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Jynx'd

By: TrueNorth1969



The short, pleasantly plump woman in the white tunic stood behind the store counter surrounded by freshly baked pies and cookies and cakes. Her very round, very pink-cheeked face smiled and nodded as she double-checked an order receipt. She then looked up and said with a beaming smile, "Ok. So we'll have the cake ready by 10:00 Saturday morning."

Mia, already stepping back upon hearing this, returned the smile and replied, "That's great. Thanks very much."

The baker-lady nodded her head and winked, "And Mr.Tall-and-Handsome will be picking it up, right?"

"Yes he will," Mia concurred, "Right, Mathis? Mathis? Mathis!"

Mathis stood off to the side in front of a shelf filled with a selection of breads. He was poking one loaf gently.

"Mathis! What do you think you're doing?" Mia snapped, locking her hands onto her curvy hips.

The young man turned to her. "Hmm?" he replied, looking back-and-forth between the baker and Mia. Then he smiled mischievously and added, "Feels good."

Mia clucked her tongue. "Stop being an idiot. You're picking up the cake at 10:00 before you come to the party. Pay attention!" She reached up and gave his ear a yank. 

"Ow!" Mathis swept her hand away and frowned. He grumbled, "Alright! Alright! Got it. You've said it ten times already!"

"Yeah, well I've learned that things stick in your coconut head after the eleventh time," she said, reaching up again and giving his temple a sharp poke of her finger.

"Looks like someone was interested in my loaves," the jovial baker said with a chuckle.

Both Mia and Mathis looked at her, simultaneously raising their left brow.

After a moment, Mathis shook the stupor out and laughed. He took a deep breath and stood tall, and answered with a deep, satiny voice, "I gotta say, your loaves are mighty fine. Mighty fine."

The baker's round blue eyes lit up like a pinball machine, her pink lips circling. "Ooh! Really? Do tell?"

Mathis nodded and leaned up against the counter. He levelled his dark, glassy green eyes on her. "Mm-hmm. They're nice and soft and plump. Just the way I like them," he continued deliberately, holding up his hands, "Perfect texture and size, too. I can wrap my hands around them perfectly, dig my fingers into them and give them a nice, firm squeeze." He gritted his teeth, sucked in a loud breath of air, and angled his fingers into claws, loosing a stiff grunt, "Urh!"

The rest of the baker's round face, along with her cheeks, glowed a honey-glazed ham pink as she held her breath. Hand on top of her ample bosom, she laughed. 

Mathis winked and smiled flashing a perfect set of white teeth framed by a strong angular jaw and attractive face wrapped in velvety cocoa colored skin. The baker almost fell back into her muffins.

"Enough!" Mia interrupted, slapping Mathis in the arm. She pulled at his shirt. "Let's go already."

Still giving the swooning baker the laser-eye treatment, Mathis said, "And I was just about to talk about your sticky buns."

The baker couldn't control herself. Her whole body was shaking like gelatine as she snickered. "Oh my!" she said taking a breath, "Are you the birthday boy's daddy?"

Mathis leaned harder against the counter. He shook his head slowly. "Uh-uh," he replied, "Much too young...and much too available to be a daddy, yet."

She nodded aggressively.

Mia rolled her eyes and pinched him in the arm. "Move your ass!" she snapped.

Mathis chuckled, pulling away from the counter, "Okay. Okay. Relax."

Already walking towards the exit, Mia pointed to a large sum of shopping bags on the floor beside the shelves of bread. "And bring those," she said dismissively.

"Yeah. Yeah," he sighed and scooped them up. As he backed his way through the door, he nodded, flashed his perfect smile again and winked back playfully toward the baker. She giggled and waved.

He had to immediately stop as he stepped out of the bakery. He bumped into Mia who stood on the sidewalk doorstep checking her phone.

Mathis rolled his eyes and his shoulders. "Can you not just stop in the middle of the street like that?"

"And you should learn how to stop while you're ahead," Mia replied. She continued to scroll through her phone.

Mathis shrugged and looked down at all the bags of varying sizes in his hands. "Don't you think we have enough crap already?"

Mia ignored him and swept back her wavy, reddish brown hair over her shoulders. She put on her sun glasses then continued to check the list on her phone.

Mathis looked upwards towards the sky and squinted at the sun as it floated high above the tops of the buildings. It was another beautiful summer day. With the heat, he was starting to feel the weight of the shopping bags. "Damn it's hot," he declared, the short curls of his close cut dark hair glistening from perspiration. 

Without a word, Mia turned and marched ahead down the sidewalk.

Cinching up the bags, Mathis sighed and followed her. "Man, we've been to Toys R Us. Parties R Us. Cakes R Us..." he grumbled as he trailed her from behind, "Where to now? How about Feed Your Brother Some Lunch R Us?"

Continuing to walk without looking back, Mia replied, "We're going to Ass-Beatings R Us if you don't stop your whining."

"Aaron should be here. Shawn's his kid," he groused, "Where's he at?"

"It's called a career," she declared referring to her husband, "When you're done with university and working for a salary you can be exempt from pack-mule duties. Besides, it's summer vacation and you don't have work today. You got somewhere else to be?"

Mathis grinned and snickered, "Hey, I ALWAYS have somewhere else to be!"

"Some place better than helping your sister as she throws together a birthday party? For your nephew who, Lord knows why, admires you like some sort of GI Joe action hero?" she said clicking her tongue.

Mathis' stride lengthened as he walked tall, beaming. "The boy knows quality," he said with haughty sniff. He held up the bags and shook them, quipping, "He won't be interested in all of this junk." 

Mia shook her head. "You rather we just go to the dollar store and buy him a card?" she hissed, "Besides, what did you get him?" 

"Gift card for video games," he replied, "AND a Giants' jersey AND a slick model sports-car."

Her head still shaking as if it were loose from all those years of disagreeing with her brother, Mia sighed, "Typical of you. Video games, sports and cars."

"And sex," Mathis announced with a cheerful chuckle, "You forgot about sex. It substantiates the under 25-years of age, black, male stereotype to say that I want to have lots and lots of nasty, non-committal sex." 

Mia finally stopped and turned, eye-balling her younger, taller brother. "What in the world are they teaching these days in university?" she asked disapprovingly.

"Statistics," Mathis shrugged. After a pregnant pause, he added with a wink, "And sex."

Mia continued to give him the evil-eye. Mathis bounced his eyebrows back at her. Against his relentless grin his sister's frown broke slightly, morphing into a bemused smirk. She jabbed him in the stomach. "You're crazy, you know that?" she chided, "You are such a...such a...clown." 

Her voice suddenly trailed off along with her gaze past Mathis.

"A 'clown'?" Mathis blinked, a step behind in thought. "C'mon, sis. You can do better than that. Maybe call me a pig or..." He was unable to complete that thought as Mia quickly side-stepped him and ran across the street.

"Mia?" he called after her, "Hey watch the cars!"

Mia made like a butterfly through the traffic over to the sidewalk on the other side of the street.

Still unmoved from his own spot, Mathis frowned, trying to glimpse what had caught his sister's scattered attentions this time. Once he figured it out, his frown twisted into something even more sour and he muttered, "Uh...no. No. No. No."

Even after he had crossed the street, Mathis hadn't completely absorbed the sight before him as he approached his sister. She was talking to a clown, an honest to God carnival escapee clown. It had the big rainbow afro wig and the round bozo red nose which stuck out against the ghost white make-up caked onto its face. Even under the heat of the summer sun, the clown wore white cotton Mickey Mouse gloves and an over-sized puffy jump suit that covered it from neck-to-toe, speckled with so many different colored polka dots that it looked like the Easter bunny had barfed all over it. Bottoming out the outfit were size-28 blue bowling alley style shoes that may have made the clown's feet look bigger, but it certainly didn't help its height. Mia was still an inch or two taller and Mathis already towered over his sister.

"I play instruments and do puppets, too," the clown spoke as Mathis stepped into their conversation. It was either a woman or else a male soprano.

"Great! Perfect!" Mia replied eagerly, "Oh, and balloon animals?"

The clown gave her a knowing smile and waved her hand, "Of course! That's Clowning 101 stuff. Wouldn't get my clown diploma without being able to twist together a few dogs and cats."

The two laughed. Mia was enthralled.

"Uh, Mia?" Mathis broke in, "What the hell...?"

Mia looked up at him and held out a business flier:

"JYNX THE KLOWN Available for birthday parties, public events, fairs, bazaars, Papal and/or Royal visits, and much MORE. Puppets, songs, magic, balloons and fun, fun, FUN! You name it, I'll rub my big red nose in it! $30 an hour or negotiable flat (like my FEET!) rate."

Mathis stared at the sheet of paper, his lips slightly ajar. Then he looked at Mia giving her the 'you-gotta-be-kidding' gaze. "No way," he remarked, as if he actually had a say in the matter.

"The kids will love this!" Mia dismissed his reaction and immediately pounced, "So you'd be able to come by on Saturday, say from around 11:30 to 1:30?" She was already writing her address on the back of one of the fliers.

Jynx didn't reply immediately. She was looking up at Mathis. From behind the stark white make-up, a set of two dark-brown eyes gazed up at him, widening. An open-mouth grin slipped across her red outline painted lips.

Mathis stared down back at her, frowning crookedly. What was up with chuckles here? His eyes narrowed and he grinned back. Man, he was on his A-game today if he could make a clown all moon-eyed.

"You...don't recognize me?" the clown asked him, pointing an oversized finger at him. "Really?"

Mathis tilted his head, puzzled. "Oh, yeah," he finally said, "Sure! You were in Playboy, special annual Babes of the Circus edition. Posed with Dumbo the Elephant, didn't you, with nothing but the shoes and the acid trip 'fro? Centerfold with the staple right through your whoopee cushion. Classic."

Mia slapped Mathis in the arm. "Don't be rude!" she scolded him and turned back to the clown, "Excuse my brother. He's been reliving puberty for the past 10 years."

Jynx blinked then laughed. "No problem!" she chuckled, "Kids ARE my specialty, after all."

"Well, he's certainly a kid, that's for sure."

"I entertain all sizes," she said with an exaggerated smile. She leaned to the side and, looking up, gently elbowed Mathis thrice in the ribs each time with a "honk" from some hidden horn. "Huh? Huh? Huh?" she joked, her eyebrows bouncing.

Mathis thought of a suggestive reply to her "entertain all sizes" remark but just swallowed it instead. He couldn't be bothered to take on the wacko earnestness of the diminutive clown. Still he protested, "Sis, do you really think this is a good idea?"

"Sister?" Jynx asked, looking at Mia.

"Yeah, this is Mathis my brother," she reached up and squeezed her fingers around his mouth and jaw, "Cute and charming but totally lacking the class of his older sister, isn't that right?"

Mathis brushed her hand away and fluttered his lips.

"You think YOU'RE a clown?" Mia said to Jynx, thumbing towards Mathis and continuing, "Meet a card carrying lifetime member."

