The Whole Package

Thirty minutes later, Ash was waiting on the sidewalk for Skye. She appeared from behind the corner of the building. Her eyebrows were furrowed at first, but her expression mellowed and relaxed into a warm smile when she saw Ash. She kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly.

"Hi!" she said. "Thank you for seeing me, Ash!" She already seemed to be more relaxed.

"No problem! It was a nice surprise that you wrote. Anyway, I had nothing to do this afternoon."

Except inserting certain objects into my ass, he thought with a mixture of amusement and embarrassment.

They talked a little on their walk to the nearby Starbucks. There, they ordered coffees and cakes.

Ash took a closer look at Skye. She was wearing a tight white T-shirt, which, for the first time, showed the shape of her small breasts. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail that highlighted her cheekbones; it gave her something of a regal look, which, to Ash, immediately made her seem more elven. Ash could barely believe that Skye had ever looked male. He was convinced that she must have been naturally feminine - even beautiful, perhaps - long before her transition.

They talked a bit about some trivial stuff, like the movie they were going to watch at Ash's place on Friday. It turned out that they both were fans ofStranger Things, so they decided that they would watch the new episode together. Despite the lighthearted subject matter, Ash found himself fully engaged in their conversation. It came as a surprise to him when Skye suddenly looked at her watch and winced.

"Shit! I'm sorry, but I need to go. I have to return the truck and fill out the shift report or Andrew will be grumpy again. I'd rather not give him an excuse to be a dick."

Ash nodded and they left the café. While they were walking toward his block, Ash realized that he didn't want Skye to leave. He enjoyed her company, and simply felt better when he was with her. He couldn't put words to why he felt that way yet, but he knew he felt it.

His feelings weren't wholly selfish, either. He didn't want her to be sad, and he knew that having to deal with her coworkers - especially Andrew - was a burden..

Acting on the impulse, he said, "Hey, maybe I could tag along... I mean, if you could drop me back home later? Or if there is a bus station? So, you know... we can talk more aboutStranger Things... and other stuff on the road. What do you think?" As always, Ash had a bit of trouble overcoming his natural shyness, but finally managed to express what he wanted.

Skye's eyebrows cocked. "Really?"

"Yes, with pleasure!" he said, smiling at her.

"Wonderful! It will be nice to spend more time with you," Skye answered, visibly elated. "Oh, and of course I'll drop you back. I have my car parked at the warehouse."

They got into the truck. Once Skye joined the traffic on the main road, Ash turned toward her and asked, "You had a bad day at work, didn't you?"

Skye glanced at him, but then quickly turned her eyes back towards the road. She chuckled mirthlessly. "Is it that obvious? Yeah, even though I had fewer deliveries today, most of them were in rather shady places, like South Queens or East Harlem..."

"Oh, shoot! It's really dangerous there!" Ash exclaimed, repeating the stereotypical opinions about these neighborhoods. He'd never been to either place, but he knew the crime stats, which, sadly, were very real.

"Luckily, it's still not as bad as Brownville. You know, during the day, the most unpleasant things that might happen are some intrusive junkies asking for change, or some not-very-subtle cat-calling, but it's still stressful. Unfortunately, Andrew seems to enjoy sending me to those places..."

"Can't you report him to someone higher up?" Ash pressed. "This is harassment! It could be perceived as transphobic targeting! This guy is a straight-up jerk!" He felt a wave of heat when he realized how outrageous the situation was. He was wondering how he could help Skye, but besides moral support, he wasn't able to come up with any other ideas.

"Yeah, I guess I could. But you see, a complaint of that caliber would trigger a full investigation from HR. Andrew and the rest of the crew would cover each other's asses, that's for sure. Besides, it would take time. Meanwhile I'd been put in the spot, with an even bigger target on my back.

"I also don't want to be seen as a crazy entitled trans who makes a huge fuss about 'harmless' pranks," she continued, "because that's how a lot of people would see the whole situation. Anyway, I also don't want to be exposed as a trans-girl to everybody. It's my private business..." Skye finished quietly, her tone resigned.

Ash took a glance at her profile, as she was focused on driving. Skye's statement made him realize that she had taken a considerable risk by revealing to him that she was transgender. It made him appreciate and admire her honesty even more.

