Survivor Reborn (Kieran Grey Psionic Hunter) Read online

  Emmy walked over and sat down hugging me. She kissed me on the cheek. “You passed with flying colors,” she beamed.

  “What?!”

  “This was a test. My sister was known for being, well, a bitch. She would’ve never been as nice to Mary as you’ve been. You’re proving yourself to be a remarkable woman. Now all we have to do is teach you about fashion.”

  How come I have a feeling this is going to be a very long lesson?

  Chapter 14

  Emmy decided to start helping me change. The first thing she did was stick me in the shower, fully clothed. I stared at her through the glass doors.

  “You don’t have time for a regular shower. Especially one like you had this morning,” she teased, making me blush. “Use your psionic shower to clean off the dirt, sweat, and makeup from the day. It’ll clean your clothes as well. Better than any dry cleaning service.”

  I focused on the shield growing from inside me. I closed my eyes. Letting the feeling of the dirt and grime being pushed away cover my entire body. Once I was finished I looked down at the drain. A light tan sludge covered the shower floor in a ring around my feet.

  “GROSS!!!” I stepped out of the shower, being careful not to get into the filth that had once covered me.

  “No, the really gross part is the fact that everyone has that gunk on them, that body soil, and it doesn’t all wash away with a regular shower either.” Emmy reached in turning the water on to wash away the mess. “Now get undressed, we have work to do.”

  I started taking my clothes off, laying them on the counter by the sink. “Emmy, do women always help each other get dressed, or is it that you just don’t trust me?”

  “Silly question. But yes, it is normal for women to help each other get ready, especially when it’s a big event. Strip down and put this on.” She handed me a heavy cloth robe.

  Once naked I slipped on the robe. Emmy pulled out the chair out for me at the vanity. I sat down so she could do my makeup again.

  “I hope you’re paying attention while I do this,” she said it like a teacher showing a student how to solve the problem on the board for the fifth time. “I won’t always be here to help you put on your makeup. You’ll have to learn how to do it yourself.”

  “Oh my!” Mary gasped when she came back into the bathroom. She was staring at the small pile of weapons on the counter next to the clothes with wide eyes. “Sorry, slight flashback.”

  “It’s okay Mary. Would you like to help?” Emmy asked. Mary nodded then crossed the room to us. She glanced back at the guns on the way. “Here, you start with her nails, and I’ll work on the face.” Emmy handed her a bottle of violet nail polish. It was the same color as my eyes.

  Until then I hadn’t even realized how long my nails were. They weren’t freakish or anything, only about a quarter of an inch past my finger, but much longer than I’d ever had as a guy. I sat there like a puppet. They worked on me until they were both satisfied. When they stepped back I let my shields raise slowly. I was being careful not to ruin the work they had done.

  We all moved into the closet. The three of us took turns picking different outfits for me to wear. Neither of them liked any of my choices. The nicest term they used was, “too uncoordinated”. Most of my other choices were given labels like, slutty, clownish, and of course the ever popular, perverted.

  I don’t think that Emmy’ll ever let me choose my own clothes after the way she turned up her nose at my choices today. It’s not my fault I don’t understand women’s fashion. Hell, I grew up as a guy. Men’s fashion wasn’t even something I ever worried about. I just wore what felt good. I never worried about my looks much. Which could honestly be one reason I could never get a date.

  I just sat down and let the two of them argue over different choices. It was like being at an auction. I laughed at them, just a little. They both flashed me evil stares and told me to stay out of it. Finally they decided that Emmy would choose the outfit, and Mary would choose the shoes, like I wasn’t even there. My opinion didn’t matter at all.

  “Here, put these on,” Emmy said handing me a pile of deep royal-purple satin-like spider-silk material.

