When the Other Shoe Drops

When the Other Shoe Drops

By April Grey

Author\'s Note: Warning--You are about to read an unedited rough draft version. Typos, grammatical errors, whatever abound. I\'m putting this up for curiosity’s sake. I will be working on One Foot In and When the Other Shoe Drops and combining them into one, hopefully workable novel. So that is why this one is posted unpolished. Read at your own Risk!

Chapter Ten - Heading Home


“Thanks, Cindy, thanks a lot. The only place I’ve ever been happy at and you get me kicked out.”

Josh was red-faced and yelling at her. Cindy looked up at him from where she lay on the ground. Her eyes went wide and she jumped up and hugged him.

For a moment it looked like he was about to push her away, and then he put his arms around her and held her.

“What happened?” asked Leo.

Josh looked up at him over Cindy’s head. “My fiancé, Cindy the Ferocious, just about scared the piss out of them by threatening to call up a Demon. They said it was my fault and if she wanted me, she could have me.”

“Well, I’m glad they finally saw it my way.”

“Yeah,” said Josh, “I feel weird.”

Cindy looked up into his face. “They cast an enchantment over you. Making you want to stay there.”

“No,” he shook his head, trying to clear it, “it’s this place. Ever since I stepped foot here—it’s like I belong.”

Leo and Devon White looked at each other.

“Well?” asked Leo.

“He still reeks of Faerae,” said White, “but Cindy is tough. Once she sets her mind--” White came over and put his arm around Josh’s shoulder. “Let me explain it to you son. Obviously one or more of your ancestors was of the Faerae. And being mostly spirit and not much flesh, it’s not easy for their descendents. It’s like the nature of oil and water to separate. Elfish don’t have this problem, by one or two generations all power is lost. But with Faerae blood, it doesn’t dilute. So in a way you do belong here, but you’ll never fit in because you are flesh and not magic like they are. You would have died within a few years, maybe just months of living with them and trying to be like them.”

Josh looked stricken. “I can’t leave here.”

“You can and you will, Josh Connor. You have commitments.”

“Cindy, cut it out.” Josh sat down and buried his face in his hands.

“I’m not leaving you. We’ll get through this together.”

Kember poked his nose out from behind a large bush. “What happened? I don’t smell any Demons?”

“Nope, we got lucky,” said White. “Come on, everyone. We’ve got a walk ahead of us.”

“This is would the perfect time for Jimbo to show up,” said Cindy, putting out a hand to Josh.

Josh took her hand and stood, abstractedly brushing dirt off of his pants, “Jimbo?”

“He’s a friend who I guess doesn’t care for Faerae very much.”

“He’s smart that way,” said Leo sighing. “And I went through all that for nothing.”

“I don’t know, Leo. I think maybe my little girl gave them a good lesson. And they won’t be stealing anymore of the Folk or Elfish for a while.”

Kember looked around him eyes rolling in fear. “You mean there are Faerae around here, too?”

They all laughed and went trudging off into the general direction from which they had come.


Three days later they were searching the mountainside for the entrance to the cave that would lead them back to the tenement in New York City.

“Thor said something about it being unstable,” said Cindy.

“Thor’s been saying that for years. It’s just wishful thinking on his part, if you ask me. He just doesn’t like coming here,” said Leo. “I think it was all the time he spent in the service of Demons that makes him wary of magical places. At heart he’ll just always be a farmer.”

Josh looked at Leo. “You mean that psychotic painter was a farmer?”

Everyone stopped. Josh had barely said a word the whole time they were hiking. Cindy had been half out of her mind with worry.

“Yeah, those paintings are like therapy. Those are the Demons he used to serve.”

“You don’t say? Ugly bastards they are.”

“Smell worse than they look, my boy,” said White, who yet again had been forced to resign himself to having a son-in-law who stunk of Faerae.

Josh sighed. “So we might be staying here after all?”

Leo shot him a glance. “At first you didn’t want to leave.”

“Cindy’s right. I have commitments back home,” he sounded miserable.

Cindy didn’t say a word. She was fed up with the lot of them. Josh could go to hell for all she cared. It hurt, it hurt a lot that she’d been rescued by a man who didn’t so much love her as needed her. She’d have three long days to let the pain really sink in. Normally Josh would have been working to get her to forgive him or something. But he’d just stewed in his own juices of resentment about leaving.

“Hey, isn’t that Jimbo?” said White.

The four of them looked up. High up among the fluffy white clouds a serpentine creature was weaving his way toward them.

“Yeah, it’s Jimbo.”

“A dragon,” Josh said with a bit of wonderment, “Has he been to our apartment?”

