Natalia found Dominique alone in the ferry bar, swirling a cocktail drink with her index finger.
"Hey, stranger," Natalia greeted, taking the barstool next her wife. "I've been looking all over for you. We're due to dock in 5 minutes."
Dominique threw her an absent smile. "I needed to get away from my sisters for a while. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," Natalia answered, signalling for a double martini to the bartender, who'd been busy wiping shot glasses. While waiting, she took the time to silently observe her wife.
Dominique Gerard was so beautiful. So effortlessly beautiful. Bitingly confident about it too. She probably didn't have an insecure bone in her body. Often, Natalia worried that she wasn't enough.
"Dominique..." she hesitated. "Are you happy with me?"
Her wife turned to her, puzzled. "Yes. Did I make you feel anything less than that?"
Natalia shook her head, strands of caramel box braids falling over her face. "No, you didn't. I guess I just wanted to be reassured once in a while."
Dominique stared at her a moment, then chuckled. "Silly girl."
It wasn't always easy being with Natalia. She had to fight for them to be together.
Her father, the old-fashioned idiot, had made it clear he did not want a lesbian for a daughter. It would ruin the family, he said. Bad for business. He had threatened to disinherit her. Promised that she would never know relief for as long as he lives. He even swore to harm Natalia.
Of course, her wife never knew all of this. Still doesn't. Gerard business always stays within Gerard walls.
If Dominique had not reminded the old man that she was the best goddamn potioneer in the family and that she was the reason why the family business had grown five times it was before, Charles-François would have never allowed the union.
It helped that Natalia was from a magicked family, one from the council -- the Rouselles. If she'd been human, Charles-François would not have been as accommodating. As it was, Dominique had him convinced the marriage would be beneficial for the Gerards. It was easier to persuade through greed than through affection with Charles-François. Dominique suspected her father had none of the latter for his children.
"Do you remember that time we first met?" Natalia asked, staring at her drink when the bartender set it in front of her.
"Aboard the Red Coral? Most certainly. I remember itching to take your dress off the moment I laid eyes on you," Dominique purred, and Natalia gave her arm a playful smack.
The Red Coral was one of the cruise ships Natalia's family owned. For its maiden voyage, she had decided to come along. Dominique thought the same thing.
"What was the name of that guy you were with? Tall? Blond? Bearded? Really fit?"
"Steven?"
"Yeah, him. Whatever happened to him? You introduced him to us as your boyfriend."
"He was... alright. We only lasted for a week. He was quite boring. More interested in guns and being fawned over for his macho-ness than actually giving orgasms. The last couple of times I actually fell asleep."
"Of him talking about guns?"
"No, of him trying to get me off." Dominique shook her head, exasperated. "For someone who talks about guns a lot, he doesn't know how to use his."
Natalia laughed. "I thought he was a decent fellow."
"I'm not really interested in decent." She linked their hands together. "Or of fellows."
"Why did you date him then?"
Dominique shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Do you still think of him sometimes?"
Surprised at the question, Dominique turned to look at Natalia and suddenly bursted out laughing. "What has gotten into you?"
Natalia wrinkled her nose. "Well? Do you?"
Body still shaking with laughter, Dominique downed her drink in one gulp and swiveled her seat so that all of her was facing Natalia.
"You occupy my thoughts all the time. How could anybody else have space inside my head?" Dominique solemnly answered.
Natalia blushed. "Really?"
Dominique smiled and leaned forward, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Yes, really."
Natalia opened her mouth to say something in reply, but the ferry's fog horn interrupted her.
"I guess it's time to head back. Noelle and Thérèse will be looking for us."
Dominique made a face but stood up anyway. "Ugh. Sisters."
"Stop it," Natalia laughed again. "I feel bad for them. You're always giving them a hard time."
Dominique grinned. "Fine. I'll just annoy them every other day. During business hours. That should give them plenty of time to rest."
Natalia laughed harder. "Sometimes, I wonder how you three made it into adulthood without killing each other."
"Laziness, I suppose. Nobody really wants to do all that work hiding the bodies."
The bar door closed behind them, but Natalia's amused laughter still trailed behind.
