Haunted Savannah

Chapter Fourteen: Trivial Pursuits

Marina’s eyes blazed with excitement at Mario’s question, and she was about to speak when she realized that he was not, in fact, speaking to her.

Cory blinked in astonishment, his mouth dropping open just enough that his tongue ring was plainly visible. Then, his mouth snapped shut, and he replied in a clipped tone, “No. I have not.”

“You should consider it.” Mario continued easily, giving Cory a guileless smile, before turning to Marina. “You too. If either of you are interested in modeling, please let me know. Here, my card.”

Mario reached into his pocket and withdrew a small, carved wooden card case and handed each of them a sleek black card. Savannah was a little jealous; all she’d gotten was a scribbled number on a crumpled napkin. Jordan caught her eye, and gave her a haughty little eye roll. She giggled a little, but desisted when the others noticed.

“Thank you so much! Is this your website? I’ll  have to take a look.” Marina said, giddy with excitement. “What kind of looks are you going for with your fall collection?”

“Mmm, a kind of...gothic, architectural vibe with rococo touches.” Mario said, making ruffly motions with his hands before gesturing to Cory. “That’s why I think this one here would make such a perfect fit.”

Marina opened her mouth to ask more questions, but before she could get any words out a voice boomed out from the speakers by the stage.

“Good evening everyone, and welcome to Trivia Night with Chrissy and Jude.”

This pronouncement was met with scattered clapping and even a few whistles, and the newly forged Memellennial Falcons settled in for what would turn out to be a raucous night of intense competition.

After the first few rounds, they soon learned that Mario was actually pretty well versed in sports and music, while Cory was just as nerdy as he’d proclaimed himself to be - giving the other gamers in the lounge a run for their money with his nigh-encyclopedic knowledge of all things even vaguely related to the realm of what he considered ‘modern mythology.’ 

Savannah had smiled when he referred to comic books and video games as such, and after finishing her second drink she no longer felt any qualms about having invited him. He was dry enough to counteract Jordan’s sass, calm enough to balance out Marina’s exuberance, and made an earnest contrast to Mario’s somewhat maudlin charm. He was perfect. Well, what she actually told herself was that he was the perfect fit for their team. 

It’s funny how perceptive some people could be while completely missing what was right in front of them; a concept that was not lost on Marina who tugged Savannah along to the bathroom with her when she got up to go. Savannah got up, glad for the break as her bladder had been uncomfortably full for the last few rounds, and stood in the short line with Marina, who idly twirled a strand of blond hair around her finger.

“Savannah…” Marina started, her tone dangerously ponderous.

“Marina…?” Savannah replied, shifting from foot to foot as they drew closer to the restrooms, the most recently vacated person squeezing past them down the hallway and back into the open area of the lounge.

“You do know that Cory has a thing for you, right?” Marina said, giving her red haired friend a slightly concerned look - as if she was worried Savannah might be completely oblivious.

“I… I had an inkling, yes.” Savannah said, snorting a bit. “Though, he doesn’t flirt with me as openly as Mario.”

“Mario flirts with anything that moves, though.” Marina said, a bit dismissively. “Personally, I’d rather have someone who only has eyes for me. I’m a little jealous, actually. The tongue ring is pretty hot. I bet he knows how to use it.”

Savannah stared blankly at this comment. “Use it…?”

Marina tilted her head, “Yeah, you know… oh my god, do you not know? Savannah Rink, you cannot be serious.”

“Isn’t it just...you know, a style thing?” the naive young ghost guide said, turning large hazel eyes up to look at her tall blonde friend. 

Marina’s composure faltered in the face of such sweet, tender innocence, and she laughed. Savannah looked around in alarm as a few people turned to look at the loud, cackling drunk blonde girl, and tugged on Marina’s shirt.

“Mare, come on. What’s so funny?” Savannah sputtered, her cheeks flushed from more than just the alcohol.

“My precious Savvie,” Marina said, leaning in to whisper in her ear. “Tongue rings are good for teasing the sexy bits… you can even get vibrating tongue rings, or use ice or heat on the barbell to get different sensations. Think about how it would feel to have a hot little bit of metal flick against your sweet spot.”