He thought about what other advice he could give her. "Then maybe you should consider quitting? I mean, there are other delivery companies - FedEx, UPS and more. Or you could even look for a completely different job. There are plenty of options... I guess." He finished a bit uncertainly, as he had no experience working any kind of 'real' job.

Skye was silent for a moment, clearly thinking about Ash's words. Finally, she smiled briefly at him and said, "You're right, I probably should do that. To be honest, I've been thinking about quitting for some time, but I was constantly delaying that decision. I could probably wait until the end of the month to take the whole salary and then resign."

"That sounds like a good idea," Ash answered enthusiastically.

Skye took a turn, and Ash noticed a big complex of buildings and a gate with an Amazon logo. It opened without Skye having to do anything. She drove closer to one of the buildings and stopped.

"There is my car," she said, pointing toward the parking lot. "You'll pick it out easily. It's the Honda that's half silver and half rust." She laughed softly. "Wait over by it, okay? This shouldn't take longer than fifteen minutes."

"Okay." Ash jumped off the truck and went toward Skye's car. He found it quickly and smiled, seeing that Skye had slightly exaggerated about its condition. It looked quite nice, as far as he could see. He turned toward the building where Skye was headed; he watched her silhouette disappear behind the door next to the loading ramp.

Ash waited as she told him, but after ten minutes or so, he began mincing around a bit uneasily. Anxious thoughts plagued him. What if that asshole Andrew is giving Skye a hard time right now? And I'm standing here, while Skye has to listen to his biased reprimands? Maybe I should... Impulsively, Ash started to walk toward the warehouse. He had no clear plan, but felt a need to do something - something that would show these jerks that Skye wasn't alone.

Of course, he was a bit afraid of the possibility of physical confrontation, but he tried to push those worries away. He took a big breath and peeked inside the warehouse. It was a huge space, with many high racks reaching almost to the ceiling, full of packages, pallets and other stuff. He spotted Skye speaking with some guy at the end of the corridor between the racks, next to an enclosed room that looked like an office. Neither Skye nor the man next to her noticed Ash walking in their direction.

"...it has nothing to do with anything, Skye. Your schedule for tomorrow includes some deliveries in Brownsville; what's the big deal?"

Ash overheard a part of what the man was saying to Skye. His tone was far from friendly, just like his posture. He had his hands on the hips and was standing nonchalantly, trying to look bossy. Though only in his early thirties, he looked older - and not in a good way. He sported a receding hairline, a pot-belly, and an unhealthy, post-acne complexion. If that was Andrew, Ash had no doubts as to why Skye wasn't interested in him. That was an ugly man, and evidently - the problem laid not only with his appearance.

"But can't you give me a break from these hoods? I know that other drivers don't... Ash?" Skye didn't finish her sentence, as she finally noticed Ash approaching them. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked tense.

Time to recall my acting skills from high school theater classes, Ash thought and brought a wide smile on his face. "Hi, babe! I thought I'd surprise you at work!" His kiss indeed surprised Skye, as he planted it on her cheek and hugged her briefly. Then he turned toward Andrew with an inconspicuous expression. He stuck his hand out, "Hi, I'm Ash, Skye's boyfriend!"

The man looked at him seemingly neutrally, but the slight change in his eyes didn't escape Ash's notice. He looked annoyed, and Ash wasn't surprised by that at all. Nevertheless, Andrew shook his hand - rather unnecessarily firmly, but Ash knew that, no matter what, he couldn't show any sign of discomfort.

"Andrew," he introduced himself in a rather dismissive way. He was still putting in some effort not to sound outright rude.

"Oh, you're Skye's boss, right? She told me a lot about you," Ash tried to say that with a neutral voice, but put a weight on the word "a lot." His eyes bore into the man's face. He wanted Andrew to know exactly what Skye had told him - to show him that someone from the outside knew about his bullying.

Ash turned more to Skye, but made sure to speak loudly enough, so Andrew wouldn't miss a word. "So, Brownsville again, huh?" he said with a bitter tone, glancing again at Andrew. "That sucks, pretty dangerous district... but don't worry, I'll go with you tomorrow, okay, babe? I know how stressful it is getting sent there over and over again."

Andrew remained silent, but his hostility radiated out regardless.

"And for the next time we're definitely gonna figure something out," Ash added.

