In last week's episode of Dallas, an unexpected arrival has thrown Dallas for a loop. And I'm sure Campbell is none too thrilled either. So, what is Dr. Levi up to? See what happens in this week's chapter, and then go visit the other Briefers for some great flash fiction!
Dallas didn’t know whether to shit or go blind.
Of course, he’d been hoping for something like this to
happen. Hoped that Samuel would find him in Wonderland, and that he’d profess
his love for Dallas and they’d ride off into the sunset on a white charger, and
live happily ever after.
Only, right this minute, he had to say the timing could have
been a hell of a lot better. Right when he’d been about to tell Campbell...
The words were stuck in his throat now. Worse, they were
lost from his brain. What had he been about to say? His mind was a great big
blank. No, worse than that, it was utterly filled with Dr. Samuel Levi once
again.
And only one word poured from his lips, in a violent
effusion. “Samuel!”
The next thing Dallas knew he was being kissed within an
inch of his life, bent over backwards so far, he could swear his head was in
danger of scraping the ground, his leg thrown up in the air for balance. He
couldn’t help but clasp Samuel about the neck, or take a chance on falling.
At least that’s what he told himself.
By the time Samuel brought him back to an upright position
once more, Dallas’ head was spinning. He
placed one hand on top of his skull, trying to hold everything in place, darting
a quick glance at Campbell, wondering what he made of this. Campbell’s eyes
were hooded, his gaze fixed on the ground, and Dallas’s heart ached for him.
He wanted to take Campbell into his arms and comfort him,
smooth his puckered brow. But before he could even begin to act on his
instinct, Samuel spoke up.
“A pleasure to see you, as always, Dallas.” He turned to
regard Campbell, cocking his head. The sunlight glittered in his copper eyes,
giving them a molten red sheen. “And whom do we have here?”
“Samuel, this is Campbell. My neighbor. And my friend. I’ve
mentioned him to you.”
“So you have, so you have. A pleasure to meet you, Campbell.”
Samuel’s smile was almost a smirk, and his attitude seemed a bit smug to
Dallas. He noticed Samuel didn’t offer his hand to Campbell. He was fairly sure
Campbell wouldn’t have taken it if he had.
“So good of you to take care of my Dallas for me,” Samuel
continued. “And to come all the way to Wonderland to do it.”
“That’s what friends are for,” Campbell said stiffly,
although Dallas was fairly sure his attitude screamed, Bitch, you best step back.
“Dallas, you seem so tense. Is something wrong?” Samuel’s
voice was soothing, his eyes concerned. He placed a hand at the back of Dallas’
neck and rubbed it gently, as one might sooth a drunk in imminent danger of
throwing up. Dallas couldn’t contain his reaction—he arched into Samuel’s
touch, purring like a contented kitten. A contented drunken kitten.
“I just... we just... ran into that guy...” Dallas’ thoughts
were choppy as he tried to string more than a few words together into a single
coherent thought, finally pushing them through. “The one Quentin cheated on me
with, and we broke up over.”
“Is that so?” Samuel’s voice was almost clinically detached.
“Well, there’s no telling about the class of people you might meet in
Wonderland. Isn’t that true, Mr. Cain?”
Campbell’s lips were compressed into a thin angry line. He
made no answer to Samuel’s question. As if expecting that sort of reaction,
Samuel continued to focus on Dallas. “Perhaps that’s a good thing, Dallas? Now
you have closure, don’t you, for what Quentin did to you? Or is that you wish
to rekindle that particular flame with your ex?”
“God no.” Dallas fairly spat the words out. “Not in this
lifetime or with someone else’s dick.” The very thought of getting back with
Quentin was enough to induce vomiting. Instant emetic. “The point is what is he
doing here? What is going on? Why does everyone treat me like I’m... like I’m...”
He clawed ineffectively at his throat, unable to get the word out once again.
“Lunatic?” Samuel supplied helpfully.
“Don’t you dare call him that!” Campbell hissed. Dallas
noticed that he’d clenched his fists, even as he took a step toward Samuel, his
eyes narrow and angry.
“Oh it’s all right. Dallas knows what he is.” Samuel didn’t
seem in the slightest intimidated, despite the difference in height between the
two men, the advantage being Campbell’s. “As Socrates once said, know thyself.
But I like to add know thy neighbor first.” He calmly arched one brow at
Campbell, the two men locking horns with their eyes.
Just when it looked as though they might come to blows,
Campbell took a step back, and then another.
Dallas reached out to his friend, but Samuel caught his hand smoothly,
tucked it inside the crook of his arm.
“You know, it’s a nice day for a stroll, why don’t we?”
“A stroll? Where to?” Dallas felt stupid for asking, even as
the words left his lips. He was furious with himself for not speaking up for
Campbell and he was furious with Samuel for showing up out of the blue like
this...
And yet... and yet... he couldn’t seem to fight the hold
Samuel continued to have on him.
“Places,” Samuel replied mysteriously, breaking into song. Something
about people needing places. Dallas had no idea what was going on. Samuel was
seriously messing with his head. Again.
“About Quentin.” Dallas started again. This was his chance
to get an admission from Samuel he’d never been able to get before. That
Quentin had been in his office. “I saw him with you, I know I did.”
“Did you now, Dallas?” Samuel’s voice was annoyingly
patronizing.
Dallas found himself hanging on by a mere thread. “You know I
did.” He pitched his voice deliberately low. Non-crazy.
“Did you ever stop to think maybe that’s what he wants you to think, Dallas?”
to be continued
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