Star Seed

A mere instant before she could kneel, she found her wrists caught in Chara's hands. "No, darling," she said, her voice slightly husky. "Not yet." She reached up her hand and cupped her cheek, and Andi had to stifle a shudder of longing. She looked down between them, to where their breasts nearly touched. Her nipples were stiff and aching within her bra.

Chara smiled as she released her, the expression full of promise. "Not tonight," she said. "You are tired, my friend, and I am a little bit drunk. If you come to my bed, it will be when you know me fully. With no secrets between us."

"I want you now," Andi whispered.

"Do you?" Chara's voice was wise, her eyes keen. "Or do you just want the idea of me? A glamorous woman who is beautiful and wealthy, come to take you away from your drab existence? No, Andi," she said, shaking her head sadly. "You do not know me yet. And when you do, you may find the reality makes you unwilling to continue our acquaintance.

"Sleep now. I will see you in the morning." She turned and walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her firmly.

*****

Damn it, Andi thought, scrubbing her hair in the shower. This is weird as hell. When did I become the creepy one? She moved under the spray, letting the shampoo rinse out. I should know better than to try to push someone. How many times have I had to go a second round with some client when I would have preferred not to see him in the first place?

She's probably right, though, she thought, turning off the water and drying in a sinfully soft towel. What do you really know about her? Yes, she's hot as hell. Yes, she's rich. Yes, she's treated you decently. But for all you know she could be a terrible person. Like some of those bratty trust-fund kids you see on the reality shows. All smiles and giggles until they can't get whatever it is they think they want.

But I know she's not. She's loving and gentle and kind. I know it. She wrapped herself in a thick white robe and tied the belt, fanning her hair across the back to air-dry. She's like you took everyone's dream mother and put her in the body of a sex goddess.

She read for a little while, sitting in a comfortable chair and losing herself in a book, and old favorite by Lois McMaster Bujold. Eventually, however, the exhaustion of the day began to tell on her. When she caught her head drooping for the second time, she dropped the bathrobe to the floor, turned off all the lights and slid under the cool, crisp sheets of the bed. The feel of the clean cloth on her naked skin re-awakened her frustrated desire. She turned over onto her stomach, one hand pressed against her breasts, the other stealing down her body to the junction of her thighs. Her nether lips were already slick and wet.

There! Her searching fingers parted her labia and found the bud of her clitoris. As they softly stroked the pulsing nubbin of flesh, she slowly ground her hips down into the bed, forcing the rise of her pubis into the heel of her palm. She closed her eyes, fantasizing. In her mind's eye, she peeled Chara's dress away, revealing her glorious body. They moved together as one, guided by instinct and love. Two sets of hands roamed and explored, knowing without asking how to coax each other to untold heights of pleasure. Moving together weightlessly, she feasted on Chara's glorious breasts while her lover kneaded the globes of her rear.

Her orgasm came upon her like a freight train, thundering through her senses. She turned her head into her shoulder to muffle her scream of release as her body shuddered convulsively. Her thighs clamped around her hand, trapping it in her moist valley.

And in the room next to hers, the being which called itself Chara smiled.

*****

"Good morning, sunshine," Chara said the next morning as Andi stepped out of her bedroom. She was sprawled lazily on the couch, dressed in faded blue jeans and a loose-knit gray sweater. The TV was turned on behind her, with the sound muted. She looked, Andi thought, adorably scruffy, like a supermodel shopping at the local Kroger.

"Good morning," Andi yawned. She opened the door of the refrigerator, finding it stocked with the basics. She pulled out a carton of orange juice and poured herself a large glass.

"I heard you when you got up," Chara remarked from across the room. "I took the liberty of ordering a meal for us from room service. Unless you would rather go out to eat?"

Andi shook her head, wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her t-shirt. "I don't usually eat much for breakfast. I'm sure whatever you chose will be fine."

As if in response to her comment, a knock sounded at the door. Chara bounced over to answer it. In just a few moments, a large breakfast was laid out on the table in the breakfast nook.

Chara smiled at Andi over the rim of her coffee mug as she poured raisins, brown sugar, and chopped nuts into a bowl of oatmeal. "Have you given thought to what we will see today?"

