The Girl With Pink Hair: Pt. 02

She raided the south and east Asian shops near the river and made the detour to the hippy collective in the fashionable quarter. There was a half decent butcher's up the road and Elena purchased a smoked gammon joint and some lamb shanks. She winced slightly at the price of the latter. Cookery shows had a lot to answer for. Then she swung by the independents in search of some quality wine.

Back at the house, she returned the key to Sylvie and set about making the kitchen her own. It was not entirely to her taste, the worktops being that weird plastic that merged smoothly into sinks without a border. The LED lighting would all have to be changed. Currently it was that colour described as 'cool white' which had the unfortunate side effect of making the place look like a forensic lab. Everything else was brushed stainless steel. Easy to clean - if a little impersonal.

There was a big hob with a wok ring. Very fashionable and, unless you were going to do a lot of East Asian cooking, mostly useless. There were three (three!) ovens and a microwave. How many people did the designer think would be living here? Or was Sylvie's uncle so rich that he simply told the interior designer to put in something flash and picked up the tab? Elena grimaced at the implied waste. An essential part of moving into an upmarket property was displaying your wealth by what you stripped out and threw away. A cousin in London had outfitted his own kitchen by what he'd fished out of the skips outside the big houses in Kensington and Chelsea.

The knives were in a knife block and Elena looked at it sceptically. On the upside, they hadn't been used much, if at all, so there probably wasn't too much crud at the bottom of the slots. She made a mental note to 'accidentally' lose it and put up a magnetic strip. Elena frowned. She didn't live here and already she was compiling a list of requirements for Sylvie to pass on to her uncle.

***

"You know you can buy these in the supermarket, don't you?" Sylvie observed as she inspected the assorted brown paper bags of herbs and spices on the worktop.

"Yes, but at the supermarket it's five times the price at the hippy grocery. Some of these you just don't find in the big chains."

The gammon was simmering gently on the cooker and Shawna poked her head round the door. "What can I smell?"

"Pig," Elena remarked offhandedly. "Is that a problem?"

Sylvie went to Shawna and put her arm round her waist, resting her head on her partner's shoulder. "No, but her mum would have a fit! She's Muslim and quite strict."

"But not you?"

"Nah, I'm a dustbin!" Shawna said with relish.

Elena thought that if the contents of the cupboards reflected Shawna's diet than that was no less than a statement of fact. "Well, there'll be some ham in about an hour, and I've bought some salad."

"Salad?" Shawna said, frowning.

"Yes, darling," Sylvie remarked. "Green leafy things. You call it rabbit food."

Shawna's scowl intensified. However, on later tucking into a pitta bread stuffed with ham, salad, chunks of hardboiled egg and harissa mayonnaise, she was notably silent.

Elena and Sylvie exchanged glances.

On her return, Jess fell upon the food like a wolf upon the fold.

"Whatever have you been up to?" Elena asked, curiously.

***

Later still, and to Shawna and Sylvie's amused expressions, the four of them sat down to a candlelit dinner. The sun was still in the sky but the tall buildings and the narrow roads around Somerset Street meant that the dining room windows were already in shadow.

Elena set out platters of cold meats and bowls of plump green olives, then bustled around pouring glasses of crisp, chilled Soave.

Shawna was about dig in, but Sylvie's hand landed on her arm. Looking up, her partner gave an infinitesimal shake of the head. Then as Elena sat down, Sylvie raised her glass and said, "To the cook!"

"To the cook!" replied Jess and, only a little tardily, Shawna.

"This is too posh for me," Shawna announced, " although this wine's something else!"

Elena waved an olive at her. "First rule: if you don't know what wine goes with what food, then something from the same country is a good bet. Then it's red with red, and white with white."

Shawna looked at the prosciutto on her plate.

"Exception to the rule, " Elena said. "Starters tend to have white wine or sherry. Fizz can go with anything. I must get some Lambrusco; it'll blow you away!"

"Lambrusco?" Sylvie said, pulling a face.

"I know what you mean," Elena replied, "but this is sparkling red, not that godawful stuff from back in the day."

Sylvie looked dubious, but humoured Elena with a smile and a nod.

Starters out of the way, Elena served up the pièce de resistance.

"Oh man!" said Shawna as she took another forkful of the lamb tagine, senses alive to the heat and the richness of cinnamon and cumin, "If you weren't Jess's girlfriend, we'd have to employ you as a housekeeper."

