wild star| ongoing

thirty-nine

CHAPTER 39:
February 17th, 2016
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Brandy perched on a stool beside Teddy, her eyes drawn to him like a magnet to its counterpart. As he efficiently handled the check-in process for a new arrival, her gaze followed his every move, enchanted by him performing the simplest of tasks.

A subtle smile danced upon her lips, happy at just being able to observe him in his element. His fingers moved precisely on the keyboard, inputting all of the necessary information, before he stood up and went to the wall behind him, where the keys hung. "Room 210. It's upstairs."

The patrons, a family of four, thanked him, swiftly collected the key and their belongings, and were on their way. Teddy took his seat again, and Brandy nudged his side, her smile widening into a bright grin that summoned glee on his own face.

"What's the deal, Brandy?" he quipped, an amused sparkle in his eyes. "Why do I feel like you're plotting something diabolical by staring at me like that?"

"What, you think I can't appreciate my handsome boyfriend at work?" She retorted, feigning innocence with a playful batting of her eyelashes. "I'm just admiring you. You're good at what you do!" She punctuated her words with a dramatic flourish of her hand, causing Teddy to break into a full-fledged grin.

"Oh, so it's my key-handling skills that have you swooning, huh?" Teddy replied, mock arrogance lingering in his tone. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to be a master of key distribution. It's my secret talent."

She suppressed a giggle and leaned forward, her mouth by his ear. "I bet that's not your only talent. You're probably full of surprises, aren't you, Teddy?"

His pale skin flushed instantly, and she could feel the heat he radiated. "You're trouble, you know that." He averted his gaze for a moment, his fingers nervously trailing along the back of his neck.

The giggle she tried to suppress escaped as she traced her fingertips along his jawline, her touch infused with tender affection. "You're so adorable."

They had only been together for a few days, but she was already eager to get intimate with him. He had confided in her and spoken honestly about his lack of experience, feeling that it disadvantaged him. To Brandy, however, it made her all the more excited to be his first and to be the person he trusted enough to shed all inhibitions with. And she promised herself (and him) that she would make the moment as special as possible, whenever the time arrived. She wasn't going to rush him or make him feel like he had to get it over with. She wanted him to be prepared, to be ready to cross that boundary with her.

Her desire for him went beyond the physical; it encompassed the emotional connection they had forged in such a short span of time.

"I... I really want to take that step with you, Brandy. It's just... I'm still feeling a bit nervous about it. I hope you understand."

Brandy held his hand in her warm clasp, gliding her thumb across his smooth palm, a hand that knew no hard labour, as opposed to his mind, which had laboured all of his life. "There's no rush, Teddy. Whenever you're ready, I'll be here."

His anxious gaze met her reassuring eyes, gratitude mingling with the nervousness within him. "I trust you, Brandy. I just need some time to overcome these nerves."

"When the moment feels right for both of us, we'll know. And when it happens, I promise to make it special and memorable for both of us." She kissed his cheek as if it would seal the vow she made. Turning his head slightly toward her, his lips caught her own in a soft, lingering kiss. He was such a shy person, in every way possible, and it was evident in every small action of his.