"Yes," I said. "It is me."
She looked at me in total disbelief. Her mind must have been trying to figure out how this had happened. Finally she asked, "But...how? Why?" Her voice grew louder with the second question. Obviously she needed an explanation.
"Let me talk about the 'how' first," I said. I lifted my hand for her to see. I wiggled the finger upon which the ring rested. "This is how. Remember all those magic tricks tonight?" She nodded her head. "They weren't illusions. I could never do something like that. Heck, I don't think any magician could. This did it all for me." Before she could ask how it was possible, I recounted the story of the woman giving me the ring and how I first saw its power.
She laughed and said, "So Mrs. Bockman was on ze street with no clothes on?"
"Completely," I said. "That was a sight to see, let me tell you," I laughed. Then the laughter stopped. She didn't seem to be happy. I noticed that she was covering herself. I looked down to realize that my cock was exposed for her to see. Sensing she was uncomfortable with that, I changed the way I was sitting on the ground so that she wouldn't see it.
It seemed to work as she started to speak again. "Why did you do zis, Joey?" she asked, her accent somewhat masking the words.
I didn't really have a good explanation. But I hoped she would be enticed by what I wanted to do. "I suppose I did it because I could. Because I've always thought you were beautiful." She blushed at the statement. "Why a werewolf? Probably because I've always been fascinated by the legend. If tonight hadn't been a full moon I probably wouldn't have done that. It inspired me, so to say."
I let her take in everything I had just said. "But if you had that ring," she paused, "Why not simply...have your way with me?"
Again, I did not have a good answer. "I suppose because something told me that would be wrong."
"And this is not?" she asked, the look on her face telling me she thought it was.
"No," I blurted out. "Well, maybe. I don't know." I was really up against the wall. "I guess my mind told me to buy into the whole French stereotype."
"What st...stereotype," she said the word slowly, like she had some difficulty pronouncing it.
"That French people are very open sexually," I told her. "That you don't try to disguise things like Americans do."
She seemed to understand that answer. "While that may be true, Joey, you should not assume so," she said. "This is all very hard for me to understand," she said.
"I know," I said. "This ring...it's almost a curse."
"How so?" she asked.
"Well," I said, "I have the power to do anything it seems. What's to stop me from abusing that power?"
"That is easy," she said. "You are a smart person. I know zis. Zere is nothing about you that would let such a thing happen." I liked how she was defending me now. She had no reason to, she should have been angry. "But what are we supposed to do now?" she asked.
I exhaled deeply. This was the hardest thing I had to say. "Monique, I know you're not happy," I said. "You live like a slave, waiting on Mrs. Bockman who's one step up from a total moron." She laughed but then quickly restrained herself. "See?" I asked. "You feel afraid to make fun of her."
"I cannot help it," she said. "I must be loyal."
"But don't you see?" I asked. "You don't have to be anymore. Not that I have this ring. You and I can make sure you live out your dreams!"
"You and I?" she asked.
I looked down for a moment before facing her again. "Monique, I can't deny that I'm attracted to you. I'm sure you saw that before."
"Yes," she said, looking embarrassed.
"I think I might even love you," I said. "But how would I know? I'm only 18."
"Joey," she said. "I have always liked you. But I have never thought about something like that. Do you know why?" I shook my head no. "Because of Brad," she said. "I know that you and he are very good friends. I also know that he has lust for me. And I could not hurt his feelings by looking at his best friend with the same lust he shows me."
I felt somewhat crushed. I guess I was being too optimistic and hoping for more. Then an idea popped into my head. "He wouldn't have to think of it that way," I said.
"How do you mean?" she asked.
"Maybe the ring can make it so that someone else is the Bockman's maid," I said. "Maybe we can make it so that Brad has someone else to lust after and would never remember you being his maid."
"Could the ring do that?" she asked, stunned by what I had said.
"I don't see why not," I said. "But I won't try it unless you say 'OK'."
She thought for a moment. I looked at the fire and saw that it was dwindling away. I thought she had better decide quickly. During this time I realized that I could have just wished her to agree with my idea. But something told me that this was more important. I was basically asking her to love me. As far as my mind was concerned, that was something that shouldn't be altered. It was something you shouldn't mess with. It had to be pure and unconditional.
"Where would I sleep?" she asked, breaking the silence. "Where would I live?"
"With me, I guess," I said. "Unless you'd prefer a place of your own."
"Joey, you are asking a lot of me," she said, a somewhat stern look on her face.
"I know," I said. "It isn't fair what I'm doing to you."
"Well," she said. "It wasn't fair of me to look at you and make you feel this way. I cannot blame you for lusting for me. I...well...I looked at you in...sort of the same way." Was she admitting something to me? "I will tell you something. I have been very insecure about myself," she said. "You and Brad are the only people who make me feel beautiful anymore." I was about to ask how anyone could think any differently, but she kept going. "So many people rejected me. Those awful agencies! They think beauty is these thin girls who don't eat, and when they do they let it come back up!" She was letting her guard down and getting very mad. "I should have gone back to France. But I was determined to make something here. Now look where I am."
I let her thoughts hang over the air for a moment. I could see a small tear forming below her left eye. "We can fix that," I said. "We can make those agencies see how beautiful you are."
She smiled a bit but then a frown overcame it. "No," she said. "I do not want you to wish me a job. It would not be right."
"No, I disagree," I said. "They don't know what they're missing. They're blind. Why should you have to try and be their vision of beauty? You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. There is no reason for you to shame yourself because of them. We can use this ring however we want. We can take some small form of revenge against them."
She seemed to like what I said as her smile returned. "You're right, Joe," she said. It was the first time she called me "Joe" and not "Joey." "They do deserve some payback." I noticed that her arm was slipping from off her breasts. She was lost in thought. I crept over to her, careful not to expose myself again. She didn't notice that I was drawing close to her. I quickly touched her arm and repositioned it over her large breasts. She was startled, but then saw what I had done. She smiled at me. "See, you are a perfect gentleman." She inched closer to me and our lips met for the first time. It was the perfect moment. Her arms stopped covering herself as she took my face in her hands, pulling me closer to her. I did not want the moment to end.
When it did, she looked at me and said, "I am yours, Joe."
"Call me Joey," I said. She smiled. I guess she really like the sound of it.