Oliver and Fernanda (Part 1).

It was warm in the morning but it got hotter in the afternoon. The 4:00 p.m sun was hitting hard, so I sat on the ground and under a tree while waiting for Fernanda. The shade didn't help as much as it did in the morning.

It took her some extra minutes to arrive but nothing too bad. I waited for 10 minutes before I saw her walking towards me, and… um… she…

What was I talking about again? I think her outfit melted my brain.

Rather, it wasn’t so much the outfit as how she rocked it. I really like to blame my enhanced libido for this, but they are very few men in the world who wouldn't go “awooga” at seeing a woman like Fernanda in a black tank top and denim hot pants. Actually, I think I kept my cool fairly well. All I did was stare like an idiot for 5 seconds.

BUT I MEAN…! Her long legs, her thick thighs, her perfect hourglass figure, her large chest in that tight tank top that showed maybe just a bit too much cleavage, her big and peachy ass, her dark skin… It’d be nearly impossible to convince anyone I like Fernanda for reasons beyond her looks when SHE LOOKS LIKE THAT! Honestly, I was starting to question the purity of my own feelings.

“I’m sorry I’m late! I, um… have no excuse,” sh said apologetically. “I lost track of time.”

I smiled at her, amused. “What were you doing?”

“Staring at a blank piece of paper for 40 minutes straight if you can believe it.”

I chuckled. “I can.”

She looked up at the large tree and smiled as she followed its shadow.

“You found a nice spot. Today is a scorcher…” She fanned her face with her hand, and I definitely did not notice the thin layer of sweat making her skin shine.

“You don’t mind sitting on the grass, then?”

“Not at all. Um… Can I?”

“We’re here to talk, right?”

Fernanda smiled nervously and sat down next to me. I think that in itself was a good sign.

“Why did you suddenly decide to meet now?” I asked her.

She swallowed hard and looked down at her knees. “I think… I think I made up my mind. Maybe. Putting this off more wasn’t gonna help, anyway. I… have questions, if that’s okay.”

“Shoot,” I told her.

“Magic… Does that include things like mind control?”

“Ah.” Yeah, fair worry. “It can, I believe. I know Frey, the spirit inside me, tried some weak suggestion stuff on Mila, Grace and Sarah back when this all started. Supposedly to nudge them them into accepting a polyamorous relationship, but we’re not even sure how much of an effect it had. The girls themselves admit they found the idea interesting from the start. I mean, the way we met…”

I stopped myself there. I went on without thinking and almost said some inappropriate things. Sometimes I miss the crippling silence.

However… “Yeah, Grace told me. The three of them approached you together, right?”

Of course Grace told her already. She agreed with me that Fernanda should have all the information before making any decisions, but in her case I bet she made it sound like a good thing.

“It was the very first day I was possessed by Frey. I had no idea what was going on, but… I can’t say I’m not happy I went with the flow." I sighed. “I understand you’d be worried about it, but all I can really do is promise you that controlling someone is something I could never do. The others know that since the mind reading kind of goes both ways.”

Fernanda smiled. “Does it really?”

I chuckled. “Yeah. It’s kind of annoying because they know when I’m feeling down or when I’m doubting myself and scold me for it.”

Fernanda laughed. “They scold you for being down!?”

“All the time. They push me to be better, and that’s what I want, but it’s like I’m not allowed to have bad days anymore,” I said, shaking my head with a fond smile.

Fernanda looked down at her knees, giggling. “Yeah, I can see it. Sarah seems like that kind of person, and from what I’ve seen so far, Grace is pretty blunt, but she means well.”

“Grace isn’t blunt. Not with everyone,” I told her. “She lies, fakes smiles, she digs up dirt on people just in case they get on her bad side… But that’s with people she doesn’t care about. Once she’s decided you’re her friend, there’s no one more loyal. And you’re quickly growing on her, just so you know.”

“...” Fernanda blushed. “I’m really thankful for her help. She really doesn’t need to do it. But considering what you just said… Maybe she’s just keeping an eye on me?” She wondered with a nervous chuckle.

“Nah. Grace is having fun. She loves to read but says she’s not a creative person. Editing for you is letting her experience a bit of the joy of creating and I’m personally really happy about that.”

Fernanda began to fidget in place, trying to look me in the eyes yet averting her gaze the moment she did.

“What is it?” I asked her.

“So… You can read my mind?” she asked.

“I could. I’m not doing it now, nor do I want to. It’s… a bit too much for me. I don't want to invade people’s privacy. Sometimes I do, though. I’m not exactly proud of it, but sometimes I need to. That said, things like feelings, emotions, disposition, mood… Those I can read without really trying.”

Fernanda swallowed and nodded. It seems the girls had explained that to her already. Her real question was what came next. “And… H-How would I get to read your emotions? You said it goes both ways.”

“I’ve gotten to the point where I can read emotions and sometimes the mind of anyone, but for someone to read mine… There has to be some sort of link. A… magica link.”