Mathis just shook his head unimpressed.

"Ooh! There's a way we can be sure!" Jynx said and just as quickly reached over and pinched his arm, along with another honk from the horn. Her eyes widened as she looked at Mia. "Did you hear that?" she asked as if she heard the voice of an angel. She pinched his arm again and the horn honked once more, "That's my clown alarm! You've definitely got clown blood flowing through you, my friend!"

His sister laughed as, to his mounting annoyance, the clown continued to poke and pinch his arm, the squeaky horn sounding each time. As Jynx continued to prod him, he turned to Mia and said, "Now see, this is what I'm talking about."

"What ARE you talking about, Mathis," his sister asked.

"The kids are gonna HATE it," he urged.

"'It'?" Jynx said, taken aback.

"Why?" Mia asked.

"Yeah, why?" Jynx followed, cocking her head.

"Clowns are just...you know," Mathis shrugged like he was shaking off a bug, "Old school creepy and weird."

Jynx's pokes slowed somewhat.

"Nobody finds them funny anymore. Just sad and boring," he went on and finally punctuating his argument, "And will you stop poking me already?!"

Jynx blinked. "Oh," she breathed and slowly lowered her head, her rainbow sherbet mane drooping over her face. She started sniffling. She said softly, "Sorry. I'm just trying to get some work."

Mia fired a wicked frown at her brother. "Mathis! How could you be so mean to this sweet thing?" she berated him, "Look how much you upset her!"

Mathis held his breath and looked around. People passing by on the sidewalk looked at them with curious and bewildered gazes, taking in the odd sight of a woman in a clown outfit weeping in public in the middle of the day. Grudgingly, he put down his bags and, placing a tender hand on the small clown's shoulder, said, "Hey. Uh...look, I didn't mean that. You're not creepy or dumb or anything like that."

Jynx's head hung low. She pulled out a large pink handkerchief from her pocket and held it against her face as she spun deeper into her breakdown.

Mathis looked towards his sister apologetically. Mia crossed her arms and tilted her chin towards him insisting he continue.

Softening his voice further, he leaned in and continued, "Aw c'mon. I was just messing with you, you know? I'm a big clown, right? Go ahead. Do your poke thing again. We...we'll have you do our party, okay? Alright?"

Jynx lowered the handkerchief to her chin and raised her head bawling outright as if she had been shot. Mathis' brow spiked upward, stunned. Before he could react though, a stream of water shot out from the handkerchief and sprayed him point blank in the face.

"Bingo!" Jynx sang out.

Mathis stepped back, sputtering against the stream of seltzer water. When it finally died down, he stood dripping and drooping like a wet dog. 

Mia nearly threw out her back as she leaned back laughing her head off. "Ooh yes! He had that coming, for sure!"

Jynx held up her hand and Mia gave her a high-five.

Soaked to his skin, Mathis' brows twisted together. His big lower lip was puffed out almost past his nose. He remained unmoving on his spot.

"Well, you did say you were hot, baby," Mia declared, stifling her snickering, "And you did say we can hire her, too!"

"I've got the gig?" Jynx asked, elated.

"You've got the gig," Mia agreed, handing her the flier with her address on it, "You can be there by 11:30?"

"You bet yer booties. Oh wait," Jynx answered, reaching into another pocket. She pulled out a big foam watch. The numbers on it were replaced with chickens and the hands just spun around wildly. She checked it anyway then said, "I'll have to arrive in my mild-mannered alternate identity. Mind if I change into my gear at your house?"

"Alternate identity?" Mathis finally muttered.

"Playboy centerfold," Jynx replied with a knowing squint of her eyes.

"Yeah, doubt that," he grumbled, looking away at nothing.

"That'd be fine," Mia said, ignoring the brief side exchange, 

"Great. I'll be there before 11:30 then," Jynx said, and added, "Prep time will be gratis, of course."

Happily satisfied, Mia put her sunglasses back on again and marched away like usual. Mathis continued to eye the clown for a moment.

Jynx looked around towards the sky, a portrait of innocence.

Mathis finally moved along, trailing his sister. He glanced back at Jynx and caught her doing the mocking "put up your dukes" boxing routine towards him before quickly resuming her examination of the sky.

"Yeah, can't wait to see the kids eat her alive," he fumed.

*********

Mathis was cornered. Breathing hard, nerves racing, rivulets of sweat dripping down his face, he pressed his back against the tree trying to steady himself. They were closing in ready to take him down hard. There was no talking or charming his way out of this fight and he was prepared to take them all on.

"Alright. Alright," he nodded wearily, beckoning them with a defiant curl of his fingers, "Come and get me."

With a howl, he pushed out from the tree, springing headlong into his attackers. He heaved the first one onto his shoulders and spun him around. Even as the attacker flailed and raged against him, he scooped up another and held him aloft on his other shoulder. A third one, a female, went for his leg, clutching it in her arms. Mathis spun around again and she lost her grip, tumbling away into the grass. Two more quickly took her place and clung to both his legs. 

Mathis struggled mightily even with the mess of humanity assaulting him. He pushed and spun and roared. More of them joined the fray and he was quickly overwhelmed and brought down to his knees. 

"Ahhh!" he wailed to the heavens, before finally collapsing onto the ground under a heap of bodies. He inhaled the sweet, earthy smell of the grass and soil before closing his eyes.

"Mathis!" Mia called out from the back door of her house, "I need your help. Quit your fooling and get in here!"

Mathis rose to his knees, shedding a gaggle of kids who had piled on him during their battle. "The master calls," he said regretfully.

There was a collective "Aww!" from the kids surrounding him. 

"Don't worry, little dudes," he assured, "We'll continue the Ultra Maniac Wrestling League after Machismo Mathis helps out his sister." He got to his feet and looked around, "Hey, where's the champ?"

A thin boy with a haircut similar to Mathis', wide dark eyes and big ears sprung up, holding up his hand. 

"Alright! Let's go for a ride," declared Mathis and he picked up his nephew Shawn and carried him under his arm towards the house. The young boy giggled and kicked.

Mathis navigated his way to the back door. Mia's spacious backyard was already filling up with guests. It was another gorgeous, sunny day and almost everybody was outside. Her son's birthday was also an excuse to have a full on gathering of family and friends. To appease her siblings, she told them they could invite a friend as well.

"Hey 'Machismo'," a dark-tanned, tree of a man with a long main of black hair and sporting the same blue varsity football jersey Mathis was wearing, khaki shorts and sandals called out to him from the patio table, "Need more suds, man!"

Mathis went to a cooler and came back with two bottles of beer, one for his friend and team-mate, Ernesto, the other for Janelle, another friend. She had insisted on tagging along with Ernesto when he told her that he was going to hang out with Mathis.

"Thanks, man," Ernesto said with a broad smile. 

"Thanks, handsome," Janelle repeated, taking the bottle from Mathis. She leaned back in her chair, one long, bare, mocha colored leg crossed over the other, bouncing it slowly. "When are you going to join us?" she asked. 

Mathis shrugged. "Sorry. My sister's got me running around doing all sorts of crap today," he apologized.

Ernesto gave him a lazy wave of his ham like palm. "Don't sweat it, bro'," he said with his usual relaxed cadence, "Doing just fine."


Jynx'd



Janelle's sharply angled face revealed more disappointment and she simply pouted her lips.

"Well, help yourselves to anything, okay?" Mathis said.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Ernesto assured him, "In a couple of weeks it'll be the big kids' party, anyway."

"You're coming for that, right?" Janelle spoke up.

"Oh yeah," Mathis nodded, "For sure!"

"Mathis!" Mia called out again from inside the house. He was sure that even if she were on the other side of the city, he could still have heard her.

He gave his friends another sheepish look and shrug and jogged into the house, his nephew still under his arm.

There was frenzy in the kitchen with Mia, his other older sister Margueritte, and a couple of other female guests busy with all the food. Somewhere, there was a small grocery with nothing left on its shelves except for a can of Spam.

"What'cha need?" Mathis asked, lowering Shawn to the ground.

Mia walked over to them and crouched down looking at her son disapprovingly. She gave his powder blue polo top and cargo shorts a rough brush of her hand. "Don't go getting his new outfit all stained, Mathis," she scolded. 

"That all you wanted to tell me?" Mathis sighed.

Mia stood up and eyed him. "No," she said pointedly, "I don't know where Morris is at."

Mathis rolled his eyes upwards. He had a good idea where his brother, Morris, and his 'guest' were.

"More guests are arriving and Aaron is busy talking with Dad and Mom downstairs talking about some legal advice," she continued, "I need you to mind the door and put away the presents in the living room for now."

"I'm supposed to be a door man?" Mathis frowned. 

"Better than just being a door STOP," she quipped.

Shawn tugged on Mathis' hand, trying to pull him out to the backyard again.

Mia clicked her tongue and gave Shawn a gentle nudge on the head, "Your uncle has some work to do, baby. You've got all of your friends here. Go play with them."

Grudgingly, the little boy turned to leave the kitchen.

"Catch you later, champ," Mathis waved.

"You," Mia pointed at his nose then towards the hallway, "Go...but put on your good shirt, first. That one's filthy."

"Want me to drive the limo while I'm at it?" he replied sarcastically.

Mia was already onto something else.

With another heavy sigh, Mathis snatched a piece of ham then left the kitchen and went upstairs to one of the guest rooms. He tossed off his jersey and grabbed a white button down T-shirt from his gym bag. Slipping on the shirt as he made his way back to the stairs, he stopped by the second guest bedroom. He paused, and then leaned the side of his face against the closed door. The sound of heavy breathing and panting escaped from the room. 

"Morris," he murmured. An impulsive, impish thought crossed his mind and he reached for the knob.

Just then, the doorbell chimed.

Holding onto the knob, Mathis paused and frowned. "Damn," he whispered, then quickly made his way downstairs to the foyer.

Opening the door he was greeted by a petite, fair-skinned young woman standing on the front step. Her pink lips were stretched into a long smile and her cheeks held a healthy rosy glow. Her auburn brunette hair was braided and tied back and up and tightly along her head. Everything served to highlight her eyes -- round and wide like chestnuts and the same roasted brown colour-- that appeared ready to infect anything within their view with an illuminating spirit.

She wore a yellow spaghetti strap tank top and a pair of tight, blue gym shorts. She also had a large suitcase, about half her height, by her side.

"Uh..." Mathis stood holding the door, frozen, unsure of what to say. 

The young woman then reached out and poked him twice in the arm, adding, "Honk! Honk!" each time she did. She giggled.

His jaw slipping further down each time he blinked, Mathis still was having trouble jump-starting his brain. 

She looked off to the side and laughed, finally amazed by the tall, brawny man's stultification. 

The melodic sound of her laughter further pushed him for a loss. 

"Mathis! It's me," she declared gleefully, "Jynx!"