Savannah’s blush deepened, and she coughed a bit as the bathroom door opened, deeply relieved that it was her turn to use the loo. She hurried into the bathroom, and shut the door quickly behind her. As she scurried away, Marina laughed again.

A few minutes later, the two young ladies returned to their booth and their pursuit of trivia night glory. While Marina settled back into the groove of question and answer easily, Savannah found herself having a hard time setting aside her newfound revelations about the use of certain kinds of jewelry. Though she did her best to keep her mind focused on the competition, her eyes kept wandering back to Cory’s mouth - and she found herself considering the tender look of his lips.

If the others weren’t there to keep drawing her back into their discussions, she probably would have been squirming uncomfortably, if not on her way home to take a cold shower. Not that cold showers ever helped, really. She was young, and even if she was inexperienced, her body was sensitive and responsive. 

She sat with her legs crossed, thighs squeezed together a bit as she listened half-heartedly to the discussion at hand. They were now in the last round of the evening, and tied with another team - the We Asked Jeeves - who were quietly arguing on the other side of the room, seemingly as stymied by the question as the Memellennial Falcons were.

“What was the name of the substance that sent the gonzo journalist Spider Jerusalem into retirement at the end of Transmetropolitan?”

Chrissy repeated, just in case anyone had missed it the first time. It was not a question that Savannah would know the answer to. She wasn’t even sure what Transmetropolitan was, but from the way that Cory was pulling at his hair she guessed that it must be a comic book or anime of some kind.

“Damn it…” Cory muttered, clicking his tongue ring against the back of his teeth as he strained to think of the answer. “I should know this one. Some kind of nanites?” 

Strangely, it was Mario who spoke next. “Was it maybe...I-Pollen?”

Cory stiffened, as if he’d been struck by lightning, then looked up at Mario - his wide eyes manic with excitement. Savannah had never seen him so lively before, and sat back a bit at this unnatural expression. “Yes! Hit the buzzer, hit it!”

Jordan pressed the buzzer, and there was a groan of exasperation from the We Asked Jeeves camp, who were now glaring daggers at them. 

Jordan motioned to Mario, who stood up and said, “The answer is I-Pollen.”

There was a ringing sound, indicating that this was the correct answer, and the other four members of the team burst into cheers. Savannah whooped with the rest of them, throwing her arms in the air. Their team was still behind in the overall rankings, but this was their first step on the road to the end of semester all you can drink tournament. 

Cory stood up and shook hands with Mario, who pulled him in for a hug. Cory chuckled a little at this, and patted Mario on the back before separating from him.

“I thought I was going to be the only comic book fan here,” Cory said, sitting back down to toast his friends.

Mario returned to his seat as well, “To be honest, I haven’t read very many comics since I was a child. I was researching cyberpunk, trying to come up with ideas for a future collection and one of my friends recommended Transmetropolitan to me. I’m not sure how inspiring the fashion was, but the story got me hooked. That series is a wild ride.”

“That it is.” Cory said with a nod, his expression having returned to its normal even calm as he raised a glass to Mario. 

The others raised their glasses as well, clinking them together, before tilting back to drain them. Savannah licked her lips as she finished her swig and set her glass down on the little stand attached to her chair.

“So,” Jordan said, grinning widely at the two newcomers. “Can we count on both of you for trivia night from now on? If we win the tournament at the end of the semester, we win free drinks for the next month…”

Cory gave a quick, “Sure. I can make that work. Maybe not every Friday, but I’ll see if I can do day tours on Fridays instead…or early evening ones.”

Mario had to think it over a bit before shrugging, “I can’t sew all night every night. Why not?”

They spent another hour or so, celebrating in the afterglow of their win, before Jordan got up to go.

“Good night, y’all. It was a pleasure.” he said, shaking both Cory and Mario’s hands. “I look forward to kicking ass again next week.”

Savannah got up as well, and stretched a bit. “I think I’m done too. I want to get some painting in before my tour tomorrow night.”

“Do you need a ride?” Cory asked, lifting an eyebrow at her. 

She hadn’t taken her bike down town, thinking she would probably just call the university’s SafeRoad service - which shuttled off-campus students home after a late night of drinking. Though, she’d also worn pants instead of a skirt just in case Cory did offer her a ride.

“I’d like that.” she said, giving him a sweet smile.

