The Girl With Pink Hair: Pt. 02

Elena was chastened. She looked down. "I'm sorry."

Jess took Elena's chin and tipped it up so their eyes met. "This is all new for you, I know. But it's second nature for us. How do you think humanity would react knowing that there were people walking among them that could manipulate their emotions? What do you think the military would do? Have you seen 'The Men Who Stare At Goats?'"

Elena's eyes were wide. "The what that stare at the what now?"

"Film with Ewan McGregor and George Clooney about a US Army attempt to develop soldiers with psychic powers."

"You're serious. Don't tell me it was based on fact," Elena said, dryly, knowing the US Army to be capable of almost anything.

"Sort of. But just think what would happen if they knew about the Folk?"

Elena conceded that it would, at the very best, probably be very bad for the Folk, and then probably terrible for Humanity in general. Sapiens was quite good at pogroms. Jess looked upset and Elena resolved to comfort her.

***

That night Elena dreamed again of the amphitheatre where half seen figures pirouetted around one another, combat by dancing, like the choreographed routines in a magical martial arts fight.

"Who are they?" she asked, but she seemed to be alone. She turned to see if there was anyone behind her but there wasn't anything behind her. Puzzled she turned back, and the combatants were gone.

She stood up and walked into a Japanese formal garden to stand by a stream as it babbled over the carefully placed stones. The cherry blossom was fragrant to the point of oppression. Did Japanese cherries have a scent? And dreams weren't usually this fully featured. Elena started to engage her conscious mind.

Her mother was lying on the stone slabs with her arm in the water up to the shoulder as if she was trawling the bottom for something. Elena didn't see how that could be because the rill was no more than an inch or two deep.

"I've got to get the bus," Elena said, and hurried across the hot tarmac to where a line of people was waiting to board an old-fashioned cream coloured single decker with uncomfortable plastic seats.

"You can't get on unless you're a member," said a man.

"Of course I'm a member, I'm the Secretary," Elena replied irritably.

"But can you prove it?" Professor Edwards said.

"You were there!"

The bus pulled away and Elena stared after it in frustration.

Then abruptly she was back in the midst of the gladiators. A blade whistled very close to her, and she shied away. There were too many figures to keep track of and Elena began to be very scared. They weren't actually trying to kill her; she would just be collateral damage in someone else's struggle.

"Help!" she shouted but she was mired in the awful dream state where you can make no sound.

She came back to full consciousness still murmuring 'help' and bathed in sweat. This dream, like the previous one she'd shared with Jess, had been very vivid, with all the senses involved.

Her lover's eyes were huge in the semi-dark before dawn. "Bad one?"

"Just weird. Stuff that makes no sense. Mum was there, fishing for something. And Professor Edwards but he wasn't... bad, just strange. And gladiators. They were there last time."

Jess frowned in the half-light. The repetition of the gladiators possibly meant that Elena was still picking up some of her vibes. That wasn't supposed to be happening now. But then there was the moment this morning when Elena matched herself to Jess, like nothing Jess had ever experienced. Almost as if Elena wasn't a mundane. But she'd have known if she was Folk unless she was an orphan, and Jess' comprehensive background checks had ruled that out. They'd also established that Elena's family tree was entirely without Talent. Maybe she was more tightly bound to Elena than vice versa so there might still be some leakage. Stuff rolling downhill so to speak. Hopefully that would go away with time.

She pulled Elena into a hug and the contact of her warm skin helped Elena to ground.

***

Sunday

The loft

Elena slipped out of bed and pulled on yesterday's clothes. It was still early, and Jess was face down, dead to the world. Elena smiled down at her and wondered if any of her helpless affection registered on her lover's paranormal senses.

She felt a little heat in her loins as she recalled the previous day's lovemaking. It seemed they just had to touch each other to ignite a fire that threatened to sweep them away. Elena felt special when she was with Jess, in a place that other lovers had rarely attempted.

Collecting the house keys from the counter in the kitchen she closed the door to the loft as gently as she could, then tripped down the wide staircase to the front door and out on to the street. The sun came and went behind the clouds and the air was cool, pleasant enough if you were on the move.

On the corner opposite the small church was the local delicatessen, a compact jewel of a place that Elena adored. She and the proprietor were already on first name terms. He held up a brown paper bag as she entered the shop and she grinned at him.

"Peter! How did you know?"

