Chemistry

Kendi puts the DNA samples back in cold storage and keys in the lock code. He looks at me expectantly.

"What's next?"

I squint through my goggles and double check the schedule.

"All done. Time to bid adieu to our single-celled friends."

"Parting is such sweet sorrow."

We clean up the lab and put away our safety gear. I catch a glimpse of his stomach when he raises his arms to take off his starched white coat. I look away.

"Are you going to happy hour tonight?" I change shirts behind my locker door. "Stef made a cake."

"Is there a special occasion?"

"Unclear. I think she just wanted to make a cake."

"Can't argue with that."

An alarm blasts through the cavernous tiled room. The steel door locks shut. Kendi tries to force the handle while I page through the emergency handbook.

The noise stops as suddenly as it started. My ears are ringing. Kendi smacks the wall with his hand.

"Is the door still locked?"

"Yup. What did you find in the book?"

"Nothing. It's totally unreadable."

"Huh. Have you ever seen the doors lock on their own before?"

"Never. I'll call the main office."

I dial the corporate emergency number. A chipper woman answers on the first ring.

"What is your location and emergency?"

"Dr. Strom in biochem. An alarm just went off and our door locked. We're trapped. Is something going on?"

"I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience, Dr. Strom. There was a potential contamination event in the east wing. Nothing to be concerned about. The research floor is on lockdown out of an abundance of caution."

"That sounds pretty concerning to me. What kind of contamination event?"

Kendi starts silently pestering me for information. I wave him off with my hand.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. I'm not at liberty to divulge that information. But what I can say is that the lockdown is purely precautionary, and you will be appropriately compensated for your time."

"Is there anything we should be watching out for? What kind of threat are we talking about?"

"A hypothetical one."

"You're really not going to tell me anything else?"

"I'm not at liberty to disclosure any more information. I'm sorry."

"Right. Okay, thank you very much."

I go into our office and turn on the TV. The cable and internet are both down. Kendi trails after me.

"What did they say?"

"Nothing. Just that there's an unspecified 'potential contamination event.'" I try to call my brother but I can't get an outside line. "We're cut off."

"Did you hear that someone lost a smallpox sample at the Detroit campus?"

"Lost? Did they ever find it?"

"Beats me. I'm not fully convinced it happened in the first place."

"Let's hope it didn't make its way here."

Kendi takes two Modelos from the fridge and opens them with a flourish. I gasp dramatically.

"I can't believe my eyes! Is Dr. Ndiaye breaking protocol?"

"Yeah, well. Circumstances seem to dictate it."

"I'll drink to that."

We clink bottles and go back into the lab. I walk the perimeter of the room and inspect every divot and seam. Kendi takes a swig of his beer.

"Are you looking for a hidden passage?"

"Just getting the lay of the land. In case nerve gas comes in through a vent or something."

"If we do get gassed, please kill me before my lungs start to blister."

"You're on your own, pal. I'm getting out of here alive."

The power shuts off. I begin to hyperventilate. It's like the darkness is closing in. Kendi holds me and strokes my hair.

"It's okay, Hanna Banana. It's okay. I'm right here."

The backup generator fires up and the red emergency lights come on. We drop our arms.

"Shit." I rub my face with my hands. "This is still freaking me out."

"No, it's great!" He scrolls through his phone. "We're in the club..."

"I'm not much of a club person."

"Okay. I can work with that. We're at a dive. A dusty old tavern with real ambiance. It's sketchy, but in a cool way."

He hits play on a Leon Bridges song and bounds over with a goofy grin.

"Hi, my name is Kendi." He aggressively pumps my hand. "I'm an extremely prestigious scientist with other personal qualities that make me attractive to prospective mates. I noticed you standing by yourself and thought you might like to dance."

"Are you implying that I'm unable to attract my own prospective mate?"

"Yes."

I laugh. Kendi spins me around and pulls me close. We slowly sway in time to the music. I close my eyes and listen to his heartbeat.

Kendi rests his hand on the nape of my neck. I breathe in. He touches my chin and lifts my lips to his. We kiss tenderly.

We lay together on the cold floor. Our limbs tangle. Our bodies intertwine. He takes off my shirt, and I take off his. He slips me out of my pants. Removes his. Gets on top of me. His weight is soothing.

We kiss with gentle intensity and great passion. It feels like we're different people in the light. I touch his face. He laces his fingers in mine.

Kendi presses his hand against my crotch and massages my covered vulva. I whimper quietly. He puts his hand inside my underwear. Penetrates me with his fingers. I touch his chest. Gaze into his eyes. He watches me climax.

I fold my legs around his waist, eager for more. He brushes the hair out of my face. His bulge pulses against me.

The alarm sounds again, and the sprinklers come alive. We hardly notice. The water pours down on our bodies. I sit on top of Kendi. Take off my bra. The rest of our underwear. He tries to hold my breasts but they slip out of his hands.

I hold onto Kendi's shoulders and bounce on his cock. He pushes down on my hips. I moan rapturously. Waves spread out in the two-inch puddle covering the floor. I clench my vagina around him and we peak together.

I sink into his lap, and he kisses the top of my head. The power shuts off completely. No sprinklers. No lights. No alarm. Just a deafening, eerie silence.

"Please tell me this is not happening."

Kendi picks me up in one easy swoop and spreads me out on the lab table. All I see is black. He softly kisses the inside of my thighs.

"We're at a cabin in the middle of nowhere. It's night, it's overcast, there's no electricity."

I rest my hand on the back of his head and stare at where the ceiling should be. His mouth moves higher.

"Keep going."