The walkway outside the bar wasn't the busiest on the station, but it wasn't the quietest either. A street vendor selling hot fried tubers had set up near the bar. A small, motorized buggy flew past; pulling a trailer so overflowing with goods it was a surprise none fell off.
Leaving the safety of the bar's doorway, he led them along the walkway to a small alcove barely big enough for the two of them. The space station had been designed first and foremost as a military base, and there were many of these alcoves along the hallways. These, and the recessed doorways, were to be used as spots to seek cover from enemy fire. Since Taurean military bases were rarely breached, they were more infamously used as make out spots for those seeking privacy from the busy thoroughfares.
Zac slipped his hand from Laila's to slide along her back, gently coaxing her into the private space. It had been a very long time since he had taken a woman to one of these, and he was hit with a sense of nostalgia. The young man he had been at the beginning of his career was long gone, now replaced by a grouchy commander. But maybe there was hope for him yet?
Alcoves on the upper decks, like this one, had the luxury of windows, and Zac smiled as Laila gasped at the view spread out before her.
“It's beautiful!”
He watched her as her eyes widened and she took in the station and the vast expanse of space beyond. It was an unencumbered view of the space station, the scale of which was impressive, Zac had to admit. Right now there were three starships docked, one of them the Zataras, along with many shuttles zipping in and out of landing bays. A large cargo carrier, shaped like a giant brick, slowly eased into place and, as they watched, a mobile walkway extended from the station to connect to it. And, in the far distance, they could see stars sparkling in the deep dark of space.
“We have nothing like those where I'm from,” Laila admitted, gesturing at the starships.
“Oh?”
“Our technology is nowhere near as advanced as yours. It was lucky we hitched a ride on a freighter with an FTL drive, otherwise it would have taken us much longer to get here. I can’t imagine how much faster it would have been on one of those starships.” She sighed wistfully.
“Well, you're here now, so why not make the most of it?”
She turned away from the view, her back to the glass. “Why not, indeed?” she said with a small smile, her small hand slipping into his larger, scarred one and squeezing gently.
Since his accident, Zac had avoided letting anyone except T'arq see the true extent of his injuries. Apart from one regrettable encounter in the dark that had left him feeling self-conscious, Zac had avoided romantic rendezvous since being injured, finding little enjoyment in physical contact.
So why was this woman’s touch lighting him up inside like a plasma cannon? And why now? Not wanting to question it, he pushed the thought aside.
She let go of his hand and smiled, easing away from him. He returned her smile slowly and bent, arms braced against the window on either side of her head, lips close to her ear. His breath was warm against her skin, and he felt her shiver as he spoke. “How about we go somewhere a little more… private?” He pulled back to meet her eyes and smiled a slow, lazy grin. “What do you say?”
“Sure, why not?” Her hands moved against his chest as if of their own will, stroking him with a feather-light touch.
This was madness.
They may be two strangers, but they had tonight.
Tomorrow was another day.
Decisively, Zac took her hand and led her down the busy walkway.
