"Which is what I should be doing." Rachel deliberately picked up the scanner from the edge of the supply cart. "I'm sure you ladies understand."
"Of course we do, dear. It's okay. Now we understand what the problem is," Eddie said, patting her arm.
Rachel's suspicions rose full force, knowing for a certainty they were already up to something else. "Understand what?"
"Why he withdrew, of course," Velda said. "It's not as over as his words might say."
"Classic response," Daisy said, taking the cups and starting to put them in the white box.
"We'll take care of it," Eddie said.
Before she knew it, the women had packed up the tea party, collapsed the table, and set off again. Rachel watched them disappear down the corridor, wondering if she should stop everything and chase them down to demand what they were up to now.
Or even to make sure they got out of the maintenance corridors okay. Which brought up another question. How did they find her in the first place without getting lost?
"Wow, am I glad this is you and not me," Tish said from the protection of the cavity she'd pushed herself into. Small bots moved in and out of the space above her head. "You, my friend, are in serious trouble."
"I don't need a special connection with the station to know that," Rachel said.
The Naughty Knitters club were at it again, and this time she was the focus. No, not just her. Ignacio, too. This was worse then when the group thought one of the animal rescue groups needed a good fundraiser. Sure, they'd raised a lot of money, but the animal-themed parade through the entertainment district was still the stuff of station legend. All those costumes. All those miffed bots complaining in all their chirps and whistles at being drafted…
Poor Ignacio. He had no idea what was coming at the both of them.
She worried about it all through the repair. Worried about it when she and Tish split up work on other problems. Worried enough that she wondered if she should warn Ignacio.
The one good thing about being at work when it all happened was the ability to keep her hands busy. It kept her from going crazy. She whipped through the repairs on the list in quick succession. Even the smaller repairs and lower priority service requests could be given attention.
She sighed to herself. Imagine what she could do with a little help. She could possibly clear the requests by the end of the day. She loved the thought of being able to do so. No one yelling at her, informing her other repairs were more important than others.
Two new pressure sensors servicing several apartment blocks returned the water pressure to their faucets. A filtration screen replacement took care of an odor problem. Somehow she found herself back at the third ring, once again working on valve problems. A problem that started moving the moment she started to work on it. Then came the hissing from her bot.
She groaned out lout, eliciting a chirping question from her bot.
"It's one of those days, bot," Rachel said.
She closed the valves on either end of the problem, disconnecting the pipes, and she soon held a hissing Mandian Ruffled Newt in her hands.
And everything came rushing back from the night before. As it did, her ire built.
No, she wasn't going to let him off the hook quite so fast. Not after the kiss they shared. It might have been short, but there had been real emotion behind it. Blazing fire, from her point of view.
With a good grasp on Irvine, she stalked towards the local industrial block, leaving her bot behind to put the pipes back together. She wasn't concerned. Her bot had the help of the larger robots, and it wasn't as if anything needed to be replaced and repaired. The culprit to the whole trouble she held squirming and hissing in her hands.
"Go ahead. Keep up the mouth. You aren't getting away," Rachel told it, only to be answered by another hiss.
Her bot caught up with the supply cart towed behind it. Irvine and her bot took turns hissing at each other while she waited for someone to answer at the front of the warehouse. When the door opened, it was to find Ignacio in the same apron as the first time, his hair stuck up in all directions.
His eyes widened when he saw her. Then he caught sight of Irvine in her hands, and he groaned. "Not again."
"Yes, again. Did you happen to find where he escaped last night?" Rachel demanded.
"No, and yes I have been looking."
"Good. Now that we have that out of the way, I have something to say to you."
"Go ahead." Ignacio straightened his shoulders, his jaw tense. Probably waiting for her to attack him with everything she had. Some small part of her wanted to.
Instead, she said, "I have a ruined dress thanks to you and your newt. I demand payment."
"Uh, I already told you…"
"Yes, yes, that you can't afford to replace it. I'm not asking for money." She shoved Irvine into his hands and looked straight up into his eyes. "To make good, I demand another date."
***
Ignacio stood in the door holding a wriggling Irvine, wondering what parallel universe he'd just entered. A short time ago he'd sent her a text to break it off nice and clean, and then she arrived at the warehouse demanding another date?
He couldn't have heard correctly. "What?"
"You heard me. Now, go put Irvine away and let's talk specifics." Rachel pushed him backwards into the apartment. Her bot followed her into the entry way, but then stopped. With one last hiss in Irvine's direction, it set to rearranging some of the parts in the cart.
He did as she asked, only because it gave him more time to think. He took Irvine into the other room, putting him in an isolation enclosure until he could check out the main enclosure for the escape route.
He must be dreaming. He stood staring at Irvine as the newt made his displeasure known with his smaller enclosure, flashing angry colors at him and hissing. He tried to get his mind wrapped around what to do with the situation now. He hadn't expected her to come back to the warehouse.
"Don't think you can hide among the newts," Rachel called out after him. "I know where you work. I can find you."
Apparently, she also had no plans to leave until they talked. He took in a deep breath. Fine, time to get it over with.
