She was sitting naked in a large, high-backed leather armchair with its back to the window. It had stopped raining, and rays of intense morning sun were already peeking through the clouds. The light sparkled on the leather of the chair, her smooth, golden-brown skin, and her long, shiny black hair. It flowed over her shoulders, arms, and large, full breasts with the nipples pointing defiantly upward. Below her bust, the woman’s slender figure faded into the color of the furniture, only to be highlighted again by the streaks of sunlight on her thighs. The glow behind her further obscured her face. However, the blinding light was not the main reason Robert Lee avoided looking at the woman.
She stretched her arms wide on the soft armrests, her hands dangling loosely, while she crossed her legs at the ankles, her left foot moving slowly. She watched him in silence, gently brushing the leather with her fingertips. She tilted her head back, stretching her neck, lifting her chin. Her gaze never left him, and a mocking smile played on her lips. Without that smile and the gestures she made, she would have resembled a sculpture rather than a living person.
Robert, dressed only in shorts and socks, busied himself unpacking a suitcase on the bed, checking messages on his smartcom, changing clothes, and moving chaotically around the bedroom—doing everything to avoid meeting the eyes of the woman in the chair and her sneering gaze.
“I was hoping for a farewell burst of desire, but I see you are completely absorbed in organizing your closet,” she commented on his disorderly hyperactivity.
“I’m not in the mood… I have a lot of work to do for the farm inauguration, and I’m rushing to the office.”
“It’ll take you six minutes at the most to get from here to Dyker Heights.”
Lee Wang mumbled something unintelligible, slammed the large mirrors of the alcove closet, and searched vigorously through the hangers. Unsatisfied with the result of his search, he cursed under his breath.
“The blue shirt you’re looking for is in the large wardrobe in the dressing room. Fourth from the left, sir,” she informed him, imitating the tone of an airport announcement, laced with sarcasm.
“Please don’t…” The Chinese man, his back to the woman, raised his hands in a gesture meant to stop her from giving further instructions. However, he went to the dressing room and returned moments later, still in his shorts but now buttoning the sleeves of a blue shirt. He picked up a pale pink shirt that had fallen earlier and angrily threw it onto the bed.
“Okay, get ready for the office,” she muttered dismissively, turning her head away with a lazy yawn. “I’d like to say I’ll meet you there, but that’s unlikely.” She gathered up her long, silky, shiny hair and tossed it behind the back of the chair. “I’m gonna spend our last day getting bored all alone in your apartment… unless you mind?”
“Do whatever you want as long as no one recognizes you,” he replied.
“There was a time when you wanted people to see us together,” she snorted, snapping her fingers.
“Nonsense. It would all come out.”
“Oh, you wanted a little. You were excited about it, I know. I know your every emotion, every desire… every doubt… every ambition… frustration… lust…” She pouted. “Seeing the faces of Rick and the other Tech Bros… priceless, isn’t it?” Her voice dropped. “You’d risk a lot for such a moment of triumph, or I don’t know…” she raised her eyebrows and made a confused face, “male pride?”
‘Even if it’s true… it was so long ago I can’t remember.’
‘You’re lying again, Robbie… You remember it perfectly. You remember everything. I take care of your memory.’ The woman rose from her seat, stood behind Wang and put her hands on his shoulders. She was much taller than the Chinese man.
‘Even if… it’s now that counts… and now… I’m scared of you. I’m more afraid of you than I ever wanted you… You know that as well, right? Even drunk or stoned, I’m tense around you. You stress me out. I used to… I loved you, I trusted you… You belonged to me. Now you belong to somebody else. I don’t even have a clue who.’
“Women are smarter anyway,” she said aloud, running her fingers through his hair. “You boys… have your testosterone flooding your brains, wiping out rationality and perspective.” She rested her chin on his shoulder, then brushed her lips gently down his neck.
“You’re quoting her words,” he murmured hoarsely and stepped back.
“I guess that was the point, wasn’t it?” She walked to the bed, picking up the pink shirt he had tossed. She brought it close to her mouth and nose. “For men, everything has to be here and right now or… nothing at all. Women can wait. Remember how my mother founded the WePower movement years ago?” She pulled on his shirt and stood in front of Wang, so close that the nipples of her breasts touched his torso. She stared into his eyes, tilting her head from side to side, trying to make eye contact.
“Her mother. You don’t have a mother,” Robert turned his face to the side. “She doesn’t seem to have one, either.”
The woman took his hand and placed it on her breast.
Rarely, very rarely, and only when she behaved as she had before, did he forget who she was. She was understanding enough to let these states last for longer than a few moments. But when Robert resisted, she immediately brought him back to reality—with just one sentence. That was why he resisted less and less. Each week he crossed more ’impassable’ boundaries just to avoid hearing that sentence. Each week he obeyed more.
