JC – Why? What’s wrong?
Quill – Oh, I just have to tag along while my dad does work stuff. This is so stupid. Quill texted, while waiting for her dad to unlock a store front door.
Her interest piqued when they walked through a corridor and into a studio. The floor was covered in brand new mats. There was a full gym with every kind of equipment imaginable, along with a wall of mirrors. She didn’t understand when her dad flipped on the lights to the studio. Her eyes were playing tricks on her. She looked to the neon purple sign straight in front of them to Seri. What the hell was going on here? The sign changed colors and a deep blue replaced the purple. ‘Seri and Quill’s’ it read. What the fuck?
“Do you like it?”
Quills head snapped to the sound of Julius’s voice. She was so confused. He was exposing himself right there. Right there in front of her dad. He was asking for it. Wasn’t he? What the hell? Quill looked to Seri and her dad, smiling and then…What? This was fucking crazy. Why were her mom, Reese, and Connor there?
Julius walked to her ghostly white face and wrapped her in his arms.
“Julius?” Quill questioned.
“What do you think, Quill?”
“Think about what? I don’t get it. Mom?” Quill said, turning to her. Somebody needed to give her some answers. Why was her family okay with Julius, standing right there? Why was her and Seri’s name on the wall of this studio?
Connor let go of Liz’s hand and she walked toward her. She even smiled and nodded at Julius. “You can’t move here until you turn 18. I’m not letting you go one day before I have to.”
“I’m moving here?”
“We’re moving here, and you and Seri are going to help train women to stand up for themselves, and never let what happened to Seri’s sister happen to another helpless female,” Julius explained.
“We’re?” Quill questioned. She was moving to New York with Julius and going into business with Seri?
“Yup,” Julius smiled. They did it. She had no clue.
“You were all in on this?” Quill asked, turning to her family. Everyone smiled and nodded.
“I hate all of you,” she assured them with tears in her eyes.
Aquilla was given the facts while they all had dinner. She couldn’t believe Julius was eating at the same table as her family. Her mom smiled at her often, contented that she was so happy. She could see by the way the two of them looked at each other that they were indeed in love. Some might think it taboo, being how they grew up together. She did. She didn’t care anymore. If he loved her daughter, she loved him, and if he was going to take care of her, she could live with that.
“Can we go back to the studio before we go home?” Quill asked, finally alone with Julius as he drove them to their new apartment. Quill was going to love it. He wanted to take her there, but gave in and let her go back to the studio, her studio.
“Yes, we can stop there first,” he obliged, reaching for her hand.
Quill walked him backwards, pulling his hand to toward the new mats with a look that he knew all too well.
“What are you doing Miss Quill?’
“Oh, you know,” she teased, pulling her tucked shirt from her jeans. “I just thought maybe we should try out these mats.” Quill lifted her shirt over her head and was just about to unfasten her bra.
“Quill!” Seri yelled, and on came the shirt.
“Jesus, Seri. How’d you get in here?”
Seri dangled her keys. “You keep that shit off my mats.”
“I’m not so sure you and my dad haven’t already initiated them. Where is my dad?”
“He took your mom and Connor to the hotel, and we did commence these mats.”
“Gross.”
Seri laughed, walking toward her with her hands out.
“Oh, you want to go?” Quill asked.
“No. I want to kick your skinny little ass. Why is it gross when I did it, but you were getting ready to do the same thing?”
Julius stood watching the two circle each other. Should he let them cat fight? Seri might get hurt. He taught Quill himself, then again, Seri did lay him flat in the hallway of that apartment building.
“Shoulders to the mat, three seconds,” Quill wagered.
“If I win?” Seri asked moving in.
“You get to lick my pussy,” Quill tormented. Seri had her flat on her back in a split second. Quill struggled, keeping her shoulders from touching the mat. “Do you want to win that bad?” she moaned, trying to get enough leverage to wrap her leg around her and throw her off.
“I do, my little, Quill. Somebody has to keep you in your place.” Seri moved just enough to get thrown to her back. Quill held her in a cradle, using all her might to get her shoulders to the mat.
Julius was beyond impressed. He jumped to the mat on his stomach and counted, hitting the mat to the count of one. Seri was back on her feet, but not for long. Quill moved in on a leg sweep, taking her down again. The two of them went at it for fifteen minutes straight, back and forth, back and forth, neither of them able to keep the other one down long enough for Julius to call it.
“I quit,” Quill panted, rolling to her back. Seri followed and panted alongside her.
“You’re one tough little bitch, you know?” Seri breathily said.
“Yeah, you’re not so bad yourself.”
“Are you two at it again?” Manny asked, coming to fetch Seri and take her home.
“No. We quit,” Quill assured him, sitting up.
“Can we go home now?” Manny asked, taking Seri’s hands and pulling her to her feet.
“Lock up, Julius,” Seri said, turning to him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and stay the hell off my mats,” Seri warned with a finger and a smile toward Quill.
Julius pulled Quill to him on the mat. “I paid for the damn things,” he assured her.
“I don’t want to anymore, Julius. I’m all sweaty.”
“I love it,” he assured her, rolling her over and kissing her.
“Please, can we go home first,” she begged. Wherever the hell that was.
Julius groaned and pulled her to her feet. “You know I have this massive hard on going on right now, don’t you?”
“Why? All you did was kiss me.”
“I’ve had it since the two of you decided to climb all over each other.”
Quill looked at him with a hurt look.
“Oh, no, don’t you even think that. I didn’t mean it like that. I have no desires for Seri, none whatsoever.”
“You fucked her, Julius, more than once.”
“Don’t ruin this day with this, Quill. I’m too happy. Do you really think I would have done that had I known you and her would end up best friends, let alone that you would be here with your family, and she would be marrying your dad. It’s crazy, Quill. I couldn’t have predicted all of this in a million years.”
Quill smiled. He was right, and she too didn’t want to ruin their day. It was filled with too many happy memories, too many emotions. She knew that she couldn’t go where her mind wanted to go. She loved Julius more than anything, but she loved Seri too, and needed them both in her life. Jealously would cause too much animosity. She couldn’t go there.
“Let’s go home,” Julius said, taking her hand.
Quill fell in love with the apartment just like Julius knew she would. She felt like she was on top of the world when they walked out to the balcony, 112 stories up. It was amazing, and all of the tiny little lights were just like the song, they did make you feel brand new, and she did feel inspired. She couldn’t have been happier.
Julius moved behind her and wrapped her in his arms. “I love you,” he whispered to her neck.