AN: Waves arms like a zombie: "I am Victor Hugoooooo. I come to haunt youuuuu on the interwebsss….." Just kidding. Plot twist! I'm NOT Victor Hugo! I know you're all shocked. Just SHOCKED!
Read and enjoy!
"This spot is as good as any and looks pretty sand-crab free to me," Eponine said over her shoulder, dropping her tote, towel, and cooler unceremoniously into the sand as she whipped off her sarong. The walk from the hotel to the beach had been long enough, but Musichetta had freaked out about a freaking crab at the first spot, and then a washed-up jelly fish at another, and Eponine was 100 percent done. She wanted to lie down and have a beer. And then maybe a dip in the ocean.
"Holy shit!"
Musichetta's voice nearly made Eponine trip over the cooler, and she glared at her friend.
"Chetta, I swear to God if it's another fucking sand-crab I will scream. I was all in favor of just hanging out at the hotel pool," she muttered. "At least they have a bar with pool-side service". This group vacation had been full of surprises so far…Musichetta's mortal fear of sand crabs, jelly fish, and all other ocean-related creatures not-withstanding. The two didn't know each other well, she being Joly's girlfriend of only four months, so they were still feeling each other out.
"No, there's no crab. Eponine, what the fuck is that on your thigh?" Eponine finally looked up from her stuff and raised a questioning brow at the shocked look on her friend's face.
"What are you talking about?" She looked down, appraising her bikini-clad body carefully. "There's nothing on my…oh shit," she trailed off as she saw what her friend was referring to. Right there, on the outside of her left thigh were four, evenly spaced bruises the exact shape and size of some well placed finger tips. She bit her lip, subtly trying to get a look at the inside part of her thigh when suddenly she felt herself being whipped around by a frenzied Musichetta.
"Woah…."
"Hey! Stop man-handling me," Eponine tried slithering out of her friend's grasp but too late. The damage was done as Chetta took in the matching prints on Eponine's other leg.
"Looks like I haven't been the only one to man-handle you recently. Eponine, did you get laid last night!?"
Eponine snatched up her sarong and wrapped it back around her hips, her cheeks staining with an uncharacteristic blush. "Not telling."
"What? Why not? Was it that cute cabana boy from the other day?"
"No!" Eponine groaned and flopped onto her stomach, burying her face in her hands.
"Wait a minute. You always kiss and tell. What's the deal? Did something bad happen? Are those…bad bruises?"
Eponine rolled her eyes. "The bruises are NOT bad bruises. And I just don't want to talk about it this time, okay? Now can we just lay out and get some sun without talking about my sex life? How are things with you and Joly?"
"Oh my god."
"What?" Eponine raised her head one millimeter off of her arms.
"Oh. My. God."
"You keep saying that," she propped herself on her elbow, now looking exasperated, "but I have yet to understand your meaning."
"It's one of the boys." This time, Eponine had no come back. "You got lucky with one of our boys!"
"Christ we are not doing this."
"Oh my god….you fucking did! Which one? Was it Courf? It was Courf wasn't it? Or wait, no he went home with that teeny-bopper looking girl. It has to be Feuilly!"
"Feiully is gay, Chetta. And once again…can we not?"
"Uh uh. Eponine…you HAVE to tell all. It's so not fair to keep me in the dark! Also…what the fuck, anyway? I thought you were always so adamant about you being just friends with all of them?"
Eponine smirked as she rolled over onto her back, covering her eyes with her arms to block out a bit of the glaring sun. "Yeah well…things change," she smiled wider. "Tequila helps."
"Were you drunk?"
"Mmmmm…not drunk enough for it to be an accident."
"Was he? Ugh, the mystery is killing me."
Eponine sat up then, and began fiddling with the tassels on her sarong. "Chetta…it's just really new and it'a long story..."
Musichetta sat up then as well, taking her sunglasses off and looking Eponine directly in the eye. "New..as in, you guys are going to try this out for real?! Oh my god…" she paused, staring wide eyed at Eponine. I know who it is."
"Chetta, you can't just name them all and hope I'll let it slip…"
"It's Enjolras, isn't it," Musichetta said quietly, placing a warm hand on Eponine's shoulder.
"I…it's….it's complicated, Chet." Jesus she really did not want to get into this...
