Tish took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and tried to deepen her scowl. The first time someone came too close, she growled. She doubted they heard her, but something made them back off enough to leave her room to move.
Oh yeah. She liked this.
Xaber waited where Mace had said he’d be, and they set off toward a part of the station she’d never explored. This time, she stayed at his side and used Mace’s advice to make space for herself. That small bit of control kept most of the anxiety at bay.
“No mag-lift?” she asked and nodded toward the nearer of the two systems that moved beings between floors.
“I don’t know how, but Flek managed to get a hold of some prime real estate here on the main floor. It’s about a five-minute walk.”
She tried not to look worried, but it occurred to her that any place that could afford a premium location probably had a dress code and exorbitant prices. She was still in her stained work clothes, and her budget was stretched to breaking. She could not afford a meal out, no matter how much she’d like to treat herself.
“What’s the name of this place? Are they going to let me in looking like this?” she asked.
“It’s called Flek’s Diner, and yes, you’ll fit right in. Fashion really doesn’t matter to Flek. I doubt he’d notice if all his customers showed up naked. That male only cares about his pizza, and it is the best I’ve ever tasted.”
A diner was still outside her price range, but at least she’d blend in. She’d just drink water and order an appetizer or something. The mere thought of indulging in some real food made her stomach rumble again. The last real meal she’d eaten was on the ship that had smuggled her off Amadox and brought her here.
When they reached the diner, it looked exactly as she expected. The sign was white with bold orange and yellow lettersspelling out the restaurant’s name. Beside the words was a stylized image of a pizza in flashing neon.
The surprises came once they were inside.
The first one was the sudden silence. She didn’t know what kind of soundproofing they’d used, but it blocked the incessant noise of the promenade. She almost sighed in relief.
A glance around the interior showed that things were all as she expected. The décor was simple, cozy, and bright with yellow and white tiles on the floor and orange upholstery on the seats. Bright, sure, but nothing out of the ordinary. The scents wafting from the kitchen were tantalizing, but she was too distracted by the being behind the counter to think about food.
He was the second surprise.
A tall alien with mottled orange and yellow skin smiled in welcome, showing a mouth full of pointed teeth. She slowed as her brain tried to make sense of what she was seeing. She’d seen Jeskyrans before. The race was known throughout this part of the galaxy. She’d just never seen one smile before. Ever.
“Come in! Come in. You will want your usual?”
Xaber waved at the alien. “Hey, Flek. Yeah, we’ll have our normal order, plus whatever our companion wants to eat.”
“Of course. Sit. Decide. I’ll pour your drinks. Yes?”
“Please. I think we could all use one right now.”
Flek looked curious but didn’t pry. He just pointed a thorn-encrusted hand toward an empty table. The other customers barely looked up from their meals and conversations as she walked past. Interestingly, she couldn’t hear them speaking, despite seeing their lips move.
“Sound damping technology in a diner?” she asked. That kind of tech wasn’t cheap.
“At every table,” Mace confirmed.
“For a reasonable fee,” Xaber added.
“Ah.” So this diner offered more than good pizza. It was a place to do business and not be overheard. That fit more with what she knew about Jeskyrans. They were generally unpleasant, greedy, and lacking anything resembling ethics.
They sat down at the nearest empty table with her on one side and the two cyborgs across from her. Flek was busy behind the counter, which gave her a chance to take another look at him. He was taller than most human males, but he had the slender build of most of his race. She could see that clearly because most of his body was on display. Flek’s body was covered in clusters of thorns, which made wearing clothing problematic. She couldn’t see his lower half, but she assumed he wore a loincloth of some kind. From what she knew, that was their standard attire. No wonder Xaber said that Flek wouldn’t care what she wore.
Xaber tapped a button on the edge of the table, and a holographic menu shimmered into existence. “We’re here enough that Flek knows our favorites. You should take a look at the menu and see what you’d like.”
The menu wasn’t complicated, and everything on it was some variation of pizza. Some had ingredients she’d never heard of, but most of them were familiar. All the options sounded delicious, but she kept to her plan.
“I’m still a bit on edge after what happened. I think I’ll just stick with water and some of the cheese toast. What are you two having?”
They looked at her with almost identical confused expressions.
“The toast is only an appetizer,” Mace protested.
