Note: There's important story information in "Ethan the Expander -- Prologue." I recommend you read that before starting chapter!
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"What did Isis say about your fortune?" Tammy asked.
Tammy laid on the bed of her and Maggie's shared room. Ethan sat on the end, turned facing her.
"Nothing serious..." Ethan said, "She mentioned I'd have a lot of kids, but it wasn't very clear."
"That's very specific. Have you been using dating apps lately?"
"No, I haven't found the mother of my ten kids yet."
"Maybe it'll be ten mothers with one kid each."
"You think I could get it with at least ten women?"
Ethan made eyes at Tammy, his smile smug and playful. She reciprocated the look, her lips turning upwards as she held her phone to her chest. They held their gaze for too long, and broke when they heard Maggie's shower come to a stop.
"I could think of a couple," Tammy said, not looking away from her phone. Ethan smiled. He laid down next to her but much lower on the bed, with his head by her calves.
The bedroom's meager furnishings didn't inspire exploration or discussion. There was a bed, a pair of nightstands, and a lamp in the corner; it was basic at best. A generic painting of the ocean from a discount store hung above the headboard. Some scentless potpourri sat on a nightstand, overpowered by the laundered bedding. For a group out and about most of the time, this seemed passable.
"Beach tomorrow?" Ethan asked, staring at the ceiling.
"Maggie wants to try surfing," Tammy said, "and there's this place by Santa Cruz."
"Are we trying surfing?"
"I can watch either her or both of you eat shit."
"No solidarity."
Tammy dropped her phone to her chest again, laughing.
Maggie, Tammy, and Ethan had been close friends since high school. They shared many interests and classes, often working together as they grew up. Both girls developed some crush on him at some point throughout their friendship. Ethan was handsome, charming, and loyal, but all were qualities deemed suitable for a close friend. He was fine with this, but in the back of his mind, Ethan wondered what life would be like had he ended up with either of them.
After they parted ways for college, they stayed in contact even for only a drunk phone call or a birthday text. But when Maggie found out they were all visiting the area, she proposed: why not go on vacation nearby?
And without anyone asking, Maggie began planning and looking for things to do in Capitola. Tammy and Ethan, though, wondered if anything would happen while Maggie wasn't present. They'd always been flirty and physical from when they first met. One would get too close while they bantered and the space between their lips would be palpable. One would, without subtlety, imply that they'd be happy to go down on the other. One would plan an elaborate outing or some day-trip and neglect to invite anyone else.
Making a move or admitting feelings might've led to something tangible. But they'd plenty of moves and plenty of feelings. Their cycle was to get close, try to court each other, get cold feet, and then take a break from being friends. Ethan was direct, raunchy, and grandiose. Meanwhile, Tammy was reserved, protective, and low-key. He always moved too fast for comfort, and she always had too many restrictions. They understood their undeniable chemistry, as well as their lacking long-term compatibility.
Yet, while they'd moved through romantic and sexual experiences since, there was a lingering curiosity: "do you think they'd fuck my brains out?"
Ethan felt an uncomfortable burning sensation on his thigh. He thought his phone was overheating. But upon reaching down, he remembered it was charging in his room. The heat was instead coming from his wallet. Tammy looked up as he started pulling it out of his pocket.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Oh, I, uh...don't remember if that server gave me back my card after dinner," Ethan said. He paused, remembering that Isis's card also produced light.
As if it sensed his predicament, the card cooled and Ethan figured he could take a look without issue. Ethan withdrew the black leather, cool to the touch, and peered inside the cash pocket. Of the grid of ten squares, not one but two had a golden "X" embossed on the card. Ethan froze: when do the "encounters" Isis spoke of take effect? Do two "X's" mean that Tammy would undergo some sort of change twice? Was Maggie involved? He had been too caught up in the magical afterglow to ask for logistical clarification.
"Uh..." Tammy said.
Ethan felt his stomach drop. He turned, expecting to see something bizarre, but Tammy was just staring, concerned.
"Did you find it?" Tammy asked.
"Oh, yes, it's there. I didn't see it at first so I freaked out for a moment."
"That happens to me too, good thing you have it."
Tammy returned to her phone, the screen illuminating her porcelain skin. Ethan returned his wallet to his pocket, trying not to stare at Tammy too hard. What was going to happen? Was it happening at this moment? She didn't seem different, but after Isis milked a cup of cum out of him, Ethan wanted to know what was going to happen next.
"Hey Tammy," Ethan said, "what was your fortune?"
A long burst of an exhale escaped her nose. She let her phone drop on the bed this time as she listened for any noise from the bathroom. They laid in silence for a moment. Ethan figured any confession would be of something she wasn't comfortable saying.
"Isis did some palm reading on me," Tammy said, "She said I would...overcome some sort of jealousy?"
"Jealousy of what?"
"I don't know, it was vague. So I don't know if it's jealousy of someone's money or status or a job they have."
"That's all she told you?"
"I was out really fast, remember? She just said that and that my close friends would help me."
"Help you overcome your jealousy? Or were you jealous of them?"
"I don't have, like, debilitating jealousy over your life or Maggie's? And I don't over anyone else I'm close to, so it could be that first one? Hm...do you have a million dollars that I can have to overcome my jealousy of peoples' wealth?"
"You shouldn't be friends with me if I had a million dollars and still had us stay in this shitty condo."
Tammy laughed, and the handle bathroom door latched open. She got up and went to the closet to pull out a towel and her pajamas. Maggie walked in, one towel wrapped around her body and a second twisted around her hair.
"Oh, sorry," Ethan said, standing up.