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ash-rigby · 11 months

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Sampling The Wares (Shark Humanoid) [F/F]

Featured Characters: Female human and a female shark humanoid. Both are adults.

Description: Enid, an adventurer seeking coin, has been tasked with travelling over treacherous waters for the sole purpose of obtaining a powerful aphrodisiac from a monstrous sea witch. Audra has what she seeks, but offers the warrior a chance to test the substance before she leaves. Enid is compelled to oblige.

Contains: Aphrodisiacs, Nipple Play, Mild Nipple Growth, Mild Clit Growth, Non-Penetrative Sex, Oral, Tribbing, Degradation, Multiple Orgasms.

Completion Date: July 2nd, 2023

Word Count: 4731

The closer Enid got to the island, the more it revealed itself to undeniably be a place of magic. The harsh, whipping winds suddenly dissipated in an instant and the turbulent waters which had threatened her small vessel calmed. The surface was like glass, revealing swirling, pale lights and wholly unique sea creatures. Anywhere that Enid’s skin was bare still stung from the cold, so the warmth that descended—though very humid—was welcome.

She was there on behalf of a man and woman from a town she had been passing through. They were offering substantial coin to anyone who would brave the perpetually tumultuous bay and the individual who presided in it; a witch in alleged possession of a certain magical substance. A powerful aphrodisiac, to be precise. It was an extreme length to go to for some added intensity in the bedroom, but Enid wasn’t about to turn down such a payment.

Her boat was dragged up onto the shore by an unseen force as she approached. A long, dark and slimy tendril emerged from the sand which made her reach for her sword. But it simply acted to tie the ship in place, burbling quietly as it secured itself. She released a breath and disembarked.

Before Enid was a moderately-sized, craggy rock face. A staircase with stone steps and decrepit wooden railings ran up it. It could only lead to the small island’s only dwelling; the home of Audra. Several large insects scurried out of Enid’s way when she walked towards it and began to carefully ascend.

At the top edge of the cliff, she came to a dirt pathway leading up a fog-shrouded knoll to a modest shack a short distance away. She paused to look for any sign of the reportedly monstrous witch. Nothing. The only movement was that of a crow pecking at something on the cabin’s crooked roof. It eyed her curiously as she approached, cocking its head before returning to its repetitive business.

Enid made her way up the three creaking porch steps and to the shack’s door. Beside it was a tarnished bell hanging from a short, haphazardly-installed metal arm.

“Best not to assume I can just barge right in,” Enid thought.

She pulled the bell’s string, startling as it made a horrible squawking noise instead of a ring. Her attention snapped from it and back to the door which opened mere seconds later.

There stood a creature a couple heads shorter than Enid; humanoid in most places, shark-like in others. She had sand-coloured skin, muddy yellow eyes, and a shock of short, unkempt golden hair on her head. Many deadly-looking teeth stuck out from her lips which twitched into an insincere smile as the equally sharp gaze travelled to meet hers.

“Hello, pup,” the creature said in a voice like salt water.

Enid straightened her spine. “Are you Audra?”

“I am she,” the witch said. She briefly looked Enid over, her nostrils wrinkling as she scoffed. “More hired muscle to take out a coward’s perceived threat?”

Her tone wasn’t angry or fearful; more lightly condescending. As if she were speaking to an insect that could be easily crushed should it think large enough of itself to try and sting.

“No,” Enid said, taking her hand away from the hilt of her blade. “I’ve come to purchase…something specific.”

Audra sniffed. “Suppose you wouldn’t have bothered ringing otherwise.”

She turned back towards the inside of her home, the fin of her shark tail audibly brushing the door frame.

“Come in, then,” she said. “Let’s get you sorted.”

Enid followed, finding herself in a dimly lit room full of curios and magical implements. There was a scent in the air. It wasn’t unpleasant, warm in her nose and somewhat spicy. Various ingredients were laid out on a table nearby. Assorted herbs, jars full of liquid too murky to discern the contents, and a strange purple root sitting half-chopped on a cutting board. Enid had clearly caught the witch in the middle of something; she would try and make this quick.

“Now, what might a warrior want of me?” Audra asked, leaning against the work table with her thick arms crossed over her chest; which was bare and carried two matching horizontal scars underneath where her breasts might have once been. She motioned towards the sword at Enid’s hip. “Perhaps to enchant that toothpick you carry?”

Enid gripped the scabbard protectively. “It was left to me by my late father. I would not see it altered.”

“Suit yourself,” Audra said with a shrug of her broad shoulders. She blinked into their brief silence. “Speak. What do you want?”

Enid’s face burned. She had not considered the embarrassment that would come from requesting the item she had come for.

“Courtesan’s Touch,” she said. "A jar of Courtesan’s Touch.“

A real grin found Audra then, a chuckle shaking her frame and flaring the gills on her neck.

"I haven’t brought any of that to the mainland for a while,” she said thoughtfully. “You must be desperate to come this far for it, you naughty thing.”

“It’s not for me,” Enid defended.

“Your loss,” Audra said, her yellow eyes flashing even in the low light as she walked over to a nearby cabinet. “It’s exhilarating. What your client lacks in guts to come themselves, they make up for in taste.”

Enid coughed. “It’s not my job to judge; my client or the product.”

“But of course,” Audra said. She procured one of a collection of clay jars from the cabinet. It had a burlap cloth secured with twine covering the opening. “Though it could be.”

“What do you mean?” Enid asked, finding herself oddly fixated on the way Audra’s large hand cupped the round jar.

“Come now,” Audra said with a smirk. “You’re telling me you aren’t the least bit curious? To ‘sample the wares’, as it were?”

She was not wrong; Enid had speculated multiple times about the substance. What was it about a simple topical ointment that could be worth her journey and pay? It had to be powerful. Images of heated bodies going wild together with pleasure under its influence rose unbidden in her mind.

“None whatsoever,” she said, attempting to dash the lustful thoughts away and keep her pride. “This is a—.”

“Job, yes,” Audra interrupted. “However.”