Sylvie sipped her red wine appreciatively. "What is this, Ellie?"

Jess' eyebrows went up at the unexpected familiarity, but Elena wasn't offended.

"Nero d'Avola. It's good stuff, but a bit off the beaten track for most people so you can get quite good ones for not too much money. Fortunately, we've got two or three good independents. They keep me abreast of anything new and exciting."

Jess was sitting with her eyes closed, savouring her food. Her hair was up, and the light caught the down on the curve of her neck, turning it into a golden nimbus. Elena thought how it would feel to slide her fingers up that curve, to root them in her lover's hair as a prelude to turning her to receive a kiss, maybe on the lips, maybe on the nape.

Sylvie nudged Shawna. "I wish you looked at me like that."

The other snorted. "They've only been together two minutes. Wait until it's years and they can't stand the sight of each other."

"Shawna!" Sylvie said, in mock outrage and cuffed her partner on the shoulder.

Jess opened one eye and looked at Elena. The distance between them shrank to nothing. "That will never happen."

Elena blushed at the intensity in her voice and looked down at her plate. Abashed, Shawna and Sylvie fell silent, and attended to their food. Even exhibitionists can be outclassed.

After the main course had been cleared away, Elena set out apple charlottes turned from individual ramekins.

"Dessert!" said Sylvie in delight. "We never do dessert!"

"What is it?" Shawna said, poking it dubiously with a spoon.

By now Jess had her napkin stuffed into her mouth and the tears were running down the side of her face as she shook with laughter. Shawna scowled at her, and Jess shrieked, "Your face! Your face!"

"It's just a fancy sort of apple tart but you make it with bread," Elena said as she stood up from the under counter freezer. She put a scoop of good vanilla ice cream alongside each serving and then turned to the fridge.

"Oh, what now?" Shawna complained.

Elena returned with a slim half bottle, already frosting over. She poured a golden liquid into small wine glasses, more akin to thimbles on glass stems, and pushed them across to her dinner guests.

"Try it. Tiny sips with the food." Elena encouraged.

Still looking highly suspicious, Shawna did as she was told only for her eyes to widen. Once she'd swallowed what was in her mouth she burst out, "Oh my fucking Christ! That is amazing!"

Elena kept a straight face, but Jess could feel unalloyed pleasure surrounding her like a pink cloud. Meanwhile, yellow amazement and orange laughter flowed from Shawna and Sylvie. Jess looked at the candlelit warmth on her companions' faces. Everything felt so perfect she almost wanted time to stop, that this moment might last forever.

***

After the evening meal and post a couple of glasses of wine, back in the loft, Elena lay with head in Jess' lap. She looked uncharacteristically nervous.

"Jess?"

"Yes, love?"

Elena's heart lifted at the endearment. It was ridiculous how such a little word could have such a profound effect on her.

"Would you help me do something?"

"Sure. What's the deal?"

"I want to try..." she tailed off, crimson with embarrassment.

"Oh wow!" Jess chuckled. "This is going to be good!"

Elena collected herself and tried again. "I want to try shaving myself. It looks so nice and sexy but I'm not sure about exactly what to do. I saw something about waxing but that was bad enough when I tried it on my legs. I can't imagine it on my privates."

Jess's eyes turned smoky. "The Scientist needs field data. Would you like me to shave you?"

Elena felt the heat rise between them, and her nipples came to attention. She gave a quick nod and then Jess was pulling her to her feet and towards the bathroom.

Jess turned the shower on and stripped off her clothes. Now naked, she turned to Elena.

"First we have to get nice and clean," she murmured. "All over."

Elena shed her own clothes, and they stepped under the drencher style shower head. They were pressed into intimacy, the water streaming down their skin. They kissed and Jess laced her hands behind Elena's head. Elena snaked her hand between their bodies. She trailed her fingers lightly through Jess's curls and delved into her cleft. Jess opened her legs to give her better access and started to pant as her lover expertly aroused her. Little shocks radiated from her centre as Elena hooked first one and then two fingers inside her.

Elena bent her head and licked Jess's nipples, then sucked one between her teeth and lightly bit it. Jess hissed and brought her leg up and tucked it behind her partner to rest on the out-swell of Elena's derrière. Pumping her fingers in and out of Jess's cunt, Elena could feel her own lubrication start to flow. She gathered some on her other hand and offered it to Jess. Her lover moaned and took the fingers into her mouth, her tongue making a sensual caress.

