“So, how’d it go?”

I looked up and saw Ever Ring walking towards me, magically lifting a glass of water. God, I hoped it was cold. Grabbing the glass, I gave it a nice long sip. Ever Ring sat right beside me, looking at me expectantly.

“It went okay,” I replied after finishing the glass. “I honestly expected to be given… practical tips, like how to pace myself or something.” I looked back towards the room, remembering my lessons. It left me a bit confused. “Did I just learn etiquette?” I asked, mostly to myself.

Ever Ring smiled. “Not much etiquette but more like the most important aspect of being a Gentleman: treating your mares, your customers, right.” She looked at me. “Do you think the lectures are unimportant?”

I shook my head. “No. I know it’s important,” I replied. When Ever Ring gave me an odd look, I raised my hands defensively. “No, really. I get it. The lectures are to ensure that we treat our clients with every bit of respect and attention that they want.”

“Technically, it’s to protect the Gentlemen from litigations,” Ever Ring advised, “but yes. Knowing how to treat a mare is more important than the actual act of sex. Think of it this way: while a customer expects how the night will end, it’s what comes before it that brings them back. They want to be treated right. They want to be showered with attention. They want to be a special pony for someone, even if it’s just for the night.”

I thought back on Five Stars. “Mares are lonely creatures,” I said. Eve stared at me for a few moments.

“Not all of them,” she replied. I noticed she had a peculiar expression when she added, “But most of them are.”

My eyes opened to greet Celestia’s sun. That was my first mistake. My head responded by telling me that my brain either had swollen to twice its regular size or I might have had too much alcohol last night. I could only groan as I raised my hand towards my forehead, eyes closing to take away the brightness. I tried to remember what happened. There was a bar, some drinking, and—oh.

Daring to open my eyes, it took a moment for my vision to adjust, but I immediately realized that no pony lay on top of my naked body. Sea Swirl must have moved last night. Yup, there she was, curled right beside my hip, snoring gently. Her tail flicked once in a while, exposing herself ever so slightly in a way that had me thinking lustful thoughts.

Memories of last night were a bit hazy, but I recalled kissing her there. I also recalled my hands moving along her sides, fingers going through her mane. That was pretty much enough to get my blood pumping, letting my imagination flow. I could wake her up with gentle kisses to her neck, have my fingers roam around her barrel and flanks. She would not need to do a thing. The unicorn could lay there as I showed her my appreciation of her beauty.

Then my mind recalled something else.

“She hates them. Gentlemen or comfort horses.”

My hands covered my face. A groan escaped my lips. Damn it, how drunk was I to forget that? I looked at Sea Swirl, watching as her barrel expanded in rhythm with her breathing. I could smell her scent, aquatic with a bit of saltiness, alcohol, and musk. I imagined one of my hands brushing through her coat, the other rubbing her underside, with my lips around her horn.

I got up from the bed and went immediately to the bathroom. Entering the shower stall, I opened the cold tap and let the icy waters wash over my body, removing any... inappropriate thoughts inside my head. I sighed. There was definitely something nice about having a mare in the room, something nice about staying in.

This wasn’t the first time I’d felt this. My mind traveled back to Five Stars and my first night in Equestria, ending in her bed after a night of carnal pleasures that left me dazed. I remembered Cheerilee and our two nights together in Ponyville, waking up in her bed after the first night. I remembered Eve in my bed, after she nursed me back to health. The feel of a warm being beside you, freed from the responsibility of sneaking away, was very addictive.

It made me feel less… lonely.

I remembered Sea Swirl, her reaction when someone had called me a gentleman. Maybe I was lucky that she conked out before the act because there was no way I was going to escape her wrath if she found out.

Raising my head to meet the falling cold water, I felt a bit put off.

Leaving the shower stall had me wide awake and ready for the new day. Granted, I was still confused on how to deal with Sea Swirl, more so when I exited the bathroom and saw her staring at me with wide eyes. A small languid smile appeared on her face as she scanned me from head to toe. I was pretty sure I knew where her imagination was going.

“Oh, hey,” she said.

“Good morning,” I replied.

Sea Swirl looked at me for a few seconds longer before her eyes went down to the floor, her left foreleg making circles on the carpet. “I, uh, blacked out, didn’t I?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Oh, Celestia,” she moaned. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know if it was the alcohol, or maybe because we were tired from the trip. I honestly didn’t want to leave the night like that! Really!”

“It’s oka—”

“Let me make it up to you,” Sea Swirl offered. I blinked. “Let’s have lunch!” she continued, giving me a winning smile. “I’ll pay. It’s the least I can do.”

“No, um, its fine, Sea Swirl,” I began. “You don’t have to—”

“Alright, it’s settled!” Sea Swirl nodded, multiple times. Was she even listening to me? “I know a good place that has human food,” she continued, “we can meet at the reception area! Let’s say, at around eleven?”

Wow. Honestly, wow. Sea Swirl seemed so different from yesterday, being daring only after she had downed a couple of icebreakers. Now, she was seriously adamant about this. Heck, she was actually giving me a look, as if daring me to say no. After a moment, when I didn’t respond, she looked down on the floor and whispered, “I may have blacked out last night, but I still remember.” I could see Sea Swirl blush. “You were… amazing,” she said. She looked up, her face set in a determined expression. “If you think I’m letting you go that easy, think again.” Her expression gave way, transforming to—

Oh no. Please don’t.

She bowed her head, just a little, and displayed her huge beautiful eyes to me, pouting ever so slightly, just enough to make my heart stop. “So please,” she begged, “say yes.”

Say no, Harry. Just say no. Shake your head, Harry.

After a moment passed, I nodded. Her face glowed.

“Good. I’ll see you then!” she exclaimed and slowly made her way to the front door, swaying her hips while she was at it. Before she exited, she slowly turned her head, blush fully blooming from her cheeks. Her eyes narrowed, transforming her expression to that of longing, which added sensuality to her gaze. “We’ll, uh, continue on from last night afterwards. This time, I’ll be the one to, uh, knock you out.”

