2. Yara
Yara
I wiped the sweat from my brow and stared at the glowing glob of molten glass on the end of my blowpipe. It had been a few days since the popsicle incident, but it still haunted my thoughts, replaying like a steamy scene from an adult film. My studio, a renovated barn with high ceilings and rustic beams, hummed with the familiar sounds of the furnace and the quiet rustle of my friend Autumn, who was sitting on the couch that sat along one wall, reading a book.
Autumn and I had known each other since kindergarten, but we'd grown close again recently, after Kai had left. It was nice the way she'd just stop by to hang out and watch me work. Glassblowing was my passion, but it required space and special equipment, and as much as I loved the studio my grandmother had built for me when I was a teenager, even I could admit that it could get a little lonely.
"How did I forget that Kai was so hot?" Autumn's voice drifted across the room, breaking my reverie. She lounged on the old leather couch, one leg draped over the armrest as she peeked out of the window towards Kai's cabin. He'd spent the past few days settling in, and as much as I wanted to spend every moment catching up with him, both of us had been busy. I had a big order to complete for my online shop, and he only had a month until classes started at Greendale University.
"Autumn, you know he's gay, right?" I said, focusing on rolling the molten glass on the marver, the cool metal surface hissing softly as it shaped the glass. "Besides, you're happily married to Joaquin, who is so damn handsome."
"Doesn't mean I can't appreciate the view," she laughed, dropping the curtain and turning back to face me. Her chestnut hair bounced around her shoulders as she shifted, getting more comfortable with her book.
"True," I conceded with a chuckle. The thought of Kai's dark, enigmatic eyes flashed in my mind again, the memory of his lips wrapped around that popsicle sending a shiver down my spine. I tried to focus on the task at hand, rotating the pipe to keep the glass evenly heated.
"Honestly, how do you even get any work done with both him and Casey around?" Autumn teased, flipping a page.
"Lots of willpower." My mind wandered despite my efforts. I leaned forward, blowing gently into the pipe. The glass expanded into a delicate bubble, and I began shaping it into a long, slender vase.
"Willpower, huh?"
"Yep, and fortunately, both Kai and Casey have jobs and responsibilities. As do I." I rolled the glass once more, the rhythm soothing my restless thoughts. But even as I concentrated on the evolving shape, the vision of Kai and my husband together persisted.
I took a deep breath and pushed the vase back into the glory hole, watching as the flames licked at the glass, softening it once more. Autumn had settled back on the couch, her book propped open on her knees, the sound of pages turning blending with the hum of the furnace. This was how we usually spent our time together—me working, her reading, occasionally chatting. Because Autumn and her husband ran her family's hotel, her spare time always seemed to come at odd hours, but that worked for me. I loved the company.
But today, I was more distracted than usual. A fantasy had taken root in my mind, and it didn't want to go away. The image of Casey and Kai together, their bodies entwined, their cocks hard, kept creeping back in, like a persistent itch I couldn't scratch. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying to focus on my work, but the vivid picture wouldn't fade.
What would Casey look like, eyes half-closed in hedonistic rapture as he sucked on Kai's cock? The thought made me shiver, heat pooling low in my belly. I shook my head slightly, trying to clear the fog of arousal clouding my thoughts.
I slid the vase out of the furnace, the glow of the molten glass casting flickering shadows across the studio. Slowly, methodically, I began to shape it, rolling it on the marver, hands steady despite the storm raging inside me.
A vision of Kai and Casey, in a 69 position, flashed through my mind again. I pictured their bodies writhing, hands gripping muscular hips, mouths hungry for the taste of each other's cum. I could almost hear the sounds they'd make, deep, masculine moans filling the air. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the fantasy play out, creating an ache between my legs that was hard to ignore.
In my mind's eye, Kai's fingers trailed down Casey's spine, making him arch his back, groaning. They looked so beautiful together, so perfect. And then, almost without warning, the image shifted, and I saw myself joining them, saw the two men parting to welcome me.
But Kai was gay, so that made no sense.
"Are you making a dildo?" Autumn's voice cut through my concentration like a knife, startling me.
I blinked down at the long, cylindrical vase I had just finished shaping. It did look undeniably phallic.
"Shit, I didn't mean to. The client wanted a slim bud vase." I laughed, shaking my head as I considered whether to keep the piece.
"I bet glass dildos would be a profitable undertaking," Autumn continued, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she set her book aside and joined me near the workbench.
"Can you imagine the marketing campaign?" I said, still chuckling. "Handcrafted, artisanal orgasms."
"Guaranteed to bring a little beauty into your bedroom," Autumn added, her giggles infectious.
"Or a lot, if we count the orgasms," I corrected with a wink, holding up my creation for us both to admire.
"Okay, but seriously, I've seen glass toys before. Ridged, lifelike, and everything in between." Autumn said, leaning in closer, her laughter subsiding to a more contemplative smile. "There's got to be a way to make them durable enough so people are confident using them."
"I'm sure it's possible," I agreed, my mind already spinning with ideas. What if I tempered the glass to make it extra strong? Maybe add certain elements to the mix to increase its resistance to breaking?
"Imagine the custom orders," Autumn mused, clearly enjoying this brainstorming session. "Different shapes, sizes, colors. It would be a whole new branch of your business."
"Glass Ranch: Fine Art and Fine Pleasure," I joked, though the idea was starting to take root in my imagination.
"Hey, you'd have at least one loyal customer." Autumn eyed me playfully. "Joaquin would be happy to help me test one."
"Now that is a mental picture I didn't need!" I laughed, shaking my head to clear it of the image. But even as we joked, I couldn't help but think about the practicalities.
"Seriously though, it would have to be flawless," I said, half to myself. "No air bubbles, perfectly smooth. And I'd need to do some serious research on the best shapes and designs. It's probably silly."
"Nothing you make is silly, Yara. You have a gift. And whatever you decide, you know I'll support you," she said, her voice softening. As I watched her settle back in, my fantasies returned. This time, I wasn't picturing Kai and Casey together, or even myself joining them. Instead, I was thinking about glass—smooth, sleek, and sensuous. The possibilities were endless, and I felt a spark of excitement ignite within me.
As I returned to rolling the molten glass, my mind wandered. Maybe there really was something to this. It could be the next step in my creative journey.
And maybe a next step on my journey with my husband. I could imagine Casey, on his hands and knees, looking back at me with those intense blue eyes of his, wild with need.
The image was so vivid I almost felt the heat of his skin under my touch. In my mind's eye, he gasped as I eased the cool, smooth toy into him, his body shivering with delight. And then, just like that, Kai entered the scene. I shook that fantasy off before it could take hold.
I carefully removed the vase—or whatever it had become—from the pipe and put it into the annealing oven, watching as the door closed and sealed away the heat. Even though I needed to focus, my thoughts kept drifting back to that tantalizing scenario.
"Ready for lunch?" Autumn called from the couch, already unwrapping a sandwich.
"Absolutely," I said, trying to shake off the lingering images. I joined her, the scent of roasted veggies and fresh bread doing its best to ground me back in the moment. And as soon as she left, I took out my laptop and started researching glass sex toys.