Ash furrowed his brow and glowered towards Andrew, who still didn't say anything, only stared at Ash icily. But there was a slight difference in his energy. He seemed to Ash to be less sure than before, as if somebody else knowing how Skye was being treated had made him a bit more wary.

This confrontation was difficult and challenging for Ash, but he was trying to seem natural and relaxed. He forced himself to smile and said, "Okay, so you're done here? Can I steal my girlfriend now?"

"Yup, we're done," Andrew answered flatly, emphasizing the last two words.

"Great! Let's go, Skye!" Ash said cheerfully, feeling tremendous relief that the confrontation was over. Skye finally shook off her surprise at Ash's sudden appearance, and they started to walk together toward the exit of the warehouse. Once they got out, Ash exhaled deeply, only then realizing that his decision to confront Andrew had shaken him so badly. He was happy that he'd found it in his heart to do it, though.

They walked to Skye's car and got in. Ash turned toward Skye, just to be pulled by her into a close embrace. She held him like that for a long moment, then released him and looked at him intensely. Skye seemed to be touched.

Finally, she slowly shook her head and said, "Wow... That was something... just wow, Ash! Thank you! No one had ever stood up for me like that, ever!"

"Ah, it's nothing, really," Ash answered, feeling even more proud of himself, but at the same time trying to remain modest. "It would be much better if I could beat him to the pulp, haha! But I guess I would have to be built like those orc-futas to do so!"

Skye laughed heartily and started the engine. They continued their talk on the road.

"Beating him up would have been going a bit too far, maybe, but seeing his stupid face when you said that you're my boyfriend... that was priceless! And did you notice the change in his face when you were talking about going with me to do deliveries in Brownsville? I think he got... well, maybe not scared, but definitely unsettled! That was awesome!" Skye was visibly excited, and Ash was much happier to see her like that, rather than sullen, morose, and hopeless.

While they were going back to Ash's place, they finally discussed the TV series they were going to watch on Friday evening. Ash felt so happy about how the entire afternoon had gone. He already felt closer with Skye, even though he'd only known her for a few days. Something between them just clicked.

Skye parked next to Ash's block and turned toward him with a smile, but her expression became more serious as she spoke. "Listen, Ash, I need to tell you something. I wanted to apologize to you about the way I approached you about that package situation. It could be seen as pushy and... and nosy... and even intrusive. I know that I stepped over the line, but I was just so excited about the possibility of meeting someone who could be... into me. Into people like me! But I feel bad. It shouldn't be done that way... I mean..." She floundered and went silent.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up!" Ash answered with a smile. "I'm very happy that you did that. It was a crazy situation, but it all turned out for the best, right?"

"Yes, I guess it did..." Skye smiled too, and leaned to kiss him. Her tongue swiftly slid inside his mouth and began to dance with his own. Their hands were wandering and exploring their bodies, bolder and bolder with every passing moment. Time seemed to slow down for both of them, closing them in their own bubble of reality.

They kissed so long and passionately that when Ash finally got out of the car, he felt dizzy. But he liked that feeling. Once again, he appreciated his big 'dress-like' T-shirt, because it hid his erection while he was skipping and humming on the way to his apartment.

***

To Ash's surprise, Skye texted him later that same evening. She told him that Andrew had informed her that her Thursday schedule had been changed from Brownsville to some peaceful suburban areas. They both couldn't believe it, but apparently Ash's attempt to call out Andrew on his bullshit had worked.

Skye wrote a few other messages, expressing her gratitude and telling Ash that she would not rest until she found the way to repay him. Her words were vague, but her choice of many colorful, kissing emojis were much clearer.

That meant Thursday and a big part of Friday Ash were almost erased from his mind, he didn't even remember what he was doing then, those meaningless days were only obstacles before the movie date with Skye. To cap it all off, his classes on Friday were shortened, due to some college festivity, so he spent the whole afternoon and evening nervously and impatiently anticipating 8 PM. He prepared a few snacks, popcorn, nachos and some sandwiches.

An hour before Skye was due to arrive, Ash took a long shower and then shaved his intimate parts, even though there was not much to shave. He had a pretty small tuft of blond bush above his cock, and some more hair both in the front, as at the bottom part. He still wanted to be fully prepared in case something exciting was about to happen. Ash wanted that of course, but he was no longer obsessed only with that. Skye was hot and sexy, and he craved to get intimate with her, but at the same time he wanted to just get to know her. Nonetheless, he had a feeling that the upcoming evening he would have a chance to get closer with Skye in both areas. And that was making him feel the famous butterflies in his stomach.