“Yes, how did you know?” said Cindy, still quite miffed.

“I smelt something and I had this image in my head of a dragon. How would I know what he looks like from the smell?”

“It’s in your blood,” said Leo.

Cindy had noticed that Josh seemed to be coming more to himself. He was talking more and finally paying some attention to his surroundings.

“You gave him tea. There was a teacup left in the sink.”

“That’s right.”

Josh gasped, as Jimbo got close enough for him to get the full effect of the size of him. “Shit,” he said quietly when Jimbo then turned into his humanoid form.

“Cindy, did you see that?” he turned to her and took hold of her arm.

“Yeah, pretty impressive the first few times. You’ll get used to it. That is if we don’t get back.” Cindy pulled her arm away from him and pointedly walked over to Kember.

“Cindy?” said Josh beginning to realize that something was up.

“Devon, Leo good to see you” said Jimbo. “And there are some new people.”

“This is Josh Connor, Cindy’s husband to be, and this is Kember, one of the Folk who has been serving as our guide and traveling companion.”

Kember gave a huge smile. “It’s been an honor, truly.”

“I was hoping to find you.”

“What is it?” asked White.

“The tunnel has finally closed,” said Jimbo. “And our building has been condemned.”

“That would be the reason why we could not find your tunnel,” said Kember. “But we also tried to find the one leading to my old building as well and could not.”

“Then we are truly stuck here?” said Josh his voice rising.

“Well, don’t worry, you won’t be stuck with me,” said Cindy and she stomped off.

The men were quiet for a moment.

Josh looked at where she’d gone. “I better go talk to her,” and he ran after her.

“It wouldn’t be too much to hope—“ said Kember.

White sighed, “Yes it would be. She’s completely stuck on him.”

Leo clapped his hand on White’s back. “Could be worse, old man.”

“How so?”

“What if it had been Zanzo? Imagine having a Demon for a son-in-law?”

White laughed. Tentatively Jimbo and Kember joined in.

Josh found Cindy sitting under a pine tree. She was crying so hard that she didn’t notice his approach.

He sat down behind her and tried to hold her. She looked up and saw who it was.

“Go away.”

“Cindy? Are you angry?”

“What do you think?”

“I think that I’m very grateful that you didn’t just leave me there in that mound of dirt. Besides loving you, maybe I owe you.”

“You don’t love me. You’ve never loved me.” She started sobbing again.

Josh blinked. He sighed. He tried to image what it would be like if he were someone else dealing with this problem. But who? He had always been overwhelmed by her tempests, not knowing how to comfort her at all. He felt small and helpless when she was that way. And frustrated. He sat with the feeling careful not to act out, just as he had learned in couples therapy. But the therapist had been right had that been the problem over a year ago. Rather than sitting with the feelings of helplessness, he’d thrown her out.

“I don’t know what to say or do.” He said quietly.

She continued to sob.

“I found you were gone and I set out to rescue you and you wound up rescuing me. I don’t feel very good about it, about myself.”

He tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but pulled back. “You left and didn’t tell me where you were going. So you are hurting, but I’m hurting too. You should have told me.”

He sat as long as he could handle it. And then he stood up.

“Maybe for all the time we’ve put into all this we aren’t right for each other. I’m sorry.” He walked away. He knew it was happening all over again. Get rejected, get hurt and get away. He took long paces, thinking how badly it had all gone. He saw the others up ahead and walked even faster to reach them.

“Um, welcome back. I trust you and Cindy—“ started White.

“We talked, or rather I did,” Josh shrugged.

“Okay. Well, Jimbo says that he got here through another tunnel. It’s a fair distance from here, about a half day journey?”

Jimbo nodded.

“And we wind up in the New Jersey Wetlands.”

“That’s pretty amazing,” said Josh. “How’d you find it?”

“I flew almost non-stop for the better part of a day over this one spot,” he snorted, “I could feel the magic oozing out, but when I landed, well, it wasn’t easy. And most of the tunnel is quite wet. It’s a very unpleasant place.” Although he was in human form, Josh could almost see steam come out of his nose when he snorted.

Cindy came silently up. Leo put his arm around her and Josh ignored them.

“But is it dangerous?” asked White.

“Seemed pretty stable, just slippery and your feet get soaked.”

“Well, let’s go then,” White looked at Cindy, “You okay, sweetie?”

Cindy shot a quick look at Josh, “I guess so.” Leo smiled and hugged her hard.

Josh wasn’t sure if he could relax or not. Maybe he hadn’t completely blown it this time. Maybe she just needed some time to cool off and then she’d come round. His eyes met Leo’s and he got a strange feeling that he’d missed something.