Sea Swirl immediately dashed towards the door and slammed it shut with her magic. I smiled. I couldn’t help it really. There was something cute in the way she was acting, and sexy too. It was probably one thing that makes Equestrian ponies so fascinating. They embody both characteristics in one tempting package.

Then I realized that I had just accepted a lunch date with a mare who hated my line of work. I groaned. Walking to my bed, I fell face first to the mattress. It smelled of her—an oceanic fragrance with a floral hint. It reminded me of last night.

I groaned again. Damn it, I just had a cold shower.

There was a knock on my door. With a sigh, I rolled over and sat upright, and made my way towards the doorway. While I wasn’t exactly in the mood to receive visitors, I really could use the distraction. I checked the upper peephole (the other was in the middle of the door, for pony guests) and spotted Thomas smiling on the other side.

I think I groaned again. This was definitely my groaning day. “Thomas, hold on. I’m getting dressed.”

“Oh, do you have company?” Thomas replied. “Should I return later?”

“Just shut up and wait,” I muttered.

“Okay, loverboy!”

Just for that, I dressed as slowly as I could and took my sweet time towards the door before I let him in. His smile never wavered though, as he entered the room. He scanned me from head to toe, while I did the same. I noticed he still wore the same suit he had yesterday, though now it had wrinkles everywhere.

“Hey, morning sleepy head. Did you get lucky yesterday?” Thomas asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

I stared at him. “Huh.”

“What?” he asked.

“Considering you got a customer in heat, you seem a bit too spry this morning.”

“Eh, I had help,” he said. “Having two other Gentlemen does lighten the load.”

My eyes widened. “Wha—? Three?”

“Yup,” Thomas replied. “We’re contracted for a week.”

I… wow. While not unheard of, hiring more than one Gentleman was pretty rare. I mean, the in-heat rates were already higher than normal, and this pony hired three Gentlemen for a week? Thomas’s customer must be very, very rich.

“So, considering that you needed to dress up, I’m guessing you did get lucky last night. Is there any place I should not touch?” Thomas asked as he made his way to an armchair at the corner of the room.

“I think I was too drunk to remember,” I began as Thomas sat down, “but I do believe I may have peed on that armchair.”

There was something funny about seeing a grown man sitting down, only to try and stop at the very last moment and failing. For a second, Thomas had a bewildered expression—disbelief mixed with trepidation. I could barely stifle my chuckle. After a moment passed, he gave me a wry grin. “Yeah, nice try, Harry. The day you lose enough control while drunk to do that, I’ll grow wings and join the Wonderbolts.”

“Fooled you for a moment, didn’t I?” I asked, smirking.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Thomas muttered. He looked at me. “So, busy night? And don’t bother to deny it,” he added quickly when I was about to reply.

“I didn’t even say anything yet!”

“Yeah, but knowing you, you were about to deny that a unicorn just came out of your room, blushing crimson red and humming quite happily,” Thomas replied, smile widening.

That got me to cover my face. “Oh, God,” I muttered. “Oh, man. You just had to remind me.”

“What’s wrong?”

I looked at Thomas, contemplating on whether or not I'd tell him. By the time I sat down on the bed, I told him. I talked to him about last night, about having drinks with her friends. I talked about how Sea Swirl reacted when Nadia had called me a gentleman, and I also talked about how in a drunken haze, both Sea Swirl and I spent the night without crossing the threshold—minus the details, of course. Good friend or not, there are some things you don’t share with anyone else.

“Sea Swirl, huh?” Thomas said. He looked at me. “Is this the same shy unicorn from yesterday? Damn, you must have done something right.”

“I think she was more nervous that she was going to scare me away,” I said.

“And now that you’ve shown that you have inclination and found her attractive, she’s going on full attack? Wow, you lucky bastard.” Thomas chuckled. “Mares like that can be pretty unstoppable.”

I groaned. Yes, this was definitely my groaning day. “I know. Now, in my own stupidity—”

“Spinelessness, rather,” Thomas interrupted. I gave him a look, and he shrugged in return.

“In my own stupidity, I just said yes to a lunch date with her,” I continued, “knowing full well she plans to finish where we left off last night, and knowing full well that she’d be beyond pissed if she found out that I’m a Gentleman.”

Thomas sighed. “Honestly, dude, I don’t see a problem here.”

I slapped my thighs. “No prob—seriously? Did you hear me when I said she doesn’t like Gentlemen?”

“Are you a Gentleman right now?” Thomas asked.

“Uh, yes?” I replied.

“No, you aren’t,” he countered. Before I could speak, he held up his hand. “Look, right now, you aren’t a Gentleman on the job. That’s me. What you are is someone on break, enjoying the sights. Honestly man, is that how you see yourself as, a Gentleman, twenty-four-seven? Right now, you are Harry Larson. Not Wingman. So what if she hates Gentlemen? Does your job define you?”

“I don’t think it’s right,” I said softly. “It’s deceitful.”

“Did you come on to her hoping to solicit her? Are you trying to fool her into making herself a customer?” Thomas asked.

I sighed. “No.”

“Then no, you aren’t deceiving her. You’re just a guy on vacation, and you met a beautiful mare who is willing to spend some good ol’ loving time with you. My advice is to just enjoy it,” Thomas finished. He sighed. “Now, if you are planning to actually have a relationship with her, then yes, you do have to tell her the truth. Otherwise, you’re being unfair to yourself.”

I checked the door for a moment, remembering Sea Swirl walking out. As I gave Thomas’s words some thought, I heard him sigh.

“Okay,” he said, “look, if you really feel that strongly, then maybe you better tell Sea Swirl that you guys should stop seeing each other.”

I looked down, even more confused.