He shook his head slightly, almost imperceptibly. 

No. It wasn't Jynx.

It was Sam I Am. 

*********

*A year and a half ago Freshman year Winter semester Prof.McDaniel's Humanities course tutorial group B*

Mathis Abrams stood at the podium at the front of the group, 25 pairs of eyes set upon him. He was dying up there. He knew it. The class knew it. The prof knew it though he was really trying to be encouraging and lead the freshman towards some answers.

It was the beginning of the course, just the second tutorial session and the first assignment was intended to be an ice breaker of sorts. It combined some easy reading --a children's book-- with a subject that every first year student should have been eager to explore -- sex. Just the announcement of the assignment had stirred a giddy commotion amongst the students. 

Using the idea "Every Child's Book Can Have Sexual Undertones" as a basis, the students were to pick a children's book and apply it to the theory. Of course, the prof didn't actually believe that stories like Harold and the Purple Crayon were written with any intentions remotely sexual but the idea was just to get the students to start thinking outside the box and then see what they can stuff into it.

Mathis had chosen comic books -- specifically Superman, his hero. The problem was, after a minute of talking about it, he realized that stating the facts that Superman was obviously drawn to sport a "big package" underneath his tight red underwear and that he and Lois Lane were so ready to "get it on" was not exactly what the prof was looking for. He managed to garner a good chuckle out of the group but he hit a wall when asked to delve deeper and not just think of the surface of the story.

That's when the uncomfortable silence set in and he kept looking down at his notes for some answers written in invisible ink to appear. After another minute, the prof opened up the floor to further questions. Still more silence. He hadn't given the other students much to work on. 

Usually smooth with the words and carried by a charismatic smile, Mathis felt like a mute and could hear the sweat roll down the side of his head. The confidence he usually exuded was replaced by unfamiliar awkwardness and even a man of his size and build seemed strangely small at the moment.

Suddenly a hand went up. 

Mathis pointed towards it hesitantly. 

"Why does he wear the costume?" a young woman asked.

He thought for a second trying hard to get the wheels going again. "It's...um...it's to show who he is. It's to tell everyone that he's Superman."

The young woman nodded, a pensive expression on her rosy-cheeked face. "It's awfully form-fitting," she said with a relaxed grin and an angled brunette brow, "All his muscles rippling and puffed out like that."

Mathis chuckled, "Yeah, like I said, there's no hiding what Supes is packing. I guess he's kind of showing off for the ladies...kind of like a male peacock...all those bright colours and stuff."

"He goes from mild mannered Clark Kent to super stud," she elaborated.

Mathis gave her a firm nod in return. "It's...a transformation," he said. It felt like his brain was pushing marbles through pinholes but he continued, "Like...role-playing fantasy, right? Role-playing's a big deal in sexual fantasy."

He glanced over towards Professor McDaniel and noticed him sitting up in his seat a little more, but he just as quickly returned his focus on the easy-going young woman he was having a conversation with.

"And his powers...overcompensation?" she asked, leaning forward in her chair, big brown eyes set on him.

Again Mathis gave this some thought. With a casual wave of his hand he said, "Nah! Nah! Guy's Superman. He has nothing to overcompensate about. He's strong. He's confident. He's handsome. Knows how to work it. He's...uh...like the most desirable man in the universe. The powers are like pheromones."

"His powers are a show of his virility?" she asked with a gentle tilt of her head.

"Yeah! Yeah! They're uh...uh...," he frowned turning his head aside and snapping his fingers before his eyes lit up and a broad smile appeared on his face, "They're extensions of his sexuality. Yeah, he saves the world, defeats Lex Luthor, and he's like the top dog, Alpha man in the world. Ladies want to lay a banquet out for the guy."

He paused like someone had hit the pause button a video, his hand still extended towards the young woman. He was breathing hard and felt an unsteady thump beneath his chest. It felt like he had just scored a touchdown. In his mind, for that moment, she was the only other person in the room and when she smiled and offered him a simple nod of her chin, he felt unexpectedly elated.

Finally, the prof wrote something down on a sheet of paper and then looked up and said, "Okay. Thanks, Mathis. Who do we have next?"

Touchdowns had more satisfying celebrations, that was for sure. Still, Mathis was happy to return to his seat.

"Samantha Petric?" the prof announced.

The young woman with the naturally blushed cheeks and long brunette hair tied in a simple ponytail, got up and walked to the front of the room. As she passed Mathis who was settling into her chair, she gave his shoulder a light tap and whispered, "Good job."

Mathis pursed his lips momentarily, nodded once then replied, "Thanks. Good luck."

Light on her feet, she seemed to be bouncing on her toes as she took to the podium. Once there, she paused to scan the group, ensuring everyone noticed the confident yet playful look on her soft, pixie-like face.

"Hi, my name is Samantha. Some people call me Sammy," she began, her voice flowing and wistful, "But you can call me Sam. Sam I am."

She held up her book. "Would you like some Green Eggs and Ham?" she said with a knowing grin.

There was a light-hearted murmur amongst the group. 

Putting the book down, she leaned leisurely against the podium, spiking her eyebrow up and speaking very slowly and deliberately said, "Would you like to try it in a house? Would you like it with a mouse?"

A few soft giggles and chuckles floated through the room.

"How about trying it inside a box? Could you, would you, HAVE you with some FINE looking fox?" she went on, her face seductively expressive.

"Ohh yeah!" a male student growled. He was followed by a "Whoo" and some further laughter.

Samantha stepped to the side of the podium, leaning against it, placing a hand on her hip and throwing it out to the side in a diva-pose. Even with her small size and her baggy track-suit outfit, it was an attractive tease. "Now I know you like it in the dark. But would you, could you in the rain? Have you ever on a train?"

"Been there. Done that," one of the female students who had been sitting beside Samantha sang out. She waved her hand, "You know that already, though, Sammy!"

The laughter continued unabated by the prof who held his fingers over an obvious smile. The upward hitching of his back was an obvious giveaway of his amusement, as well. 

Mathis also had a crooked grin on his lips as he chuckled along with everyone else.

"Well how about a boat?" Samantha stood tall, hands up and to her side."Have you ever tried it...with a goat?"

There was a collective "Oh!" amongst the class. Some people pointed accusingly towards others and comments like "gross" and "sick" rippled through the room. 

"Naughty, naughty!" She wagged a finger like a mother at everyone. The woman loved to pantomime. 

Samantha walked back behind the podium and concluded, "The fact is as long as we're open-minded, we could like it here, we could like it there, we could like it ANYWHERE."

"Praise Jesus!" someone declared.

The young woman scanned the room again, and with her doe-like eyes crossing Mathis', she said, "And we could like it with ANYONE."

Mathis leaned back in his seat slightly, looking as if a feather had just tickled his nose.

Samantha went on to elaborate and field a few more questions. The notion of bestiality involving the mouse, fox, and goat evoked some fervent lurid chatter. 

"Well," the teacher announced with a coughing-chuckle, "That was great. I believe my response should be, 'Thank-you. Thank-you, Sam I Am'."

A polite applause was bestowed upon her as she went back to her seat.

Mathis, who was slapping his hands together with solid appreciation, held one up and back as she passed by. "Good job," he offered.

She slipped her palm against his. "Thanks," she said, her pink lips smiling warmly back.

Samantha took her seat. Her classmate and friend gave her a nudge with her shoulder and the two giggled.

As the rest of students went up one-by-one to do their presentations, Mathis caught himself glancing over towards Samantha more and more for the remainder of the tutorial period.

*********

"Sammy? Samantha?" Mathis said, unable to contain his surprise at who was standing just outside the door. "It's Sam I Am."

"Any and all of the above," she replied with a quick-step curtsey.

Mathis leaned back, shaking his head like a baby rattle. "Sammy Petric," he declared.

Samantha chuckled. "Stop it. If you say my name one more time I'm afraid an evil spirit might appear behind me," she jokingly insisted.

Finally managing a more normal smile, Mathis asked, "What are you doing here?" Samantha put her hands on her hips and tossed her head back --though she really couldn't toss her tied up hair-- and said, "I'm here to pleasure you, big boy."

Mathis did a double-take. "Come again, say whu'?" he sputtered.

"What do you think I'm here for?" She chuckled again and waved her hand, "Can you let me in already? I have to put on my clown costume."

He blinked. "You're Jynx?"

She shook her head. "Shh! Secret identity!"

"It's alright," he nodded towards the back, "Everyone's either in the kitchen or in the backyard."

"You didn't recognize me on the street the other day."

Mathis looked her over. "Yeah well, let's just say you're easier on the eyes when you're not in the clown getup." She did look sweet in her simple little outfit right then.

Samantha also gave him a once over from head-to-toe. "Casual dress, I see?" she asked suspiciously.

"What do you...oh," Mathis paused as he looked down. In his haste to answer the door, he had forgotten to button up his shirt. At least while he hurried to do them up, he noted that she wasn't looking at him disapprovingly. 

Finally stepping aside from the door, he watched her come in hauling in her suitcase. 

Overcome with giddiness, the spritely young woman quickly wrapped her arms around Mathis giving him a warm hug. It took him by surprise but he quickly returned the greeting, holding her gently in his arms. It felt very good.

"I'm so happy to see you!" she declared as she stepped back. "You have no idea!"

"It's been over a year since I saw you," he remarked.

She nodded. "Yeah, first year Humanities course ended and that was it. How are you doing? How did your sophomore year go?"

"Doing alright," he replied still watching her closely as she looked what she could see of the house from the foyer. "I can't believe we didn't run into each other over the year."

She shrugged. "Huge university, different programs. I changed campuses in 2nd year," she looked up the stairs as she talked, "Saw you, though."

"Yeah?"

She nodded, a perpetual smile on her fine red lips. "Mm-hmm. At the football games."

"You watched me play?"

"Yup." She stood in front of him and looked up. "The team sucked," she said thoughtfully.

Every part of Mathis' face drooped. "Thanks a lot," he grumbled.. 

She giggled and gave him a nudge on his arm. "I'm kidding!" she said, "I don't know anything about football. Is a 2 and 10 record good?"

His brow dropped even more heavily over his eyes.

The bubbly young woman laughed. "Okay," she breathed, "Let's catch up later. I should get ready. Anywhere I can change?"

Mathis thumbed towards the stairs. "Yeah, up there," he said, sounding as deflated as she sounded perky, "Guest bedroom on the right."

Samantha walked past and made her way up the stairs, pulling up her luggage.

"You want help with that?" he asked.

"No. It's alright thanks." Though the size of it was cumbersome, she really didn't look like she had any trouble lifting it. Mathis figured she had been keeping up with her yoga and aerobics.

"Like how you're rocking the Princess Leia hair, by the way," he said.

Samantha made it to the top and looked back down at him. "Makes it easier to put on the wig," she said, winking and then turned away.

Mathis watched her go, still a little stunned to see her.

"Yo bro', whassup?" Ernesto ambled up to him, with Janelle in tow. 

