One Piece (CH30) (Patreon)

Here we are, three days later. I'm going to do my best to get back on a two-day schedule. Please have patience with me, I need to fix my terrible work ethic >.>

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Jack and Paula stood on their separate balconies, smoking in silence. The former was relieved to realize she wasn't paying much attention to him—nursing her thoughts while staring into the distance. The previous uncomfortable atmosphere had long since vanished.

It was a while before she glanced at him, clarity slowly returning to her gaze. "So, did you two have fun?"

Jack laughed awkwardly. "Yeah. Well, I did. You'd have to ask her yourself, though."

"...I don't think that's necessarily." Paula said, raising her eyebrows. "But then, why are you out here instead of in bed with Miki?"

He scratched the back of his neck, not quite knowing what to say. "I was awake, so I stepped outside. I didn't want to wake her up."

Paula hummed. "Is that so? What's keeping you up? I'd think you'd be tired out after all... that."

"Just some stuff. Nothing serious. I wouldn't want to bother you with it." He said, eyeing her expression. She didn't seem that interested. Maybe she was just making conversation.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm asking, aren't I? Why would it bother me? Or what—are you too manly to talk about your problems?"

Jack blinked. "Well... it's not really the type of thing I should talk about. In this situation."

"Is it about a woman?"

"..."

He went silent, all but confirming her speculation. Surprisingly, he found himself feeling quite guilty—not an emotion he was overly prone to. He got the impression Paula and Ms. Valentine were good friends. How would she feel if he started rambling about his ex, right after fucking her best friend?

One corner of her lips curved upward, dragging on her cigarette. "I knew it. You just had that look about you. Go on, let it all out. Tell auntie Paula."

Jack coughed, puffs of smoke exiting his nostrils. "'Auntie'? You don't look a day over twenty-five."

She laughed, lifting one smooth, bare leg and resting her foot on the railing. She leapt over to his balcony, landing weightlessly next to him. She looked even more beautiful up close—Jack could smell a fresh, faintly floral scent on the breeze. Probably her shampoo.

"I hope you don't mind me inviting myself over." Paula said, looking him up and down, her eyes scanning his shirtless chest and abdomen. "And you don't need to flatter me. I know most boys prefer someone younger than themselves." She said, eventually meeting his gaze.

Jack was speechless. The woman in front of him had a figure that would put supermodels to shame. It would be almost impossible to meet someone like her back on Earth. Even here, where people were better looking on average, she'd draw glances everywhere she went.

He fought to tear his gaze away from her generous assets. "I think you're very, very wrong about that. In my case at least, I'm not too fond of them. Teenage girls can be attractive, but... a lot of that appeal disappears once you start talking to them."

Paula laughed before her eyes widened, putting a hand over her mouth. She looked in the direction of her sleeping friend. "Whoops... but, well, I've never heard someone put it like that. You shouldn't blame them too much, though. Most girls that age really don't have their heads screwed on right. Boys too. They don't know what life is like."

Jack just smiled, though it looked a little self-deprecating. He'd known guys that dated younger girls, and it'd worked out fine for them. Personally, it wasn't something he'd do again. There was a lot to be said about having more things in common—being a similar age made that more likely. Of course, that was only scraping the surface of the mess his past life's relationships were.

After staying silent for a while, he glanced at her. He didn't know why he suddenly had the impulse to just... tell her everything. Maybe it was the drinks beforehand, or maybe because he knew they'd part ways soon. They were simply acquaintances. It was possible she'd gossip behind his back, but so what? It was unlikely to affect him.

He breathed out slowly. "Well, you asked for it... If I'm being honest, I guess I'm just wondering what I'm doing here."

"In what sense?" Paula asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure how else to put this... I've developed a bad habit of chasing after every pretty woman I see. It sounds silly, but-..."

Before he could finish, she giggled, waving her hand at him. "I'm sorry. It does sound silly, but go on."

"...well, I feel like I'm doing it for the wrong reasons. If there even are right reasons for that kind of behavior."

Paula's lips twitched, clearly holding back laughter. "You're taking this so seriously. Aren't you just having some fun? I'm sure Miki feels the same. Are you worried about hurting her?"

Jack shook his head. "You think too well of me." He said, briefly glancing toward the bedroom.

She twirled her cigarette with some exasperation. "Then what is it? Or would you rather have me guess?"

"...it's like I'm trying to cover up something. Some psychological issue." He said, scratching his cheek awkwardly, not sounding exactly sure himself.

"By sleeping with a bunch of different women?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. I'm not making much sense, aren't I?"

Paula looked at him evenly for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "Plenty of men sleep around. People in general. It's not that strange. But it's clearly bothering you. Would you like a more serious relationship in your life?"

Jack had an almost imperceptible slump in his shoulders. "Actually... I'm somewhat of a serious person. Most of the time I'm, well..."

