Chapter 1 #2
I fasten the pelvis to the legs, then stand and stretch.
“But you don’t listen to a word she says.
The only thing you need to hear is how much I have always wanted you.
Okay, now this is where things are going to get tricky.
The instructions say I need two to three adults for this step.
But all we have is me and a hell of a lot of determination. So I’m going to have to lean you over.”
Once I get the half-constructed skeleton tipped over a box, I can’t help but giggle at the position we’re both in—me standing between the legs and behind the pelvis.
“Why sir, I do believe this is supposed to be the other way around, but hey, I’ll try anything once.”
I slide my hands up the enormous femurs and over the crests of the pelvis, then playfully swat the air where the missing buttocks would be. “Those are some mighty fine pubic rami there my friend. Mighty fine.”
Hoisting the large rib cage into the air has me staggering as I maneuver it into place and fasten more screws, careful not to overtighten them. “Tony, was right about one thing. You are huge.”
I give a flirty little giggle, then say, “I don’t want to sound like a size queen, but I can’t even imagine the size of your disco stick. I mean, I’d make it fit, but no bones about it, it would be one hell of a squeeze.”
I stare off into the distance, blaming the noonday sun for the flush spreading over my face as I imagine just how astronomically enormous he would be, if he had flesh that is.
“Damn,” I whisper, fanning myself with my hand.
I turn back to inspect my work and notice one of the ribs is cracked and ever-so-slightly displaced. Frowning, I wonder if he came that way and I didn’t notice or if this was something I did during assembly.
I run my fingers over it gently, applying pressure to try to move it back into alignment with its neighbors, but it doesn’t budge. With a sigh of relief, I notice it seems to be from a slight manufacturing defect rather than from mishandling on my end.
“Don’t worry, I’m a little broken, too. But I’m not taking you back. This is just so there’s a little extra room for your heart. I know it would be just as big as you are,” I say, patting the spot reassuringly.
And I mean it. He is perfect to me.
I wrestle the giant arms into place and then all that’s left is the head.
I want to finish this and stand him up, but it's like those amazing seconds before an orgasm crests.
The rising tension, the building anticipation feels so good that I just want to live in this before moment a little bit longer.
Want to prolong the climax because I know it will hit harder.
At least, that’s what I remember. It’s been a minute. Or two.
I slowly circle the almost complete body, trailing my fingertips over the surface of the bones and marveling at the sheer size of him. Once I've made it around the body, explored every inch, I pick up the skull and hold it out in front of my face.
Staring into the still dark LED eyes, I say, “You’re the only thing that hasn’t disappointed me. Well, this is it. I hope you’re ready, because I know I am.”
I don’t know what possesses me, but I drop a kiss on the top of his smooth white skull, and then drop my forehead to his and let my eyes drift closed. “Me and you. This is all I need.”
As I line up the skull and seat it, the snap of it clicking into place reverberates down my arms, through my body, and right out my feet like lightning reaching for the ground.
My toes curl in the wake of the wave of energy that has me squeezing my thighs together and goosebumps ghosting over my skin.
My eyes flick up to his dull ones. “Did you feel that? Just me?”
With a shake, I snag the electrical cord and snake it down through the spine. That was weird. Static electricity, maybe, from the plastic?
“You’re going to need a name,” I say, as I work the cord down. Once I have it the whole way through, I take a step back and look him up and down. I’ve thought of lots of names, but wanted to wait to meet him until choosing one.
A smile spreads across my face as it comes to me, as clearly as if he whispered it himself. “Mr. Bonejangles? I love it! I’ll call you BJ for short.”
I loop a rope through the ribs and around the spine, then take the ends with me around to the base.
Finally, I step on the edge of the base that is sticking up and pull the ropes.
My breath catches as it pulls taut, and I carefully angle my weight.
This is Tori versus gravity, and by some miracle, the enormous skeleton rises up, and the base settles firmly on the ground.
I let out an excited whoop and fist bump the air. “We did it, BJ!”
I wrap my arms around a bony leg and give him an excited hug. My cheek rests against his femur, far too close to where anatomy insisted things would get complicated if he’d been built with anything more than bones and bad intentions.
“Oh, excuse me,” I say, fanning my face again as I walk away to connect the power supply to the extension cord.
I watch the plug sink into the holes of the cord and a fresh wave of heat coasts over my cheeks. Maybe it’s a good thing skeletons don’t have a, well, a bone bone. I don’t know that I could trust myself to stay away from it.
When the plug is fully seated, a wave of electricity prickles over my skin, raising the hairs along my arms and up the back of my neck. I drop the power supply and shake out my hands, worried there’s a short, but everything looks fine.
Must be time for lunch, I rationalize to myself. I was too excited to have anything other than coffee, and I've been working in the warm sunshine for hours now.
Stretching my back, I groan and then crane my neck to look up at my twelve-foot skeleton standing there in all his glory.
“You’re perfect, Mr. Bonejangles. Absolutely perfect,” I proclaim. And then, a little softer, “I think I’m in love.”
A laugh tumbles free as I stand there smiling at my long awaited dream come true. I say to him, “You know, I don’t even remember the last time I laughed like this. I’m really happy you’re here, BJ.”