Suddenly Jess started to shudder and clutched Elena to her, in the throes of her orgasm. The other woman bent and gently suckled her neck and Jess quivered as another small aftershock rocked her. They stood motionless for a minute and then Jess opened her eyes. Elena felt a familiar sense of vertigo gazing into their limitless blue depths. She kissed Jess and the two of them hugged each other tightly.

"Now," said Jess, suddenly all practical. "Let's get down to business."

Finishing soaping and rinsing each other clean, they wrapped themselves in big soft bath towels. Jess led Elena to sit on the edge of the sofa. She knelt on the floor and set about assembling the necessary kit, razor, soap, a bowl of warm water and a small pair of very sharp scissors.

She grinned. "Hold still!"

The scissors snipped away, reducing much of Elena's thatch to a fuzz. Then Jess lathered Elena up, giggling at her lover's hisses and occasional moans. Ten minutes with the razor resulted in a neat triangle of hair above the prominent labia.

Gently Jess rinsed and dried and then rubbed some aloe vera into the smooth skin, taking more time than was perhaps strictly necessary, massaging and palpating, her fingers sliding either side of Elena's hood. Elena's legs fell wider, and Jess leaned in to allow her tongue to roam over the newly denuded skin in decreasing circles, terminating in a long lick up the coral flower.

"Oh my God!" Elena gasped as Jess' tongue feathered her clit. Her juices started to drip from her opening. Jess lapped them up and sent her tongue as far inside her lover as she could stretch.

Elena groaned and clutched the back of Jess' head. She'd already been aroused in the shower and then Jess's careful and sensuous attentions had pushed her higher. Now gripped in carnal lust she was nearly mad with desire.

"Fuck me, Jess, fuck me!"

Jess pulled away and Elena groaned with frustration. "Where are you going?"

Pulling a dresser drawer open, Jess rummaged inside. "Found it!" she announced and trotted back to the sofa. Elena watched her, baffled.

With a bit of flourish, Jess produced a curved object that looked for all the world as if someone had fused large glass marbles in a line.

"What's that?"

"You wanted me to fuck you. This is going to do the fucking." Jess ran the dildo up along Elena's cleft, letting the texture gently caress her clit. Her lover gasped in time with each pass of the dildo.

Then Jess started to insert it. Each bulge stretching her just a little, prompting yet more gasps. Each gasp accompanied by a little spike of white light. Jess bent to run her tongue gently over Elena's sensitive bean and the spikes started to merge in a glow that grew steadily more intense until it was like staring into the sun.

Elena climaxed and Jess rode the tidal wave with her, glorying in the satisfaction of giving her love such pleasure. At the peak, their auras curled and twined, blending together almost like they were dissolving into one another, losing their identities as they reached for... something. Something that eluded them. Something that felt... disappointed.

Jess tensed; all ardour drained out of her in an instant.

Elena sat up abruptly. "What the hell was that?"

"I have no idea," Jess replied, staring at her, wide eyed.

"That was like one of my nightmares," Elena said slowly. "There was the same feeling of..." She struggled to articulate her discomfort.

"Something wrong," Jess said.

They looked at each other for a long moment.

***

Monday

As compensation for working Saturdays, Jess got Mondays to herself. Normally Sundays were for chilling and maybe reading a book, recuperating from the week spent on her feet. Mondays, therefore, were for chores. Cleaning, laundry, shopping, etc etc. Today was different.

They lounged under a quilt watching The Maltese Falcon on the television. The rain pattered on the windows overhead.

"What is it about black and white?" Elena mused.

"I think it's the whole 'less is more' effect," Jess replied. "I dabbled in photography when I was in sixth form and when you take colour away you have to work harder on getting a good picture. Composition matters more because that's all you have."

"Who's the love interest? I thought it was always Bacall with Bogart."

"This is Mary Astor. Betty Perske did several films with Bogie but not this one or Casablanca."

"Betty Perske? No wonder she changed it!"

They giggled and snuggled a little further under the quilt. The disquiet of yesterday evening was fading.

A little later, as Sam Spade slumped in front of Kaspar Gutman, Elena asked the question that had been bothering her.

"Why not just show yourselves?"

It was Jess' turn to give her a sardonic look. "As I've said before, your kind is ruthless when it comes to competition. Where now Neanderthals and Homo Soloensis?"