Shaking his head and smiling crookedly, Mathis started to say, "Check this out, you will not believe..."

Suddenly a shout rang out from the upper floor. "Hey! What the fuck...?!" an angry male voice hollered.

All three of them turned and looked towards upstairs.. 

Mathis suddenly realized something. "Oh shit," he said under breath then bolted up the stairs.

He got to the top just in time to see Samantha backing away from the door of the guest bedroom. "Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" she pleaded with words and a 'calm down' motion of her hand.

Mathis' brother, Morris stood at the door. His lanky, lean body was bare save for a shirt held in front of his crotch. "Do you not know how to knock, woman?!" he yelled at Samantha. Behind him, a figure was hidden under the sheets of the bed except for a hand pawing around blindly on the floor for bits of underwear and clothing at the side.

Samantha's mouth was gaping, her round pupils completely visible as her eyes widened, and she was glowing hot pink all over her face and neck. She was shocked, and yet, strangely, she was having a difficult time trying not to gawk at the bizarre sight and sputtering with laughter.

"What the hell are you grinning about?!" Morris snapped.

Mathis quickly joined the scene, wrapping an arm around Samantha's shoulders and holding up his other hand in his older, but shorter, brother's face. "Hey! Hey! Be cool. Be cool," he said, talking him down, "She's a guest. Just got a little lost."

"Man, I don't care who this pipsqueak elf is!" Morris spat. 

"'Elf'?" Samantha said taken aback. She pointed to herself. "No, no. Clown. Me."

Morris' face contorted sideways.

"She probably didn't even see nothing," Mathis remarked, "It's no big thing. Right Sammy?"

"Uh, right," she looked up at Mathis then back at Morris, then down towards his hidden crotch. She gave an exaggerated nod, "It's definitely 'no big thing'."

Both the brothers froze for a good three seconds. Then Mathis sniggered. 

As if in slow motion, Morris began to talk, "Man...what...the...fuuu..."

"You know what?" Mathis said to Samantha giving her shoulder a squeeze, "You're right. No big thing, for sure!"

He tried to snatch the shirt away from Morris but his brother just as swiftly jumped back. "Get the fuck outta here!" Morris shot back and then slammed the door.

Samantha and Mathis stood in front of the closed door for a moment then looked at one another and laughed. 

She regained her breath and asked, "This wouldn't happen to have been a way for you to get back at me for spraying you in the face the other day?"

Mathis shook his head vigorously. "Uh-uh. Swear. That was purely an accident. AC-CI-DENT unlike what you pulled on me," he replied, "But thank-you for reminding me that I do owe you one...pipsqueak."

With his hand still around her shoulder, he steered her away from the bedroom and then further down the hallway. He opened the door to the other guest bedroom and said, "Here. You can change in there."




Jynx'd



"Thanks for showing me my 'dressing room'" she said with her usual glowing smile. As she walked in, she winked at him and added, "No peeking."

Mathis said nothing but only offered a tempered smile as he closed the door. He continued to hold the knob for a second, thinking. From the time he first met her, Samantha always managed to make almost everything she said both genuinely sweet yet teasingly suggestive. It caught him off guard and stirred a strange reaction from deep within him.

After taking a deep breath, he finally released the knob. He turned...and jumped back, startled. Ernesto and Janelle stood in the hallway three feet away from him.

"Damn! Don't sneak up on a man like that guys!" he snapped.

"Who's that?" Ernesto asked.

"Yeah, who is she?" Janelle also asked arms crossed. A more pointed hint of suspicion embellished her voice.

"Uh," Mathis hesitated looking back towards the door, "Mia hired her for the party. She's like a clown or magician or something, I think." 

"You two seemed nice and familiar with each other," Janelle remarked, narrowing her eyes a little.

"Yeah, sort of but not really. Took a class with her in first year. Haven't seen her since." Mathis stuffed a hand in his pocket. The other he used to scratch the back of his neck as he shifted on his feet.

"Mm-hmm," Janelle replied in a cool tone.

Ernesto nodded. "She's a cute little package, huh?" he stated with a grin. 

Mathis said nothing. Janelle looked unimpressed.

"Mathis! Where in the world are you?" Mia called from downstairs.

"Up here!" he replied quickly looking past Janelle and Ernesto. "Coming down!"

He slipped between the two of them. Janelle just pivoted on her feet, turning to watch him go downstairs, her arms still crossed.

"Where have you been?" Mia scolded him as he trotted down the steps. There was a group of newly arrived guests in the foyer. 

"Found Morris," he said to her, then added, "And Sammy is here."

"Who?" 

"Ah, I mean Jynx," he corrected himself, "She's upstairs getting changed."

As he greeted the guests and took their presents, he glanced anxiously back up the stairs.

**********

*First Year University Campus Promenade*

Samantha shuffled through the slush and snow covered pathways that criss-crossed the campus. It was one of those grey sky days. The snow covered grounds seemed to deaden the sounds around her and it was easy to become lost in thought. She felt a tap on her right shoulder, but when she turned no one was there. A tap on her left and she turned again facing just emptiness. A couple of quick twists of her neck and she saw Mathis looking down at her, a toothy white smile on his face. 

"Hey!" she breathed, wisps of steam escaping her lips into the frosty air.

"Hey, good to see you," he said.

She nodded, her mouth dipping behind her red knit muffler each time she did. "Aren't you freezing?" she asked, pointing her pink-flushed nose towards his flimsy varsity sports jacket. "You don't even have a hat or gloves."

"Nah! Nah!" he exclaimed with a wave of his hand, "This body has way too much heat. See? The snow doesn't even come close to touching it before it melts."

Samantha laughed. "I see," she said. She held up he hands towards him like she was warming herself by a fire. She pursed her lips and nodded. "I should have brought marshmallows."

Mathis smiled then said, "Hey. I just wanted to thank you for what you did for me in class the other day, helping me with the Superman thing and all that. I appreciate it." 

"No problem. It was just a minor thing. 5% of our mark," she replied with a shrug, "How'd you do?"

"Got a 'C-'," he sighed, "But I'm sure you helped pull it up from a 'D'."

She grinned and looked down, shaking her head. 

"How about you?" he asked.

"An 'A'," she replied.

Mathis leaned back and smiled wide, "Aw yeah. Saw that coming. Good for you. That was some twisted stuff you brought up with Green Eggs and Ham!"

She chuckled warmly. "You know, I didn't even get into some even more wicked ideas," she explained, "Would you, could you on a ship? Have you ever considered doing it with whips?"

"Ohh! No! No!" Mathis laughed upwards. "How does someone that looks like you come up with such freaky shit?"

"Cuz I'm not that innocent," she sang with an accentuated nasally voice as she did a little spin move. She giggled, "Sorry, did Britney Spears in karaoke the other night at the pubs."

"That's just sick," Mathis said then added in a more officious tone, "Now look, I'm telling you to stop it."

He reached for her hand and held her wrist as if he was checking her pulse. She looked at him curiously but her smile was stretched wide as she chuckled.

"As a medically trained professional," Mathis went on, "I'm advising you to curb your freakiness before you find yourself on some stage dressed in leather with some middle-aged white man in a dog collar, on all fours, saying that he has mommy issues."

"But sometimes the urge just takes over, 'doctor'," she joked along, "What's a poor girl to do?"

"Set up more appointments with her doctor, of course," he suggested dripping on the dramatics. He clasped both of her hands in his and urged, "Together we can get through this. Just gotta believe. Be strong."

They stared at one another for a moment then both broke into sputtering laughter. The few other people crossing the promenade looked over at them until they subsided and Mathis released her hands.

Finally, Samantha noted, "You skipped out pretty quickly after class."

"Yeah, I have to head over to practice right after," he replied, "Football."

Samantha gave a little pump of her fist. She offered a tiny cheer, "Yay. Go Blues!"

"I play wide receiver."

She tilted her head and studied him. "You don't look that wide," she remarked innocently.

"Yeah, right," he chuckled. Season's almost over though. Just playoffs now."

"Good luck," she said, "I'll be rooting for you."

"Thanks. I'll have more time to focus on studies, soon."

"Well, a small group of us were thinking of starting a study group the period before the tutorial. You want to join?"

Mathis looked off to the side and nodded, "Yeah...yeah, I'll get in on that. I could use all the help I can get, I guess."

"Great. I promise to contain my freakiness," she announced. She bounced on her feet, "Brr! It's freezing! I was gonna meet up with some friends at the coffee shop. Do you want to come along?"

Mathis stuffed his hands into his pants pockets and shrugged. "Yeah, sure. This cold really is a bi...-"

A snowball smacking him in the back cut him off. He turned around in time to get another one in the chest. 

"Hey, Mathis our man! Where you been at?" Ernesto waved to him. A group of young men all wearing the same varsity jacket as Mathis surrounded him. He called out, "We're heading out to Big Smokey's for some wings and curly fries. Come on!"

Mathis looked briefly at the group then back at Samantha. He winced a little as he thumbed towards his team-mates and said, "Ah...sorry. I probably should..."

"No problem," she replied, "Rain-check? Or should we say snow-check?"

"Sure," he said as he started to walk away. He pointed back to her. "Next week for the tutorial group, alright?"

"Right," she answered, standing for a moment in the middle of the promenade watching him before turning away.

As he and the group walked, Mathis looked back towards Samantha. He stopped and squinted. In the distance he could see her meeting up with a man, another student. He was dark, olive skinned. They exchanged a kiss then held each other as they continued to walk away.

Mathis shivered.

*********

To Mathis' surprise, Jynx the Klown was a hit at the birthday party. He had been certain that her reception would resemble something like a priest in a strip bar but the kids really took to her antics. Instead her magic tricks, balloon animals, miming, and jokes had her rapt audience of kids jumping up and down for more.

She moved all over the backyard, hyper and energetic even under the sun. Nothing ever seemed to slowdown the woman, or get her down. A joke would fall flat, she would just take it on the chin, try something else, and have the kids eating out of her cotton-gloved hands again. 

He was a little dismayed about it. Before he had known who was under the costume and make up, he had been secretly hoping the clown would crash and burn after the water to the face stunt from the other day. Now he didn't want Samantha to screw up badly, but he still amused himself with ideas of getting back at her in some small fashion.

He watched from the patio table as the kids followed her around the yard like she was pied-piper.

"Hey, champ," he called to Shawn, as he ran past trailing the clown, "Your uncle Mathis is free now. How about I give a helicopter spin 'round the house?" 

The little boy just shook his head and followed after Jynx. 

"Ooh. You've been replaced, my friend," Ernesto chided, "By a clown."

Janelle sat beside Mathis, arms still crossed, one leg bouncing over the other. She shook her head as she frowned and glared at Jynx. "I don't get it," she groused. She looked at one of Jynx's fliers the clown had been handing out to some of the older guests, "Lame-o the Clown."

