TRANSFERENCE
"Can you tell who's out there or should I worry?"
The curtains flapped with a strong breeze. Hannibal searched the air for a moment to gather the aroma.
"I believe it may be Mariyah as she wears a very distinctive perfume, though from this distance my accuracy could be off."
Clarice released a defeated sigh as she wrapped her arms around her husband and squeezed tightly wanting to draw every ounce of intimacy she could from that last embrace. Releasing him she sat up and slipped her right hand along the curve of her rounded belly. She used the hand both to support the baby as she sat and for solace, disappointed her private time with Hannibal had now come to an end. Clarice reached back to Hannibal and skimmed her hand across his torso allowing the course curls on his chest to tickle her palm.
"I guess it's over, H." She kissed his stomach and patted him gently. As Clarice started to rise from the bed and reach for her robe she hesitated when as she considered what Mariyah would think from her state of undress. She poked Hannibal's back as he had just rolled over.
"Hey, H…maybe I shouldn't go to the door this way. She'll wonder why I'm half-dressed this early in the evening."
Hannibal flipped over, quickly unfurled his arm and like the snap of a bullwhip, grabbed Clarice and reeled her in. He rolled on top of her and began to ravish her. His lips hot as he nuzzled against her neck he teased, "She won't think, she'll know why you're half-naked this early in the evening. I'm quite sure everyone knows what we've been up to after all we have been separated for three weeks."
Clarice giggled and pretended she was trying to push him off. "Everyone might know but that doesn't mean I want to run our bed sheets up the flagpole to see who salutes."
With a flirtatious twinkle lighting his eyes Hannibal teased, "I would have no problem marking my territory in that way. I am honored to share your bed and I have no wish to disguise evidence of our congress. I must say Clarice it pains me to think you do not feel the same."
Clarice kissed her husband and smacked him playfully on his backside. Hannibal lifted himself and sat up as he understood loving the gesture meant he would be answering the door.
"Nice try H but you'll be taking one for the team on this one. All you have to do is pull up your pants and slip on your shirt. I have a bra to deal with. Not to mention she's been out there for a while and you can move a lot faster than I can at this point."
Hannibal growled his irritation as he sat on the edge of the bed beside Clarice. He leaned over and kissed the round of her shoulder.
"For you, Clarice, I would be more than happy to, as you say, take one for the team."
Hannibal stood quickly from the bed and pulled on his boxers and trousers. He grabbed his shirt and ran from the room stuffing his arms in the sleeves as he hurriedly descended the stairs. The moment he opened the door Mariyah flew into his arms. Caught off guard he hugged her for what he perceived would be polite, stepped back and welcomed her into the home.
"Hello Mariyah, I am surprised to see you so early in the evening."
"Hello, Doctor Lecter. I hope you don't mind. I didn't want to stay for the dinner so I asked the driver to drop me off."
"Of course I don't mind. If you departed prior to the meal being served I would assume you have yet to eat?"
Guiding her by the elbow gently to turn, Hannibal helped her off with her coat and placed it in the hallway closet.
Mariyah watched him, smiling widely as she spoke, "I was bored. I'd rather be hungry than have to sit through all that political mumbling and fake smiling."
As Hannibal turned toward Mariyah he glanced quickly up the stairs wondering how long it would take Clarice to ready herself. Although Mariyah was intelligent and charming Hannibal had no idea how to entertain a teenager and was certain he didn't want to do it for an extended period of time.
Come along my Love, I am out of my element here.
"I can't say as I blame you but not to worry, you won't go hungry tonight. I was just about to begin preparing the evening meal. Perhaps you would like to relax in the family room and watch television. Clarice is dressing for dinner and will join you shortly."
"Actually, I'd love to help you cook if that's okay."
Hannibal's body stiffened and his nerves rankled just a bit. Though Clarice often sat in the kitchen as he prepared meals his wife didn't enjoy cooking and that suited Hannibal just fine. He didn't mind having an audience and actually enjoyed the intimacy inherent in shared domestication with Clarice but this was different. Mariyah was not Clarice and he didn't believe meal preparation should be a participatory sport.
Mariyah could see Hannibal's hesitation, "If that makes you uncomfortable, I'd understand. When I'm cooking I don't like anyone in my kitchen either."
My kitchen…interesting…most people would say 'the' kitchen.
Now that he believed Mariyah might have some culinary acumen Hannibal became interested in the level of her ability. He questioned her as he escorted the young lady to the kitchen. "You are a fellow epicure?"
