Steamy Dorm

by Kristine Robinson

  Chapter Seventeen

  The light shines through the windows and casts shadows over the bed. I’m draped in her arms and have never felt happier than at this moment. Between kisses and caresses, we make breakfast and eat it in bed. We’re playful and our lips are never apart for more than a few minutes. However, our peaceful, sensual morning comes to an abrupt halt when Tasha’s phone rings. Of course, it’s her brother. Weeks had passed without incident but here it was again. It seemed it would always be this way. This time, it’s William calling himself. He needs a ride somewhere. Michelle is annoyed because he can easily take public transportation. Tasha doesn’t seem to think that is the case. “I gotta go” she says and jumps out of bed. The harshness of her actions and the sudden way the mood had changed in the room, upset me more than I wanted to admit. “You’re always going to choose your brother over everything-over me, over yourself.” I say defiantly. “Michelle, we’ve had such a great weekend, don’t spoil it, please.” She stops and pleads with me. “I don’t think I’m the one doing the spoiling.” I say in a huff. “Just go.” Tasha leans in to kiss me but I turn my cheek. I remain quiet and Tasha leaves without saying goodbye. It was a horrible ending to what was a perfect weekend.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I’m speeding and I shouldn’t be but I want to get back to Michelle. She was right, he could have found a way to get somewhere. He always finds a way, unless it doesn’t suit him. I begin reflecting on the past and all the times I’ve helped him when I shouldn’t have. I pull into my driveway and William is already waiting for me. “You’re a bit late.” He says. He doesn’t even care he has ruined my weekend, I think. “Damn, him.” William keeps talking and doesn’t even ask about me or Michelle or even asks how I am for that matter. The more he talks, the angrier I become. When we pull into the station, I practically shove him out of the car. “This is it William” I shout at him. “There is no way I can keep doing this and expect you to change. Enjoy your trip and when you get back, prepare to get a job and your own place to live.” His jaw drops open but he says nothing. I’m sure he doesn’t believe me but what can I do but prove it to him. I drive off and head back to Michelle’s place to tell her the news.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Prompting Tasha to make a change has prompted me to make my own. As I hang up the phone with a non-profit organization, I feel hopeful for the first time in weeks. They want to interview me next week and I can see this being a really good thing for me. I need something to look forward to since this thing that was developing with Tasha is probably over. We just can’t see eye to eye and I can’t live with coming in second place when there is such an obvious solution. I can’t keep fighting for attention. I realize that the experience taught me a lot and that women are absolutely for me-but I deserve more. I begin to cry over the fact that I finally found this wonderful person but already need to let her go when my door opens, and it’s her. She runs in and kisses me passionately. She tells me what happened with William. “I know he will figure it out, I’ll keep an eye on him but he has to figure this out for himself.” I am so shocked that I can’t help but smile. “This really is the best thing you could do for him-and for us.” I tell her. “I want to put the person I love first” she says. Now I don’t know what to say. “I love you too, Tasha. I really do.” She kisses her and pulls her close. Tasha reaches down and puts her fingers between my legs. I’m already wet at her touch. She picks me up and carries me to the bedroom. Her tongue runs over my lips and I beg her to get down under the sheets. She pulls off my clothes and begins to ravish me. I slide on top of her press myself against her. I take her breasts in my mouth and we begin to move in sync with each other. Tasha pulls me up to her and kisses me deeply, “ I really love you, Michelle” she says. “I love you, too” Tash, I say and kiss her again. She takes my waist in her hands and moves me to the side. She pulls the covers uo above her head and disappears between the sheets. My back arches as I feel her between my legs. Her hands grazing my inner thighs as she teases me in between her slow and methodical caresses. Her warm breath covers me and her kisses follow. Her tongue pierced me as sharp as the words “I love you”. I quivered and writhed and my thighs pressed against her. Her pace quickened. I reached down to feel her and I grabbed her hand. She squeezed it back, our little gesture that is full of love and comfort. “I’m coming” I say as I moan and the heat spreads between my thighs. Tasha comes up for air and kisses me hard on the mouth. I taste myself, I taste her, I taste us. I bring her closer to me and as she lay on top of me, I smile at her. “I’m not done with you, yet” she says with a grin. “Oh, no?” I answer playfully. “We’ve got the whole night ahead of us, my love.”

  Just A Game

  ~ Bonus Story ~

  An Erotic Lesbian Romance

  “I want you to put your hand up here,” she said. She pulled Jess’ hand to her breast and then slowly began to unbutton her shirt. When the last button had been removed she unclasped her bra and put Jess’ hand on her breast. Jess began to slowly circle the nipple with her finger. Cory turned over onto her side and began to undress Jess running her kisses from her lips down her neck.

  “This is okay right,” Cory said looking at Jess’ naked body.

  “I want this. I want you,” Jess said. She pulled down Cory’s panties and began to caress her

  * * *

  1.

  “I don’t know why you are so incessant about checking your phone.”