Cory got up and dusted himself off a bit, nodding to the others. “I’ll be going too, then.”

“You’re not going to leave me too, are you?” Marina said, giving Mario a sad pout. “I hate drinking alone, and you look like a way better dancer than these guys.”

Music had started up in the absence of the trivia hosts, and a few people had already taken to the dance floor to work off some competitive steam.

“I would love to stay and dance,” Mario said, taking Marin’s hand and giving it a light kiss. Then, he turned to look over his shoulder at Savannah, letting go of Marina’s hand.

“Oh, I haven’t forgotten our agreement. Text me when you want to set up that painting session.” Mario said.

“Will do.” Savannah said, giving Marina and Mario a wave as she made her way toward the door.

Cory followed his red haired companion out the door and into the cool autumn night air. He was parked across the street, which was quiet for the most part, with only a few cars rumbling through. They crossed quickly, not bothering to go to a crosswalk.

As Cory pulled the helmet from the little storage section of the bike, handing it to Savannah, he said, “Are you doing a painting of Mario?”

“Yeah, I want to enter this portrait contest and I need a model. I told him I’d model for his fashion thing if he modeled for my portrait thing.” Savannah said easily, shrugging a bit. “I thought it was a fair trade.”

Cory nodded at this, and though his expression didn’t change, his demeanor felt somehow colder. He climbed on to the bike, kicked up the stand, and squeezed on the clutch. In seconds, the bike roared to life, rumbling noisily into the otherwise quiet street.

At a motion of Cory’s chin, Savannah hopped on behind him, and soon they were cruising down the cobblestone roads of downtown, back toward her apartment on the other side of Forsyth Park. She wasn’t quite as drunk as she had been the last time he’d taken her home, and enjoyed the feel of the wind on her face as the shops, bars and restaurants whizzed by.

After going over a particularly rough bump, she tightened her grip on Cory’s waist, and her face smushed against the back of his shoulder. Her fingers dug into his shirt a bit, and she could feel his abs tense under her fingers. She felt the color rise in her cheeks, but Cory didn’t seem to mind - or at least, he didn’t object to how tightly she was holding on to him. 

With the bike purring between her legs, the suggestive conversation with Marina earlier int he night, and the tight muscles she could feel under her sensitive painter’s fingers, Savannah struggled to suppress her lustful thoughts. She bit her lip a little, wondering how Cory would look without the shirt on. From what she could feel, he was pretty well built; even Mario had noticed. He was lean, and tall… probably more of a model’s build than Savannah, who was thin but only average height.

After a minute or so, she eased up, her hands shifting to his sides, just above his hips. She needed to clear her head. By then she was just about home, and the rest of the ride was smooth. She leaned when he leaned, and they cornered smoothly into the gravel road leading to her apartment.

Savannah hopped off the bike as soon as they came to a full stop, and removed the helmet easily, having now gotten used to its stubborn clip. She handed the helmet over, and said, “Thanks for the ride.”

“You’re welcome.” Cory said, his mood seeming to have eased a bit during the ride.

She looked at him for a moment, feeling a question press at her lips. But, it was a weird question. She wasn’t even sure she should ask it.

“I know I’m not Mario,” Cory said, beating her to the punch. “But… if you need another model, I wouldn’t mind modeling for you.”

Savannah blinked at him a few times, then laughed a little. “I thought you hated the idea of modeling? The look you gave Mario earlier when he asked…”

“Yeah well, Mario’s not you. And, if you’re doing trades...then I could trade modeling for some help with matte painting.” Cory said, shrugging a little.

“I would help with that anyway.” Savannah said, snorting.

“I know. But, it sounds like a fair trade to me.” Cory replied easily. “Just think about it. I can do other things too.”

He licked his lips, his tongue ring briefly flashing under the light of Savannah’s motion activated porch light, which had turned on at their arrival. She focused on his mouth for the second time that night, wondering if doing things with his tongue was one of those aforementioned ‘other things’.

Savannah shook her head, and turned away, “Yeah...I’ll think on it. Uhm, good night.”

“Good night,” Cory said, not seeming to have noticed her odd preoccupation with his mouth, and revved the bike before taking off again. Savannah turned to watch his tail lights fade into the distance, which eased some of the tension she’d felt, though it did nothing to ease the ache between her legs.