Andi shook her head and rolled sausage links onto a saucer. She paused, and added a couple of slices of bacon to keep them company. "It would help if I knew what your interests are," she said, stirring her oatmeal. She swallowed a spoonful and rolled her eyes appreciatively. "I don't know enough about you to know what you might like. Des Moines isn't a huge city like New York or L.A., but there is more than can be seen in a week. What do you like? Are you interested in art? Movies? Books?"

"Growing things," Chara responded. Andi glanced up, startled by the vehemence in her voice. "I want to see things that live and grow. My life has been barren for too long."

"Animals?" Andi asked. "Plants?"

"Both," Chara said. She took a piece of toast and dipped it into the yolk of a fried egg.

Andi thought for a moment, then grinned. "Well, how about a botanical garden? There is a good one here in town. And they're open year-round."

Chara clapped her hands excitedly, but then frowned. "But what about the weather?" She gave a look out the window, where the sun was playing hide-and-seek with the clouds. "It is supposed to be very cold today. And I cannot think many plants will be blooming at this time of year."

Andi lifted one shoulder in a casual shrug. "Wait and see."

*****

Chara's face was awestruck. At her side, Andi stood and watched her flawless profile, her heart singing, observing her joy with internal delight.

The geodesic dome, fully eighty feet high in the middle, home of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Conservatory, towered over them. Hundreds of tropical plants basked in the steamy warmth. From time to time a gentle mist fell from hidden apertures in the ceiling. Small footpaths wandered away into the distance, winding amid the budding flowers.

"It never ceases to amaze me," her companion said softly. "What your people can do when they put aside their differences and work together. You can make summer appear in the midst of winter, and bring life forth when all should be a cold wasteland."

"When we are not busy trying to destroy each other," Andi commented. "Don't make Americans out to be any sort of saviors, Chara," she said. "We can be as cruel, petty, and small-minded as any other country."

"Americans, yes." Chara said blankly. She seemed to shake herself. "Maybe you are not saviors," she said. "But I believe you are the best hope for this planet. I have traveled much of the world. Your people still have the ability to dream largely. Most other people are content with their lot, as they are in Europe. Or they are too busy simply trying to survive. But Americans," she sighed. "You have such lofty imaginations. Even when they are goals I do not agree with, I have to respect their strength. If ever you could all pull together, what a paradise you could make of this world."

They slowly walked through the dome, their shoulders brushing occasionally. At this hour on a Tuesday morning, the conservatory was all but deserted. Andi smiled fondly as Chara stopped every few feet to exclaim over a new flower. Even the spiky cacti were a cause for wonder. When they came upon a stand of bamboo, nothing would please Chara but that she step off the path and lay her cheek along the green wood of the trunk.

"I can feel it, Andi," she said softly, her eyes shining. She reached out an arm. "I can feel the life inside it. Here. Take my hand."

Smiling indulgently, Andi let Chara pull her towards the plant. As she set her hand beside Chara's own, she gasped. She had expected to only feel the gritty surface of the bamboo plant. Instead, the it seemed to pulse with life. Closing her eyes, she could almost imagine she could sense the flow of water beneath her fingers, the slow, stately dance as light was converted into matter.

"So beautiful," Chara whispered, and Andi had no choice but to agree.

*****

"So," Chara said later, as they ate a light lunch in the garden's cafeteria, "It's women for you, is it?" A flush darkened her golden skin, as if she thought she had perhaps stepped too far.

Andi nodded slowly, taking a bite of a potato chip. She tried to gather her thoughts. If Chara chose this place to discuss her taste in bed-partners, she was not going to waste the opportunity.

"Yes," she said. "And no. If you put a gun to my head, I would tell you I was bisexual. But I won't deny," she continued, a blush heating her face, "that I find women more attractive then men.

"I love men," she said, almost as if Chara had somehow challenged her honesty. "I really do." She glanced around the dining area, finding it happily devoid of paying customers. "I love a man's cock," she went on, lowering her voice despite the lack of listening ears. "When I am with a man I like, in bed, and he is inside me, filling me up..." she trailed off, shivering happily. "I can't describe how good it makes me feel. It's hot and hard and wonderful.