When lunchtime rolled around, I couldn’t make up my mind. Worse, I was already running late. Dressed simply in a polo shirt and khaki shorts combination, I spotted Sea Swirl by the reception desk as I came down. The unicorn was trotting in circles, looking at the wall clock above the receptionist. Half of me just wanted to cancel the whole thing right there and then. On break or no, I doubt she’d understand if she did find out about my day job. However, when she saw me, smile widening as relief washing over her face, I hesitated.

“Hey, you’re late,” she declared as she dashed towards me.

“I…” and I trailed off. Sea Swirl looked at me oddly.

“Is there something wrong?” she asked.

I took a deep breath. “Sea Swirl, maybe it’s best—”

Perhaps it was the tone of my voice, or probably my facial expression, but the unicorn’s mouth went slightly agape. Her lips quivered and she bit down on them, her eyes shaking slightly. Honestly, it was as if she were waiting to be executed.

“—if we hurry,” I finished. “I’m kind of starving.”

Sea Swirl’s unsure expression turned to a winning smile. “Okay! Let’s go then!” She grabbed my left hand with her mouth and dragged me onward. As nice as that felt, I couldn’t enjoy the sensation because I was hitting my forehead with my right palm multiple times.

It must have been a strange sight for anyone else looking.

The unicorn brought me to Terra Glades, a modestly sized bistro situated near the woodland, side of the falls and just a few blocks away from the Water Inn. Two stories high, it was a rectangular building made of red brick with black metal trimming. The outside was littered with patio table sets that had those large umbrellas overhead, and it was filled with dining ponies, with a few humans mixed in.

A few of those ponies stared at Sea Swirl as she made her way towards the door. Looking through one of the windows, I realized why. The patrons inside were mostly human, enjoying some good old-fashioned steaks, ribs, and more. The rest of the diners were griffins, enjoying the meat spread.

No pony patrons, and I don’t blame them.

“Hey, Sea Swirl,” I called suddenly, stopping her on her tracks. “Can we eat outside? I like the fresh air.”

Sea Swirl looked at me for a moment, confused, before she gave me a nod and dragged me towards a free table. It was a pony design, low near the ground, while its floor chairs were of human origin.

“Huh, this is nice,” Sea Swirl declared as she made herself comfortable. First, she sat on her haunches, but when she saw me leaning back, she began to emulate me. There was a slight wobble as she tried to place her back on the back-rest, and sat almost like a human. Honestly, though, her position looked really unstable.

“Are… you okay sitting like that?” I asked.

“Yea—whoa!” Sea Swirl wobbled but recovered almost immediately. As she did, a slight smile appeared on her face. “I’m okay!”

I winced. Her position was quite precarious. Before I could even say anything though, a young man dressed in a white shirt, black pants, shoes, and vest came to us, offering menus. We took a moment, with Sea Swirl saying she wouldn’t mind if I ordered something more ‘human’. I think that garnered the attention of a few ponies around us. I was also pretty sure they were holding their breath as Sea Swirl and I decided on what to get. It must have been quite a relief for them when we decided to get a nice large bowl of mixed greens and a spread of vegetable and flower sandwiches.

“Are you sure?” Sea Swirl asked after the waiter recapped our order. “There’s some human food here. The, uh—” her lips thinned as her gaze washed over the menu “—ribeye sounds... uh, good?”

“Yeah, I think I’m okay for now,” I replied with a nervous smile.

“Okay, well, I’m going to get a bottle of Fillydelphia Cider as well then,” Sea Swirl declared, looking towards the waiter, who nodded.

“Excellent choice, ma’am.”

“It’s quite good,” Sea Swirl stated, floating the menu back to the waiter. “I mean, Ponyville fresh cider is good and all, but for the bottled stuff, Fillydelphia has it made.”

I didn’t want to tell her that I knew what Fillydelphia Cider tasted like (a bit stronger and a little sweeter than Manehattan Cider), especially when she was trying so hard to act like a typical mare trying to garner the interest of a stallion. The best thing I could do was give her a winning smile and nod.

“So, um, tell me about yourself,” Sea Swirl said, licking her lips, moistening them.

I inwardly grinned. Working as a Gentleman through the years, this was pretty much a common question for most first time customers and I got a lot of practice on telling the story of my life. So I started out with where I was born and talked about my younger years. Sea Swirl listened raptly, not even stopping to ask questions. The longer I went on, I realized why: she was repeatedly licking her lips.

I recognized the movement. It was a type of pony flirting that even a human new to Equestria could pick up on. At Gentlemen for Mares, my earth pony teacher even explained the two schools of thought in regards to the action. The first dated back to the pre-Equestria times, when the ponies were suffering from the longest winters thanks to the windigos (yeah, it’s spelled like that. And no, it’s not the Native American mythological creature). A mare wetting her dry chapped lips was an invitation for a stallion to kiss her… and share body warmth (which was probably a euphemism for sex). Of course, my teacher preferred the second school of thought: it was a way to tell the stallion her other lips were wet.

Honestly, you can take your pick.

While I appreciated a mare telling me that she was getting ready for me, Sea Swirl was, uh, overcompensating. The repeated licking had moistened the lips so much that her glistening saliva slowly trickled down on the table, which made it look like she was drooling.

“Um, you’re kinda dripping,” I whispered, handing her the napkin box, motioning to her lips.

Sea Swirl’s blush was bright crimson. “Oh, uh, yeah… um, sorry.” She wiped her lips.

I gave her a smile, which hopefully translated to ‘no problem’ and gave her enough time to compose herself. During that time, I noticed a pair of earth ponies at another table giving us some odd looks. I ignored them, and continued the story where I left off, back to the time when I was a teenager. It was the usual drama within a high school setting. I was the geek—except I didn’t wear glasses or even have excellent grades. I noticed Sea Swirl slowly sinking in her chair, and wondered for a moment what was she was doing when I felt something soft and warm brushing up my leg. I paused, looking down at the table then back again at the unicorn. Was she—?

