Between my love and I

After Cinder’s rather stressful courtship (at least the buildup to it, anyway- the actual courtship itself was refreshingly simple and direct) Nick was relieved that Kim was up next.

Hopefully, being courted by someone who was actually already sleeping with him would be a load off, assuming she chose him, of course.

He couldn’t quite be sure that she would.

Still, she walked into the room with a big smile on her face, and headed up the stage, approaching him immediately. Their eyes met and he saw that little sparkle of mischief in her gaze that both reassured and worried him in equal parts.

“It’s a pleasure to see you again, Nick,” Kim greeted him politely. “Have you been enjoying the party?”

Nick’s eyes shot to Dakota for a second before returning to meet Kim’s gaze. This should be fine, right? I mean, she didn’t say anything when I replied to Cinder, so it must be okay to talk with the girls.

He swallowed and nodded. “I am,” he replied. “It’s been a nice night. What about you, Kim? Are you having fun this evening?”

“Oh, certainly!” Kim nodded, leaning forward slightly to draw attention to the low neckline of her dress. Just subtle enough where you could argue she wasn’t being intentionally seductive. “I’ll take any excuse I can get to wear my finest clothes for an evening of celebration!”

“I suppose you’re right…” Nick nodded cautiously, still trying to get a bead on what Kim was aiming for. So far, her approach was so subtle it was basically just two friends conversing. Which was probably pretty close to what Dakota was looking for, but…

“I’m almost having as much fun as I did last night,” she added, winking at him. In spite of her innocent tone of voice, the topic immediately shifted in a significant direction, and Nick took notice.

“…Last night,” he repeated dumbly.

She nodded, pleased to see she had his attention. “Yes. I won’t lie, I prefer an intimate evening for two at a fancy restaurant over having to socialize at such a big scene like this,” she said, waving around the nearly-empty dance hall. “I suppose I’m just not cut out for high society. You don’t mind that, do you?”

“Uh, no, no I don’t,” Nick said, shaking his head. “Whatever you like doing, Kim, that’s fine by me.”

“Great!” Kim chirped. “In that case, maybe we can meet up sometime at another party like before. My treat, of course.”

And with a smile on her face she flounced off to join the others.

Well that was pretty good, Nick thought. In spite of Kim’s constant railing against the wealthy, she seemed to be quite skilled at polite interaction. Probably due to her years in customer service.

And now that Dani was up, he could finally take a breather and relax. No pressure on him this time, after all.

Dani didn’t look as confident as she usually did when she stepped up onstage. Even though she no longer had to court Nick, this still wasn’t the sort of contest she typically engaged in. She walked with her head held high and set out to make the best of it, though.

Which was why everyone was caught off guard by who she approached. Unlike Nick’s expectation, it wasn’t Serenity she chose as her target.

“Um… hi?” Holly looked around in confusion, wondering why Dani had chosen her of all people. Had they even shared a meaningful conversation of any kind before?

“Hey there,” Dani said, sliding a sly grin onto her face. She leaned forward and brushed a lock of long blue hair behind her ear. “It’s so good to see you here, Holly. How have you been? We really haven’t had a chance to catch up recently.”

“Uh… no, not recently, no,” Holly said, shaking her head. She was still very, very confused.

Dani pouted. “We should really work on that sometime. How about we make an arrangement to do some cooking together?”

Holly blinked, her confusion making way for an innocent, guileless expression of wonder. “Cooking… with me? I mean, I’m pretty good, but Mary’s way better.”

Dani shook her head. “Mary’s no good for this,” she replied. “Sure, she’s got the skills in the kitchen where it matters, but I don’t think she’d have much of a taste for the kind of dishes I’ve got in mind.”

Nick stared at the tomboy, his mouth open. The shock he was feeling right now must have been a small fraction of the confusion Holly was going through.

Dani’s eye twitched slightly at the look of dumbfounded confusion on Holly’s face as her innuendo went right over the other girl’s head.

“…Because she’s married,” Dani bluntly added. If anyone should have figured out what she was getting at, it should have been the spritely degenerate.

“…Oooh! OH. Oh, so you mean… um…” A crimson blush flushed across Holly’s face and she shifted awkwardly in her seat. She glanced over at Nick out of instinct, before peeking bashfully back up at the tomboy.

