Chapter 9
“This has been a wonderful evening,” Mom told Coco. “Thank you so much for visiting with us.”
“It was great to meet you both,” Coco said.
Mom gave her a cautious smile. “Would you mind if I gave you a hug? I would like to make up for the sogginess of the last one.”
Coco smiled back. “I wouldn’t mind at all.”
Mom gave Coco a warm hug and whispered something in her ear.
Coco nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
When Coco turned to Dad, he gave her a slight bow. “It was a pleasure meeting you.”
“Likewise,” Coco said and returned the bow.
Mom and Dad stepped back into the shop and closed the door behind them.
I let out a sigh of relief.
“That wasn’t bad at all,” Coco said, bumping her shoulder to mine.
“No, it wasn’t.”
Coco led us away from the shop. “Your Mom’s sweet as she can be. I bet she has every aspect of me memorized.”
I chuckled. “She is, and I’m sure she does.”
“Your dad seems nice too, but I’m not sure how to describe him.”
“Quirky,” I supplied.
“He doesn’t care for physical contact, except with your mom, does he?”
“He doesn’t. Grandfather was like that to an extent too. Nana, on the other hoof, would cuddle a cactus.”
“You’re more of a Nana deep down,” Coco said with certainty. “Just you wait; I’ll have you snuggling in no time.”
“I look forward to those lessons.” I looked up towards the sky and smiled. “Have you been on a nighttime picnic while you’ve been here?”
“No, I haven’t.” Coco looked up. “There are a lot more stars here than back in Manehatten.”
“If you would like, I could take you on one. Once you get away from town, it seems like you can see every star in the night sky.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
We made the rest of the walk to Rarity’s in comfortable silence. We stopped a short distance from the boutique’s door and faced each other.
“I’m glad my parents didn’t traumatize you too much.” I made my ears go akimbo and gave her a goofy grin. “I’m sure you can see them in me, I hope that’s not too horrible a thought.”
“I think you got the best aspects of them both.” Coco glanced toward the boutique and then back. “Don’t turn your head,” she whispered, “we’re being watched.”
“Rarity?” I asked.
“I think Sweetie’s at the window too,” Coco confirmed. “If it had just been Rarity, I was thinking about putting on a show.” She flicked an ear and grinned.
I chuckled. “I think we’ve traumatized Rarity enough for today.”
Coco raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t think so if you heard the questions she asks.”
I tilted my head. “Questions?”
Coco blushed. “She asks things like: ‘Is he as skittish in intimate matters as he is in his showing affection to you?’”
“Sounds like she and Mom are thinking about the same thing,” I said with a sigh.
“That’s nothing compared to what Berry has asked.”
I winced. “Do I want to know?”
Coco grinned. “As examples: ‘How good is his ‘sewing’ technique?’ and ‘Have you gotten his ‘inseam’ measurement yet?’”
“That sounds like Berry.” I groaned and looked to the stars. “Why is everypony assuming we’ve made that leap?”
“According to Thunderlane, it’s because, ‘It shows he wants to do more than take nibbles of you.’” Coco smiled at me and raised an eyebrow. “Judging by how you’re blushing, he’s not too far off.”
I ducked my head in embarrassment. “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find you tempting. I hope Lane wasn’t too bad with his comments. He can get carried away.”
“He wasn’t at all. He said he could tell that how much you liked a mare by how nervous, polite, and uptight you got. He told me, ‘I’ve never seen him this bad before, he must think you are the most amazing thing since sliced bread.’”
“I do, and you are. You are the most wonderful mare I have met. That’s why I over analyze everything I do with you. I’m afraid that I’ll make a mistake and-”
Coco stopped me by giving me a hug. “Not happening, so don’t even think it. Unless you plan to drive me off somehow, one mistake or even several mistakes will not make me think less of you. If you were being nasty or doing hurtful things on purpose, then would I change my opinion of you and consider leaving.”
I returned her hug. “I would never do that.”
“I know you wouldn’t. Would you toss me out of your life if I made a mistake or two?”
“Absolutely not,” I told her and accented my words by giving her a light squeeze.
“Then we have nothing to worry about, since I’m not planning to say or do anything horrible to you either.”
I nuzzled her mane close to her ear. I thought I heard a noise, muffled by glass, coming from the boutique.
“Was that Sweetie or Rarity?” Coco asked.
“I couldn’t tell.”