"But the rest of the time, I prefer women. Men are too...too much," she said. "Too big. Too hairy. Too smelly." Her nose wrinkled. "Women are nicer. Smaller. More gentle. Smoother. Cleaner. And God, I love their tits." She glanced at Chara's chest, then looked up, meeting her gaze bravely. "I love everything about them. Feeling them. Kissing them. The way the nipples stand up when they're excited. How they feel against my own breasts when I make love to a woman." She took a deep breath, then plunged ahead. "What about you?"

"Oh, I think my desires mirror your own, to a large degree," Chara said, her eyes warm and molten. "Women are a wonder and a delight. But I beg you to be patient with me, my friend. Even if I were to succumb to my desire and take you to bed, it is too early for us. And I have been too long celibate. I fear," she said, her eyes dancing wickedly, "I would be too clumsy to give you any pleasure."

"That wouldn't matter to me," Andi replied, longing heavy in her voice. "Just making you happy would be enough. Please. I want to go to bed with you." She stopped, cursing her graceless tongue, as Chara shook her head warningly.

"Not yet, my friend," she said. "You have known me less than a day, yes? Give us time to know each other. Love, like a tree, flowers in its own time. And sometimes it is withered untimely.

"But for now," she said, crumpling up her napkin and tossing it into a nearby bin, "I think we have more of this wonderful place to explore. Come with me?" She held out a hand. Andi stood and took it.

Come with you, indeed. What do you think I'm trying to do, Chara? Her lips quirked at the double entendre. As they walked out of the cafeteria, she disengaged her hand from Chara's, and instead slipped it into the back pocket of her jeans. Chara's well-toned rear flexed against her palm as they walked. She curled her fingers, delighting in the feel of her muscles against her fingertips.

Chara looked over at her, her lips curved in a lazy smile. "Shameful. To display your affection for me in such a public venue."

"If you don't like it," Andi said, "move away. I'm sure a big, strong woman like you could manage it on her own." She squeezed Chara's butt-cheek affectionately, and was rewarded with a slight moan.

"Perhaps I should," Chara mused. "But no. I think I have a better punishment for you. A very fitting one." Quicker than thought, her own hand had darted into Andi's back pocket, pulling her so close their hips bumped. Andi had to close her eyes as she felt the swell of Chara's breast brushing against her shoulder. Heat pooled in the pit of her belly, aching for release.

"Yes, very nice," Chara murmured, aware of her torment. She leaned close, her breath warm in Andi's ear. Her skin broke out in gooseflesh. "Shall we go?"

*****

If Andi had thought she was in love with Chara on Tuesday afternoon, by Friday night she was sure of it. The four days had flowed past, both slowly and far too quickly. On Wednesday, they had visited the zoo. Chara had been entranced by the animals, especially any that had a connection with water or the ocean. She had stood in front of the dolphin tank for what seemed like hours, seemingly in communion with the sleek, beautiful animals.

Later that evening, a chance remark by Andi had led to Chara's discovery that she had nearly all of the Disney/Pixar cartoons on DVD. Once Chara had heard this, nothing would satisfy her but that they pick them up from Andi's apartment and indulge in an epic binge-watch of the Pixar oeuvre. Andi had drawn the line at some of the weaker movies, like Cars 2 or Ratatouille, but they still had enough so that they were able to sit around all day on Thursday, watching movies and giggling. Chara seemed to be most affected by WALL-E and Finding Nemo. When they finally turned off the TV late that night, Andi was surprised to see Chara with red, watering eyes.

"Getting a little dusty in here?" she said with an understanding smile.

Chara nodded, sniffling. "It's a beautiful movie. And the ending, with the father fish and his son, is so sweet. It made me miss my family."

"Maybe you should call them," Andi suggested.

Chara shook her head, a sad smile playing across her lips. "It is too late for that, my friend. Far too late. They are gone. Long ago and far away."

"Oh," Andi said, taking her hand. "I'm so sorry." She felt oddly helpless. It had never occurred to her that someone as beautiful and happy as Chara could have hidden sorrows of her own.

"I am, too," she said softly. She sat down on the couch beside Andi, wiping her eyes. "You have not told me much about your own family, dear one."

Andi shrugged uncomfortably. "There's not much to tell." She gave a heavy sigh, as if she were about to pick up a heavy load. Talking about her family always depressed her. Feeling Chara's eyes on her, she pulled the last beer out of the ice-bucket and twisted off the cap. The dark red wine Chara preferred was wonderful, but it had the side effect of making her head pound like a bass drum the next morning. She took a long drink and started to talk.