The witch moved forward into Enid’s space, her voice lowering.

“I’m hard to deceive, pup. This excites you. You may lie, but my nose doesn’t.”

She accompanied her words with an indiscreet glance lower on Enid’s body and then back to her face, her hairless brow raising.

“You…” Enid murmured, taking a half-step back as a further flush slammed into her.

Audra gave a harsh bark of laughter. “I was kidding…but I’m right, aren’t I?”

Enid’s lips pressed tightly together as she looked to the floor, her heart hammering and not just from embarrassment. She watched as Audra returned to the cabinet and procured a second jar that was half the size of the first.

“Your journey was long and you seem tense,” Audra said. She held out the smaller jar. “Why not unwind?”

Enid stared at the offered item, knowing she should refuse but feeling her resolve flaking away. She hadn’t even thought about sex for a while. Not before she had taken that couple up on their request. But surely, it couldn’t be that easy for her to give in to such an indulgent whim.

Audra was pushing. Though it did seem malicious. It wasn’t as if the witch had any reason to poison Enid or some other such wicked deed. Perhaps she was simply trying to sell more of her wares than this transaction intended. And perhaps it was working.

“You may use my bedroom. Completely undisturbed.” Audra continued, gesturing behind her.

At the rear of the shack, there was a room cut off from the home proper by a ragged but effective privacy curtain. Enid looked at it and then back to Audra. She sighed and, against her better judgement, took the jar.

“I…suppose it would be best to know its quality for certain,” she said. “Find out if the stories are just stories.”

Audra grinned. “Of course…that’s all.”

Enid brushed past her and made her way to the bedroom.

“Call if you need anything,” Audra said after her as the curtain was shut.

The room was small, mostly taken up by the bed but still with more than enough walking space around it. Despite being alone, Enid couldn’t help but feel awkward. She could scarcely believe she was doing this. The jar in her hand suddenly felt so volatile. Placing it on the bed, she set about removing her gear and clothes until she was standing topless in the witch’s bedroom.

Enid sat on the edge of the mattress. It was old, but not dirty. She laid herself down against the pillows which were individually flat and stacked to be in any way comfortable. Taking a breath, she then reached for the jar and removed the lid.

The scent of the contents hit her at once; not unlike honey with a hint of something earthy. It flooded her senses and made something pleasantly shiver its way down her spine. Emboldened by rising excitement, she scooped up a bit of the milky-coloured ointment with her fingers. She ignored the need between her legs, not quite ready to go that far with it yet. Instead, she brought it to one of her nipples.

As Enid rubbed it against her quickly perking flesh, it thinned into a liquid that ran in rivulets down the curve of her breast. She did the same with the other before leaving the jar at her side to work the substance in with both hands. A pleased sigh escaped her as she teased herself. It felt good, but nothing more than what was typical.

She added more, making the whole of her tits glisten with it. Arousal flickered to life inside of her; a small, controlled candle flame rather than a blaze. Her thighs began to rub together unconsciously. She was certainly losing herself to this more quickly, but she wondered when the real show would begin. Was this all?

Just as Enid was starting to doubt the witch’s words, she felt a tingling sensation wherever the ointment had touched, concentrated at its highest power on the now-hardened buds on her breasts. She stopped touching herself just to feel it descend upon her with fascination. It was warm and didn’t seem set on fading. Quite the contrary; it was growing more intense by the second.

Enid was helpless to it. She began to pant as sweat sprung up over her heating body. She became aware that the quick heaving of her chest was bringing her pleasure, however subtle the movement it brought to her breasts. Shaking fingers rose once more to her nipples. A loud moan wrenched itself from her as her back snapped into an arch from the intense pleasure.

Her body dropped heavily and she lay in shock for only a moment before she was compelled to continue.

“Fuck…fuck,” she whimpered, rolling a hyper-sensitive nipple between her thumb and forefinger.

Her heart knocked against her ribs. This was it. This was what she had been looking for and more. Any walls she had pointlessly held up shattered and she gave herself over entirely to the Touch.

Enid proceeded to grope herself like she never had before; hard and desperate. Her hands squeezed the mound of her breasts, all but tugged at her nipples. Wetness was gathering in her undergarments the longer she fondled. Shameless noises and curses streamed from her mouth which began to drool from the corners.

She could imagine the sight she made; reduced so quickly to a writhing mess just from touching her own tits. But she wanted more. Needed more.

Enid paused, hands falling to rest at her sides. A glance down her body showed her thoroughly used nipples. She gasped to see them having swollen to twice their original size. They were dark and lightly, but visibly, throbbing.

Enid reached for her belt. She fumbled with it, discovering that her fingers were shaking too much to undo the buckle. Her pussy demanded attention with ardent pulses. The need to please it was enough to bring frustrated tears to Enid’s eyes. Her hands dropped once more, gathering the sheets tightly into her palms.

Biting back a whine, her gaze was drawn back to her chest, slick with a combination of the ointment and her sweat. Her engorged nipples continued to rapidly twitch. She tried to resume teasing them, but a single prod caused a shock of limb-weakening pleasure. It was too much. She couldn’t keep up. The realization struck that she couldn’t finish this herself.

Laying there, set upon by relentless arousal strong enough to bring her a full-body tremble, it was hard to think. But she didn’t have to contemplate long about what to do next. Her mind wandered to sharp teeth and strong arms. To large, undoubtedly skillful hands that would be a balm on this ache. With a voice rising to an embarrassing near-wail, Enid called out in an urgent appeal to the only person for miles.

“Audra!”

Enid waited, praying that the witch hadn’t left the home. But the privacy curtain was soon being pushed aside and Audra strode into the room. Her eyes glinted as they slowly roamed Enid’s body which lay on willing display for her. A dark tongue darted out briefly over her bottom fangs, making Enid swallow hard around her heavy breaths.

Audra hummed in amusement. “My, my, what a state.”

“Please…please, Audra. Please,” Enid pleaded. “I-I need—.”