When they arrived in the Wetlands everyone was wet, hungry, foot sore and in a filthy mood. Kember had wisely opted to stay in the other realm, but Leo wanted to find out what had happened to the building and White needed to get back to his wife.

They managed to trudge to a main road and from there walked until they reached a bus stop.

Leo looked at White, “Do you think you can do it?”

White smiled, “Worth a try.”

Fifteen minutes later then were on a bus headed for Manhattan courtesy of a little mind control trick and a bit of luck.

The bus dropped the four of them off in front of Cindy and Josh’s building.

“Devon, will you come up and freshen up before catching a flight out?

“Thank you.”

“Um, Leo, could I offer you anything before you head down there?”

“Well, if the building has been condemned I might need a place to stay tonight. But I bet I can get my lawyer to sort it out if I get to him right now. So, thanks, you might hear from me later.”

“Please do let us know,” said Cindy, not quite her usual self.

Leo leaned over to her and kissed her on the forehead, “Cheer up. You did great. I’ll be in touch. Bye everyone!”

And Leo headed for the M11 bus.

The three that were left walked up to the elevator. Cindy noted that the doorman ignored the three of them although they were dirty and quite wet.

“Daddy, did you?”

He smiled and nodded. “I should teach you to do it sometime, shouldn’t I? It is a useful talent.”

Cindy looked shocked, “Do you think I could?”

“Worth a try.”

“What are you two talking about?” asked Josh as they got into the elevator.

“Never mind,” said White. “Cindy and I ought to have a few secrets left.”

Josh tried not to feel upset; however he just couldn’t keep it in, “You don’t like me, Devon and you never have.” Once having said it, it felt good.

“So you aren’t as dumb as you look,” he smirked. “No, I don’t like you, but I’ve accepted that it doesn’t matter. It’s what Cindy wants.”

Cindy looked at the two men. She walked to the wine cupboard and opened a bottle of Pinot Noir and poured herself a large glass.

Pointing to the bottle she asked, “Anyone care to join me?”

Her father said, “Sure.”

Josh grabbed two glasses and poured for himself and the older man.

“Cheers,” he said.

“To us,” said White.

“And to the woman I love,” said Josh.

Cindy took the bottle and locked herself in the bedroom.

“Nice try,” said White. “Looks like you have your work cut out for you.” He put down the glass. “Thanks for the refreshment. I’ll be on my way. Give Cindy my love.”

“Devon? Any advice.”

“No. It’s not my business, is it?” And he walked out the door.

Josh drank the rest of the wine, trying to figure out what his next course of action would be. The light on the answering machine was flickering almost non-stop. Sighing, he found a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. At least they were under the same roof. That was a start. As he was listening to the messages, most of them claiming to be urgent while not being urgent at all Josh checked out the refrigerator. He couldn’t help thinking how odd it had been to spend so much time in another land and yet be gone barely 48 from here. Well, at least the interior designer was looking to get in touch with them. Maybe he could get this place feeling less like a cave. Still surveying the frig, he noticed that the cheese had gone moldy. Cindy hadn’t been shopping in two weeks.

Hit by an inspiration. Josh took his coat and headed out the door.

Cindy sat in the tub surrounded by bubbles. A shock of fear had flown through her when she’d heard the front door close. What if it was over? Did she want that? Her sigh turned into a sob. She wasn’t sure what she wanted. Josh. Things to be normal again. Leo had told her about her mother being ill, but had also begged her not to confront her father with it. Devon had his own ways of taking care of things and having Cindy involved wasn’t part of that. She wished she had confronted him, though, and now it was too late.

There was a knock on the door.

“Use the one in the guestroom,” she called out, guessing Josh had to use the bathroom”

“Cheese platter.”

“What?”

“You are in there, all alone with a bottle of wine and no cheese. I have a Balducci’s cheese platter with your name on it.”

“You went all the way over.” She jumped out of the tub, unlocked the door and leapt back into the tub again.

Josh sat on the wet floor next to Cindy and held the platter up for her inspection, “I must say the Brie looks delightfully runny.”

“And they have that cherry flavored desert cheese that I like.” She looked at him. “If you think this makes everything okay.”

“No, no. Wouldn’t dream of it; however—“ he balanced the tray on sink next to the tub and from out of his pocket he produced several resort brochures, “I do think planning our romantic elopement to a sunny, tropical island, might.”

“I wanted a big wedding,” she said sullenly.

“Cindy, Leo told me about your mother going through chemo.”

“God, he has a big mouth.”

