I stood in the observation room admiring plant G. In my time working at the botany lab, this one plant I had developed a peculiar favor for. I even named it. Gus was the most wonderful thing I had ever seen, never mind that it was a plant. It didn't matter. My secret infatuation with it was often hard to hide.
Another plant, plant B, obviously perceived me. Even through the one-way mirror, the significantly bigger specimen tracked my every move with its superior senses. I didn't think much of it, though the other technicians did. My interest was locked onto Gus and there seemingly was nothing plant B could do to break that strange bond.
Months ago, a batch of volunteers was dispensed to the plants. The plants all accepted their rations except plant B who refused the remaining girl, and she it. This was very unusual because these plants have a fascinating way of luring females in order to harvest them. However, plant B kept its attention locked on the observation room window the entire time, behind which I stood. With a sickening feeling in my gut, I was very aware that all my associates witnessed its haunting preference.
The next breeding session was a similar scene. I remember having mixed feelings as the next girl was refused. The beautiful young woman huddled naked in the dirt, crying occasionally over the next two days, while she watched and listened to her friends experience the erotic phenomenon first hand. She was eventually retrieved from the terrarium and plant B went without. Trying to rationalize, I offered relief to the girl. After all, plant B is quite a bit bigger, and well... I assumed that it was proportionate... I shook my head wishing she could see the positive side to being rejected.
Now, plant B has begun to dull in color, and I found this quite unattractive. I returned my attention to Gus and put my hand on the glass and imagined what it would be like to stroke his velvet emerald leaves. His entire presence was just breathtaking. His crimson petals, so warm and vibrant it made me swoon and blush. The way his tentacles and vines swayed was like a dance between two lovers, and I longed for it to be with me.
The door opened behind me, and I recognized Brian's voice. "Oh, here you are." He said as the door closed behind him. He hesitated, then approached. "I was... disappointed when I got up this morning to find you had already gone." I felt his hands on my shoulders, gently massaging. It felt good.
"I wanted to get to the lab early so I could tend to seedlings G5 and G6." I said, not taking my eyes from Gus.
He laughed lightly. "You know they're not seedlings anymore." He said. "They are well into the flowering stage, and shouldn't require your nurturing much longer."
"I know," I answered. "It's just a term of endearment."
"Like 'I love you'?" Brian asked... but I knew he was no longer talking about botany. The room was silent, just as it had been the night before when those words passed his lips. Finally, he spoke. "...Anyway, I notice you're preoccupied up here, and not with them...?"
I felt a tone of suspicion in his voice. "Karen was in there taking care of D7 and D8. I wanted to give her some privacy." I explained.
"Oh," Brian said.
"I am so incredibly fascinated with this plant species," I said. "There had never been any discovery so fantastic! They use beauty to accomplish their objective with almost hypnotic means, their amazing sense of scent to track and acquire what they need, and their incredible strength to convert their fare into a symbiotic relationship. Their anatomy is so incredibly different than other plants. We are still very early into the study of these plants, even needing to name their unusual parts and composition. They have tentacles and vines that respond to exterior interaction. No other plants have such versatile appendages. Even plants that have sensitive glandular hair tentacles are nowhere near as advanced and interactive at this species. Carnivorous plants consume their prey. Amazingly, these creatures use an entirely different life form to procreate their breed, then leave it unharmed! These plants must have used mammals in the wild to reproduce before we found them..."
Brian laughed. "You don't need to tell me. I was the tour guide on your first visit here almost a year ago, remember?" The room was silent. "Kelsey...?" Brian said. I finally turned away from Gus to look at him. "I have never known anyone like you. You have such a passion for the plant sciences, as I do. I feel like we have a special connection." Brian stepped closer to me and gently swept a piece of hair away from my face. Then he caressed my cheek with the back of his fingers and looked me right in the eyes. "I love you." He said again, gently.
I dropped my eyes and turned from his hand. "I don't know how you could love me," I said. "I have gained so much weight since coming to work here."
Brian took my face in both hands and made me look at him again. "I do." He said softly. "I love you for your beauty inside and out. I love you for your intelligence and sense of humor and kind heart. I love you for a hundred different reasons and none of them have anything to do with your weight."
Brian leaned in to kiss me and I kissed him back. I welcomed his love and his kiss and his heat. I wrapped my arms around him as our kiss deepened.
"Ahem."
Brian and I pulled apart and each took a step backward... as if that would fool Karen into believing that we weren't in a relationship.
Karen's head was poked into the observation room as she tried to be discreet about the bathrobe she wore. "Sorry to interrupt but... Kelsey, I just wanted to let you know I'm done with D7 and D8. Terrarium 5 is all yours, girl."
"Ok thanks, Karen. I'll be down in a second." I said.
Karen gave Brian and I a coy grin before closing the door.