“...” Fernanda blushed harder, understanding quickly where I was going. “And for that you’d need to…”

“No, not quite. Well, not anymore…” I said. “It used to be that I had to… sleep with someone, but now a kiss should be enough for a weak but functional link.”

Something stirred inside Fernanda, but I couldn’t tell if it was excitement or disappointment. Actually, it was more like Fernanda herself couldn’t decide what to feel.

“I’m… not saying we should, I’m just saying that’s how it would work.”

Oops. Picked a wrong dialogue option there, it seems, because that made Fernanda frown at me.

“So you’re saying you don’t want to kiss me?”

Oh-uh… “Definitely not what I meant,” I told her.

“So… You DO want to kiss me?” She asked, now growing bashful yet pushing through it. I really like how expressive she is.

“Well… Yeah? I thought that would be obvious. I did say I like you.”

Fernanda tensed up, pursed her lips and groaned into her hands while rubbing her face.

“I’m sorry, I just…! I… Can't you just read my mind? I don’t want to say it.”

I smiled wryly at her. “Is that how you'd want things to always work between us?”

“...No.” She sighed and began to fidget again. “Look, I… I don’t consider myself a prude. I’m… as interested in this stuff as anyone else is.”

“What stuff?” I asked innocently.

That seemed to catch her off guard because she choked, coughed and burst out laughing almost at the same time. “You dick…!”

“Hey, what did I do?” I asked, laughing with her.

Fernanda shook her head with a big grin across her face, giggling and looking at me. I stared back with a sheepish smile, glad that what I tried worked.

I could feel it as well as see it. Fernanda relaxed, but it was more than that. How do I put it? It was like there was this barrier between us. We kept treating each other too… carefully. On her part it was out of some deeper respect, I think. On mine it was out of sympathy for her situation and fear of pushing her into anything she didn’t want. That short, dumb exchange broke that barrier. She realized I was willing to play and tease her and she hit me back with an insult lacking any malice, one like you’d throw at a real friend. Seeing me take it well sealed the deal.

The laughter soon died down, but we were still smiling at each other.

“Oliver, I’m not a prude, but… I AM inexperienced,” she continued., this time with no shame. Still a little embarrassed, though, but with a lot more confidence. “I’m interested in sex. Very interested. But I also don’t want to make this about only sex. I… I like you, too. I admire you, even. I look up to you... figuratively speaking, of course.”

Wait, what?

“Hey!” I exclaimed.

She giggled, all too proud of that jab, and I began to worry I might have unleashed a bully. Still, I laughed with her.

I took a deep breath. “Look, I told you I’m possessed by a spirit that feeds on sex energy. I quite literally need it or I start to feel sick. The longest I’ve gone without is two weeks and while it was nowhere near deadly, it felt pretty bad. For better or worse, a lot of my life revolves around it now.”

Fernanda nodded. “I think I understand, and I’m not judging or anything. Just… It’s why I couldn’t help it and ended up asking you why you like me. I’m… insecure, okay? I’ve been hit on before, and I’ve technically had boyfriends, but… It’s always about my body because I’m apparently too boring and lame.”

I groaned and softly rubbed my eyes. I hoped she wouldn’t think it was directed at her. What she said just… hit a little too close to home. Except the part about being hot.

“Like I said on the phone, if I said that how attractive you are had nothing to do with it, I’d be lying. I hate lying and you’d find out the moment you could read my feelings. It’s also true that we don’t really know each other all that well yet, so if I started listing things I like about you, I’d probably sound really shallow.”

To my surprise, Fernanda nodded in agreement. “I… think it’s the same for me. I like you, but… it’s hard to say why. You’re… handsome… and cute, and I think you’re… really cool…” She was blushing madly, and I don’t blame her. My face was heating up, too. “I’m not asking for you to give me a list of things. I just wanted to… You know, tell you how I feel since you refuse to read my mind and save me the trouble.”

“I’ve been told I give people trouble,” I said.

“I’m starting to see it,” she said.

We smirked at each other, and I had to hold back the urge to reach out and hold her hand.

“And then there is the elephant in the room,” she said.

“I’m gonna tell them you called them elephants.”

“W-What!? Don’t take that out of context! Besides, maybe I should be comparing YOU to an elephant?”

“Oh, so you’re just assuming mine’s big? Just like that? What if I’m not? Would that be an issue?”

“Actually, Grace already let it slip,” Fernanda said, giggling and dropping the fake fight.

I sighed. “‘Let it slip’ my butt. Fernanda, I say this in a very loving way. Grace is a manipulator. She rarely ever does things by accident.”

Fernanda frowned in confusion. “So you’re saying she said it on purpose? Why?”

“...”

“So I would… oh.” Fernanda’s eyes widened. “Wow. And… it worked. Man, maybe those books aren't ALL fantasy. She’s clever.”

She has no idea.

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