Page 3 of 3 Secrets to Love (Romance Tales from the Quadrants #2)

Phalon

It was raining.

Of course.

But it wasn’t as if Reena and I had a lineup of fans waiting for autographs.

No, they were down at the space racer tents instead.

Where I used to be.

Sometimes I still missed that life, the cheer of the fans, the adrenaline rush from the race, and even the constant practicing.

I didn’t think it would be such a drastic change when I went from a space racer to an aerobatics pilot.

I still flew a jet and performed technical stunts along with my partner. But fans preferred the pilots who went fast.

Reena sat beside me, her wife in the doorway of the building across the path with her arms crossed and looking as impatient as ever. It was anothe.

“family and friends”

weekend for the USRA, and though we weren’t space racers anymore, we still belonged to the organization.

It was our obligation to perform on these weekends and then sign merch and digital photos after.

I didn’t know why Kareen didn’t stay at home.

Did she think I would try to steal her wife from her if she wasn’t there? I usually ignored the woman’s constant glares, but sometimes her presence became too much.

Even our technicians felt the heat of her stare.

I leaned closer to Reena.

“You got some place you need to be? Or is Kareen just reinforcing how much she hates me?”

Reena clacked her tongue.

“She doesn’t hate you. She simply doesn’t like the idea of me being a pilot at all. Thinks it’s too dangerous.”

I scoffed.

“Yet, you two started dating when you were still racing.”

“The irony. I know.”

She sighed and leaned back.

“We’re thinking of starting a family though. So, there’s that to consider.”

Great, my aerobatics partner was thinking of retiring to start a family.

I’d already lost so many people to their desire to have children.

My best mate, Zander, retired from our space racing team first to start a family.

And many fans, especially those who wanted th.

“up close and personal”

experience with a space racer, didn’t come back once they decided to settle down.

Yet, I was nowhere near ready for any of that.

I liked kids well enough, but I did not want any of my own.

I wasn’t ready for anything permanent.

As an aerobatics pilot, my life had slowed down a bit, but I still traveled all over the quadrants on a regular basis. A perfect life for me.

Finally, a young child from Sodoya, with their flame-red head tails waving wildly, came into our booth.

“Hi.”

I leaned forward, ready to sign my name.

“Would you like an autograph?”

The kid put their hand between their legs and danced from one foot to the other.

“Do you know where the bathroom is?”

Reena laughed as I sighed with disappointment.

I pointed in the direction opposite to where the space racers were signing.

“They are two booths down. Just before the food vendors.”

The kid raced away without another word.

“Thank you.”

A woman, whom I assumed was the child’s mother, waved as she passed by holding an umbrella.

Beside me, Reena continued to giggle as she unzipped her flight suit and pulled out of the arms, tying the material around her tiny waist.

“This event has definitely helped to deflate the ego. Our time is almost up, and we’ve only had five people come in wanting autographs.”

“And one of them was by mistake.”

I released a heavy breath.

No wonder all those we’d raced with had left the USRA to work elsewhere and start families.

I didn’t know what else I would do.

Yet, I feared the time had come for me to start thinking of other options.

I grabbed a box from behind me and started packing up our team merchandise.

Thankfully, the booth hadn’t cost us any credits, but the items we sold would barely pay for us to recharge our jets for the next show, let alone pay our technicians, the practice fees, or the cost of daily life.

“Are you hitting the clubs tonight?”

Onac, the leader of space racing team Reveb, asked as he entered the booth for his time allotment.

“Nah.”

Reena took one of the boxes to her hovercart parked beside the booth.

“I don’t need to pick anyone up anymore. My Kareen is everything I need.”

Onac made gagging noises while I chuckled.

“Hey.”

She snapped one of the display towels toward the racer.

“I can admit when I’m ready for the next stage of my life, unlike you two who are still clinging to your youth.”

My stomach clenched. Yep, it was only a matter of time before I lost my partner and had to find a new one or move on to solo flights, or something else entirely.

I loaded the other box of merch onto the hovercart then drew the tarp over the items to keep them from getting wet. Suddenly, I heard a ding from my ear comm, alerting me to a private message.

Stepping away from the other two, I pressed the button behind my ear to receive the directive. Though it was likely a memo from the USRA reminding us that our required time in the booth was complete.

Pilot Phalon, please report to Meeting Room A in USRA headquarters for a private fan meeting.

A strange request. Private meet and greets weren’t uncommon, but I hadn’t done any since I was a racer.

“Looks like our day is not quite finished.”

I sidled up to Reena and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, sure Kareen glared at me from her waiting spot.

“Got a private meet and greet to do first.”

“Lucky you.”

She shoved my arm off with a playful eye roll.

“Be sure to take some merch with you. We have lots of it.”

And it would all be useless soon if she left me.

Wait.

“You’re not coming?”

Reena shook her head, smiling with amusement.

“Never got a message. They just want to meet you.”

I had a moment of panic, never having done any meet and greets without at least one teammate by my side.

Onac smacked my back.

“Lucky you. Probably some rich fan who wants the up close and personal experience without having to hunt you down at the club. Be sure to use mesodenka.”

Although I wouldn’t mind that kind of meeting, I did not believe that to be the reason for the meeting. Not when it was to be held in the USRA headquarters. But I wouldn’t know until I arrived.

After grabbing a box of assorted merch from the hovercart, I waved goodbye to Reena and Onac before darting out into the rain and toward the main building. I had a fan to meet.