"Putting on an act? Trying to be macho and cocky?" She asked pointedly.

He laughed. "I don't know whether you'd think worse of me if I said no or yes... no, it's not completely fake. But a lot of the time, when I'm turning it up to eleven, it's on purpose."

"And you do that... why exactly?"

"I guess..." Jack started, shrugging his shoulders. "...I've found that people don't really like it when you're too serious. When they're with other people, they just want to have a good time, goof around and unwind."

Paula looked at him strangely. "First you were talking about not caring how Miki felt, now you're suddenly saying that."

He grunted. "You're right. Sometimes, things bug me, and I don't understand why."

There was a moment's silence before she glanced at him, her lips curving into a faint smirk. "You know what I think?"

"What?"

"That you're tired." She said, patting his chest. "And you had I little too much to drink. I know it helps make the first time less awkward and more fun, so I understand why you guys had some beforehand. But you're saying a lot of things you might feel embarrassed about tomorrow."

Jack chuckled. "That's for sure."

"...well, if you feel a little better, then it's not entirely a bad thing." Paula trailed her nails across his shoulder. "I thought about inviting you over to my room, but I guess now isn't the time. I'll see you two tomorrow." She said, making a shooing motion. "Go back first. Your balcony is nicer than mine, so I'll stay here for a while."

Jack tiredly ran a hand across his face. "Maybe getting some sleep isn't a bad idea. Anyway, thanks for listening to me ramble. You really have that dependable older sister vibe. I bet you've helped Miki plenty."

Paula didn't say anything, simply giving him a smile. She continued smoking her cigarette, turning to stare off into the distance.

Taking that as his cue, he walked over to the door, sliding it open quietly. Stepping inside, he saw Ms. Valentine still fast asleep. At least she didn't wake up. He'd feel even more awkward if she'd overheard them talking.

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That next morning, two gorgeous women stood next to the form of a sleeping man—or boy, rather. One tanned, muscled arm was thrown over his eyes, blocking out the sun's rays. They'd tried to wake him up, but when jostling and whispering didn't work, they decided to just let him be. He seemed tired.

Paula, dressed and looking refreshed despite the late night, looked at Ms. Valentine. She shook her head with some exasperation. "...I can see why you like him. He's cute."

"Uh huh. Don't want to hear it from you, though." The blonde's expression was a little unfriendly. "Don't think I didn't hear you two last night. You were trying to steal him. You promised you wouldn't."

Wrapping a lock of curly hair around her finger, Paula glanced at Jack. Amusement twinkled in her eyes. "You're being dramatic. I was just taking a look. I wasn't sure if I liked what I saw at first. It isn't good enough for a man to just be attractive, you know?"

"With those standards, it's no wonder you're still single." Miki said, rolling her eyes. "So, beyond him being cute, what do you think?"

Paula giggled. "Are you looking for my approval? What if I say I like him a lot? Will that make you feel better or worse?"

Ms. Valentine just looked at her friend, her hands on her hips. One foot tapped against the ground. "You're always like this. Just answer."

"Oh my, are you upset?" Paula asked, laying a hand on her cheek, her expression faux-apologetic. However, when it didn't get a rise out of her friend, she grinned. "He struck me as somewhat of a bad-boy—I know you like those types—but now I'm not so sure anymore. Or was sex with you just that good, you ended up turning him good? If there's some trick to it, I'd really like to know."

The blonde ignored the question, tapping her foot against the ground. She looked thoughtful. "I didn't catch the entire conversation. What were you guys talking about exactly?"

"I'm not sure." Paula said, shrugging. "I decided to send him off to bed before he ran his mouth too much. Otherwise the poor boy might be unable to face us when he wakes up."

Ms. Valentine sighed, rubbing her brow. "Does it make me a bad person to feel this way? I don't know why the ones I go for always have baggage."

Paula raised an eyebrow. "Why would you say that? Oh, don't tell me—you were pretending to be a slut again, and you don't want him to think you're a hypocrite. I don't know why you keep doing that. And the hot ones always have baggage, by the way. Because they aren't forever single, like you."

"Remind me, why are we friends again?" Ms. Valentine asked, snorting.

The other woman tapped a nail against her lips. "Because you're a pitiful girl. Seeing you toughing it out on your own, I felt the need to help. Now we're here."

"Oh, is that how it went? I could've sworn you just wanted to get away from your crappy life-..." Halfway into her sentence, Miki's eyes widened. She grimaced. "Sorry. That came out totally wrong."

Paula turned around, waving a hand casually. "Dear, I'm not bothered at all. The past happened. In any case, I assume the room's been booked until the afternoon. Let's let the poor baby rest until then. If he hasn't woken up by then, we'll just leave him behind."

Ms. Valentine looked at her friend for a long second before taking a step forward. "Sure. Let's have some breakfast. I'm starving."