A Lover's Choice

“Hello and welcome to the Ponyville Spa, how can I help you?”

“I’ll have my girlfriend and a kiss from her, thanks.”

The earth pony quizzically looks up from her clipboard when she hears your unusual request, but lights up with a smile when she sees exactly who the customer is.

You’ve been friends with Aloe for quite some time. She was with a coat of soft pink, and a sleek, light blue mane to match her tail. Bright blue eyes smile at you as she gives her usual enthusiastic greeting to spa guests like yourself. It’s nice to have friends who are easy on the eyes, even through your friendship with her is purely platonic. Just friends with this beauty, and nothing more. Her sister, on the other hoof…

“How are you, my friend?” she cheerily asks in the thick accent her family carried all the way from Stalliongrad, “Lotus is just finishing with her last clients before lunch break, she’ll be surprised to see you paying a visit during her work hours!”

“Hey, it’s a pretty special day for us, you know,” you explain, “today’s our sixth month together, so it’s worth taking the holiday off work for her.”

“Six months already?” for a moment, Aloe doubles back slightly, as if just remembering something important. “Time really flies, doesn’t it? Why, it seems like just yesterday you were slapping the tar out of that ruffian who asked Lotus for a ‘happy ending’…”

You laugh, thinking back to that day; you were recommended by a friend to go for a spa trip, something to ease your way into Ponyville’s community while searching for your ideal job in the town, not to mention relieve your house-moving stresses.

And sure, while you were there, massages were given, words were spoken by a rather lecherous (and possibly drunk) patron to one of the kind herbal bath attendants, and in a minor fit of ire, partially induced by your stresses at the time, you unleashed a rally of hoof-slaps to his depraved face. Of course, you noticed how much bigger he was compared to you after slapping him, but before he could rearrange your teeth, the insulted bath attendant herself stepped in and flung him right out of the door. Given the surprising amount of strength she used when provoked, it was quite possible that she caused more damage to him than you did.

A few trips later and you were speaking to Lotus, the one you “saved”, on a regular basis. It started with you talking about little things you both had in common, then one thing led to another and, well, here you are now, six months down the line with her as your girlfriend, and practically one with her Spa-running family. Of course, you had your own job to attend to elsewhere in Ponyville at that point, but your boss didn’t mind giving you today off.

The door to the herbal bath room swings open, bringing your mind back to current events. Out trotted two unicorns, a dazzling white mare that you recognised as a regular customer to the spa, and a stallion who seemed to be her companion. You’re not one for listening in to conversation, but you could easily hear the male murmur thanks to his fabulous female friend. Not that it mattered.

Following them is the jewel of a pony you’ve been dying to see all day - Lotus in all of her glory, her blue coat glistening from the fine droplets of condensation; she’s been working in the steam rooms, hot baths and saunas today. Her pink mane is held in place by a simple, white headband, and her matching tail swishes in mild surprise as her blue eyes make contact with yours. Looks like your visit’s paying off already.

“My goodness, what are you doing here out of work?” she asks as she trots over to greet you, “I’m pleased to see you, of course, but is everything alright-?”

You deliver a swift kiss to her luxurious lips, cutting her off - you’d never turn down the chance to pinch a taste from her - before gently pulling her into a hug and explaining;

“Happy six-month dating anniversary, sweetheart!” you chirp, “I’ve taken today off work to see you; and I’m sure Aloe won’t mind if you join me, right?”

You back out of the hug and look into Lotus’ blue eyes… only to find her with a spaced out, serious expression.

“Um… s-six months?” she says uneasily, before flashing a glance over to her pink sister. For a moment, the two stare at each other in that odd, silent acknowledgment twins seem to have - that peculiar way they seem to talk to each other without uttering a single word. Then suddenly;

“Ah, of course! Our sixth month together!” Lotus bursts out, “I’d, um, I’d forgotten all about it, I’m so sorry!”

“That’s okay, as long as we have the rest of the day together.” you say reassuringly. “We can go wherever you like, Canterlot, Manehattan, maybe just somewhere in Ponyville; you name it, we‘ll go there.”

“Actually, if it’s all the same to you,” she says softly, “could we save this for tonight instead?”

“Huh? You mean you want to stay at the spa? But what about today? Why can‘t we-?”

“Now, now, I still want to have fun and celebrate with you…” she smiles, warmly nuzzling up to you, “but I think we’re at that stage in our relationship for the kind of fun that’s best saved for tonight.”

“Really? What kind of fun do you-?” and then it dawns on you. “Oh.”

You share an awkward chuckle with her, before she turns back towards the herbal bath room, “Come to our house this evening, give me some time to get ready after my last shift today,” Lotus coos, “in the meantime, you should go home yourself and get… prepared.”

And then she was gone, leaving both you and Aloe to yourselves. Did Lotus mean what you thought she did? That tonight you and her are finally going to..?

“Lucky colt,” Aloe says nonchalantly, regarding your dropped jaw, “you’re in for an interesting night.”

Picking said jaw up from the floor, you say your goodbyes to your pink friend and make your way back home, with a hundred different scenarios playing out in your head.

“You’re in for an interesting night.”