He returned to the living room to find her pacing back and forth, her bot and cart still next to the front door. She didn't appear angry. Instead, her shoulders were held tight, along with her jaw. Tense, just like he felt.
"I don't know what you want to talk about. We tried one date. It didn't work out," Ignacio said.
"Yes, it did work out. You enjoyed it, I enjoyed it, all except when you… I don't know, thought of something." Rachel came to a stop in front of him. "What was it?"
Her eyes sparkled bright with her inner fire. With her so close he realized her brown eyes included flecks of blue along the inner halo, spiraling out to a softer milk-chocolate brown. He could lose himself in them forever if he weren't careful.
He took a step back, trying to pull himself away from the danger. "I do enjoy your company, as a friend. It isn't fair to claim it's anything more than that."
Rachel took just as big of a step forward. "Your kiss said otherwise."
"The kiss was a mistake." His heart cringed at the words.
He couldn't take lying any more. When it came down to it, which part of him was lying? The part remembering his wife, or the part who wanted Rachel? Once again the thoughts swirled around in his head, jumbling so they made no sense at all. Even worse, he could see his words had hurt her, making him wishing he could take them all back.
"You know where the door is." He turned towards the dining room and kitchen, hoping for a quick escape. She would leave, and then he could go back to his newts and salamanders, trying to forget Rachel Henderkito never existed.
He didn't expect her to follow him.
"Not good enough. You are hiding something." She stopped next to the table.
With a start, he realized he hadn't cleared it off. What possessed him to pull the old stuff out in the firs
t place? His heart sank even more when she picked up a flat black object. She studied it a moment, rubbing her fingers along the top of it.
Her eyes lifted to his, clear and bright, with an unexpected tinge of humor."Now I understand. Widower's guilt."
Ignacio stood frozen to the spot. He'd heard the words, knew what they meant, but his brain couldn't process the current situation. He didn't know what to say or do. Now, she knew.
Others knew of his dead wife, but this was Rachel. Rachel was different. He cursed himself for bringing the box of mementos. How long ago did he pack them away into storage, and he'd felt the urge to look at them now?
"Reggy told me you'd been married and she died. What was her name?" Rachel asked, still running a finger along the edge of the digital frame.
"Marcie," Ignacio answered automatically.
"What did she do for a living? Helped you with the breeding?"
"Environmental surveyor for corporations. It gave us a chance to travel and spend time together."
"What happened?"
Ignacio didn't want to talk about it, but he couldn't deny her clear eyes. No pity, no raised voice. Only simple interest.
"Surveying for a new factory site one of the few times I wasn't with her. She wrote back that she was going to stop the construction because of the unique environment. Then a different nearby factory had an accident." He briefly closed his eyes, not wanting to remember. "It destroyed most of the nearby town along with much of the surrounding environment. At least she didn't suffer long."
"This was on Bevel. I remember seeing the news reports about it. Where the Silky Newts are from, isn't it," Rachel asked, her voice soft.
Ignacio nodded. "I'm breeding the newts to rebuild the lost local population from stock from pets and zoos. They are unique."
Rachel smiled at him. "You breed them for her."
"I bred a few before in a previous conservation program I belonged to." Ignacio forced himself to turn away from her. One by one he took the objects and started placing them back in the storage box. "Because the need was so great I started my own program here to start working on the unique reptiles of what is now a preserve using settlement money from the accident. Ironically, Irvine is the one odd newt out, as he's from a different world."
"Lucky me." Rachel handed him the digital picture frame.
He cradled the frame in his hands, watching as the pictures flicked by of Marcie and himself on their trips around the worlds of the Galactic Commonwealth. Full of smiles and fun. It seemed so long ago, and yet it really wasn't.
"I'm not trying to replace her," Rachel said.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SHE MUST HAVE hit just the right button again. The dazed confused expression returned in full strength. Rachel didn't want him confused. To her, it was all rather simple and straight-forward.
"We'll talk more on our date," Rachel said, handing him a knitted hat with a ball on top of it. It looked exactly like something one of her group would knit for their grandkids. "In the meantime, see if you can find Irvine's escape route."
Before he could say anything more, Rachel returned to the front door. With her bot and the cart preceding her, she called out, "Expect a message soon. The word 'no' is not an option."
With that one final reminder she left the warehouse.
Okay, so it hadn't gone exactly like she'd expected. At least she knew more. With the new knowledge she would know where the mood changes came from. That it meant he was remembering.
Her bot gave one more hiss towards the warehouse before turning into a maintenance corridor to head for the next repair site.
"Relax. Irvine isn't so bad. Only annoying," Rachel said as she followed.
Her bot started an entire monologue of chirps, beeps, whistles, squeaks, and squeals. Obviously, it thought she was wrong, and was going to explain exactly why. It was times like this Rachel wished she could understand their language. On the other hand, the range of noises were so much more amusing than any words would likely be.
Still, it was a barrier. The bots sometimes sensed and understood things their human partners didn't. Could Irvine be more dangerous than a simple annoying escape artist?
