Chloe gaped at him. “Oh my god! You mean to say I could get pregnant?” She frowned, considering that, scarcely aware of the startled look Reuel had sent her. “I guess we might not be compatible that way, huh?”
After studying the strange look on his face for several moments, it occurred to her that puberty for males wasn’t exactly the same as it was for girls. It embarrassed her when she realized that—not that she knew anything about males going through puberty except that they seemed absolutely focused on sex. “Sorry! I was just thinking about when I went through puberty. Honestly, I know it isn’t the same for boys as it is girls. I just wasn’t thinking.
“So, what you’re saying is that maybe Salina’s behavior is sort of tied to that rather than a particular dislike of me or even humans in general?”
He seemed to have trouble focusing on what she’d asked. He frowned for several moments, as if he was searching for the thread of the conversation. “Possibly. I certainly felt that the exhibition I watched between your crewmembers last eve might have more to do with sexual frustration and raging hormones than anything specific. There have been outbreaks among our own ranks. Since I am not immune to the … delusion myself, it is easier for me to understand.
“I do not know that it would resolve all of the problems or even any of the problems to place the Maritime Sex Act into effect aboard the Salvager Omega-3. I am only suggesting that it may. Morale is low and tempers high. I think it might be easier to deal with if there werenofemales aboard rather than the handful who are.”
Chloe was so focused on what he’d said about her crew that she hardly noticed when he stopped speaking. She wasn’t certain of how she felt about it until she thought about the cyborg females accommodating all of them and then her doubts fled. If they needed relief, by god,shecould take care of it!
She didn’t know why neither Jared nor Kane had mentioned it! But it certainly made sense once Reuel had pointed it out. Even her father and the human male crew they’d once had had taken to snarling and biting at each other when they would be out for months at the time, and her father would guard her like a watchdog! She’dwonderedwhy they hit a port every few months when it took a good six months to fill the hold!
Thatwas what that bitch had meant!
Jeez! They were best friends! It seemed to her that Jared and Kane would’ve felt comfortable enough with her to at leasthintat it!
Although … she supposed that kiss the night before should have given her a clue! Instead, dolt that she was, she’d instantly decided that he liked her more than she’d realized!
So much for feeling guilty about having sex with Damon! Really! She supposed she was the pot calling the kettle black to suggest thattheywere delusional when she was so thoroughly confused about her feelings!
“Ok. How should we handle this?”
Reuel stared at her blankly as if he hadn’t expected her to agree to it at all.
“I mean, I completely see your point. I’m just so dense I hadn’t thought about it, but my own crew has been antsy. Clearly a little therapeutic sex is essential here … especially when we’re probably going to be bouncing around space for months looking for this planet. We need to keep some sort of order here, though. As you said—no more than a handful of females and there are a lot of men on this ship now!” She frowned. “I don’t suppose any of the men like men? That would even things up a bit.”
Reuel reddened. “I am as certain as I can be that that isnotthe case … with any of them.”
“Hmm! Well, you’ll have to speak to them. I can’t handle that. And we can’t have orgies in the corridors. They’ll just have to take a number or something and it’ll have to be restricted to off duty. And they can’t tie up all of the women’s off duty time. Although I suppose the pleasure droids you have with you don’t actually have other duties? If they were working full time and we figured on an eight hour shift—Do you think half an hour would do it?”
Reuel looked like he couldn’t decide whether to laugh or if he was merely horrified or fascinated by the way her mind worked. He cleared his throat. “Actually, if we are to do this properly, I think that they would want several hours,” he said meekly.
“That much?” Chloe asked, surprised. “But it doesn’t take that long, you know, really.”
“They might need to work up to it,” he said, his voice shaking slightly.
“Well, they can’t be that bad off if they have to work up to it!”
“Nevertheless ….”
“Ok, fine! But at that rate it could take weeks to get through. And Salina’s in the brig, so that cuts out one female—unless—Well, I don’t see why she can’t do her part even if she is restricted to the brig. In fact, maybe it’ll give her a better outlook. The one she has is shit!
“Oooh! You’re talking about if they don’t especially like the female?”
Reuel blinked at her. “What?”
“You said they might need to work up to it. You meant if they don’t especially like the female? Maybe we shouldn’t assign them? Just sort of let them pick and that would make them feel better, I imagine. Not that they have a lot of choices, but … Never mind. I think you’re going to have to work that out, too. I don’t know about guys. I wouldn’t think they’d be too particular if they just need the sexual relief, but ….”
Reuel studied her curiously. “Somehow, I had the feeling that you would completely reject the idea.”
“Really? Why?”
He seemed to struggle with his thoughts. “You are not very experienced. And we are cyborgs.”
“Oh. You can tell?”
He smiled at her and Chloe noticed for the first time that he was an extremely attractive man. She didn’t know why she hadn’t noticed before unless it was just because he unnerved the hell out of her. “Let us say I guessed.” He hesitated. “You have no prejudice against cyborgs?”