Sea Swirl gave me a languid grin as she sunk down even lower, the feeling of her hoof going to my knees. I kept still as her brushing went higher and higher, until her already precarious position reared its ugly head and she tipped over. She yelped as she tried to recover, only to slip backwards in a way that kicked her hind leg upwards. The whole table shook with a loud bang. Holy crap.

“Sea Swirl, you okay?” I asked, leaning forward. She raised her right foreleg, stopping me from completely standing.

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she said through gritted teeth as she tried to extract herself from her… position. She was able to get back to a more normal sitting position by the time the server came, thank God.

“Sir, ma’am,” the server said, carrying a tray of two thin glasses and the bottle of cider inside an ice bucket. He looked at Sea Swirl, who was massaging her hind leg a bit. A professional, he kept his face steady as he asked, “Shall I pop the cork?”

“Go ahead,” I replied. As the server went ahead and opened the bottle, I looked around and my eyes traveled back towards the table of the earth ponies that had been giving us odd looks. Now, they were pointing their hooves in our—no, wait… in Sea Swirl’s direction.

“Cheers!” Sea Swirl suddenly called, regaining back my attention. She magically lifted her glass high in the air.

I smiled and brought my own glass up as well. “Cheers,” I declared. I gently tapped my glass with hers, creating a short clinking sound. I downed the chilled liquid, enjoying the strong taste characteristic of Fillydelphia-style cider. Sea Swirl didn’t drink hers yet. Instead, she opted to try another flirting technique by accentuating her neck, extending it upwards to meet her glass.

For a mare, a long, beautiful neck was the feature she would most likely brag about, other than her hips. I guess she was finally desperate, probably pulling this out to compensate for the last two failures. Honestly, she should have known that this type of flirting was far too subtle for a newcomer to Equestria. Yet, she put her heart into it. Her pose was absolutely elegant, really showing off her beautiful and delicate neck. As a finish, her eyes narrowed seductively, blinking softly as she teased me a bit with a heated gaze, her expression promising wonderful things to come.

Pretending to be new or not, I was never the one to leave the lady hanging. So I gave her a slight smile, and declared, “You have a long, alluring neck.”

“Thank y—ah!” she screamed as her glass tipped, spilling the entire contents on her face.

Okay, this was not her day.

“Sea Swirl?” I asked. For a moment, she was as still as a statue, staring at the heavens with an unreadable expression. Then, she looked at me for a moment before her eyes began to water. “Oh, Sea Swirl,” I whispered. I got a few napkins ready and leaned forward, but she raised her hoof to stop me.

“Oh wow,” she muttered softly.

“Here,” I replied, handing over the napkins I was holding. She magically grabbed them from me and used them with her hooves to wipe her face.

“Thanks,” Sea Swirl whispered. After a while, she sighed. “I’m making a—” she hiccuped, “—fool of myself, aren’t I?”

Oh God. She was very close to crying. I immediately extended my hand and held her hoof lying on the table. I could feel it shaking in my grasp. She looked at me, her lips quivering. I looked at her rose-colored eyes, trying their hardest to hold back their tears. I gave her my warmest smile.

“I have never been given such attention before,” I said softly. She perked up.

“R-really?” Sea Swirl asked, swallowing. She gave a nervous smile. “Y-you’re just saying that.” She swallowed again. “I bet you have a lot of human girls giving you attention back on Earth.”

I shook my head. “Not really. I get overlooked a lot of times.”

“You’re lying,” Sea Swirl replied.

“Swear to God,” I promised.

I actually was telling the truth—technically. My mind went back to my first and only girlfriend, who only wanted to be in a relationship with me so I could do her C-Programming code. Being young, stupid, and having been promised that I would get to touch her breasts, I fell for it.

Never even got the grope. Worst deal ever, really.

I also remembered that other women pretty much overlooked me as well. Even out of college, I was still a skinny nerd and a lot of them prefered the more handsome guys with well-toned bodies.

“I just never really clicked with the girls back at home, I guess,” I replied, shrugging.

Sea Swirl looked at me for a moment. The watering of her eyes was almost gone, and her torn expression changed to confusion as her eyes traveled all over me. “But... why? Are human standards really that different from pony standards?” she asked. “You’re... quite handsome!”

I wasn’t doubting her. Those memories were from long ago and things had changed. My usually short hair had grown to a moderate length, cut stylishly to appeal to mares. I was also far from the skinny dude I had been all those years ago.

The lifestyle of a Gentleman was a demanding one. There would be days where you were in for a long haul, sometimes weeks of continuous days of going from one customer to another, every night with just a little break in between. I didn’t stay skinny too long.

However, that wasn’t important right now. I had a mare in front of me to take care of. So, shaking those thoughts away, I gave her a reassuring squeeze to her foreleg. I said, “Thank you, Sea Swirl. I really appreciate that,” and moved my fingers, just enough to feel the coat of her forelegs. “And as for your question, no, I don’t think such a pretty mare could make a fool out of herself, no matter how hard she tries.”

“T-thanks,” Sea Swirl replied, lips tugging upwards.

There we go. I gave her a wide smile. “Nice touch with your hoof.”

“Yeah, too bad I slipped,” Sea Swirl muttered, her eyes rolling. After a moment, her own smile grew bigger. She leaned forward. “Liked that, did you?”

“Very much. Quite daring of you, too.”

“Well, I can try again if you want,” Sea Swirl whispered heatedly. “Just hold on to my forelegs. You know... so I won’t fall.”

Have you experienced a day when you thought things were turning out well in the end? That the initial problems were slowly smoothed over, and everything was finally clicking?

As I felt her daintily trying to do another hoofsie, confident smile now gracing her features, I thought this was it. Sea Swirl had gone through a bit of a humiliation conga, and with a little assurance, she was coming out swimmingly.

Yet, all it took to bring everything down was just one sentence.

“I’m telling you, it’s Misborn Swirl.”

