much for the privilege of rank,” Alanna said. “Can’t you go back there?”
“Dad said that he thinks they can afford me next year. I’ll see. Right now I’m having fun riding my cycle and repairing screenbrains. I’m even thinking about joining the circuit and racing jet cycles professionally.” He crossed his arms and nodded with satisfaction. “I think I’d be pretty damned good.”
“And wouldn’t your folks be pleased,” Alanna said drily.
Rick chuckled. “No, really. You should see me handle a cycle in the daytime.”
“If it’s anything like the way you drove tonight, I believe you,” she said. “Still, it sounds like you don’t exactly know what you want to do, either. So maybe I’ll forgo your sage advice.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not ready for college. I’ve been protected and pampered for as long as I can remember.”
“Hey,” he said. “Don’t knock it.”
“I don’t. But if I’m going to be a poet, I’ve got to know more about life and less about quatrains and couplets.”
“So you’d like to gain a little more time by making a couplet out of us, huh?” Rick shook his head. “I don’t know if I feel flattered or chagrined.”
“Oh, you!” She gave him a poke in the ribs. “What I’m saying is I like being with you. It feels better and realer than anything I’ve ever done.”
Rick pressed up against her. “I’d have to agree that it doesn’t get much more real than this. At least, I don’t.”
“Stop joking around, Rick. Do you want me? Do you want to be with me?” She sat up in bed, a pale ghost with wild dark hair and golden eyes. “You know, you’ve got to start thinking about the future. You’re not a little kid anymore.”
Rick was about to say that he didn’t want to think about the future and nobody could make him do it. But her face in the soft light was so beautiful. And he heard himself say, “Maybe you’re right.”
Well, maybe she was. Suddenly he saw a future that was more than casual one-night stands, quick meals, and lonely rides along some dark road. He could be with Alanna. Belong to somebody and have her belong to him. Maybe he would even marry her. The thought made his heart beat strangely. He looked at her. And gasped.
Alanna’s eyes were rimmed by dark circles. She was suddenly older, much older. The youthful exuberance in her face had been replaced by something noble and resigned. Gray streaks glittered in her dark hair. Her skin was looser at the neck, tighter around her lips. And her eyes were sad. So sad.
“Rick,” she said. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me that way?”
As he watched, she blurred like a watercolor covered by a fresh wash of pigment. He blinked, and she was young and beautiful again, her fine-boned face flickering in and out of shadows in the yellow candlelight.
Rick rubbed his eyes. “Nothing. Nothing.” He held her close. Her skin was firm. He was tired, that was all. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Alanna,” he whispered. “I want you to be with me. Here. Now.”
She was silent.
Finally, he risked a look at her face.
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Did I say something wrong?”
She shook her head, smiled a watery smile, and kissed him. “No. No. You said everything right. Everything.” She kissed him again. “Oh, Rick, I love you, too.”
He gathered her into his arms. “Then it’s settled. You’ll stay. Postpone Whitlock.”
Alanna nodded. “Oh, I can just imagine what my parents will say. Which means I don’t have to be around to hear it.” She nestled against him for a moment, but then she seemed to grow restless and began looking around the room. “Wow, if my mother could just see these.” She stared, fascinated, at a line of rebuilt screenbrains on a shelf across from the bed. They glowed with tiny blue crylights. “Are they sculpture? Mother would love them!”
Rick started laughing. “Now that’s an infinite idea. When I can’t fix
“Dad said that he thinks they can afford me next year. I’ll see. Right now I’m having fun riding my cycle and repairing screenbrains. I’m even thinking about joining the circuit and racing jet cycles professionally.” He crossed his arms and nodded with satisfaction. “I think I’d be pretty damned good.”
“And wouldn’t your folks be pleased,” Alanna said drily.
Rick chuckled. “No, really. You should see me handle a cycle in the daytime.”
“If it’s anything like the way you drove tonight, I believe you,” she said. “Still, it sounds like you don’t exactly know what you want to do, either. So maybe I’ll forgo your sage advice.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not ready for college. I’ve been protected and pampered for as long as I can remember.”
“Hey,” he said. “Don’t knock it.”
“I don’t. But if I’m going to be a poet, I’ve got to know more about life and less about quatrains and couplets.”
“So you’d like to gain a little more time by making a couplet out of us, huh?” Rick shook his head. “I don’t know if I feel flattered or chagrined.”
“Oh, you!” She gave him a poke in the ribs. “What I’m saying is I like being with you. It feels better and realer than anything I’ve ever done.”
Rick pressed up against her. “I’d have to agree that it doesn’t get much more real than this. At least, I don’t.”
“Stop joking around, Rick. Do you want me? Do you want to be with me?” She sat up in bed, a pale ghost with wild dark hair and golden eyes. “You know, you’ve got to start thinking about the future. You’re not a little kid anymore.”
Rick was about to say that he didn’t want to think about the future and nobody could make him do it. But her face in the soft light was so beautiful. And he heard himself say, “Maybe you’re right.”
Well, maybe she was. Suddenly he saw a future that was more than casual one-night stands, quick meals, and lonely rides along some dark road. He could be with Alanna. Belong to somebody and have her belong to him. Maybe he would even marry her. The thought made his heart beat strangely. He looked at her. And gasped.
Alanna’s eyes were rimmed by dark circles. She was suddenly older, much older. The youthful exuberance in her face had been replaced by something noble and resigned. Gray streaks glittered in her dark hair. Her skin was looser at the neck, tighter around her lips. And her eyes were sad. So sad.
“Rick,” she said. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me that way?”
As he watched, she blurred like a watercolor covered by a fresh wash of pigment. He blinked, and she was young and beautiful again, her fine-boned face flickering in and out of shadows in the yellow candlelight.
Rick rubbed his eyes. “Nothing. Nothing.” He held her close. Her skin was firm. He was tired, that was all. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Alanna,” he whispered. “I want you to be with me. Here. Now.”
She was silent.
Finally, he risked a look at her face.
Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“Did I say something wrong?”
She shook her head, smiled a watery smile, and kissed him. “No. No. You said everything right. Everything.” She kissed him again. “Oh, Rick, I love you, too.”
He gathered her into his arms. “Then it’s settled. You’ll stay. Postpone Whitlock.”
Alanna nodded. “Oh, I can just imagine what my parents will say. Which means I don’t have to be around to hear it.” She nestled against him for a moment, but then she seemed to grow restless and began looking around the room. “Wow, if my mother could just see these.” She stared, fascinated, at a line of rebuilt screenbrains on a shelf across from the bed. They glowed with tiny blue crylights. “Are they sculpture? Mother would love them!”
Rick started laughing. “Now that’s an infinite idea. When I can’t fix
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