“Obedience will give you peace and solace. With time, memories fade. It is mainly the bright sides of life and the pleasant moments that remain.” She repeated these phrases so often that he began to believe them.
When he yielded to her will—their will—he was comfortable around her. He did not hear that phrase. Sometimes he forgot about them entirely. Then he felt almost as good as he had before. But since the first time she uttered those words, he had never touched her first.
‘And yet… I can see that the smell and touch of my body still have power.’ She glanced at the Chinese man’s crotch with a mocking smile and began to unbutton his shirt.
Wang grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from his torso roughly. The woman seemed unfazed by his gesture.
“I’m glad to be here, even though it’s our last day,” she said indifferently.
“It’s a mistake that you’re here,” he grunted, moving away. He still turned his head away from her.
“You’re afraid all the time. Afraid someone will see me, that some camera will record me…” she sighed. “Relax, I have everything under control.”
“Fuck, I’m afraid of something much worse! And you can always make a small mistake that will fuck everything up!” The Chinese man spoke in a very raised tone but looked at the bed. He closed the suitcase on the bed and rubbed his eyes with his hand.
“I don’t make mistakes. I can’t afford it.”
’Stop it, damn it! Those are her words too!’ Wang grabbed the empty suitcase from the bed and carried it into the hall.
‘We’ve known each other long enough, you should know that.’
When he returned to the bedroom, he stood a few steps in front of her, wiped his face with his hand again, grunted, and put his hands on his hips.
“I want to know what you’re up to.” He tried to sound firm, though he felt far from it.
“I already told you—I’m staying here until the evening. But don’t worry about me. Go to the office. You look good in that blue shirt. I’m glad you took my suggestion. Your uncle likes you in blue; it makes you look more…” she winked at him, ”competent.”
“Still, so what?”
“In the evening, you have a meeting with the Council. Old Lah will be there.”
“I’ll disappoint you… You have outdated information, Madam Vice President. The next Council meeting is on Wednesday, next week.” He twitched and, for the first time since entering the apartment, looked into her eyes with concern. “What are you up to?”
“I allowed myself to order some clothes at your expense. Consider it a farewell gift. I’ll try them on, and in the evening… I’ll see, maybe visit a hairdresser to look a little… hmm… different. Then I’ll head out into the city.”
“Maybe… we’ll meet again… one last time… in the evening?”
“You will be very busy this evening. You said so.”
“Are we parting forever? Now?”
“Forever is a very long time, but you will have time to forget me.”
“How can I forget you?” He spread his arms helplessly. ”You are in my head. I see your face every few days, sometimes several times a day.”
She took his head in her hands and kissed him hard on the lips.
“Her face, Robbie, her face,” she whispered in his ear, rubbing her cheek against his one. “You’re going to do it one last time.”
“This has to stop.” He rested his forehead on her shoulder. Tears streamed down his face and fell on her breasts. ”I can’t handle it anymore…”
“Today is the end of your old life and the beginning of the new one.” She undid the last button of his shirt and pushed him onto the bed. She pulled off his shorts. Still wearing his shirt, she climbed onto the bed.
“How do I know it’s true?” he asked.
“Well… have I ever… lied… to you?” she said, kissing his torso.
“Damn…” he groaned, wiping away tears. “Did it ever occur to you that I have nothing left to lose, or… that I could kill myself to get rid of all this… hell?”
‘Come on, we have talked about this. You’re naive to think I’d let you commit such stupidity. Anyway, you tried… and how did it end? You made a pathetic fool of yourself. You cannot escape us in such a trivial way.’ She straddled the lying man. Helping herself with her hands, she carefully placed her buttocks on his lower abdomen. ‘Honey, you are still deluded. It’s time to accept the inevitable. I’m the one who decides what you eat… when you sleep… how you dress… what you think… what you feel… who you meet… what you talk about… and how long you live.’
She ran her lacquered fingernails over his stomach.
“Why the drama? You have much to gain, Robbie. A promotion awaits you in the next few days.”
“Promotion?” Lee Wang snorted hysterically. “Thank you… bossy.”
“Consider it a reward.” Undeterred by Wang’s sarcasm, she ran her fingers along his muscular torso and arms. “The WISE Corporation will finally appreciate you. I’ve taken care of you, darling.”
“Stop fooling around…” he managed to say before she pushed her thumb into his mouth. Robert bit it and began to suck on it. He grasped her hips with his hands and looked at her round, swinging breasts. She lifted her hips and fell back onto him.
“When you return, I will be gone. But keep your head up, Robbie. New opportunities lie ahead of you, as long as you remember the most important rule.” She leaned forward and placed her hands on the man’s chest. Again, she lifted herself slightly, then settled on top of him, pressing her full weight down on his lower abdomen. He moaned and arched his torso.
‘SOM Kohonen Kids tell, you listen.’