"Nowhere near on your level, Doctor it's more of a hobby, but I'm learning. My knife skills leave a little bit to be desired but I'm really good at creating interesting flavors."
Knife skills? Oh, I can show you some knife skills.
Hannibal smiled a wicked little smile deciding which of a hundred responses would be most inappropriate. He laughed a little within himself knowing it would be wholly indecent to voice what he was truly thinking. He chose tact though he would've preferred the entertainment of self-deprecation.
"My knife skills are adequate so, if you'd like, I'd be happy to give you a bit of direction. After a few tips I will place you in charge of the chiffonade."
The young lady beamed, "I'd love that!"
Mariyah proudly walked alongside Hannibal. Being several inches shorter than he, she was forced to walk at a faster pace to stay beside him.
Hannibal considered her efforts in his periphery as she lengthened her stride and moved quickly to keep up. Hannibal was curious.
Why is she attempting to stay in lock step with me?
Mariyah beamed as they walked side by side.
Stopping in the doorway and making a sweeping gesture with his arm Hannibal beckoned Mariyah to enter. In a moment that brought more questions than answers, his nostrils flared and his eyes shifted for as the young lady passed him in the door way.
What? Did she intentionally brush against me?
Though the contact was almost imperceptible his instincts alerted causing him to raise an eyebrow in confusion. Pausing to consider the feedback he decided the momentary flux was more attributable to his tryst with Clarice than anything else thus he ignored the erroneous signals flooding his olfactory system.
No…I must be wrong.
Clarice showered and dressed arriving in the kitchen to see Hannibal illustrating for Mariyah how to rock the blade of the knife as she chopped the fresh herbs to put the final touches on the meal.
Clarice smiled watching Hannibal played mentor to the young lady. He looked very fatherly and she was heartened by it as it was a role she hoped he might embrace.
"Hey Mariyah did you help H out with dinner?"
The young lady proudly added the herbs each of the finished plates, "Yes, we've made toasted pine nut couscous with garlic shrimp."
For a moment, Clarice's eyes flashed excitement, "Shrimp? Can I eat shrimp?"
Hannibal shook his head, "While the FDA suggests you can consume limited portions I believe the potential mercury content makes the risk to our child greater than the reward to your palate. I have therefore substituted a very flavorful pan seared chicken for your meal, Clarice. Please forgive me."
"I forgive you as long as you know that when this baby is born for that entire first week I'm going to go crazy eating everything I haven't been allowed to eat!"
Hannibal smiled widely as he began to plate the food. "I will prepare anything you wish once the child has arrived safely."
Clarice reached into a basket of freshly baked rolls, tore one open allowing the steam to vent and began to pop small pieces into her mouth.
"I'm serious, H…this means you'll be cooking and bringing food to the hospital, is that a promise?"
"Yes, my Love. I promise. Now if you will take your seat in the dining room we will begin the dinner service."
Mariyah looked up at Hannibal and though she was continuing to cut, she was no longer attending to the process.
Hannibal gave Mariyah, working dutifully beside him, a cautious fatherly nudge the moment he noticed she had taken her eyes from the knife.
"Pay attention Beautiful, though it might appeal to my unusual palate I don't believe my lovely wife would enjoy a fingertip as a garnish."
Mariyah's only response was a self-conscious giggle.
Hannibal held each plate out one by one and very patiently waited as Mariyah sprinkled the garnish on each serving.
Clarice smiled at Hannibal's fatherly attention to the girl. As she turned to exit she did a double take as from the corner of her eye she noticed Mariyah lean her head against Hannibal's arm. He seemed oblivious to her intention but it definitely caught Clarice's attention.
My poor clueless husband…Good luck with that, H!
Clarice waited in the dining room for no more than two or three minutes before Hannibal and Mariyah entered from the kitchen carrying the plated food. Hannibal carried a plate for himself and Clarice's plate. Mariyah carried her own dinner. Hannibal held up a hand and excused himself gesturing for the pair of women to begin their meal. Clarice smiled when she heard the blender revving up.
Clarice, not standing on ceremony, followed his lead and began to eat. "It looks like he's gotten a little last minute inspiration. Dig right in, Mariyah. Lord only knows what he's up to."
Mariyah stabbed a bit of food with her fork but paused, fork mid-air to glance with admiration at the kitchen door as if Hannibal was standing there. "He's so great in the kitchen. I mean…he's just so great."