Mathis shrugged. "She's alright. Kids seem to dig her," he said, "Who knows?" 

Shawn ran back to Mathis. "Look!" he said, holding up a balloon shaped into a long sausage dog.

Mathis lifted him up and sat him on his knee. "Hey! That's a cool looking dog there, champ," he remarked, "Ain't you lucky! Woof! Woof!"

"Wheeeere's the birthday boy?" Jynx called out from across the yard, her palm stretched over her brow as she scanned the area, "Where's he hiding?"

The kids all pointed towards Shawn and Mathis shouting, "There! There!"

"Oh no," Janelle remarked cringing, "Here she comes."

Jynx strode over in her big floppy shoes and stood in front of Mathis and his nephew. Her hands were behind her back. He grinned. She was almost unrecognizable in her make up. 

"There's the handsome boy!" Jynx announced. 

Mathis waved, feigning embarrassment. "Aw shucks....go on," he joked, "It's his birthday. You shouldn't be talking all about me."

Jynx rolled her eyes and fluttered her lips. She leaned down close and addressed Shawn still seated on Mathis' knee. "I see you have a really delicious looking birthday cake," she said, "But where's your birthday pie?"

Shawn shrugged. With that, Jynx brought her hands out from behind her back and held out a pie covered in cream. There was a collective "Mmm" amongst the gathered kids and guests.

"Do you like pie, Shawn?" Jynx asked.

The little boy shrugged. 

"No?" Jynx pouted and shook her head. "How about your uncle? Do you think he'll like my pie?"

Mathis suddenly realized where she was going with this, frowned and protested, "Oh no! Don't you..."

He was cut off as Jynx splattered the pie against his face. A glob of it filled his mouth.

His eye blinking beneath the fluffy, white cream, Mathis could hear the hysterical laughter erupting around him. Even Shawn was kicking in hysterics on his knee. 

Jynx poked him, honking her horn. "Oops, sorry," she said, "That was an accident. An AC-CI-DENT." Then she pranced away leading the kids, including Shawn, to another area of the yard.

Mathis was left motionless on his seat, still blinking, sticky whipped cream starting to fall from his face. Janelle sympathetically grabbed a napkin and started to wipe it off.

Ernesto leaned up beside him, looking at Jynx. "I'd like to try her pie," he chuckled.

*********

After changing out of her Jynx costume, Samantha came out from the bedroom, pulling her suitcase along. Mathis came up to the top of the stairs just as she did.

"All good?" he asked.

She nodded. With a playful tilt of her head, she said, "I thought you would be standing outside the door, keeping guard while I changed."

"From what?"

"Your brother barging in to get back at me for interrupting his brunch time delight?"

Mathis chuckled as he walked over. He waved his hand and said, "Nah. Morris isn't pissed, just embarrassed. Besides, he's not interested in...uh...someone like yourself,"

Samantha grinned. "Someone like me?"

"You know," Mathis said rocking his head side-to-side as he looked at her peach-skinned face, "Like...uh,,,"

"He's not into clowns?" she offered with a lift of her brow.

He nodded quickly, "Yeah. Clowns."

Samantha shook her head sadly and sighed, "So much prejudice in this world."

"He just has no appreciation for trying different things," Mathis explained. 

"Unlike his brother?" she asked smiling up to him.

Mathis grinned and pointed to himself with both of his hands, shrugging. "Hey, how can I deny all of THIS to ANYONE on the planet?"

A spirited chuckle escaped from Samantha. She reached out, almost mindlessly, and tugged at the bottom of his shirt as she did. "Hey," she noted, "Your shirt is stained."

Mathis examined his shirt spotted with several off-colour blotches. "Yeah well, SOMEBODY managed to get my good white shirt covered in messy cream, you know?" he replied, pointing his dimpled chin towards her.

"Hmm, maybe your brother Morris wasn't the only one getting busy in that bedroom?" she quickly fired back. She then chewed her lower lip, restraining a lascivious smile.

His mouth dropped at her suggestive words and look. Something squeaked up through his throat. He shook his head and blinked. Pointing back down the stairs, he asked, "Does my sister know what kind of woman she hired to entertain her kid?"

Samantha leaned back against the bedroom door, hand at her chest, laughing. Mathis joined in.

With a heavy sigh to regain her breath, she said, "I AM sorry about your shirt."

"Mm-hmm."

"It's just that a clown is only as good as her foil, you know?" she explained. She folded her hands behind her back as she continued to lean back against the door, looking up towards him.

"Well in that case, that must mean you're a great clown," he said, taking a step towards her.

With an easy smile, she gave a telling shrug and said, "Uh-huh. The absolute best."

"A talented clown," he said, his voice smoothing out.

"Oh, VERY talented," she concurred, with a slow blink of her dark lashes. "You have no idea."

"And of course, a very hot and sexy clown," Mathis said through a telling grin, the words coming fast from his mind and suddenly heavy beating heart. 

Samantha's lips parted slightly. She didn't say anything. 

Not only did Mathis not realize he was steadily leaning down towards her, but his mind was wandering. He imagined his hands moving to her hips. He thought about how the inward curve of her waist would feel against his palm and fingers, his thumb nudging between the edges where the bottom of her top and the waistband of her shorts met, caressing her smooth, milky skin. 

For the first time since he met her again, he saw a nervous, hesitant look in her always bright, spirited eyes. For whatever reason, it drew him to her even more. It felt like a warm wave of water was sweeping him forward towards her.

Still as he moved in slowly, she said nothing and didn't look away.

Suddenly the sound of a cell phone chime interrupted them. They both flinched.

"Sorry," Samantha said as she cleared her throat and quickly reached into a side pocket of her luggage. She pulled out her phone.

Mathis took a step back, inhaling deeply as if he had just come up for air, or had been pulled out of some deep, fantastic dream.

She turned aside and answered her phone. "Hi?" she said, "Yeah. I'm coming out. Just pull up to the curb. 'Kay. Thanks."

Dropping her phone back into the pocket, she said, "My ride is here."

Mathis nodded slowly, his lips tight. Finally he said, "Is it that guy....what's his name? Joachim?" 

Samantha frowned slightly, "Joachim? No, my sister. She's going to take me to another gig across town."

After a moment's pause looking at one another, she finally simply turned and started for the stairs. Mathis observed her for a second then strode by her taking hold of her luggage without asking, and carried it down.

"Thanks," Samantha said softly, pausing at the top of the stair momentarily before following him down.

"No sweat," he replied, "But damn, what do you have in here? A dead body?"

"Why does everyone always assume it's dead?" she snapped back. 

Mathis stopped to look back, giving her the eye. She flashed him an innocent smile. They both chuckled and then let out a long sigh as they made it to the foyer.

"Well," she began, clasping her hands together, "That was fun. It was great to see you again, Mathis."

"Yeah, that worked out alright, surprisingly," he admitted with a nod.

"Let's meet up again, okay?" she added, "Talk about school...or not. Let's just get together, alright? Call me?"

Mathis felt encouraged to hear that. He replied, "Yeah, sure. I..."

"Oh, don't forget about your pay!" Mia hurried down the hallway towards them, holding up an envelope. Janelle trailed her. 

Samantha blinked. "Oh, right!" she exclaimed, "I honestly almost forgot about that!"

Mathis stepped aside as Mia came over and handed her the envelope. She held onto it, though, even as Samantha tried to take it from her. She gave the young woman a thorough once-over. "You're kidding?" she remarked, frowning, "This sweet looking girl was under all that make up and hair and causing all that fuss with the kids?"

Samantha grinned. "Guilty!" she declared, obviously pleased with herself. "Best job in the world."

"Amazing!" Mia said. She pushed the envelope into Samantha's hand and winked. "Well, you take this. You earned it, for sure. There's a little something extra from some of the others, too." 

Samantha was elated and smiled broadly. "Thanks so much! That's great!" she said, "Oh, if you wouldn't mind. Could you hand these out to some of your guests?"

She passed copies of her flier to Mia and Janelle as well. 

"Certainly," Mia replied. Janelle looked like she would just as soon drop them in the waste bin.

Samantha thanked everyone again and said good-bye. They all watched her as she turned to leave. As she passed by Mathis, she looked up at him, smiled, and shrugged. 

He watched as she made her way down the home's walkway towards the curb where a silver Honda was waiting, its motor running and the trunk popped open. A woman stepped out from the driver's side and waved to her.

After she and her sister tossed her luggage into the trunk, Samantha looked back towards Mathis and waved. He pointed back at her and called out, "Hey, Sammy! That's two you owe me, girl!" He held up two fingers to accentuate his demand. "I have to get you back!" 

Samantha rolled her eyes. She did her boxer's bravado pose again, laughed, then she got into the car and headed off.

"That's two what she owes you?" Janelle asked, suspicious, as he closed the front door.

"Ah nothing," he assured her, "Just some private business."

"Well, how about you and I go out and play for awhile. Enjoy the rest of the day," Janelle asked, easing down somewhat.

"Yeah, sure. Uh...that okay?" he asked looking at Mia.

His sister looked at him dryly and finally just turned away. She waved a hand dismissively as she spoke, "Sure. Fine. Party's wrapping up anyway. I'll get Morris to help clean up."

"Cool. Thanks, sis," he said to her. Then he turned to Janelle and said, "Let me just go grab my stuff upstairs."

"Sure, handsome," she replied.

As he headed up the stairs, he paused and added, "Oh, go find Ernesto. Tell him we're heading out."

Janelle's smile wavered noticeably. She had forgotten about Ernesto. He was probably in the kitchen finishing off leftovers in the warming trays. A decidedly pouting frown on her face, she glared at the Samantha's Jynx the Klown flier.




Jynx'd



Mathis hadn't even made it to the top of the stairs as his mind drifted to thoughts of Samantha. Damn, he really had given up on ever seeing her again. Her appearance at the door brought on a magnified realization of how much he had missed her. It was unnerving, an unusual feeling for his typically cool and unflappable demeanour. His senses and body had been kicked into autopilot a few minutes before, drawn to her.

His thoughts slowing his pace as he moved down the hallway, he looked up and saw something small and flat lying on the floor outside of the guest bedroom where they had been standing. He figured Samantha might have dropped it when she pulled her cell phone out of her luggage.

Yet, even as he approached it, he sensed something familiar about it. He frowned. When he bent down to pick it up he stopped, his arm hanging, his fingers inches away from the little object.

He suddenly realized what it was.

*********

*First Year University Hyde's Pub*

"It's your what?" Samantha asked, raising her voice to be heard over the din of conversation of their friends around the table and the music in the pub.

Mathis pulled his seat closer to hers, draping his hand around the back of her seat. "It's my shoe," he said, holding up his key chain. At the end of it dangled a crudely cut piece of leather, somewhat resembling the shape of a shoe and etched and tanned with stripes and symbols.

"You made that?" Samantha asked, impressed. 

"Like when I was 12 or something," Mathis scoffed. "It ain't that great."

