Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  “No. I mean not really. I don’t know. I’ve never had a girl hit on me before so I don’t really know what I would do if it happened. I guess it would depend on the girl.”

  “Well, what about me?” Queenie asked, taking a step closer to Amanda.

  “What about you?” Amanda asked.

  “What if I hit on you?”

  Amanda laughed, and shook her head again. It seemed to be reaction to nearly everything that night, and Queenie was finding it adorable.

  “Why would you hit on me?”

  Queenie tisked and took another step closer. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are? How many times men have looked at you tonight, or even when we walk through campus together?”

  “No, they’re not staring at me, silly. They’re staring at you,” Amanda pointed out. Then she let the comment play back in her head, slower this time. Raising her head, she let her gaze meet Queenie’s.

  “You think I’m beautiful?” She asked, her voice soft.

  “Extremely beautiful,” Queenie whispered. Feeling bold, she reached out and pushed a strand of hair away from Amanda’s cheek. When she didn’t stop her, she let her hand rest on her soft, pale face.

  “Do you want to kiss me?” Amanda whispered, her eyes locked on Queenie’s.

  Nodding her head, Queenie closed the space between them and brought her lips to Amanda’s. Amanda made no resistance to the kiss, and instead leaned further into Queenie’s embrace. Her heart was beating rapidly, and she could barely catch her breath, but she loved everything in that moment. The softness of Queenie’s plump lips, the fruity taste of her tongue, the warm embrace of her arms-Amanda had never felt anything so perfect.

  CHAPTER 3

  Three Weeks Later

  Kyeisha looked agitatedly at Jamal, then Bronson, then finally at Queenie and Amanda, who were once again locked in a smothering kiss. It had been three weeks since they first started dating, and they were now inseparable. Kyeisha liked Amanda, really she did. She found her adorable and funny, but also extremely annoying when she was in a lip lock with Queenie. She wanted to talk to her friend, to gossip and laugh and go to the mall after class. But lately Queenie had been so wrapped up in her new girlfriend that she had barely made time for her.

  “Would you guys cut it out, please? We’re trying to eat!” Kyeisha exclaimed.

  “I don’t mind,” Bronson and Jamal said in unison, their eyes glued to the hot scene.

  Still, Queenie heard the annoyance in her friend’s voice and she slowly unwrapped herself from Amanda. Her pale cheeks turned an adorable pink as she came up for fresh air, and apologized for her rudeness.

  “It’s fine,” Kyeisha said, rolling her eyes. “It’s just, you get to see her a lot more than we do nowadays, and we’d just actually like to spend time with her rather than just see her make out with you.”

  “Kyeisha!” Queenie exclaimed, embarrassed by her friend’s crass words.

  “No, she’s right,” Amanda said quietly, gathering her bag. “I need to go anyway. I have a class in twenty minutes and I wanted to stop by the library first.”

  Before Queenie could say anything, Amanda was out of the booth and on her way towards the exit. It didn’t take a lot for Amanda to feel embarrassed, and she could tell that Kyeisha had mortified her.

  “What the hell did you do that for?” Queenie asked, turning back to her friend. “That wasn’t nice at all.”

  “You know what’s not nice?” Kyeisha shot back. “Not seeing your best friend because she’s so wrapped up in her new girlfriend. And then, when she finally does show up, she completely ignores you and causes a scene by making out with her girlfriend. That’s not nice.”

  Queenie shook her head, not believing how crazy her friend was acting. “Kyeisha, you and I have gone much longer without seeing each other before, and you’ve never reacted like this.”

  “Yeah, well you’ve never had your tongue so openly shoved down someone’s throat before either!” Wanting the last word, Kyeisha picked up her tray and stormed off, leaving Queenie wide-eyed and confused.

  “What the hell was that?” She asked, looking to Jamal and Bronson for answers. Both of them shrugged their shoulders, not really sure of what they just witnessed.

  “Beats me,” Jamal said, popping a chip into his mouth. “It’s not like she’s dating anyone. Hey, maybe that’s her problem. She’s just jealous you’re getting some love and she’s not. Or, maybe she’s being a typical crazy woman.”