Dani nodded sharply, still smiling a casual smile like they were just friends.

“…I don’t, um…” Holly wanted to make it clear that she didn’t like girls. Not in a one on one capacity, anyway. She liked seeing Nick with girls, but Dani had made it quite clear that was a no-go. But the words stubbornly refused to come out. After all, the whole point of the event was for the guests to be subtly courting the judges. If Holly stopped beating around the bush and blatantly said “I’m not interested in women” then she would essentially be giving up the ghost- and directly sabotaging Dani in the process.

The tomboy had put her in quite a pickle here.

I didn’t expect this! Why hit on me!? If I’d known someone would try something like this, I would have been more prepared, but who would have thought that?! Nick’s here! And… and if you like girls, there’s Serenity, too! So why me!?

“Cooking… could… be nice…” Holly stammered out something resembling a complete sentence, trying not to let her own flustered arousal stand as a mark against Dani.

“Great! I can’t wait!” Dani grinned. “And once we finish cooking up some spicy dishes together in the kitchen, maybe we could go to the gym and burn off those calories. But fair warning, I can go for a long time, and pretty hard, too. You’ll be sore in the morning for sure.”

“…Uh-huh,” Holly squeaked, her brain overloaded from all the naughty ideas flashing through it. In spite of her very clear feelings about women, dirty thoughts were a completely different animal. Degeneracy trumped sexuality here.

Who are you and what have you done with Dani? Nick wondered as the tomboy walked past him. Apparently, she only fell over herself in shame and embarrassment when dealing with a girl she actually liked.

Or maybe she just thought of Holly as a sex toy and not an actual person, like the shorter girl wanted.

Dakota cleared her throat and fanned herself. Even she looked a little awkward. “Well… that sure was something. Next up! The first of the Granger siblings, Carly Granger!”

Carly put on a show right from the start. She may not have been wearing a fancy dress like the other girls, but she made sure to use her suit to the best of her ability. With each step she wiggled her hips, drawing attention to her curvy figure and making a seductive statement with her body long before she got within earshot.

And she didn’t lighten up when she got to the stage, either.

“Hey there,” she greeted Nick with a sly smile. He recognized that look. It was the one she wore when they slept together, one of her arousing, cooing smiles that made him melt. “Enjoying yourself?”

“…You have no idea,” he replied, glad that she was wearing a suit and not something that emphasized her large breasts too much. He may have been used to sleeping with beautiful women, but there was quite an exciting atmosphere in the air, and he was trying to keep things under control.

Carly laughed. Her breasts shook slightly, but it was hard to say if that was the intended effect. Knowing her, it probably was though. She made a living off of her body, and she knew how to work it.

“It’s been honestly perfect,” she said with a sigh, looking over her shoulder to stare at the dance floor behind her. She turned her body just so, putting herself in profile in a way that highlighted not only the swell of her chest, but her ass and hips as well, emphasizing that she was the total package.

The only question was whether or not Nick would sign for delivery.

“There’s only one problem,” she added, turning back to him. She looked regretful for a moment, but Nick could see the playfulness in her eyes. She tugged on the collar of her blazer.

“All these lovely ladies wearing such beautiful dresses, and here I am, like I’m James Bond!” She shook her head. “I look good in most things, but I can’t pull off a suit like you can.”

Well that was about as blatant of a lie as Nick had ever heard. Holly had to suppress her laughter. Nick didn’t look that bad, true, but compared to Carly? She was so hot she could make a trash bag look pleasing to the eye! Nick could barely keep a straight face.

“I think you look great,” he said, trying not to snort. “You’re very… dapper.”

It was the first word he could think of.

Carly laughed politely in response. “Aww, you’re sweet. But still… there are plenty of outfits I have in my closet that would have looked amazing tonight, some of the most beautiful dresses you’d ever see! And I’m stuck with this…”

She shook her head. Then, her face lit up as if she was “suddenly” lighting on a great idea.

“Oh! Maybe you could come by sometime, and I could give you a fashion show?” She suggested. “That could be fun!”

“Yeah,” Nick echoed, trying not to sound too eager. That erection Augmented Synthetic Humanoid Assassin had conjured into being hadn’t gone away yet, and didn’t seem like it would any time soon, either.

“Great!” She winked at him. “It’s a date!”

