. She could hear him moving about in his bed, only to wish she were right beside him.

  “Yeah… got in super late but I’m okay. I am rarely tired but I think with the flight, back-to-back business meetings right before I left, checking on that property I own in Rochester that had the basement leak I told you about, and then dealing with family mainly to get some of my father’s affairs in order before he retires… it caught up with me. Otherwise, I’d be up already and probably on my way out the door.”

  “Yeah… rest is important though, Shahzad. I worry about you sometimes. It’s like you never sleep. Every person needs to sleep, honey.” He was quiet for a spell. Perhaps he was fighting sleep again and had zoned out on her. “So, uh, I take it we’re still getting together tonight, right? It’ll be late but I can get away at midnight like I told you. Liz agreed to cover so we should be all good.”

  “Definitely going to get together tonight. I would like for you to spend the evening with me, actually. No point in you coming out that late then going back home.” She smiled at his words; they were exactly what she wished to hear. “I’ll be getting ready to head into work in a bit, but later tonight, when you come by, I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Oh?” She arched a brow. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah…” He sounded far more serious than usual. “Everything is cool, baby, no worries.” He chuckled. It sounded forced, as if he were putting on a show, trying to put her mind at ease when he felt anything but. Something was definitely off but perhaps that could be due to exhaustion. He did have a jampacked week. She brought her coffee to her lips and took a sip. The warm, smooth liquid felt good going down. Down… down… down… Like what Shahzad did to taste her… He seemed to love eating her pussy even more than she enjoyed him doing it.

  Flashes of his big hands gliding all over her body made her heart race and her pussy pulse. She smiled with anticipation of the evening to come. But then, that nagging feeling returned. The one that tried to ring the alarms of anxiety. After a brief, strange silence, he spoke again. “So, I’ll send a Lyft for you tonight, okay? Bring an overnight bag to your job so you don’t have to make two trips and waste your money and time.”

  “All right. I’ll do that. I look forward to seeing you. I missed you.”

  “Good. I missed you too, baby. I love ya.” But before she could respond, he ended the call.

  She stared at the phone, uncertain what to think, then placed it down onto the counter, her mind in a fog…

  I can’t go on like this… Liz thinks I’m looking for something to sabotage my relationship because of all the bad experiences I had. Mom asked if I was taking drugs when I tried to run this past her… I can’t tell just anyone shit like this! They’ll have me in Bellevue! Somebody has got to talk to me and listen!

  She picked up the phone once again and dialed her sister. It was her last hope.

  “Viv, do you know how damn early it is in the morning?! I’m on my way to work. I j
ust got off the train. This better be important.”

  “Fiona…” Her voice quivered. She hated how she sounded. Desperate, strung out on the drug of worry.

  “What’s going on? You don’t sound right.” She could almost envision her big sister stopping in her tracks.

  “I’m fine. No.” She shook her head. “That’s not true. I’m not fine at all.”

  “What’s wrong, Viv?”

  “You know how, uh, I’ve been seeing Shahzad?”

  “Yeah. Just the other day you said you two are really doing well and I told you I can’t wait to meet him. I enjoyed talking to him briefly on the phone last week before he left out of town. Oh no… Did you two break up?”

  “No.” Vivian placed her trembling hands against her mouth, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She had no idea why she was shaking. She needed someone to help her – someone who wouldn’t hang up or call her a nut. “Look, this is going to sound crazy, Fiona. Flat out. You know I’m not an irrational person though. I know at times I have a vivid imagination and I have a creative streak, but I very much know the difference between fantasy and reality, fiction and nonfiction.”

  “What’s all of this about? Hey! Watch where you’re going!” her sister yelled at someone. “Go on…”

  “You’re my last hope, Fiona. No one will believe me but… I just have to say this. Something is very different about Shahzad.”

  “What? His personality has changed?”

  “No, I mean in general. He’s acted the same from day one, he’s been consistent, so that isn’t it. He’s just… strange, but not in a really bad way. I can’t explain this well.”

  “Well, he comes from another culture, Viv, one that is very different from ours. I mean, he’s Muslim. Well, not Muslim but he comes from a Muslim country so that’s a little different from the Muslims that are born and raised here who still adopt some American culture and norms. And on top of that, he’s Moroccan and we’re Black. It could be that—”

  “No… I don’t mean different like that, Fiona. It’s going to sound crazy! I don’t even want to say it!”

  “Come on, Viv. You can tell me anything. You know that. Yeah, I may talk shit about you afterwards, but you know you can talk to me.”

  “But that’s just it, I don’t need to be ridiculed right now.”

  “You’re serious… Shit. All right, all right.”

  “Yes, I’m serious. I don’t find this the least bit funny, no matter how silly it may sound to you. I’m going to tell you, but you have to promise not to laugh!”

  “Yeah, I promise.”

  “I think he might be into… black magic, witchcraft, voodoo or something.” There was a long silence, the kind she hated, the kind that was rolled over in judgment like a cutlet of chicken in flour waiting to be fried.

  “Okay, and what makes you think that?” Her sister was surprisingly calm.

  “Well, for starters, he knew where I lived, or, I should say, he found out quickly what apartment I had moved into and somehow, acquired the building. At first, I thought that was a coincidence; now I think better of it. Wait a minute, I’m going out of order.” She pressed her fingers against her forehead and took a deep breath, regrouping. “When he and I met, Fiona, I noticed this strange glow, and a certain shape to his eyes. His pupils are like, I don’t know… like a cross between a wolf and a cat’s and sometimes they seem to glow in the dark.”

