”Yes, please.”
“Follow the purple lights,” Xero said, just as a lit purple stripe appeared on the wall. I took a step, and the line moved with me, staying about a foot ahead of me. I followed it straight to what looked like an elevator, which slid open as I reached it, with several Mylos getting off. I got in as the purple light appeared inside it. A young human man remained inside. “Dang it, I think I messed up again.” He licked his lips. “Um, Xero, am I in the right place? I’m trying to get to the bowling alley.”
“No,” came Xero’s voice from somewhere inside the elevator now. The doors slid shut. “If you follow the purple lights along with Carl here, you’ll reach the correct deck. Can you find your way from the main leisure area?”
”You mean the park with all the places to eat and the shops? Yeah. The bowling alley is on the other side of that, behind that Japanese noodle bar place. Ichigo’s, I think it’s called.”
”That’s right,” Xero answered, just as the elevator began to move.
“Hi, I’m Carl,” I said, feeling sorry for the cutie.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Alec, the chronically lost. I’ve been here for three whole days and still can’t find where I’m going.”
“Did I hear you right? There’s a bowling alley?” My mind was already conjuring up some fun there with Kit.
“There is,” he nodded. “I just started working there. Um, I’m in a work program, Youth and Recreation. So far it’s mostly checking out shoes and serving food and drinks, but on days when the youth club comes in, I’m to handle all that. Help them choose the correct size ball, set up bumpers if they need it, see that they get their pizzas and drinks, clean up any spills, all that jazz. I’ll handle just them, and someone else will take care of everyone else.”
“Sounds like a fun job to have.”
“Yeah, I like it so far.” He swallowed. “Tonight is league night, and I’m supposed to keep an eye on any heckling.”
“There’s a bowling league?” Oh, this was too delicious.
“Yep. Some teams on both ships, and apparently, they also play teams on other ships sometimes. I’m not clear on all that yet, so I can’t give you details. That’s part of what I’m still learning.”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened to let a woman wearing a baby sling on. “Xero, I’m on my way to the pool,” she said.
“Understood,” came the reply, and the doors slid shut. This time, the elevator began moving sideways.
”Well, that’s different.” I swallowed noisily.
“You get used to it,” the woman told me.
“I hope so. I’m still not, so I hope it doesn’t take long,” Alec said.
The elevator paused and began moving upward again for several moments, then stopped, the doors sliding open to reveal a park.
“Main recreation deck,” Xero said, as the purple light appeared on the floor outside. A floor that looked suspiciously like a sidewalk, with trees on the other side. And grass. Okay, my mind was now officially blown.
12
CARL
Bratty Dogs wasn’t that hard to find, thankfully. It didn’t hurt that I’d know Kittinir anywhere, even when glimpsed from behind in an area littered with several other, nearly as hunky, Mylos. I spied him sitting outside at one of the little round tables with curved benches around them that served as seating for the kiosk style restaurant.
“Fancy seeing you here,” I teased, sliding in to sit across from him. I inwardly chuckled at the look of complete and utter surprise on his face. He really was cute, the way his eyes were wide, his half eaten hot dog held mere inches from his sensuous lips.
“Carl,” he managed to finally say. “I admit, this is indeed a surprise.” He placed his hot dog back down on his plate.
“A good one, I hope.”
He smiled at me, and I basked in the warmth of the affection evident in his gaze. A warmth that I kept hoping to see grow hotter, but now was not the time nor the place to test those waters. Soon, I promised myself. First, I needed to make myself part of his life changes, so we could continue with the closeness we already shared.
“Very much so,” he agreed. “I simply wasn’t expecting you yet, as we’d only just discussed my trying to arrange permission for you to catch a shuttle.”
“I know, but then I thought, why wait? There’s that mail hub not all that far away from where we live, well where I still live anyway, so I took a chance and drove on down there, where I managed to speak to a pilot, who asked Xeranos, who said sure, and tada! Here I am.”
“And here you are. How long do you get to stay?”
