Quin's Dilemma

Ch. 9 - First Time Frustrations

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"Forgive me..."

- Quintin
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Chapter 9 - First Time Frustrations

▪️V I N C E N T▪️

I had known for a while now that I was attracted to Quintin.

What had started out as mere curiosity and intrigue was slowly transforming into something more. Exactly what? I could not really say.

All I knew was that I was not just attracted to his body but everything about him. Not to mention that he seemed to have the special ability to make me laugh when no one else could. A point that Dominic had not failed to mention on more than one occasion.

For obvious reasons though, I did not voice my feelings to Quintin.

Or to anyone else for that matter.

And I had no plans to ever do so. Especially after the stunt I had pulled in the kitchen all those months ago. I was not prepared to face what this attraction of mine could possibly mean.

Call me a coward, but I was simply overwhelmed.

At the moment, Quintin and I sat in one of the VIP balconies watching a theatre play.

The rare and expensive tickets were a birthday present to Quintin from Dominic. It seemed like the Calvetti mafia boss was indeed trying to play cupid as he insisted that I went with Quintin, citing that it would be a shame for him to go alone.

Which was ironic, seeing as Jade would never do anything to mess up Quintin's birthday. But apparently, she insisted that I went, claiming that she needed to finish prepare the decorations for his party.

As if I believed that shit.

But clearly, with both Dominic and Jade being up to something and having been harassing me for days, there was no way for me to back out.

During the different acts, I would sometimes look over at Quintin, drawn to the sound of his laugh. At times, we would briefly make eye contact and I was startled by how beautiful they were. His eyes had the softest hues of brown that I had ever seen, infused with green and I gulped as I observed the way his pupils dilated before he turned his attention back towards the stage.

Even though I initially did not want to go, as it felt more like a date than a simply outing, I had to admit that I was enjoying myself.

The play was a Japanese-language version of Sophocles' nearly 2,500-year-old play. It invoked elements of Noh theatre, a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama as well as showcasing Buddhist philosophy, while being performed entirely in a shallow pool of water.

It was truly enthralling, the way the actors interacted with the elements on the stage. Not to mention the mesmerizing accompaniment provided by world-class percussionists which was simply magnificent.

Since we were sitting next to each other, I was very much aware of how close his body was to mine, our legs only inches from touching.

At one-point, Quintin crossed his legs, which caused his right thigh to press up against my left thigh. I could feel the heat of his skin through his pants and I was surprised that he just left his leg in that position; usually, his accidental touches would be brief.

I figured that I was thinking too much into it, as since that night in the kitchen, it seemed like he heeded my warning.

Glancing at him out of the corner of my eyes, I felt my breathing deepen as I admired his side profile. Since it was his birthday, he had dressed up a bit, and the custom navy-blue suit that he wore looked amazing on him. His white shirt was a perfect fit and it stretched over his leanly muscled abdomen nicely.