Shushing her, Audra approached the bed. She chuckled; more fond this time than ridiculing.

“Patience, pup,” she said lowly. “I have you.”

She situated herself on the bed and leaned over Enid, the scent of her heavy and intoxicating. Her hand cupped Enid’s face and she instinctively turned into it, exposing the length of her neck. Warm breath ghosted over her skin as Audra’s tongue traced its way up her throat and up to her ear, teasing at the lobe. Even that simple of an action made her cunt throb; she was done for.

Audra pulled away. “Look at me.”

Enid obeyed, meeting the witch’s thin pupils before being brought into a kiss. Though it was not as much of a kiss as it was Audra slipping her tongue directly into her mouth. She felt her eyes widen as the impossibly long muscle snaked down her throat and she couldn’t deny how arousing it was. Sharp teeth grazed her lips as the tongue explored deeply. Enid moaned around it when a hand finally found her chest.

Audra took one of Enid’s breasts, pressing and rolling the nipple under her thumb. Swollen and straining, it pulsed all the harder under the witch’s touch. She could certainly feel it and that fact should have been mortifying. But Enid couldn’t muster an ounce of care. Not when it was the source of such pleasure.

Cries muffled by the thick tongue laving around in her throat, Enid felt wild. Every brush against her nipple added to the fluttering heat that had overtaken her entire body. She thought she may very well quiver out of her skin.

Audra then retracted her tongue, licking her teeth as Enid gasped for air. Drool glistened on her chin and her gaze had become hungry. Both hands went to Enid’s tits, relentless attention fixed on the sensitive buds upon them. She gave yet another devious chuckle over Enid’s loud moans, her voice slightly rougher as she spoke.

“Look at them throbbing like that,” Audra marveled. “I knew there was a perverted body under that tough exterior. It’s always the uptight ones.”

Enid merely whimpered, ecstasy fighting against any coherent speech.

“Looks tasty,” Audra said and it was the only warning Enid received before that probing tongue descended onto her chest.

It was so much better than a hand, circling over her nipple at alternating paces as Audra let out low, satisfied noises. Like someone devouring a delicious meal. Enid weakly tugged at the sheet, head tossed back against the pillow. Her breasts were slowly wet further with warm saliva as Audra moved her mouthy affections between both. The sensation was filthy, but she revelled in it.

A fever of pleasure wracked her body. Her legs snapped open of their own accord as her ignored pussy dribbled and throbbed. She wanted nothing more than to grind it against something—anything. Her hips writhed with that desire but she could do nothing more.

Yet, somehow, it was enough.

Enid moaned when a familiar feeling, though with an unfamiliar epicentre, surged within her. It was rapidly building to a peak as she was fondled and licked. Her nipples all but pounded with heartbeats of their own; though that was likely the effect of her own racing pulse in her ears. She could barely tell what was what anymore through the haze of impending release.

Audra was unwavering, her pleased vocalizations vibrating against slick, heated skin.

“Audra…I can't—Audra, I’ll cum,” Enid said, frantic and breathless. “I…I—oh, fuck! I’m cumming! I’m cu—!”

The words were cut off by a loud, quavering cry. Completely untouched, pleasure radiated from her sweltering cunt. Her back bent into as much as an arch as was allowed by Audra remaining on top of her. The witch teased her through it, prolonging her ecstasy until it was almost unbearable.

Enid’s orgasm dropped her. She lay catching her breath, twitching periodically with aftershocks as her nipples continued to throb. Audra had sat back to seemingly admire her work. An infuriatingly arousing smugness was settled into those shark-like features.

“And that,” Audra said, fangs flashing. “Is Courtesan’s Touch.”

Her hand lighted on Enid’s torso just below her heaving breasts. She trailed her fingers downwards. They came to a stop just before travelling between Enid’s legs, toying with the seam on her pants.

“It does wonders here,” she said, undeniable excitement oozing from her tone. “May I?”

Enid nodded. “Please.”

“Good girl.”

Audra relinquished Enid of the rest of her clothes, gently sliding a single large hand under the small of her back to encourage her to assist by lifting her hips. Enid’s pants and underwear were dropped unceremoniously to the floor and her pussy was exposed to the air. She shivered, watching curiously as Audra took a moment to remove her waist wrappings and even things with her own nudity.

“Let’s not let you have all the fun,” she said.

Remaining standing by the bed, Audra lifted a foot and placed it up on the bed by Enid’s head so that her cunt was on full display. Enid couldn’t help but stare at the enticing folds and prominent clit. She swallowed at the thought of sucking it. The unrelenting heat of the aphrodisiac still raged and quickened her breath as her desirous gaze remained fixed.

Audra reached down to thumb at her clit, eliciting a pleased hum. She gestured with a flick of her head to Enid’s side.

“Hand me that, would you?”

Enid fumbled a little in reaching for the jar and giving it to Audra. The witch took a liberal amount of the ointment, using two of her thick fingers to rub it into her pussy. It quickly left a glistening, wet mess. Audra made a show of it, thrusting lightly into the air above Enid’s face as she played with herself. The scent of her soon-leaking cunt was dizzying.

“Getting a good look, aren’t you?” Audra asked in between heavy breaths. “You like to watch…I can tell.”

“Yes,” Enid admitted, barely suppressing a needy whine at the sight of flushed and dripping folds parting eagerly for tireless fingers. She would kill for that then. Her body cried out in every silent but still insistent way to be teased and fucked. She couldn’t stand it any longer.

Audra paused before any begging could occur. The whole of her pussy twitched as she remained with her foot up on the bed for only a few more moments. Enid could see a slight swelling beginning in her clit, wondering just how much it would be affected by the Touch.

Palming the jar and still breathing slightly erratically, Audra moved to sit back on the bed. Enid’s heart began to pound again in anticipation. Her head lolled against the pillow so she felt more than saw when Audra’s fingers made contact with her neglected pussy. It throbbed hard at the first stroke, sending her hips jolting.