The whole place went quiet, as if someone had sucked all the air and happiness out of the place. I couldn’t blame them. Misborn was not something anypony should say in a polite conversation.

It affected Sea Swirl the most, though. Color drained from her face. The smile disappeared, her eyes widening with disbelief. She looked towards the direction of the speaker, at the two earth ponies that I saw earlier. Sea Swirl’s hoof stopped moving, and her forelegs shivered under my grip. She recognized them.

“I h-have to go,” she muttered. She shook me off. “I’m sorry.”

“Wait, hold o—”

Before I could finish, Sea Swirl took off, knocking down the floor chair she was sitting on. She was already in tears before she went out of view, dashing away, leaving dust in her wake. I watched her for a moment, feeling utterly lost before the fire of anger and annoyance flared from my stomach. I glared towards where the earth ponies had spoken out, both now finding something very interesting in their dishes.

The server arrived, carrying a tray with the salad bowl and sandwiches. He looked at me for a moment, and where Sea Swirl had been seated. He gave me an understanding look.

“To go?” he asked. I gave the man a generous tip. After he handed the bag, I walked towards the earth ponies’ table. They saw me coming. One ducked his head seeing me approach, while the mare looked up at me with an obstinate expression.

“What?” she asked, challengingly.

“You know, back on Earth, we make glue using hooves,” I replied neutrally.

The stallion just continued to stare downwards. The mare’s mouth went agape for a second before she said, voice quivering, “What are y—”

She swallowed the rest of her words when I gave her a wide smile, showing her all of my teeth. “Have a nice day,” I ended.

I left Terra Glade and took my bags, hoping to see if I could spot Sea Swirl on the way. I did. On the very same spot where she had handed me a towel after my swim yesterday, she was sitting down on all fours on a bench. She stared outwards, towards where humans, ponies and others were enjoying themselves.

I sat beside her. We both stayed silent for a good moment, listening to water splashing and joyful shouts in the air.

“I’m sorry,” Sea Swirl whispered.

I put my hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine. Besides”—I looked around—“this is probably a much better place to have lunch. It was getting a little stuffy there. Of course, we’ll have to avoid the under-the-table stuff. We don’t want to corrupt the kids.”

Sea Swirl turned to look at me, a small smile appearing on her face. Before long, that smile broke into a chuckle. She shifted, just enough to place her head on my lap before she laid down again, shifting her body to the side. I automatically began to run my hand through her mane.

“Sometimes, I think I’m dreaming,” Sea Swirl muttered.

“How so?” I asked.

“You’re here,” she replied with a sigh. “Normally, when a stallion knows about me being a misborn, I’d never hear from him again.” She shifted her head to look up at me, the whites of her eyes a bit red. My hand slowly caressed her cheek. “You don’t know what that means, right?”

Of course I knew, but I couldn’t tell her that.

Sea Swirl shifted her head to her side. “Misborn are foals that were born out of a herd. That’s what I am.”

“Sea Swirl, you don’t need to—”

“My mother hired a comfort horse while she was in heat,” she continued, as if she didn’t hear me. “When she found out she was pregnant, she tried to buy off the stallion from the company. They wouldn’t let him loose, though, because... well, he was the best they had.

“I know you humans were told that Equestria here is a land of friendship and magic, but there are some things which a lot of the ponies here can’t tolerate. Being misborn is one of them.” She laughed, sadly. “My mother carried the stigma of being pregnant without a herd. It should never have passed on to her child, to me. But I guess ponies still think that growing without the stabilizing influence of a herd, I was going to come out wrong.”

Sea Swirl sat on her haunches, looking towards the waterfall. “You’d think that something so antiquated wouldn’t hold water here in Equestria. None of my coltfriends stayed. They left when they found out that I wasn’t raised in a herd, never to even talk to me again. As if I was”—she snarled—“diseased or something!”

“Shows how much they know,” I said.

“You’re sweet,” Sea Swirl replied.

“No!” I declared, hard. It got Sea Swirl looking at me again. “I’m being truthful.” I looked at her. “You are one beautiful pony. Any stallion would be lucky to have you. And if they left you because of something so... little, then they didn’t deserve you.”

Sea Swirl’s lips quivered before they attacked mine. I was almost pushed back as she gave me a heartfelt kiss, a few tears escaping her eyes. My hand automatically held her steady as I kissed her back. We stayed there, connected, together, for a few more seconds before she separated herself from me.

“Your room?” she asked.

“What about lunch?”

Sea Swirl looked at the paper bags, then back at me. “I can... not have lunch.”

I was slammed into the door, hard, before Sea Swirl stood up on her hind legs, tall enough to just reach my lips. Hers had been coated by her tongue multiple times, which made her kisses wet and sloppy. I didn’t mind. I kissed back with as much enthusiasm as I had whilst taking my keys out to open the door.

Once I got it opened, Sea Swirl didn’t even wait for me to get to bed. She magically lifted me there and dropped me on the mattress before she kicked the door closed. Her expression, lust mixed with hunger and need, never changed as she trotted towards me. Jumping up onto the bed, she gave me a deep kiss, our tongues intertwining together as I felt her magic slowly encasing my shorts as she easily removed them without missing a beat.

My hands moved automatically through her coat, feeling the short soft bristles bite into my palm just ever so slightly as it massaged the side of her neck and her barrel, earning a moan from her that reverberated into my mouth as we fought for supremacy.

“Oh, Celestia,” Sea Swirl muttered when our lips separated. She was panting, primed and ready. “I am so glad I am fully awake to enjoy this. I love your fingers.”

I automatically reached for a spot, just between the ears and her horn. Sea Swirl’s eyes widened for a moment before she readily collapsed on top of me.

“Oh! Oh!” Sea Swirl moved her head as if to guide my fingers, her tongue out, licking me on my chest. “Oh Celestia. It’s like you know where to touch me!”