“He was being a mensch. Anyway, we can have the big, spectacular wedding when she’s done with the chemo. For now, we get away, just you and me to one of these tiny little places with five star food and crystal clear water and temperature than never drops below 70 degrees.”

“I don’t know, Josh.”

Josh took a slab of desert cheese and smear it onto a bisquit. “Open up the hanger for the airplane,” and he held the morsel for Cindy to bite.

Cindy, looking annoyed cooperated.

“Good? How about some of that very runny brie.” He took a finger full and held it in front of Cindy’s lips, “Here comes the train down the tracks, heading for the tunnel.”

“Josh,” Cindy opened her mouth and he smeared the cheese on her lips. “You’re trying to seducing me.”

“This is no mere attempt, dear lady.” He leaned forward and kissed her, “Good brie. I am seducing you. Um, look there’s also a choice of sausage or salami.”

“That’s awful.”

“Not interested? Well, here I’ll just get the loofa and wash your back. Unless you change your mind about the salami.”

“How about ham?”

Josh pretended to survey the platter, “Um, no. Fresh out.” He reached over and fetched the loofa.

Cindy laughed, “You are all wet from sitting on the floor.”

“What a shame.” He lathered the loofa and then rolled up his sleeves. “I’m not sugar so I won’t melt. Lean forward so I can get your back.”

Cindy realized that it had been quite a while since they had so much fun. She smiled and leaned forward.

He scrubbed her back and then rinsed. He found the washcloth and lathered it us as well. “Would want to use the loofa on your lovely sensitive breasts.” He gently caressed her neck and then one breast after the other with the washcloth.

Cindy closed her eyes and leaned back. The washcloth headed down to her public area and then she felt his fingers touching her nub.

“Wouldn’t want to use the cloth there, too sensitive.” He continued to stroke between her leg, paying special attention to her clitoris.

She moaned quiet as and opened her legs a bit more to give him better access.

She felt his lips kiss her mouth as he continued to arouse her.

“I love you, Cindy.”

Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away from him. “No. I won’t be manipulated.”

“Think for a moment. It’s not just you’re being part Elfish. If it were all about that I’d like Leo and your father.”

“You mean you don’t?” she said in mock horror.

He laughed and kissed her again. “I. Love. You. Come share my bed, be my wife and I spend the rest of my mortal existence making sure you are happy. Say you will.”

She looked at him. Sometimes she’d resented his good looks and the way everything had come so easily to him. She had resented the way he’d taken her for granted. There was so much that was wrong. But what was perfect? One had to work at life and she loved him.

“Yes.”

He lifted her up from the bathtub and not bothering that he was getting wet and the floors were getting wet, he ran her into the bedroom where he had lit candles and put fresh roses into a vase. The bed was turned down with fresh sheets and he gently put her into the bed, pulling the covers up over her.

“I’m all soapy.”

“That’s because that was Soap Opera seduction maneuver #26. We aren’t supposed to notice the soap.”

She nodded and watched him remove his clothing. Sometimes it was difficult accepting that he made his living being a fantasy object to woman. Right now, when he was using every ounce of his charm, it didn’t seem like too bad a deal.

Of course, on the soaps he never looked this insecure. That was real life Josh. And on the soaps they never had full frontal nudity, which was probably why he was never this insecure. Cindy reached out and touched his erection and he got harder. She opened the bed and he crawled in beside her.
“I’ve changed my mind.”

“What?”

“I do want sausage, and salami and whatever else you have for me,” she laughed.

He covered her body with his. “Your wish is my command” he said as he traced her lips with is finger.

“Really?”

“Name it.”

The phone rang.

“Don’t answer it.”

“It could be Leo,” said Cindy as she reached for the phone.

“Then most definitely don’t answer it,” said Josh, knowing it was a lost cause and putting the pillow over his head.

“Oh hi. Uh. Sorry. Oh, yes, I see. I see. Right, well I’ll tell him.” Cindy hung up the phone.

Josh peeped out from under the pillow. “Can we disconnect that thing?”

Cindy leaned on her elbow, “Did you pick up all the messages? While I was in the bath?”

“Yes. Look, tonight isn’t about business. It’s about getting back together again, and renewing our commitment and…”

“If you aren’t on the plane back to Los Angeles by the midnight flight, you are in breach of contract. You got that message?”

“Cindy.”

“When were you going to tell me?”

“After we had our wedding night.”

“That’s not like you.”

“You don’t know what’s like me. I didn’t know what’s like me. I’m a damned Faerae!” he laughed.

“You used to be a professional. They had a few problems with the sound on a very important scene.” Cindy reached over and touched his forehead. “Are you all right?”