  ~

  For the rest of the day Queenie tried to get Kyeisha on the phone. In between her classes and studies, she was constantly calling or texting her. By eight that night, she finally gave up on trying to get a hold of Kyeisha for the day, and put her phone on vibrate. Walking into her dorm room, she was surprised to see it empty. Amanda was usually back by seven and was often found at her desk, either writing a paper or studying dutifully.

  Not sure what else to do but wait, Queenie kicked off her shoes and changed out of her clothes and into her pajamas. Though it was finally starting to feel like fall outside, it was still pretty steamy in the dorm rooms, what with there being no air conditioning and all. Forgoing pajama bottoms, Queenie simply threw on a dark gray tank top and a pair of purple boxers before she plopped into bed.

  A minute later, she heard her door unlocking and Amanda came walking in, with wet hair and a blue towel wrapped tightly around her body. On her feet she wore her shower shoes and in her right hand she held her shower tote. It wasn’t hard for Queenie to guess where she had been.

  “How was your shower?” Queenie asked, leaning up on her elbow.

  “It was good,” Amanda answered. Sitting down on her own bed, she took out her bottle of lotion and began massaging the mango scented cream into her freshly shaven legs.

  “How was the rest of your lunch?”

  Sitting up, Queenie sighed and relayed everything that had happened after Amanda had left. She was confused and hurt by her friend’s reaction, and even more so now that she wasn’t responding to her calls or texts.

  “What do you think she’s so upset about?” Queenie asked.

  Amanda disappeared behind her dresser/wardrobe for a minute, and when she came out she was in her baggy t-shirt and bikini bottoms. She had quickly gotten used to being bare around Queenie, even before they had started dating. Now it was just a perk to know that her roommate liked the way she looked.

  “I’m not really sure,” Amanda answered honestly, taking a seat beside Queenie. “But I think you should find out. I know if my best friend was that way with me it would drive me crazy until I figured out what was wrong.”

  Needing comfort, Queenie burrowed into Amanda’s arms and wrapped her arms tightly around her smaller body. She felt so warm and fresh; Queenie couldn’t help but dip her head to taste her away along Amanda’s collarbone. She heard her lover moan at the slight touch, and decided to go further down.

  Though they had gotten to the kissing and the fondling part, they had yet to make it to the love making stage of their relationship. Yet as Amanda allowed Queenie to pull off her baggy t-shirt, she wondered if tonight would be the night that they would finally share a bed.

  Amanda’s arms wrapped around Queenie’s shoulders as she felt her body being guided back onto the single pillow on the bed. Queenie’s full lips were making their way from her collarbone down to her breasts, and she had no urge to want to stop her. She was ready to be explored by her lover, and in return she was ready to be taught how to explore.

  As Queenie’s lips and gentle teeth closed around Amanda’s turgid nipple, she gasped and arched her back. She was using the perfect amount of pressure in her teeth to make the sensation incredibly pleasurable. While Queenie’s lips took their time with each of Amanda’s nipples, her wondering hands travelled further south until they grazed the open spot of the plain white bikini bottoms Amanda was wearing. Teasingly, she ran the pad of her thumb over the small bud of Amanda’s clitoris, making her gasp and moan. />
  “Don’t stop,” Amanda breathed, pushing her hips up to meet Queenie’s hand. Her excitement was all Queenie needed to continue, and as her lips made their way from Amanda’s nipples and down her flat stomach, she wound the edges of her panties around her fingers, and dragged the thin material away from Amanda’s beautiful long legs.

  “Do you want me to kiss you here?” Queenie asked, flicking her tongue over Amanda’s clitoris.

  “Yes!” Amanda gasped, bucking her hips.

  “Or…do you want me to kiss you here?” Queenie’s tongue moved down an inch lower and darted like an adder’s tongue in between the soft, wet folds of Amanda’s lips.

  “Yes, oh yes, everywhere!” Amanda moaned, her hands tightly burrowed into Queenie’s, thick black waves of hair.