And with that she turned and walked off the stage, making sure to move in a way that best made her ass bounce. She might not be as blessed in the back as she was up top, but she was still amazing and knew how to flaunt what she had.

“Now, after Carly, here comes her sister, Marley!” Dakota declared next. “Ready for her solo debut!”

Marley walked into the room, trying not to let her obvious irritation at Dakota’s snide remark overpower the soft, gentle emotions she was trying to capture with her smile.

Carly whistled from the sidelines in approval of her sister. It was only then that Nick realized Dani had seen every last second of Carly’s attempt to court him. He managed to tear his eyes away from Marley for just a second to look their way, and to his relief, he saw that they both seemed rather satisfied.

But he couldn’t concern himself with that now, not when Marley was here and ready to go.

Staring up at her, seeing her close like this, made him realize that something had changed. Had she done something with her hair, perhaps? No, wait, it was-

Just as he figured out what was different about her, she drew attention to it by reaching up and sliding the white rose she’d tucked behind her ear out. She must have snagged it from one of the decorative vases before leaving.

Marley brought the flower to her nose and took a soft sniff, exhaling softly. Then she lowered the flower and looked Nick’s way.

“In the language of flowers, a white rose is said to symbolize loyalty, purity, and innocence,” she revealed. “Did you know that, Nick?”

Nick shook his head. “No, I… I didn’t,” he replied. Maybe he’d learned that at one point (probably from Marley herself if he was being honest) but right here, right now, staring up at her like this?

His mind was drawing a blank.

Marley laughed. “…I figured not,” she admitted. “Not many people take the time to learn about flowers. Which is a pity, because they’re so beautiful… perhaps it would do you well to read up on them a little,” she suggested coyly, laying the flower down on the table in front of him. “A white rose can mean a great many things, after all.”

Nick watched her go, not sure what to make of her parting words. It was a subtle courtship to say the least, maybe the most subtle one yet. Or maybe it was very blatant, and a white rose also meant “push me down and plow me hard”. Hard to say without knowing for sure.

“What a sweet gesture,” Dakota sighed, placing her hand over her heart. “A white rose for the man she’s courting… but not every rose is as gentle and delicate as that one.”

She tapped her cane and the doors swung open again, and in walked a rose that was, as she predicted, neither gentle nor delicate.

On the outside, anyway.

It wasn’t even a question who the bouncy-haired blonde would choose. She walked forward like a movie star on the red carpet and planted herself before Nick with a smile on her ruby red lips, and a deep yearning in her eyes.

“Howdy there, stranger,” she crooned. “Fancy a warm hello for a girl you knew half a lifetime ago? Dry martini, please. In a dirty glass.”

Nick stared blankly at her for a second, not sure what to make of that bizarre and un-Rose-like greeting. Since when did Rose talk like she was in an old movie? That was almost like-

His eyes widened as he realized what she was driving at.

“…Just one drink? But my dear, it’s still so early,” he replied, leaning forward.

Rose’s face lit up when she saw he’d gotten the message. She blinked back the tears in her eyes and put on another coy smile.

“One will have to do, I’m afraid,” she said with exaggerated melancholy, putting all her skills as an actress to use. “You see, my father is expecting me back home in time to help my sister put the little ones to sleep.”

She played her role perfectly, capturing just the right amount of **** in her tone to let the audience know that her words didn’t match her heart.

“What a shame,” Nick said, trying to capture the same tone. But he wasn’t exactly on the same level as the woman across from him. Still, he tried his best. “Such a young thing, expected to help your sister take care of her children, never having time for yourself.”

“It’s not so bad,” Rose said, her eyes pleading the opposite. “I’m not torn up about it at all! Ever since her husband lost his job, they haven’t been able to afford a nanny, you see. And I love little Julie and Edward, I do!”

“Still, it’s a shame,” Nick sighed, shaking his head. “A lovely young lady like you, you should be out finding a man of your own to start a family with, not caring for someone else’s.”

Rose blushed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Oh, don’t tease me now!” She giggled bashfully. “I’m far too old for all that. What sort of gentleman would want to see someone like me on his arm?”

“A lucky one, that’s who,” he replied.

“…I think I’ll take that drink now,” she said after a pause, gazing longingly into his eyes.