"Well," her friend gestured around them. "We're certainly not pressed for time or privacy here. You wanna tell me whats going on? Is this a situation where we need to be drunk first? Pop that cooler, girl and toss me a cerveza."
Eponine did, grabbing a Corona for herself and then sighed, looking at their surroundings. It was true, the beach they were on was sparsely populated since they'd chosen to stay away from the hoards of the usual spring-breaker, renting a suite of rooms at a boutique beach side hotel. And the boys wouldn't be joining them for another couple of hours. They were on some bro-outing that Graintaire had roped them all into. He'd been sketchy on the details, but it had something to do with alcohol, the Everglades, and crocodiles.
"Ok…so, like I said, it's new, and really crazy but…this is what happened…."
"Woah, woah, woah, slow down there, Eponine," she felt a warm hand on her back as she nearly tipped off her bar stool.
"Thanks, but I'm good, Enj." She patted his cheek, enjoying the flush that appeared in the wake of her fingers. "I can handle my liquor." She slid the next shot of Patron next to her Corona closer to her on the bar.
He rolled his eyes "I know that you can. I'm just saying, where's the fire? You have all night. Don't you want to remember it in the morning?" She turned and caught his eyes, so blue, so bright in the multicolored lights hanging from the beach side cabana bar they'd all found their way to at 8 o'clock that evening.
"Ugh, GOD. Why do you have to be so serious all the time?"
He broke the stare, looking down at his beer. "I'm not serious all the time," he mumbled taking a swig. "I just prefer to be…well…" he looked to his right and she followed his gaze and smirked when she saw a very sloppy Grantaire with his hands wayyyyy too far up some random girls skirt to be decent.
"Coherent?", she asked, quirking a brow, enjoying the smile he returned.
"Yeah. That's one thing."
"Okay, well," she suddenly felt very, very brave. "You can still remain," she made air quotes as she swirled around on the bar stool "coherent, as you say, while loosening up and having a little fun."
He nodded, taking another swig of his beer before setting it down on the bar counter and turning to face her directly. He smiled that faint little grin he reserved only for those closest to him and she watched with glee as he reached up to his neck and unbuttoned the first three buttons on his plaid oxford. His eyes rose to meet hers and his grin widened. "See? I loosened up."
She smacked him on the shoulder, scoffing as he feigned being hurt. "That's not what I meant, idiot."
"I'm not an idiot. I'm just…."
"Boring?" she felt a rush of heat go through her as she watched his eyes flash at her statement.
"I'm not boring."
"Oh come on. Mr. 'Oxford shirt wearing, light beer on weekends only drinking, Ivy League school attending…"
"We go to the same school, Ep," he pointed out, nudging her with his beer.
She shook her own bottle at him, "Semantics. Anyway, you are so straight-laced. I bet underneath all that buttoned up, propriety, you'd be kind of…fierce. Like a lion or something. I think it's the hair," she ran her fingers through the curly, golden tufts and he ducked away, shaking with laughter.
"A lion, huh?"
"Yeah," she giggled, knocking back her fifth-and what she knew should be her final-shot. "A lion. Rawrrrr" she made a ridiculous clawing motion and grabbed the front of that button down…the one that he'd un-buttoned earlier. She realized that she rather liked the look of that hollow in his throat, right between his collar bones. His skin was slightly damp with sweat from the heat, and in the fading light of day, his whole being seemed to glow.
And all of a sudden she noticed just how very, very close they were, and just how very, very good he smelled, and how if she just stood on her tip-toes just a bit more she could…..
Eponine shook her head. Clearly she had had one too many shots. Suddenly she felt dizzy and sick. That last shot… she felt two hands reaching her waist and bringing her down off the swirling bar stool, and then she felt something cool pressed into her hand. It was a water bottle, sweating in the heat. Looking up, she saw Enjolras smiling at her.
He nodded towards the ocean. Let's get out of here and go for a walk. You need to sober up, Ep."
She rolled her eyes. "Boorrrringggg," she sang, but she took his proffered arm anyway and they made their way down the small, grass lined path, to the water's edge where they sat, their toes being licked by the gentle waves at the shore.
He grinned, but shook his head. "You keep saying that," he raised a brow. "Drink the water, Ep."
