Page 11

Chapter Seven

A ldur sat in a chair beside Mom, reading on her tablet. Mom stood in front of the wall-mounted screen, skimming through what looked like medical articles.

“Um, hi,” Britt said, offering a weak wave.

“Where’ve you been?” Mom asked, pausing on an image of a woman giving birth, caesarian, if Britt hazarded a guess. She averted her gaze. It was too late to have that fixed in her mind.

“On the star deck.” She eyed the bathroom, desperate for a shower.

“We’re going to be a while. Will that bother you?” Mom crossed for a hug, then leaned back to rub her hands up and down Britt’s arms.

Could she sleep with these two discussing what-nots and procedures? She grimaced. She could try, for Mom’s happiness.

“Or use my quarters in medical,” Aldur said, setting the tablet on the table to rise. “Let me grant you access.”

Britt flashed him a smile. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.”

She hurried into the bedroom to grab a baggy T-shirt and a fresh set of clothing for tomorrow.

Clutching the bundle to her chest, she trailed Aldur into the empty common room.

Beyond the bed in medical was a door. He led her there and gestured to her to place her palm on the panel.

She did, this time knowing what to expect.

His quarters was a small studio apartment. A bed was tucked into the corner. A door beside it had to be the bathroom. To the left against a wall was a counter with a rehydrator and replicator, and two chairs were placed to the right, below a wall-mounted screen.

“I will set these to Earth English.” He tapped on the counter while she dumped her clothes on the closest chair.

“Tell me, Aldur, how long does it take reach your planet?”

“Two weeks at full fusion pulse,” he said, without facing her. “Order anything you need, including garments.”

“Thank you again, and good night,” she managed as the door closed behind him.

Two weeks? She slumped, leaning against the door to stare at her room for the night.

How things were going between Mom and Aldur, this seemed like an upgrade.

Here, she could sleep in, spend hours curled up in a chair reading or watching something on the screen.

During the day, of course. Aldur had to sleep somewhere.

She shook her head, trying to clear the image of childbirth. What she needed was a hot shower. She stripped, tossing off her T-shirt, boots, socks, camo pants, and underwear before she reached the bathroom.

No taps had her stroking the walls for a panel. Damn aliens with their superior technology— She squealed when the water came on by itself. Grumbles followed as she stood there, letting it warm every inch of her. No soap, no shampoo, but at least the toilet looked familiar.

She stepped out of the spray and watched it, wondering if she’d have to call someone to switch it off.

When it did it by itself, she grinned. Nice.

Okay, one task done. Now to dry. Solid white walls held no towel rails.

But there were two buttons. She stroked the top button in blue, twitched her fingers as she hesitated, then pressed it.

Hot air blasted her. She spun, trying to assess from where the air came from.

Looking up forced her to squeeze her eyes shut.

And she couldn’t shut it off. Fine. Blow away.

She hit the gray button and laughed when a panel slid open, showing folded towels.

Flicking one out revealed a robe. She slid into it then squeaked when it adjusted around her body like the chair had.

“Gives a new meaning to one size fits all.” Waltzing out of the bathroom, she made a beeline to the rehydrator to order a hot cocoa then two blankets from the replicator.

A glance at Aldur’s bed showed it devoid of comfort.

She touched and patted the right side of the front door, found the panel, then let it scan her palm.

Temperature sorted. Maybe the star deck had the same?

She snorted. Freezing for no reason. Serves her right for being slow to grasp their tech.

“Harder,” Nerx had said in a gruff voice. The sound alone had bolted through like a love drug on steroids. Wow. She’d just stood there and let it wash over her, let the heat of his chest pour into her back, let him stroke her neck.

She shivered, left the cup on the counter, and slid onto Aldur’s bed. As she drew the blanket over her, she muttered, “Don’t let that sexy man get to you, Britt-baby. He’s gonna break your heart.”

Her nod was slow, deliberate. “They all do,” she said, her voice carrying gravitas in her new quarters. The silence, warm blanket, and a belly full of hot liquid lulled her to sleep.

B ritt stumbled out of Aldur’s quarters to find Edon seated at the table. She relaxed her stiff shoulders, having half-expected to find a full-on audience because she’d slept so late.

“Morning,” she said, hurrying past him to the rehydrator.

A bowl of fruit salad with yoghurt and a coffee were next on her agenda.