“Just the one?” Nick tried his best to sound like a man trying to mask his disappointment. “How about a second, to keep you warm for the walk home.”

“Just the one,” she softly confirmed. “But maybe… save the second for tomorrow night, if you would. It does a lady’s heart good, you know.”

Nick nodded and smiled. “I’ll have it ready and waiting,” he promised.

Rose turned and departed, and Nick watched her go with a forlorn expression on his face. The other judges were probably completely flabbergasted by the conversation they’d shared, which must have sounded like utter nonsense. But even Dakota’s eyes were a little misty.

“It’s been a while since I watched that one,” she murmured, surreptitiously dabbing at the corners of her eyes. “But we can’t spend all our time focused on the past! Here’s our next guest, Morgana! Come on out!”

Nick was glad for Rose’s unusual choice in courtship, because it had done a great job in recalibrating his mood. He could greet Morgana with a fresh head, and most importantly, his arousal was under control, just as he’d hoped.

The last thing he wanted to do was scare off the goth girl by distracting her, not when she’d been getting so bold and brave lately.

That being said, when she stopped in front of him, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t concerned about how she was planning to approach him. After all, it may not have been as pronounced as when he’d first met her, but he knew Morgana could be a bit of a drama queen.

The look on her trembling face as she stared at him, clearly working herself up towards something, told him that maybe he was right to be wary.

“This is nice weather we’re having, wouldn’t you agree?” Morgana said, possibly a little louder than she’d intended.

Nick tried not to wince, but this wasn’t exactly the best start.

“…Yes it is,” he said neutrally, not trying to influence her too far one way or the other.

Morgana cleared her throat. “…I’m sorry. I’m not well-versed in the kind of small talk people do at parties like these…”

Oh, so it was part of a routine? That was a good sign.

“Me neither,” Nick admitted, giving her room to feel comfortable. “Then again, it’s not like I go to very many of them.”

Morgana giggled. It was a little **** and awkward, but it sounded natural enough. “Me neither,” she parroted back to him. “I was actually really nervous all day… I bought a new dress and everything, I thought about doing up my hair…”

She sighed and slumped her shoulders. “…Can I be honest with you about something?”

“Um… yeah, sure,” Nick said, leaning forward. Was this actual honesty? Or was she still playing… whatever part she was trying to play, in courting him?

“…I don’t stand out too much in this, do I?” She asked, gesturing at her dress. “I don’t usually wear red, so…”

If that was her subtle attempt to get him to check out her body, Nick thought that was a very good approach. He gazed at her curvy figure as much as he could get away with without looking impolite, and then turned his eyes up to hers again.

“…I don’t think so,” he replied. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if you got some attention anyway.”

Morgana smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “Oh, um… thank you,” she replied. “I’m always afraid of standing out too much at parties, so I never used to go to them… but ever since I came to this island, I knew I couldn’t just stay back as a wallflower. I need to assert myself more… especially if there’s something I really want, don’t you think?”

Nick nodded. “Yeah, if there’s something you really want, Morgana, then you should just go for it,” he agreed.

Morgana sighed in relief. “Good. In that case… I’ll keep trying my best,” she affirmed. She leaned forward a little, giving Nick a better peek at her cleavage, if he was so tempted. He tried not to be, he really did.

She brushed her bangs aside, revealing her face completely. Her pale complexion was almost glowing as she cast a ruby red gaze into his eyes.

“Do you think this is a good start?” She asked.

Nick could only nod in agreement. Of course, Morgana’s “best” had gone a lot further than this already. It was a little silly to act like she was still that same wallflower given how far they’d gone together, but if that’s what she needed to keep trying hard, he was happy to oblige her.

She nodded softly and scampered away, leaving Nick to sit back in his seat and try to catch his breath. Morgana’s sweet innocence was definitely refreshing in its own way, as well.

Dawn’s next, he considered. She should do a good job.

He doubted she’d try for any of the physical gestures some of the other girls had done to get his attention. And as she approached the stage, he had to admit- he was curious to see how exactly she would try to court him. Usually, they just sort of moved together in a natural pace before they made love, without her making explicit gestures of affection. She was often too reserved for things like that. Even when she arranged that date for him, it could hardly be considered a courtship.

How Dawn would try to seduce him would definitely be interesting. And with only three girls left, he was excited.

After her, though… things would probably get a little complicated.