Eve's Boutique - Ch 35

Chloe’s Choice

Chloe was habitually an early riser.  The morning was such a peaceful time, and she liked to use it to center herself for the day.  She liked to leave her drapes open at night this time of year, to help her come awake with the sun.  The experience wasn’t quite the same, sleeping in the park.  They were in shadow behind an apartment building for one thing, and the traffic noise was rather unpleasant.

The birds were nice, though.

She found her clothes under the giant blanket, and kissed Kayla on the cheek.  The girl was quite a bit bigger than last night – easily taller than Abigail.  Chloe smiled to herself, imagining how pleased her girlfriend would be to make that discovery.

Part of rising early was the chance to reflect on the previous day.  She believed in sleeping on tough decisions, and seeing Kayla like this helped to make up her mind.  She considered it a final time on the way back to the apartment – weighing all the angles, the pros and cons.  By the time she ducked through the doorframe and into the stairwell, she’d made her decision.

She took her time that morning and treated herself a little, brewing fancy coffee from the beans she kept in the back of the freezer.  The first cup was a little bitter, what with the addition of two of Eve’s potions.  She drank it down quickly, and poured herself a second cup.  She washed the dishes, dried them, put them away.  And finally, recycled the two now-empty bottles that Eve had given them – tucking the third, the silver reality manipulation potion, in a cabinet for safe-keeping.

Her plants weren’t quite due for a watering, but she watered them anyway.  She pruned off the dead leaves, then spritzed what remained with the little bottle she kept by her bedside table until they glistened a hopeful green in the morning light.  Plants really were the best.  They needed your attention and care, and they had subtle ways to tell you what they wanted.  And they moved so beautifully slow.  It helped you remember to slow down, too.

She had many responsibilities that morning, and little time to do them.  She moved with urgency but not haste, as was her way.  She showered.  Dressed, after spraying her outfit with fitting potion.  And gathered up all the things they’d need.

She grabbed books and small cherished belongings, but mostly, she took clothes.  A few things from Abigail’s closet; more from the one she shared with Kayla.  But the lion’s share came from Mackenzie’s room.  She grabbed a dozen of the girl’s outfits at least, and decided to clear out the entire ‘Emergency’ portion of her wardrobe.

She found the note while emptying out Kayla’s duffel bag.  There was little doubt who had sent it – the way it had been sealed with a kiss was a dead giveaway, and somehow even Lilith’s handwriting managed to look provocative.  Chloe considered reading it, or else throwing it away, but both impulses quickly faded.  The note was addressed to Kayla, and nothing in Chloe’s nature would’ve borne such a breach of trust.

She soothed herself by writing Kayla a note of her own, and signed it with those three words that still made her heart flutter, even on paper.

Despite how full she’d stuffed the duffel bag, it was feeling pretty light by the time she hit the stairs.  Her arms were noticeably thicker, and she already had to crawl on hands and knees to make it out the door.

Back in the park, Kayla was still sleeping.  She picked an outfit for her and left it folded on the pillow, along with the pair of notes.  She set out her phone too, and doused the whole lot with fitting spray.  And then, Chloe spared a few moments to watch her girlfriend sleep.  The sun was just cresting the building across the street, shining through the trees, leaving beautiful streaks of light on Kayla’s peaceful face.

She wondered which of them would be bigger, once her potion had run its course.  Chloe was usually more diligent about the dosing of medication, but this was magic they were talking about – no need to get hung up on precision when you didn’t know the mechanism.

The door to Eve’s shop was unlocked.  Far from the colossal expanse it had been yesterday, the main area felt… normal.  As though it was Sunday night again, and she hadn’t grown at all.  She took peace from it.  And with all Eve’s plants crowding around her, she could practically feel her blood pressure dropping.

She left the duffel, the fitting spray, and yet another note – this one for Abigail.  She considered tending to Eve’s plants as a courtesy, but time was short.  And anyway, interfering with someone else’s garden was downright sacrilege.

Chloe wasn’t big enough to rate the need for air support – at least, not yet.  The work crews did take notice of her.  They smiled proudly, occasionally even saluting.  She smiled back.  People stared as she passed, but it was a good kind of stare.  They appreciated her, without ogling.  She could’ve done with an ogle or two this morning, but it was nice not to worry.

She thought of her plants, turning toward the sun, and wondered who was warming whom.

Her Anatomy class had one of those extra-large bean bag chairs in the back now, the kind the campus provided when a big person was on the class roster.  She took her seat.  There was a nervous energy in the class today.  Exams were being handed back.  Chloe was nervous as well – but controlling those strong emotions, not allowing them to leak through, was a specialty.  She chatted calmly with friends and acquaintances, letting herself shade them as she grew.

She could see them responding.  Relaxing around her, accepting her protection.

Their professor walked the aisles, delivering the bad news to one student after another.  Chloe watched him, saw his eyes wander over some of the more attractive girls in class.  The weather was warm today, and there was a lot of skin on display.  Chloe was no exception.  Yet the man knew better than to take more than was offered, with her at least.  Even if her prodigious chest was perfectly at eye-level for him.  He maintained polite eye contact, reached up, and delivered her paper.

Chloe smiled.  A ninety-eight.  About on par for her performance in this class.  Her post-graduation plans were a bit in flux at the moment, but it was nice to know her GPA wasn’t an issue.

The professor had paused at the desk beside her.  He was making an excuse to have a long, lingering conversation – chastising an attractive young woman about her mistakes on a particularly tough question.  How she’d clearly printed ‘clavicles’ when she’d meant ‘carpals.’  The fact that she wore a flimsy little tube top certainly had nothing to do with his academic enthusiasm.

Chloe cleared her throat.

The man straightened, and moved on.

She was still small enough to fit through the door when class ended – though it was a near thing.  It was shaping up to be a beautiful day.  Across the walkway, the campus had recently planted some new trees.  Someday they’d tower over the science building.  Today, they hardly reached her ribs.  That was fine.  There were plenty of other trees big enough to shade her.

She really hadn’t doubted her decision, to finish off the potions.  It was gratifying to see how right she was, how good this felt.  Kayla might have some feelings if Chloe turned out to be bigger.  But today, she felt confident they could work through it.  And besides, everyone needed someone bigger to watch out for them, sometimes.