“He hurt me.” Effie repeated, nearly hysterical. “I can’t take it anymore!”
“Jhodalann? I’ll kill him.” Stella lifted Effie’s chin and dabbed at the slash.
“Yes, Jhodalann.” Effie sobbed, tears mixing with the blood on her cheek. “I wouldn’t sleep with one of those stupid scientists, and he complained to Jhodalann.”
“Oh, my gods.” A deep ache formed in Stella’s gut. She could’ve just as easily been in Effie’s position tonight. With the cut on her face, she wouldn’t be able to perform for at least a week. Her dear friend needed the money she made at the bar. “Bastard.”
“He’s having money trouble.” Effie blinked her large green eyes, and the tears mixed with her eyeliner. “He said he needed to make a lot from these scientists, or he’s going to lose the bar. He’s crazy, Stella.”
Stella dabbed at the cut. “He’s been crazy, Effie. I’m not sure what to do any more.”
“You better do what he says. He’ll cut you up like he cut me. And I don’t know if he’s done. I ran.” She started sobbing harder. “I’m so tired of him, Stella.”
Stella held her tightly, stroking her short, red hair. Effie, the pixie-like, sweet Earth girl that sang and did magic tricks was as close to family as Stella had. If she could get away with killing Jhodalann, she would.
“Shh, Effie. It’s okay. We’ll figure out what to do. Right now, you need to let me bandage you up, okay?”
Effie nodded but clung to Stella. “I’m scared.”
“I know. I’m scared, too. But he can’t come in here unless I let him. You stay with me tonight, and tomorrow, we’ll figure out what to do.”
“I know you told me not to sleep with customers, but I thought this one would give me a good tip. But he was violent. He hit me as soon as he got me in his room. I thought scientists were classier than that.”
“Every job has its assholes.” She held her friend’s face and stared into her eyes. “You’re too good to be selling yourself like this. We need a plan to get out of here and off Quantum for good.”
“Yes, we do.” Effie blinked slowly. “I’m so tired.”
“Let me finish cleaning you up and we’ll go to bed. I’ll hold you. You don’t have to worry about Jhodalann or his thugs.”
“Or Eric.”
“Eric?” Stella held the cloth to Effie’s face. “Is he the scientist who hit you?”
Effie nodded. “He’s a jerk.”
“Yes, he is. I met him earlier. I’ll make sure he gets what’s coming to him, too.”
“It’s okay, Stella. We’ll get through this. Thank you for being my friend.”
“We girls gotta stick together. Let me get my first-aid supplies.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re always welcome.”
Stella held Effie as they balanced on the bed meant for one. The cut on Effie’s face needed a laser seal, but that would have to wait till morning when the crew clinic was open. She stroked Effie’s hair, fingering the curl at the end. Her precious friend.
She couldn’t let Jhodalann hurt her any more. She needed a plan and needed one quickly. Foolproof. Financial freedom would get her and Effie off the ship for good and money was the only currency Jhodalann spoke. Nothing was more important to him and nothing made him angrier than losing an opportunity.
Effie snored lightly and Stella smiled. They’d become fast friends when Jhodalann brought her onboard, and Stella had shown her all the things she needed to know about performing at the Antimatter. Some might have thought the girls were lovers, but they weren’t. True platonic friends, they were as close as sisters.
Effie was the little sister Stella never had, and she’d do anything to protect her. If something happened to her… Bile crept up Stella’s throat. Jhodalann was out of control. If the bar was in that bad of shape, he’d not stop at anything to make money. He might try to take what she had socked away.
As an indentured servant of sorts, her rights were few—especially out in deep space. No, she needed to figure out something now.
She stared at the ceiling. The rust spots sometimes seemed to form grotesque shapes in the night. Scary things. Jhodalann’s face. Thankfully, Effie’s human sight couldn’t see them in the dark room.