"Ok, Dad." She took a rather sloppy gulp, the water running over the rim of the bottle and down her front, and in her surprise she pulled the bottle away, the water glugging out, soaking her shirt and skirt. Giggling she set the water aside. Well that was graceful, she thought. And suddenly she felt him tense up beside her, the easy, relaxed Enjolras was gone and the serious, and seriously shy around girls Enjolras she was used to had re-surfaced.
"What?" she asked, quirking a brow. Jesus, he was ridiculously adorable with his rosy cheeks and his downcast eyes.
"Nothing."
"Uh huh. Right. It's something. What?"
"It's nothing I just…your shirt…" he gestured awkwardly to her now soaked tank top and he shrugged. "I can see right through it." He cleared his throat, then respectfully turned his head toward the ocean and away from her. It didn't occur to her what the hell the big deal was until she looked down and remembered that she had decided to forgo a bra that evening. Well shit, she thought.
They'd stopped walking after she'd spilled the water, and now they were just standing there. And fuck, she'd been having a really good time with him, and it had almost…almost…seemed like a date. And now her stupid see-through shirt had to ruin it. But maybe, she thought, maybe it didn't have to be ruined. She grinned a tequila fueled grin and dropped the water bottle in the wet sand with a plop, catching his attention and causing him to turn back towards her. To his extreme credit, he kept his eyes on hers the ENTIRE time, even in his startled state.
"Eponine…what are you…" and then he was struck momentarily dumb as he watched her peel her top off and toss it to the ground. Grinning madly, her skirt came next, and before he could even utter another syllable, she was she was off, running towards the water.
Enjolras stood, gaping as she disappeared headfirst into a cresting wave. When she re-emerged, hair plastered across her shoulders and cheeks, he continued to just stare in utter shock.
"Well are you gonna just stand there? Or are you too boring?" Her eyes were wide and teasing.
She watched, feeling like her life was in slow motion, as he lifted his shirt off over his head and tossed to the sand beside her discarded garments. He hesitated only for a moment before he undid his fly and removed his pants. He left his boxer briefs on. He took it at a jog, and then dove under a cresting wave, emerging slightly to Eponine's left. He stood, the water just below his ribcage, and she swam towards him, the water just covering her breasts.
"Well, look at you," she purred, sliding her arms around his torso, feeling his muscles tighten underneath her fingers. "Not so boring after all, I guess."
"Like I said, I like to be in control of my actions," they were so close now, and she watched his eyes flicker to her lips.
"I like a little chaos in my life," she murmured, sliding her hands down his back and pressing her hips flush against his, the water bobbing benignly around them. And with only the soaked boxer-briefs between them, she could feel everything.
"You are chaos…" he whispered, his voice deep and hoarse with wanting. And then her lips slanted over his, pushing, pulling, the kiss was as wild as the night had been. She tasted the salt of the sea, the bitter of his beer, and something else that was just him as their tongues met. His hands had come up to her waist and hoisted her up so that her legs were gripping him tightly, their hips undulating against the other's instinctively. He gulped when he felt her hands slide the sodden material of his underwear over his hip bones and down till they were finally bare against each other. The kiss turned heady, his body bowing forward against hers, and finally, with a hitch of his hips, a shift of hers,and a sigh from both, they were joined. For a moment all either of them could do was stare at the other, blue eyes boring into chocolate brown. They hadn't even begun to move, yet their chest were heaving against each other, breaths mingling from lips that were merely an inch apart.
"Oh fuck…." his voice was rough, raw, and needy and the sound of it sent a jolt of electric pleasure straight to Eponine's core.
With a wild grin, she bucked against him, allowing his length deeper inside of her wet heat, and Enjolras brought his head down against her shoulder with a low groan of want.
She bucked again, and this time, his hips responded in kind, and she threw her head back as his mouth fused against the erratic pulse point beating in her neck.
"Yessss," she hissed as his hands dug into her thighs. There would probably be bruises tomorrow…but she couldn't care right now. The only thing she could bring herself to focus on was the intense, white hot pleasure of his body joined with hers, the sound of the water splashing between them as they separated and came together, apart, together…repeat, repeat, repeat….
"God, 'Ponine…so wet…so tight…"
"Harder, more….Enjolras," her walls were fluttering around him, and he barely registered the pain of her nails as they raked up his back, marking him as hers.
