Chapter Twelve #2
Scarlett’s eyes lit up. She’d been looking forward to visiting Evory on her tour. “Oh, cool. Do you like Evory? What are you studying?”
“It’s incredible. I just finished medical school. They have a top-notch course in plant medicine,” said Minnie. “Dear Keeley went to veterinary school.”
“Wow, you’re a doctor?” asked Scarlett in awe. Politicians claimed to want to help people, but doctors actually did. “And you’re a veterinarian?”
“There are limited choices available if you want to stay in Clair de Lune,” Keeley said as she wiped the table clean. “The options are soldier, farmer, doctor, or shop owner. I chose vet.”
“You’re exaggerating,” said Scarlett.
“She’s exaggerating,” agreed Brayden. “There’s also teacher, politician, and dentist. We have all the normal jobs.”
Scarlett laughed. At least he’d included politician in the list, like there was room for her here if she wanted there to be.
Minnie glanced down at their empty hands. “Oh shit, we need more drinks. Would you like a moon cider? It’s made with special apples that only grow here. There’s mead as well, but it’s quite strong.”
“Moon cider sounds delicious. Thank you.” Anything other than warm beer.
“Moon cider for me too, please,” said Brayden. His body was so close to hers he kept brushing up against her, but he was still so far. She wanted to put her hand in his back pocket, but there was no way she was going to after his rejection earlier on.
“Could I try the mead as well?” Scarlett wanted three drinks, max. Enough to get a nice buzz.
Brayden tilted his head, looking at her appraisingly, but he said nothing.
“Of course. Double-fisting is my favorite pastime,” said Minnie.
“You’ll fit in here nicely,” said Keeley. “Let’s head outside—we’ll get the drinks on the way.”
Keeley and Minnie led them through a crowded kitchen, and Brayden put his hand on her lower back, sticking close to her, while Minnie poured their drinks.
Everyone knew Brayden—several people shouted drunken greetings at him.
He nodded at them but never took his hand off her, and he didn’t stop to talk or introduce her to anyone.
She hoped that was because he didn’t want to share her and not for some other reason.
As they stepped outside onto the back veranda, Scarlett sipped the cider, and the cold, crisp apple drink went down easy. It tasted more like an actual apple than the cider in Soleil, and it was delicious.
It was much warmer outside than it had been in the forest. Was this magic?
The porch had a vine-covered trellis over the top of it, and it twinkled with fairy lights.
She spotted James at a long table grazing on a large charcuterie platter while talking to the girl next to him.
Several people sat around a lit firepit.
One of them was smoking out of a hookah pipe.
Scarlett had only seen pictures of one before, although she’d read they were popular in the desert country of Utidi.
Minnie’s home was cosmopolitan, and this openness to Evory, Utidi, and the rest of the continent was exactly what Scarlett wanted for Soleil.
Brayden moved toward an open seat around the firepit, but before Scarlett could follow, Minnie grabbed her elbow.
“Do you want a shot of peanut butter whiskey?” She gestured to the table, where Keeley was lining up a row of shot glasses next to a glass bottle of brown liquid.
Scarlett was already moving toward it. “Absolutely.” The shot would be her third and final drink.
She made eye contact with Brayden and pointed to the glasses.
He gave her a thumbs-up from where he was talking to the guy next to him—an athletic-looking redhead who was nearly as large as Brayden. Maybe they were gym buddies.
Minnie steered Scarlett toward the table, and Keeley handed her a shot.
“To science and friendship,” said Minnie.
The corners of Scarlett’s mouth turned up. This woman had nonstop banter. They all threw back their shots. The nutty-flavored liquid burned as it slid down her throat. The warmth of the alcohol hit her stomach, followed by a buzz.
Is it bad to drink when you’ve just had energy healing? She shrugged. Too late now.
“That was yummy,” said Keeley. She and Minnie sat in some chairs next to the charcuterie. After a glance toward Brayden, who was happily conversing with ginger gym man, Scarlett joined them.
“So, Scarlett, what are your interests? Do you have a boyfriend? Girlfriend?” asked Minnie.
“Erm, I like surfing, and this might sound sad, but I genuinely like politics. I had a boyfriend, but we broke up right before my dad died. He passed away last month.” Everything led her back to her dad’s death.
Scarlett took a cracker and a piece of yellow cheese off the charcuterie plate and munched on it as she tried not to let her mood get dark.
“Oh wow, a breakup and a death in your family. I’m so sorry,” said Keeley, her eyes full of sympathy.
“Thanks,” said Scarlett. “I’ve barely processed any of it. I’m not sure where to begin, you know?”