Coco giggled, and I giggled with her.
After our giggle fit subsided, I asked Coco, “Should we be enjoying teasing them this much?”
“Maybe we’re being a little bad, but after all the teasing Rarity’s given us turnabout is fair play.” Coco sighed. “I better go inside. You should head back to your parents.” She let go of me. “Sleep well.”
“I will, and you too.” I let her go. “Thank you for coming this evening. I know you’re busy getting ready for your trip.”
“I enjoyed it.” She smiled and told me under her breath, “Rarity and Sweetie look like they are about to have a conniption.”
I did my best to keep a straight face. “I bet they’re expecting a kiss.”
“Since you gave me a goodbye kiss earlier, it’s my turn.”
I lowered my head and Coco rewarded me with a kiss on my forehead.
“Goodnight,” she told me.
I looked up at her and smiled. “Goodnight.”
*****
I stepped in and closed the door to my apartment. I could hear the shower’s water running.
“I hope your walk with Miss Coco was enjoyable,” Dad said from the couch.
“It was.”
The quiet that followed gave me the impression that something was on Dad’s mind. When I stepped into the den proper, I asked him, “You okay?”
He gestured toward the love seat across from the couch. “Let’s talk.”
I could feel Dad taking in information as I walked into the room and sat down.
“You tensed up,” he stated. “She makes you more defensive.”
“Coco you mean?”
Dad nodded.
“Coco plays a part, but I’m wondering what you’re trying to read and why.”
Dad watched me for a few seconds, saying nothing.
“You haven’t played inquisitor with me in a while,” I said. “What has you worked up?”
“I think you’ve fallen for her.”
The flatness of Dad’s statement told me he was probing me.
“She has become a dear friend and a welcome part of my life.” I added, “I hope that we can become more, but at a pace she sets.”
For a second, Dad seemed to waiver at some internal thought.
“This has something to do with Satin too, doesn’t it?”
A small smile came to Dad’s face. “It seems you’ve picked up pony reading yourself.”
“I learned from one of the best.”
My compliment drew no reaction.
“You need to be more open to her, or you risk losing her.”
“I promised her I would, and I will.” I leaned towards Dad. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m facing an echo of what your mother faced during dinner.” He studied me for a second and then asked, “Are you happy?”
I thought about my situation and nodded. “Business is going well, I have a roof over my head, and I have food on the table. I have good friends who look after me, I enjoy looking after and sharing with them. I have a wonderful special somepony, and I have parents who love me enough to stop by on a business trip to see how I’m doing. I have nothing to complain about.”
Instead of making Dad relax, as I thought it might, my answer seemed to sadden him.
“I see,” he said in a hollow tone.
“Dad, what’s this all about?”
“I asked the same question to Satin. Her answer was not so positive.” Dad took off his glasses, leaned his head back, and took in a deep breath. “’I have a job I like and I can pay my bills," was her response. I waited for her to add anything to what she said, but she never did.”
“That’s… not all that good of an answer.”
Dad sighed and told me: “She asked me why I was asking her whether or not she was happy. When I told her I could tell that she was not acting her usual self she laughed at me. She asked me what did it matter if she was happy and what had made me care how she was acting so long as she was doing her job.”
My mouth dropped open.
Dad opened his eyes. “I cannot say I blame her either. We’ve been pushing hard to get ready for this deal we’re trying to broker with Appleloosa to create an airship that would help them get their apples to new markets.”
“Linked in with the ties you already have with the warehouses and businesses in Canterlot,” I ventured.
Dad nodded. “Satin’s been pushing right along with us, plus trying to keep the shipbuilding side of things running.”
“Is everything okay?”
A small smile came back to Dad’s face. “We’re ship shape.” He chuckled. “Sorry, couldn’t let that one pass. While the company is doing well, we’re getting run ragged.”
“That sounds about normal, what’s gotten under Satin’s saddle then? Do you have any idea?”
Dad looked me in the eye and told me, “Her mood changed when after we told her about you getting an assistant.”
“Oh.” I grinned, trying to make light of the situation. “Sounds like an easy fix. Let her hire an assistant to take the load off of her. If she can get the pressure off, maybe she’ll go back to her usual self.”
“We-” Dad stopped as the door to the bathroom opened.
Mom walked into the den, a towel wrapped around her head, glanced at Dad and me, and then looked with disapproval at Dad. “You are talking about the business. We agreed we would not bring up such topics.”
