I tell her I’ll see her around later.

You buckle yourself up again and think. “I’ll see you around for however long I’m around. Why?”

Tiffany blinks and looks away. Her eyes are on everything besides you. “I guess I thought this meant we were going to be…you know, more official?”

You feel a little guilty and realize she’s taken your plug and play much more personally than you did. So, you rub the back of your neck and look at her. “Might be dangerous if we do, but… I’d love to be with you again before I leave.”

A weak smile clears in the corners of her lips. Her complexion is still a little pale, but you can see the gears turning in her head. Tiffany clears her throat, finally looking at you directly again. “You’d give me more of the boyfriend experience?”

A small fire builds on your cheeks. You never considered yourself a male prostitute, but somehow that sounds like what Tiffany is asking for. “What do you mean?”

“Well, I mean… you get- we get together, hang out, kiss, cuddle, and f-fuck sometimes… I understand you are busy and that there’s more on your mind than just one girl, but you’re cute, and I’m lonely.”

It because apparent to you that Tiffany isn’t down for a quickie. Even though she’s trying to play it off, you can tell by the look in her eyes she’s infatuated with you. With that said, not being able to leave immediately does give the room some awkward tension that you weren’t looking for, so you shorten the exchange of after-sex banter and take your leave before anything can truly develop. The last thing you need is another love interest.

…

…

At dinner, Scarlet and Alexandra sit three tables away from you. Even though Scarlet looks a little annoyed to be alone with Alexandra, you know she’s happier to be away from you. You see Tiffany a few times, and you do talk to her for a little bit, but a group of her own friends eventually swoops her away.

One person you can count on, though, is Jordyn, who slides into the chair in front of you, looking less cheerful and more grim than usual. She makes a face and shoots a finger gun at you with a whistle slightly to get your attention.

You look up at her, but you make no effort to talk to her. “I’ve got some bad news for you and your team, Warren.”

You knit your brows. “What is it?”

“One of the patrols this morning, they discovered that a small band of bandits currently occupies the routine you took to get here,” Jordyn says in a low voice while slightly leaning forward.

“There’s no other path to take around them?”

“I’m sending two other patrols in the morning to see if that’s possible, but it isn’t likely to fit for travel. The snow and all, you know.”

You poke at your food, now wanting to be back at the house Amari and Kenji had settled with. “Haven’t you spoken to the others about this?”

“I figured you’d be the most reasonable one. Alexandra seems like a hot-head, uh, I mean, well, no offense by that. Scarlet would probably volunteer to go in either herself or a small strike team.” Jordyn folds her hands on the table and clears her throat. “I also find it easier to talk to you, so here I am.”

You stuff something that was once freeze-dried into your mouth and chew, giving Jordyn a slight smirk. “Well, isn’t that flattering?”

Jordyn smirks, too, studying your expression with her green eyes. You can’t tell if she’s checking you out or not, but you think...?