The ointment melted to its liquid state as Audra took up an agonizingly slow pace. Enid moaned all the same, shaking and weak with the relief of finally being touched this way. Every stroke was heavenly, but they stopped all too soon. She felt movement which brought her attention to the witch.

Audra climbed up onto the bed, situating herself on her knees between spread thighs. Giving the warrior a crafty look, she reached out and grabbed Enid’s waist, pulling her forward with unexpected strength. Enid yelped and found herself with her backside resting up on Audra’s legs, her own splayed out on either side of the witch.

Audra smiled at the indignant expression she received but said nothing. She reached for the jar again to gather more ointment—and focus a generous portion entirely on Enid’s clit. The warm, wide pad of Audra’s thumb worked it in with slow circles. Enid’s toes curled from the pleasure. Her lower half trembled, her soaking cunt quivering with every pass over her clit.

She panted as a familiar tingling settled in. She felt it like hot blood rushing rapidly into her clit. Her eyes rolled back with it. This time, she was hyper-aware of the swell. Every heartbeat-like pulse filled out her clit further. The sheer increasing strain of it kept cries spilling from her lips even though the touches had ceased.

Enid knew that Audra had stopped to observe. To watch her grow with that sharp, starving animal look of hers. She could feel those feral eyes on her pussy and it only served to make her clit pound harder. Biting back a sob, she finally looked at Audra, her aroused ideas confirmed.

But more than Audra’s intense staring, Enid was struck by the state of her clit. It had grown to a fair three inches, thick and throbbing as it stood jutting away from her body not unlike a cock. She whimpered, dying to touch it, but unable to stop her mind from whirling enough to put her hand into motion.

Audra let out a low growl, but it was accompanied by a large, toothy grin. She shuffled backwards ungracefully, allowing Enid’s body to drop hard onto the mattress. The motion made Enid’s raging clit bob drastically and stars burst in her wavering vision at the shock of pleasure.

“Stay with me, pup,” Audra said huskily at the same time that Enid felt warm air puff against the skin of her sweat-slick thigh.

The witch was suddenly laying on her stomach between Enid’s legs, her pointed face inching closer to her cunt. That tongue which had enthusiastically explored her throat and teased her nipples slipped once again through deadly fangs. Enid barely had a lucid second to brace herself before it was tracing its way up her folds. A wail shook itself from her as it wrapped around the length of her clit.

Audra bobbed her head, writhing her tongue as she moved. The wet, rhythmic squeeze was exquisite. Her breath was humid against the mound of Enid’s pussy, laced with frequent drops of the saliva glinting off her fangs. The yellow eyes had glazed over somewhat, a whisper of palpable arousal forming on shark-like features as Audra’s hips began to rut against the mattress.

“Gods…gods,” Enid gasped, finally finding it in herself to return her hands to her still swollen and twitching nipples. Her moans cracked to a higher pitch, sounding in the small space over and over. She bucked into Audra’s face when pleasure would spike. Part of her feared she may lance herself on those sharp teeth, but it was a faint concern fogged by the mounting ecstasy of a fast-approaching release. Enid whined, ready to burst.

The tongue abruptly released her.

Frustration flared, tangling with the need in her voice. “N-no…why—?”

Similarly breathless, Audra crawled forward. She was keeping her typical expression, but desperation still seeped through the cracks. Once their hips aligned, she stopped.

“Like hell am I passing up feeling you cum on mine,” she said huskily.

Looking down, Enid saw Audra’s clit; similarly augmented to a larger size and throbbing hard between her legs. The witch’s cunt was dripping, slick falling onto Enid’s body as she hovered above. Two deeply heated sets of eyes met for only a moment’s silence.

“Fuck me,” Enid breathed. “Fuck me…fuck me.”

Audra grinned and brought their swollen clits together. They moaned in near unison as she initially stilled, straining flesh twitching fervidly against each other. She began thrusting, slowly at first but gaining speed as their combined wetness eased the movement.

Enid’s hands landed on Audra’s thighs. She held on for dear life, her nails digging into muscle-taut skin. The pounding in the length (and it was still strange to apply that word) of her clit worked south, sending both of her holes twitching with pleasure. Her pussy was on fire and soaked the sheets beneath them. She cried out, any words incoherent aside from Audra’s name repeating on her tongue.

Audra was practically snarling, the sounds punching out of her with every forward thrust. She was truly bearing down. The full weight of her descended in deep grinds.

“Take it, pup. Take it,” she growled. “Let’s get off just humping together like this, huh? That’s all we need. We’re just a couple of horny beasts.”

Enid moaned, unstable from Audra’s rough thrusting. “More…more…more! Oh, gods, more!”

“Nothing—hah—nothing else to say that isn’t begging?” Audra asked, playfully proud. “What happened to that smart tongue of yours? Cum yourself stupid on that last one?”

Maybe. But did Enid care? Not in the slightest. She didn’t care that she had let things go this far. She didn’t care that Courtesan’s Touch had made a needy little fuck-toy out of her. Every fibre of her being was alight in ways it never had been before. She readily lost herself to every deep throb in her engorged clit and gushing cunt.

“Harder,” she groaned through grit teeth.

Audra gave a laugh that was aborted in part by a choked moan as she obliged and upped her pace. Their bodies all but thrashed together, clits sliding over one another in a tight, wet press. The thick, heady scent of their fucking was broken only by the occasional sweet whiff of the Touch; a reminder of the simple ointment that had reduced them to this.

Like a shot, Enid found herself cumming. Any movements she was adding to the clash of aroused flesh stilled as she shook and moaned. The ever-present pulsing of her clit reached its apex while Audra continued. But it only took a few more wild, uncoordinated thrusts for the witch to join her.

Enid felt her throbbing and watched as golden eyes rolled back under flickering lids. Contrary to the earlier feral noises and filthy words, Audra was oddly quiet in her release. She seemed to be holding her breath before letting out an audible, gravelly and shaking exhale as she came down from it. Her head remained lowered, hiding her face from Enid while she gathered herself.

With a purposeful inhale, she eventually straightened and looked down at the human pinned underneath her. The corners of her mouth perked.

