Chapter Twenty-Seven

"/bypass: Comm. F. Tharrist >> 'I... Show me the transmission request summary.'"

Gina rolled off of Callana, totally spent. Her whole body tingled, heat and sweat radiating off of her as she took a deep breath.

Holy shit.

Three hours of awkward, silent handholding somehow morphed into six hours of that. When had they even started? Legs quivering, she slipped off the bed and waddled across the hall to the bathroom, leaving Callana to lie on the sheets, panting in a heap.

Holy shit.

Gina had assumed it would take months for Callana to move in a physical direction—especially considering the reticence with which she approached even minor affection. And then, in one sudden moment, something had clicked in her. Gina had watched it happen, as Callana got a far-away look in her eyes, cocked her head, and then stared at her with a distinct, alien hunger.

Holy shit.

It took ages for her to pee—a bodily function that was apparently optional for her, now—but considering the… tools they’d brought out for the job, it was a necessary step. Standing to face herself in their dingy, smoke-stained mirror, Gina stared at her naked body, covered in bite marks and hickeys. She’d expected to top, following the tradition of her sexual encounters of yore. That didn’t happen.

Fuuuuuuuuuuck.

As she wandered back into the bedroom, she watched Callana strut by, all-too pleased with herself, into the bathroom. She gave Gina a sultry wink as she passed. In the bedroom, Callana’s whole demeanor shifted, and that goofy, oddball charm she normally had disappeared in favor of “The Queen.” She’d actively demanded for Gina to refer to her as “your majesty,” “your highness,” even “your excellency” as they did the deed—she spoke in terms of conquest and dominion over Gina’s body, and all veneer of anxiety in her eyes evaporated. And yeah, as much as saying, “Please go down on me, your excellency!” felt a bit awkward… Brovar’s ashes, it was so hot.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she realized just how damp the whole affair had left the bed. Shit, I’m gonna have to change the sheets, she thought. Then, something hit her. Oh, Brovar, she made the sheets a weird size. Our other sets aren’t gonna fit. Fuck.

As the clock struck 4:00 a.m., Gina removed the fitted sheet and shoved it into the washing machine in the kitchen closet, adding an extra detergent pod for good measure. No fabric softener, though—that shit was expensive. In that moment, as she set the washer to “bulky,” turned it on, and listened to the creaking, thudding thing get to work, she realized that she still hadn’t gotten dressed. Huh. She never got to walk around the house naked when Von lived here. Maybe his absence had a few upsides. Granted, he’d made an absolute ass of himself in the process of moving out, basically demanding that she fawn all over him and only do things he wanted her to. To be his personal doormat, his platonic housewife who never caused trouble.

No, that was uncharitable. Not entirely untrue, but… Von wasn’t a bad guy. A jerk in some ways, but kind in others. He’d let her down, criticized her independence, and asked for way more credit than he deserved. But on the other hand, how many times had he paid extra rent just because she had an emergency bill? How many times had he encouraged her and stood behind her? That was the worst part. If she could just stay mad at him, that would be so much easier. Instead, she had to accept the nuance. And nuance? Yeah, nuance sucked.

“Gina?” Callana asked, wandering up behind her.

“H-hey,” Gina said, turning around to face the still-naked woman behind her. How could someone so short have tits that big?

“Why is the bed white?” Callana asked.

“Uh… I’m washing the sheets,” Gina said.

“The bed is un-comfy when it is white,” Callana said. “Where are we going to sleep?”

Gina shrugged. “We could stay up until the sheets are done. Maybe watch TV? They’re probably rerunning old sitcoms on the Halcyon Network.”

“Okay!” Callana said, smiling. She stood on her tip-toes and gave Gina a peck on the tip of her nose.

Gina flushed. When had she gotten so bold?