by Lund, S. E.
I shrugged, not really having worried about it too much. My Mars plans were on hold, at least until Alexa was finished with her coursework.
"We'll find a way to work both our plans into our schedules," I said and smiled at Candace. "Alexa wanted to move to Europe and work for the UN somewhere. Maybe I'll become involved with the European Space program."
She nodded and seemed satisfied that I wasn't going to ruin Alexa's plans for her future.
After Mrs. Carter went home, we stayed at the hotel because I had sold my apartment before we left on our round-the-world trip. We made daily trips to visit with Candace and make sure that everything was in place so that the two of us could leave and finish our journey, traveling up the coast of South America and then through the Caribbean. Finally, we'd sail to Florida and back to Manhattan. We did plan on timing it so we could hit one of the SpaceX launches at Cape Canaveral, so we wanted to get home in time for that. Plus, Alexa was starting her PhD at the end of August. It was going to be a very busy year.
When Alexa finally felt that Candace was well enough for us to leave, we said a reluctant goodbye to her and took a taxi to the airport, where we caught our flight to Atlanta and then down to Sao Paolo by way of Rio. The flight was long, with two stopovers, and when we finally arrived back in Sao Paolo, I was so glad to see The Phoenix in its slip at the marina, waiting for us.
Our first night back, we were alone since John and Greg weren’t going to join us for a few days. We had The Phoenix to ourselves and were going to spend our time luxuriating in the solitude together, restock the refrigerator and freezer, and get ready for the next leg of our journey.
That first night, the first that we'd been alone together in over six weeks, we made up for lost time. The weather was fine and so we took the cat out for a different anchor, far enough away from civilization that we were alone and could swim in the warm bay and sleep out under the stars, wrapped in blankets because at that time of year, the nights were cool on the water, getting down to fifty degrees at night.
"I'm so glad we're back," I said to her, lying with her in my arms after we'd finished making love for the second time. "I missed this."
"I missed this, too," she replied. "I felt so afraid that having survived the fall and brain injury, Candace would die because of an infection. It seemed like we'd just got our hopes up about her prognosis, only to have them dashed."
"How did she get the infection?"
Alexa frowned. "Hospitals are colonized with these drug-resistant bacteria. No matter what they do, they can't totally eradicate it. I read a study that said there were these resistant bacteria everywhere."
I shook my head, shocked at how dangerous hospitals had become.
When John finally arrived, we prepared The Phoenix for the next leg of our trip, restocking it and making sure everything was in working order. We watched the weather and were happy to see it would be good over the next few weeks, which would put us in good stead for the trip up to coast of South America. Our trip would take us north east along the coast and then around and up into the Caribbean to Florida. It would take at least four weeks, and maybe longer, depending on weather, to get to Cape Canaveral for the space launch, but we set off with high hopes that we'd have smooth sailing, now that the worst of Candace's injury and infection were over.
Our last night in port near Sao Paolo was spent catching up with each other's events back home, commiserating over sick friends and family, and looking forward to the next month together.
As my year away from Manhattan was coming to an end, I reflected on how much my life had changed since that fateful night when I messaged Lexxi911 and asked her to join me for a family dinner.
The three of us laughed about it the night before we raised the anchor and left Sao Paulo.
We sat together at the dining nook on The Phoenix. We'd just finished a meal of fresh shrimp and salad, and now were enjoying a good Brazilian white wine. Alexa looked beautiful in her bathing suit and coverup, her hair long and wavy from drying in the breeze. Her skin was tanned, and freckles dotted her nose.
She looked at home on The Phoenix and I had never seen her as beautiful.
"Can you imagine what I thought about you when I got that email?" Alexa said, her half-empty glass of wine in hand.
"You probably thought I was a first-class jerk," I said with a laugh.
"I did," she replied. "Candace and I were laughing out loud when you sent a pic of your abs and your watch."
"I could have sent an image of my junk, but I thought better of it. I figured Lexxi might decide to blackmail me if I got too personal."