  “There’s new comments.”

  “From trolls?”

  “Umm…”

  “You’re hardly even touching your burrito,” Pilar said.

  The tortilla wrap of rice, beans, sour cream and extra avocado sat in front of Jess in the Mission Mexican shop. She’d been coming here for years with Pilar and they’d slowly seen the shop, La Tacqueria, change. The Mexican Gay bar next to the restaurant had changed into a fancy cocktail place with a bearded mixologist, the thrift store across the street had turned into a boutique, and the nearby BART station had a regular patrol of cops to keep away the homeless. On the plus side there would be no more crazy shouting Christians telling sinners like Jess to repent, on the downside there was no more life to the neighborhood.

  “Jess! Eat the burrito, it wants the burrito,” Pilar said. She’d picked up the cylinder and was waving it in her friend’s face.

  “Stop. You know these videos are getting traction. This is important,” Jess replied. Her light tan skin was lightened by the overhead neon lights of the restaurant but her Latina features were still evident to Pilar.

  “You aren’t going to overthrow the man with a youtube clip of you talking about video games. You are just gonna get some neckbeards mad at you,” Pilar said. She brushed at her black hair. The bangs were cut short complimenting her black blouse whose neck line swooped.

  “You’re not going to overthrow patriarchy by wearing slutty clothes,” Jess said.

  “Gasp! You bought this for me! Two years ago when we were going to the Cat Club regularly.”

  “I guess we all secretly want to submit in some ways don’t we,” Jess said waving her hand. “And I’ll give in. No more phone. Look I’m putting it away.” Jess put her device into a small vintage clutch that she’d found at a Salvation Army in the heart of San Francisco’s mission. These sorts of purses couldn’t be found anymore though, at least not in this neighborhood and so Jess held it dearly. “Now what’s up,” she said taking a big bite of her burrito. Avocado and sour crème oozed out of the edges and fell onto her plate.

  “What’s up is that you still haven’t gotten any table manners. You all ‘look at me I’m a successful techie!’ But girl you can’t even eat your food without making a mess. Where have you been the last few years?”

  Jess laughed. “Don’t be jealous that my Kickstarter raised enough money that I was able to actually start doing something.”

  “What and making cocktails for a living isn’t doing something?”

  “Ummm…” Jess
said. She looked away from her friend. They’d had this debate before.

  “Listen I may shake cocktails…”

  “And your ass…”

  “And my ass but you aren’t shaking anything up by posting videos on youtube.”

  “I don’t know about that. There are a lot of haters out there. I keep getting comments and tweets that are sooo annoying.”

  “Dick pics,” Pilar asked. “I love me a dick pic. Preferably when it is shown to scale. Did I tell you about my recent amour’s cock shot next to an Arizona Ice Tea can?”

  “Oh brother,” Jess said rolling her eyes. “Is this what we’re going to talk about again?”

  “Well is there anything to talk about in your ‘love life?’”

  “Hey, hey, that’s below the belt!”

  “Why? I thought you liked hands below the belt,” Pilar said with a laugh.

  Jess pouted and looked away. It’d been a while since well, since anyone. She’d been so busy with her latest gaming project, a new POV shooter featuring a female heroine, machine guns, and zombies, that her love life had fallen to the wayside. Pilar often teased her about what Pilar considered to be her repressed sexuality as well.

  “I’m just too busy right now. I have work to think about, and all these comments,” Jess said making her usual argument about why she hadn’t been dating anyone.

  “I thought the comments were traction” Pilar said. Her eyebrow raised and she tilted her head to the side. She took a long sip of her Mexican coke. She loved the sweetened soda and said it reminded her of her home, across the bay, Oakland and of course the omnipresent Taco Trucks. The two had been friends for a long time, first meeting in Oakland at a house party but their lives were different now with Jess trying to build a career in gaming and Pilar content to bartend in Oakland.

  “Well some of them are good, some of them… not so much,” Jess said. She waved her away at the nagging flies that were the Youtube comments and tweets. She didn’t want Pilar finding out how threatening some of them were, and how much they actually impacted her.

  “Well what about Cory?”

  “Cory?”

  “Didn’t you say that she might be coming up from LA?”

  “Oh yeah…” Jess took a bite out of her burrito and looked away from Pilar. She wasn’t sure how to deal with it. She’d met Cory a few years ago at a tech conference in the city. There’d been sparks but Jess was unable to act. She’d never been with a woman before. Who was supposed to take the initiative? How was she supposed to act? What were they supposed to even do? Cory had texted her a few days ago telling Jess that she was visiting town and wanted to see her, to spend time with her. Jess couldn’t tell if that was code for something. Maybe Cory didn’t feel anything. Maybe Cory didn’t even like women. Jess wasn’t sure how she felt.

  “Are you going to see her,” Pilar asked. She always seemed to like needling Jess about Cory, and of course Jess’ lack of action.

  “Of course, why not?”