  Queenie moaned in delight as she dove her tongue expertly over Amanda’s mons. Taking her time, she explored her lips, her hot, creamy center, and her budding clitoris, which was tempting Queenie with every flick of her tongue. Using her hands to support Amanda’s firm but small backside, she delved into everything she had ever wanted from the moment she met her beautiful roommate.

  Amanda’s legs began to tremble as she neared her first ever orgasm. Pierce had had no idea what he had been doing with her, and she had never been a fan of masturbation. Yet as she felt the swell of pleasure from within her body, she knew exactly what was happening as her body collapsed into a sea of delightful tremors.

  Between her legs, Queenie moaned loudly as she tasted Amanda’s sweet cream slide between her lips and over her tongue. She tasted of vanilla and cinnamon; an intoxicating combination to Queenie. Before she could try for more, Amanda was pulling her up to claim her lips and a sweet kiss. Settling her body between her lips, Queen allowed Amanda to taste herself on her lips, loving the way her small pink tongue darted into her mouth and around her lips.

  As she did so, Amanda pushed away the fabric of Queenie’s boxers and pulled off the tight tank top. Though she’d never made love to a woman before, her body somehow instinctively knew what to do. They both gasped in pleasure as Amanda’s hot, wet center pressed into Queenies, and together they began to thrust their hips into one another in a scissoring motion.

  To Amanda, it felt both exhilarating and completely natural. She loved the way Queenie’s hips rocked with hers, and she realized that she had been having sex completely wrong. Peirce had always been quick, cold, and distant. Queenie was warm, soft, and as close to her as her own heart. Love for her soared inside of Amanda as she rocked back and forth with her woman, and together they brought another to a mind-shattering climax.

  CHAPTER 4

  Queenie woke up to the feeling of Amanda wrapped tight around her, and she immediately smiled. It wasn’t just the first time they had had sex, but also the first time they had slept in the same bed. After they had made love, the two women had wrapped around each other and had fallen into a heavy sleep. She hadn’t realized how exhausted she’d been from the day of turmoil.

  Closing her eyes, she was content with the idea of simply lying in bed until Amanda woke up and they would go to breakfast. As she contemplated what she wanted to eat, Queenie heard an insistent buzzing coming from her desk. Reaching behind her, she grabbed her phone and looked down at the screen. Kyeisha’s name crawled across it, along with her picture. Carefully she untangled herself from Amanda, pulled on her robe, and crept out of the room.

  “Hello?” She whispered, not wanting to be heard through the door.

  “Hey, where have you been?” Kyeisha asked.

  “Me? You’re the one who wouldn’t answer my phone calls for texts yesterday!” Queenie shot back. She heard her friend sigh in irritation and practically see her rolling her eyes.

  “Well this is the third time I’ve tried to call you back this morning. Can you come over? I want to talk to you.”

  Queenie quickly agreed, and told her she’d be there within a half hour. Going back inside her room, she tiptoed back over to Amanda and gently shook her awake.

  “Hey you,” Amanda moaned, leaning up to give Queenie a good morning kiss. “Want to go get some breakfast?”

  “I wish I could,” Queenie answered, wishing she could say yes. “But Kyeisha finally called me back and asked me if I could come over. I really want to put this fight behind us so I’m going to go.”

  More awake, Amanda sat up and nodded her head, supporting Queenie’s decision.

  “You should. I’ll go grab some breakfast. Will you call me when you’re done?”

  Queenie assured her that she would, and after throwing on a simple V-neck t-shirt and some jeans, she swiped on some mascara and lipstick and grabbed her purse. Kyeisha lived in a single dorm two buildings over. She had been one of the lucky few that had put a bid in and actually got the space to her. Before she and Amanda had started dating, Queenie had been over there to visit her everyday, and knew the key code to the building by heart.

  Kyeisha opened her door on the first knock, and let Queenie in.

  “Hey,” Kyeisha said softly, smiling at her friend. Together they hugged, and they both took a seat on Kyeisha’s bed.

  “Please tell me what’s going on,” Queenie urged. “I hate when we fight, especially when I don’t completely understand why we’re fighting.”

  Kyeisha looked guiltily down at her hands and apologized. “I don’t know what came over me. Actually, you know what, that’s a lie. I do know. I was jealous.”