“It’s fine, Mom,” I said. “We talked about if I was happy, which led to us talking about Satin. Since Satin and the company are intertwined we slipped into talking about work a little, but Satin was our main subject.”
Mom nodded in agreement. “True, you cannot talk about Satin without discussing aspects of work.”
For a second, Mom’s seemed like she was seeing something other than the room and her ears fell a little.
“You okay, Love?” Dad asked and reached out a hoof to her.
Mom gathered herself and her ears snapped back into place. She moved close to Dad, took his hoof, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m fine. Your turn, Dear. Go have a nice, warm shower.”
Dad leaned over the back of the couch and gave her a kiss. “Thank you, but I would need to stay warm is to think about you.” He waggled his eyebrows and bumped his nose to hers.
“Behave yourself,” Mom scolded him with a grin.
As Dad got up from the couch, Mom moved to sit beside me on the loveseat.
“No talking about me till I get back,” Dad said.
“I make no such promise,” Mom said.
Dad stepped into the bathroom and closed the door.
“I am worried about you and your sister,” Mom said. “You are doing better than I expected, but Satin seems to be worse.”
I turned and hugged Mom. “Satin is tough and stubborn. She also has a good sense of when she’s over her head. Don’t worry. She’ll talk to you or somepony and get help or she’ll grind it into submission.”
“Whatever it is, I do not think it is of that nature or she would have conquered it by now.” Mom sighed. “Her behavior and patterns have been off for almost half a year. I have been trying to find out what the cause could be, but nothing has turned up in the company.”
“She pulls into her shell when something unexpected happens and she pushes through,” I said.
“Until your father asked her about how she was feeling, she was not doing that, but something was still off.”
“It’s something outside the company then,” I ventured.
“As far as I know, she has nothing outside the company that would upset her so. I want to ask her, but she has been pulling back so much I am hesitant to do so.” Mom hugged me and put her chin on my shoulder. “This is tearing me apart. Something is wrong with my filly, and I do not know what is wrong or how to help.”
“Get her to come, and I’ll see what I can get out of her.” I rubbed Mom’s back with a hoof. “If I can get anything out of her.”
“I am afraid it has something to do with your father and me.” Mom sniffed. “Nopony else that I have talked to is having trouble with her.”
Dad opened the bathroom door and stepped into the den. He looked towards Mom and me and his ears fell. He approached the love seat and asked, “Can I borrow your spot and your mother?”
“Of course,” I said and moved to the couch.
Dad took my place on the loveseat and held Mom in his forelegs. “I’m sorry you’re hurting, Love.”
Mom nuzzled Dad and touched her horn to his. “I am not hurting as much as I am scared for my foals.”
“I’m doing fine Mom, I promise.” I sat down on the couch. “Satin will get over whatever is bothering her too.”
“She worries about you both all the time,” Dad said. “If you weren’t so close, I think she’d worry her tail right off if she couldn’t put eyes on you now and then.”
Mom turned to look at me. “Please understand, it is not because I think either of you are incompetent, it is because I love you both.”
“I know, Mom. I worry about you three up in Canterlot too. I will visit more often, even if Satin is still being an ursa major. I promise.”
“I will hold you to that.” Mom smiled. “If you don’t come and see us, we will come see you for longer and longer visits.”
“Dear, threatening him is counterproductive to your goals,” Dad told her.
“I am not threatening, I am promising. Besides, Coco and he may need help taking care of a little one before too much longer and they might enjoy the help.”
“She and I are still quite a way off from that,” I said.
“Blessings can come to couples at unexpected times, as you well know.” Mom gave me a smile. “All it takes is the right moment.”
“And a good ear nibble to start things off,” Dad said in a deadpan voice, but with a half contained smile. “It turns out that a light nibble in the back of stagecoach after a lovely dinner can lead to things even before you get back to- umph!”
Mom, blushing, cut Dad off by covering his mouth with a hoof. “I believe we can leave things right there, Dear.”
*****
The store’s bell chimed, and I looked up from my order schedule. I smiled and greeted Coco, “Good afternoon.”
“Good afternoon to you too,” she replied. “How did it go with your parents this morning?”
“They got on the train with no trouble. They both told me to tell you goodbye and they look forward to seeing you again.”
Coco smiled. “I look forward to seeing them again too.”
“Mom left a package for you. She made me promise to deliver it to you at the first opportunity.”
