Scanning further down, I notice that the Requisitions department has an opening listed.
“Natasha is already in the Requisitions Office being trained by D’Merx,” I inform L’Corte.
He stares at me for a moment then turns back to his computer monitor. “When did this happen?”
“This morning,” I say distractedly. My focus is stuck on my tablet. “Okay. I can work with this. I will start talking to everyone after lunch.”
“I will be very interested to see how many bride volunteers will want to help. Do you want my assistance?”
“Not yet. I’m going to take this to Rosie and see if she can help me tackle it. She knows some of the women better than I do,” I say, tapping the edge of my tablet, lost in thought. I send Rosie a quick message asking for her help. She messages me back almost instantly, agreeing and suggesting I stop by her office after lunch to go over the job list. “I want to go look at the decorations we saved from the last Presenting Ceremony. I need to check if anything new needs to be ordered. Unless we have something else to discuss, I’m going to see if I can get D’Merx to escort me to the storage room now instead of later.”
L’Corte pops up from his seat, heading around his desk. “I can escort you right now. I don’t have any appointments for the next hour.”
“Okay. I will let D’Merx know,” I say, typing him a quick message canceling our plan for later. Standing up, I tuck my tablet into my bag.
We walk together in companionable silence. As we get close to the Requisitions Office, I grab L’Corte’s arm to slow him down. Holding my finger up to my lip, I indicate I want his silence. I want to see how they’re doing. As we slowly stroll past the open door of the office, I see D’Merx and Natasha all cozied up behind his desk talking animatedly. He says something that makes her laugh loudly, and when she turns to look at the monitor, D’Merx looks at her like the way my sister looks at cupcakes.
Natasha looks up and sees us strolling past. I mouthHow’s it going?at her. Natasha gives us a huge grin and a thumbs up. I can see her blush from here.
“I’m a fucking genius,” I whisper out of the side of my mouth to L’Corte.
“I think I’m scared of you,” L’Corte says to me with a satisfying amount of awe in his voice.
L’Corte
Trinh is the most interfering,demanding, amazing human woman I have ever met.
How? How did she know to put D’Merx and Natasha together? She understands human interaction and needs in a way I fear I never will. How I am supposed to be in charge of the Bride Program when I suspect that I don’t truly understand human women? Thankfully, I have had Bride Liaison Rosie to make sure the bride volunteers have their needs met. And I now realize that I have Trinh.
At first, when Trinh started organizing yoga classes, weekly movie nights, karaoke, dance lessons, a community garden, and a dozen other activities, I had thought she was just keeping herself entertained. It’s only recently begun to dawn on me that Trinh was doing these things not just for herself but for the bride volunteers and my people as well. Most of these events have created a less stressful environment for her people to get to know mine.
I watch Trinh glance back toward Natasha and D’Merx with a pleased look on her face.
As we walk towards the elevator to take us to the storage rooms, Trinh is stopped three times by different bride volunteers.
The first is one of Trinh’s good friends Laney. She was the first bride volunteer to become pregnant on this ship, which has been of particular interest to my people. She carries the first human-Cerastean hybrid most of us will get to see. They talk for several minutes about remedies for morning sickness Trinh’s mother recommended. I make a note in my tablet to make sure ‘ginger tea’ is included in the replicator menu. I know L’Arc, Laney’s mate, has been very distressed over her ongoing nausea and exhaustion.
The second female to stop us wants some advice regarding a disagreement between herself and a dormmate. Trinh dispenses some wise words and promises to talk to the third party.
The third woman who stops Trinh has dark, curly hair and equally dark eyes. She asks Trinh something about a ‘Rosie the Riveter plan’. I wonder if this has something to do with Liaison Rosie, but based on their discussion, I can’t be certain. Trinh tells the woman she will meet her in their dorm after dinner, and they can go over the list of job openings then. I watch as the woman heads over to a small gathering of bride volunteers who look like they’re waiting for information.
How does Trinh get anything done with an interruption every few minutes? What should have taken us less than a minute – a short walk to the elevator – has turned into twenty.
“Trinh!” a feminine voice calls out, halting us one more time. We were almost at the elevator, so close to escape.
We both stop and turn towards the calling voice. A chestnut-haired woman with a hopeful smile comes bouncing up to Trinh.
“Paige! What’s up?” Trinh asks, giving the new woman a kind smile.
“Ally told me you’re setting up a Presenting Ceremony. You know how L’Awai and I got mated a couple of weeks ago? It’s super important to him, so do you think we could be in the ceremony? Is it too late to be included?” Paige asks in a rush.
“That would be great, actually. D’Merx in the Requisitions Office is already getting a selection of dresses and shoes available. You could stop by his office tomorrow morning, and he should be able to get an order set up for you,” Trinh says.
“Really? I can’t wait to tell L’Awai!” Paige squeals, grabbing Trinh into a quick hugging dance.
When Trinh pulls away, she gives me another smug grin over Paige’s shoulder. I just shake my head at her antics and grin back.
“Paige, if you have any specific traditions you’d like to include in the ceremony, let me know. As soon as I have some flower options, I’ll message you. Do you want me to meet you tomorrow to look at dresses?” Trinh offers.