John laughed. "When I saw you that night at Cipriani's, I thought maybe Lexxi had sent a substitute, thinking that Luke would never know the difference."
"I wouldn't have," I said and turned to Alexa. "You said she was beautiful, and she was. I couldn't get over why someone as lovely as you would be an escort. I mean, I know that some women become escorts to pay tuition, but a lot get in it because of other less savory reasons. I felt bad for you, even though I figured you were being more than adequately compensated for a night pretending to be my arm candy."
"I was sick to my stomach when I realized you were John, the John, who told Luke about the infamous Lexxi. You'd know right away I was an imposter. I had to come up with a story to explain why I was pretending to be Lexxi. Luckily, you were a gentleman."
Alexa leaned forward and kissed me. I caught John smiling to himself.
"Speaking of romances, how's your love life?" Alexa asked John.
"Me?" he said and leaned back, swirling his wine thoughtfully. "Haven't met Ms. Right yet, if that's what you mean. In between ladies. Maybe one day, I'll find someone who fits me as well as you two fit each other."
I punched him in the arm playfully. "You better use that line in your toast to the bride and groom as my best man."
"Have you two set a date yet?" John asked.
Alexa and I exchanged glances. "Maybe when Alexa's first year of her PhD is finished, we'll get married that June."
Alexa nodded. "I don't want anything to get in the way of my year of coursework. Once that's out of the way, it'll be no problem to plan a wedding and do the whole honeymoon thing."
"Sounds reasonable," John said. Then he turned to me. "What about you? What are your plans for the coming year? You going to hook up with McDonald in Paolo Alto and get involved as an angel investor?"
I shrugged, not yet certain what I'd do in the coming year once we returned to Manhattan.
"I've got a few feelers out and have let a couple of the big players in the private space industry know I'm interested in being a partner in some ventures."
"You're no longer going to go as a space tourist?" John asked, although he already knew the answer. He had a bit of a bug about me giving up my plans to colonize Mars so quickly.
"No," I said and shook my head. "I'm no longer in such a hurry to leave for the Red Planet. My heart is back here on Earth."
I squeezed Alexa's hand and she smiled softly at me. "Don't put all that on me," she said quietly. "That's an awfully big burden."
"Why?" I asked, surprised that she felt that way.
"When I met you, all you could talk about was being on the first colonization trip to Mars..."
"That was because I had nothing to keep me here. Only Dana, and you can't make life-changing decisions because of your sister, who has her own life."
"You're right," Alexa said. "I just don't want you to give up your dreams."
"I won't have to. Going to Mars was a fantasy I concocted to keep me from being too sad while I was getting over my breakup with Jenna. It was never serious."
She sighed. "As long as you don't regret meeting me, that's all I care about. It would be terrible for you to look back over your life and feel regret that you never followed through with your dream to go to Mars."
"It's no longer my dream," he said. "Life with you is."
It was.
Chapter Five
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Alexa
Our trip up the coast of South America was everything I hoped it would be. After my stressful experience in Manhattan looking after Candace, I was so glad to be back on The Phoenix. Once I stepped foot on it, jumping off the dingy and onto the pontoon, I felt all my stress fade and a calm came over me. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed life on The Phoenix.
"I'm so glad to be back," I said and slipped my arms around Luke. "What a month." I shook my head, thinking about the time I'd been away and the delay to our plans.
"We're lucky we have the freedom to just pick up and leave," Luke said and pulled me against his body.
"We are," I said and sighed.
John, Luke, Greg and I made our way up the coast of Brazil to Salvador and then Recife, stopping in French Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago before making our way through the islands, including Barbados, St. Lucia, and Montserrat. We sailed through the Caribbean to the Bahamas and finally arrived at Miami where we stayed for a week, restocking and spending a few days enjoying the tourist traps. Our last big stop was Cape Canaveral for the SpaceX Falcon Heavy liftoff, which was scheduled for June. It had been delayed several times due to weather and other issues, so we were hopeful it would launch while we were there.