“So…that meet your standards?” she said, a bead of sweat dripping from her temple and caressing her lower jaw.

When she didn’t receive an answer from a still-panting Enid right away, she moved to dismount. But she was stopped by two hands slapping down onto her thighs. She dropped back down, mild shock finding her face for the first time.

“As I said,” Enid said slowly, heat creeping into her face despite her demanding tone. “More.”

Audra flashed that beastly grin and bent forward to grab the jar.

“You should be wary of what you ask for, pup.”

End

Masterlist

#text #spicy #ash originals #terato #exophilia #f/f #monster love #monster lover #monster girlfriend #shark oc #oc:audra #oc:enid

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spine-buster · 4 years

Text

The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 30

A/N: Okay, so, special announcement.....

The President Wears Prada is ending at Chapter 35.

I know a lot of you weren’t expecting this, but that is where I have planned it to end. It’s a natural end. Nothing will be forced. There’s still a lot left to go, a lot to happen with Aberdeen, Willy, and everybody else, and a lot to write about. I haven’t written up to it yet, but I know exactly what is going to happen. I didn’t want the end to come as a shock to you, which is why I’m announcing it now.

In the meantime, enjoy this chapter!

July 1st, 2020

Aberdeen Bloom was with William on the rooftop of his condo building.

She’d spun a wild web of lies to make sure she could be with him after he begged to see her for Canada Day. It was a bit awkward this year, because it landed on a Wednesday, right in the middle of the week, but she’d managed. She’d told Kasha she was with her family. She’d told her family she couldn’t stay the whole day, and because they spent the morning and the afternoon together already, they were okay with that.

She was getting too good at lying.

“What are you thinking about?” William asked as they lay together on a recliner they had dragged from underneath pergolas so they could see the night sky. Though there was too much light pollution in Toronto to see a sky full of stars, there were still some bright stars in the sky along with the glowing moon. From all the way atop the building, they could barely hear the noise from the city below.

She smiled. “For the first time, nothing,” she said, cuddling her head onto his chest even more as he held her hand against her heart. “My mind and my heart are at ease right now.”

She could feel him smile. He liked how she felt so at east with him. He liked how he could make her feel that way in between the stress of her job and moving forward in her career. He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Can I show you how much I love you?”

She raised her head from his chest to cock an eyebrow up at him. “We’re not having sex on the roof of your condo,” she deadpanned.

He snorted. He didn’t blame her for thinking that’s what he wanted. Ever since he got back to Toronto, they fell back into the habit of sneaking around. Most of it happened at his apartment now, in between skating at Scotiabank Arena and Aberdeen telling Kasha she’d have to be there the whole day and not just the few hours when they boys were in. “No, minskatt. Something else.”

“What something else?”

William shifted his body so he was sitting up more, causing Aberdeen to shift too, straddling his lap to face him instead. She ran her hands over his chest quickly before he took them, kissing them both, before she watched as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “You weren’t the only one I was talking to during quarantine.”

She furrowed her brows at him. She knew he wasn’t cheating – he wouldn’t be risking her career and her reputation if he was just going to cheat on her – so she had no clue what he meant by that. “What does that mean, exactly?”

“I thought you deserved some good news during the lockdown…quarantine…whatever,” he began. “So I got Kyle to send me Max’s number.”

“Who’s Max?”

William rolled his eyes and giggled. “Max Kerman, minskatt. From the Arkells.” He watched as her face lit up before he continued. “He told me to tell you they’re coming out with a new album. Well – new. It’s, like, an acoustic album. They’re re-imagining all of their songs as if you’re singing them around a campfire,” he explained.

“Really?” Aberdeen was excited by the news. “That’s so cool. I love when they do acoustic sets.”

“Mhm,” William nodded. “They’re releasing it in August. But they’re actually including one new song.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Want to hear it?”

Aberdeen’s eyes bulged out of their sockets. “What do you mean want to hear it? You have it?!”

William nodded. “Max sent it to me. I told him about how much of a fan you were, and he remembered you from the mentor’s trip, so he didn’t mind so long as we were the only ones who heard it.”

He could see her eyes light up like fireworks. “Well—well of course! I’m not gonna leak it!” she said as if Max were standing in front of them. “Is it acoustic too?” she asked. William nodded. “What’s it about?”

“Let’s see,” he smiled, fiddling around with his phone, shaking slightly. “I’ve listened to it once or twice. I think it’s a love song.”

Aberdeen waited impatiently as William found the song. He turned the audio up on his phone to the highest level as she heard Max’s voice count the beat in. When the acoustic guitar started, she automatically fell in love with it. Melodic, as always, sounding like a perfect Arkells song. She swayed back and forth gently, and at that point, she saw William staring at her.

I think about you all the time I can’t get you off my mind

Aberdeen’s body seized up immediately. I think about you all the time. I can’t get you off my mind. I think about you all the time. I can’t get you off my mind. I think about you when I’m not even thinking. I think about you when I’m not even thinking.

A rush of emotion flushed her entire body. “Willy—” she tried to get out, her voice strained as she pushed away from him.

“Minskatt—” he grabbed her hands on his chest as she pushed away so she couldn’t push away any further. “Minskatt, come on—”

“—Willy what did you do—”

“—Minskatt, minskatt shhhhh,” he cooed as he saw tears begin to fall down her cheeks. “Minskatt, listen to me—”

“Willy,” she stressed, looking him in the eye. “Willy, is this song about me? About us?”

He nodded softly. “I got him to write a song about you. Like your dream.”

Aberdeen burst out into tears, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed into them. William stopped the song and leaned forward to wrap his arms around her, bringing her into his chest to cry. He held her tightly and placed a kiss on the crown of her head. “Why are you crying, minskatt?” he asked.

She didn’t respond at first. But when she lifted her head from his chest and wiped her eyes to be able to see him clearly, she finally did. “Are you joking? Why am I crying?” she asked rhetorically. “My boyfriend just got my favourite band to write a song about me!” she exclaimed.

