Changing Seasons

Winter was coming to a close, and both Chloe and Alexis were overjoyed with the coming spring. As beautiful as the snow could be, both women were quite vocal about how they were mere moments from freezing to **** the moment they had to step outside. Alexis seemed to brave the cold better than Chloe could, but then again, my girlfriend used the cold as an excuse to cuddle more. I often had to employ more vigorous action to heat the insatiable woman up.

The last few months were a gradual continuation of what had been building. Chloe told me about her conversation with Alexis. She didn’t give many details, and I didn’t pry. Beyond the sadness that lingered in her Noise when she spoke of it, there was also a firm resolve. Alexis confessing her feelings was unexpected, not in the sense that she felt them, but that she took the next step. It left me in an odd state. The growth of a friend, but also the uncertainty of a rival. My biggest concern had realized itself, and Chloe had picked me.

My girlfriend had been honest, telling me her own feelings were in a confused state about it. One thing was certain though, she was with me and had no plans of changing that. I didn’t even need to read her Noise to see the conviction she held. I listened to it all, only asking one question at the end: Are you happy?

An overwhelming yes answered.

With that, I felt my own form of contentment. We would discuss our relationship in the future, but not at the moment. So many things had happened lately that it seemed prudent to enjoy the relative calm. With no crisis or pressing issue taking up our attention, we could just enjoy each others company. We went on dates, dinners with our respective families; all the normal things expected of two people in a growing relationship.

With the conversation behind them, Alexis gradually returned to her normal self. There were still powerful lingering emotions, but she was better able to control them with time. The companionship of friendship and the passage of time gradually overwrote old pains, overwhelming them with positive memories. Their relationship wasn’t the same, but it had grown stronger as a result. Through her friendship with Alexis, Chloe also seemed to be warming to Victoria. I’d met her a few times now. Interactions with her were far more enjoyable with her properly dressed, even if most outfits were arranged to enhance certain qualities.

Natalie became a frequent guest on the weekend. On the nights Chloe went out with Alexis and Victoria, she and I would often have an enjoyable evening at a much more sedate pace. Dinner, bad movies, and enjoyable conversation were much more to our taste. Recently, even that changed when Natalie dipped her toe into the dating pool once more. She’d been on a few dates, but Alexis said they fizzled out. We agreed it was a positive sign, even if the results were disappointing. Natalie’s Noise had stabilized, and this was an important step for her. Not that I had been truly concerned, as Natalie was always a rather strong individual. Now that she had more or less settled her feelings, she turned her attention on her new goal and marched ever forward.

The only point of concern for us was Chloe’s after school business. Her social circle had blossomed. She now had Alexis, Natalie, Victoria, her mother, and Sophie all vying for her time. More often than not, I was playing chauffeur, dropping her off at campus to hang out with Alexis and Victoria. Sometimes I went with her, others I gave her space to enjoy her blooming friendships. Natalie and Alexis were inviting her along to things too, and I could see how happy that made her. Chloe was far more proactive in spending time with her mother these days, and Sophie was often invited along, playing both the role of doting big sister to Chloe and friend to her mother. All this in addition to the time she and I were spending together.

Priorities were rearranged, with her growing social life competing with selling her Gift. It wasn’t a time factor. It only took her an hour to an hour and a half to finish her two clients for the day. The problem were the repercussions of her Gift: the euphoria bump. The enjoyment she received from her Gift marred her experiences with her friends. She complained that it artificially inflated her feelings and cheapened her time with them. Simply put, she wasn’t herself when she was under the influence of her Gift. That perspective shift made her realize the same could be said about our relationship, though I did remind her that her Gift would always be a part of our relationship. I attempted to tease her by suggesting if it concerned her so much, we could always stop having sex.

She was not amused. Making up for that mistake had been an exhausting endeavor, but one I gladly engaged in.

Her increased social commitments and newfound priorities meant she reduced her client count from two a day to one. The change seemed to have resonated with her, because she dropped it again a few weeks later, limiting herself to just four a week and taking Friday off completely. The result of the change had unintended consequences. When she discussed her plans with me, she expected some pushback and I was happy to assist her if something happened. This was important to her, so it was important to me. I could see how determined she was to make the change, so I did everything I could to support her decision.

The first impact was the collapse of her client base, though consolidation would be more accurate. Going from ten slots per week to three effectively eliminated new and infrequent clients. It wasn’t from lack of interest, but because they were squeezed out. There were a small group of regulars who were willing to pay a premium for Chloe’s time. The lengths and fervor these individuals went through to secure one of her limited slots shocked Chloe. Bidding wars over the limited spots meant they usually went three, four, sometimes five times her base, even after she cut out all ‘extras’. Chloe, feeling bad for some of the less connected, tried giving one of the slots away as a lottery, only charging her base of a thousand. She stopped after learning the winners were getting threatened, even physically assaulted, into giving up their slot.

It frightened her.

It wasn’t about the money any longer. If they were acting like this over a limited number of slots, what would they do when she quit?

Then there was Adam. After discussing it with me, we agreed that giving him a permanent slot was the best move. With how others reacted to her reducing slots, she was terrified of what he would do. While some of the others weren’t above **** to get what they wanted, only Adam seemed willing to hurt people close to her to get what he wanted. So while there was some chaos, Adam seemed mollified, pleased even, when she told him he would always have a spot.

Nothing about the situation was perfect, but Chloe seemed satisfied with the new arrangement. Graduation was only months away, and she intended to make it a clean break.

If she was happy with where things were, then that was enough.