We arrived at Port Canaveral a few days before the scheduled launch and rented a slip at the Ocean Club Marina. We'd stay at the marina until the launch either went ahead or was delayed again. Luke was hopeful it would go ahead, but we wouldn't know until the actual day. The weather was fantastic, hot and humid and mostly clear, so Luke was sure things would be perfect for the launch.
The night before, we sat on The Phoenix and drank cold beer, grilling some steaks and shrimp, and life seemed perfect.
That is, until I got a text from Candace, and was shocked at the news she gave me.
CANDYC: Apparently, police received a tip that the man who pushed me off the platform was none other than Blaine...
"Oh, my God," I said and covered my mouth. I held up my cell and showed it to Luke. He took my cell and frowned.
"That sick bastard," he said and handed the cell back to me.
I read over the next text Candace sent.
CANDYC: Police checked the video from a CCTV feed across from my apartment and saw a hooded man watching the building on several separate occasions. After what happened with Blaine, they thought maybe he was trying to hurt me because I testified at his trial. I have a restraining order on him so if he does come within 100 feet of me, they can arrest him, but the detective who took my report says there's nothing else they can do. They have no proof, unfortunately. They have no reason to arrest him. It creeps me out, Alexa, to think of him hanging around waiting for me to come out. Maybe break in again.
I felt sick to my stomach at the prospect.
ALEXA: I'm so sorry. This is all because of me. If it was him, he did it to get back at me.
CANDYC: You just forget about it, kiddo. I'm fine. Jan is staying with me and watching out for me, so I'll be okay. I talked to the building manager and he promised give Mrs. Frankenstein the word and warn her not to put the cardboard in the doorway anymore, so hopefully, he won't be able to get in the building and break in to the apartment.
ALEXA: UGH. I'll be home in a few weeks, if all goes well. Hopefully, it was just a random thing and not Blaine...
CANDYC: Yeah, pretty bad when you have to hope that your attacker is just some rando psycho and not the one who knows where you live...
ALEXA: Take care. I'll call later and see how you are, okay?
CANDYC: I'm fine. Just wanted you to know. We may have thought we'd seen the last of Blaine, but if the tipster was right, we haven't.
ALEXA: Who do police think would have provided that tip? One of Blaine's friends?
CANDYC: Could be. Strangely enough, one of the detectives said it might have been Blaine himself. They went to interview him, and the landlord said he'd moved out and provided no forwarding address.
ALEXA: So, Blaine just vanished?
CANDYC: Guess so. Hopefully, he's gone back to Portland and will leave us and Manhattan alone.
ALEXA: Keeping my fingers crossed that he was gone. Where was he working?"
CANDYC: Apparently, he wasn't working. He sold some stocks and was living off them. Maybe one of his friends called in the tip once they knew he was gone.
ALEXA: Well, whatever the case, I'm glad you let me know. Text me if you hear anything else.
CANDYC: I will. Enjoy the rest of your trip. Give that hunky man a squeeze and kiss for me, okay?
ALEXA: I will. XOXOX
CANDYC: OXOXO
I turned to Luke and shook my head. "I can't believe it. He's got to be put in jail for a good long time. He's dangerous."
Luke put his arm around me and squeezed. "At least she knows and can be on guard. The police will get him if he gets within a city block of her, right?"
"Yes, but I've read stories before about men who violate the terms of the restraining order and kill their target before police can even respond. Candace is all alone all day while Jan is at classes and then several nights a week when she's working. I hate to think of Blaine breaking in and there's nothing Candace can do. She's in a cast. She can barely get around."
"We'll be home soon," Luke said. "We could move her in with us on the island if needed. She's not going to class anyway for six months, so she wouldn't be missing out."
"You'd really let her live with us on Westhampton?”
"Of course," Luke said, and once again, I was thankful for what a gem of a human he was. He was pretty selfless, giving up part of his trip around the world with me so I could go and stay with her, and then coming to stay himself when I was afraid that she'd die.
