“Why do you know this?”
“If we’re close together and seem to be intimate, others will look away because public displays of affection make many uncomfortable.”
He shook his head. “Were you some kind of investigator in your world?”
Their drinks came up through the center of the table, first one appearing and sliding along a small track to Tori, then the other over to Olmed.
“No. And I gotta say, that’s neat,” she said as she gestured to the table. “Makes serving a lot easier, I would bet.”
“You don’t have that?”
“We don’t have that. We do, however, have plenty of cop dramas, which is where I learned about surveillance.”
“Cop drama?”
“Fiction show about the life of a police officer. Made up stories based on real-life scenarios.” She took a sip of her drink. "Mmm, this is good." A smile spread over her features and she glanced at him. "Good choice for me."
"I thought you would enjoy the sweetness," he said as he took a sip of his own warm tea. "About your fiction shows. They pass knowledge through the fiction stories like that?"
"Sometimes. Sometimes they made it all up. Just depended on the story.”
Olmed looked out across the aisle and saw the Kantenans getting up. “They're leaving."
She nodded. "So let's see where they're going now."
Olmed and Tori stood, Tori carrying her cup.
"Leave the drink," he said."
"I can't take it with me?"
"No."
She pouted but left the drink on the table and followed him out. He settled the credits, and just as they got outside, he saw the Kantenans in the distance. They were heading toward the docking bays for private vessels.
Olmed picked up his pace. He wasn’t letting them get away from him again. Lucky that they were still there on the station at all, maybe he could get more information from them.
Like who their buyer was.
The further they got, the faster he would move. He followed as close as he could to maintain appearances.
When the Kantenans reached their destination, they lingered around one of the private docking ports. Like they were waiting for someone else.
There was yet another player in this set.
He wondered if Dhomhes had any idea how many there were.
One turned and looked his way.
Olmed's stomach dropped and he froze in his place.
Barnak.
He had maybe a moment to decide what he was going to do.
Run or confront?
With Barnak, there was very little chance to decide more than once.