So much for starting with exercise. When she stared at the blue sparring mat, she didn’t know what she’d do anyway.

Maybe Aldur could advise, as the ship’s medic.

And he was buff for someone his age which meant he had to be maintaining that physique somehow.

One narrow wall held weapons that could cut you just by looking at them.

There had to be other things or activities to do to remain fit while in space.

When she sat opposite Edon, his nostrils flared. He grabbed his plate, and with a tiny bow, abandoned her. Had he sniffed her? There hadn’t been soap or shampoo in the shower? Maybe she stank? She raised her arms to draw in deep whiffs of her pits. Nope, no stench there, just pure Britta.

Nerx strode past her to the rehydrator. He didn’t greet her, and after their last interaction, she was hesitant to say anything. But desperation made her stupid things.

“Um, Nerx?”

“Yes?” he said, but not glancing at her. She could imagine his eyes narrowing, just hearing her voice.

She grinned. “Two things. Soap. Does the replicator have that on its menu?” She could’ve checked this morning but asking him seemed to irritate him.

A steaming mug of something appeared on the rehydrator’s surface. He wrapped those long fingers of his around it. “Why?” While sipping what smelled like hot cocoa, he faced her.

“To wash my body, hair, face.” The existence of bathrooms proved Etterians cared about cleanliness so having to explain her need for soap seemed stupid. Her tone might have implied that. She shrugged. What he perceived in her tone was on him.

“Such is provided in the water.” His focus shifted to his cocoa. So, not meeting her gaze, and Edon reacting a little over the top?

“Okay, then do I stink?”

He tried to leave then halted. “Is there a point to this conversation?”

“Edon almost ran from the common like a herd of sweating and huffing wildebeest sat beside him. Why would your man avoid me?” She folded her arms, waiting for Nerx’s response. If he so much as took a step to leave, she’d be on his ass.

“Male for Etterian. Man for human.”

She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the lesson, Professor Smarty Pants.”

He growled. “I am done discussing this.”

“Wait.” She leaped to her feet, looping around him to block his way. “I need reading material. Books or something.”

“Any display vid will have archives of every species known to Etteria.” With his cup, he gestured to the wall-mounted black screen. “Your Earthian data is there too.”

“It is?” She squealed and crossed to the screen. A few taps had her finding the folder filled with books, movies, music, and documentaries.

“I do not lie. To imply so is rude.”

She ignored him as she perused the genres. “How do I get it onto my tablet?” She tapped the device to the screen for a transfer without success.

Warmth soaked her right shoulder and flung out a wave of tingles when he leaned around her to flick a file at her tablet. It dinged, confirming receipt. She laughed, dancing on the spot just like Dad had taught her. Yup, she knew all his moves.

“Thanks, Nerx. You’re the best.”

With her focus on the tablet, she sank onto her pre-warmed seat by her untouched meal. She didn’t hear Nerx leave and only when Lily clambered onto the bench did Britt look up.

“Whatya doing?” Lily asked.

“Breakfast and reading. You?” Britt tried not to smile at the pink furry onesie she was wearing.

“Nerxie said to find something to do.”

“So you’re asking me?” Britt placed the tablet face down and scooped a grape into her mouth. “Mm,” she said while chewing. “We could play hopscotch?” She chuckled. That counts as exercise, right?

“Can we?” Lily bounced on her backside, clambered to her feet, then leaped off the bench to dance around the common.

“Sure. Let me finish eating. We’ll need chalk.

I suppose this is the only area big enough?

” To the left was a narrow passage that led to an impenetrable door.

She didn’t know what was beyond that. To the right was the passage to her mom’s quarters, the star deck, and the communications room.

The other way was a door she hadn’t tried to open, yet.

“Harder,” Nerx’s voice came to mind.

She focused on Lily but found her gone. With a shrug, she finished her breakfast and was sipping her coffee when Lily slapped chalk on the table. Her cheeks glowed a bright pink.

“Fetch your brush; let’s braid your hair first.”

And again Lily bolted, turning right to the untried door. So, her quarters was that way. She returned with a brush and a hair band. Britt circled the table and sat on the bench, tapping it to ask Lily to come closer. As she ran the brush through the girl’s long hair, she threw ideas at her.

“We need a stone or an object to throw onto the squares. It’s got to be something we can order from the replicator.”

“Oranges?” Lily said, while swinging her hips.