The smell of her sculpting clay wafted from the far side of the room, and she realized she’d not had time to sculpt at all in more than fifty cycles. She remembered the small cat she made for Teena, one of the triplets. Metal, with bent whiskers, she’d made it from discarded parts she found in the recycling room. Small animals and vehicles—all of metal—lined her workspace, and she freely gave the micro-sculptures to friends and coworkers. One day, she’d have her own gallery and sell her work. The ball of clay on her desk was all she could afford, so she used it over and over again, never firing it to a finished piece.
Kind of like herself, it molded and changed shape and form without ever settling into what it should be.
A tear wet her cheek, but she didn’t dare acknowledge it by wiping it. No, she would be strong and figure out how to get her and Effie away from Jhodalann.
Andrew. He’d been so kind to her. And he’d given her a huge tip even though she’d stolen from him. The shame crawled through the darkness and wrapped around her neck like a tight chokehold. She’d never steal from anyone again—not even Jhodalann.
If only all men were as nice as Andrew. She’d seen that wasn’t true.
Could Andrew help her and Effie escape? He seemed to want to get to know her, and she was drawn to him even in the bar full of people. Why? What was it about the unassuming scientist that pulled her with his own gravity? She suspected he might have the mating power over her, and maybe she could use that to her advantage. He seemed enamored with her too.
Maybe she should try to see if he could help. It would be a good test to see if he would. That was a lot of worry for a dark night somewhere in space. But if she’d learned anything in the dark of space, it was that you never found out anything until you tried to find an answer.
Andrew might help and he might not.
The hum of Quantum’s engines sounded deep from the bowels of the ship. Usually, the white noise helped her sleep, but tonight, it made her think about how much farther she was headed into space.
Away from wherever they had been and onto somewhere new. She realized she didn’t know where they were or where they’d been recently. It all blurred together. Ports of call came and went like sunrises used to.
Effie whimpered and she pulled her tight.
“Everything’s going to be okay, Effie.” Stella’s whisper filled the small room. “I promise.”
Six
Andrew smiled. In front of him, the Universe stretched out like a vast sea in all directions. Pinpoints of light from distant stars sometimes winked or wobbled, and tiny puffs of what looked like clouds formed nebulas that spattered the black canvas of space.
The observation deck reserved for the conference had to be the best one on LS Quantum. A floor-to-ceiling window into space, at least as tall as a multistory building, gave a glimpse into the depths unlike any he’d ever seen. The curvature of the clear dome overhead gave the illusion of floating in the deep, inky depths.
Coming here to work had been an effort in futility. With the stars so close he could almost reach to touch them, he couldn’t focus on anything but Stella. He’d put his tablet away and spent the last three cycles staring into the eternal night. Stella was on his mind like a complex math problem that he didn’t know the equation for.
He wanted her. That much, he knew. But did she want him? Why would she? She was a beautiful woman, full of life and energy, and he was a scientist, boring and dull. He was about to present his paper that he’d worked on for months and yet someone he’d only known briefly had yanked the rug from underneath his feet.
She seemed to seek him out.
He’d turned off all the lights except the safety strips that ran along the floor and stood where he could see the appro
aching system. Not close enough to make out a planet, the star beamed yellow like Earth’s sun. The ship was due to do a flyby to the red giant Mirius. Not too close, but nearer than a telescope could get him.
He paced by the window, wondering how man could engineer something to allow existence in space, and he could stand there, pondering the life of stars.
Miraculous.
The nerves over presenting his paper bubbled up, and he breathed deeply to release tension.
“I can do this.” He clasped his hands behind his back and got as close to the panel as he could. He pressed his nose to the cold material. Whatever it was made of, it was miraculous. Clear and light, the weight of the universe pressed on it.
Though his paper presentation was forthcoming, and he’d have to answer some tough questions about the life of stars, all he could do was try his best. He had unanswered questions, and maybe seeing a red giant more closely would spark an idea or hypothesis.
If nothing else, the trip checked off something on his bucket list.