  The panties were a low-rise double-string bikini style. The skirt was a straight mini that rested low on my hips, but not tight like the skirt I’d had on earlier. If I turned around too fast, it flared out and I flashed my ass. Hence the underwear that covered more. I had to have some help with the top. It was only a set of strings and a flat panel of fabric. Emmy finally got me into it, the thicker string over the neck, the thinner strings across the back to keep from flashing the world. The fabric draped over my chest, causing wrinkles in all the right places, and stopping just below my breasts. I vaguely remembered seeing the same outfit on some model somewhere.

  I was left in Mary’s hands for my shoes. She had already picked out a pair of heeled Ganymede sandals, open toed heels with incredibly long cords on them. She sat me down then began to lace the chords up around my calf. The cords finally tied off just below the knee with a little bow at the back. They reminded me of the sandals the girls wore to the toga party I’d uninvitedly snuck into back in college. It was a look between sexy and slutty, at least to me. They fit quite nicely, for what they were. I definitely wasn’t going to be running in them though. Not to mention I had to constantly concentrate on walking to avoid twisting my ankle on the dangerously narrow stiletto heels.

  Emmy handed me a hand purse with a spaghetti-thin cord that matched the outfit. My badge, belt pack, a light stick, one of the Walther pistols with a spare clip filled the bag, along with a suspicious-looking foil-wrapped condom.

  “I can’t take weapons with me Emmy, and what’s with the condom?”

  “No, you didn’t listen to what your date said. You can have weapons with you, but you just can’t take them inside. Leave the purse in the car, just in case. Better to have and not need, than need and not have. Just like the condom. You never know when you might need one. It would be a shame to meet a cute guy tonight and have to settle for third base instead of the home run just because you weren’t prepared. Come, sit, let me fix your hair.”

  Emmy led me back to the vanity. Before I sat down I removed the condom from the purse and placed it on the edge of the vanity. Mary glanced at it and giggled as she blushed and looked away. Emmy never commented on it. It was only my second day as a woman, I had no intention of being in any situation that required me to have a condom. Not even as a water balloon.

  I had to drop my shields so Emmy could brush my hair. She grinned over my shoulder. “Here, I had this made for you today.” She handed me a small box.

  Inside was a hair clip. It looked like an heirloom of some sort. An antique gold flower with two silver spheres on each side of a small light-purple rectangle. Suddenly it looked familiar. Too familiar. I turned it over to look at the other side. The spheres were some of the light grenades Yuric had given me. The purple rectangle was one of the emergency burners. They were all disguised cleverly as a fancy hair clip. Emmy pulled the top of my hair back and placed the clip in my hair.

  “This way you can have a few defenses, without actually having weapons. No one should be the wiser.” Emmy looked pleased.

  I stood and turned in front of the mirror, checking out my reflection. The skirt flowed and flipped up easily. Way too easily. My breasts were covered–just barely–yet on display without a bra under the thin fabric. I was already advertising with my high-beams even though I wasn’t cold at all inside my shields. My midriff was bare between the two scraps of cloth that made up the scandalous outfit. I bounced a little. The move made my breasts jiggle up and down without restraint. If I moved too much or too fast in any one direction I was risking showing myself to the world. The outfit looked great as long as I stood still. If I had to move, it would then become obscene.

  I love it!

  The door chimed again. Mary rushed off to answer it. I hugged Emmy and thanked her for everything. It was seven and my date had arriv
ed.

  * * *

  Vicki stood just inside the living room. Her eyes were wide saucers as she looked around the room with a slack jaw.

  “I’ve never been to your place before. This is . . . wow!” she said trying to take it all in at once.

  “Of course you’ve never been here before, we just met today.” I crossed the room to stand beside her.

  “Right. We just met, didn’t we.”

  What’s with her?

  “Val?” Emmy asked in surprise when she entered the room and saw my date. “Valintina is that you?”

  “Emmy!” Vicki ran to hug her. “My god it’s been years. Oh and I’m Victoria Rogers now. I go by Vicki. They changed my name when I was relocated here. I forgot you were in St. Carver. Still working for the Archives?”

  “Yes, things haven’t changed much for me. But look at you, you look great, perky as ever.”

