Snow drifted down from the sky in small, erratic flakes. Coffee steamed up from two cups, leaving vaporous tendrils swirling in the chill air of the cafe before evaporating between Trinity and Zenova.
Trinity nearly decided not to call, to accept everything she thought she wanted was gone. The long sleepless night, the ache in her gut that had nothing to do with a knee or an elbow, pushed her to call the Grand Hotel and keep calm through Zenova hanging up twice and her hanging up once before they talked and agreed to meet.
"Anyone see you leave?" Trinity asked. "Anyone important to us?"
"No. I was careful. Most of the Consortium and their guests are late risers. They continued the party long after we left." The brunette tried unsuccessfully to hide her disappointment. It was clear she'd planned to celebrate with one or more of them--until she won the second test but lost overall on points. This morning she was grouchy and out of sorts.
Zenova raised her face to show a bruise under her left eye. "You hit me," she pouted.
"Sorry," Trinity said. She raised the floppy hat she originally planned to wear until she discovered that a stocking cap kept her ears warm. She smirked without humor around a nasty bruise along the right side of her nose and above her lip.
"Sorry," Zenova said. "We are both sorry--pitoyable--in the American sense of the word, where we put ourselves in a position that should never have been. Would you have hit me last night, if the referee had not intervened?"
"Yes," Trinity admitted. "I was as angry at you as I've ever been. Would you have hit me?"
"Oui. You looked so, eh, smug. I wanted to wipe the look from your face, make you hurt. I knew I would suffer, but it was important I made you suffer as well. Today, I do not want it."
"But the match, the final, this is what you wanted, isn't it?" Trinity asked, though she knew what bothered Zenova was the same thing that kept her awake the night before. "What you are destined for?"
"Yes, but I find I am enjoying it much less than I expected. After I win, I will take you to our home and let you be on top for a month."
The blonde bit back a snarky reply. Her lover was apologizing, rationalizing, trying to make amends for what she saw as her inevitable victory. The day before, Trinity would have said something awful, spinning them both into a temporarily satisfying war of inventive insults. This morning she wanted to take Zenova's hand, but the gap across the table was far too wide.
"You expect to win," Trinity said between sips of coffee, as if that made what she was about to say less painful. "I expect to win, too. Only one of us can. I want to get it all over with so we can fix whatever's wrong and bury the past in sex and wine."
Zenova laughed. The ice between them cracked but didn't break. They drank another cup of coffee, then left together holding hands. Outside, the bracing cold made both women shiver as they walked by a narrow alley between buildings.
The brunette pulled Trinity into the alley behind a small bump-out that shielded them from the wind and sight. Zenova pressed against Trinity, who pressed back, hands fumbling to unzip their coats. The women kissed, exchanging tongues down the throat, hands pawing breasts and asses, crotches grinding together. The pair dry humped with increasing frenzy until Trinity stiffened, mouth open, shuddering through a climax. Zenova gave a final shove of her crotch before burying her head on the blonde's shoulder, shaking as an orgasm wracked her body.
"Did you come?" Trinity gasped out when her eyes refocused. Zenova nodded, still clinging to the blonde. "Me, too. Fuck, that was incredible, babe."
Zenova backed away suddenly, eyes wet. She zipped her coat, straightened her hat, and wiped her nose with a gloved hand. "I..."
She ran from the alley, leaving Trinity growing cold through her open coat and the spreading wet spot in her jeans. She reassembled herself and walked carefully to the street, where she met Eric who watched Zenova run along the sidewalk before turning to stare at Trinity with a cocked head.
Even packed in a long heavy coat, breath rising in clouds around his face, the man looked like a GQ model. He swept snow off a bench and motioned for her to join him. They sat for a while until Trinity was unable to stand the silence.
"The truth is, it's exactly what it looked like," she told the man, who nodded absently. "How much trouble are we in?"
"It depends on whether anyone besides me saw you together in what I assume was a compromising position. None will hear of this from my lips."
"Uh, thanks."
"I owe you and Mlle de Crie that much. Likely, I will owe more." His face wrinkled, making him seem human.
"You look terrible. Party too hard last night?"
"I would have enjoyed the hangover. I have had a long, painful meeting with Roderick. He is not happy with the championship."
"Bunny? Why does that bother you? He's a high roller, for sure, but doesn't the Consortium have a lot of those guys--and gals?"
"Roderick, His Grace the Duke of Denver, is one of the three founding members of the Hexagon Consortium."
Aw, fuck
. Trinity felt the knot in her stomach tighten again; it was happening a lot lately.
I wonder if Eric knows about the week of fucking in St. Croix