Yes, I knew where to touch her. I knew what to do. I was a trained Gentleman. I was hired to give mares the attention they want. And Sea Swirl deserved nothing less. How could any stallion treat her that way? How could their society allow it? So I kissed her. I massaged her. I made love to her with my eyes, making sure she knew that my focus, my attention, was only her.

She deserved nothing less.

Turning her over, placing her flat on my bed, I kissed her on the lips once more before I moved towards her throat, kissing its length. I moved towards her shoulders, holding the hooves of her forelegs, using my fingers to gently feel the softer parts. They gripped my fingers.

“Oh, wow,” Sea Swirl muttered.

I looked at her. No smile, just my eyes bearing down on her as I put weight behind my words as I said, “You are beautiful.” I released her hooves and began kissing her underside, the hair of her coat gently prickling my lips.

Sea Swirl moaned.

“I love the way you smell,” I declared as my lips went lower and lower. I used my hands and fingers to massage her sides, learning the spots to pay attention to by how loud her moans were, and how much faster she was moving her hips against me.

“How low are you—oh!” Sea Swirl screamed out slightly as my tongue lashed out, circling around the the nipples of her teats. I could feel her hind legs surrounding my head, the musky smell of her marehood getting stronger and stronger as she moved her hips, trying to get closer to my tongue.

I teased her for a few seconds more before I plunged into her folds, kissing her wet lips. The smell of her, the feel of her, the taste of her, I lapped up unabashedly. My arms slowly enclosed around her hips so I could bring her closer to me, while my fingers began to spread her open and tease her clit. I could feel her hind legs kicking upwards with every stroke of my tongue. When I stole a glance upwards and saw her biting on her foreleg, muffling her moans.

The sight of her was... enticing.

My tongue attacked the nub of her marehood full time. That got the loudest moan out of her as she peeked downward, meeting my smiling eyes. I wanted her to see this. I wanted her to experience this. So without pause, without teasing, I licked her in a circular manner, making as much sloppy noise as I could. My thoughts were on one thing: to show her that I enjoyed her, that I wanted her.

As I rolled my tongue, surrounding her nub, I loosened my arm from around her hind legs and began to wriggle my fingers inside her wet folds, reaching in towards her inner walls until I touched a textured spot. That had Sea Swirl losing her grip on her foreleg, letting her moans come out full and sharp.

Rubbing it in a slow up and down motion, I noticed her wet lips winking at a rapid pace. I wiggled my tongue in and out, making her mouth hang open, her tongue lolling out, and her eyes going straight towards the ceiling. Surrounding her clit with my lips, I began to gently suck on it.

“Oh, Celestia! Celestia! Ah!” she screamed fully as I felt her lips winking, wetness splashing across my chin. Her hips were like pistons, moving forward and backwards in quick motion that had me hard-pressed to keep my tongue and fingers in position. However, I did, and continued my ministrations, which got her to moan louder and harder. Finally, she screamed. Her whole body shook at her climax for a few seconds before her body relaxed, like a limp doll.

I released her hips and slowly crawled upward. She was panting, mouth open. I closed it with mine, giving her a very short and warm kiss, but before I could move away, her forelegs snaked around my neck, pulling me close. She licked my cheeks and my lips, over and over.

As she finally regained her breath, she looked at me and whispered, “I want to feel you. Inside me.”

My hand went over her mane. “As you wish.”

I went slow, guiding my hardened member with a free hand. I could feel her wet lips wink as I entered, her warm walls rolling around to welcome me, their tightness getting me to moan as I thrust in completely.

We made love, slowly, gently, and quietly, quite contrasting towards the wilder and louder act just earlier. It was just us. My mind didn’t think of what to do next, of how fast I should go, or even what angle to thrust. Slow and steady, I went, mine and Sea Swirl’s eyes drinking in the sight of each other. Soft moans escaped our lips as we both moved like a gentle wave of the night ocean.

Then, our rhythm changed. Our moans went louder as we started grinding each other a little faster. Each thrust brought me closer and closer to the threshold, but I held on. Our moans began to synchronize. There was nothing but us.

I groaned as I came inside her. She readily received me. Enclosing her hind legs on my hips, she grabbed ahold of me, placing my face on her neck. I breathed her scent. She breathed mine.

We said nothing more, for there was nothing else to be said.

I woke up when I felt a warm soft hoof making soft circles on my cheek. I blinked, staring ahead at the blue blur in front of me. As seconds passed, the lines sharpened and the blur slowly transformed to a smiling Sea Swirl.

“Hey,” I greeted softly.

“Hey yourself,” she replied back, just as softly. She leaned in and left a feathery kiss on my nose. “Thank you for that. That was—” she shivered “—just wow. You probably don’t know how that was for me.”

I chuckled. “From the way you were moaning, I could guess it was pretty good.”

“More than good,” Sea Swirl replied, sighing afterwards. After a moment though, she seemed to have realized something as I felt her squirm. “Oh, Celestia. I was loud, wasn’t I? What if the walls here are thin? Does that mean everyone heard us?”

“I’m pretty sure if anyone heard us, they didn’t mind,” I said. “After all—” I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, “—you have quite a cute scream.”

Sea Swirl gently bopped me on my forehead. “What if my friends heard it? Oh no, they’re going to tease me for weeks!”

“Now, now,” I replied, moving my hand through her mane, “with all things considered, like your friends basically trying to push us together, they shouldn’t act so surprised.”

“Ah, yeah, they were a bit pushy, right?” Sea Swirl replied, snuggling a little closer. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I guess helping set up their friend with a cute stranger may excuse their pushiness,” I replied, sticking my tongue out at her. She giggled.

“Really?” Sea Swirl asked, her tone turning somewhat more playful. “Who is this friend of theirs and this cute stranger?”

“Some unicorn and some human that walked out on the former’s friends last night,” I replied candidly. “And that particular unicorn has gone missing again. They’re probably in bed, doing what a lot of couples are doing.”

“So you think that unicorn and that human made out?”

“Boy, did they.”