  “That could be contact lenses or the lighting. What else?”

  “It’s not! Well, another thing is that people seemed to drift around him, and they still do, Fiona. It’s like he has a magnetic pull but can shove people aside with ease at the same time. The crowd doesn’t move the same when he’s around. It’s like something is directing them, as if his energy is making people move a certain way. Shit!” She shook her head, hating how insane she sounded, but it was the damn truth! “I… I’m rambling! I sound ridiculous I know, but the night I met him, he asked me to tell him what I was going through. He wanted to hear about my life, right?”

  “Okay. What’s strange about that? If he found you attractive, naturally, he may want to ask you about yourself.”

  “Yes, but he wanted me to share stuff in detail, run down a list I guess you could say of all of my troubles, and I realize that everything I told him had happened to me has resolved itself since that time, Fiona! That doesn’t make sense!”

  “Like what?”

  “David cheating for one! I know you heard what happened to him. He has had the worst luck recently and I told you how he keeps apologizing to me. You know that man never felt sorry for all the shit he put me through. Now, on top of it all, April’s stupid ass is in big trouble regarding that ice-cream store robbery and they’ve broken up! All of my problems, Fiona, all the people that did me wrong are getting their asses kicked by the big ass foot of Karma, and it’s not just one person; it’s all of them! Not only that, my apartment rent he cut in half, only because I insisted on paying at least something. And he fixed everything in here—even gave me all new appliances.”

  “As he should! He’s your boyfriend and you’re fuckin’ him!” Vivian rolled her eyes.

  “Fiona, please! I’m for real. There’s a laundry list, okay?! I mean, BOOM! Money problems solved! Career finally moving in a more promising direction after all of these years of stagnation! Hell, I don’t even have bad hair days anymore!” She began to spin around, losing her mind. “Who in the hell doesn’t have bad hairs at least once in a while?! I wake up now looking amazing!”

  “All right, slow down… slow down… and you don’t have to toot your own horn showering yourself with compliments. Okay, let’s back up for a second. So, you said he’s in real estate, right?”

  “Yes, and he also owns a company that helps other companies with big functions and events – magical displays, expensive props, things like that…”

  “Magical displays? Like what?”

  “He said it’s like a fantasy, like professional magical shows, light displays, illusionism…” She let her voice trail away.

  “Hmmm, that’s different.”

  “Yeah, it is. He’s very busy, I tell you that much, but he manages to make time for me and when he… never mind.”

  “When he what?”

  “Fiona, when he touches me, I turn to butter. I melt. It’s like… it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I crave this man. Every cell in my body screams for him. But… a part of me is afraid of him too, Fiona. There’s something dark there, right below the surface. An energy that is powerful and overwhelming. I know how this sounds. You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

  “No, I mean, yeah, it sounds a little out there, but I’m listening, Vivian.”

  “Oh!” She snapped her fingers and jumped about. “And here was the final straw for me, the thing that really made me think something was going on. The other day, Shante’ called me, all frantic, thinking I was doin’ black magic on her!”

  “What?!”

  “Yes! I had no idea what she was talking about, obviously. I don’t even like getting my palm read, let alone dibbling and dabbling in that sort of thing!”

  “Wait a minute… Shante’… the crazy girl that used to be your roommate?”

  “Yes. She was hysterical, Fiona! At first I thought she was kidding, but as she continued to speak, I realized she truly believed what she was saying. And she knew nothing about the money I’d received from her very own banking account. How does one explain that? The money she owed had been paid in full. Here’s another strange thing: His penthouse. Fucking amazing, Fiona! Like, we’re talking baller status here, okay? The place has to be worth close to thirty million dollars. It has a damn solarium, glass ceilings and floors in some areas. It’s on the thirty-first floor and has two terraces…”

  “You told me he was living large, but damn!”

  “Right. I didn’t want that to blindside you; I wanted you to get to know him for him first. Anyway, there were these strange bottles that glow
ed and seemed to even move on their own on his fireplace, and he takes smoke baths, Fiona. Who the hell takes smoke baths? And in the shower he lit a cigar out of nowhere! He carried me in there naked; he was naked too and out of the blue out pops a cigar and a match! Unless they were in his ass, I have no idea how they materialized. Oh, and back to the damn smoke. Smoke follows him sometimes when he walks around and he smells like—”

  “Okay, okay, okay! Hold on, girl. You’re going too fast. Slow down, catch your breath.” Vivian slid against her kitchen wall, her chest pounding. “So, what you’re describing does sound a little strange. Dude is filthy rich and your life has been turned upside down. His company sounds a bit ambiguous, too. Strange. I agree that something about ol’ boy sounds not quite right from what you’ve shared.” Vivian sighed with relief. Finally, someone believed her. “Question. Has he ever been married before?”

  “No, and I checked into all of that. No marriage records involving him. No secret children, either.”

  “Where is he right now?”

  “At his house.”

  “And you’re at home, right?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Go into his apartment and see what’s in there.”

  “What?! The one he turned into an office?”

  “Yes. Get your ass over there.”

  “You’ve lost your mind. And to think I’m the crazy one!”

  “Do you want answers or not? You said he isn’t there right now so there isn’t any danger in this if you act fast. You could be in and out in 10 minutes.”

  “I can’t do that! Besides, I don’t have a key.”

  “Vivian, if he is into some strange shit, trust me, he has something in there, too.” Vivian mulled over her sister’s words. She’d never try to put her in harm’s way. Perhaps she had a point. “Did he say he was coming over there today?”