"Yeah. Unless you don't know me well enough for that either." He smiles.
"Cute." Alas narrows her eyes.
"What do you say?" Marshall forms prayer hands by putting both palms together.
"I guess I can let you do that." Alas shrugs her shoulders.
"Thank God for a second I thought you were about to just walk out." Marshall sighs.
"I wouldn't do that to you."
"You've been horribly rude so far."
"I said I was sorry!"
"—Don't get me wrong it's forgiven. I'm just not use to beautiful women treating me that way." Marshall rests a hand on Alas's wrist.
He gave me a really warm feeling deep down in my lower half. I was even half hoping that his towel would drop or shift allowing me to sneak a peek. What am I saying? I shouldn't even be thinking about a guy right now. It had only been twelve months since my last roll in the hay. I moved here on a count of a dirt bag and had never even had sex with him. Sex or no sex I liked talking to this guy he can be irritating but there's something about him that I enjoy.
Alas smiles.
"Glad you agree." Marshall smiles back and winks.
"Huh?" asks Alas.
Alas catches herself in a moment and quickly wipes the smile from her face.
"I'll get some clothes on. Then see you at eight?"
"Eight's fine. See you then."
Alas goes back to her apartment and can't help but smile again as she thinks about Marshall. She changes into a knee length dress and lets her hair down. There is still an hour to spare. Alas curls up on the floor to read a magazine since there's no furniture yet. She browses through the first few pages and ends up falling asleep.
Marshall whistles a tune as he brushes his hair in the bathroom mirror.
Tap! Tap! There's a sound outside the window.
Marshall stops to listen but hears nothing so he goes back to brushing.
Tap! Tap! Tap! This time the sound is louder.
He stops and listens for the sound again.
Tap! Tap! There it is again outside his bathroom window.
Tap! Tap! Marshall tries to see through the window but its stained glass he tries opening it but it is jammed.
Tap! Tap! The sound is something hitting the window pane. He throws on a robe and silently lets himself out the front door. He now stands outside his own window. There are no twigs branches or anything that could be the source of this noise in sight. Marshall scratches his head. Squish, goes the sound of feet on the grass behind him. Marshall whirls around and is nearly eye to eye with the Djinn.
"Pleasure to make your acquaintance Mister Peters." says the Djinn in a grizzly voice.
Marshall leaps back as he realizes the hideous creature knows his name.
"What the hell?" Marshall sputters
He can barely keep his feet from giving way.
"You seem like one of rather extravagant tastes. Why not live in a paradise?"
Marshall moves toward his door wide eyed and slips on the wet grass landing on his ass.
"What do you want?" He can't tear his eyes from the Djinn.
"Only to serve you. Give you whatever you desire. Ask of me and it will be yours."
"Anything?"
"Only wish it." says the Djinn
"This can't be real!"