Coco looked surprised. “She didn’t have to do that.”
“That’s Mom for you.” I held up my hoof in a warning gesture. “Be careful though, Mom’s gifts are sometimes strange.”
“I take it you don’t know what’s in the package.”
I shook my head. “I haven’t a clue. She also told me that if I tried to peek she would come back and give me a ‘scolding like you have not had since you were a foal.’ ”
Coco laughed. “I can’t image you getting into too much trouble, even as a foal.”
“I had my moments,” I confessed. “After getting used to Ponyville, where I could run around wherever I wanted, Canterlot was constraining.” I felt my ears perk up, as it occurred to me to share with her: “Speaking of running, that’s one thing I like to do before I open the shop.”
“No wonder you keep trim.” Coco smiled. “Berry said it was because, ‘he tries to live off air too much’.”
“Since you’ve been here, I’ve haven’t skipped that many meals.”
Coco raised an eyebrow and gave me a displeased look.
“I only skip breakfasts!” I said, shielding myself from her look with my fore hooves. “Sometimes, after I run, I get pinched for time and I’m not that hungry after the exercise.”
Coco pointed a hoof at me. “You shouldn’t skip any meals. At least have something light when that happens. I don’t want to report you to Berry.”
“She’s chewed on me before for not eating,” I said in playful defiance. “I can take it.”
Coco gave me a scheming smile. “I’ll tell your mother.”
I gave an exaggerated gasp. “You wouldn’t!”
“I wouldn’t,” Coco confessed. “But if you make a habit of skipping breakfast, I might.” Coco made her way around the counter. “I don’t want you to make yourself sick.”
“I enjoy running too much to torture myself with it to the point I didn’t like it.” I struck a pose in Thunderlane-like fashion. “But I have to use every trick I can to keep looking good for you, so I have to push a little.”
Coco smiled and rolled her eyes. “You look fine, and I don’t think you have to worry. Both your mom and your dad looked like they were in top shape.”
“That’s because they eat well and start most days off with a workout.”
“Your Mom’s idea, I take it.”
“Mostly, Dad enjoys it too, so he has never complained.”
Coco’s ears perked up as if she had an idea. “Could I run with you in the mornings?”
“I, uh… sure, but do you want to?”
“Yes, please!” Coco said, with enough enthusiasm her front hooves came close to leaving the floor.
The strength of her insistence surprised me. “You are more than welcome to.”
“Thank you,” she said, relieved.
“Is everything okay?” I said, getting worried.
“Rarity has insisted on taking me to her morning maretial arts classes.”
I drew in a breath through my teeth. “She talked me into going to lessons with her a while back. She turns into a monster when she gets on a sparring mat.”
“I haven’t sparred her or anything like that; it’s just not my cup of tea.”
“That's good. She can get rough." I rubbed my shoulder with a hoof out of nerves. "I’m glad you want to run with me, but I’m worried that you’ll get tired of seeing me.”
Coco smiled. “Do you every get tired of seeing me?”
“Not at all.”
“It’s the same for me seeing you.“ Coco sighed. “However, I have to I warn you, I don’t look my best first thing in the morning all hot and sweaty.”
I did my best to keep my thoughts from going to inappropriate places, failed, and tried to suppress my blush.
“Looks like you don’t mind such things.” Coco got closer, reached up with a hoof, and touched my mane. “I wonder what your coat, mane, and tail look like when you’re all sweaty.”
“Not near as nice as yours, I’m sure,” I said.
“I don’t know. You and your mom have wonderful manes.”
“Not so much when I’m sweaty. Think soggy mop strands and that’s close to what my mane turns into.”
Coco laughed.
I felt a pang of missing her even while she was standing in front of me.
“What was that look for?” Coco asked, her smile fading away. “You seemed sad or worried about something.”
“I was thinking about you leaving tomorrow.”
“I’ll be back before you know it.” Coco gave my nose a light tap with her hoof. “Besides, with all the orders piling up, you’ll be too busy to notice I’m gone.”
“I can’t agree there.” I took her hoof with mine, before she could lower it, and gave it a kiss. “But it will allow me to get surprises ready for you for when you get back.”
The store’s bell ringing caused us to pause our conversation.
“She’ll figure out we ducked in here!” Scootaloo said.
“We can go out the back,” Sweetie said.
“If Pin will let us,” Apple Bloom said.