“But you like that I did that though, right?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes. That at least made her smile. “Of course I like it, you Costco hot dog,” she said, making him chuckle. “But I don’t – how did you – I mean what – how—”

“I called Max, and I told him about how there was this girl,” William said. “I didn’t tell him too much. Don’t worry. I didn’t tell him it was you. But I told him what was important, and some things to include. And he wrote it, and sort of filled in the rest with his own stuff.”

Aberdeen couldn’t believe what she was hearing. William had gotten Max Kerman to write a song about her. About them. Without even revealing their secret. And he’d recorded it. Mastered it. Put it on an Arkells album. Would tour with it. Sing it to crowds—

“The best part about it is whenever we hear it on the radio, we’re the only two people in the world who know it’s about us,” William said softly, looking her in the eye.

Aberdeen started crying all over again. She let her face fall back into his chest as he held her again. She cried her eyes out. This was, bar none, the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her, let alone a boyfriend. She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she almost couldn’t handle it. William, for his part, let her cry until she was all cried out – until she lifted her head again and wiped her eyes again too look at him.

“Can I play it?” he asked.

She nodded her head, preparing herself.

I think about you all the time I can't get you off my mind If they only knew Who I've been talking to You got a place off the park I'll come on by after dark Was nervous then When you let me in

We were hanging at cross town parties, oh Just killing time until the main event

And it hurts All throughout my insides I couldn't stop if I tried Loving you I'll never learn So I'll call you when I'm outside You said, "The key's behind the porch light for unit two" I thought of maybe quitting But there's no quitting you

You said that the fridge is dry But you got some red, you got some white The drunks outside Singing lullabies Slow dance swaying back and forth Whispering "What's mine is yours" When you say my name Hits in a different way

You call me out when I'm talking nonsense, oh And I'll kiss you when I got nothing to say

And it hurts (oh oh oh) All throughout my insides I couldn't stop if I tried Loving you I'll never learn (oh oh oh) So I'll call ya when I'm outside The key's behind the porch light for unit two And I thought of maybe quitting But there's no quitting you

My whole life I'm scanning for the exits, oh Lying next to you I don't wanna leave

And it hurts (oh oh oh) All throughout my insides And I couldn't stop if I tried Loving you I'll never learn (oh oh oh) So I'll call ya when I'm outside The key's behind the porch light for unit two And I thought of maybe quitting But there's no quitting you There's no quitting you

By the time the song finished, Aberdeen had stuffed her face into the crook of William’s neck. She let some last tears fall. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said in his ear.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, minskatt. Jag tänker på dig när jag inte ens tanker.”

“Jag tänker på dig när jag inte ens tanker.”

***

July 10th, 2020

The NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26 with 24 teams in competition for the Stanley Cup. The tournament begins with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, which include 16 teams paired in eight best-of-5 series and a round-robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeds for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "I want to make clear that the health and safety of our players, coaches, essential support staff and our communities are paramount," Commissioner Gary Bettman said when announcing the Return to Play Plan. "While nothing is without risk, ensuring health and safety has been central to all of our planning so far and will remain so. "Let me assure you that the reason we are doing this is because our fans have told us in overwhelming numbers that they want to complete the season if at all possible. And our players and our teams are clear that they want to play and bring the season to its rightful conclusion." The format was determined in meetings of the Return to Play Committee, which included executives from the NHL and NHL Players' Association, and five players: Ottawa Senators defenseman Ron Hainsey, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares and Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk. The qualifiers are being held at two hub cities: the 12 Eastern Conference teams are in Toronto, and the 12 Western Conference teams are in Edmonton, also the site of the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final. A comprehensive system for testing is in place in each hub city, and each team was permitted to travel a maximum of 52 personnel, including players, coaches and staff. "Obviously, we anticipate playing over the summer and into the early fall," Commissioner Bettman said in May. "Obviously, these are extraordinary and unprecedented times. Any plan for the resumption of play, by definition, cannot be perfect. And I am certain that, depending on which team you root for or which team you cover, you can find some element of this package that you might prefer to be done differently. But we believe we have constructed an overall plan that includes all teams that, as a practical matter, might have had a chance of qualifying for the playoffs when the season was paused. And this plan will produce a worthy Stanley Cup champion who will have run the postseason gauntlet that is unique to the NHL."

***

This was Aberdeen’s second training camp for the same season. She never thought she’d ever experience a professional sports team’s training camp in her entire life, let alone two. But her life had taken a turn one year ago (thirteen months now, if we were really counting) when she met William at that bar and had slept with him. Everything she had experienced this year was…surreal, to say the least. And that was just in her personal life. Never mind her professional life.

Although the lines were blurred these days between her personal and professional life.

At Scotiabank Arena, she knew the entire team was on the ice a few floors below Brendan’s office. She knew Sheldon was putting them through drills, making them skate laps around the rink, shoot at the net – whatever they needed to do to feel like hockey players again. Whatever they needed to do to go all the way. Whatever they needed to do to win the Stanley Cup.

“Aberdeen,” she heard her name being called by Brendan. She shot up from her seat and made her way into his office. He looked up at her through his glasses as he continued to focus on his laptop screen. “Close the door behind you, please. And sit.”

Suddenly her nerves got the best of her. He never usually needed her to shut the door unless they were talking about something confidential. “Is everything okay?” she asked, sitting.

He sighed, taking off his glasses and laying them beside his laptop. He took a good look at her before he began speaking again. “Aberdeen, I’m going to ask you a serious question, and I need you to think about it before answering me.”

She gulped. “Okay…”

“Do you want to come into the bubble?”

She was shocked. He hadn’t spoken to her about the bubble yet, and on the first instance he did, he was asking her to go into it. This was a grand total of three days before the clubs had to submit the final list of the 52 personnel who would be going in, so she was sure she wasn’t being considered anyway. “Me?”

He nodded. “You’d fulfill roles for both Kyle and I, and you would be helping the content creator with the social media aspect of the bubble,” he explained. “But Kyle and I were speaking, and as we were going through the list of employees to bring, your name came up.”

