Chapter 49 (Patreon)

Victoria set her purse down beside her as she took a seat at the table. Rose had called her shortly after her shower to inform her that she would be running behind for their lunch date. It hadn't come as much of a shock to her. As much as she adored her grandmother, she'd never been the most punctual person. Her grandmother often joked that the term fashionably late was coined because of her. Morbid as it may have been, Victoria would almost swear she'd be late to her own funeral. It might have been annoying to some, but it was just another thing that made Rose who she was.

In this particular case, it had given Victoria an opportunity and an excuse to do some shopping. There wasn’t much that she needed, but she enjoyed window shopping as much as the next girl. It was something else that she and Rose had done together when she was just a child. Those memories were dear to her. They meant far more than any of the material things she might have purchased from the shops. That wasn’t to say that she didn’t pick up a few things while she was out.

While Victoria may have initially only intended to look, she indulged herself slightly and picked up a few things. One of her favorite stores was a used bookstore that may as well have doubled as a thrift shop. It was a local store initially built to be a used bookstore but had taken on new life as it grew. Albums, CDs, games, electronics, instruments, toys, comics, and more could be found within the store’s walls. People in town could come and trade items for credit or cash, and the inventory in the back was always a surprise. There was never a guarantee that you’d find the same thing week after week, let alone day by day.

Victoria had elected to kill some time at the bookstore while she waited for Rose to text or call her. Besides, she had some trade credits that she needed to spend before they expired. She’d gone in with little to no specifics in mind of what she was looking for, but that wasn’t uncommon when coming here to shop. She typically spent a good while looking around before something would catch her eye. The store was two stories tall, and the first floor housed the toys, electronics, music equipment, and books. The second story was home to the comics, games, albums, and CDs. With recent events causing distractions in her leisure time of watching television, she had decided to try finding a good book to read. 

Reading had never been something that she was particularly passionate about, but it was something that she enjoyed on occasion. Her interests in genres varied depending on her mood, and it was typically just whatever managed to grab her within a few short chapters. Truth be told, she couldn’t name any one series that she was overtly passionate about, but that didn’t mean she didn’t like to read. It simply wasn’t what she would consider to be a hobby. Reading had always been more of Bram’s thing, along with video games. If nothing else, she figured she could find him something he’d enjoy.

It was the amount of choices that often threw her for a bit of a loop. The store had nearly two dozen shelves of books, each labeled with different sections and genres to make it easier to find your next passion. It was daunting to look over them and try to find just one. She may as well have been looking for a needle in a haystack. And yet, she had nothing but time at the moment. She glanced through the tags that jutted out from the shelves and served as directories for potential customers. One by one, Victoria perused and leisurely scanned through the numerous genres and titles laid out before her. 

Religion was a genre that was out for her. It and philosophy were two things that she didn’t hold much interest in. That alone saved her an entire wall of books and took her to science fiction. These were titles that were truly hit or miss for her. Some of them were intriguing, but others were far removed from anything that might interest her. She scanned through quickly and without thinking when a particular title caught her attention. The Day the World Stood Small by Robert Irving sat alone on a shelf tucked away in the back. The book had no dust jacket; it was a simple red with gold lettering on the spine. Curious, Victoria grabbed the book and walked over to a secluded corner to give it a once over.

It wasn’t uncommon for people to pick a spot to sit and read through a potential buy. Chairs were set up along with small tables and benches throughout the store. None of the furniture matched, but that was part of the eclectic charm of the place. It was much like the clientele in that way. Musicians, artists, geeks, and the curious commoner frequented the establishment; many of these people probably wouldn’t be seen together outside the store. It was another thing that Victoria appreciated about this place. She sat and perused through the opening chapter to see if it might reel her in.

It didn’t take long before the narrative gripped her. It opened with a scene of a group of men huddled around a campfire in what was described as a dreary area. Things seemed bleak and dark, but the author contrasted it with an air of comradery amongst the group. As it turned out, the group consisted of different people who had been unfortunate enough to catch a plague that had been sweeping the nation. Whether it was a virus or something supernatural, the author didn’t specify, but it rendered anyone who encountered it minuscule compared to the rest of the world. The opening chapter was little more than a brief glimpse into what life had become, but the author seemed to be setting the stage for flashbacks into how their lives were compared to what they’d become.

Victoria paused to check the publishing date after reading through the first chapter. Oddly enough, the book had come out around two thousand five. Strangely, the author managed to create a world that paralleled the current times. Then again, stranger things had happened, and there had been more than one lucky premonition in the media over the years. Before she could return to her reading, a conversation between a couple of young girls stole her attention again.

“I’m telling you, Stace, he asked for it,” a young woman with auburn hair, a nose-ring, and baggy clothes said, “The little guy was practically begging me to, you know, have a little fun with him.”

“You’re so full of it, Becca,” a girl with blonde hair and a more form-fitting outfit of jeans and a blouse scoffed, “There is no way that Craig wanted you to do that of all things with him.”

“Hey, just because a guy is half an inch tall doesn’t make him any less a guy,” the auburn-haired girl shrugged, “Craig is like all guys; he wants to get into someone’s pants. The difference is that he literally wanted to get in my pants.”