Clarice smiled at the young woman's reaction, "Yeah, he's an incredible man. I don't honestly know what I would do without him."
Mariyah stared off in space and nodded, "Yeah…he's incredible."
Clarice had taken enough psychology classes to recognize a classic case of transference when she saw it. "You feel pretty strongly about Hannibal, huh?"
"I do…I really do. It's crazy but there's something about him…he's not like anyone else."
Clarice popped another piece of chicken in her mouth. That's the granddaddy of all understatements.
Clarice chose a more sedate response, "That's what I love about him."
Mariyah anxiously pushed the food around her plate and occasionally looked over to the kitchen clearly anticipating Hannibal's return. "You know in one of the emails he sent, he told me that I reminded him of you. I guess you weren't very much older than I am right now when you and he first met."
Clarice watched Mariyah watch the door. "Yeah…I was pretty young."
"You weren't afraid of him?"
"I probably should have been afraid but I wasn't. It was a big opportunity for me and I was too young to know how far in over my head I was with Hannibal. He could have torn me apart but instead, he helped me in more ways than one. He has a side to him few people know."
"He said he liked you right away because you were so courageous. That you were the only person who wasn't afraid of him and you actually had the nerve to stand up to him. He told me I have a similar strength. I really respect you so it made me happy to think that might be true."
Clarice looked into Mariyah's eyes and seeing the vulnerability evident from the recent abduction set down her fork, reached across the table and held the young girl's hand. She sought to reinforce the ideas that Hannibal put forth in their comparison.
"You are obviously an incredibly strong person to have survived as long as you did in the company of Stuart Miggs. I don't know that I would have been that controlled if I were in your situation. You engaged him and made him think of you as a person and not a thing to be used. That was courageous and if Hannibal has chosen to compare me to you, I'm proud of that comparison."
Mariyah squeezed Clarice's hand releasing it a moment later when her eyes began to tear. She used a backward swipe to brush the tears from her cheek. "I was so lucky Hannibal saved me."
Clarice countered, "Hannibal helped find you but your strength is what saved you."
Mariyah smiled. The comment seemed to satisfy evident by the shift in conversation.
"Did you like him right away or did it take a while?"
Relieved the discussion shifted from the emotional Clarice answered, "I was intrigued by his insightfulness and the sheer mental power he emanates. I was definitely attracted to him. I think he felt pretty much the same way about me he stayed away for many years."
"Why do you think he stayed away for so long?"
"At the time of his escape I was far too young to be any use to him or myself for that matter. Not to mention the small obstacle of him being a recently escaped convict."
"Yeah, that's hard to believe knowing him now. He must have been kind of scary."
"He's actually exactly the same man he was then. People like to think he's changed because it helps them make sense of him but he's far more complicated than that. He has made adjustments to his personal behavior in order to be married to me. Other than that, he's the same. I wouldn't change him for the world."
As if he timed the entrance Hannibal returned with a tray on which he balanced three filled glasses and a pitcher of the mixture he prepared.
Clarice wished he had arrived a minute or two later. She wanted to assess Mariyah's feelings more directly. She saw the emotional attraction to Hannibal, Mariyah hadn't attempted to mask it, but was she also physically attracted to him. That could prove to be tricky for Hannibal to handle.
This could get very interesting. Hell, he can handle it.
Clarice surveyed what looked like a color-tinged glass of milk. "Whatcha got there H?"
He placed the glasses in front of the women before taking one of his own. "I shall leave it to our guest to determine the contents as it was made in her honor."
Mariyah smiled proudly taking the job very seriously. She lifted the glass to her lips and sipped the cold liquid. "Oh my goodness it's Jawafa bil-Laban."
Clarice looked over to Hannibal, "Okay genius, translation, please."
"It is a blended drink with guava and milk. It is very popular in Egypt, refreshing and quite healthy. Trust me, the baby will love it."
"And I will love it when the baby is here so I can have a glass of wine with my dinner instead of milk! I'm going to be making a list of requests for the first week so you can have the groceries ready in advance. You will be cooking your ass off, H."
Cooking his ass off! Mariyah giggled at the irreverent thought.
After the meal, Hannibal built a fire and insisted the women relax in the family room. He served cappuccino and homemade cannoli with the tips dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in nuts. He then hurried to the kitchen to clean considering himself fortunate to have escaped once again.
Clarice and Mariyah sat together watching television with Mariyah continuing to ask Clarice all manner of questions about Hannibal.
