She handed Simon the money and hollered her goodbyes to Max as they walked back to where Tilly and the hover were waiting.
“Still not as much as we would have gotten before for all of that,” Nora said, pocketing the amount after Simon counted it.
Simon side-eyed her, a suppressed grin on his face. “But more than enough that it replaces what I took yesterday morning to see you properly fed?”
Nora felt her cheeks heat up. “Okay. Yeah. You got me there.”
Simon chuckled next to her.
She shoved on his elbow. “Alright, alright. You were right.”
“Say that again. I want to record it.”
Nora laughed. “You can be an ass too?”
His tone became sultry. “An ass? I mean, you did already see it.”
Nora snorted. “You know what, not going there.”
She stumbled a bit when she heard Simon say in an undertone, “Why not?”
Nora looked away, blushing, while Simon continued to chuckle.Not answering that either.
When Nora reached the hover Tilly stood up, leaning over the hover’s edge. “Did you make a lot of money?”
Nora hopped over the side of the hover and started the engine. “Sure did. Can even get a bit extra at the shops today.”
They bought their standard goods as well as some extra supplies Simon insisted on to cook with. Eventually she just gave him the coin and let him wander the stalls for a minute, as most of what he was asking for he could find better just by sight. After it was all done and the grocery bags were secured in the back, Nora hesitated at the intersection where the turnoff was to go see Anna.
Simon took the hesitation out of her hands. “I want to go walk to the drop to see the board again while you see Anna. Now that I know . . .”
“Know what?” Tilly said, a lollipop in her mouth. They even had enough money for her to get one of the big ones she was always eyeing.
“Nothing, baby.” Nora tapped on the steering wheel.I don’t want to explain about the lottery and Mars right now to Tilly.But she did want to see Anna. She had extra magazines to give her too that she’d held back from trading with Max. “Alright, yes. Let’s go.”
Nora parked the hover on the side and they saw Simon off, with plans to meet up in an hour. Nora left the few magazines in her hover to give to Anna, hidden. If Paul wasn’t there, she would come back and get them.
Luck, though, was on her side, as she didn’t hear or see Paul anywhere when she walked in and Anna turned around to give her a big smile.
But, just in case, Nora leaned forward and whispered, “Paul around?”
Anna shook her head and Nora could see the relief in her eyes as well that they were alone. “Paul had some deliveries. You got good timing, he’ll be out for a few hours.”
Nora’s spirits rose. “Okay. Tilly, you go on back. Hold on Anna, in that case I got something to show you. And tell you too.”
****
“An android, Nora? Are you for real?” Anna’s eyes were so wide that her whole face looked comical. “Shit, that is . . .” Anna sat back, shaking her head. “Now it makes sense that Simon was the most handsome man I had ever seen.” She started giggling until it turned into full on laughs as she clutched her pregnant belly.
“Yes, it’s true.”
In between the laughter Anna wheezed out, “What the hell, Nora?”
Nora tried not to laugh too, a weight off her now that she wasn’t hiding a secret from Anna. “I struggled hard on whether to tell you or not but . . . you’re my only real friend here.”
“An android.” Anna choked out.
“Yeah. He liked your cookie you gave us from last time too.”