Sea Swirl giggled, before she nuzzled my chest, licking me. After a moment, she looked at me, frown lines appearing in her eyes. “H-how long are you staying here in Equestria, Harry?”

“Um, well, I was supposed to be staying in Neighagra for a week. So, I guess I would be leaving in about six more days. Why?”

Sea Swirl bit her lips. “Well, we were booked for five days here, and, um...” she trailed off. A blush began to creep in her cheeks. “So, I was, um, wondering if we could, uh...”

“Meet up again?” I ventured.

“Yes!” Sea Swirl nodded. Her lips curved upward, just for a second, before turning to a flat line. “Um, I mean, if that’s okay?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Maybe we can finally eat in peace, eh?”

“Dibs on the dessert,” Sea Swirl declared softly, heatedly, as a small seductive smile appeared on her face. I have to say, it really looked good on her.

“Looking forward to it then,” I replied, softly kissing her forehead, just a little bit to the right of her horn. I felt her shiver and sigh with pleasure as I hugged her closer.

It took almost an hour before we actually climbed out of bed. Promising to meet once more for dinner, I spent the last few hours looking through the clothes I had brought and planned what I could do for Sea Swirl after dinner.

When it was almost dinner, Thomas had knocked on my door, dressed impeccably and ready for another night. Sitting on my armchair again, I explained to him what happened earlier, and what I was planning for later. His reply was sufficiently short.

“I don’t like this.”

I looked at him for a moment, confused. “What do you mean? This is exactly what you told me to do.”

Thomas shook his head. “I said to enjoy your vacation, and spend some time with a nice girl or mare.”

“Isn’t that what I’m doing?” I asked.

“No, it sounds like you’re prepping for a job,” Thomas replied.

“I—okay, yeah, this is what I usually do when on the job, but I mean, come on. Sea Swirl is an amazing mare,” I declared. “She kinda deserves more than what she’s usually going through.”

“See, I’m kinda bothered by that.”

“By what exactly?” I asked, chuckling slightly.

“That you only decided to actually pursue this, to sleep with her, after knowing that she was being treated like an outcast,” Thomas replied. “Honestly, pity is not exactly a good reason to start sleeping with anyone.”

I blinked and looked at Thomas. “If it’s to ease her loneliness, would that be a bad thing?”

“Maybe,” Thomas muttered. He was quiet for a moment as I sat down on the bed and tied my shoes. When I was working on the second shoe, he spoke up again. “Harry?”

“Yeah?”

“Have you made it clear to Sea Swirl on the, uh, nature of your relationship?” Thomas asked.

I blinked. I looked up, only to see him looking at me quite... strangely. “What do you mean?”

“What does she expect from the whole thing?” Thomas continued. “Just a companionship she will enjoy until you leave? Or something longer, something more?”

I thought back on my conversation with Sea Swirl, remembering that she was here for only a few more days. “She said she was staying here for a few more days. Honestly, I’m going to make those days as enjoyable for her as I can, and then we’ll go on our separate ways.”

For a moment, I saw Thomas stare at me, hard. “What if she wants more?” he suddenly asked.

“What? What do you mea—?”

“What if she wants to keep in contact? What if she wants more than just a few days, a real relationship? What then?”

“That’s not going to happen,” I replied.

“Really? Harry... you are taking steps a Gentleman would do to earn a customer. The fact that she’s a very lonely mare makes her even more susceptible to what you’re doing. Are you really telling me that you don’t think she’ll warm up to the idea of continuing whatever it is you guys have right now?”

“Come on, Thomas, even our customers don’t go absolutely gaga over us,” I answered.

“Our customers are fully aware of what we do,” Thomas countered. “Sea Swirl doesn't have that advantage. Do not expect her to act like a customer.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I looked towards the carpeted floor, my thoughts running back to Sea Swirl. My eyes traveled back to Thomas. He gave me a hard, but neutral, gaze.

“What do I do?” I asked. “Avoid her?”

Thomas sighed. “You’re kidding me, right?” He shook his head. “Look, don’t just avoid her. That’ll make it worse. No, no. Look, continue the date if you want, but you have to make it clear to Sea Swirl in regards to your relationship. If it’s just for a few days, make sure she understands that. And also, for God’s sake, slow down with all the—” he coughed “—private meetings with her. You’ll get the poor mare addicted. Get me?”

I nodded. I couldn’t really promise that, but Thomas was right about talking to Sea Swirl in regards to what we have. I expect her to probably be a bit disappointed, but I will make it up to her.

As I walked down towards the reception area, I made plans to get everything out first. I spotted Sea Swirl and raised my hand as I called her.

“What do you mean you haven’t talked to her about it yet?” Thomas asked incredulously.

It was a warm afternoon of my fourth day in Neighagra, the day before Sea Swirl would leave. Thomas and I were once again in my room. Apparently, this was his only refuge, the only place to hide from his amorous customer. His suit and pants, not the ones he had worn on the first day, looked like they had gone through the wringer. And judging by his expression, he was going to put me on the same wringer himself.

I shifted uncomfortably under his hard gaze. “Look, I just didn’t have the opportunity to do so.”

“You had four days,” Thomas countered. “Weren’t you even going to broach the subject during dinner, you know, after our little talk?”

My cheeks blazed at the memory. Dinner was pretty much a short affair, with Sea Swirl telling me a lot about her job in Ponyville, and the good places to visit in Fillydelphia. And it ended up in...

“Oh Celestia! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Her cowgirl position needed work, but I really wasn’t going to complain.

“You slept with her again,” Thomas suddenly declared. I stared at him.

“How—?”

“I am not an idiot, and I know you,” Thomas replied.

“I... come on Thomas,” I muttered. “Sea Swirl’s very passionate and outgoing. There was no way I was going to tell her no.”

“Fine, alright. But seriously, four days, and you haven’t even talked to her about what you guys have?”

