Green, the Color of Love Pt. 02

Kelvin asked, "Are you well enough to take a trip into the city? As long as you're here, you're going to need some clothes and I'll show you around."

Lyria couldn't wait but was losing her nerves over the chaos of it all. "I'd love to but I'm scared. It's so noisy! In the forest, all we heard were singing birds and chirping crickets."

Lyria sat up and clenched the comforter as she was rattling in the sheets.

Kelvin found her hand and her nerves settled. "Trust me. You'll love it."

She nodded. "Ok, I have to trust you, my love! I do trust you!"

Kelvin sat on the bed next to her without releasing the hold on his goblin lover. "Well, I wanted to talk to you about that 'trust.' This world can be beautiful with its sunsets, aqua blue oceans, and mountaintops capped with snow but could be dangerous for you, too. It's like that even for us humans. That's why it's important you stay out of trouble."

Lyria put her hands together as though she was making a promise. "I won't get into trouble!"

Kelvin snatched her hand again and tightened his grip while piercing her lavender eyes with his own. "I mean it! You do what I tell you at all times. If people find out who you are..."

Lyria leapt onto the floor with the covers flying through the air. Her heart was thumping at the idea of trouble despite her desire to please her human lover. Trouble and mischief was akin to a drug to a goblin but she hoped to control her nature...maybe.

"Okay! I got the message, sweetie!" Lyria stole a swift kiss from Kelvin who appeared to relax into a trusting state.

He rewarded her with a soft smile and she giggled. "Alright, baby. This trust thing goes both ways. I just have this feeling that your bad girl...um, bad goblin side is waiting to come out."

Lyria took a handful of his loins and he sucked in a sharp breath. "You mean bad like this?"

Kelvin was hardening as she held him and it was sparking her arousal as well.

He stammered, "Oh, ah, mmm. We shouldn't start something we can't finish yet."

Lyria took her hand away and whined. "I'll be good..."

An hour later, Lyria was having the time of her life in Kelvin's pickup though the engine was so loud it seemed like it was in pain and it coughed like it was going to choke out. Lyria had her face and palms pressed against the glass watching the people. The masses were more than could be counted on fingers and toes. People playing guitar on the street corners, Three Card Monte victims, disappearing rabbits, hot dog trucks, and the rock and rhythm and blues booming from the open restaurants had her so full of excitement!

Kelvin looked over and smiled at her happiness. Lyria returned the joy but as soon as she turned to look at the sights, he tapped her leg.

"Look!" Kelvin pointed out the skyscrapers on his side.

Those buildings of glass that stretched to the sky were even more breathtaking than what she read about! One was topped with a helipad and she was amazed by the flying machine with propellers that landed upon it. Her mouth was open so long, it was like she had to wipe the puddle she'd created.

"Wow...it flies!"

Kelvin said, "That's a helicopter up there."

"Where I come from, fairies can fly but I think machines that fly are much cooler!" Lyria turned her attention to Kelvin's hands. "Can I make this thing go?"

He looked at the steering wheel. "You mean drive? I don't think you're ready for that! I have a lot more birthdays I want to see!"

"That sucks..."

They pulled into the parking lot of Racy's Clothes and More. Kelvin ran over to open her door but she was already out. It was like a hundred rows of vehicles of blacks, reds, whites, and blues. The people of countless complexions and shapes had Lyria running her fingers through each other and rubbing her left foot against the opposite one.

Kelvin laid a hand upon both shoulders to silence her nerves again. "Honey, I'm here. It's okay."

Lyria nodded in agreement though there were still butterflies in her belly. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Remember, stay out of trouble. People will look at you strangely and maybe ask questions. You say you're wearing a costume for a party or there's a comic convention in town. You don't tell anyone who you really are. They'll think you're crazy and we don't need the attention."

"Yes, sir."

Kelvin pressed his lips to hers and Lyria was in flutters. He donned a black baseball cap and shades before they took off. She took his hand and they walked towards the store. He lived in that town but was as jumpy as the goblin. She kept shifting an eye towards him trying to feed her curiosity.

"Kelvin, are you okay?" the goblin asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Kelvin wiped the sweat from his brow. Sweating while ice crystals were forming on Lyria's bones was noteworthy as well.

"Am I making you nervous? Is there something you want to talk about?" Lyria asked as he halted his steps with hers.