“Do you always have to be so vulgar, Becca?” the blonde asked.

“Do you always have to be such a prude?” the nose-ring girl countered, “Look me in the eyes and tell me you've never wanted to have a little fun with one of these guys. Maybe if you'd have shown a little interest, Craig would have come to you instead of me.”

Victoria peaked over her book like a sort of shield, hoping it would hide her interest in these girls’ conversation. This was almost the exact situation she'd been dwelling on since that fateful night at the club. Her curiosity was piqued, but she didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping. “There is no way that he came to you and asked you to do that,” the blonde crossed her arms, “I think it’s more likely that you took advantage of him.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Becca shook her head, “That’s just plain insulting, Stacey. I’m a lot of things: outgoing, sexy, playful-”

“Humble,” Stacey rolled her eyes.

Becca narrowed her eyes at her friend before shaking her head, “See, you get it. Seriously, though, you know I wouldn’t do something like that after what happened with Brad.”

“Fair,” Stacey sighed, frowning and crossing her arms, “But did he really ask you to do that?”

“Oh yeah,” Becca chuckled, grabbing a book off one of the shelves, “He was embarrassed about it, but somehow that made it sweeter.”

“And you weren’t worried about hurting him?” Stacey asked, looking around to see if anyone was listening, “How did it, you know, feel?”

Stacey dropped her voice to a low whisper for her second question. If Victoria hadn’t been trying, she might have missed it. However, while Stacey may have been embarrassed, her friend Becca clearly didn’t care. “Like I got laid, how do you think?” Becca laughed, “I was careful with him, Stace, don’t worry. He’s not the first little dude I’ve played with since this pandemic started. You just have to know what to look for when you’re fooling around.”

This was part of what Victoria had been wondering, what she hoped her grandmother would pry out of her. She couldn’t stop herself from leaning forward slightly. “Yeah, I remember your stories,” Stacey said, “You never went into specifics, though.”

“Stace, I didn’t figure I had to explain masturbating to another grown woman,” Becca giggled, “Okay, okay, you don’t have to give me that look. First and foremost, you have to focus on their movement. Obviously, you can’t see them when they’re down there, but you want to feel them moving. The more they squirm, the better it feels. It’s when they stop squirming and wiggling around that you need to get worried.”

“But how do you tell if he’s being pushed too far?” Stacey asked as though she were reading Victoria’s mind.

Becca paused for a moment while she tried to find the right words. “Hmm, that’s a tough one,” Becca admitted, “It’s not like you can use a safeword. It gets even harder the more worked up you get, too. You kinda just have to play it by ear, by feel.”

“That’s your big secret?” Stacey scoffed, vocalizing how Victoria felt, “You just got by feel, really, Becca?”

“I mean, yeah,” Becca chuckled and shrugged, “I wouldn’t exactly call it a secret, and it sounds a lot simpler than it actually is. It’s hard to focus in the heat of everything, but it’s the only way to keep them alive. That doesn’t mean you won’t have the occasional scare. Remember that guy I was with when this whole shrinking thing started?”

“Jason?” Stacey asked.

“Yep,” Becca nodded, “That’s the one. So, it took us forever to work up the courage to do anything together. I was worried I might kill him, and he was in this weird in-between state. Like, he wanted to do it, but then he’d always wind up psyching himself out at the last minute. Anyway, one night, we both worked up the nerve after a little liquid courage and-”

“You got drunk your first time?!” Stacey asked.

“Yeah, let's just yell that for the whole store, Stace,” Becca laughed, “No, I didn't get drunk. I had a couple of shots, but I was barely buzzed. I told you I was nervous. So, we decided to just go for it before one of us talked the other out of it.”

Stacey looked around for a second before quietly asking, “So what was it like?”

Clearly, neither woman had noticed Victoria. Either that or Becca didn't care. Based on how she talked, she suspected it was more likely the latter for the dark-haired young woman. “It was pretty great, I'm not gonna lie,” Becca grinned, “Like I said, I was nervous at first. I slipped him in and let him move on his own at first. I didn't know what I was doing, but all he did was tease me. It didn't take long for me to get antsy and take matters into my own hands, literally in this case. I think it was just a few minutes before I caved to my wants. It's funny looking back on it. I probably scared him.”

“That's funny?” Stacey asked.

“Maybe not, haha funny, but funny considering how worried I was originally,” Becca clarified, “I mean, I took his little body between my fingers and pushed him inside. I can still remember how it felt when he took that first dive. He wiggled like crazy, but he hit all the right spots. I think he was freaking out, but he'd tell you he was behaving like a pro, the little dork. Anyway, he's thrashing, bucking, and squirming around so much that I almost lost him more than once. He just kept going and going like those battery commercials, and lemme tell you, he certainly beat a battery-powered vibrator.”

“Becca,” Stacey chided.

