Read Online The Ripple in Space-Time: Free City Book 1 (The Free City Series) by S F Chapman - Free Book Online

the
disastrous outing.
    Keira crawled under the rumpled
covers and began to methodically review the star-crossed date.
    She ’ d met Lev hours
earlier at a period-themed nightspot called the Waimea Surf Society and Bar .
The establishment was well known for its collection of ancient and obscure
dance music. To her dismay, most of the other women at the club were attired in
glitzy and revealing swimwear while she had come sensibly clad in a subdued
woolen frock entirely appropriate for the drizzly evening weather.
    Even though Lev was outfitted in
colorful beach shorts and a flashy Polynesian shirt, he assured her that she
would fit in with the high-spirited crowd.
    More than a few other revelers had
scoffed disapprovingly in her direction during the evening.
    An hour into the rendezvous, after
consuming far too much alcohol in a back booth with Lev, she ’ d been cajoled into venturing out onto the dance floor.
    It was the lone pleasurable
interlude of the evening, Keira realized.
    She ’ d clung
drunkenly to him during a seductive and swirlingly slow instrumental. Her hands
crept up his muscled back and glided through his soft black curls. Even now,
hours later, Keira could recall his inviting scent.
    But eventually the song and the
intimate erotic fantasy ended.
    Keira had held him close for far
too long when the sedate instrumental was replaced by a snappy song. Lev
twirled apart from her with an embarrassed grin. While the others around her
bounced and spun to the catchy tune, Keira stood alone in jilted disbelief.
    The ditzy lyrics were still stuck
in her head, “ and she ’ ll have fun, fun, fun till her
daddy takes the T ’ bird away. ”
    Lev coaxed her into dancing again
but it wasn ’ t the same. As she tried to keep up with the energetic
crowd, the lyrics seemed to mock her many missteps and blunders, “ You look like ace now, you look like an ace.... ”
    The jostling and gyrating had
caused the excess of alcohol in her stomach to make itself painfully known.
When it had threatened to spew out, Keira sprinted away to the lavatory in
panic.
    As she huddled over the commode
vomiting, she could hear the revelers on the dance floor stomping and cheering
at the end of the ancient surf song.
    She cleaned herself up and crept
back to their booth.
    To her horror, she watched from
the distant vantage point as Lev merrily danced with a plump blonde woman who
popped repeatedly out of her too-tight bikini bra.
    Why had he abandoned her for some
trollop at the first signs of trouble?
    When the tune ended, Lev beckoned
to her to join them but Keira shook her head in dread. She certainly didn’t
want to risk being cast by the catty regulars as the dowdy chick that retched
all over the dance floor.
    Perhaps she had imagined the
little glint of understanding in Lev ’ s eyes as he stood there. After
several seconds of staring at her from across the dance floor, he trotted back
to her.
    “ This is Desiree! ” He had tugged the sparsely clad
woman to the booth with him, “ Des was my first housemate and I
haven ’ t seen her in months! ”
    Lev slid into the booth and
gestured for Desiree to join them. The heavyset beach babe complied.
    “ Des this is Keira. Keira this is Desiree. ”
    The chubby interloper smiled, “ Hi Keira! I hear that you two are working together on that awful mess at
the Moon base. ” Desiree stroked Lev ’ s shoulder fondly, “ Are you a grad student too? ”
    “ No, I have a real job with the Free City Fiefdom Liaison
Office,” she’d replied curtly.
    “Oh,” Desiree shook her head
disdainfully, “ that doesn ’ t sound like much fun. ”
    “ Des is an amazing artist. She painted fantastic murals all
over the walls at my house. ”
    As she laughed at his flattery,
her jiggling breasts threatened to break free of the insufficient fabric that
restrained them. “ Hey, you two; I ’ ve got some really excellent katchah .
Do you want some? ”
    “ Sure, ” Lev chirped, “ I ’ ll