His name, the way it rolled off her tongue in that throaty, sexy tone…was ultimately his undoing. He gripped her soft, supple thighs tighter in his large hands as he ground her hips down into his own as he chased his way to completion. With a few more sharp, uneven thrusts he was lost, her name ripped from his throat like a prayer to the heavens. They stood then, still connected, drinking in each other's uneven breathing until it slowed and calmed, and the breeze began to cool their bodies.
He pulled back first, just as she knew he would. Because as long as she had known him, Enjolras was incapable of not-overthinking absolutely everything. She knew when she met his warm, blue gaze that he had questions, and that he would want her to answer them.
She pulled back and eyed him, and was relieved to see that he didn't look quite as serious as she'd expected. In fact…he almost looked…relaxed, a remarkably easy, half smile alighting his features.
"Soo…" he murmured, and she placed a finger on his well-shaped lips. "Let's get to shore, Enj, before I turn into a prune. Then we can talk. I promise."
"Kay," he responded and, she couldn't help but feel her heart flutter in her chest as he maneuvered her in his arms till he was carrying her bridal style.
"What are you doing?"
"Um…taking you back to shore. Didn't you say you were getting pruney?"
"Yeah, but what's with the white Knight treatment? I can walk you know. Just because we just had sex doesn't mean I need you to fawn all over me or start becoming Mr. Chivalrous all of a sudden…" She wanted to cringe at the bitterness of her tone, but she just couldn't help it. It was her defense mechanism…and she was feeling more than a little vulnerable. Even though the light was dim with only the very last bit of twilight lighting the way, she swore his cheeks turned pink.
He cleared his throat, obviously uncomfortable and way out of his depths, "Well, I was trying to preserve your modesty, actually," he said with a wry grin. "In this position, no one can see any part of you directly unless they were at the right angle, " the water was at his knees now, and she was, indeed, she noticed, fully exposed. "I can put you down, if you want," he grinned wryly at her, his eyes sparking with mischief.
Eponine bit her lip. "Thanks, but this is fine for now." Thoughtful prick, she thought, secretly pleased, and mortified at just how pleased she was.
He effortlessly carried her to their clothes and delicately deposited her to the ground where they began to gather their strewn belongings, shaking sand, and ultimately getting dressed rather hurriedly. There was no one around, but neither one of them really wanted to give anyone a free show.
"Shit!"
"What?" he asked, his voice muffled by his shirt as he pulled it over his head.
"I forgot the reason I took my damn shirt off in the first place. It's soaking wet…and now it's caked in sand. I can't wear this, and because I am an idiot, I don't even have a bra. Urhhhhhghhh." She sat, in only her skirt, with the sodden, sand encrusted top in her lap like a limp, dirty rag.
"Oh. Well here" he unbuttoned his oxford and slipped it off, "…I know it's not your size, but it should work in the meantime," he said as he handed her his undershirt, a grey wife-beater. She reached out a hand and took it, slipping it over her head. It was warm, and it smelled like him…like Enjolras, and she found herself with a lump in her throat at the emotions that damn shirt made her feel, because...
Because this vacation was the last spring break of their college years, and she wasn't sure what was going to happen to them, their group, their bond. Because Enjolras had been her friend from the start. Because was her shoulder to cry on when her ex, Montparnasse had cheated on her. When they would meet up at the Cafe Musian for their groups get togethers, he always had her favorite scone and a cup of coffee waiting for her…and the coffee was always just how she liked it. He came to her rescue when a fire had broken out in her dorms and she'd lost most of her books, a closet full of clothes, and lots of pictures of their gang. He'd shown up right away to help sort through her damaged belongings, and had offered her the option to come stay with him at his flat. She'd ultimately decided to move in with Cosette, at the time telling him that he would cramp her style…but the truth was, she'd had feelings for him for years by that point, and she hadn't wanted to admit it then. He'd show up at their shared flat a week later with three gigantic Target bags, and a large box from their school bookstore. He'd gone out and re-stocked all her supplies…even her shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, as well as provided gift cards for new clothes, and he'd re-purchased her school books from the University bookstore. She'd hemmed and hawed, and she'd given him hell for months for that gesture. And he'd taken it all in stride, never wavering in his constant support of her.
