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Authors: Greta van Der Rol
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man gives you just one of those,” Anna jerked her head at the flowers, “it’s understood to mean he’s serious.”
Sirikit nodded, her liquid eyes sparkling.
“They’re hideously expensive,” Todd chimed in. Allysha thought he looked rather somber. They might be hideously expensive to a lieutenant, but not to the man who sent these.
“Have you given one of these to anybody, Hassan?” Allysha asked.
“Me? Not a chance. Like Anna said, those lilies make a statement. I’m not ready for that, yet.” He scratched at his cheek. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to disappoint anybody.”
Todd rolled his eyes at Hassan. “Yes, of course, you’d have to consider your harem, wouldn’t you?” In a different tone he continued, “I gave one to Cornelia and I’ll bet Tensan gave one to Jinsu.” He cocked his head at Tensan, who nodded.
“And Brad hasn’t sent one, he’s sent ten.” Anna tilted her head and stared at Allysha. “So, you might not think it’s serious, but Brad sure as shootin’ does.”
If she told them who Brad was, she was certain they wouldn’t believe her anyway. She took the flowers into her office. Maybe she could pretend they gave her hay fever and throw them away? She shook her head. That would just excite even more speculation. Best to carry on as if nothing had happened.
“Okay, excitement’s over,” she said. “Let’s get back to the exercise.”
“Are you going to the ball with Brad?” Sirikit said.
The posters were everywhere, had been since she started work with Fleet. “No.”
“He hasn’t asked you?”
He’d know not to bother. “You’re assuming he’s a Fleet officer.”
Anna tossed her head. “’Course he is.” The others sniggered, even Tensan.
“We’re all going,” Anna said.
“I know. I won’t go by myself and there’s nobody I’d want to go with.”
Hassan grinned. “What about Captain Stevenson?”
Allysha rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Lieutenant Mustafa.” Slimy Stevenson? If he asked her one more time, she’d probably use her new martial arts skills on him.
“Ooh, she’s getting all military on us,” Hassan said, chuckling. They all laughed.
“Work, people. That’s what they pay us for,” Allysha said. She didn’t mind a bit of repartee but not too much. “Let’s get back to those exercises.”
****
The first tinges of sunset had smudged the sky outside in streaks of pink when she called a halt.
“Okay, that’s enough for today.” She stood and stretched as Anna, Tensan, Sirikit and Hassan collected their belongings and strolled out, chatting. Todd hovered, tongue flicking between his lips.
“What’s up, Todd? Do you want to cancel our training session?” She hoped not. The exercise was good for her and it might help her sleep.
Todd frowned. “No. Um. I just wanted to ask you something.” He looked flushed as if he was embarrassed.
“Yes?”
“Um. Cornelia can’t come to the ball. Her mother had an accident and she has to go home to look after her brothers and sisters while her mom’s in hospital. She won’t be back in time.”
“Gee. Nothing too serious, I hope?”
He shook his head. “She just needs to rest and that’s difficult with a couple of youngsters running around.”
“I expect so.”
She waited as Todd, scarlet-faced, dithered. Ah. She grinned. “Let me guess. You want me to go to the ball with you.”
He breathed out a huge, gusting sigh of relief. “Would you?”
She hesitated. She hadn’t meant to go. What if Saahren turned up? But then, why would he? He was safely away onArcturus . Besides, it was innocent enough. Todd was ten years her junior and safely engaged. And what if Saahrendid turn up? It was none of his business.
“Sure.”
All the same, she’d have a discreet word with Vlad’s wife, Irina and see if she could find out if he was likely to show up. Without letting on she’d be there herself, of course.
****
GPR cruiser Provenance.
Lomas
Sirikit nodded, her liquid eyes sparkling.
“They’re hideously expensive,” Todd chimed in. Allysha thought he looked rather somber. They might be hideously expensive to a lieutenant, but not to the man who sent these.
“Have you given one of these to anybody, Hassan?” Allysha asked.
“Me? Not a chance. Like Anna said, those lilies make a statement. I’m not ready for that, yet.” He scratched at his cheek. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to disappoint anybody.”
Todd rolled his eyes at Hassan. “Yes, of course, you’d have to consider your harem, wouldn’t you?” In a different tone he continued, “I gave one to Cornelia and I’ll bet Tensan gave one to Jinsu.” He cocked his head at Tensan, who nodded.
“And Brad hasn’t sent one, he’s sent ten.” Anna tilted her head and stared at Allysha. “So, you might not think it’s serious, but Brad sure as shootin’ does.”
If she told them who Brad was, she was certain they wouldn’t believe her anyway. She took the flowers into her office. Maybe she could pretend they gave her hay fever and throw them away? She shook her head. That would just excite even more speculation. Best to carry on as if nothing had happened.
“Okay, excitement’s over,” she said. “Let’s get back to the exercise.”
“Are you going to the ball with Brad?” Sirikit said.
The posters were everywhere, had been since she started work with Fleet. “No.”
“He hasn’t asked you?”
He’d know not to bother. “You’re assuming he’s a Fleet officer.”
Anna tossed her head. “’Course he is.” The others sniggered, even Tensan.
“We’re all going,” Anna said.
“I know. I won’t go by myself and there’s nobody I’d want to go with.”
Hassan grinned. “What about Captain Stevenson?”
Allysha rolled her eyes. “Thank you, Lieutenant Mustafa.” Slimy Stevenson? If he asked her one more time, she’d probably use her new martial arts skills on him.
“Ooh, she’s getting all military on us,” Hassan said, chuckling. They all laughed.
“Work, people. That’s what they pay us for,” Allysha said. She didn’t mind a bit of repartee but not too much. “Let’s get back to those exercises.”
****
The first tinges of sunset had smudged the sky outside in streaks of pink when she called a halt.
“Okay, that’s enough for today.” She stood and stretched as Anna, Tensan, Sirikit and Hassan collected their belongings and strolled out, chatting. Todd hovered, tongue flicking between his lips.
“What’s up, Todd? Do you want to cancel our training session?” She hoped not. The exercise was good for her and it might help her sleep.
Todd frowned. “No. Um. I just wanted to ask you something.” He looked flushed as if he was embarrassed.
“Yes?”
“Um. Cornelia can’t come to the ball. Her mother had an accident and she has to go home to look after her brothers and sisters while her mom’s in hospital. She won’t be back in time.”
“Gee. Nothing too serious, I hope?”
He shook his head. “She just needs to rest and that’s difficult with a couple of youngsters running around.”
“I expect so.”
She waited as Todd, scarlet-faced, dithered. Ah. She grinned. “Let me guess. You want me to go to the ball with you.”
He breathed out a huge, gusting sigh of relief. “Would you?”
She hesitated. She hadn’t meant to go. What if Saahren turned up? But then, why would he? He was safely away onArcturus . Besides, it was innocent enough. Todd was ten years her junior and safely engaged. And what if Saahrendid turn up? It was none of his business.
“Sure.”
All the same, she’d have a discreet word with Vlad’s wife, Irina and see if she could find out if he was likely to show up. Without letting on she’d be there herself, of course.
****
GPR cruiser Provenance.
Lomas
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