"I wish you wouldn't keep calling me 'your kind'," Elena said, crossly.

"I have to, love, I have to keep the distinction clear in your head. We care for each other, but Sapiens would hunt us down if they knew. There are enough rumours and folk tales as it is."

Elena was silent for a while; then she smiled. "I see what you did there."

Jess looked puzzled. "Did what?"

"Folk tales. Tales of the Folk."

Jess rolled her eyes and pulled the quilt over her head.

***

As the film came to a close and the credits rolled, Jess felt Elena's fingers start to comb through her hair. She closed her eyes in expectation of a head rub. When it didn't materialise, she cracked an eye open to see Elena in the mirror intently poking through her hair, for all the world like a chimpanzee in a nature documentary, grooming for pests.

"What on earth are you doing?" she asked, amusedly.

"Checking your roots," Elena replied, teasing the thick neon locks apart. "I mean, there's no way this is a natural colour."

"Cheeky cow!" Jess retorted. "It is rare though. Mum and Dad were so proud."

"Name me an animal that has this colour in nature, then!" Elena challenged her. "Insects not allowed," she added hurriedly.

"Flamingos," Jess said, smugly.

"Eat many carrots do you?"

"Huh?"

"Flamingos get their colour from the carotenoids in their diet."

Jess snatched a cushion and twisted sharply to swat Elena on the side of the head. After an exclamation and a shriek of outrage, Elena grabbed the water spray and they fought across the loft and back, running around and screaming like banshees.

Finally, Jess had Elena pinned against the wall. Her hair was tousled and her cheeks pink and she panted with the exertion. Jess thought she looked phenomenal, and leaned in for a kiss. When instead Elena licked the side of her face, it was Jess' turn to shriek in outrage. However, she'd let go and Elena pivoted them around so it was Jess that was trapped against the wall.

They stared at each other.

"Don't flamingos mate for life? Like swans," Jess murmured.

"What are you suggesting, Miss Calamar?" Elena breathed, her eyes bright.

In reply, Jess gave the faintest of shrugs, her eyes still locked on her girlfriend.

"I've known you all of -" there was a pause while Elena did some mental maths, "70 hours and you're all but asking me to marry you?"

Jess said nothing but her eyes burned.

Elena held her stare for a few charged moments, then relaxed, put her head on one side and considered Jess. "What are your prospects?"

Jess looked coy, "I have some skills."

Elena chucked her lightly under the chin. "It's a bit sudden. I know you've been stalking me for like forever and for all I know you could be a serial killer with the bodies of previous lovers under the floorboards."

Jess' shoulders slumped and she looked down at the floor. Why did she always have to rush things with mundanes? They didn't use the same rulebook as the Folk, there was the whole trust dance to do first. Then what Elena hadn't said suddenly occurred to her, and her head came up.

"You didn't say 'no'."

Elena grinned crookedly. "Gotta keep treating me sweet, then, don'tcha?"

Jess felt such a surge in her breast that Elena winced, and Jess rushed to apologise. "Sorry! I didn't mean to steamroller you. I promise to keep a tighter lid on it."

Elena leaned in to brush her lips on Jess' cheek. "You're doing everything right so far."

Jess gathered Elena into a hug and buried her face in the crook of her neck, suddenly certain that everything was going to fine. Then she pushed her away, "Let's get to work! This place must be spick and span if we're going out on the town!"

***

Elena mucked in with the cleaning. The loft was so much bigger than her old room, it took more looking after. She hoovered and dusted and peppered Jess with questions, all of which her new lover (love?) bore with good humour and appreciation for the assistance. As Jess bustled about with piles of clothes, she tried to fill Elena in with details of the new world she found herself in.

Elena tried to come to terms with the deluge of information and her new milieu. A world where the vast number of people went about their daily lives unaware of the transhumans operating in the shadows, nudging ordinary humanity in one direction or another.

She learned that the Folk regarded Sapiens with bemusement and trepidation. So much had to be taken on trust! They lied to each other the whole time. Sworn enemies greeted each other like old friends and politics was like smoke and mirrors. No wonder they killed each other at the drop of a hat. Elena frowned. It made her uncomfortable to think of herself as a representative of a bunch of murderous psychopaths.

The Folk were no cleverer than regular Sapiens, but they had a few tricks up their sleeves. And if you knew about those tricks then you could defend against them.