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“Maybe not for long,” he breathed into my hair.
“Don't bet your life on it.” I stared up at him as I said it and watched his face crumble into confusion. It didn't last long. The smile came, a soft curl of lips. The serpent must have smiled at Eve like that. I have this nice, shiny apple for you. Want some candy, little girl?
Whatever Phillip thought he was selling, I wasn't buying. He hugged me around the waist, one hand playing along the scars on my arm, fingers digging into the scar tissue just a little. His breath went out in a quick sigh. Jesus, what had I gotten myself into?
The woman was smiling at me, but her large brown eyes were fixed on Phillip's hand where it played with my scar. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips. I saw her chest rise and fall.
“Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly.”
“What did you say?” Phillip asked.
I shook my head. He probably didn't know the poem anyway. I couldn't remember how it ended. I couldn't remember if the fly got away. My stomach was tight. When Phillip's hand brushed my naked back, I jumped.
The woman laughed, high and maybe a little drunk. I whispered the fly's words as I went up the steps, “Oh, no, no, to ask me is in vain for whoever goes up your winding stairs can ne'er come down again.”
Ne'er come down again. It had a bad ring to it.