"No...I mean not yet."

She was becoming at peace in a place she knew nothing about with him so close but she really wanted to know what was buried within him.

"Can I ask why you're wearing that hat and glasses over your face?"

"I...ah...I'll tell you later. I promise. Trust me, remember?"

Lyria shrugged.

They continued their trek to the automatic doors. As they slid aside without touching them, she was in amazement. Her awe only grew at the world of dresses, shirts, skirts, shoes, and accessories. Racks of clothes seemed to go on for an eternity in all directions. Add to that the lights as bright as stars and she couldn't decide which way to go. Like human women, the thrill of shopping came alive within her.

Kelvin appeared to share the same joy but not because he was fond of increasing the size of his wardrobe.

Lyria was attracted to some lime green dresses with leaves of spring colors arranged in different directions. One particular garment stretched to the knees with a split that rode up the side.

Oh, but then she saw a top with a strap on one shoulder that stopped above her belly button. It was mostly yellowish green with some solid green circles and squares scattered about. She rubbed the textures between her fingers. Cotton was familiar but the top was like nylon and polyester, which was the first time she held such materials.

Kelvin was moving with her through the racks and was taking pleasure in watching her reactions. "Those would look cute on you."

"You think so? I do! Back in the forest, our clothes were made from whatever we could find—grass, hay, bark, cotton. They could get itchy but these feel so nice against my skin! How many can I get?"

Kelvin looked at how much of the store they still had to cover and looked down at the thickness of his wallet...or lack thereof. Through grit teeth and fake whimpers, he said, "Whatever you want, honey."

Kelvin scanned the store. A few eyes wandered in their direction but the absence of a crowd brought relief.

They soon found themselves in the pink section, which was separated from the rest of the store. At the entrance was a blown up photo of a woman licking her lips while running her fingers through her tresses with deep blue bedroom eyes wearing only silk black bra and panties with lace trim.

Lyria wandered inside. There were mannequins throughout displaying underwear of different colors of white, red, navies, black, and pinks. She smiled while nibbling her fingertip as she took in a see-through silky silver negligee. With one curled arm overflowing with clothes, she snatched it from its hanger with her free hand and held it over herself.

"What do you think? You like?"

"Mmm. You're going to make me take you somewhere and do something naughty to you."

"Oh, be careful. I might like that." She touched her shoulder to her cheek with a giggle and a wink. "So, do I try these on here or what?"

"No, sweetheart," Kelvin said as he escorted her towards the dressing rooms by the small of her back. "If you did that, I'm sure everyone would run out of here screaming!"

Lyria hit him in chest. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Haha. I'm only kidding!"

"Jerk!"

Kelvin went ahead and got a key from the attendant. He took Lyria down the row of stalls and opened hers. "There's a latch you can use to lock the door. I'll be out here on the bench if you need me."

"Okay," she said as she pushed open the door and sat her clothes down.

Lyria slid the latch through the slot next to door.

She tried on most of her outfits and was in love with them all. There was one that zipped at the back and that zipper was out of reach of her fingertips.

She stuck her head out of a crack she made in the door. "Kelvin, I need your help."

He stood in front of her. "Hey."

"Can you help me with my dress in the back?"

Lyria walked in reverse but she didn't show her back until she was inside. Kelvin swept her hair clear of her neck and took the zipper between his fingers. He glanced at the mirror and her stare did not divert from him. He kissed her nape above the zipper and added another but held it for a little. She giggled but that was followed by a soft moan. He pulled her into his body and covered her neck in smooches. He nibbled her neck then dug his teeth a bit deeper. She rubbed the back of his head as her legs melted.

Lyria was bouncing on her heels. "Do we get to sex now? Please?"

Kelvin whispered in her, "Not yet but I can give you something to think about..."

"Oohh..." Lyria was shaking. Never could a fellow goblin share the same emotion as Kelvin. They usually wanted to get in and out minus the commitment part...even a commitment to making her feel desirable, special. She never wanted to be without this.

Kelvin flipped her around and their lips found each other. Lyria slid her hands over his neck and they lost track of time as they kissed. He had an intoxicating aroma, a cologne, that was satisfying to her nose.

He clutched a handful of her locks, pulled her head back, and ravaged her exposed neck with kisses and she let out a louder moan when he attached his lips to it and sucked while licking it at the same time.

