And of course, the inside of the screens is not empty. Inflatable mattresses and oversized air cushions are laid out on the floor.
When we reach our assigned enclosure, number seventy-one, I stop for a moment and stare at the bizarre setup. Eliano does the same, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"For fuck’s sake," I mutter under my breath. "They arecrazycommitted to encouraging people to have sex."
"Sure looks like it," Eliano murmurs.
For reasons I cannot quite explain, I am oddly relieved that he says anything at all, because the silence between us has started getting under my skin.
Seriously, what? I cannot seem to decide whether I want him to leave me alone or whether I want him to talk to me at least a little.
Annoyed with myself, I step inside. I sit down on the mattress and prop my back against one of the cushions.
It is actually pretty comfortable. With the front curtain lifted, the screen is clearly visible, and the opening credits are starting to roll already.
Other couples are settling into their own enclosures as well.
Eliano lies down beside me. We are close, our shoulders almost touching, but not quite.
The movie starts.
It is a fantasy film, something people would casually label a romantasy. The story opens with the omega husband of the main character, a king, being brutally murdered by assassins sent by a rival ruler from a neighboring kingdom.
Driven by grief and rage, the protagonist sets out for revenge and eventually succeeds in conquering the enemy realm. When he storms the castle, ready to kill the tyrant responsible for his loss, the king has already fled. Instead, the hero captures the king’s younger brother, a beta prince.
That is the backbone of the plot. Everything else unfolds at the court of the conquered kingdom, where the hero initially treats the young beta with thinly veiled resentment. Over time, tension builds between them slowly and sweetly, until it turns unmistakably sexual. Things grow more complicated when assassins attempt to kill the beta, condemning him as a traitor and collaborator for accepting the invader’s rule. In a dramatic show of power, the hero saves his newfound beloved, culminating in a moment of passionate sex.
I have to admit, the scenes are done incredibly well. This is not pornography, but it is intensely erotic, heavy with suggestion, maybe even a little too effective. Before I can stop myself, I am hard in my pants.
Memories from the medical office surface unbidden and keep coming back, each time more vivid than the last.
On the screen, the young beta goes down on the prince, then straddles him and rides him. His moans fill the movie theater.
I sneak a quick glance at Eliano, my eyes dropping to his crotch, where the fabric of his pants is distinctively tented. He reacts instantly, as if he can feel my gaze, turning his head until our eyes meet.
A sweet shiver runs through me, my lungs hitching on their own. Incredible. Is it just the way he looked at me that’s enough? Or the energy built up between us? What’s going on with my body?
Most betas don’t have any slick at all. I’ve got a little, but why do I feel like it’s leaking out of me now? My passage is clenching, hello!
Most likely, lying this close has done its work. Eliano’s massive arm radiates heat, right next to me and I can feel it, his powerful alpha presence wrapping around me. My beta body, energetically more subdued and passive, instinctively pushes forsubmission; I can feel my hole rippling even more; it wants to yield, open up, and receive him. Damn!
I’m suddenly flooded with this stupid urge to drop down on all fours and stick my ass up like an omega presenting himself during heat. It’s completely absurd… It’s Eliano’s fault!
This is something many betas report when they are in close proximity to alphas: a sudden surge of libido and an immediate impulse to bottom for them. Yet alphas’ animalistic sexual drive is like fire, too hot and too intense, and most betas end up getting burned.
But I am still far from that point, or at least I choose to believe I am.
Eliano’s pupils are blown wide despite the dim light, the screen being the only thing illuminating us. I can see it clearly now, the desire burning there, consuming.
My body feels like it has been heated with his fire, strange currents racing through me. I breathe in the scent of his skin, that tempting hint of fresh lemon basil, surrounding me and driving reason out of my head, replaced by a dizzying arousal and need.
Fuck this! In a sudden surge of courage, I roll slightly onto my side and… place my hand right on his crotch.
Eliano lets out a soft gasp. He is wearing fairly thick jeans, so it is hard to make out any details, but there is no doubt that what is there is anything but small.
But if I thought it would make him feel embarrassed, he quickly proves me wrong. Almost right away, his hand lands over my crotch, sliding along my length.
"Up for a handjob?" he murmurs lightly, almost mischievously, his eyes narrowing.
