Chapter 16
The double date was a total success. Being able to cut up with Bas and Kroven with Qwill by my side just made me feel more and more comfortable with spending time with my newfound romantic interest. Unfortunately, that was the last fun thing we’d been able to do, because after I’d gotten to work the next night, my boss informed me that we were getting back to back bachelorette parties for the next four days.
Evangeline loved the bachelorette crowd but none of us dancers did.
Most of them were fine enough, but a lot turned aggressive, and nobody wanted to work them.
To make matters more annoying, every single bachelorette party had ended up asking for a private dance with at least one of the dancers, if not multiple.
And since they were paying good money, it meant that saying no wasn’t an option.
Luckily, I’d only been requested at one of the four dances.
Poor Rocky had been requested for all four and I knew he was livid about it.
But we’d pushed through the rest of the week and weekend to make everything work.
Now I was looking at a nice day off, wondering what I was going to fill my time with.
Part of me thought about asking Bas to hang out after he got off work, so we could properly catch up.
True, the double date had given us time to spend together, but I knew Bas was dying to ask me more than he had at the dinner about mine and Qwill’s relationship and to be honest, I was kind of wanting to gush about it myself.
Perhaps I would eventually set that up, maybe when there was a little more to tell.
Naturally, the next step was to see if Qwill was available.
We’d texted here and there, mainly from him checking in on me after the dances.
He’d kept his distance since we’d started seeing each other, something I was surprised by but also grateful for.
I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about seeing my boyfriend out there in the audience while I danced.
I froze as I tried to finish brushing my post-shower hair.
Was Qwill my boyfriend? The thought had slipped from me without a second pass.
We’d surely been acting like boyfriends, especially with the good morning and goodnight texts, but the discussion hadn’t been made yet.
As I worked to perfect my usual tousled hair look, I pondered.
Obviously I wanted Qwill to be my boyfriend or else I wouldn’t have given the thought a quick pass without lingering on it. But was that what he wanted?
Taking things slow was a nice pace for me.
I wasn’t treating this relationship with a certain trepidation because Qwill was a guy, or an Orb.
I was treating it the way I would any relationship I would have had with a woman before.
I liked the taking things slow stage. Granted, Qwill and I had already fucked, but I liked the slow burn of learning about each other.
Ugh, I shouldn’t have thought about sex and Qwill in the same sentence.
I looked down to see my dick growing eagerly in my boxers, looking back at my reflection in annoyance as I put the finishing touches on my hair.
Admittedly, I was eager to have Qwill fuck me again.
Ever since we’d had our two-time wrestle amidst my sheets, I wanted him all the time.
It didn’t help that he’d said the absolute sweetest things about me during our double date.
I’d been ready to pull him into the bathroom right then and there, but it wasn’t exactly a kosher idea after Bas and I locked the bathroom already nor was I wearing the right pants that would make it easy to drag them down to my ankles.
After getting dressed, I grabbed my phone and plopped down on the living room couch.
I was really getting used to living alone now, and I loved being able to do whatever I wanted.
Maybe it was better that Troian didn’t want to move in.
I was still open to the idea of it if he really wanted to, but until then, I was going to enjoy the empty apartment.
Unless Qwill wants to occupy it instead.
My eyes flared at the yet again unmitigated thought.
I wasn’t ready for Qwill to move in here, that much I was sure.
Hell, we’d only been on two dates and had sex once.
Okay, twice. Three times if you counted our mutual oral exchange, but whatever.
I needed to know way more about him before I was seriously entertaining the idea of sharing a space with him.
I didn’t even know what he did for work.
Saving that for later, I quickly scrolled through my phone and pressed Qwill’s name before pressing the phone to my ear.
“Hey, beautiful.” Qwill said after the third ring. “I figured you’d be catching up on sleep. How’re you holding up?”
I’d been explaining to him over text how exhausted I was after how rigorous and busy work had been. But now I was ready for some quality Qwill time.
