I glanced at him, and not for the first time, I imagined slapping his face.
“Come on, Frid.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
This was enough dating for me. I could honestly say that I tried, and wasn’t too impressed.
I stood, but Niall grabbed my elbow and without stopping myself, I rotated his arm and his body slammed against the table.
“What’s wrong with you?” He growled.
“I’m off to bed,” I said, picking up my kvass.
“We’re not finished,” he attempted to get up, but Tynan who sat closest to him caught his shoulder.
“Let it go, man. She made her choice,” Sol said.
I didn’t stick around to hear the rest.
“Frid, are you alright in there?” Victor’s voice pierced through my slumber.
I opened my eyes, just then noticing the slow movement of water in the pool.
“Yeah, I’m good. Just fell asleep.” I sat up.
The water was cool and soothing against my legs. I raised my knee, noticing the soft, peachy fuzz of hair along my skin. I have heard that women were supposed to remove all the hair from their bodies, but I never cared enough to inquire how it could be done. Victor probably would never date someone who was so indifferent to her appearances.
I sighed and looked up at the ceiling. In the corner there were several lanterns filled with insects whose fluttering wings radiated a gentle glow all around them. The light the bugs produced was a cool tone of soft blue and it strangely soothed my nerves. I stared at the dancing flickers of light on the stone walls for several minutes before finally getting to my feet and reaching for the towel.
“Frid?”
Suddenly, the curtain that separated the room I was in from the rest of the apartment lifted. Victor froze at the threshold. I whipped the material toward me so fast, a loud snap filled the air. I only had a moment to wrap myself in the towel. It all happened so fast, I did not even have time to get properly embarrassed.
“What the fuck?” I clenched the thick fabric to my body, trying to cover as much as I could.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear you say anything.” He moved his head, looking at the wall.
And for the first time ever, I saw his usually pale cheeks flush.
“Get out!” I shouted.
He immediately turned away, but my eyes caught his hand closing into a fist as he disappeared behind the curtain.
One of the girls had brought us a change of clothes and I wanted to refuse them, but then I remembered our deal. I judged that it would not be very smart to decline the offer since we were dependent on the help of the commune. I could not stop fiddling with the dress I had on, unsure about its design. The top piece was made up of skillfully placed knots that formed two triangles that were supposed to accommodate my curves. The lower part consisted of a loose skirt with cuts on each side to allow more movement. The fabric was silky smooth in a light sandy color. Ihad to agree that in this climate, this type of covering was very appropriate.
I looked up, meeting Victor’s gaze. He was staring at me, a lot, and it played on my nerves. Why was he so smitten by the stupid dress? He had already seen me without clothes. That was something I will not be able to forget.
More lanterns lined the passages as we followed one of the sisters to the common room. People occupied seating areas carved from the rock, or sat on the blankets that were laid out on the floor. A welcoming warmth seeped freely from the walls, expelling the heat that was absorbed during the day.
Mahin was standing with Amira and both of them turned our way as we walked in. The look on their faces was not incredibly friendly.
“Sister, you may choose anything from the tables, and please, make yourself comfortable.” The girl bowed leaving us standing awkwardly while the attention of the entire room was solely on Victor and me.
“It’s because you’re wearing your flying suit,” I whispered to Victor.
“I doubt it.”
