The screen went dark and Zelup set in a course for the sex club. He then headed to the bathroom for a shower he hoped would wash away his regrets.
But the shower didn’t help, and neither did the Venus Voids. He was ordering his third drink when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Z,” she purred. “I haven’t seen you around here in a while.” She slid a hand over his back and rested it lightly on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back.”
He’d been mulling over his brother’s words, especially the part about fucking Dawn out of his system. Was it possible? Could another woman’s embrace erase the memory of her perfect body pinned beneath him, wringing absolute pleasure from his every pore?
He doubted it.
Still, fucking another woman would accomplish something. It would signal that their relationship, whatever it had been, was well and truly over. Dawn wouldn’t give him the time of day if he returned to his whoring ways.
Here’s the opportunity I need,served up to me on a platter. Sheveen was beautiful, with lithe limbs and supple green skin. She clearly wanted him, as she’d been chasing him for months. An appropriate female to work out his lusts and frustrations upon.
So why did the idea have less appeal than a piece of ripe fruit left out in the sun to rot?
“Take me to your cube,” she whispered into his ear, her tone cajoling. “We’ve been playing this game long enough. Isn’t it time to give into the pleasure we both want?”
He turned, giving her a serious look. Wide dark eyes in a face with bone structure that was too sharp for his tastes. Dark, rough hair that could never compete with Dawn’s light brown curls. Sheveen was too tall, too bulky, too coarse.
She’s not Dawn. She never will be. No one will. You’ve got to put her out of your mind!
Agreeing with his inner voice, Zelup inhaled heavily and stood. The smile he caught on Sheveen’s face, like the proverbial Vanfian female who’d swallowed the canary, made him feel sick to his stomach.
Across the room, he saw light flash off the bald head of another one of the club’s patrons. Something in his mind sparked, and Zelup stared. The man’s head was smooth and hairless, his skin dark but his eyes so light that the juxtaposition was jarring.Why does he seem so familiar?
Another man was talking to the first, this one tall and blond. The pair set alarm bells ringing in his head, but he didn’t know why. He was frozen in his tracks, trying desperately to remember where he might have seen the two.
“What’s wrong, honey?” Sheveen asked, concerned. “Too many Voids?”
He didn’t answer, didn’t even acknowledge that she had spoken. The men drew closer, and their eyes locked on his. As they passed, the blond lifted a hand, pointer finger and thumb extended. He popped his thumb, making the symbol for a laser gun, and then they were once again swallowed by the crowd.
Z couldn’t help himself. He pursued.
“Hey, wait!” Sheveen said, tightening her grip on his shoulder, but he shrugged her off and dove into the crowd.
Head on a swivel, he looked everywhere for the pair, but there was no sign of either of them. He made it all the way to the door without seeing either of them. He craned his neck, searching as much of the club as he could see, even checking above him at the twisting and intersecting couples in the anti-gravity section. They were nowhere to be found.
Z tumbled out onto the sidewalk, approaching the security guard. He gave the man a description of the two, but the security guard shook his head. “Haven’t seen them tonight.”
It was odd. The same security man had been on guard earlier when he entered, so if the pair had come in after him or had left, the guard would have seen them.
I have a bad feeling about this.
There was something about the pair that exuded menace. Some nagging thread in his brain kept poking at him, making him feel as if he knew the two men somehow, even though he’d actually never seen them in his life. Right?
It was too much coincidence, and Zelup was used to trusting his instincts. Returning to the club, he headed toward the communication consoles in the back. Sheveen tried to catch his arm but he waved her off. “Not now. I’m busy.”
The green woman let out a frustrated shout. “You’re always too busy for me. You know what, Z? You can go fuck yourself!” The beauty stalked off, and Z wondered if he was rid of her once and for all. Although he might regret it later, for now, he hoped so.
Once at the console, he dug in his pocket and pulled out the little card Ladee had given him. When the robot had handed him the writing instrument and the card, this one had been tucked behind it, and Z had managed to palm it without Dawn noticing.
“Use in case of emergency only,” the card stated. “Direct link to LADEE latent communications array.” Then it listed a series of numbers.
Zelup input the code that linked to his bank account for billing purposes, then dialed the number listed on the card. Although this might not qualify as an emergency in the strictest sense, something in his gut told him that Dawn could be in danger.
As the call connected, Zelup had a moment of doubt. What would he say? He’d seen a couple of suspicious characters that unnerved him. Maybe they might try to do something to Dawn. No, he didn’t know who they were. No, he wasn’t sure where they came from or where they’d gone. No, he couldn’t explain why he had this feeling.
And worst of all, what would he say when asked where he’d seen them? Could he admit to her that he was at the Venus Vacuum, already searching for her replacement?