“I was wondering if you were busy.” I soothed. “I have the day off and thought I’d spend it with my…favorite guy.” I mentally chastised myself because I’d almost said spend it with my boyfriend. I needed to get a fucking grip.
“Aww, how sweet.” I could picture the grin gracing Qwill’s face as he spoke. “Actually, I’m available now if you are. I’m working the evening shift tonight so I’ve got time.”
I stared at the time. It was about an hour before noon so that gave us plenty of time to spend before he needed to head to work. The mention of work made it all the more obvious to me that I needed to ask him what he did.
“That’s great, where do you want to meet up at?”
“You remember the marsh where you and your brother were hiking?” When I affirmed that I did, he went on. “How about we go for a little swim?”
It was nearing full-blown autumn in Virginia, which meant that the weather was still doing whatever it wanted. Today it was a comfortable seventy eight degrees with a light breeze. Perfect swimming weather, honestly.
“Sounds great. I can be there in thirty minutes.”
“Perfect. See you then, beautiful.”
I hung up, smiling like the love drunk fool I was quickly turning into. I was already meeting half the requirements to call myself as such.
True to my word, I ended up hiking and making my way to the marsh about half an hour after we’d hung up.
The only thing I’d done before leaving the apartment was putting on sunscreen and changing into swimming trunks.
I had opted to wear a lime green tank top as to try and get some sun on my arms. I was determined to rid myself of my usual paleness as much as I could.
Already in the water, leisurely spreading water over his skin with his eyes closed, Qwill stood in the marsh.
Goddamn, he was fucking attractive. With the water moving over him like he was made of sparkles didn’t hurt either.
I willed my dick to keep it the fuck together, but I was instantly riled by thoughts of Qwill taking me in the water.
“Damn,” I hissed, making his eyes lock on me lazily. “I should’ve taken a picture of that right there.”
Qwill shook his head, sauntering toward the edge of the marsh as I pried off my tank top.
I was left in my matching lime green swimming trunks, eager to be close to Qwill.
He must have thought the same thing because he swept me into his arms and launched me into the water without warning.
My outcry was swallowed by the water as I went under, my feet kicking hurriedly before finding the bottom and launching myself.
By the time I broke through the surface of the water and wiped my face, Qwill was trying to get his laughter under control.
“Asshole!” I said with a laugh, launching my hand in the water to splash him. He evaded it but kept the chuckle in the air. I still thought Qwill’s laughter deserved its own standing ovation every time I was lucky enough to indulge in it.
I waded over to him, noticing that he was still wearing that jeweled necklace.
As much as I stared at the thing, I was relatively stunned that Qwill hadn’t brought it up already.
It looked as it always did, beautiful but mysterious.
The sun caught the jewel whenever he moved, casting blue hues across the water from the color of the stained glass it appeared to be made of.
But inside was still that curious looking cyan liquid.
More than anything, I wanted to know about it. I wanted to know more about Qwill in general, of course, but this one piece of jewelry that dangled from him held most of my curiosity.
But instead of bombarding him with questions about the jewel, I decided to go an easier route. For now.
“I’m glad you didn’t have to work when I called.” I told him, sinking lower in the water to savor its warmth. Qwill did the same, smiling at me with that lopsided grin he wore when he was content. “What is it you do for work?”
“Oh right, I never told you, did I?” He said as if it’d been slipping his mind for ages now and my inquiry had brought it to light again.
“I work at the Piper Marine Museum, across the street from the art museum?” When I nodded, remembering the little artistic district on the other end of the city, he pressed forward with more conversation.
“I’m one of the tour guides for the Orb section of the marine museum, so I get to inform people about virces and eamesr all day.
It’s a simple job, but I enjoy the notion of educating people about us water-centric Orbs. ”
Beaming at him, I nodded my head. The fact that Qwill was doing something to educate people about virces and eamesr was nothing short of amazing to me.
It might have been simple on paper, but that felt like important work.
The more knowledge was given, in any aspect of life, the less space we as a society had for ignorance.
“That’s amazing, Qwill.”