scanned the room now and then.
Everything seemed completely normal, everyone having a good time.
Brilliant ball gowns glowed against black tuxes reminding him of
Leelah’s discourse about colors. Each hue possessed a quality of
its own and the ability to affect a person’s mood, according to
her. Maybe she was right. The riot of bold colors in Leelah’s room
reflected her vivacious personality and had an energizing effect on
him. The woman had infused his life with color in a very short
time. But it would leach back to gray when he had to leave her, and
he didn’t think he could be satisfied with gray any longer.
The meet and greet portion of the evening
wound to a close. Leelah stood chatting with her friends Trianne
and Burdah, and that Anuvian man from the party who she’d danced
with. A slow burn filled Ja-hun as he watched her laugh at
something the Anuvian said. They made a beautiful pair: both young,
golden, and privileged.
He felt ancient. He wasn’t sure exactly how
much older than Leelah he was, since he didn’t know his age when he
left OldEarth. But he was eons ahead of her in life experience. She
was a fresh, bright butterfly and he, a crusty old barnacle.
Danje led her onto the dance floor where they
moved with sensual grace to a tribal rhythm. Ja-hun snorted. With a
partner like the Anuvian attending her Ja-hun was but a dim memory.
But that was as it should be. Better to have his romantic delusions
shattered before he let his foolish emotions grow any
deeper.
Still it was torture watching them dance
together, so Ja-hun grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter
and carried it with him toward the doors leading to the patio.
Outside, he stared at the sky and inhaled fresh air, but listened
to the sounds in the ballroom, alert to anything out of the
ordinary. An attack by armed insurgents wasn’t out of the realm of
possibility. He must remain ever vigilant. That’s what he was here
for.
Ja-hun was so observant he nearly jumped out
of his skin when a hand fell on his arm. He spun around to face
Leelah.
She laughed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare
you. Didn’t you hear me coming? What kind of bodyguard are
you?”
“A useless one, apparently.”
“That’s okay. I don’t think I need one
tonight, but I do need a new dance partner. Will you?”
“I think we’ve established I don’t
dance.”
“Sure you do. Just hold onto me and move a
little. You did beautifully in the diner.” She grabbed his hand and
pulled him to the dance floor.
She placed one of his hands on her waist and
held the other. Her free hand rested on his shoulder, and her face
tilted toward his. “Now sway back and forth.”
He did, shifting his weight from foot to
foot. The dancing wasn’t so hard, but his cock was. The scent of
her perfume and the warmth of her body had his erection
swelling.
“I knew you could dance.” She smiled at him
and he could hardly hear the music over the rush of blood in his
ears.
“Not like your friend.” He nodded at the
Anuvian gyrating with a black-haired, olive-skinned Sythe.
“Who? Danje? He’s not my friend. We only just
met at Burdah’s party.” She turned her attention back to Ja-hun,
and her eyes widened. “You’re jealous! That’s adorable.”
“I’m not jealous,” he growled. “That would
mean I had some claim over you, which I don’t. We only just met,
too.”
“Doesn’t feel like it.” Her smile remained.
“I feel like I’ve known you for years.”
“But you don’t really know me at all. Any
more than I know you.”
“You like gray. That’s a start. What else do
we need in order to have a relationship?”
“Perhaps something in common. We share no
interests. You like loud music and dancing. I prefer silence and
reading. I’m a vegetarian. You’re not. You want to charge out into
the world and do things. I’m tired of the world and just want to be
left alone. Besides, I’m leaving. You’re staying.”
Her body swayed close to his,
Everything seemed completely normal, everyone having a good time.
Brilliant ball gowns glowed against black tuxes reminding him of
Leelah’s discourse about colors. Each hue possessed a quality of
its own and the ability to affect a person’s mood, according to
her. Maybe she was right. The riot of bold colors in Leelah’s room
reflected her vivacious personality and had an energizing effect on
him. The woman had infused his life with color in a very short
time. But it would leach back to gray when he had to leave her, and
he didn’t think he could be satisfied with gray any longer.
The meet and greet portion of the evening
wound to a close. Leelah stood chatting with her friends Trianne
and Burdah, and that Anuvian man from the party who she’d danced
with. A slow burn filled Ja-hun as he watched her laugh at
something the Anuvian said. They made a beautiful pair: both young,
golden, and privileged.
He felt ancient. He wasn’t sure exactly how
much older than Leelah he was, since he didn’t know his age when he
left OldEarth. But he was eons ahead of her in life experience. She
was a fresh, bright butterfly and he, a crusty old barnacle.
Danje led her onto the dance floor where they
moved with sensual grace to a tribal rhythm. Ja-hun snorted. With a
partner like the Anuvian attending her Ja-hun was but a dim memory.
But that was as it should be. Better to have his romantic delusions
shattered before he let his foolish emotions grow any
deeper.
Still it was torture watching them dance
together, so Ja-hun grabbed a glass of wine from a passing waiter
and carried it with him toward the doors leading to the patio.
Outside, he stared at the sky and inhaled fresh air, but listened
to the sounds in the ballroom, alert to anything out of the
ordinary. An attack by armed insurgents wasn’t out of the realm of
possibility. He must remain ever vigilant. That’s what he was here
for.
Ja-hun was so observant he nearly jumped out
of his skin when a hand fell on his arm. He spun around to face
Leelah.
She laughed. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare
you. Didn’t you hear me coming? What kind of bodyguard are
you?”
“A useless one, apparently.”
“That’s okay. I don’t think I need one
tonight, but I do need a new dance partner. Will you?”
“I think we’ve established I don’t
dance.”
“Sure you do. Just hold onto me and move a
little. You did beautifully in the diner.” She grabbed his hand and
pulled him to the dance floor.
She placed one of his hands on her waist and
held the other. Her free hand rested on his shoulder, and her face
tilted toward his. “Now sway back and forth.”
He did, shifting his weight from foot to
foot. The dancing wasn’t so hard, but his cock was. The scent of
her perfume and the warmth of her body had his erection
swelling.
“I knew you could dance.” She smiled at him
and he could hardly hear the music over the rush of blood in his
ears.
“Not like your friend.” He nodded at the
Anuvian gyrating with a black-haired, olive-skinned Sythe.
“Who? Danje? He’s not my friend. We only just
met at Burdah’s party.” She turned her attention back to Ja-hun,
and her eyes widened. “You’re jealous! That’s adorable.”
“I’m not jealous,” he growled. “That would
mean I had some claim over you, which I don’t. We only just met,
too.”
“Doesn’t feel like it.” Her smile remained.
“I feel like I’ve known you for years.”
“But you don’t really know me at all. Any
more than I know you.”
“You like gray. That’s a start. What else do
we need in order to have a relationship?”
“Perhaps something in common. We share no
interests. You like loud music and dancing. I prefer silence and
reading. I’m a vegetarian. You’re not. You want to charge out into
the world and do things. I’m tired of the world and just want to be
left alone. Besides, I’m leaving. You’re staying.”
Her body swayed close to his,
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