6
"Well, you must trust him somewhat," Gianna said as they sat at the little table in the front common area between the apartments. They both were drinking the closest thing they could find to wine--a Terran Ale that had enough of a fruity flavor. It tasted like a dark wine with a touch of barley.
It wasn't barley, and frankly, Tina didn't want to know what it was for sure, but it had that feel.
Regardless it was good.
Just enough alcohol, or whatever it was they had here that was like alcohol, that she could feel it with her second glass, but not so much that she felt like she couldn't think.
"Me? I wasn't the one moaning out fifteen minutes after meeting my potential mate so loudly others could hear it through the wall."
Gianna burst out laughing. "Maybe you should try some moaning. Might do you some good."
"What are you saying?"
"That your scientist side is uptight, and you need to get laid every once in a while."
She shook her head. "I don't want to entertain that." Yet she could not help glancing back at Kolvin, who she could see, sitting inside the apartment, speaking with Marcin.
The other male, Solkan, had been taken somewhere by Vinka, but she didn't elaborate, and Tina didn't ask. Whatever was going on between the two of them, she didn't get. He seemed so cranky and angry, and she just would not let him have his way, which was probably a good thing in the end, but still.
She watched Kolvin and Marcin speak to one another. What they talked about, she couldn't tell because neither of them seemed to have any kind of gestures or facial expressions to illustrate their conversation.
"Tell me, though," Tina said, her gaze roaming over Kolvin and taking in all the lines of his body. Especially that one that made his pants bulge just in the right way.
"What?"
She glanced at her friend. "How did it fit?"
Gianna burst out laughing.
"I'm serious," Tina said. "Look at them. They're huge. How does it fit?"
"We push babies out. You think we can't handle their big old equipment?"
"Well, I don't know. It's pretty big."
Gianna grinned. "You kinda like him, don't you?"
"I don't know. Maybe. You like Marcin, don't you?" She was going for a counter teasing, but it didn't really work.
Especially when Gianna said, "I never said I didn't." Her gaze turned back toward Marcin. "He's unique. I give him that."
"Is he being nice to you?" Tina asked.
"Of course. Is Kolvin nice to you?"
She grinned. "He showed me the stars."
Gianna glanced at her. "Girl, they're everywhere. Look up."
Tina did, and she could see the starfield above, but it wasn't the same.
Maybe because Kolvin wasn't there, next to her.
"I know it seems silly, but he took me to this, I guess a landing place where ships docked to the station, and we could see so much in this one window. It was like standing in a bubble out in space."
"Beautiful, I bet."
