Love in the Time of Alexa (Dystopian Romance)

I'm both happy and humbled, my latest story ranked second in my group for challenge #2 of NYCMidnight's 2019 Flash Fiction Challenge.

For this competition I had to stick to the following genre/prompts:
Romance / A mezzanine / A light bulb.

Love in the Time of Alexa

Synopsis: In the New City of Alexa, citizens live under constant surveillance and government control. Yet, somehow, Lucinda is in love.

Love in the Time of Alexa

The moon is visible, sometimes, on cold September nights. And on the clearest such night, everyone in the City of Alexa gathers for moonlight picnics in the open air. Moonics, we call them. Our one special occasion—something to look forward to.

Our leaders get assigned to the best moonics, in amphitheaters atop towering skyscrapers. Laborers squeeze onto river docks. As university employees, Alsan and I are relatively fortunate. Along with our colleagues, we moonic on the mezzanine of the boxy science building.

I sit on a blanket with my arms around my knees. Next to me, Alsan does the same. “Everything’s kind of perfect in the moonlight,” he says. I glance over and he gives me that special smile that says I am the most perfect thing of all.

I nudge him with my elbow, and he chuckles. He was assigned to me as a spouse seven years ago, and I was surprised to discover how much we had in common. Bad jokes, good music, science fiction (both good and bad)…ours is an enviable match.

“Hungry?” I ask, reaching for the wicker basket. I unpack the bread and spread, then the precious flasks of wine. Special moonic rations.

As the night wears on, the wine enhances our conversation. Alsan is brilliant. And he has a great sense of humor—something I learned after I’d gotten to know him, earned his trust.

Though the government listens to everything we say, this holiday is a chance to let loose. You rarely hear of anyone getting in trouble for thoughts expressed at moonics. For one night—sundown to sunrise—the rules are relaxed.

Alsan and I are one-upping each other with bad puns when I glance at the clock above the elevators. “I’ve had to pee for the last half-hour,” I laugh.

As I get up, I ask: “Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl go to the bathroom?” Already tipsy beyond caring, we both shout the answer: “Because the P is silent!” I feel sorry for whatever low-ranking official is assigned to review our recordings.

I make my way around the corner and through the double doors. The long hallway is lined with bathrooms. My destination is at the end—a large closet lined with shelves bearing towels and tablecloths. When the coast is clear, I step inside it.

Less than a minute later, Teddy slips in. My first kiss lands on the side of his mouth. “Lucinda,” he breathes. “Oh Luce.” I raise one arm and feel for the ball chain above, pulling it to light a single naked bulb.

I rain kisses on his face. Has it changed? For me, he’s frozen in time. He holds me tight and then we kiss again—a long, unbridled kiss.  

“Your daughter—?” I begin.

“She’s alright now…studying hard.”

We speak in our usual shorthand. Only at moonics do we dare sneak off like this, but we have to make every second count. I whisper as he kisses my temple.

“Midnight.”

“Midnight,” he confirms, kissing the spot beneath my ear. Then we are out of seconds, and he’s gone.

I count to ten before returning to my blanket, and Alsan.

Alsan.

I do love him.

It’s a different love. A soft, slow, golden-honey love. He’s a good person. Loyal and even-tempered, but also very protective. He makes me want to protect him, too.

A different love, yes…but not a lesser one.

“Penny Dreadful for your thoughts,” he says sleepily. He takes my hand and kisses it.

(Who would he be with, given the choice?)

“Did you see the original series?” I ask.

“Please!” He scoffs. We spend another couple hours discussing Eva Green and Ian McKellen…dissecting Philip Pullman and Mary Shelley….

At two minutes before midnight, I yawn and say “I’ll be right back.” I weave my way toward the bathrooms, and when I get to the closet, Teddy’s already there. My Teddy. His smell, his kisses…it’s all so familiar.

I’ve known Teddy my whole life. Around the age of 15, we both decided we wanted to teach biology. “Well that’s good,” I said. “If we work hard and get posts at the City Campus, we’ll be able to see each other.”

“Let’s just run away now.”

“Silly Ted.” As if there were anywhere to run.

After graduation, I worked hard and waited. And after I’d given up hope, he appeared at a morning assembly. We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. It’d been over a decade. But with one look, we both knew…

Now I reach for him, hold him close. The boy I would’ve chosen, now a man. I love him intensely. Though I don’t know the man as well as the boy, I think. Perhaps not even as well as I know—

Someone yanks open the closet door. Alsan.

He squints at us—he’s tall, and the lightbulb is at his eye level. “Hurry,” he says to Teddy. “They’re removing your wife. I think she might’ve said—er, look, as long as they don’t find you here with Lucy, you’re alright. Tell them she gets paranoid when she drinks. We’ll say something similar if they question us.”

“I—” Teddy is lost for words, and there is no time.

“Move!” Alsan whispers, his voice a harsh rasp.

Teddy rushes to the double doors, turning to call a quiet “thank you” before he goes through.

I start to speak, but Alsan shakes his head. “We need to get back, too.” He’s right. We join hands and walk slowly back to our spot.

After we’ve been sitting a while, I try again. I want to talk before we leave the moonlit mezzanine. All year long, at home and at work, we have to be so careful. But we have tonight. “Alsan—”

“You don’t have to say anything, Lucy.”

We look into each other’s eyes. He’s right again—what is there to say?

I pick up a flask. “Your glass is almost empty, let me top you up.”

“As you wish,” he smiles.