“Sweetie, what are you three up to now?” Coco asked the trio of fillies as they approached the counter.
“We’re tryin’ to avoid my sister,” Apple Bloom said, glancing over her shoulder at the shop’s door.
I raised an eyebrow. “Dare I ask?”
“We did it!” Scootaloo said. “We got a letter to Princess Cadance! She agreed to help us and Applejack!”
“That’s great news,” Coco said. She tilted her head and asked, “Why are you three acting like Applejack is after you?”
“Because she is after us!” Apple Bloom said, and glanced toward the door again. “Princess Cadance wrote a letter to us and to Applejack about her plans to help, I think.”
“What do you mean, ‘you think’?” I asked.
“The two letters came this mornin’ from the Crystal Empire; one for us and one for Applejack” Apple Bloom said. “After reading our letter, I expected what was goin’ to be in Applejack’s and skedaddled the first chance I could.”
Scootaloo told Apple Bloom, “You should have just left the letter for her to pick up later.”
“It wasn’t my fault!” Apple Bloom protested. “Big Mac brought in the mail today. I thought I might have pulled it off, but Big Mac told Applejack about me getting a royal letter too.”
“Now we’re all going to be in trouble,” Scootaloo grumbled. “She must have figured things out right after she finished reading her letter.”
“Please,” Sweetie begged, “let us cut through your shop. We saw Applejack not too long ago, and she didn‘t look happy.”
“Wait a second.” I held up my hooves and made a timeout gesture. “You want me to help you avoid Applejack? I don’t think so.”
“Applejack doesn’t know you were the pony that helped us come up with the idea.” Scootaloo smiled at me in a way that told me I was in trouble and added, “Yet.”
“That’s just low,” I replied to Scootaloo.
“I think I see her hat!” Sweetie squeaked. “She’s cutting through the market!”
“You realize you have to go home sometime, right?” I asked Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom gave me a resigned nod. “I know, but I want her to cool down before I get my ears chewed off.”
I could not keep the smile off my face. “What kind of co-conspirator would I be if I let you three get caught?”
All three fillies’ ears perked up.
“You’re goin’ to help us?” Apple Bloom asked.
I looked out the store’s front window and told them: “I’m going to give you a sporting head start. Applejack and Big Mac are coming this way.”
Coco stepped aside and waved them toward the back. “Come on, you three. The escape route is this way. I’ll let you out while Pin distracts them.”
“Thank you!” Scootaloo said and rushed towards the workroom.
“Thanks!” Apple Bloom said, as she hurried past.
“Thank you,” Sweetie said, gave Coco a quick hug, and scurried into the workroom.
The fillies and Coco just made it into the back as Applejack and Big Mac walked into the store.
Applejack tilted her hat and rubbed her temple with a hoof. “What in tarnation are those three doin’ here?”
“Giving you some time to calm down over a letter, from what Apple Bloom told me,” I told her.
Big Mac gave a deep chuckle.
Apple Jack gave her brother a look. “Laugh it up. You only have Sugar Belle to worry about. I’m goin’ to have a whole battalion of guards to try and not trip over.”
“Sis, three guards aren’t a battalion,” McIntosh said, through his chuckle.
“It might as well be! How am I supposed to do the caterin’ if I’m trippin’ over them while they’re tryin’ to be sweet on me?!”
“Just one’s your ‘honor escort’; the other two are goin’ to help with the caterin’,” McIntosh said as if he had explained this to her before. “You’re supposed to relax a little during the-” McIntosh cut his eyes toward me and ended his sentence, “evenin’.”
“Somethin’ just occurred to me.” Applejack looked towards me. “Why would the girls go and mention something to you about the letter I got?”
“I might have had a small part of giving them the idea to contact somepony that knew you and could help them find you a date for the… whatever is coming up.” My ears went back in guilt. “Beyond delivering the news that their plan worked, they asked for a shortcut because they thought you were upset with them about the letter.”
“I didn’t know you had it in you, Pin,” McIntosh said, with a full laugh.
I shrugged and grinned. “Since I contributed to their plan, I couldn’t let my partners in crime get caught.”
“I hate to spoil your fun, but I wasn’t even after them.” Applejack poked McIntosh in the side with a hoof. “This laughin' lummox needs a new suit. After he gets measured for one, he and I need to go to the market.”
Coco stepped back into the storefront. “Hello, Applejack. Hello, Big McIntosh.”