He grabbed her little green ass and squeezed hard. He drew back to give it a spank that others in the stalls nearby had to have heard. She thrust her hips into him as they breathed in sync together. She felt his erection and was filled with ecstasy but he stepped away.

"We should go..." he said caressing her lips with a thumb

"I'll be ready in a minute..." She was obviously disappointed as her heat had risen but was turned off. No, it was at a simmer. She wanted him but what she also wanted all there was to know him.

Lyria emerged from the dressing room about forty five minutes later. She was wearing a blue cotton sweater that not only was comfy but shielded her from frosty air. She also had an affinity for the blue jeans she'd found. They kept her skin warm but were loose enough she could move like she wanted. They appeared to compliment her top. She never realized she had an interest in style until she was in a sea of so many options.

Kelvin was sitting on a bench with his arms over his torso. He switched to leaning forward browsing the net on his phone. He let out a long yawn when he noticed her.

Kelvin popped off the wood. "Took you long enough! I damn near fell asleep! I guess goblin and human women have more in common than I thought!"

Streaks of pain and fear seized the goblin as his apparent rage slammed into her. She leaned away and sank at the knees. "Sorry, I wasn't used to putting on human clothes!"

"You want all of those?" he asked as he looked at the stack of clothes and shoes in her arms so high it nearly covered her head.

"Is that okay?"

"Come on..." he said. "Listen, I'm sorry I snapped at you. I guess it takes some time getting used to this."

"Do you want to put me out in the snow again?"

A scowl and creases formed across Kelvin's mug. "If you'd been through what I have, you'd know why I did what I did even if it wasn't right."

Lyria raised her voice a couple of notches. "Well, I don't know what you've been through because you won't tell me! Maybe you want to be able to tell everyone you had sex with a goblin! Is that all?"

Kelvin's eyelids came together almost completely as he frowned. He looked like a blast of lava was going to erupt from his top as he lifted his tone another level over hers. "I hate when people try to tell me what I'm thinking! You don't know so shut up!"

Fire grew within her face as her whites bloodshot. She didn't say a word as she followed him out but she was thinking about whether she wanted him or not. Whether she loved this place or did she want to leave. She wasn't sure. Every experience she had in this world was tied to Kelvin. It wasn't like she knew how to get back home. She had to make this work. The idea of being without him caused walls of fear to close in and crush her.

She buried her face into her palms and wailed into them. "Waahhh! I'm sorry I made you mad at me! Waaahhh!" Her clothes fell to the floor in her despair.

She caught the faint sound of his frustration sighs and a peek through her tear-blurred vision revealed he was drooping his chin and sharing her sadness.

Kelvin extended a hand but withdrew it and held it to himself. "I...I'm sorry for being a jerk." He was overflowing with regret and sorrow. She was barely able to hear him but his words began to heal her. "The last thing I wanted was to make you cry. I'm not used to having someone to love and I have much to learn. Sorry."

He pried her hands away from her tears and held them as she sniffled.

Lyria jumped into him and clutched. "We can learn together! I can't be without you!" She ran her eyes across his shirt to wipe them.

Kelvin returned the squeeze. "You won't be!" He gathered the items she lost and carried them for her. He stole a minute to check her out. The goblin was giddy as she fluttered off her feet. He sampled the fabric of her sweater between his fingers. "You look great. I love this sweater. You have a natural sense for fashion I think."

"Aww, gee, thanks!"

As they walked towards the registers, Kelvin spotted someone. A blonde with a white blouse and black skirt to her ankles was walking into the store with a couple of men. Kelvin extended his arm across Lyria's path and took her hand once she stopped.

"Wait!"

He pulled her down with him behind the jewelry counter.

The woman moved past them on the opposite side of the counter. It was like she was going for what she wanted and knew where it was. A whiff of expensive perfume lingered in her steps. Lyria's nose curled. She already didn't like her whoever she was. Not one of the strands of her tresses were out of place, her eye shadow and blush were applied perfectly, and her nails were natural and violet.

"Ok, let's go," Kelvin said as they went through one of the checkout lines in front of them. He helped her get her things on the conveyor belt.

Lyria couldn't help herself as that woman was still on her mind. "Did you know her? Did she used to be a girlfriend or something?"

