Code Hearted

0011

 Zola lived in a better part of the city, which was close to half and hours walk away from the apartment Adrian and I were assigned.

No one was on the street outside the building so I pressed the buzzer on her apartment and waited for her to let me in. The door clicked open almost immediately and I stepped inside, closing the door behind me firmly.

I climbed the stairs swiftly and stood outside Zola's door. I knocked twice then twice again: the knock we agreed to use when we were at the door alone.

Technically, the law said that two people of the same sex could be and stay in a relationship of sexual or romantic nature, as long as both of them had well Assigned Partners and both Assigned Partners were aware of the relationship. If one or both of them was an Unassigned, then the relationship was unlawful. If one of the people in the relationship was a widow or widower, then the relationship must be ended until another Assigned Partner could be found, otherwise the relationship was unlawful.

This law only worked for queer relationships. Straight people had to stay with their Assigned Partner. Any heterosexual or person in a different-sex relationship caught having said relationship with someone who wasn't their Assigned Partner, would be charged with adultery and sentenced to a fixed jail time.

Zola's Assigned Partner had died of cancer the year before. Zola never cried over him. He had been a nice enough man, but he resented being Assigned with a lesbian woman. He'd turned abusive barely a year after they'd been Assigned to each other. Zola and I met a week after the first time he struck her.

When we became involved, he had found out and tried to have an affair with another young women, presumably in revenge or anger.

He died very suddenly a a year or so ago, almost three years after Zola and I had met. Right as my 'examinations' became monthly.

The more I thought about it, the more 'convenient' the timing seemed to be.

Zola answered the door and hurried me inside. All the curtains were drawn even though it was barely midday.

No one would be able to see into the apartment and see us.

Perfect.

“I've missed you.” Zola said, pulling me into her. I wrapped my arms around her neck, kissing her deeply.

“I've missed you too.” I murmured, pulling the edge of her shirt up.

“Bedroom?” Zola asked, her lips moving against mine.

“Bedroom.” I replied, already moving the two of us in that direction. Zola paused only to pull my hoodie and shirt up over my head. I undid the buttons of her skirt and pulled the zip down, lifting her up so it fell to the ground. She wrapped her legs around my hips and I carried the both of us into her bedroom, laying her on the sheets so I was on top of her.

She kissed me as her hands fumbled with my jeans buttons. I started pressing kisses down her neck as my hands slid up her sides, easing her shirt up over her head.

Zola's beautiful dark skin stood out from the crisp white sheets and her hair was starting to come out from its bun.

“I don't have any candles.” She said almost mournfully as I moved the kisses down to her collarbone.

“Next time we'll have candles all around the room. It'll be so romantic.” I promised.

“It had better be.” Zola said finally undoing the button on my jeans and easing them off my hips.

She clapped her hands behind my back and the lights shut off, leaving us in semi-darkness.