  “No, I mean are you going to ‘see’ her,” Pilar said using her fingers to make air quotes.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean are you going to try to see her naked?”

  “Ummm….” Jess’ face felt hot. Pilar was always so abrupt. So straightforward.

  “That looks like a yes.”

  “Can we talk about something else?”

  “Sure, sure,” Pilar said. “I just want you to know that whatever you decide to do it’s okay with me,” she said with a laugh.

  The walk back to her apartment only took a few minutes. Pilar got on BART and went back to Oakland. Jess had her rent-controlled place which was nice, and considering the raising rents surrounding her she just couldn’t leave. As she walked into her apartment she felt her phone buzz.

  “What’s up,” the text read. “I’m going to be in town tomorrow. Want to Netflix and chill?” It was from Cory.

  She walked into her one bedroom. It was on the second floor of a converted Victorian and was located close to Dolores Park. She was lucky that she didn’t have housemates, she knew other friends that had to share even one bedroom apartments. The neighbors were all nice and she liked how the sunlight inched its way into her bedroom in the mornings. The apartment could get cold but nothing too bad.

  “Is there anything good on Netflix,” Jess responded.

  “We could look and if nothing else maybe we could… chill,” Cory texted back moments later.

  “Yeah. We can meet up for sure. What time do you get in?”

  “I fly into SFO at noon. I can meet up around 1pm.”

  “Cool, cool. Where are you staying?”

  “Is that an invitation,” Cory responded back. She added a winky face to the text.

  Jess wasn’t sure how to respond so she waited. It was a bit much to have Cory stay with her right away, after all it had been a long time since they’d seen each other but…. and there was a “but” which made Jess pause. She hadn’t had this moment of hesitation before. If Pilar had asked to stay over it would have been fine. Sometimes her friend got drunk in the city and it was too late for BART so of course Jess let her crash on the couch.

  “I’m staying at a swanky hotel by Union Square,” Cory texted before Jess had time to respond.

  “Great. Well when I get out of work we can meet up.”

  “See you soon.”

  Jess put her phone down by her bed and wondered what tomorrow would be like. She tried to distract herself with thoughts of work, of the comments on twitter and Youtube but she kept thinking about Cory.

  2.

  The next day was long. The Kickstarter had given them enough funds to start the game and also to continue with the media project. The media project was what started the fundraiser. Jess was outspoken about women in video games. She disliked how they were reduced to boring tropes, heroines to be saved, as rewards for beating a level or a stage and were always clad in lingerie as armor. Women in games never had any real power. She’d started the media project “Feminist Controller” as a way to spark conversation around gender and video games.

  The day started off with a video about how many of the female monsters in video games were used as a way to demonize being female and genders that weren’t strictly male. After the 5-minute video was done during which she had to write the script, do the graphics, and edit, she started working more on the project that really drove her. It was called Femmes vs. Pirates and was a simple platform hopper, well simple to play, that was the idea anyways. The construction of the game seemed to be taking forever, and then there was the graphics, the gameplay mechanics and the storyline. They were all interconnected into a web, which seemed to be so difficult at times to pull together.

  With the money from the Kickstarter she’d been able to hire an assistant, Erin, to help her out with the project. Erin worked well when she could focus but she was stoned a lot which didn’t help things out. Jess always had to yell at her or buy her coffee to get her attention lazered in on the task at hand.

  “What time is it,” the message from Cory said. The blue message popped up on Jess’ screen in the early evening. Jess looked at the clock and realized she was supposed to have texted Cory earlier. She cursed under her breath.

  “Sorry, sorry. I’ll leave right now. Where did you want to meet,” Jess texted back.

  “Meet me up at the Embarcadero. Do you have a bike? We can ride to the Golden Gate bridge.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “Sounds like a date,” Cory texted back.

  The ride to Embarcadero didn’t take that long as the office that she’d rented was south of Market. It wasn’t much but it was what she could afford. She’d told Erin to keep working out some of the game/control aspects – they wanted the lead character to be able to double jump and the way it was now the avatar was acting glitchy.

  She stood in front of the ferry building watching the sun light glisten on the ocean behind the building. She wondered if the seals would still be h
anging out by the pier. She hadn’t been to the Embarcadero in a long time.

  Cory arrived ten minutes late.

  “Sorry, sorry,” she said after pulling up on her bicycle. “I didn’t think it would take me that long to get here.”

  “Did you walk,” Jess said with a pout.

  “No. Again… so sorry,” Cory repeated. She took Jess’ hand in hers and caressed it slightly. Jess felt a tingling sensation creep along her body and she looked into Cory’s eyes. The woman had light eyes and the type of smile that seemed to be permanently on. The smile seemed even richer with because she had beautiful thick hips. Her dark brown hair curled into tight ringlets falling to her shoulders. Cory was dressed in a light blue shirt and jeans. The shirt made her olive skin even appear darker, to a tone that almost matched Jess’ own.

  “Don’t be. It’s fine,” Jess said.