Chapter One

 

Damian didn't see the puddle of water, nor did he see the bus coming. He was keeping his head down against the lashing rain because he didn't feel like spending the day in his office cubicle wearing damp clothes-what a joke that had turned out to be! The bus didn't even slow down, like the driver had soaked him on purpose!

Damian stood on the sidewalk and shook his hands as a couple of passing office girls sharing an umbrella tittered at him.

Yeah, bitches-it's always funny when it happens to someone else!

Squelching through the rain-soaked alley, he clutched his laptop nervously. The shortcut was a necessary evil-it saved time but the piles of trash and the acrid scent of stale piss offered little in the way of ambiance. At least the office washrooms would provide a brief respite before the workday began.

As he tiptoed around the towering bin bags, beer bottles, and discarded fast food boxes, a flash of gold caught his eye. He stopped and peered around the side of a dumpster and shining out from the piles of trash was an antique pocket watch! Scarcely able to believe his eyes, he extracted it from the muck and retreated to the end of the alley for a closer inspection. The vintage timepiece was exquisitely crafted, its gold case gleaming despite its grimy coating. Who would discard such a treasure in this cesspool? Turning it over, he discovered an ornate inscription-not a maker's mark apparently, but a verb-Freeze.

That's weird.

Just below, in the same decorative script, were two smaller letters-DG.

And that's even weirder! And who might you be, DG? A rich, dead relative, I hope!

He glanced around to make sure he wasn't being watched and then dropped the vintage timepiece into his pocket and briskly headed to the office.

Lionel, the building concierge, chuckled when he saw Damian enter the lobby.

"Morning Damian! Been for a swim?"

"Funny," Damian muttered, as he entered the elevator.

Upstairs, he tossed his damp backpack into his cubicle and hastily dried himself in the washroom. After flattening his hair and splashing water on his face, he pulled out the pocket watch for another examination. Its intricate engravings and shimmering gold case were breathtaking. A Victorian piece, perhaps? And in such pristine condition, it could be worth a fortune! He looked at the watch face and disappointment washed over him as he realized the hands were motionless. He held the watch to his ear, hoping for a delicate tick, but there was only silence. No winding mechanism, either. Curiouser and curiouser.

"Freeze, indeed!" he muttered, a hint of frustration in his voice. "Let's see if we can Google something about you."

He grabbed a coffee and settled into his workstation and with fifteen minutes to spare before the office filled, he placed the watch on his desk and began his online investigation.

 

Chapter Two

 

"What have you got there, Damian?"

He'd been so engrossed in his internet search that Samantha Little's voice startled him. His gaze shot up to meet hers, and he found himself staring at a formidable expanse of cleavage encased in a tight turtleneck dress. Her thrusting posture was one of a woman acutely aware of her physical attributes- a fact not lost on her male colleagues!

"Oh, just a piece of junk I picked up from an antique shop," he said casually.

"Junk, huh? Looks valuable." She leaned in closer, her gaze fixed on the watch, while her ample assets pressed against his shoulder.

"Nah, it's nothing special. Ten bucks at a flea market."

"Why on earth would you buy that?"

"I collect antiques," he lied.

"Never knew that about you."

"There's a lot you don't know."

"Like what?"

Another spontaneous lie slipped out. "I practice Zen meditation."

Samantha laughed. "Bullshit!"

"It's true. I'm learning to make time stand still."

Why did I just say that?

Her brow furrowed. "You're doing what? Let me see that!"

Samantha reached for the watch, her breasts brushing against his face, but he snatched it away and glancing at the inscription, he blurted out, "Freeze!"

The world seemed to stutter as a vibration pulsed through the watch, almost shaking it from his grasp. And then Samantha froze, her outstretched hand hovering in mid-air, her eyes wide with astonishment.

"I-I can't move!" she cried.

Damian looked at the timepiece in his hand. The eerie golden glow it emitted cast an otherworldly sheen on Samantha's face. He flipped it over, his eyes scanning the inscription once more.

Freeze? Surely not!

Eerily, the pocket watch started ticking and he watched in astonishment as the miniature second hand began sweeping around. There was only one obvious conclusion-but it was too outlandish to comprehend!

Hold on just a minute!

"Okay, Samantha, knock it off. I get it. The joke's on me again."

Her eyes wide with fear, Samantha said, "I'm not kidding! What have you done to me?"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously! Now let me go!"

His heart beating faster, he gently placed his hand on Samantha's cheek, ready for her to swat it away and start laughing at him. But she didn't. Every part of her body remained frozen in place except for her face!

"Damian! I'm scared!"

He blew gently into her face and she blinked but didn't draw back from him.

My God! She really is frozen!

Damian giggled nervously and placed the tip of his finger between her lips and touched her teeth.

"Ugh! What the hell are you doing?" Samantha said, spitting saliva onto his hand.

Damian flicked his finger downward, causing lower lip to go pop.

"Quit that right now!" Samantha cried.

This is incredible!

After a quick glance at the elevator doors, Damian drew a nervous breath and then cupped her right breast in his hand, testing its weight.

Damn, that's heavy!

"Oh, you filthy pig!" Samantha snarled. "You are so in trouble now!"

Damian's dick straightened in his underpants as it occurred to him that he could literally do anything he wanted to this luscious receptionist! But there wasn't time. The rest of the office staff would be arriving any minute, and he had no idea what was happening here.

How am I supposed to reverse this?

He held up the timepiece and said, "Unfreeze, Samantha."

He waited, but Samantha didn't move. Damian's heart pounded as he watched the red numbers light up on the elevator display. Somebody was on their way up.

Oh, crap!

"Try something else!" Samantha said. "Hurry up!"

"Um, you're released?"

Samantha remained bent provocatively forward and the elevator bell pinged. Damian looked anxiously at the watch again.

Think! What do the stage hypnotists do?

As the elevator door slid open, Damian snapped his fingers in front of Samantha's face. She jolted upright, her face contorted with anger before she lashed out, her palm connecting hard with his cheek. A venomous glare followed as she stormed off toward Reid Tyler's office. Damian gazed at her retreating form and then stared in amazement at the now-silent pocket watch.

Holy shit!