"My family is what we in Iowa call 'white trash.'" At Chara's uncomprehending look, she explained. "It basically means poor, working-class white people, who don't care enough about themselves to try to live decently. I grew up in a trailer park outside of Harlan. The sort of place where most of the houses had a car up on blocks out front.

"Dad worked on the loading docks at a pet-food factory, putting cases of kibble on trucks. He'd come home most nights and drink himself to sleep. Mom tried to keep up appearances, but she was always fighting an uphill battle. I was the oldest. She would read to me, sometimes. That's how I got hooked on books. They were a way I could escape.

"It's not that my parents were stupid. They weren't. Especially Mom. She was damn bright. She could have had a better life for herself if she would have tried. But no. They were uneducated. Ignorant. And God help me, they were proud of it. As if not knowing what was going on in the world was a badge of honor.

"Then my little brother died. That hit my parents hard. Billy was only eleven. Three years younger than I was." She rubbed a hand across her stinging eyes. "He had leukemia. God, he went quick. He just seemed to wither away. Such a good kid. And he was gone in weeks."

Chara laid her head on Andi's shoulder. With one hand, she untied the belt of her robe. Her hand, which always seemed to be a few degrees warmer than it should be, stole across her stomach, softly stroking. The touch was more comforting than sexual, but it lit a fire in Andi just the same. Even as she continued her story, she spread her legs, blatantly inviting.

"That broke Mom," she said, her voice slightly hoarse. She laid her own arm across Chara's shoulders, pulling her in tighter. Her head nestled into the crook of her shoulder. "She loved that boy so much. After Billy died, she just pulled away from everything. All she would do was sit on the couch and watch her shows on TV.

"Dad didn't last long after that. He died when I was seventeen. Liver cancer and cirrhosis. It was a mercy by then, to be honest.

"So all I have left of my family is Mom and Tony. Mom sits in the trailer park and collects her welfare checks. Tony is my youngest brother. He held up a liquor store and got sent to prison two years back. He never was any good." Her lips pressed tightly together in dislike.

"And you?" Chara's soft voice broke into her reverie.

"I got out. I always wanted out. From the time I was old enough to want anything, I knew I wasn't going to spend my life at the Lonely Pines Trailer Park. Or Harlan. Or even Iowa, for that matter." Her eyes were fierce. "Mom said I was a fool. That with my looks and my boobs, I could catch myself a man in no time." She snorted disgustedly. "Like she did. And look where it got her." She arched her back into Chara's touch. Her groin was on fire, desperate for Chara's hands, her lips. Her nose caught the scent of her own arousal, and rather than being ashamed of her wanton behavior, the smell further inflamed her.

"So I worked hard in school and got accepted to the University of Northern Iowa. I took out a pile of loans big enough to choke a pig, but I got my degree. Finance, with a strong minor in Political Science. I'm going to find a decent non-profit or lobbying firm to work for and I'm going to change things. If I have to move out of Iowa to do it, I will. I am going to make this world a better place. There are so many things I could do, if I only had the chance. I've got willing hands, but right now I've got no tools. That's going to change. Health care, sexism, pollution, ordinary human fuckery...when I die, the world will know I left it better than I found it."

Chara caught her hand, gripping it hard. "You will. I know you will. Your spirit shines bright, Andi. You will do great things."

She stood up. "But for now, I think I must bid you goodnight." She pulled Andi to her feet, heedless of her open robe or the invitation in her eyes. She stepped into her arms and kissed her; a long, slow, lover's kiss that left her breathless. When she stepped back, her eyes were bright with promise, almost seeming to glow in the dim light.

"Until tomorrow, my love."

*****

Tonight, Andi's heart sang joyfully the next afternoon. It is going to happen tonight. It has to. Although neither of them had said a word, their relationship had reached a new level of intimacy. All that remained was the inevitable consummation. They had made plans for the evening. First they would go out to eat, at a small, exclusive sushi restaurant which Andi had heard about around town, but had never had the money to go to. After that, they would go out to a nightclub, where her research had promised her good music and plenty of room to dance.