Promptly at 8 PM, Ash heard the doorbell, and his heart abruptly sped up from excitement. He ran up to the door and opened it.

"I hope I'm not late," said Skye with a brilliant smile, and she came inside.

"No, actually you're almost impossibly punctual," Ash chuckled and closed the door.

He took a closer look at Skye. Her face looked lit up, and her hair was let free, adorned only by a white band on her forehead. She was wearing a loose and long white tank top, and a jean skirt. In addition, she had on white cotton knee socks. She looked very girlish and... sexy.

"Good! I like when my deliveries are on time." Skye smiled widely and pulled out a bottle of wine from her bag. She put it on the table in the living room. Then she embraced Ash's waist and engaged him in a passionate kiss.

Skye's tongue invaded Ash's mouth and explored every part of it. Then it retreated and allowed Ash's tongue to take the initiative. They both forgot themselves in that kiss to the point that Ash was almost swooning. Skye was a terrific kisser. She held him tightly and kissed his cheek and jawline. "Today I have to deliver more of these..." she kissed him under the ear and went lower on his neck, "... to different parts of that... hot body of yours..."

She kissed him on the neck and nibbled his skin, eliciting a moan from his mouth. Then she hugged him and laughed a bit awkwardly.

"What?" Ash asked, both amused and baffled.

"I'm sorry, that line sounded both cheesy and pushy and even... predatory. I'm just... I'm happy that I'm seeing you, and that we're spending an evening together. And the truth is, I've always sucked at flirting and showing people that I like them, so... I hope you don't mind that" Skye released Ash from the hug, and he noticed the slightly embarrassed expression on her face.

"Oh, not at all! I'm also rather pathetic at this, you know? So don't sweat it, we'll just both be super-awkward and I think that's fine." They both laughed.

Ash was relieved to hear Skye's confession. Seeing that she was awkward, like him, made her even more attractive - more likable and approachable.

"Great, then no pressure from both sides!" Skye said, raising her hand to stroke Ash's shoulder. "So, where are we gonna watch it?"

Ash could barely keep himself from trembling. Her touch was working on him as nothing ever had before.

"In my room... in the bed," Ash answered and chuckled again, seeing how Skye's eyes widened.

The air between them was almost electric, and Ash was sure how their evening would end. The thought of it was already giving him goosebumps.

Giggling and chatting, they went to Ash's bedroom where the improvised screening room was set up, meaning laptop on the bed, seats made from pillows, and the buffet of snacks on Ash's desk.

"Wow, that's so nice!" Skye smiled warmly. "Will you open the wine?"

"Sure! I mean, I'll try, hah! Get comfy and I'll be right back!" Ash took the bottle and headed to the kitchen. Luckily for him, it appeared that his grandma liked to sip something stronger from time to time, as she had professional equipment to uncork the bottle and a fine set of wine glasses.

He came back to his room and found Skye laying on his bed. She looked beautiful, with her hair spilled around her head. Sending him a warm smile, she patted a spot right next to her.

"Hey, you know that this show is creepy, so I was hoping for some cuddling," she said, winking with just her eyebrows.

"Sure, I was hoping for the same," Ash answered. He poured two glasses, passed one to Skye, then took the bowl with nachos and laid down next to her. She immediately wrapped her arm around his shoulders and snuggled tightly to his side.

The show started, and it soon appeared that the episode they were watching wasn't very intense; it was more focused on developing the plot. Ash was glad, because he had trouble focusing on the screen. He felt overwhelming warmth, partially as an effect of wine, partially radiating from Skye's body.

The episode ended and Ash and Skye talked briefly about what they'd just watched and what could possibly happen next in the show.

Skye lifted her glass and asked, "Another one?"

"Yeah, but I'm gonna get soooo drunk..." Ash answered and giggled. "I'm sorry, I'm not used to drinking at all. You know, in fact, I'm still not at the legal age for that."

For a split second, something similar to guilt came across Skye's face. She put her glass on the nightstand. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't even think about it. You don't have to drink if you don't want to. I just... I brought the wine so we could relax - so I could relax, really. I got really nervous today, you know..."