Queen of Love

Genevieve laughed. “They do want to be my friend! Most of them also want to talk shit about me as soon as I turn my back. Ah, well…” Genevieve pulled her hair away from the bar before it landed in a wet spot. It could have been water. It could have been sticky syrup. “Barring anything else coming up that my manager can’t handle, I’m all yours for the rest of the night.” She wrapped both arms around Aya’s and gazed at the stage, still being put together for the upcoming show. “It’s supposed to be a good one. We’re lucky two of the best live right here in Taipei and can do a show a month. If the borders were more open, they’d be halfway to New York right now. That reminds me… I wonder if the Summit is still happening this year.”

“The Summit?”

“Oh, it’s this gathering of female kinksters that used to happen every year, before the pandemic put it on hiatus. In 2020, they canceled it altogether. Last year, they tried holding small pockets of them, including one in Asia, but it wasn’t the same. Part of the appeal is seeing people you never get to see for the rest of the year because you’re in totally different ethnic and business-related circles. It’s a point of pride that the ‘Mandarin’ contingent leaves an impression on the Westerners every year. Not that I… well, I don’t partake in those soft power politics.”

“This is the first conversation I’ve ever heard ‘soft power’ in conjunction with kink.”

“They’re supposed to be hosting the Summit in New York City again this year, the same place they hosted it back in 2019. Guess when it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Normally I wouldn’t go if I didn’t have a partner, but well…”

“We’ll see when the time comes.”

“What a pragmatic answer. I agree. Besides!” Genevieve held the purple cocktail up to Aya’s face. “One step at a time with my new love.” As Aya took the drink and held it away from her girlfriend, Genevieve wrapped her arms around Aya’s shoulders and incited her for a kiss. “What say we claim our spot on one of the couches? I know the best one, of course.”

Aya didn’t mind sitting somewhere more comfortable, but more than one thing tugged at her subconscious. For one, Genevieve kept dodging questions about the people around them. And for another?

Nyla had watched them the whole time Genevieve was there. Even when she was making drinks for other patrons, Nyla always had one eye on the boss and her new girlfriend.

Normally, Aya wouldn’t think anything about it. After all, she supposed it was normal for employees to be curious about who the boss was dating. But…

I don’t know. There’s that postcard I got.

She still hadn’t asked Genevieve about it, and luckily, she hadn’t found it when rooting through Aya’s things the night before. I thought it was kinda cute until I realized she might find that postcard.

The English had been simple, and it had come from Singapore, where a certain bartender who didn’t speak fluent English had been a guest at Genevieve’s party…

“That woman, Nyla.” That was the first thing out of Aya’s mouth as she sat on a leather couch with Genevieve beside her. “She’s your ex, isn’t she?”

Genevieve almost dropped her clutch onto the floor. After she caught her breath, she turned her face away so Aya wouldn’t see the blush on her cheeks. “I don’t know what you’re…” She sighed. “Who told you? Terry? She’s such a blabbermouth!”

Aya chuckled. “Is there something wrong? I would have found out eventually. Besides, I’m more curious about you hiring your ex. Or dating your bartender. Hm. I don’t know which came first, but it’s omoshiroi.”

She threw that word out to test how much Genevieve was paying attention. “That means ‘interesting.’ And yes, I suppose it is. Nyla and I dated before she worked here. Guess it was kind of a bone I threw her when we broke up. Which was mutual, by the way.”

The postcard totally came from her. If she had the chance, Aya would have to track Nyla down to ask her about it later. “She’s interesting. A bit young, but…”

“Yes, well, you know how it is with dating. You find someone you get along with, have fun with, and don’t think too much about it beyond that.”

“No need to be defensive. I’m not jealous of her or anything. I simply think it’s omoshiroi. Especially that new girlfriend of hers.”

“Terry? Oh, she’s very interesting. I hope she told you she’s from the Mainland. If you get the chance, have her tell you the whole tale of how she and Nyla got together. It’s hilarious, and will make you feel better about your life any time.”

“She did say it was a long story.”

Genevieve draped herself across the couch, arm encircling Aya’s torso as they snuggled closer together. “I don’t want to talk about them. It’s about you and me tonight. Tell me, what do you think of my club so far?”

“It’s very friendly.”

That garnered a giggle. “Before the borders started closing, this place was packed every weekend. All sorts of friends and freaks. You’d meet a new one every time you came in, and then you’d bump into them in either Seoul or Los Angeles. It was a great way to make a community that was all your own. I hope we can get back to that sometime soon.”

“I think it’s great we can see each other’s homes like this already.”

“Home. Yes.” Genevieve sat up, gazing off in the distance. “I really liked visiting your home yesterday. It gave me a great idea of who you were and where you’re from. I hope that you can have the same feelings about me from what you’ve seen here.”

“You mean in Taiwan?”

“Yes. Here, too.”

Genevieve dropped hints like Rika used to imply her daughter should start dating the nice boy next door. Tommy Yamada. Ick. No. If there was one thing Genevieve wanted Aya to take away from this excursion, it was a love for all things spicy. In the bedroom, anyway.