Dammit. Forget the red giant. Forget the paper.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Stella. Her behavior was so erratic, and yet he got the feeling she wanted to be near him. Still, who was he to guess what a woman wanted?
He pressed his hands against the cool window.
He hadn’t had a date in many Earth years, or a girlfriend since college. Time and opportunity had never coincided with meeting someone he could see himself with. And why bother dating someone you didn’t foresee a future with? Someone who’d stolen from you?
With a click, the observation deck door opened. The door closed behind the person who entered, and the silhouette of a small and slender woman made her way to the viewing area opposite him.
Should he call out to her and let her know someone else was in the room? Or would that startle her? He watched her approach the viewing glass and put her hands up on it.
Stella.
His gaze traced the silhouette of her back as it curved inward then out again, her long hair brushing the tops of her thighs. Her dancer’s body was lean and slender but not tall. He remembered her eyes and how they’d drawn him in, though all he could see was the shadow of her face.
He’d looked up the race of the legendary shifters. From Gainor. A planet that had evaporated when its star went supernova. It had happened quickly and not that long ago, but were there truly so many beings that could shift matter and energy? Or were those stories borne of the tales of rescue? Apparently, not many of the race had escaped. Several ships had been caught in the blast and evaporated instantly, along with everything in the exploding sun’s path.
Could Stella be one of the few that had made it out alive? If so, why would she be dancing on a cruise ship instead of helping science advance?
He started to take a step toward her when the door beeped again. So much for privacy on the observation deck. A man entered, hands in his pockets. He walked up to Stella and she turned.
The man spoke to her, but Andrew couldn’t hear him. She backed away and the man laughed.
Andrew knew that laugh. A chill raced through him.
Eric!
For the second time in as many day cycles, a rush of white anger filled Andrew. Eric needed to stay away from Stella. If he caught on to what she might be, he’d ruin her.
Andrew headed toward them, fists clenching.
“I said no!” Stella’s voice raised. “I don’t care what Jhodalann told you. I’m not for sale.”
“Aww, come on, baby. Your friend gave me a problem, and look what happened to her.” Eric pushed Stella back against the glass. “Look how big this room is. We can do it a hundred times and not do it in the same place twice.”
Andrew hurried. He’d knock the shit out of Eric, no matter what it meant for his job.
The slap echoed in the domed room. Eric stumbled backward, holding his face.
“Bitch!” He rushed at her and she ducked away.
“Leave her alone.” No mistaking his voice this time. Andrew was in control.
“I beg your pardon?” Eric seethed. “Are you standing up for this whore dancer?”
Stella dashed behind Andrew.
“Don’t call her that. She’s a person doing a job. Same as the rest of us.”
“And her job is whoring.” Eric stormed over Andrew then looked from him to Stella behind him. “Ohh. I get it. Andrew has a girlfriend.” His face changed from anger to mirth and he laughed aloud.
“Go away.” Andrew felt Stella’s hand slip into his, and his whole arm tingled.
“You must’ve had some fun last night when you went to retrieve your band. The one she stole from you. I didn’t know you went for the bad girls, Andrew. Wait till the lab hears this.”
Heat seared Andrew’s face and ears, and he tamped down his reaction. No point in making things worse.
Eric held his hands up. “It’s okay. You got dibs on this one. You had her last night, and I’m infringing on your territory. I get it. I’ll find another one. Had one last night, but she ran off. I’ll see if I can’t get Jhodalann to find her for me.”
“You leave Effie alone!” Stella clenched her fists. “She doesn’t want you.”
“We’ll see.” Eric put his hands on his hips. “Doesn’t matter. Girls like you are a dime a dozen. But you have your fun, Andrew. I don’t blame you. Get her to shut her mouth until you need it open, and she’d be all right.”
Andrew tensed. He knew Eric was a jerk—always had. But this reaction to women was beyond anything he’d have believed. Eric had crossed the line to total asshole.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Stella whispered.