“I…me?”

“You’re reliable. Your hard-working. We know you’re not going to break any rules. And fuck, there’s some extensive rules,” he picked up a heavy duotang, wagged it at her, before plopping it down on his desk again. “But it’s going to be tough going in there. Psychologically. It’s not going to be easy. Especially if we go all the way. And believe me…we want to go all the way,” he stressed. “That’s why I want you to think about it.”

***

“Brendan asked me to be in the bubble.”

Aberdeen and William had a bad habit of asking things or blurting things out after sex while they were lying in the bed, she with her tits out, trying to catch their breaths. When she looked over at him, his eyes were bulged out. “What?”

“Yeah,” she nodded her head. “He wants me to fulfill my role and help the content creator with the social media aspect. But yeah…he wants me in there.”

Aberdeen didn’t know what she was expecting to hear from William, considering the information they already knew about the bubble and knowing that much more information was to come, but it definitely wasn’t a decisive, stern, “No.”

It was her turn to whip her head to look at him. “Excuse me?” she asked. “No?”

“No,” William shook his head. “I don’t want you in there, Aberdeen.”

Aberdeen furrowed her brows, not understanding why William was acting like this and saying these things. She shifted so she was propping herself up on her elbow. “William…I…what?”

“You…I…listen,” he began, sighing, “as much as I love you and as much as I’m gonna miss you when I’m quarantined in there, I don’t…I don’t know if I want you being in there. I don’t want you to experience that.”

“Why not?”

“We’ve already gotten the rules. We can’t be in each other’s rooms. Aberdeen, we can’t even speak in the elevators. It’s…I don’t know if I’d be able to do all that knowing you’re there too. But even more important than that, I don’t want you to risk anything. Your safety, your health.”

“Willy…” she cooed, bringing an arm up to drape around him. In turn, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, placing a quick kiss on her shoulder. “I know you want me to be safe, but I’ll be safe in there. If you’re safe, I’m safe in there too. What’s the difference?”

William continued to shake his head. “I don’t want you to have to go through, psychologically, what I’m gonna have to go through.”

She brought a hand between them to cup his face. “You don’t have to be the martyr here, Willy. It’s not like I want you to go through it either.”

William sighed, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck. She could feel his lips graze her skin on her neck and shoulder, but he stayed silent. He didn’t say another word.

***

July 12th, 2020

“I’ll do it.”

“You’ll do what?”

“I’ll come into the bubble.”

Brendan looked up from his desk, finally. He took off his glasses. “You’re sure about this?”

“Positive.”

“Because once you say yes you can’t back out. We have to submit the names to the NHL officially tomorrow. And once you’re in the Royal York, you can’t leave unless it’s a family emergency – death, birth of a child—”

“I know. I read the package,” she nodded her head. “I understand what I’m getting myself into. I’ll do it.”

***

July 16th, 2020

Aberdeen walked gingerly into the coffee shop Brendan had sent her to. In the middle of a pandemic. She understood cases were now fairly low in Ontario, but she was still apprehensive. People shouldn’t just be…going places. Walking into offices that weren’t their places of work or coffee shops that weren’t their regular coffee shops or grocery stores that weren’t their regular grocery stores. Places that they didn’t know. That they weren’t used to.

Yet here she was.

She stood at the door awkwardly. There were exactly three spaces for indoor dining when, in regular times, she knew there would be much more. At one table, a couple sat with masks on and coffees in front of them staring at their phones. At another, a girl who couldn’t have been older than here was sneakily taking a Snapchat selfie. At the third—

“Aberdeen Bloom?” the woman sitting at the table asked. Her eyes crinkled slightly, signaling to Aberdeen that she was smiling behind her mask. “Please, sit!” she motioned to the chair.

“Hi,” Aberdeen said awkwardly, extending her hand but then pulling it back violently before half bowing as a form of saying hello. She was so fucking awkward. She didn’t even know what this was for. “That’s me, Aberdeen Bloom. I’m Brendan Shanahan’s personal assistant. And your name is…”

“I’m Beth Zadakis, the major features editor of Toronto Life magazine.”

Aberdeen’s breath hitched in her throat. She was going to fucking kill Brendan. She was going to go back to the office and murder him in cold blood. “It’s so nice to meet you,” she said politely, thinking about the gold-plated envelope opener in Brendan’s desk she could use to stab him. “You’ll have to forgive me, but Brendan didn’t really give me any information about this…uh, meeting,” she said. “What is it that he needs from you? Or you from him?”

“Nothing, actually,” Beth’s eyes crinkled again. “It’s actually more so about you. Brendan tells me you’re a writer.”

Aberdeen gulped. “I’m definitely trying to be.”

“Have you submitted to us before?”

Aberdeen nodded. “Just to the memoirs section. I think it was Sandy who read my work, but it was ultimately rejected. At least, that’s who I got the email from.”

Beth nodded. “Sandy’s actually left to take a job with The Globe and Mail. And due to some promotions and transfers, there’s actually an opening for a contributing editor – it’s what we call our writers.”

Aberdeen knew very well what Toronto Life called their writers. She had dreamt of seeing her name on that list for years now. “Why…I mean—how do I factor into this?” she stuttered out.

“Brendan tells me you’re going into the NHL bubble.”

“I am.”

Beth leaned in slightly. “We’d like for you to write a feature for the magazine about life in the bubble. The hotel, the boys, the games – everything. Hockey in a pandemic. A full feature, anywhere between five to ten thousand words.”

Aberdeen’s body felt like it was on fire. She was sure her eyes were bulging out dramatically, but at this point, she didn’t care. “I can do that,” she said, nodding her head. “I can do that.”

“If you can pull it off, Aberdeen, you’ve got a job with the magazine.”

Her heart fluttered in her chest. “I can do it. I won’t let you down.”

Beth shifted slightly in her seat and took out a piece of paper. “I’m going to write you the name and contact information of my senior editor, Alec,” she said. “He’ll want to meet you and speak to you about the piece. But it’s a go, Aberdeen.”