"Elena, if your grandfather wasn't Polish, I'd have sworn he was French. Can I get you anything else?"

"Not right this minute, thanks but I'll drop by for some antipasti later."

"Sure thing," he said and waved her away.

Her feet were so light as she walked quickly back to the house that she almost started to skip. Her heart already lifting at the prospect of being with Jess although it had not yet been twenty minutes since she had got out of bed.

***

Once back in the loft, Elena set the kettle to boil and spooned some grounds into the French Press. Grinding beans was not something she wanted to wake Jess with so this would have to do until - or if, she reminded herself, don't count chickens and all that - they got a mill. A quiet one. And they were expensive.

The croissants went into the microwave for a handful of seconds on the defrost setting; just enough to warm them without turning them into a soggy mess. Carefully making her way up the glorified ladder of the mezzanine stairs, Elena placed the coffee on the bedside table and wafted the aroma across to Jess who opened one eye.

"There's no point in trying to be quiet, you're too happy. I can feel you halfway down the street."

Elena bent down and kissed Jess on the forehead. "Come and have breakfast."

***

They were sitting at the small table again. Jess raised her mug to her nose and inhaled deeply. She had never understood the fascination with the stuff before and had giggled at Elena's outrage at the jar of instant in the kitchen. This though, this was another level entirely.

She looked over the rim at her partner and sighed deeply. Elena's eyebrows quirked.

"What?"

"I've got a meeting at lunchtime. I'll be out for a couple of hours."

"No worries. Is there a proper kitchen in this place?"

Jess' eyebrows went up. "A proper kitchen? What does that mean?"

Elena gestured vaguely at the area under the mezzanine. "That's okay for a few things but you couldn't bake bread or biscuits or cakes."

"The kitchen's downstairs. Do you want to see it?"

"Not right now but I want to cook properly. Do you think your housemates would like to share a meal? It gets easier the more there are to make a meal for - up to a point, I can't make a meal for thirty without a lot of prep."

"Cook for thirty!" Jess' eyes were out on stalks.

"Sure, it's a just a question of scale," Elena said matter-of-factly. "Problems to be solved."

"Weirdo!" Jess crowed, leaning back in her chair, and pointing at her girlfriend.

"Guilty as charged. I bet you'll still want to have sex with me though. And eat my cooking."

Jess rolled her eyes. "I'm going to be the size of a house! A four bedroom detached with a loft extension and outbuildings."

Elena looked up from under her lashes and her voice turned smoky. "I said I'd keep you trim."

Jess swallowed and changed the subject. "What now for you? More ways to find out if the Universe is the same all over?"

"You've been reading my thesis!" Elena said in delight.

"If I was suffering from insomnia, maybe. No, I just read the abstract and then looked up some of the big words."

Elena waved a croissant at her. "I don't know. I haven't really thought much beyond completing the bloody thing."

"What are the options?" Jess said, resting her elbows on the table and her head in her hands.

"Research, teach, inside the University or out. I could even join the human race and get a job!" Elena put the back of her hand to her forehead in mock horror.

"Waitressing pays the bills. We could work together!" Jess said excitedly and then took in Elena's expression and sighed. "No, you're right, we couldn't."

"I've missed the hiring round for this academic year, so I'll have to find something to do in the meantime." There was a long pause and then Elena said softly, "I don't care really, as long as I'm with you."

Jess reached for her hand and clasped it firmly. Elena shivered, but in a good way. She looked sideways at Jess. "There's a dance at the college tomorrow tonight. Would you like to be my 'plus one'?"

Jess' eyes widened. "You want to be seen in public with me?"

"I want to knock their fucking socks off!"

***

"Are Sylvie and Shawna, Folk?" Elena asked as they lay on the sofa together, staring up at the blue sky through the windows in the roof.

"Nah. But they are very definitely enthusiastic practitioners of V and E."

Elena could feel the vibrations from Jess's chest on the back of her head and she thrilled to the intimacy.

"VNE?"

"Voyeurism and Exhibitionism. I have to check the place out before I bring visitors in. They could be shagging on the landing, the kitchen, against the front door. They adore being watched."

"You said they watched you and some guy."

"Yeah. I wanted to stop but he thought it was just the best thing!"

They laughed together and Elena wriggled round until they were facing one another. Jess had the softest expression as she looked at her. Elena didn't need psychic powers to know what she was feeling, and her heart swelled. The tiniest quirk of Jess's eyebrow let her know the feeling was mutual.