The Lovers
Date: 11/3/19
Time: 6:55 PM
Venue: Aboard the last ferry to Wailing Rock
Characters: Dominique (NPC) and Natalia (NPC)
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Natalia found Dominique alone in the ferry bar, swirling a cocktail drink with her index finger.
"Hey, stranger," Natalia greeted, taking the barstool next her wife. "I've been looking all over for you. We're due to dock in 5 minutes."
Dominique threw her an absent smile. "I needed to get away from my sisters for a while. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," Natalia answered, signalling for a double martini to the bartender, who'd been busy wiping shot glasses. While waiting, she took the time to silently observe her wife.
Dominique Gerard was so beautiful. So effortlessly beautiful. Bitingly confident about it too. She probably didn't have an insecure bone in her body. Often, Natalia worried that she wasn't enough.
"Dominique..." she hesitated. "Are you happy with me?"
Her wife turned to her, puzzled. "Yes. Did I make you feel anything less than that?"
Natalia shook her head, strands of caramel box braids falling over her face. "No, you didn't. I guess I just wanted to be reassured once in a while."
Dominique stared at her a moment, then chuckled. "Silly girl."
It wasn't always easy being with Natalia. She had to fight for them to be together.
Her father, the old-fashioned idiot, had made it clear he did not want a lesbian for a daughter. It would ruin the family, he said. Bad for business. He had threatened to disinherit her. Promised that she would never know relief for as long as he lives. He even swore to harm Natalia.
Of course, her wife never knew all of this. Still doesn't. Gerard business always stays within Gerard walls.
If Dominique had not reminded the old man that she was the best goddamn potioneer in the family and that she was the reason why the family business had grown five times it was before, Charles-François would have never allowed the union.
It helped that Natalia was from a magicked family, one from the council -- the Rouselles. If she'd been human, Charles-François would not have been as accommodating. As it was, Dominique had him convinced the marriage would be beneficial for the Gerards. It was easier to persuade through greed than through affection with Charles-François. Dominique suspected her father had none of the latter for his children.
"Do you remember that time we first met?" Natalia asked, staring at her drink when the bartender set it in front of her.
"Aboard the Red Coral? Most certainly. I remember itching to take your dress off the moment I laid eyes on you," Dominique purred, and Natalia gave her arm a playful smack.
The Red Coral was one of the cruise ships Natalia's family owned. For its maiden voyage, she had decided to come along. Dominique thought the same thing.
"What was the name of that guy you were with? Tall? Blond? Bearded? Really fit?"
"Steven?"
"Yeah, him. Whatever happened to him? You introduced him to us as your boyfriend."
"He was... alright. We only lasted for a week. He was quite boring. More interested in guns and being fawned over for his macho-ness than actually giving orgasms. The last couple of times I actually fell asleep."
"Of him talking about guns?"
"No, of him trying to get me off." Dominique shook her head, exasperated. "For someone who talks about guns a lot, he doesn't know how to use his."
Natalia laughed. "I thought he was a decent fellow."
"I'm not really interested in decent." She linked their hands together. "Or of fellows."
"Why did you date him then?"
Dominique shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Do you still think of him sometimes?"
Surprised at the question, Dominique turned to look at Natalia and suddenly bursted out laughing. "What has gotten into you?"
Natalia wrinkled her nose. "Well? Do you?"
Body still shaking with laughter, Dominique downed her drink in one gulp and swiveled her seat so that all of her was facing Natalia.
"You occupy my thoughts all the time. How could anybody else have space inside my head?" Dominique solemnly answered.
Natalia blushed. "Really?"
Dominique smiled and leaned forward, pressing a kiss on her forehead. "Yes, really."
Natalia opened her mouth to say something in reply, but the ferry's fog horn interrupted her.
"I guess it's time to head back. Noelle and Thérèse will be looking for us."
Dominique made a face but stood up anyway. "Ugh. Sisters."
"Stop it," Natalia laughed again. "I feel bad for them. You're always giving them a hard time."
Dominique grinned. "Fine. I'll just annoy them every other day. During business hours. That should give them plenty of time to rest."
Natalia laughed harder. "Sometimes, I wonder how you three made it into adulthood without killing each other."
"Laziness, I suppose. Nobody really wants to do all that work hiding the bodies."
The bar door closed behind them, but Natalia's amused laughter still trailed behind.
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