  “I don’t understand,” Queenie replied, not following.

  Sighing, Kyeisha reached over and grabbed Queenie’s hand. “I never thought that I was or even could be gay. Up until recently I have always seen you as my best friend and nothing more. But ever since you started dating Amanda, all I can think of is what if you and I gave it a shot? What if we tried dating? I’ve never found other women attractive; except for you Queenie. You’re flawless, like Queen Beyoncé herself. And I just feel like, if anyone deserves to kiss you, to hold you, to be with you- it should be me.”

  Queenie deadpanned, not sure at all what to do. On one hand this was her best friend. On the other, it was also a woman who asking her to break up with a beautiful woman that she made love to for the first time the previous night. Kyeisha was straight, of that Queenie was sure.

  “What exactly are you asking me to do?” Queenie asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

  Kyeisha’s dark brown eyes looked up to Queenie’s and she pouted her lips.

  “I want you to kiss me. If it doesn’t feel right, then we don’t have to go farther. But if there’s something there, I want you to leave Amanda and be with me.”

  Shaking her head, Queenie stood up. “Are you kidding me? Why now, Kyeisha? When I’m finally happy and actually in a healthy relationship? I’ve dated other girls before, and you’ve never reacted like this.”

  “Yeah, well you’ve never kissed a girl like you kissed Amanda yesterday either, all right?” Kyeisha stood up and took a few steps towards Queenie, trying to corner her.

  “We’ve been friends for over ten years Queenie. I’ve been at your side through a lot of things, and now I want what I deserve. A chance with you.” Moving quickly, Kyeisha pushed Queen up against the wall, ad tried to force her mouth down on Queenie’s.

  With more force than she intended, Queenie pushed her best friend off of her and sent her staggering towards the bed.

  “What the hell is wrong with you?” She asked, grabbing the doorknob. “You have no right to ask me for that, got it? If you were actually my friend, you would never try to force me to kiss you.”

  “Queenie wait”-

  Queenie stopped listening and threw the door open wide. People stepped out of their dorm rooms when they heard the commotion, wondering what was going on.

  “Mind your own damn business!” Queenie shouted, storming down the hall towards the elevators.

  Once outside, Queenie ran a frustrated hand through her hair and she turned her brown eyes up to the sky. Never in her life would she hav
e predicted that Kyeisha would make such a demand from her. Her head and heart were spinning from the betrayal, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do. This was her best friend, her confidant. If someone else, anyone really had tried to do that, Kyeisha would be the first one she would have told.

  Feeling her phone vibrate in her pocket, she fished it out and looked down at the screen. Two tears slid down her cheeks as she saw Kyeisha’s name and picture scroll across it. She hit the ignore button and headed away from the dorm buildings and towards the dining hall. She had guessed that the entire ordeal had barely lasted a half hour. With luck, she could still catch Amanda at breakfast.

  ~

  As usual, Amanda sensed her Queenie before she saw her. Looking up from her oatmeal, her blue eyes scanned the crowd. She spotted Queenie right away, but her smile slid from her face as she saw the downtrodden look on her face. She could see the tear tracks on her cheeks, and the overall sadness that emanated from her. Quickly she got up from the table and opened her arms.

  Queenie wrapped herself tight around Amanda and let more tears fall. It felt good to be in her arms, and she didn’t care if people were staring at them or not. Patient as ever, Amanda waited until Queenie was ready to let go before she sat back down and asked her girlfriend what was wrong?

  Through the tears Queenie explained what had happened with her and Kyeisha, and how much it hurt her to have a friend demand something so serious from her. Queenie was not a one-night stand kind of woman, and she did not, under any circumstances, cheat.

  “I just can’t believe that she had the nerve to ask me to cheat on you!” Queenie huffed. Somewhere between the tears, she had gotten up and grabbed a plate tofu scramble and a glass of orange juice. Taking a bite of the scramble, she chewed angrily, taking her anger out on her food.

  “Do you want to?” Amanda asked, her voice quiet.

  Her anger immediately fizzled out as soon as she heard the question.