"Kiss me," Elena murmured.

Their lips met, and their tongues danced a sweet tango.

"I think kissing you is my all-time favourite activity," Jess whispered as they broke for air.

"I think being with you is my all-time favourite activity," Elena murmured breathily in her ear in reply.

Jess giggled. "Soppy cow!"

"Let's agree to disagree." Elena sat up and then went to get to her feet. Jess watched her, looking puzzled. Elena leaned forward and pulled the cord on Jess' dressing gown. One side slipped to reveal some thigh and a little midriff.

She stood upright again and undid her own dressing gown, slipping it from her shoulders to puddle at her feet whereon she was completely and thrillingly naked. Jess stared up at her, drinking in the perfection of her silhouetted against the light from the windows. Carefully, Elena climbed back on to the sofa facing Jess's feet.

"Ohhh, I get it. You're a bad girl Elena Kowalski, corrupting an innocent maiden of the Folk. And technically this isn't kissing, either."

Elena said nothing, her mouth already at the junction of her lover's thighs. She moaned into Jess' sex as the other's tongue slipped between her folds. Jess reached round Elena's arse to spread the lips of her cunt and invade the opening with her tongue. Elena's lust was palpable, and Jess rode the crest of that wave and took her higher still. Back and forth, each lick, each quiver, each pulse, a great feedback loop that ended in ecstasy. Elena's juices were running into Jess's mouth, and she went questing for more, drinking her lover in. She paid scant attention to Elena's clit, saving that for the rocket ride of orgasm.

Elena could feel her climax building in the base of her belly and clutched Jess's thighs to press her cunt even more firmly to her mouth. She was determined to get them both there at the same time, unaware that Jess was fully in control of events. Her lover had promised that she wouldn't manipulate her feelings but the temptation during love making was almost impossible to resist. A little nudge here, a little restraint there, and they were climbing the slopes in tandem.

Elena's began to spasm and Jess went for her sensitive nub. Elena gasped, a hard expulsion of breath, all her limbs rigid. Jess experienced her climax as an explosion of white light and luxuriated in it, only a little sad that Elena couldn't share it.

***

Just before lunch, Jess took Elena down into the main part of the house to show her the kitchen. She leaned against the door jamb as Elena clapped her hands and set about investigating.

It was well equipped with some very high end kit, but, except for crumbs under the toaster and a bit of wear on the microwave, it was pristine. Exploring the cupboards, it seemed as though someone had once installed everything a cook's heart might desire, but no cook had ever lived here.

Elena frowned: it was a shocking waste. Kitchens are tools and tools are meant to be used. She grudgingly conceded that the knives were at least sharp, probably from never having gone into combat.

She recoiled from a selection of tins, abominations such as mini frankfurters and pasta in syrupy tomato based gloop. Sitting on the floor, she shook her head in frank incomprehension. Cooking is basic stuff at the end of the day. Even tinned baked beans can be enlivened with a little chopped onion, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, or a grating of some cheddar or a sprinkling of basil and oregano.

Speaking of which, the dried herbs and ground spices were all stale and were unceremoniously dumped in the bin. There wasn't even any fresh garlic or ginger for goodness' sake! She tsked and swore gently under her breath. Jess chuckled and then there was a new voice.

"Hi Jess, how's tricks?"

Elena stuck her head up above the worktop to see a slender Black woman, possibly in her late twenties, with the most enormous afro. The new arrival turned and inspected her.

"Elena, this is Shawna," Jess offered. Elena scrambled to her feet and made her way round the island. She stuck out her hand. "Elena Kowalski, nice to meet you." Shawna looked at it and then took Elena's hand, amusedly.

"Your hair is amazing!" Elena said, smiling at the frizzy mass.

Shawna ran her hand through her hair, and smiled back, "Thanks!"

"Sylvie!" she shouted, "Sylvie, come and meet Jess' new bit of stuff!"

Elena glanced at Jess, and she rolled her eyes. "My bed's not a conveyer belt, if that's what you're thinking."

An older blonde, maybe mid-thirties, with brown eyes and a full figure, came into the room. "Oh my!" she exclaimed, "you're beautiful!"

Elena felt a little heat rise into her cheeks.

"Not as beautiful as you, sweetheart," Sylvie said, leaning to kiss her girlfriend on the mouth.