Clarice answered each and every question put to her as they were harmless not overtly personal in nature. She was touched by the young lady's crush and couldn't wait to push the two of them together. She wanted to see how Hannibal might handle a teenage girl with what appeared to be an absolutely unshakable crush on him.
Oh, this is too priceless. H…I can't wait to see how you handle this! I'm gonna enjoy every blessed minute!
Unsuspecting of his predicament with Mariyah and totally unaware of Clarice's intentions Hannibal returned to the family room. As the women were curled up on the sofa, Hannibal picked up his book, moved to the large wing chair and began to read by the fire. Clarice waited fifteen or twenty minutes, allowing him to settle in before she dropped the proverbial hammer on him.
"I hope you'll both excuse me. I don't know why, but I'm really tired. It's been a crazy day so I think I'll just head upstairs."
Realizing he was being abandoned and would be forced to entertain Mariyah exclusively Hannibal's head spun to Clarice.
"My Love, are you ill? Do you have need of me?"
Clarice walked behind the chair Hannibal was sitting on and draped her arms over the back of the chair, holding him from behind and kissing the top of his head. She tousled the hair on his head as she walked away. "No, I just need to sleep. Don't mind me. Enjoy yourself."
Hannibal quickly closed his book and leaned forward, "Clarice?"
Clarice stopped in the doorway and, as if it were an afterthought, spoke her well-planned suggestion.
"Why don't you show Mariyah your telescope, H? It's in her room and it's a really warm night. You can take it out on the balcony. I put a couple of chairs out there and on such a lovely clear night what's better than a little stargazing?"
Hannibal glared at Clarice, his eyes flaming with irritation as he saw the amusement dancing in her eyes. Bamboo shoots driven under my finger nail beds would be preferable to this. Instead he answered, "I'm not at all certain that is the way Mariyah wants to spend her evening."
Mariyah beamed as her eyes shone with excitement.
"That would be so incredible, would you please, Doctor Lecter?"
Hannibal didn't respond, instead he arched a suspicious eyebrow in the direction of Clarice.
Clarice was thoroughly entertained by her husband's discomfited expression.
"It would be incredible, H!" his wife teased.
Being an exceptional host, Hannibal had no choice but to concede, "I would be more than happy to show you how to use the telescope, Mariyah."
He turned to his wife, "Not to worry, Clarice. You go rest your beautiful head on the pillow. I will join you after Mariyah and I have had the opportunity to enjoy the stars."
Clarice walked up to Hannibal and draped her arms around his neck. She leaned in close, pressed against his body to the extent her pregnancy allowed and whispered in his ear, "Good luck, H…Have fun with your little friend."
He whispered in return, "Rest assured, I will avenge this little prank of yours, Clarice."
Again, she spoke low in his ear, "Who are you Michael Corleone?" She teased. Clarice then grabbed Hannibal's face with both hands and aggressively kissed his left cheek, "I know it was you, Fredo…you broke my heart…you broke my heart!"
Hannibal nodded at Clarice's Godfather reference, "Amusing…very amusing."
Clarice left Hannibal standing in front of the now dying fire pondering what topic of conversation might appeal to a nineteen year old girl. The moment Clarice left the pair in the room Hannibal very quickly waved Mariyah along. She followed happily like a puppy nipping along at his heels.
I haven't clue one what young women think about. Not to mention the mixed signals…I am definitely in over my head with this. Perhaps Clarice was merely teasing.
Hannibal chased Clarice up the stairs with Mariyah a mere two steps behind.
"Are you certain you won't join us, Clarice?"
Clarice continued to walk until she reached the upper landing, "I wish I could, H…I'm just too exhausted. You understand, don't you?"
Hannibal responded barely masking the dripping sarcasm, "Oh, yes…I most certainly do understand, Clarice."
Clarice winked at Hannibal then hugged Mariyah. "I'll see you in the morning, Mariyah."
Mariyah was more than just a little excited to say goodnight to Clarice hugging her tightly, "Thanks so much, Mrs. Lecter. It's been a wonderful trip. I've really enjoyed my time with you."
"And now, after you travelled all this way to help out, you can enjoy your time with Hannibal."
A response wasn't needed. Mariyah's blushing complexion made that statement rhetorical.
Clarice excused herself and went to the master suite giggling the entire way.
Hannibal stood at the top of the stairs and turned to Mariyah, "Come along my young friend and let us explore the stars together, shall we?"
Mariyah beamed as her mind tumbled with possibilities, "I'd love to."
Until the next chapter my friends!
LH