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. “You aren’t my agent and—and getting married to you is way more important than my career.”

Cindy blinked back tears. “You always surprise me. I get you packed.”

“Aren’t you listening? You are at the top of my priority list.” He took both her hands in his.

“And you are at the top of mine. I love you, Josh. And I can wait a few more days, or weeks to get married. Actually while you are out in Los Angeles, I’d like to fly out to stay with my folks a few days.”

“So you wouldn’t be staying here?”

“No. Why?” Cindy waited.

“Nothing.”

“Spill it.”

“I know about you and Thor.”

“Oh.”

“Now, I think you should tell me about you and Leo.”

She blushed. “Who said there was anything.”

“I saw something between you. He loves you.”

“He’s also a jerk, a jealous one at that.”

“So you don’t love him.”

Cindy took a deep breath. “When I heard he was in trouble I went to help him. So yes, I do care about him. But I’m not in love with him.”

“You’ve had relations in the past?”

“We agreed to not bring up whatever happened last year.”

“So you were involved with both Leo and Thor in that one month you were away.”

“You agreed to—“

Josh lay on his stomach, and stared at the headboard, “Yes, that was the agreement.” He rubbed his hand across his eyes. “Just tell me, were there others?”

“Yes and No. It wasn’t really Thor—it was Thor’s body but Zanzo the Demon had taken possession of it at that time.”

Josh shook his head. “I shouldn’t have asked. But it’s all in the open now.” He reached out and touched her face. “Right?”

“Well, there was a wedding proposal from Kember. And there was some stuff, which you’d probably not want to know about that that Faerae Tyrell tricked me into.”

He took her in his arms, “You are so very right. I don’t want to know. And now, I think I’ll just call it quits and not ask any more questions that I don’t really want the answers to,” he smiled. “Do you think you will permit me to finish what we began before I catch that plane?”

“I thought it was normal for Faerae to have blue balls,” she joked.

He stared, “That is probably the worst joke—“

She kissed him, reaching down to stroke him back into action. He groaned in response and deepened the kiss. She rubbed her hand over his tip and then slipped down to cup his balls in her hand.

In response he kissed her throat, while squeezing and playing with her nipple. After a few minutes, he brought his hand down to between her thighs and touched her. Finding her ready, he pulled her over him. His large hands crept up over her hips to her breasts and fondled both of them.

“You are beautiful, you know that?”

“I know that when I’m with you, I feel that way. But, I don’t want to talk right now.” She took hold of him and shifted herself so that he was at her entrance. Teasingly, she placed just the tip inside of her and slowly, very slowly allowed him to enter her.

He licked his lips and closed his eyes, feeling her tight wetness. When he was finally totally sheathed in her he tried to take control of her hips, but she took his hand and pinned them above his head. Josh allowed himself to be trapped by her, enjoying the novelty of being ridden by his love.

It didn’t take long for her to find the right spot and start to pound away at him in earnest. Soon she was making the small noises that he associated with her nearing orgasm. He forced himself to not interfere by taking control by rolling her under him, but he allowed her to take her time even as he found himself frustrated by his need.

Finally her body went into climax and she let go of his hands. He quickly pushed his hips up into her repeatedly, needing to head into his own release. He thrust himself upwards again and against at the same time push her up and letting her come down. He cock was twitching with the need to come and finally he rolled over her so that he could get the purchase he need to come. He pulled out almost all the way before slamming back into her. Her little grunt excited him and he felt his balls tighten into a rock hard mass as he finally found release. He cried out and then collapsed, twitching inside of her. Twice he pulled out a bit and sunk himself in again. He felt her cool hand stroke his sweaty brow and a gentle kiss against his jaw. He rolled a bit to the side, holding her close to him so he’d stay in a few seconds longer.

He nodded off with her in his arms. He dreamt he was back in the other realm. But he looked different, his skin was the color of the Faerae and the way he sensed things told him that he was now fully Faerae. Cindy was in his arms, but she too was different. Now she was completely Elfish. He kissed her.

“You know that is it forbidden to love between our two kinds,” she said sadly.

“I know of a place, somewhere far away that we shall be free to love and be with each other for always.”

“Where is this place? Can we go there?” she asked.

His heart filled with joy. “You would leave the mound for me?”

“For you and none other,” she smiled.

A few minutes later, Cindy woke him up and together they packed for their respective journeys.

On his flight to Los Angeles, Josh determined that he wouldn’t let Cindy ever slip away from him again. As soon the re-dubbing was done, he fly to her and then they would slip away.

Josh closed his eyes and relaxed. After all he was a professional.