***
Ignacio stared at the closed front door where Rachel had just exited. Somewhere, somehow, he'd lost the chance to stop all of this once and for all, and now not only did she know about Marcie, but she was taking the lead in another date?
He pulled off the apron and ran towards the door. He didn't see any sign of her on the road between the warehouses in the block. How did she disappeared so fast?
He went back inside and finished putting away the box. A run through the warehouse to see to the newts and a half-hearted attempt to once again discover Irvine's escape method and he knew it wasn't going to work. He needed to get out of the warehouse. Do, well, something. Talk to someone.
He went to the one place he knew would be busy with people. He headed to the surface of the ring above his head. A quick ride of a tram and he arrived at the site of the upcoming Exotic Pet Show.
He found Paul inside one of the buildings testing the systems of each of the transparent enclosures. The display enclosures for the house-pet categories, if he remembered the design of the layout correctly.
"Hey, you came up from newt-land. I tested your building. You're ready to go," Paul said with a gesture towards the next building.
"Great, thanks," Ignacio said, wondering how to start. Now that he'd arrived on the grounds, the entire thing seemed silly. He should turn around and go home. Or maybe work at the site? At the very least come up with a coherent way to explain what just happened without making himself look the fool.
He started mentally organizing the explanation when he instead blurted out, "She saw Marcie's picture."
Paul jerked up straight from testing a watering system to stare at him. "Rachel? Wow, you showed her already? I'm surprised."
"I didn't show her. She saw pictures I have in storage," Ignacio said, running a finger around the collar of his shirt.
Paul balanced the epad against the lower ledge of an enclosure opening. "She dug through your stuff?"
"No, I had it on the table."
Paul frowned at him. "You brought out her stuff? Why?"
Ignacio shrugged, knowing he didn't have a good reason. As he'd worried about, he was coming out looking like a fool. "I wanted to see it again."
"And Rachel saw it. What did she say?"
"Asked a few questions and then insisted on another date."
Paul's frown broke into a smile. "Great. She wasn't intimidated by the previous wife. Good sign."
Ignacio knew he should feel the same way. He'd mourned. He'd move on. Really, it should be easy from this point on.
Paul's smile faltered. "The problem isn't with Rachel, is it."
"I feel like I'm cheating on her."
Paul glanced down the building at where workmen were still working on other enclosures. He grabbed Ignacio's arm and pulled him down the building in the opposite direction. "Cheating? Ignacio, you had a great thing with Marcie, but she's been dead for almost five years now."
Ignacio shrugged off the hand. "I know that. Of course, I know that."
Paul compressed his lips. "I'm not sure how to help you with this. You have another chance at something great. How often does that happen?"
Ignacio sure hadn't expected to be confronted by the possibility again. The universe couldn't hold another Marcie. Multiple universes couldn't.
"Are you interested?" Paul demanded.
Ignacio started, the brown eyes with blue flecks coming to mind. "Very interested."
"Okay, then?"
There it was. The choice in front of him. So simple, but so complex all at the same time. Why did it appear so simple to Paul?
Yet, could it be so simple? Could he make it simple if he tried hard enough?
Ignacio shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, when Rachel calls to set up the next date I say yes?"
"T
hat would be a good start. Along with remembering Marcie wouldn't have wanted you to be unhappy."
He knew the words to be true, but reconciling them with his betraying heart and memories was another matter.
"Okay, one more date. I can do that." Ignacio nodded at his friend. Then stopped and took a deep breath. "I'm a mess."
"Yes, you are." Paul said, his smile returning. "Now, do you want to see your building? Do you have the enclosure assignments finalized?"
"Finalized, confirmed with all those coming, forwarded to the organizing committee," Ignacio said automatically, while still running everything through his head. Rachel said she'd call him with the details. Maybe she would take him somewhere the memories wouldn't intrude.
"Should have known. You're always ahead of me," Paul said with a mock-scowl.
A crash at the other end of the building preceded one of the workmen shouting out, "Water main break! Someone shut down the main valve!"
CHAPTER TWELVE
RACHEL REPLACED A section of pipe just in time to have her ID band flash an emergency tone. She gave a heavy sigh. Of course it would be towards the end of her shift. Wasn't it usually the way?
She finished the repair and within a few minutes started towards the next repair site. Her bot chirped and beeped to itself as they made their way through the maintenance tunnels, sounding as happy and perky as when it started in the morning. Rachel wished she still had the same energy.
Instead, she needed a good meal, a hot shower to sooth aching muscles, and a relaxing evening before heading for bed. Then, tomorrow, she would contemplate the date she'd insisted Ignacio go out with her on. The pressure was now on her to find the perfect place. Someplace to fit both their personalities. The pretentious, more expensive restaurants were out. Maybe a play or a concert of some sort? Only, she didn't know his tastes on either one.
Her bot took the lead, zeroing in on the problem. At first, Rachel thought the problem might be located just under the surface of the third ring living surface. As she neared, she started to doubt the assumption. Even her bot paused, as if confused where it should be going. Up the short distance to the surface, or into the maintenance corridors just under it?
Turn of the Pipes (A Redpoint One Romance) Page 9