And now here they were. Sitting on a beach with a post-sex high lingering in the air between them. She sighed, and leaned her head against his shoulder, and smiled to herself as he brought his arm around her, his hand stroking small, delicate patterns on the exposed skin of her shoulder. Eponine's heart was pounding. This was going to change everything. She was, she just knew it, singlehandedly about to ruin the best friendship she'd ever had. . "I'm in love with you," she murmured, her eyes on the stars just waking up in the darkened, night sky. She couldn't see his face. She didn't really want to, terrified of what she would…or wouldn't…see there.
He was silent for a long time, his hand still absently tracing circles on her arm. Finally his voice rumbled in his chest, low and even, clear as a bell. "I know."
For a moment, Eponine thought she'd had some kind of a stroke, because she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe or speak all at once. "W-wha-I mean? How did- I…" She shook her head and pulled away from him to finally look him in the eye. And he was so calm, his face so open. His face was relaxed and easy, just the barest hint of a smile in the lines around his mouth. "How long have you known?" Her throat felt dry.
"I've known for a long time," he said.
"But I…I've never said…"
"You didn't need to."
"I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you asked for when you sat down next to me tonight at the bar. I don't…I don't want this to fuck everything up. We can…we can just forget about what happened. I've been drinking. It's just a crazy, vacation moment, and I swear I won't tell anyone," she found herself babbling like an idiot. For some reason she just couldn't stop talking.
He nodded. "Aren't you going to ask me?" She frowned, "Ask you? Ask you what?"
"How I feel about you," he turned his gaze to her, and what she saw there in his eyes made her breath catch.
"I-I just…you've never dated. Anyone. The whole time we've been friends. I just…I didn't think you were interested in dating anyone."
He nodded. "You're right I'm not interested in dating anyone."
"Oh. Well," she paused, very confused now. "Okayyy, so then…what,"
But she was cut off by his lips pressing suddenly, and insistently against hers, and she practically melted into the unexpected, but welcome feel of his mouth on hers. He parted after a few moments, and a deft, teasing sweep of his tongue against her lips. "I'm not interested in dating anyone," he repeated, his hand gently gripping her chin, tilting her gaze up to his. "I'm interested in dating you," he said, his warm voice emphasized the 'you'.
"Oh," she replied, her eyes darting back and forth between his. "This doesn't mean you can suddenly treat me different. I don't need to be taken care of or handled, Enjolras."
He pulled back and chuckled, causing her chest to feel pleasantly warm. He brought his arms around her. "Oh Eponine…I couldn't "handle" you even if I tried. And I wouldn't want to. I like you just the way you are."
"Bitchy, impulsive, and hard to get along with?"
"Yeah. Something like that. That is," he looked at her sideways, "If you think you can put up with someone as boring, straight laced, and unemotional as I am," he smirked and gave her a wink and she rolled her eyes.
"Ugh..Fiiinnnne. You're the most exciting man in the world! Your spontaneity and devil-may-care attitude knowsd know bounds!"
"Nahhh, I am boring most of the time. You're the craziest thing that's ever happened to me."
She grinned and shook her head, not quite believing this was all happening. She kept thinking she was going to wake up from some fever dream fueled by tequila and find out none of this had ever happened.
"What'll we tell the others? Should we tell the others?"
He grew a bit more serious then. "I dunno. Do you want to tell the others? I don't have a plan. I didn't expect this to happen tonight."
"Lucky you," Eponine smirked as she fiddled with a button on his oxford.
He smiled, a real, dazzling one this time. "Lucky me."
She sighed. "Okay," she said seriously, "I say we keep this to ourselves for the rest of the vacation. It's only another week and then we're back home. It will be easier to figure things out then. If we tell them now they will all be in our hair the rest of the time we're here."
"Yeah, R's never gonna let me hear the end of it once he finds out we're finally together."
"Right he…wait a minute, he knows?"
Enjolras looked uncomfortable. "I may have mentioned how I feel about you to him once…a day…for the past four years."
She just stared at him…and then with a laugh some would call maniacal, she launched herself at him, her lips connecting with his, sending him flying back into the sand where they spent the remaining hours of their evening pursuing their newfound understanding of one another (mostly) silently…
…..
"Holy shit," Musichetta was on the edge of her seat, or towel in this case, as she listened to Eponine's tale of the previous evening's events.
"I know."
"I mean…holy shit this is for real."
"I know," she smiled, rolling onto her back, letting the sun warm her stomach.
"This is so major, Eponine. Are you so happy?"