  They know each other? What in the hell is going on?

  Suddenly I was feeling left out, and a little jealous. I quashed my jealousy and gave Vicki a once over. She had on a backless red silk dress that flowed down her chest from the pearl necklace around her neck, to lightly cover her breasts, then spill out to end very high on the thigh, just below her crotch. She did look great. I just gazed at her for a while with the evil thoughts circling in my mind about what she was like under the lustfully thin fabric. Then I felt Mary gently nudge me in the back. I looked at her. Mary made movements with her eyes. I think she was trying to tell me, go on, go for it, or something like that.

  Am I that obvious?

  “You look exceptional Vicki,” I said bringing her attention to me.

  Vicki looked at me, really looking at me for the first time since she arrived, without the distraction of the apartment. She looked me up and down, then she lightly licked her lips. I think that she approved of my outfit.

  “Wow! You look stunning tonight. Just like you always do.”

  I felt the rise of a light blush. “Thanks. Did you find the place okay?”

  “The directions Ren gave me got me to the door. Then this talking-brick-wall brought me on up. Cute doormen.”

  Mary stepped in-between us. “Can I get you a refreshment of some sort?”

  “No thanks. Actually we’re running late. We should get going.” Vicki started for the door.

  “You two play nice now,” Emmy teased.

  I’d bet anything that Emmy wishes she could follow us, just to watch me in case I embarrass myself later. With this outfit, I’m afraid I won’t disappoint her.

  * * *

  Vicki drove us away from the city. We were heading for a private ranch outside the city limits. The ranch was in the lowlands. I was told that the sunsets were beautiful there. The sun was supposed to glisten off the St. Carver high-rises, with the mountains in the background. But, we were out too late for it tonight, it was already dark.

  The heater was on high inside the car. Not for my benefit but Vicki’s, my shields kept me warm. Neither of us were dressed for the cold of December weather, and the forecast called for even more snow. We were both dressed for fashion, not warmth.

  “Did I tell you, you look great?” Vicki asked for the third time since we left.

  “Yes, I believe you did. Are you hitting on me?”

  “Perhaps.” She fell silent for a while concentrating on the road ahead. Her smile slowly fell. She looked like something was on her mind.

  “What is it?” I had to ask.

  “You know who I am, what I am, and still you agreed to come to the party. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  I looked at her. She was totally focused on the road. “Vicki, I’m beyond happy that a woman as beautiful as you is interested in me in the least. I don’t remember being lucky enough to have someone like you take me out, actually wanting to be with me. I wouldn’t miss this chance for the world.”

  “You mean the chance to ask around about your phantom werewolf?” She looked at me suspiciously through the corner of her eye. It was not a pleasant look.

  I’d actually forgot all about that in all the anticipation of our date. The woman was really distracting me. I felt something for her. Not only in my perverted male mind. This new feminine body of mine wanted her too. Not just lust, but something else as well. A deep feeling that seemed to have existed for years.

  “To be honest, I had forgotten about asking around about the werewolf. I was too consumed in the thought of spending time with you.” I put my hand over hers on the gearshift.

  “Seriously?” she asked doubtfully.

  I squeezed her hand gently. “Seriously. You’ve been on my mind all afternoon. It’s like I’ve known you forever, always admiring you from afar, and I finally get to be with you.”

  “I talked to Ren before we first met today. She called me as soon as she got off the phone with Emmy before lunch. Ren told me you didn’t remember your past. She said that you couldn’t remember me. You don’t do you?” She gave me that sideways glance again.

  Kieran knew her? No wonder she and Emmy acted like old friends.

  “Did we know each other before? I’m sorry, but I don’t remember you. Should I? You seem so familiar, and Emmy knew you. Were we friends or something?” I played dumb, which wasn’t hard. We were using the amnesia-from-the-coma story to explain why I didn’t act like the old Kieran. It was harder than I had expected it to be to deal with.