“You two lovebirds enjoy yourselves. I’m going to hunt for new game.” Eric turned. “Don’t get too caught up in play that you forget about presenting that paper of yours.”
“I won’t.”
“Good. Make sure you don’t.” Eric left.
Andrew didn’t move till the door beeped that Eric was gone.
“I’m sorry.” Stella let go of his hand and moved to face him. “I hope I didn’t get you in trouble.”
“No. I’m glad I was here. No telling what Eric would have done to you.”
“I have a good idea. My friend Effie was pretty beat up by him and Jhodalann last night.” Stella stared out the window. “She’s pretty shaken.”
“I’m so sorry. Why do you put up with Jhodalann? He’s not a nice man.”
“I could ask you the same thing about Eric.” He didn’t imagine the fire in her eyes this time.
“I don’t know. I guess my career is kind of tied to him right now. I want out. It’s not the right time yet.”
She seemed so small against the backdrop of the Universe. Andrew tried to take her into his arms and hold her. But he wasn’t sure what the protocol was for when to hug a girl you liked.
Heck, he more than liked her. It made no logical sense. He hadn’t known her that long but he wanted to be with her all the time. Get to know her more.
“Yeah, and mine is tied to Jhodalann—unfortunately. And I want out, too. I understand.”
She walked over to the dome and stared, lost in thought.
What do I do? Had it been that long since he’d talked to a girl? Was he really wanting a date with a thief? What could they possibly have in common? Yes, his heart screamed he did. He’d never had such crazy, jumbled feelings for someone.
“Do you like it here?” He stood beside her. “I mean, in the observation deck.”
“Sometimes I come here to stare into the void. To be alone. I like that. Everything out there feels so empty. I can pretend I’m the only living thing. One day, I’ll be somewhere on the ground, but for now, this is what I’ve got.”
“Don’t you see all those stars and wonder about the planets circling them and the life they carry?” He gazed at Beta Phargi, a system with three inhabitable planets and millions of lives. She echoed some of his own thoughts. No one had ever understood him but she took words r
ight out of his brain and spoke them. “I look out there and see connections. So many living things, so many overlapping existences.”
She turned to him. “No, I only see loneliness.”
“Don’t the stars give you hope and make you feel one with everything?” He reached for her hand, and she let him take it.
“No. When my home planet’s star exploded and took my world and everything I know, my view of stars kind of changed.” She looked away.
“You’re Gainorian, aren’t you?”
She snapped her gaze to him. “Yes. How did you know?”
He smiled. “I’m a scientist. I figure out puzzles. That’s my job.”
She laughed. “Of course, it’s your job. You have to figure everything out.”
His whole world expanded with the lovely sound.
They stared out into the deep without speaking for a few moments.
“Why are you here, Andrew? You don’t seem to fit in with the others.” She squeezed his hand. “The scientists, I mean.”
“I-I want to see the red giant, Mirius, for one thing. And I have to present a paper on my research about the life of stars. You’re right, I don’t fit in with my peers.”
She nodded. “I can tell you don’t. I can also tell you that Mirius isn’t much to look at. We aren’t getting that close to it, and if you’ve seen one red giant, you’ve seen them all.”
“But I haven’t had the chance to see one this close.” His voice hitched. “It’s going to be a miracle for me.”
She sighed. “I wish I could feel the same. I mean, it’s beautiful here, but it still feels so lonely.”
“I wish I could make you less lonely.”
“You do. I don’t know if it’s enough. Tell me what you see in the red giant?” She looked up at him and he longed to brush her hair back from her face.
“I see a star expanded with energy. I see starlight growing. I see the remains of the day, the end of a lovely and long life. It’s peaceful.”
“That’s beautiful.”
He paused. “May I kiss you, Stella?”
“I’ve never had anyone ask first.” Her eyes sparkled fire.
Cosmic Cabaret Page 5