***

“A major feature, minskatt?” William’s eyes lit up at the news Aberdeen had just shared, her giddiness and excitable energy rubbing off on him quickly. “That sounds important.”

“Is is important! It’s the longest feature of the magainze! Willy, it’s usually the cover!” she exclaimed. “The—the cover! Do you know how much of a big deal that is?!”

“I can tell from how much you’re freaking out about it,” he smiled. He reached to grab her hands and intertwined their fingers. He pushed them and crossed them at the small of her back before moving closer to her body and giving her a quick kiss. “Look at you, minskatt. I’m so proud of you.”

“Well, I haven’t written it yet.”

“Yeah, but you’ve shown me your writing. And it’s fantastic. So you’re gonna knock this one out of the park.”

Aberdeen knew how lucky she was to have someone like William in her life, always supporting her and always being her biggest cheerleader. While other people had told her to pursue other things, he was there encouraging her – the silent support she always wanted and needed. “I love you. D’you know that?” she asked tenderly, looking up at his big blue eyes.

He could only smile. “Not as much as I love you.”

She chuckled slightly. “You realize if I knock this out of the park, that means I become a contributing editor at the magazine. I become a writer. My dream. And that means I leave the Toronto Maple Leafs.”

“That means I can finally kiss you in public.”

Aberdeen smiled. It did mean he could finally kiss her in public. It meant a lot of things. They could finally be open with their relationship. They could go out on dates publicly. They could go out to dinner. She could bring him to San Remo Bakery. They could have picnics in the park. They could walk along the lake. They could post on Instagram about each other. She could finally have the name set as ‘William Nylander’ on her phone as opposed to ‘Head Empty’ (maybe she’d keep it that way). They could do so much. So so so much. “It would be bittersweet leaving…” she bit her lip. “I mean…I love my job, Will. I love all the guys.”

“Brendan wouldn’t have put you up for the job if he didn’t think it would be a great opportunity for you,” he shrugged his shoulders. “The guys would miss you but they know you want to become a writer.”

“But what if I can’t deliver?”

William shook his head. “Brendan wouldn’t have put you up for the job if he didn’t think you’d be able to deliver, either, minskatt,” he said. “I know you can do it. We all do.”

***

July 17th, 2020

“You must be Aberdeen Bloom,” Alec Young said with no hint of any emotion in his voice as Aberdeen stood in the doorway of his large, expansive office. As per COVID-19 protocols, there were very few people in, but apparently Alec was important enough to be in the offices working instead of working from home. She imagined he had piles and piles of articles to edit for future issues. She was surprised he even had time for her – granted, it was a quick lunchtime visit, but still.

“Yes sir, that’s me,” she nodded quickly, clutching her purse handles in her hands.

“Beth tells me you’re going to be writing a feature for us, possibly,” he said. “About the NHL bubble.”

“That’s the plan, sir, yes.”

He eyed her. “Sit. And close the door behind you.”

Aberdeen did as she was told, sitting in the plush chair more than six feet away from his desk – his office was that big. She settled in but he made her wait as he typed away furiously into his laptop before he finally stopped and turned towards her. “She told you the length?”

“Yes. 5,000-10,000 words.”

“And what we’re looking for?”

Aberdeen furrowed her brows slightly. “I…I assume about life in the bubble. Playing professional sports during a pandemic,” she said.

That was when he smiled. “No Miss Bloom. We’re looking for…more.”

“More?”

He clasped his hands together on his desk. “We know what hockey players are like, Miss Bloom. You’ve been working for the team for about a year now, right? I’m sure you’ve seen the shenanigans they get up to.”

“Shenanigans?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. The booze, the drugs, the women. They’re professional athletes,” he said. Aberdeen thought back to a hotel visit in Calgary where she found Mitch Marner and Jake Muzzin playing mini-sticks in the hotel hallway like they were a peewee team on their first-ever road trip; she also thought back to the snowball fight a bunch of them had in Montreal where they were giggling like schoolgirls while also deliberately aiming for each other’s nuts. If Alec only knew. “That’s what you’re covering for us. The shenanigans. Sneaking women into the bubble, the fights, the booze – everything.”

“I…” she began to protest, not knowing which words should come out of her mouth first. “They’re…they’re nothing like that anymore. They’re just not,” she said. Alec looked unconvinced. “These are guys that are bringing their gaming consoles into their rooms at the Royal York. They’re worried about the wifi being too weak when everyone’s gaming that it’s gonna lag or something. They’re not sneaking in women—and drugs? I don’t even know where to—”

“Listen,” Alec said firmly, holding his hand up to get her to stop talking. “Either you get us the scoop, or you don’t. If you get it, you have a job here, and the guarantee that your article will be on our cover and be front page on the magazine racks and newsstands. If you don’t get the scoop, you don’t get the job. It’s up to you.”

Aberdeen thought back to when Mike Babcock got fired. She thought back to getting called by Brendan late at night and less than an hour and a half later she was on the MLSE private jet. She thought back to just before going into the locker room, and what Kyle had said to her. “You know Aberdeen, Brendan trusts you.” She thought back to what he said after he thanked her for not leaking the information. “You could have sold that information to any newspaper or reporter and they would have offered you a job. But you didn’t.”

She remembered what she told him. “I would never burn this bridge. I’d never sell Brendan or the team out like that for personal gain.”

And then, what Kyle followed up with. “This city is rife with opportunity for people who take advantage of others. But you’re not like that – at least yet.”

That was before everything. Before she had sex with William. Before she carried on a secret relationship with him behind everyone’s back. Before she started lying to everybody. Had she changed? Was she a person, now, who would take advantage of others? Would she take advantage of the organization that had given her so much for her dream job in writing? Was she that person? A person who would lie to get what she wanted? Fabricate entire stories just to secure a dream job?

The answer, to her, was immediate.

No.

But she looked at Alec. “I understand,” she said instead.

He smiled. “Good.”

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