McIntosh got his laughing under control. “Hello, Miss Pommel.” He gave Coco a nod. “I take it you let my sister and her friends out the back.”
Coco smiled. “I did.”
“Good for you, gettin’ in on the fun. Sis has needed somethin’ like this for a while.”
Applejack looked up at McIntosh, seeming shocked. “Of all the ponies I thought would be on my side, you go sidin’ with them!”
“They helped me find my special somepony. You ought to consider lettin’ them do the same for you.” McIntosh grinned at Applejack. “At least this time they have Cadance helpin’ them. She’ll keep them from doin’ the crazy stuff with you like they tried with me and maybe even find you a good fella.”
“I don’t have time for that kind of hooey,” Applejack said. “We’ve got too much work to do on the farm for me to be courtin’.”
“I was wearing your horseshoes not too long ago, and Rich told me to make time to bring somepony in my life and focus on what is important.” I looked at Coco, smiled, and turned back to Applejack. “What happened wasn’t what I was expecting, but Coco coming into my life has been the best thing to happen in a long time. Let Cadance and the Cutie Mark Crusaders try to find somepony for you that equals what Coco has done for me. You won't regret it.”
Applejack tilted her hat and gave me a searching look. “Do you mean what she has done for the shop or for you as a pony?”
“Both,” I said without hesitation. “One of the reason’s I’m rooting for Cadance and the girls to find your somepony is I hope you feel as happy with whoever they find for you as I have since Coco shared her life with me.”
Applejack seemed to mull my words over. She looked toward Coco and a grin came to her face. “That’s a right rosy shade of red there, Coco.”
I turned to Coco, who was staring at me and blushing. “She’s the Element of Honesty; I have to tell her the truth about how I feel.”
McIntosh nodded. “Eeyup. Sis gets real ornery if you don't tell the truth.”
Applejack rolled her eyes. “I’m not that bad.”
McIntosh and I looked at each other and, without a word said, agreed not to argue with her.
I took McIntosh’s measurements and got his choices of what colors and materials he would like for the suit.
“You’re goin’ to need an acre’s worth of cloth for him,” Applejack warned.
“That won’t be a problem,” I assured and added McIntosh’s order to my files. “We should have everything ready in about a week. I’ll send a note, when it’s done.”
McIntosh smirked.
“What?” I asked.
His smirk shifted to a full grin. “ ’We’? Coco’s doin’ that much around here, huh?”
It took a moment for his words to register. I smiled and nodded. “She is. I don’t even think about the shop being ‘mine’ anymore.”
Applejack patted McIntosh on the shoulder. “We ought to get goin’. We have chores to do, and it looks like Coco would like to have a talk with our friend here.”
“Thank you both,” McIntosh said and led Applejack out of the store.
“Thank you and take care!” I called after them.
“Pin,” Coco said, as soon as the door shut.
I turned to her.
“Hold still.”
I did as directed and Coco gave me a lasting kiss.
She broke the kiss and said, “Thank you.”
“I’m not sure what I did, but I’m glad it made you happy.”
Coco gave me a hug. “You let me know I’m appreciated and valued.”
I hugged her back and put my cheek against her head. “You’re cherished.”
The shop’s door opened. “Coco, dear, are you…?” She stopped just inside the door. “Oh.” Rarity fidgeted. “I’m sorry, I’m interrupting.”
Coco dropped her head to my chest and muttered something impolite about the universe and timing.
I fought to keep a straight face as I told Rarity, “It’s fine. We should save such activities when were not in the storefront.”
“We get interrupted in back too,” Coco whispered.
I kissed the top of her head. “I’ll make it up to you,” I promised.
“It really wasn’t anything of importance.” Rarity took a step back toward the door. “I was picking a few things up from the market and came by to chat and then walk with Coco to the boutique.”
Coco turned her head and looked at the store’s clock. “I didn’t even realize what time it was.”
“Such things happen when you’re with your coltfriend.” Rarity smiled and hummed a happy note. “It’s happened to me a number of times here lately.”
I let Coco go. “Don’t forget the package.”
“That’s right!” Coco headed toward the back. “I’ll go get it,” she said over her shoulder.
“It’s on the coffee table,” I told her.
“I’m sorry for interrupting you two. I really am.” Rarity adjusted her saddlebags in embarrassment. “I just couldn’t wait to talk to Coco about my idea for my new shop.”
