Another visit

After finishing the paperwork for Connor and Kylie, you send them on their way. You tell them to expect a house visit tomorrow, but they’re so focused on each other, you doubt that it sunk in. You expect that they’ll get surprised out of bed like so many pairs before them. Edward chuckles as they walk out, shaking his head.

“They didn’t hear a word we said. That’s fine, in this case I’m not worried. And Kylie isn’t a pushover, despite her size. She’ll keep him on the right path.”

You smile. “I’m glad I was wrong about him. They seem good together.”

Edward nods. “Yes, they do. Ok, so. We don’t have a lot else to do today, so if you wanted to go talk to Sirona…”

You laugh. “You just enjoy playing matchmaker, don’t you?”

He grins. “Perks of the job. Go on, I’ll find you if something comes up.”

You nod, and head off to the living quarters. You chat with several of the girls along the way, but your attention is focused elsewhere. Finally, you come to Sirona’s room, finding the door closed. Hesitating only for a moment, you knock.

From within you hear Sirona’s voice. “Come in!”

Opening the door, you see the manticore laying on the bed in a pair of shorts and a cut off t-shirt. You pause to admire her for a second. She’s a big girl, probably only an inch or so shorter than you, and while she’s not particularly muscular, she’s definitely in good shape. She was reading a book on the bed, which she sets aside, and you see her blush under your gaze.

She looks at you with those pink eyes, and bites her lip before speaking. “So…hi, Brian. Umm…what is it?”

You chuckle. “Sorry, didn’t mean to stare. Can we talk for a bit?”

Sirona nods. “Close the door, and sit.”

You close the door, and sit on the edge of the bed. Sirona blushes even more, but seems extremely happy that you’re here. Nervously, she toys with the hem of her shorts.

“So…”

You chuckle. “Sorry! So, I wanted to tell you, we started work on the extension to my house. When it’s finished, in about a week, would you be interested in joining us?”

Sirona stares for a moment. “Seriously? You…you’re not kidding?”

You shake your head. “I’m not kidding. I’d like to sponsor you.”

Her eyes go wide, and then, without warning, she flings herself at you! Tackling you to the bed, she hugs you tightly, her strength surprising you a little. She even plants a kiss on your lips, before seemingly realizing what she’s doing. Blushing again, she scrambles off you, going back to where she was.

“Sorry…sorry. I didn’t…that’s not…”

You chuckle as you sit up. “It’s fine, Sirona. I enjoyed that.”

She looks away. “I…I promise I’ll be good. I can clean, I’ll learn to cook, I can…”

You interrupt her, placing a hand on her knee. She gulps visibly, looking at you with wide eyes. “Calm down. I’m not asking you to be a servant, Sirona. Just be yourself.”

Sirona takes a deep breath and nods. “You smile at her. “Can I ask why you’re so excited by this?”

Sirona nods, looking away again. “I’ve only been here a few weeks. I’m…different than other manticores. When I reached maturity…I was supposed to capture a mate. But I’m not…aggressive like the others. And I saw no one I wanted.”

She sighs. “So I came…here. To the new world. And I’ve had…similar problems. None of the sponsors I saw…I didn’t want them.”

Sirona looks at you, biting her lip again. “A-and then, the other day…when I saw you, it just…clicked. I just…knew. When I asked around about you…all anyone could talk about was what you did for Ellie.”

She wrings her hands together in her lap, looking down. “I…I wanted that for me, too.”

Smiling, you reach out and touch her cheek. Her pink eyes snap up as she gasps, and she places a hand against yours, leaning her cheek into your palm. You nod, gently rubbing her soft skin with your thumb.