I kissed him, my heart swelling with gratitude. "You're so wonderful."
He smiled. "It's my pleasure."
John came up onto the deck from the kitchen with fresh bottles of chilled beer, Greg in tow.
"Hey, you two lovebirds." He handed me a beer and then one for Luke. "Ready for the launch tomorrow night? It's going to be fantastic."
"I'm ready, but considering the last few attempts were postponed, I'm not going to hold my breath."
"Maybe this time will be lucky, with us watching."
John and Greg sat down beside us on the bench. Greg leaned back, looking up into the night sky, which was clear, moonless and full of stars.
"This is paradise," he said with a long sigh. "I could stay out here forever."
"What about that pretty lady you've been dogging back in Manhattan? She's a banker, right?" John said, pushing Greg's shoulder. "Tall, dark, busty. Right up your alley."
Greg smiled, and I could tell from the gleam in his eyes that he was really happy about this romance.
"She's an investment banker, yes, but I'm not so shallow to be focused on how beautiful, smart and wealthy she is, unlike some people I know..."
Everyone laughed at his mock-affront and then Greg and John clinked beer bottles together.
"Can we see Mars now?" John asked.
We were all starting up at the stars, and I felt bad when he mentioned Mars. Luke had given up his dream of going to Mars on one of the first colonization flights. For me. I wondered what John thought about that, and worried that he blamed me for taking Luke away from his dream of space travel. Did he think Luke was making a mistake?
"Not really right now," Luke said softly. "You can see Jupiter really well, though. It's that bright one there," he said and pointed up into the darkness. I tried to figure out which one he meant but I had to admit I wasn't as familiar as he was with the stars and planets.
"It's the one that doesn't blink, because it's so close, comparatively speaking."
I finally figured out which one he meant, and he was right. It wasn't blinking.
"If we're lucky, we can see the ISS going over," he said and checked his watch. "It should be going over our location pretty soon."
I shook my head and smiled. "How do you know all this?"
"I love seeing the space station," he said. "I checked earlier."
So, we waited for the station to fly overhead and when it did, it was just a faint light moving pretty quickly across the night sky.
I reached over and took Luke's hand, squeezing it, feeling so much affection and love for him. He was such a space nut, and now, because of me, he was going to have to satisfy himself with working in the industry as an investor rather than as a recruit and hopeful astronaut. When I pressed him about it, worried that he'd resent me if he didn't follow his dreams, he shook his head.
"My dream is to be involved in the space industry and I can be. My fantasy about leaving Earth for Mars was just that -- a fantasy that was based on a broken heart and nothing more.”
Now that we were together and planning on being married within a year or so, he no longer felt a desire to leave.
I hoped he was being truthful and that being a funder of the private space program would be enough to keep him happy. I'd do everything in my power to make him glad he picked a life with me over a life colonizing Mars.
The launch was fantastic.
We anchored off the coast close enough to the launch area that we would have a great view of the liftoff. The weather was perfect, and so when the final countdown happened, which we watched on our iPad, we counted down with the NASA announcer. Finally, the Falcon Heavy rocket lifted off, the bright rocket flames almost blinding us against the darkness of night. The rocket rose up and up, and finally disappeared behind a thin layer of high cloud. We continued to watch as it reappeared farther on its trajectory and then cheered when the two rocket boosters came back down and landed on their landing pads. It was the most thrilling event I had ever witnessed, and for a short time I understood the excitement Luke felt at being a part of the private space industry.
It was truly groundbreaking work and was something that Luke could be proud of. It was work that would live on beyond him and would move humanity forward. In other words, it wasn't just making soda or selling investments. Luke told me that colonizing Mars would lead to countless technological advancements that could help humans deal with threats to our own planet. Threats like asteroids that killed the dinosaurs, or climate change, or other dangers. Humans had been vulnerable to all those threats until now. Finally, we were starting to be able to protect ourselves against the really big threats to our existence.