"I like it," she answered, smiling. "Didn't you say this is what you want to get into eventually? Design and marketing?"

He paused then nodded slowly. "Yeah, I guess. Market athletic goods --shoes, equipment, clothes."

His aspirations and goals seemed so faraway. 

"That's really great," Samantha said, "I can totally see you doing that."

"Thanks," he replied. He held up the little bauble and gazed at it fondly saying, "For now, it's just my good luck charm for football."

Samantha winced then sighed, "I can really use some luck for school, right now."

"Yeah?" he said. Without another word, he separated the little shoe from his keys and offered it to her.

She blinked. "Really?" she said, sitting upright, her eyes brightening. "You don't need it?"

He shrugged. "Season's over and it's not doing me any good for school, that's for sure. Why don't you give it a shot."

Samantha took it from him looking like a kid who had just picked the ripest cherry from the tree. It made Mathis chuckle the way she handled it.

"That's great! I love it!" she declared. Then she held up her hand and gave him a serious look, adding, "Oh, but I swear I'll return it to you after exams."

"You better," he sniffed. "Or I know some dudes who'll bust your ass if you don't."

"Ha! Like they'd stand a chance against me," she exclaimed. Typically defiant and spirited Samantha. She added, "But I probably should show my gratitude, right? Hey how about you and I...-"

Mathis had ready leaned in closer to hear her suggestion when her cell phone rang, interrupting them. 

"Oops. Excuse me," she apologized, then answered her phone. 

While she talked, there was a call for another round of drinks from their friends around the table. As they rounded up their orders, Samantha ended her brief call. 

"Sorry, I gotta run," she said, rising from her seat and gathering her belongings, "I'm meeting Joachim after his class this evening."

A few "oohs" and raunchy jokes were launched at her. She laughed rolling her eyes. 

Before she turned to leave, she looked anxiously back towards Mathis holding up the small shoe. She mouthed the words "Thank you" then hurried away, leaving him seated, his arm still resting around the back of her chair.

After one more drink, he decided to call it an early night.

He had really wanted to hear what her suggestion was going to be.

*********

It turned out that meeting up with Samantha by design was proving to be more difficult than running into her again by coincidence. Mathis tried calling her over the next couple of weeks. No more than once a day, though -- he still had his manly pride to keep in mind. Still, it took a noticeable bit of concentration to maintain his cool, suave demeanour whenever she did answer, which was only a couple of times. He usually got her answering service.

Between her summer classes, her self-advertising stints on the city streets, and her gigs as Jynx, Samantha had very little time these days. He couldn't blame her, really. It was already mid-summer when they had run into each other. People would be fully immersed in their plans for the season. He had his own summer job that closed off a potential meet up time between them and commitments with friends and family closed off a few more. 

Plus, there was the possibility she was spending time with Joachim, though he never came up in their brief conversations.

Though she was obviously tired after a long day when they spoke over the phone, he could still hear the chirpiness in her voice, envisioning her expressive eyes widening when she talked or narrowing into crescents when she laughed. He felt at ease talking with her and at the same time invigorated. She had that way about her, like the battery that recharged his systems. 

Late on a Thursday night, they managed to connect over the phone again. Both he and Samantha had an early day ahead of them but they both seemed determined to squeeze in a short chat. 

"You took clown school?" he asked her, sceptically.

"Not really clown school per se," she giggled, "They taught mime, acrobatics, stuff like that."

"Twisting balloons into animals?"

"Self-taught," she declared, "I'm very good with my hands."

"Mm-hmm," he hummed. "Do you say that to a lot of guys?"

"They're usually interested in hearing about it...along with other skills," she teased.

"Yeah, I hear that," Mathis said.

They both laughed.

"But why a clown?" he asked with disdain. 

"Well you know, it's fun. It's about trying something different. Being something different," she explained.

"Like Green Eggs and Ham," he said, a little bulb illuminating in his mind.

"Like Green Eggs and Ham," she concurred. "And it really is liberating," she went on, "Dressed up like that, I feel like I can be as silly as I want to be."

"You mean to say you're not already silly?" he remarked flatly.

She giggled. "Okay, it accentuates my silliness."

"Yeah, I've had a face-full of your silliness twice now, girl," he said pointedly.

"You're a great foil," she said, reiterating her comment from the party.

It brought back to mind their encounter outside of the guest bedroom. Mathis didn't want to broach it for now, not over the phone.

"Hey, there's a pool party going on at one of my team mate's place this Saturday," he said, changing subjects, "Starts in the afternoon. Want to check it out with me?"

"Oh, sorry," Samantha apologized, "Can't do it. Jynx has a gig lined up for Saturday afternoon already. I'm really sorry."

Mathis lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling. "Yeah. I should have guessed you'd have a job on the weekend," he sighed, "It'll probably go late night, though. You can always stop by."

"I'd love that..." she exclaimed. Pausing briefly she continued, "But it's a four hour booking. Apparently it's a huge ass birthday party for some two year old kid. They want the works. I think I'm going to be pretty exhausted by the end of it and I've got another gig on Sunday."

"Ah, yeah," Mathis replied, deflated, "Good for you, though."

"Mm-hmm. Besides," she breathed, also sounding disappointed, "All my white make up will end up floating around in the pool. It'll look like the sewage water from the Liquid Paper company."

She laughed quietly. Mathis managed a chuckle, as well.

"But maybe we can do a coffee together when I'm done," she offered, "How about that?"

He hesitated, then said, "Nah. You'll need to recharge."

"Come on, it's me. The Energizer Bunny," she declared. 

"Rest," he insisted with a chuckle.

"Alright," she sighed, "Rain-check?"

"Snow-check," he offered.

"That's a promise," she noted. He could sense her gentle smile through the phone. "I really want to get together with you, though. We'll make it happen."

"Sure."

"I should get to sleep," she said, "Good night."

"Night, Sammy."

Mathis didn't bother calling on Friday.

**********

On Saturday, Samantha arrived at the house where her afternoon gig was supposed to have been booked. It was hard to miss. It was huge and there were certainly enough cars parked around it. She had to park by the curb down the street a ways off which was a bit discouraging. 

The request from the party planner was that she come in full costume already. Fortunately her sister lent her the car for the afternoon. Not that she really minded herself, but sometimes a clown on a bus was like the elephant in the room to the other riders. What does one say?

Once she was out of the car, she put on her big shoes and pulled out her luggage from the back seat, and then flip-flopped her way to the trunk. Having the car turned out to be a necessity for this particular party. As she carefully opened the trunk, she reached in and grabbed hold of the strings for two dozen pink and white balloons all adorned with images of Disney princesses or the words "Happy 2nd Birthday". She pulled off the cover netting and they instantly floated up into the air, reaching for the pale blue sky.

As she approached the house, she steeled herself to confront a gang of sugar-high pre-schoolers, getting into full-on Jynx mode. A thumping heavy techno R&B beat pulsated from the walls of the house as she made her way up the steps. There was also a lot of shouting and laughter to be heard. This was some kicking birthday party, she thought. 

It took several knocks and long pushes of the doorbell for someone to come open the door. 

She took a deep breath and shouted, "Happy Birthday!"

A very tan, bare-chested man built like a gorilla and wearing sunglasses and a pair of camouflage cabana shorts, belched back at her. Expressionless, he stood at the door as he took another swig of his beer.

Still maintaining her open-mouthed, red-lipped grin, Samantha blinked through her thick white make up. She leaned back and checked the number of the house. She was at the correct address. There was an awful lot of commotion inside of the house. None of it, however, seemed like anything that would be normally seen or heard at a children's party.

She leaned forward and raised her voice to be heard. "Where's the birthday girl? Is Chrissie around?" 

The roadblock frowned. He leaned down closer, tilting his ear towards her.

"Chrissie Turlo?" she repeated.

He leaned upright. "'Chrissie'...?" he said, looking puzzled. He glared at her, then gazed up at the balloons. An invisible hook suddenly pulled a crooked grin onto his lips. He chuckled once and nodded, holding up a finger and telling her to wait a moment. Twisting his head back, he bellowed over the cacophony, "Chris! Oh, Chrissie! Come to the door! Got a present for ya!" 

He continued to grin at her as she stood anxiously on the steps. She peered at him carefully, and finally recognized him. Before she could react, though, he was joined by someone who was decidedly at least two decades removed from his 2nd birthday and definitely not a girl. She doubted the short-cropped strawberry blonde hair of the 6 foot gentleman had ever been in pig tails or curls, as well.

Chrissie or Chris glared at her as if she were a dog covered in turd. Then, he slapped a backhand against the big man's chest. "Ernesto, what the fuck is this?" he demanded.

Samantha suddenly became the living version of a 'sad clown', her perpetual red painted smile hiding the downward pout on her lips and her shoulders slunk low. 

The balloons slipped her grasp and quickly and quietly made their escape.

*********

Mathis was running late for the pool party. His job earlier in the day went late into the afternoon and there was already colour mingling in the early evening sky by the time he trotted over to the house. It didn't really matter to him. He knew the party would just be cranking it up the further the sun set.

The thrumming sound of heavy beats and loose, loud laughter greeted him as he went around the side and headed straight for the back. Just before made it to the gate though, Ernesto emerged. 

"Hey, you made it!" he welcomed Mathis. He raised and crossed his arms and they exchanged forearm bumps.

"Yeah, sounds like you guys are kicking it," Mathis remarked. His attention, however, was quickly drawn downward. He stepped away from his friend. "What...the....hell....?"

Wrapped tightly around the lower trunk of the stocky Filipino man was a belt made out of what looked like long, thin, multicoloured balloons linked together at the ends. In the middle, just around his crotch stuck out one long neon pink balloon. The tip of it was shaped into the discernible head of a cobra.

It was an animal balloon strap-on.

Ernesto offered him a jovial crotch-chop. "What do you think of my cobra of love?" he declared proudly.

Mathis's eyebrows went in two different directions. He grinned, amused. "Wow. That's just...wow," he said stroking his chin and unable to peel his incredulous gaze from the wagging pink serpent. He looked up at his friend and said, "I guess dreams really do come true."

They laughed then Ernesto handed him his beer. Mathis took a sip, watched his big friend shake his crotch, and then said pointedly, "Man, will you DESIST from shaking your glowing love snake in my face?! Where in THE blue hell did you get this thing?"

Ernesto beckoned him toward the gate. "Heh, check it out!"

Stepping into the back area of the house, Mathis looked out amongst the throng of people scattered all over the expansive yard and around and in the pool. He scratched his forehead and squinted to be sure of what he was seeing.

"What the hell...?" he repeated for the third time.

It turned out Ernesto's makeshift strap-on wasn't an exclusive. Many of the guest, young college-aged males and females, were decorated with a variety of colourful strap-ons, peep-hole bras, garters and so on. There was a huge roar of laughter from a circle of people, sucking or licking long, squeaky lengths of red, pink, and green balloon dildos complete with tied up testicles. The patio lanterns and Christmas lights strewn over head just seemed to highlight the multi-coloured suggestive balloon shapes. Ernesto ran off and belly-flopped into the pool wearing all of his inflated accoutrements. 