  “Kieran and I were friends long ago, yes. We even shared a bed. . . . Until you met Tanaka. You dumped me for him. You broke my heart. Ren has hated Tanaka ever since for stealing you away from me.”

  My heart fell through a pit in my stomach.

  Well. . . . This is beyond awkward.

  “My god Vicki, I am so sorry. I had no idea.” I moved my hand back to my lap. It just didn’t feel right to touch her then.

  “It’s not your fault, now is it Kevin?”

  I whipped my head around and glared at her, the shock plainly on my face. Then, just as fast, I turned to stare out the window in a hope she didn’t notice.

  KEVIN!?! Did she just say Kevin?! How could she know my old name? No one knows who I used to be except Emmy, Ren, Tanaka, and Marsala.

  She placed her hand on my bare leg, just above my knee. I turned to look at her. She had an evil grin.

  “You dirty boy, taking over the helpless body of a beautiful woman, just so you could seduce other girls into your perverted fantasies. DIRTY BOY!!!” My eyes showed my surprise. She continued to tease me, “What, did you think no one would ever find out?”

  “I, I-I-I. . . .” What could I say?

  She squeezed my leg as her grin widened and grew more devious. “I’m just teasing. Ren told me all about the mind switch thinggy. She wanted to let me know that you weren’t the old Kieran just trying to get me back with some pathetically bad trick. Please don’t be mad. I just could not pass up the chance to tease you. Don’t worry, you keep my secrets, and I’ll keep yours.”

  “Y-you, you devious little–!” she dug her nails into my thigh.

  “What were you going to call me?” She was laughing now.

  “Did you love her, really love her?” Now I glanced at her sideways.

  “Yes. I was in love. I thought she loved me too, then she just dumped me. It came out of nowhere. No warning, no signs, just tossed me out. It took me over two years to deal with it.” She was smiling still. It hadn’t bothered her to talk about it like I’d thought it would.

  “Does it bother you that I’m in her body? I mean it’s all so confusing to me, I can’t even begin to understand what it’s like for you.”

  “It’s more than a little weird. I loved that body for years, I still do. I just hated the person inside that could throw me away like that without an explanation. Kieran was really shallow when she wanted to be. I hated her for what she did to me. But, I can tell you’re not her. I knew it the first time I saw you today. Besides, she never kissed me like you did. She never kissed me like she really wanted me. She just
used me for sex, then threw me away when she had someone else. You, you seem to do her body justice in a way. You’re a lot kinder and more honest than she ever was. You really like me don’t you?” She slid her hand up and squeezed my leg high on the thigh at the hem of my skirt.

  I was blushing now. I turned back to look out the window so she couldn’t see my face. “Yes. Yes I do, is that bad?”

  “No, not bad at all. When I first saw you today I noticed your eyes were different. Softer, in a way. You looked at me with such lust in your eyes earlier. Then that kiss! That was bold of you.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Do not apologize for that kiss. I haven’t been kissed by someone that wanted me like that for years.” She slid her hand up and down my thigh in teasing circles. Even through my shields the touch was exquisite. “You want to have sex with me, don’t you?”

  “NOW!?!” I squeaked. I could barely keep my voice steady with her touching me.

  She broke out laughing. Putting both hands back on the wheel. She smiled at me. “Not now silly! It was a rhetorical question. You do like me. I can tell.”

  “Is that why you keep teasing me?”

  “Not the only reason. You look so cute when you blush. I just can’t help myself.”

  Emmy would just love this.

  Chapter 15

  It took us almost two hours to reach the ranch from my apartment, mostly because of the congested evening traffic in the city. We were fashionably late. Vicki parked in the field with the other cars. We were going to have to walk through the cold a lot farther than I’d thought we would. We were so late, there was no close parking left. We got out of the car as soon as it was parked. Vicki hustled over to my side, pulling on her men’s style trench coat before I closed the door. I’d left my purse lying in the seat.

  “You d-don’t want your purse?” her teeth chattered lightly as she asked. She was shivering in the cold.