And I’ve ruined the chat with my depressing life.
“Have either of you ever been through a big breakup?” she asked, hoping to move the conversation on. “He was my first boyfriend, so I don’t really know what to expect.”
“Getting over a breakup can take ages,” said Minnie. “I read in the Evory Journal of Medicine that for every orgasm you have with your partner, you should be single for a day before you date again.”
Scarlett stared at her. How was she supposed to react to that? “Really?”
“Evory Journal of Medicine—? Very funny,” said Keeley, scrunching her nose. “What if you’re a two-a-day kind of girl and you’re together for a year? You’re supposed to live the celibate life for two years?”
Scarlett laughed. “What if I’ve never had an orgasm but my last relationship was three years long?
Am I allowed to get a new boyfriend right away?
” Her hand flew to her mouth. That was literally the most embarrassing thing she’d ever said out loud.
Thank you, alcohol. She glanced at Brayden again, relieved he was too far away to hear.
Minnie chuckled. “Good one, Scarlett. Can you imagine?”
“Wait… I think she’s serious,” said Keeley. “That was way too specific to be a joke. You never had one with your boyfriend? Or you’ve never had one at all?”
“Never had one at all,” mumbled Scarlett, feeling exposed as she stared at her hands in her lap.
“Girl, please tell me that’s not true,” said Minnie, her expression horrified.
Scarlett shrugged. She downed the remainder of her moon cider in one gulp. She hadn’t told a soul about her orgasm problems, and now she’d gotten buzzed and spilled her guts within twenty minutes of meeting Minnie and Keeley. Might as well go all the way. “It’s true.”
“That’s terrible!” Keeley took Scarlett’s hand in hers, giving it a sympathetic squeeze.
Minnie leaned in closer to Scarlett. “All right, my medical training is kicking in. I need to triage you. Have you tried to get yourself off?”
From his seat by the fire, Brayden stood and took a couple of steps toward them.
“No!” Minnie put her hand up. “Sit down, please, and don’t interrupt until we’re finished.”
“Scar, you all right?” he asked.
She nodded rapidly, smiling at him to let him know she appreciated him checking on her. “I’m good. We’re just having girl talk.”
“Okay.” After one last lingering glance at Scarlett, Brayden sat and took the hookah pipe from his amused neighbor.
“Answer the question, Scarlett,” said Minnie.
“I’ve tried a few times, and it never goes anywhere.” Scarlett’s face grew hot. “I’ve tried with my fingers a few times, and I’ve tried with a shower head.” That had felt good, but the feeling hadn’t escalated anywhere new, and after a few minutes she’d given up.
“Have you tried any sex toys?” asked Minnie.
Scarlett choked out a laugh. She didn’t know anyone who used sex toys.
“What’s funny? I’m dead serious,” said Minnie, incredulous.
“Sorry. No, I haven’t tried any. I’m not against them, but I’ve never come across one.”
“It’s so Soleil, isn’t it?” said Keeley to Minnie. “No offense, Scarlett. It’s just funny—Soleil is technologically advanced, but fuck me, if you aren’t the most emotionally, sexually repressed people in all Hieratia.”
“It’s so Soleil,” Minnie agreed. “I don’t want to paint the entire country with a brush of sexual repression, as generalities aren’t always true, but a three-year relationship and you had not a single orgasm? What did your boyfriend think about his abject failure?”
“He didn’t know.”
Minnie and Keeley stared at her.
Suddenly, the floodgates opened, and the whole truth came spilling out, helped along by the alcohol. “It’s not all his fault. When we first started dating, I didn’t want it to be a weird thing that I’d never had one before. So the first time we ever slept together… I faked it.”
“Not ideal, but understandable,” said Minnie.
“And then?” asked Keeley.
“After that, I couldn’t exactly reveal the lie, so I kept faking it, until suddenly, we were years into the relationship.”
“Yikes.” Keeley leaned closer and wrapped her arms around Scarlett. “That is tragic.”
“It was. It weighed on me quite a lot, especially toward the end. I’ll never do that again.” Scarlett took a couple of deep breaths. Despite everything, a new sense of lightness came over her.
“Goddess,” said Keeley. “So much repression.”
“I think I can help,” said Minnie. She stood. “We’ll be right back.”
Before Scarlett could protest, the two of them went inside, leaving her to wonder nervously what Minnie’s idea of help would entail.
Scarlett sipped her mead and looked toward the firepit.
Brayden was in the same spot, laughing with his friend.
He looked up at her and made a come-hither motion with his head.
She stood, feeling the effects of the alcohol.
He watched her with an eager smile as she made her way toward him, and she couldn’t wait to be near him again.