Mathis grinned crookedly. In his stupor, he didn't notice Janelle sidle up to him and give him a hug around his waist and a peck on his cheek. "'Bout time you showed!" she scolded him playfully, "Go get changed into your trunks. We'll go for a swim!"

"Heyyy!" he remarked, returning her hug. He checked her out. "Where's your blow up joy box and dildo?"

Janelle rolled her eyes and shook her head. She wore a ruby bikini that adhered to her shapely ebony form quite nicely but other than a pair of matching high-heels, she sported nothing else, notably any of the twisty and twisted party favours that others were wearing. 

"Uh, no. Don't think so!' She blew off the question. 

Mathis was distracted by the sharp honk of a horn followed by a cheer. Across the pool, standing on a patio table, with a small crowd of people around her was Jynx...or at least, it was sort of Jynx. Gone was the thick white and red make-up, though her round red, light-up nose remained. Also gone was the rainbow coloured afro and instead, her almond brunette hair fell lightly around her shoulders and pink-flushed face. Somehow, she managed to convert her full-body costume into a pair of very baggy trousers held up by large, orange suspenders hanging onto her shoulders, revealing a form-hugging black sports bra and nothing else above her slender waist and flat belly. 

Like a crazed savant, Jynx was frantically blowing up and twisting lengths of balloon into all manners of shapes and forms, mostly sexually suggestive, to the delight of the crowd. In the middle of a very elaborate creation, the balloon popped and the people pointed at her, cheering, "Penalty!"

Jynx made a sad face. Someone handed her a beer and, pausing for a heavy sigh, she chugged it to the incessant chants of the group: "Jynx! Jynx! Jynx! Jynx!" 

With lager dripping around her mouth and down her neck to her belly, Jynx wiped her lips with her forearm and then pulled out another balloon and started again. Her tongue stuck out as she focused.

Mathis tilted his head, frowning. "Sammy?"

Completely disengaged from Janelle's chatter, Mathis made his way around to the other side of the pool. At the back of the crowd, he called up to her, "Sammy, what are you doing here?"

"Ah-ah!" she replied, wagging a scolding finger, "The name is Jynx!"

The crowd chanted, "Jynx! Jynx! Jynx!"

She waved her hands over the group. "And I'm here because all of these fine looking gentleman and ladies paid for me to be here!" she announced with a slurred tongue, her face glowing a rosy red. She honked her horn. "Isn't that right?"

Another cheer erupted along with a few calls to drop her trousers and to show her tits.

"Alright. Alright," Mathis said with an uneasy grin. He waved her down with his hands. "Show's over for now, folks. C'mon down, Sammy."

"Who wants to see what I've got under my pants?!" Jynx suddenly shouted.

A singular "Yeah!" rang out.

"Nah! Nah! Nah!" Mathis insisted, "Not happening. Come on down to me, sweetie."

"You!" she said, pointing to Mathis, wobbling a bit on the table, "You want to see what I've got under these britches?"

The crowd parted a little between her and him. "Go for it man!" somebody urged him with a slap on the back.

"Nah, I don't want that," he repeated, "Just come down, already."

"You do, don't you? You want to see what's under my hot pants!" she slurred, slipping the suspenders off her shoulders.

"No, I don't."

"Yes you do!" She took hold of the side of her trousers.

"No...I don't," he said in a firm deep voice,. He pointed to the ground. "Now get down."

"Here goes!" she shouted, and gave her trousers a yank.

"Sammy..."

A stiff stream of seltzer water hit him square in the open mouth like some carnival shooting gallery target. He stood motionless with his hand still pointing downward as she emptied her hidden bottle onto his face. When it was done, he still stood there, dripping pathetically.

A brief hush seized the group as they held their collective breaths. 

"Oh my," Jynx said, pulling up her pants and holding a couple of fingers to her lips, "Does anyone have a cigarette? That felt wonderful!"

Someone sniggered and they exploded into a mass of hilarity. 

Mathis dropped his hands to his sides, not even bothering to wipe down his face. 

"Okay everyone, time for a break," Jynx said clapping her hands together. She was nowhere near as tipsy as she had been pretending to be. "Go enjoy the pool or each other or something."

She was sent off with an enthusiastic applause as a couple of guys helped her down from the table. 

She walked over to Mathis and said, "You're a wonderful foil, you know that?" She poked him in the arm with a honk of her horn. 

"So you've said."

Giggling, she then offered him a towel.

Mathis eyed it for a second.

"It's safe," she assured him, grinning. She removed her round red nose. "See? Clown mode off. It's me, Sammy."

He nodded slowly and finally accepted it. "Yep. Okay," he droned as he wiped down his face, "I deserved it because I fell for it."

"That's what makes you so cute," she jested. 




Jynx'd



Mathis handed her back the towel and then pulled off his shirt. He saw her looking at him, her brow arching. "Hey, it's a pool party, okay?"

"I'm not complaining," she replied. "Do you want to grab something to eat? I'm starving."

Mathis agreed and the two of them grabbed couple of slices of pizza and some pop from the buffet table then found some seats in a corner of the garden. 

"Finally caught up with you again and you pull another stunt like that on me," he sighed, shaking his head.

"Don't blame me," she mused, as she took a big bite. Through gritted teeth she added, "I'm just getting you back."

He frowned. "Getting me back for what? It's me who owes you a couple."

Samantha swallowed then said, "You set me up to come here thinking that it was going to be a kid's birthday party -- a little GIRL'S birthday party. I'm sorry to say that Chris is most definitely a dude who needs a good shave."

Mathis sat back in his chair and shook his head. "Hey, I had nothing to do with you being here," he insisted, "I swear. I was just as surprised to see you showing your talents on that table."

Still chewing, she eyed him and asked, "Really? It really wasn't you? It's just a coincidence that we ran into each other here?"

He crossed his heart, then circled his hand around his face. "This face is too pure to lie," he said.

Samantha chuckled. She frowned and said, "So who could have done it?"

Mathis shrugged.

"Well," she sighed as she finished off her slice, "As long as someone pays for it, I don't mind. It's been fun."

"You really had them going. Those balloons are a riot," he admitted.

"Told you I was good," she said with a wink. She leaned towards him and added, "You know, you and I work well together. Ever thought of..."

"Ah, ah!" he said cutting her off, "Not going to be no clown. No respectable black male is ever going to be caught in some overgrown Cabbage Patch dress wearing a hooker wig and white face."

"Did you not learning anything from my presentation about Green Eggs and Ham?" she teased, "It's all about sexual liberation."

"Can't make me anymore sexual than I am, baby," he joked, "Women would explode just being near me."

"What about your transformation like Superman?"

"Hey, I am ALREADY the embodiment of Superman," he boasted. "No big red-nose or freaky wig is going to enhance that." 

She laughed, "Ok. Ok. Besides, we don't want to cover up that handsome face of yours, right?"

"See?" he said with a toothy grin, "Now you're catching on!"

They chuckled. Pausing for a moment, Mathis thought he sensed Samantha taking a long, indulgent look towards him. He turned to her and she smiled.

"I'm still hungry," she said as she gathered up her hair from behind and tied it into a ponytail.

He cocked his head, frowning. "Where do you pack that food and drink in that tight little body of yours?" he joked.

"It's all in the hips," she said as she stood and slapped her baggy trousers. She thumbed towards the food table back by the pool. "I'm going to get another couple of slices. You want some?"

"Yeah, sure," he said. He watched amusedly as she waddled towards the pool in her giant shoes like Charlie Chaplin only more sexy-cute. Somehow, she actually made that funny looking outfit work. 

As she made her way carefully between the edge of the pool and a row of lounge chairs, a long dark leg wearing shiny, ruby high heels flicked out against her hip and shoved her into the pool. Samantha yelped as she hit the water. Janelle sat up in her chair and laughed.

"Hey!" Mathis yelled as he got up from his seat. "Hey!" he shouted again and he ran towards the pool.

Samantha floundered in the water, her baggy pants and floppy shoes weighing her down. She was just able to keep her head up. Before anyone could jump in or swim towards her, Mathis dove in. Quickly he was beside her, wrapping his arm under her chin. He pulled her to the side of the pool and hoisted her up onto the edge before pulling himself up.

"You okay?" he asked as he patted her back. 

She coughed a little but nodded, her feet still dangling in the pool. Someone brought a towel and he wrapped it around her, rubbing her back.

"Clumsy little girl, ain't she?" Janelle muttered.

Mathis eyed her. "That wasn't cool, Janelle."

"Oh for God's sake, she tripped over her own big, stupid shoes," Janelle groaned.

Mathis stood up and glared at her. "No...you kicked her into the pool."

Janelle got up as well and leaned into his face. "I did not! If anything, she stepped on my foot!"

"Stepped on your foot, my ass," he snapped, "I saw you kick her into the pool with your heels."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever! It was an accident."

"Accident?!"

Janelle crossed her arms and stuck out her chin towards him. She hissed, "AC-CI-DENT!"

Mathis shook his head and said, "Yeah, you know what? If that was an accident, so is this."

In one fluid motion, he grabbed her by the shoulders and tossed her into the pool. Some "Oohs" and some laughter ensued.

Ignoring Janelle's swearing and protests as she splashed around in the water, Mathis pulled up Samantha and led her around the pool and towards the house, her water-drenched shoes flopping around like fish on a dock.

"She doesn't like clowns?" Samantha asked.

"I think she's envious of their hairdos or something."

"Well, I have an idea of who might have arranged for me to be at this party," she said as she stepped into the house.

Reluctantly, Mathis nodded in agreement and followed her in. 

She continued, "I don't suppose she'll pay me later?"

Mathis smiled and shook his head. "Don't count on it."

"Yeah," she sighed, "Thought not."

"Don't worry," he assured her, "I'll take care of it."

"Thanks but you don't have to. No worries. I think my work is done here, though," she decided. She looked up at him and added, "Oh, thanks for the save, by the way."

"Not a problem," he said. 

"You finally managed to get me wet, though."

He looked at her shiver slightly, her trousers heavy with water and her top soaked. "You've got a change of clothes with you?"

She nodded. "In my bag. It's parked in the den downstairs." 

After taking off her cumbersome shoes, they made their way through some people dancing in the living room and sitting on the stairs leading to the lower floor. They passed through a large, crowded rec room and down a hallway stopping in front of a door. Samantha took a peek inside to see if anyone was in the den.

She looked back up at Mathis and grinned. "Good," she said, "No one having nooky."

"I'll wait out here while you get changed," he said.

"Thanks," she replied, but then her eyes widened and she said, "Oh, wait! Come inside for a sec. There's something I want to show you."