I remembered when we tried to have lunch two days ago. Sea Swirl dared me to a game. I was to hold her forelegs while her hind legs slithered under the table. It was the same thing she tried during our first lunch date, and this time, she succeeded without the accident.

“Let’s see how long you last,” Sea Swirl declared, smiling.

We didn’t even wait for lunch. We went at it in the nearby woods.

(We did have to apologize for leaving abruptly, though.)

I shook my head.

“Dude,” Thomas muttered, and paused for a moment. I expected him to continue expressing his disappointment but he sighed instead. “Has she talked about you guys continuing after Neighagra?”

“No,” I replied.

“Okay, then maybe she won’t ask,” Thomas said. He motioned at me. “Dressed up once more. You’re meeting with her?”

I nodded as I fixed the collar of my shirt. “Yeah, one last time, maybe. She said that she and her friends were going to go out for dinner, and she’ll see if she can get me invited.”

He went quiet for a moment, and the next words he spoke came out slowly. “Harry... if it doesn’t come up, that’s good but if it does, it’ll feel more awkward. I just want to make sure you are prepared for that.”

All I could do was nod, though honestly, I knew it would not come to that. As I walked out and ventured towards The Falls Side—a restaurant nearby one of the mini-falls—I remembered how the last few days were: a series of dates that ended in moans, sweat, and sometimes screams. It was a bit like living in a dream.

Honestly, everything was going more smoothly than I expected. Sea Swirl was a wonderful companion, passionate, and beautiful. Spending the last few days with her, intimately, had me quiet when it came to talking about relationships. What we had was perfect. Why complicate it?

“Wingman?”

I think I stopped mid-step. The voice was... familiar. Turning towards the the direction of the speaker, I was surprised by a golden and red blur coming at me at full speed. It was only when I was enveloped in a bear hug, kissed on the cheek, and heard the tell-tale sound of wings flapping that I realized who it was.

“Spitfire?” I asked.

The pegasus backed away, only just enough for me to see her face. I immediately recognized her distinct mane style and color and shining orange eyes. Her face was lit with a dazzling smile.

“I heard you were sick,” Spitfire declared as she let go of my shoulders, standing once more on all-fours.

“Yeah, I was given some medical leave,” I replied, smiling myself. “Were you trying to set up a third date?”

“Yup.”

“I’m sorry about that,” I said, extending my fist. “I’ll make it up to you, next time, alright?”

“Of course you will.” Spitfire gave me an almost predatory grin as she hit it with her hoof. “I’ll be looking forward to it too.”

Before I could reply, a mare spoke out. “Captain? Who’s this?”

I looked behind Spitfire, noticing two newcomers; they were both pegasi, a mare and stallion. The former, I recognized as Rainbow Dash; there was no way to mistake that multi-colored mane and tail. She stared at me with narrowed eyes; her forelegs stretched, curving her body aggressively as if she was about to pounce. Beside her was the pale-blue, well-muscled stallion Soarin’. He was staring at me with wide eyes and mouth agape.

“Dash, Soarin’, this is Wingman,” Spitfire introduced. “He’s my Gentleman I told you guys about.”

I heard murmurs amongst the growing crowd. I guess when the Wonderbolts make a scene, they don’t do things by halves. Ignoring the gathering group of ponies and humans, I gave both pegasi a smile and wave. “Hey guys, big fan,” I said, extending my arm to them.

“Uh... yeah, cool,” Soarin’ replied, softly tapping his hoof with my fist.

Rainbow Dash looked at my hand, expression obviously put off. She looked at me for a moment before she eyed Soarin’, then back to Spitfire. “Captain, I don’t mean to be rude, but we’re going to be late for our appearance.”

Spitfire gently slammed her hoof on her face. “Ah, right. Horseapples, Wingman, I’m sorry, but I have—”

I cut her off. “It’s fine, Spitfire. I’ll have the office write to you when I’m available, okay?”

Spitfire grinned, flying just high enough so she could reach my lips, giving me a short yet very wet kiss. “Thank you.” She looked towards Rainbow Dash and Soarin’. “Alright, let’s leave some dust!”

Once she joined the two pegasi, they began to trot away. I wiped my moistened lips with my hand before I raised it in the air. “Knock them dead!” I exclaimed.

Spitfire gave me a grin and nod before she turned forward, form impeccably straight as she moved forward, clearing the crowd of onlookers and admirers. I noticed Rainbow Dash stealing a glance back at me. She was not smiling; instead, she moved her hooves near her eyes, and pointed towards me.

Huh... that was pretty familiar. Though seriously, what’s her problem?

I let that out of my mind once I reached The Falls Side. Sea Swirl already had a table set up and was sitting on a floor chair, glass of water floating just a little above her head.

“Hey Sea Swirl,” I greeted, smiling widely. The unicorn looked at me for a moment, face devoid of emotion. “Um, am I late?”

She looked at me for a moment. For a second, she just stared at me uncomfortably before shaking her head. “I just... arrived.”

Okay. “Did something happen?” I asked.

Sea Swirl shook her head once more, before abruptly stopping. Her eyes were on me again, lips thinned to a flat line. “Spitfire called you a Gentleman.”

I felt my heart stop, and the pit of my stomach getting heavy. My face began to feel like a hundred ants were walking and biting me there. I stared at the unicorn, whose face was now turning crimson red as her lips transformed with a snarl.

“She called you Wingman.”

“Sea Swirl—”

Before I could do anything, she pushed the table’s edge towards me, hitting my legs hard. At the same time, water splashed my face, and the sound of glass clinking as it bounced on the table echoed around me.

“You’re a liar!” Sea Swirl shouted the last word before she ran off.

Author's Notes:

Alright, more thanks and shout outs.

Thanks to shira, coandco, grey conscience, Permanent Temporary, Ponyboy245, and AnonponyDASHIE for going through it. While I do have the next outline done, me and shira are going to tinker over something (Harry). I won't say this story will get delayed again, but the next update is not going come out as fast I had planned.