Berry Samplers extended preveiw

Berry Samplers.

              “I don’t get it.  Why are we coming all the way out here?”  Beth scratched at her arm.  “Why in the world are we not just going back home?  It is getting late, Riely.”

              “Because I want to show you this cool place I heard about.”  She hurried down the road.  “Come on, it’s this way.”

              “I don’t know.  Look at all these strange shops.  Lush Gardens.  Size Matters.  Transformative Wonders.  I don’t think I want to know what kind of things happen down here.  Let’s go back already, Riely.”

              “Oh, come on.  I know you will love it, Beth.  Please.  Just check this place out.  Just a little.”

              Beth sighed.  “I will check it out for a few minutes.  Only for you.  But then we are heading back.  Tristan is waiting for me after all.”

              Riely fist-pumped her arm.  “Yes.  Now it is right down here.”  She pulled Beth into a store called Juicy Desire.  “You won’t regret this.”

              Beth looked around the store.  “Umm, what the hell?  Where are there so many blueberry sculptures on the shelves?”

              “Because this is a juicy place, miss.  Welcome to our little slice of heaven.  Are you two here to buy something or—”

              Riely smiled.  “We are.  I heard about your newest product, and I just had to show my friend here.”

              “Oh?”  The man arched an eyebrow.  “I guess news travels fast, then.  Follow me, you two.”  He turned around and led them deeper into the store.  “You see, here at Juicy Desire, we are always looking for ways to let our customers get the best out of their fun times.”  He pulled out some blue gloves.  “And these new products should get the party started very quickly.  While still being tested overall, they will get the juicy times flowing from most of our client’s reviews.”

              Beth arched an eyebrow.  “Juicy times flowing?”

              Riely giggled.  “She is just joking.  Of course, she knows what that means.  We will buy two pairs.  One for each of us.”

              The man smiled.  “Great.  That will be forty bucks.  Twenty for each pair of gloves.”

              Beth’s eyes widened.  “What!  I didn’t agree to this yet!”

              Riely looked over at Beth.  “It’s my treat.  I want you to have something nice.”  She winked at Beth.  “Don’t worry about it.”

              Beth sighed.  “Fine.  Fine.  Anything to get us home faster.  I want to see Tristan after all.”  She crossed her arms and pouted.  “So, hurry up and buy the damn things.”  Beth tapped her foot on the ground as her friend made the transaction.  “I can’t believe I am here and dealing with such nonsense.  I should be home and in my lovely baby’s arms.  Not in the dead-end part of town.  Ugh, why did I get myself talked into coming down here?  This is just insane.”

              “Ready to go?”  Riely tossed Beth’s pair of gloves at her.  “Come on!”

              “It’s about time.”  She hurried after her friend.  “We are not doing something like this again!  You hear me.”

              “What?”  Riely giggled.  “You don’t like going on adventures to find the strange and wonderful things our little town has to offer?”  She made an exaggerated pouty face.  “Come on.  Where is your sense of fun?”

              “I just. . . look, can we get to the car already?  You do know that tonight is supposed to be date night with Tristan.  I don’t want anything to go wrong.  I like him.”  Her eyes sparkled.  “He is kind, loving, and oh so gorgeous.”

              “Oh, don’t worry.  Nothing is going to go wrong tonight.  In fact, I wanted to get these gloves to spice things up.”  Riely giggled as they neared the car.  “You do trust me to help you spice up your date, right?”

              “What are you talking about?”  Beth jumped into the passenger seat.  “How are these gloves going to spice up my date?”

              Riely started the engine.  “Oh, maybe you will have to try them on later to find out.  You will do that, right?”  She giggled as they pulled out onto the street.  “I am sure Tristan will love to see the surprise I got you two.”

              “I. . .”

              Riely held out a hand.  “Or you could just give me the twenty dollars.  I mean, if you don’t plan on using the gloves.”

              “What?  You are blackmailing me?”

              “Hey, I want you to have fun.”  She winked at Beth.  “And I know those gloves will help juice. . . I mean, spice up your night.  So, I am going to do anything I can to make sure you use them.  Kay?”

              Beth sighed.  “Fine.  Fine, I will use them.  It’s not like they will do anything.”  She put her hands behind her head and looked out the window.  “Look, just hurry up and get me back to my house.  I don’t want to be late for date night.  This little excursion was already a bit much.”  After about five minutes, they arrived at Tristan’s house.  “Finally.”  Beth unbuckled herself.  “Thank you so much, but I have to go.”

              “Wait, you gift.”  Riely tossed the gloves.  “Just put them on, and they will do the rest.”

              “What?”

              “Do it now!  Make his night!  Or I am not going anywhere, missy!”

              Beth rolled her eyes.  “Fine.”  She pulled the gloves out of the bag.  “If only to get rid of you!”  She slid the blue gloves out.  “There. Happy?”  As Beth held her hands up to show Riely, she felt the gloves tighten around her arms, and the smell of blueberries filled the air.  “Huh?  What the hell?”

              Riely laughed.  “Enjoy your night!  It will be one juicy ride.”  She sped off, laughing as she went.

              “Hey!”  Beth chased after Riely for a bit, shaking her fist.  “Come back here.  Tell me what the hell you did to me.”  She sighed.  “Ugh.”  She looked down at her hands.  “Fuck it.  I am just going to get these things off.  Ughh.”  She groaned as she tried to rip off the gloves, but they held tight against her skin.  “What the fuck?  Why. . . won’t. . . they. . . come. . . off!”

              “Beth?”  Tristan appeared at the door.  “What are you doing outside?”

              She threw her arms behind her back.  “Oh?  Nothing.  Sorry, I thought I saw a bunny.  And you know how I love little rabbits.”

              “Oh.”  He walked over to where she was standing.  “Let me see if I can help you find the cute little devil.”

              She giggled.  “Oh, sorry.  I think he scurried off into the bush’s honey.  Better luck next time and all.  I should have had my phone out to snap a picture.”  She laughed.

              Tristan sniffed the air.  “Hey, do you smell blueberries?”

              “Oh ya.  Riely dropped me off, and she had a car full of them.  She is getting into the fruit business, you know.”  Beth groaned as the gloves tightened around her wrists, and she could feel them traveling up her arms.  “I can’t believe some of the crazy interests she is getting into.”  Beth closed her eyes and resisted the urge to moan as she felt something slide its way into her skin, something cold and liquidly.  “Let’s go inside.  Fucking hell, it’s kind of cold out here.”

              “Cold?  It is almost ninety degrees out.  Are you . . .”  He turned around only to see Beth’s arms slowly turn blue.  “What in the world?  Beth!”

              “Why are you staring at me like that?”  Burlp.  “Let’s just get inside already.”

              “Tell me why your arms are fucking blue.”  He ran his hand through his short, sandy hair.  “Seriously dear, what is going on?”

              She pulled out her arms and looked at them.  “What?  What happened to the gloves I had on?”  She gulped.  “This is insane!”  Her eyes widened even more as her hands suddenly grew a little, almost as if something was swelling inside of her.  Blort.

              “Beth?”