"Yeah. I'm happy."
"Eponine, why didn't you tell me that you had feelings for him?"
Eponine sighed. "I didn't tell anyone! I was barely able to admit it to myself. I was really scared I was going to ruin everything."
"Well, looks like it all worked out for the best," Musichetta sighed dreamily.
"Stop that. You sound like fucking Cosette, and you know that's not a compliment," Eponine muttered dryly from her friend's side.
"Oh come on, it's a sweet story!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Is Enjolras going to tell the boys?"
"Not if he can help it! I meant what I said to him last night. If it weren't for you seeing those damn bruises I wouldn't have told you. It's just really new…we just want to figure out what we even are doing still."
"I understand. Well Enjolras is a tight lipped as they come. There's no way he'll let this slip out."
"Yeah. I trust him," Eponine said, closing her eyes and enjoying her sun-soaked state.
…..
"I can't believe you beat me!"
"Grantaire, you're three sheets to the wind, man. Of course he beat you," Combeferre shot this comment over his shoulder as they headed toward the beach. "Where did the girls say they'd be?"
"I don't remember. Did they say?" Courfeyrac replied, juggling (unsuccessfully) a large bag of golf clubs.
"I know but…I didn't actually think beat me. He's not athletic at all!" Graintaire's complaints elicited little pity from his friends.
Enjolras sighed as they reached their shared suite of rooms, plopping his clubs down. The other boys had been rather surprised at his skill at golf. "The girls said they'd be at the beach, Ferre, and as for you, you sot," he retorted, "maybe if you had stayed sober…."
The drunken man waved his hand lackadaisically in the air, "Oh for the love of god, could you BE any more boring?"
Enjolras just rolled his eyes. "I'm not boring, I just….."
"Like to be in control, yes, we know," Grantaire drawled as he strolled rudely past Combeferre and Enjolras, knocking into Courfeyrac on the way, golf clubs tumbling to the floor.
"Don't listen to him, Apollo," Courf said, rubbing his elbow where R had banged into him.
"I rarely do," their leader said as he moved to change out of his golf outfit. (He prided himself in having been the only one properly dressed for a golf outing. He was nothing if not meticulous about his clothing.) His shirt hit the bed and he reached for his red swim trunks, intending to change in the bathroom.
Marius, who had been on the phone with Cosette who wasn't on the group vacay with the rest of the gang, instead on a European vacation with her father suddenly exclaimed:
"Woah…..Enjolras! Did you get into some kind of fight with a possum or something?" And the room descended into silence.
Enjolras froze in his tracks and met everyone's stunned gaze. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything…." It was then he caught sight of his back in the mirror. There they were; ten long scratch marks, five on either side of his spine from his shoulder blades to the dimples in his lower back.
Courfeyrac rushed up and grabbed Enjolras for a closer inspection. "Jesus Christ, you guys! These aren't from an animal….these are from…" he paused dramatically and wiggled his eye brows, "a woman!" He let out a woop, "Apollo got himself laaaaiiid!"
"Shut up, Courfeyrac," Enjolras exclaimed, his face burning as red as his swim trunks. "And don't call me that.
"Holy shit! The marble has been cracked!" Graintaire shouted. Suddenly, the rest of les amis were crowding Enjolras, who quickly reached for the nearest shirt and covered himself, his blush deepening and extending all the way from his sternum to his cheeks.
"Do you mind giving me some space…"
"I knew this trip would be the vacation of a lifetime for you!" Grantaire was propped against the headboard, an open can of PBR in his hand. "Three cheers! Our marble, lover of liberty has finally been de-flowered!"
"R, that's not what …."
"You have to tell us all!" Courfeyrac exclaimed, looking extraordinarily pleased.
"Come on, Enjolras. You may as well tell us. If you don't Grantaire will just make some hideous story up and embarrass you forever," Combeferre said with a half-grin on his face.
Enjolras looked from one man to the next trying to decide what to do. Finally, with a deep, long-suffering sigh, he acquiesced. "So…it's a long story but….."
FIN
Well, that took WAYYYYY longer to write than I originally intended. But I'm glad I took my time with it. :) I hope you enjoyed. No plans to continue this…but maybe I could weave it into a longer story? Stay tuned! And be a dear, if you can, dear reader, and drop a review? Thanks!
xoxo
SS