"I know her. We'll go somewhere to talk when we leave here."

It was obvious the mention of the subject caused the same uneasiness she'd been seeing in him.

The cashier's aura seemed to radiate happiness. "Hi, Cameron! So great to see you again!"

Lyria raised a brow. Cameron? Lyria started looking around but the cashier was definitely looking at the man she came in the store with. She read her nametag. "Cookie."

Cookie looked as though that smile was a permanent fixture on her lips. She was as tall as Kelvin and had no nails unlike the other human females she'd seen. Judging by her muscle tone, which was similar to Lyria's, she must have been an athlete or familiar with manual labor. Her complexion was caramel and was without a flaw. Her hair was jet and thrown into a ponytail.

Kelvin coughed, shook his head, and nodded towards Lyria. She stammered as she renamed him.

"Kelvin! How are you?" she said as she scanned each of the price tags before making a stack of garments next to her.

"Never better. When is little chocolate chip coming?"

Cookie giggled. "I need a boyfriend first but that was kind of funny."

"Not really but even it came across as dumb, it would still get a laugh."

"Hehe. Well, it was cute," she said as she placed her attention on Lyria for a second. "Who is this with you? Is there a festival going on?"

Kelvin summoned Lyria to come closer. She moved next to him and he hugged her around the waist. "This is Lyria. Lyria, this is Cookie."

"Hi, Lyria. What a cute name!"

Lyria had an instant feel of comfort near Cookie. "Hi. Yes, I'm, um, wearing makeup for a festival. Have you known Kelvin long?"

Cookie braced a hand on the counter and angled her eyes towards the ceiling. "Oh, how long has it been? Ten years? We were in theatre class back in high school. We've been friends ever since. So, what are you to Kelvin?"

Lyria opened her mouth. No words came out but he stepped in. "She's someone special."

Lyria grinned.

Cookie folded the clothes and stuffed them into a bag almost bigger than Lyria. "That's sweet. I wish I could see her without the costume and makeup. I bet she's pretty."

Lyria smirked and turned away to speak to herself. "I'm not pretty now? Humans..."

Kelvin was surveying the area for the whereabouts of the blonde. She was approaching in the distance! He whipped around. "How much? I have to go!"

Cookie tapped at the register. "$415.76"

Kelvin whipped out his wallet and dropped five Franklins on the counter. "Keep the change. Thanks! Come on, Lyrie!"

He grabbed the bag and his baby's wrist and dashed for his jalopy. He looked back and that woman was coming out of the store but Kelvin stuffed Lyria in the car, ran to the driver's side, and dove in.

Lyria was sitting there trying to fit the puzzle pieces together she'd found in the store. What in the world was she in the middle of? Being familiar with trouble, this looked like its twin if nothing else.

Kelvin didn't say much on the way to what would be Mariani's Italian Restaurant.

"I hope you're hungry," Kelvin said as he put the truck in park.

She rubbed her tummy, which was growling. "Yeah!"

"Okay, follow me."

He got out, opened her door, and she hopped to the pavement.

She wasn't sure how they were going to find this food. There were no forests, crops, or animals running around. Her excitement overrode the confusion swirling around within her.

He opened the door and she walked in but she held her hands together at her waist and wouldn't step off the doormat until he stood at her side.

There were rows of booths on either side of the hostess stand before them. Waitresses were dodging patrons while trying to keep their drinks from sloshing and food from wasting and the noise was loud with everyone chatting at once. Jazz was playing over the ceiling speakers but was mostly drowned out by the commotion. There was a map of Italy covering much of the wall on one side covered in sealant. The other walls were painted in greens, browns, and slate hues with the light fixtures giving off a yellowish orange light that glowed in the dim atmosphere. The smell of fresh tomato sauce, oregano, thyme, and garlic caressed their noses.

A hostess escorted Kelvin and Lyria to a table in the rear shadows.

The low lighting seemed to calm the pair and Lyria was already looking around for lunch.

"Where's the food? I'm starving!"

"Look at that menu in front of you. When the waitress comes, tell her what you want. They'll cook it in the back and bring it to you."

She grabbed the menu and flipped through its pages. "Wow, we didn't have anything like this at home. At home, we'd have to pick berries or nuts. Sometimes, we might have to hunt something. This is better! I'm so glad I came!"