Page 34 of Testing the Kot'oll Officer

Wait... Now I remember. That's one of the employees in Efaze's grocery store. Efaze is my elder brother, so I do go to the store at times and have met the male. No wonder he looks familiar.

I'm not that deep into the family business, if I can call it that. Efaze is the one taking over the store from my parents. The rest of us have other jobs. I guess I'm happy I helped Efaze by chasing down the suspicious being.

But... I check my watch. My shift is still not over yet. Time seems to be lagging and it feels so wrong. I want to be with Julie already. Is she already waiting? Is she impatient like me?

Chapter 17

Julie

I sit on my couch with my feet up on the coffee table. Knowing Vatok will be here after his shift is over makes for good motivation to tidy up. There was a short period of time when he stayed with me most of the time, and I tidied up too, but since we had the small fallout, my place can use another round of tidying up.

What's he up to by now?

I stare at the clock, counting the minutes. From those days prior, I've recited the time slots for his shifts. Maybe we should have figured that out. If we admit to our feelings sooner rather than later, maybe we'd save each other plenty of headaches and heartbroken days.

I fix my ponytail, trying to focus on the present instead.

Now, I just have to wait for him to be back home. I want to hug him and tell him that everything's good now. I don't understand why a big guy like him has that little confidence in himself, but that reminds me of my early days in the bar, starting my job.

I think back to those chaotic nights, the clamor of laughter and clinking glasses echoing around me, the fluorescent lights casting a harsh glow on everyone’s faces. I remember the awkwardness of the first customer who dared to approach me. A wild mix of nerves and excitement coursed through my veins even when I thought about it. It took weeks before I felt at ease, learning to navigate the ebb and flow of the bar like a dancer on a crowded floor. Vatok wasn’t there then, not yet part of my vivid tapestry of memories.

Or maybe he was there, on and off. He just wasn’t the most attention-grabbing.

I frown and search my memory. How was I able to not notice a big kot'oll like him? And a handsome one?

As the clock ticks, I pull myself back to today. I stand and head to the kitchen, wiping crumbs off the counter and stacking the forgotten dishes. The rhythmic clink of ceramic against ceramic is oddly comforting, a gentle reminder of the days and nights that we spent together. The way he laughs at my terrible jokes, his brows furrow in concentration when he's deep in thought, and how he listens, really listens, when I talk about the absurdities of my day and silly patrons.

There's hope in the air, that electric anticipation as I imagine him walking through the door, the crinkle of his eyes when he smiles, the warmth of his embrace that feels like home.

I glance at the clock again, willing time to move faster.

There's no reason for me to be nervous about waiting for him. Yet...

I've never liked cleaning, let alone cleaning out of boredom. But I have to be doing something before I'll drive myself crazy thinking about him. Even with the cleaning, my mind is still noisier than I'd like.

I put on some music, cranking up the volume to drown out my spinning thoughts. I can't help but smile, picturing Vatok dancing alongside me, his towering form moving clumsily as he tries to figure out where to put his arms.

But I'm supposed to put on the music so that I'm not thinking about him for a brief moment. He refuses to leave my mind. How rude.

What would it be like to wake up next to him every morning? That's going to happen, right?

The thought quickens my pulse, and I allow myself a moment of daydreaming, painting vivid scenarios of breakfast conversations filled with laughter, of lazy afternoons spent in the comfort of each other's presence.

The music shifts to a slower tune, pulling me back to the reality of waiting. The soft notes reverberate through the air, echoing the fluttering in my heart. My thoughts shift to Vatok's soft yet hesitant expressions, his playful banter, and the way he sometimes seems almost vulnerable. It surprises me how much I care for him, how easily he’s become intertwined with my day-to-day existence, like the pieces of music surrounding me.

Before I know it, the door clicks open, and the familiar sound of his heavy footsteps wades. My heart races, flipping between excitement and nervousness.

“Julie?” his voice calls, resonant and soothing. My breath hitches at the sight of him framed by the door. His hair is slightly disheveled from hours of work yet striking as ever.

“There you are.” I beam as I rush to meet him, wrapping my arms around him in a heartfelt embrace. I cling to him like a koala grabbing a tree. And he really is the big and strong guy who's like a tree that will protect me. His warmth envelops me, and I breathe him in. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

Vatok pulls me closer, his strong arms wrapping around me. "You have no idea how much I missed you, either. You didn't have a shift to work. It was so hard to stay focused." He pats my back, holds my cheeks, and still keeps an arm around me.

His lips press into my hair, as I rest my face on his chest. My fingers gently stroke his back. I want to feel him, more of him, everything.

"I missed you so much," he murmurs, his voice a deep rumble against my ear. His grip tightens slightly, as if afraid to let me go. I lean into him, my body responding to the intensity of his touch with a rush of heat. Being so close to him, it feels like I can finally breathe for the first time in weeks. He hugs me so tightly that my feet leave the floor. The slight problem with being with a tall and big kot'oll.

As the silence stretches between us, I get lost in his intoxicating scent, in the way his body molds to mine like two puzzle pieces from other worlds. The hug lingers until I pat him for him to pull back. Not like hugging a human who will get tired. Vatok's a big guy and he can hold me up forever. For him, I'm lightweight.

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