Mathis followed her in and shut the door. The spacious den was set up as something like a library with fine rosewood shelves, a large wing chair and ottoman in the corner, and a large, ornate, dark wooden executive desk as the centre-piece. The room was warmly lit with wall lamps and was well insulated doing a nice job of subduing the grinding, steady rhythms filling the rest of the house. 

Mathis stood by the door as he watched Samantha rummage through the pockets of her luggage. After a moment, she rubbed her temple with her palm and grumbled, "Where is it?"

"Looking for this?" Mathis held up a small bauble, his hand-crafted little leather shoe.

Samantha's eyes lit up. "Where did you find that?" she asked. She walked over and took it from his hand.

"I think you dropped it at my sister's place," he replied, "I found it on the floor."

She held it like some small treasure and then offered it to him, "It's yours, by the way."

Mathis rolled his eyes. "Uh, yeah. I think I know that!" he said, grinning, snatching it back from her, "You had it all this time? Weren't you supposed to give this back to me after first year exams?"

She smiled sheepishly and blushed. "Yeah, sorry about that," she admitted, "But I liked it so much."

Mathis held it up and sighed, "So this is why we had such a lousy year on the field. Missing my little good luck charm."

"Uh-huh," Samantha said. Squinting slightly, she added, "And also because the team sucked."

He rolled his lips inward trying to absorb the sting of her words and hold his tongue. Instead, when he finally managed a reply, he said, "So-o, did it bring you any luck at school?"

She rocked her head back and forth, looking upward. "Mmm...maybe. I just really liked it because it reminded me of you."

Mathis shifted his eyes away from the piece of leather and looked at her. A very gentle, warm smile eased itself onto her red lips. 

"And I held onto it all this time hoping I'd eventually find you again," she said without any hint of sarcasm or jest, "So maybe it is lucky?"

"Could be," he answered. His look, his voice, both softened as he slowly began to shut everything else out and focus on the pretty, attractive young woman standing alone in the room with him. 

Samantha suddenly looked anxious. She turned her head aside and cleared her throat while pulling loose strands of her damp hair behind her ears. Chewing on her lower lip, she hesitantly returned her gaze upon Mathis. She slowly reached out and gently took hold of his finger at his side. "You know," she spoke softly, "Me and Joachim...we broke up the summer of last year."

"Yeah?" he replied like he was speaking in a dream except, this time, his hands did move forward and curved around her waist. He felt the subtlest tremble underneath her smooth, tender skin. 

Her head tilted downward as she tentatively reached out and touched his bare stomach, tracing the lines along his defined abs with the gentlest touch of her finger tips. 

Her subtle caress was electric fire coursing through him, sending a surge of blood through him. For Mathis, it was the little matchstick that ignited the blazing fire. With more than words he wanted to show her how much he wanted her.

He moved a hand under her chin, raising it up towards him with his fingers. His eyes locked onto her own dreamy gaze. She didn't turn away, didn't flinch, as he swiftly, smoothly, angled his mouth towards her parted lips and kissed her once -- a gentle press, yet full and warm. Parting momentarily, they quickly locked their lips together once more in a bold, determined kiss. His full, passionate lips massaged hers, a swipe of his tongue moistening them. They held each other in an intimate embrace, his arms wrapping around her small, yet strong and tight frame, her around his torso. 

She held him close, turning her head away from his kiss, pressing her face against his broad, strong chest and sighing. As Mathis inhaled the scent of her hair, she kissed his chest, nipping at his mocha skin, and slipping her tongue around his dark, brown nipple. 

Mathis dragged his fingers through her damp, fine strands of hair. They moved further down along the soft flesh of her smooth back, angling them downward and pushing them under waistline of her baggy pants. His hand slid over a pair of round, firm mounds of tantalizing flesh, pulling at her panties till his palms pressed nothing but supple skin. His fingers managed an indulgent squeeze, eliciting a breathy moan from Samantha. 

Her suspender straps fell off her shoulders. With a little help from Mathis, her loose pants easily dropped down to her ankles, bunching there until they were unceremoniously kicked away into a corner. 

When their lips parted, Samantha looked at him with a mischievous smile. In a teasing whisper, she said, "I just knew you wanted to see what was under these pants."

Mathis grinned. "You can put the nose back on if you want," he said, moving back within a breath's length, "Just keep the shoes off."

He pulled her in close, melting their bodies together. Bold kisses now gave way to urgent ones. Lips folded over one another with illicit intent, and tongues pushed and twisted together demanding satisfaction. Their bodies almost shuddered from how desperate they were for each other. Mathis felt his blood pulsing into his crotch, quickly stiffening his length. Samantha felt him stirring too, a pronounced nudge against her upper belly. 

She took a half-step back, curling her body away. Chewing on her lower lip, grinning, she pressed and cupped her palm up against his crotch. The response from beneath his shorts was immediate, like a creature being roused from slumber. He hardened against her touch. 

Mathis' head listed back as Samantha eagerly undid his fly. His shorts dropped to the floor revealing an enticing, shifting bulge straining against his boxer briefs. Hesitating for a second, Samantha rolled both lips into her mouth then pulled his underwear down, his imposing length of hardening muscle slipping out.

For a moment, he thought that she might make some comment about how good she was at manipulating lengths of balloon, but instead, the young woman said nothing and aggressively gathered him up in her soft hands. She looked up at him, still grinning, as she stroked him steadily, her grip firming around him as he became more swollen. Joining their mouths together as she continued her pleasing touch, Mathis hummed his approval. 

"Is this good?" she cooed as they broke from their kisses.

Mathis nodded, "Baby, you have no idea."

"Yeah? You think?" She smiled, pleased, but still maintaining that spirited, cocky look implying that she could definitely do better. She crouched down slowly, kissing his chest, his abs, his belly button, his hips.

"Uhh!" Mathis groaned the moment her soft lips enveloped him, sucking him in deep inside her mouth. By the time her tongue went to work and he was nudging the back of her throat repeatedly, he barely had enough senses remaining to reach back and lock the door to the den as he leaned up against it. Then his hands clasped themselves against her head and shoulder. 

Samantha's head bobbed back and forth with soft groans and gasps for air slipping from her throat. She swirled her tongue around his bulbous head, pressing it deftly into the tip, eliciting another guttural moan from him. Then she licked him down his length to his soft sack then back up again in a deliriously deliberate motion before inhaling him deep into her mouth once again. Her mouth was stretched wide, her lips slick and glossy from the glistening saliva she was coating along the length of his shaft. She felt the hand on her head gently guiding her, easing her into an increasingly fervid rhythm.

Both of his hands clutched at her head. A hard frown had set upon his face, his mouth cracked open as he tried to draw in steady breaths of air as he watched her from above. She was relentless. She had energy and drive. He always knew it, but now he was experiencing it first hand and it was incredible. 

There was no way he was going to let this petite temptress show him up.

Though it practically pained him to do so, he pulled her off with a grunt. Samantha loosed a sharp gasp as her head leaned back and he slipped out of her mouth, saliva rolling down her chin onto her chest and the carpet. He hoisted her to her feet. As they kissed again, he wrapped his hands around her butt and lifted her from the floor as if she were filled with feathers. His muscular frame easily carried her slender, small frame, but her legs clasping around his waist was not an unwelcome action. 

He held her aloft as he moved towards the desk. Her hands were at his face, holding it steady as she kissed him hungrily, sinking her tongue past his lips and slashing at his own. Gently he lowered her onto the desk. Without separating their mouths, they both swept the desktop clear of papers and pencils and other obtrusive objects. As she sat up on the edge, his hands moved upward from her hips, pushing at the bottom of her bra, lifting it over her round, creamy breasts. Her hazel, pert nipples drew him in quickly and he immediately sampled them with wanton licks and sucks. He massaged and pushed them together as his mouth hungrily indulged in their sweetness. Samantha's head lolled back and she braced her palms behind her on the desk top.

His mouth always in constant contact with her flesh, he moved downwards. He flicked his tongue playfully at her belly and it flinched with teasing delight. As he knelt onto the carpet, he swept her legs over his broad shoulders, her heels pressing into his back. He dragged his pink tongue and soft lips against her milky, white inner thighs, earning more aching sighs from Samantha. Two fingers pressed at the crotch of her panties, circling with increasing tempo and pressure. He looked up at her. Her small red lips were parted, trembling as she licked them, trying desperately to keep them moist.

"Take it off, Mathis," she gasped, "Rip it."

He obliged and he easily snapped her panties with a sharp tug.

A small, angular tuft of curly auburn strands pointed the way and his tongue and lips surged forward. He slicked his tongue against her first then plunged it in deep, twisting and swirling its way past her soft petals and into her moist warmth. 

"Ah-hn," Samantha groaned. She nearly lost her balance as a wave ecstasy coursed though her petite body. But her abs tightened, sharpening her breaths, and she clutched the back of his head and neck keeping herself upright as she endured his oral skills with unbridled pleasure.

Mathis' full lips plucked and pinched at her bud, spurred on by her heels digging against his back. His long fingers joined the heated fray and sank into her, emerging with a glistening coat of her pungent fluids. His tongue lashed at her and he could think of no better taste in the world.

Shaking, shuddering, Samantha groaned aloud and finally collapsed back onto the desktop, her nude body arching and writhing with pleasure upon it as she blinked and cried out towards the ceiling. Her damp back rubbed against the smooth, cool, dark wood of the desk, streaking it.

Mathis arose, then. His hand under her left thigh, he held her leg aloft. His other hand deliberately stroked his length, hardened to its full imposing size and potency. Samantha raised herself to her elbows to watch him, first gazing at his rigid shaft, then up towards his face. His brow felt heavy over his eyes as he locked them on hers. Her face was flushed, strands of her hair falling across it seductively. Despite her deceptively diminutive size, there was a determined look, a playfully challenging look. Mathis knew that look. He loved that look on Samantha. 

He nudged her opening with provocative rubs of his solid tip. His hips swayed and the first inch of his head moved into her. Samantha gasped once then bit her lower lip. She raised her head more and looked downward watching him hold himself there. Her eyes couldn't move fast enough between his face and towards their crotches. 

Mathis took hold of her other leg, positioning his feet on the floor in a stable stance. Firming his jaw, he surged his thick dark cock into her with a steady, yet powerful and passionate, thrust. 

"Uhhn!" Samantha moaned, her mouth stretching open wide. Heaving swift gasps of air, she watched as he moved his length into her. 

Mathis could feel his own internal temperature spike as he sank deep into her. Tantalizingly tight yet forgiving, her damp warmth and softness engulfed him and he could no longer hold his own breath once he fully inside. He felt her inner muscles pulse against his shaft and he groaned, "Unn!"

Within moments, his well-toned body had every muscle working with an urgent precision. Rhythmic, almost graceful, motions of his hips moved his shaft with long, heated strokes. Her slender legs were pushed wide by his solid torso and he had an unimpeded path to her tenderness which he exploited with ferocious desire.