"Right answer," Shawna murmured, maintaining eye contract with Elena as their kiss became more passionate.

Elena folded her arms. "Are you actually going to have sex in front of me? We've only just met."

Sylvie broke from the kiss and grinned at her. "Welcome to the household!"

"Right, I gotta run, darling, or I'm going to be late for my meeting," Jess said, grabbing her tote and kissing Elena on the cheek.

"Not so fast!" Elena murmured, pulling her back in for a deeper embrace. They melted together and Jess let a little of her heartfelt adoration spill over and felt Elena's grip tighten fractionally. When they separated, Elena eyed her suspiciously and Jess winked.

"When do you ever kiss me like that?" Shawna complained.

"Only all the time!" her partner replied, grinning at Elena, who coloured.

"Oh, and Elena wants to know if you'd join us for dinner," Jess cast over her shoulder as she ran from the room.

The other two turned to Elena with looks of surprise.

"Um, yes," she flustered, dropping into academic-speak, "these are marvellous facilities. It's such a waste."

Sylvie and Shawna looked at each other. "Bit boujie, innit?" Shawna said, dubiously.

Her partner slapped her on the arm. "Darling! Mind your manners! This lovely young woman is a guest in our house and has offered to pay us a compliment by preparing food." She turned to Elena and smiled brilliantly. "That would be delightful."

Elena was treated to Shawna blushing deeply and muttering, 'Yeah. I guess'. She extended an olive branch. "I'm not going to go all Cordon Bleu and 'which knife for the fish' on you. It'll be sit down but informal. Is there anything you can't or won't eat; are you teetotal?"

Sylvie flashed another brilliant smile. "No, we're quite omnivorous."

Elena grinned back. "Better get to work then. Can I have a house key?"

Shawna gave her another dubious look, but Sylvie fished in her pocket and held out a small bunch of keys. "Here, take mine. It's the brass Yale."

"I promise to take good care of it."

***

The Adelphi Tearooms

They met in the usual place. That's not to say it was always the same place. It was a location dictated by the day of the month and the page of a book they both shared. The same edition, naturally. Today it was upstairs in a small coffee shop. Despite being tourist season, it was deserted, Jess' handler discouraging any that braved the staircase.

Jess took her seat in the window overlooking the parade where people in summery prints and tanned skin made a colourful scene. She surveyed the tourists with the jaundiced eye of anyone that's worked in hospitality. Crowds of people taking selfies, oblivious to the marvels around them.

Her handler was an older woman with brown hair in a neat bob. She had thick brown eyebrows and wide, intelligent, deep brown eyes.

"You are in love, Jess," Mariam commented, without preamble.

"She's a mundane," Jess replied and winced, "I mean Sapiens."

The other woman gave her a wry look. "You've told her then?"

"Yes. She's bound to me."

Mariam relaxed a little. "What do I need to know?"

"She's a physicist, working on her doctorate, wondering what to do next."

Jess' handler smiled. "Is she very pretty?"

Jess couldn't conceal her giddy delight and blushed, knowing she was shining as brightly as the sun to anyone with Talent.

"You're going to have to work on that!" Mariam laughed, and Jess's blush became even deeper.

"Some spy I am."

"Life will become more complicated, yes. However, it doesn't impact on your current assignment."

Jess rolled her eyes.

"I know you're bored, Jessica but this is vital work and you do it well."

The younger woman sighed, and her resignation was palpable.

"Another year, Jess. Stick to it and enjoy your new girlfriend off duty."

For a few minutes more they talked over a few operational matters, nothing of any consequence and then they were done. Jess picked up her hat and her phone, kissed Mariam on both cheeks and tripped down the stairs.

After she was sure that Jess was a comfortable distance away, Mariam fished out her phone and tapped a number. This one was not in her contacts list; it changed every four hours. Once the call was answered she merely said, "Contact has been made," and hung up.

Mariam looked out of the window. The sun was an actinic glare and some of the older buildings in white stone were almost luminescent. The summer brilliance was a distinct contrast to her dismal mood.

***

Somerset Street

After Shawna and Sylvie vacated the kitchen, Elena stood with her hands on her hips surveying the immaculate and scandalously underutilised resource ('Resource', she chided herself, 'what do you sound like?'). However, it seemed it was time to go shopping again and she went forth into the city to seek out the places that only cooks know.