“Again, don't be such a prude, Stace,” Becca laughed, “Getting back on topic, though, you wanted to know what it was like and how I learned to go by feel. To put it simply, it felt incredible. There is nothing like the rush you get from messing with someone that size and knowing that their life is in your hands. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a little nerve-wracking, but there’s a rush that comes with it. The first time is the hardest and scariest, though. The trickiest part is keeping yourself from getting too caught up in the rush that you forget that you’re playing with someone’s life. That almost-”

“You’re joking!” Stacey sucked in a breath.

“Can I finish my damn story?” Becca sighed, “Seriously, do you want to know or not?”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” Stacey huffed, “Continue.”

“Thank you,” Becca crossed her arms, “Like I was saying, I almost made a big mistake that would’ve cost Jason big time. I don’t know how long it was, but at some point, he started to slow down. I almost didn’t notice it until it was too late. Honestly, that first time, I probably would have wound up ending him if the timing hadn’t worked out. I came just as Jason was about to blackout, and I pulled his little behind out as I laid back to let the good feelings wash over me. Of course, that didn’t last long. I brought him up to my chest because, you know, I like a little cuddling with my afterglow. I heard him coughing and sputtering, and then it was my turn to freak out.”

“What did you do?” Stacey asked.

“What do you think?” Becca asked, “I checked on him to see what was wrong. I had a buzz, but I was sober enough to know that I needed to make sure I hadn’t killed him. Lemme tell you, it’s not easy to check the vitals of a tiny. It gave me a whole new respect for the doctors and nurses that do it for a living. It took me a few minutes, but thankfully, he wasn’t too banged up or in too bad of shape. Again, he’d play it off like he was on top of the world, but Jason was pretty shaken up afterward. I had to calm him down, but there was this moment after he finally chilled out that was hard to describe. I don’t know, it was almost peaceful.”

“So, you almost kill him and then just snuggle up?” Stacey scoffed.

“Say what you want; that’s exactly what we did,” Becca shrugged, “I made sure he was okay, but he wanted to be held. We talked the next day about what it was like, and he surprised me when he said he wanted to do it again. It took us a while, but it got easier after we talked, and he told me what to watch for. See, when they start slowing down, that’s when you have to pull back. I had a hard time finding the right rhythm without fucking up my O, but the trick is pulling out and then going back in hard. Every time after, he and I would lay there and cuddle. I think being pushed that close to the edge leaves a guy in a vulnerable state. All that macho crap just fades away, and you get to see behind the walls they put up, you know? Every guy I’ve been with since Jay and I split has been that way too.”

“It’s weird hearing you sound all sentimental and sweet,” Stacey chuckled.

“Shut up,” Becca rolled her eyes, “I’m not kidding, though, Stace. It’s all about pushing past that initial fear. I probably wouldn’t jump to jamming a little guy down your pants for a day. It’s not easy, but the payoff is worth it. You’ve got to find that fine line between trusting yourself and letting yourself go to have some fun. It’s hard, but that’s the only way to describe it. Oh, dude, check that out!”

Becca hurried off in pursuit of whatever had caught her attention. “Hey, Becca, wait up!” Stacey called out as she chased after her friend.

Victoria sat still and mulled over everything that she’d heard. It wasn’t like her to eavesdrop like that, but she hadn’t planned on stumbling into a conversation like that. Everything she’d been thinking about over the last several days had inadvertently been the topic of strangers. Was it really as simple as finding the courage to take that first step? It seemed doubtful, but that was usually how things went. Like so many people in the world, she often let fear keep them from taking a step forward. She’d come to kill time, but she’d gotten a good book and some helpful insight as an added bonus. 

The bell to the restaurant's front door chimed and brought her back to the present. Victoria smiled up as her grandmother walked in and towards the table. She hadn’t forgotten her original reason for agreeing to a lunch date with her. Despite everything she’d heard from the two women earlier, she knew that Rose could give her some additional and much-needed clarity. She needed to hear it from someone she trusted, but she knew she was still going to need a little coaxing to share what was really on her mind: the real reason for this little get-together.

“I am so sorry I’m late, hon,” Rose beamed as she pulled a chair out and sat down, “Time always seems to get away from me, I swear.”

She was wearing a pair of leggings and one of her T-shirts. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and she’d clearly just finished a workout and had grabbed a shower before coming here. That was about as typical as could be for her grandmother. Ever since she’d taken to a fitness regiment, she never missed a day or cut corners. Even if that meant running a little late, that was how she’d always been. Rose had a single-mindedness about her that kept her focused and goal-oriented in ways that Victoria truly admired. 

“No need to apologize, gran,” Victoria smiled across the table at her, “It gave me a chance to check out one of my favorite stores. I’m just glad that you called. I was getting bored and needed a reason to get out of the house.”

Rose smiled at her and grabbed one of the menus off of the table, “Oh, did you get anything good? How are the boys doing, and what about that cute little boyfriend of yours? Tell me everything, but first, let’s figure out what we’re going to eat.”

Victoria chuckled at the enthusiasm her grandmother was already showing. She had several questions, but she genuinely cared about every answer. She wanted to know everything that was going on, and that was fine by her. All these questions were just going to make it easier for her to eventually open up. It would come in time, but for now, she was just going to enjoy some quality time with her grandmother and oldest friend.