“Rarity, I promise, it’s fine.” I gave her a warm smile. “It’s good to see you this excited about something. If you don’t mind me asking, what was your idea?”
“I want to open a shop in Manehatten.”
I felt like somepony had doused me with ice water at Rarity’s words.
“I’ll need her help to select the right spot and get it up and running. I was hoping she could give me some advice and ask her to do a little scouting for me too if she had the time.” Rarity looked past me. “Dear, where is your package?”
“I think it’s best if I leave it here,” Coco said and stood by me.
I turned to Coco. When our eyes met, she blushed.
I took a slow breath before asking, “What did Mom do this time?”
Coco suppressed a laugh and put her mouth close to my ear. “It’s a collection of books and a sample pack of potions for mares and stallions,” she confided in a soft voice.
I closed my eyes and let my head drop. “I don’t even know what to say.”
“I do,” Coco said. “I look forward to us reading and discussing them.”
I felt my blush go to my ears as I looked at her.
“I’ve read the one I put on top,” Coco said. “I know you’ve promised to read the Pony of the Opera, but I would like to talk to you about the other book too, when I get back.” She booped my nose with a hoof. “Take notes as to your favorite parts on both of them,” she teased. “I want to know what you think.”
Coco smiled in a way that renewed my blush.
Rarity glanced at Coco and me. “Judging by his reaction, I believe I’m out of the loop on something.”
“I’ll tell you when we’re at the boutique,” Coco told her.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to see you off tomorrow?” I asked.
“I’m sure,” Coco said and gave me a hug. “Your orders are piling up again, and I don’t want you to get behind or miss a sale.”
“Have fun while you’re up there.” I hugged Coco back. “I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you too.”
Coco smiled, flicked her ear, and gave me a meaningful look.
Rarity made a noise of protest.
I smiled and asked, “Miss Coco, are you trying to tempt me into doing something improper?”
Coco grinned back and nodded. “Is it working?”
“It is.” I leaned towards Coco’s ear, drawing out the action as long as I could.
“You can be seen!” Rarity protested.
Using my magic, I levitated a jacket from a nearby rack so that it obscured Rarity’s and anypony walking by the shop’s view of Coco and I. I gave Coco’s ear a gentle nibble and then kissed her. “Travel safe.”
“I will.” She touched her nose to mine. “Don’t work too hard.”
“I’ll do my best not to.”
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I now find myself waiting for the next chapter of your story.
Thank you for a very entertaining read.
9528753
I am glad you are liking the story. I should have the next chapter up by this weekend, if all goes well. I am learning to tell life to back off so I can do the things I enjoy, including writing.
A very nice addition.
I'll admit, I was expecting more fun/embarrassment with the parents at dinner in this chapter, but the cutaway was still seet, and the mom's "package" was a nice gag too.
I guess this story has entered a slightly AU timeline now, since, in the show, Big Mac got his marefriend after Rarity opened her Manehatten location.
9530836
Thank you very much. I had fun with this chapter and I am glad you enjoyed it.
To be honest, I am trying to stick with the timeline as best I can while keeping the story going, but it can be difficult to tell when certain things happen. The story might have veered from the official series of events a bit, but with so many episodes happening without any true references to other happenings in the show, I think it's still within the broad brushstrokes of the overall timeline. I also figure if the writers can play around with 'moons' and other measures of time as much as they do I can fudge a little as to the sequence of events too.
Like I said Ponyville is a pretty good place to live well aside from the monster attack 😅
Well judging from there earlier season she really knows how to put up a good fight when it comes to physical fight
I get that a lot lol
Well once again it looks like the dinner with the family was pretty Pleasant and even the parents of royal really taking a liking of coco and deciding to take her home they had a pretty sweet moment with each other and once they said their goodbyes apparently the parents are still worried about their daughter and asking listen to talk with her hopefully this will get her open up and they felt like they really failed her but it was never the case it was just sometimes ponies can't be very stubborn hopefully they will talk to each other in a calm way later that day apparently the Cutie Mark Crusaders got them self in the pickle but also got the good news that Cadence is going to help out and something tells me Applejack is going to be having some interesting day and Big Macintosh getting ready for a date for sugar belle but then later on Coco was prepared to go back to Manhattan and Royal really is going to miss her so much hopefully they will see each other again soon
"don't want me"
11433904
Thank you for pointing that out. Sometimes I think there is something that goes in and erases random words in the chapters I upload.