In the hall of the purple queen

“What in Thordon’s name,” Carmen yelled into my ear “What in Thordon’s name do you think you’re doing out there, Frank? It’s bloody winter, if you hadn’t noticed. You’ll drop dead. Are you ill or not?”

I was expecting an outburst. That didn’t help me find words. “I-um, yes of course I’m ill,” I stuttered, ‘I... had to run an errand, in the Burrows, because Mum couldn’t – because she’s at work, obviously. She insisted...”

“And you agreed to take yourself outside under mountains of snow, and then visit the cavemen, all while bloody too ill to come to school? You screw me hard and then let people push you around like an old rag. Anybody'd think there was a switch you flick on and off..."

I wanted to comment on her walking around tits and pussy out under mountains of snow, to see if she would notice the dissonance, but instead I asked her “You still believe me? That I’m ill?”

Even through the phone I could feel her roll her eyes. “It suits me to believe you, Frank; I have most of my afternoon empty. I don’t know why you’d lie given how eagerly you did me yesterday, but either way I’m going to do the righteous thing, and command you to give the finger to your insane bitch mother and come to me. If you’re in such good shape to stupidly put yourself in harm’s way then you can come in here and give me the D before you bite it. I’m choosing my most tacky, pasty lipstick right now so you’ll last a little longer before my poisonous juices kill you to ****.”

I knew I was going to capitulate. Still, I said “You cannot command me, Carmencita. Tell me why I’m going to turn on my heel and walk to your place. You promised me something earlier, and it was much more than just lipstick.” It couldn’t hurt to make her agree to be even a bit as cooperative as everyone else was.

She paused on the other end, and I could nearly picture her expression as she realised what a blunder she’d done in our earlier conversation. It would be a novel thing to see on her face. Defeated, she sighed, and spoke music to me. “All right, you win. I’ll be gentle, and I’ll spare some black market chocolate for you. I know you must have gone down after buying some from the Corporates. Come to me and I’ll let you be boring vanilla with me at least once. But you’re not leaving until I’ve had more of yesterday’s – and somewhere comfy too. That corridor killed my shoulder blades.”

I never forgot the way into her apartment building, nor did I forget which was the correct door to stop at, and on which floor. When I knocked on the door I heard some very obvious scrambling: she didn’t expect me to find her without help. Flushed, Carmen opened up, revealing she too was in the habit of not bothering with clothes indoors. There was no point hiding the effect the sight had on me, and she smiled evilly at my double-take, no doubt taking it as a sign she’d get her cards back soon. Not so soon I vowed.

She really was worth staring at, and so I did, and nearly forgot to step forward watching her step aside to let me in. Her breasts swayed ever so slightly, her untied hair barely covering her purple nipples. Only when I was in and she closed the door behind me was I momentarily robbed of the sight of her nakedness. I took that instant to remind myself: none of this was real. There was nothing genuine in our new relationship, and it wasn’t even exclusive. She was a scrambled person, only very attractively scrambled.

Carmencita came up behind me, put her hands on my shoulders, and stepped just close enough I could feel her chest lightly brush against my back. “You’ll not likely catch cold in my nest, dear.” she whispered in my ear, “I’m off to make you that hot chocolate; be free of those cumbersome sheets of cloth when I bring it you.” and she breezed past me to wherever she kept her kitchen.

“Get them off, I’m quicker brewing than you think.” she called over her shoulder just as she disappeared from view. As I hurriedly started stripping off I took in my immediate surroundings. I was in a room that led to other rooms. On one side was a small window likely looking over an internal yard below, left of that a recess with a door, possibly leading to a bedroom. Opposite the window there was a wall of glass with a glass door, through which I could see a living room, with several large windows overlooking the square. In the distance you could see the gigantic statue of Surgeon General Kraken, the only object really penetrating the sky other than the red and white mountains west of us. She must have spotted me from in there. Straight ahead was a small corridor ending in a cupboard. Carmen had gone round a bend after walking two paces that way. And just as I rid myself of my long winter drawers she emerged from there again, holding two steaming mugs. She had indeed been swift.

We both sized each other up, for me a second time, lingering on her crotch now, while she watched my cock stir and grow. Her bush was wild as ever, and I longed to take a dive in it – which reminded me: I needed to be weary of her poisonous juices. They were still poisonous, if my latest encounter with Julie was anything to go on. Carmen put an end to the staring with the pretext of practicality. She could have just handed me my mug and thus freed her hand, instead she said “Quit drooling and open the living room for me. Once we’re sat down I’ll spread my legs and you can ogle my pussy all you like.”

“As you wish.” I opened the door and she led the way to two velvety couches facing each other. She set my mug down on a glass table in between, and then, as promised, she sat with her legs wide open, flower parting its folds. I sat opposite her and let her see the same. It was only fair. Soldier was at half-attention now.

“I want to play a game,” she said, raising her mug in the air, “If you can down that chocolate quicker than I can spill it, we play by your rules first, and then mine. If you’re too slow, then you just bend the knee to me.” And without warning she began tipping the cup sideways, grinning at my falling jaw. I dived forward and delicately grabbed my mug a just as the first drop of liquid escaped hers and was dashed to pieces on her pink chest. I brought it to my lips as a trickle formed in the air above her, and I took the first painfully scalding swig as it splattered her breasts with steaming chocolate.

I ignored the burning in my throat, drank for freedom, and prayed the gods would humour me.