You're Going

You're Going


Queenie froze as his lips met with hers, her entire body going rigid with shock and something else she didn't want to name. Her eyes remained wide, pupils dilated with surprise and the sudden rush of sensations she wasn't prepared for. She couldn't kiss him back nor did she push him away, caught somewhere between desire and the walls she'd built around her heart for protection.

Jamal's hand moved his way up into her dress, his fingers trailing fire along her skin as they climbed higher, but before his hand could touch her breast, his phone started ringing, the sharp electronic sound cutting through the intimate moment like a knife through silk.

He sighed softly before breaking the kiss, his breath warm against her lips as he pulled away reluctantly, his dark eyes still focused on her face with an intensity that made her stomach flutter with butterflies she had no business feeling.

He looked at Queenie and let out a smile, the expression soft and genuine in a way that made her heart skip beats she couldn't control.

"You were supposed to eat the food," Queenie muttered softly, her voice barely above a whisper as she tried to regain some semblance of composure after the unexpected intimacy that had left her feeling exposed and vulnerable.

"I couldn't resist you," Jamal muttered truthfully, staring at her lips, which were still slightly swollen from his kiss and looking far too tempting for his peace of mind.

"You're shameless," Queenie muttered looking away trying to avoid his eyes, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and something warmer that she refused to acknowledge even to herself.

"I accept it," Jamal said, his voice carrying a note of amused honesty that suggested he wasn't at all sorry for what had just happened between them.

Queenie looked at him, her mouth opening as if to say something, before she could say anything, he pecked her lips again, the brief contact sending electric shocks through her entire nervous system.

She made to talk again but Jamal pecked her lips again, clearly enjoying the way she kept trying to speak and failing, her words getting lost in the sensation of his mouth against hers.

Queenie quickly pushed him away, her hands flat against his chest as she tried to create some distance between them. "I'm not ready for this tonight," she said, her voice shaky with the effort of trying to maintain control when every instinct was telling her to give in.

Jamal looked at her, his eyebrows raised in what might have been innocent confusion. "Who told you I'm trying to do anything to you," he asked, though the heat in his eyes suggested otherwise.

Queenie looked away embarrassed, her face burning with the realization that she'd been the one to assume where things were heading, that her own desires had been showing more clearly than she'd intended.

"Besides it has been two days already, haven't you recovered already," he asked, his voice taking on a teasing tone that made her want to both hit him and kiss him at the same time.

Queenie looked at him with what she hoped was a stern expression. "You should give me some space," she said, though her voice lacked the conviction she was aiming for.

Jamal made to talk again but his phone rang, the insistent buzzing cutting through the charged atmosphere between them once more. He looked at the caller's ID with obvious irritation before rejecting the call without a second thought.

"Who is it, you should answer the call," Queenie said, grateful for the interruption that gave her a chance to collect herself and remember why getting involved with him was a bad idea.

"The person isn't as important as you right now," Jamal said as he leaned closer, his voice low and intimate in a way that made her pulse race despite her best efforts to remain unaffected.

But Queenie pushed him away slightly, her hands trembling with the effort. "I'm eating," she muttered, picking up the spoon again as if the simple act of eating could somehow restore normalcy to a situation that felt anything but normal.

Jamal chuckled softly as his phone rang out again, the sound more insistent this time. This time around he picked up the call, his expression shifting from playful to serious as he listened to whoever was on the other end.

The only thing he said was "okay" before hanging up, his tone clipped and businesslike in a way that suggested this wasn't a social call.

He stood up, his movements sharp and purposeful as he prepared to leave. "You'll have to spend the night alone," Jamal said, already moving toward his wardrobe with the efficiency of someone who was used to dropping everything at a moment's notice.

"Where are you going," Queenie asked, trying to keep her voice casual despite the unexpected disappointment that was settling in her chest like a cold weight.

"Will you join me if I tell you where," he asked, pausing in his movements to look back at her with an expression she couldn't quite read.

"If you don't want to tell me then you can forget it," she said as she continued eating, though the food had lost much of its appeal now that the intimate moment between them had been broken.

"I'm going to the club to visit a friend," he said, walking over to his wardrobe and beginning to sort through the expensive shirts hanging there with practiced efficiency.

Queenie looked at him, something cold and uncomfortable settling in her stomach at his casual tone. "A friend," she asked, just to be sure, though she already had a sinking feeling she knew what kind of friend he was talking about.

"Yes, a female friend," Jamal replied, his voice matter-of-fact as he pulled out a dark shirt and began changing, apparently unconcerned about her presence in the room.

"Enjoy your night," Queenie muttered, her voice flat despite the jealousy that was beginning to burn in her chest like acid.

Jamal turned to look at her, his eyes glittering with what looked suspiciously like amusement. "Are you jealous," he asked, the question hanging in the air between them like a challenge.

"Of course not, why should I care about what you do with your life," Queenie asked, her voice rising slightly despite her attempts to sound indifferent.

Jamal chuckled before facing back his wardrobe, clearly not buying her protests of indifference for even a second.

"You should eat quickly, you're going to join me," he said, his tone casual as if he was discussing the weather rather than dragging her along to meet another woman.

"I'm not interested in joining you to go to the club to see your female friend," Queenie said, her voice sharp with an emotion she refused to name.

"You're quite jealous," he said, and she could hear the smile in his voice even though his back was turned to her.

"I'm not allowed to be jealous, it's just a marriage that will benefit us in the next six months. We might already be divorced," Queenie said, the words tumbling out faster than she'd intended, revealing more of her feelings than she wanted to admit.

"Who's giving you the impression I'm going to divorce you," Jamal asked, turning to face her again with an expression that had shifted from playful to something more serious.

Queenie looked at him, her eyes searching his face for some clue about what he was really thinking. "You said it yourself," she replied, her voice quieter now, less certain.

"I also told you, the marriage might continue," Jamal said, his voice carrying a weight that made her heart skip in ways she wasn't prepared for.

"I'm just not interested to join you," Queenie said, though her resolve was weakening with every word he spoke.

"You're going, it's going to be fun," Jamal said, his tone brooking no argument as he continued getting ready, clearly considering the matter settled regardless of her protests.