People milled along the path to the nearby 'Hotel Circle.' Set one level down and a short distance away, multiple hotels encircled a grassy landscaped center courtyard complete with seating areas and fancy fountains. Unlike on a surface world, no hovering vehicles zipped through the narrow streets. Only pedestrians and small carts holding a maximum of four people and a little luggage moved along them.
For an alien space station, filled with technology she'd heard the humans still couldn't figure out, it sure gave off the impression of a slower pace and lifestyle. She enjoyed it, as it reminded her of the small hometown she'd grown up in. Yet, how many people did she hear lived permanently on the station? Six hundred thousand?
Damien was one of them. Working away to make sure it all worked as it should. She envied him.
Oh yes. Time to find a place to settle down herself while doing the other thing she loved: being a xenobiologist. Seeing animals in their native habitat. Learning from them and about them. Discovering traits and behaviors no one else may have ever seen.
In her own way, she was an explorer, and she loved it. She just needed to find a way to bring together her two needs.
She stopped at the open doors of the foyer of her hotel. People with luggage streamed out, including several she knew to be exhibitors. She frowned as they passed her. What were they doing? The show was just starting.
Then she caught a whiff of it. The doors of the foyer closed and then opened again to allow the exit of another group of people. With the movement came a stronger whiff. She stepped back, putting a hand to her nose.
The smell was back, only this time it had hit her hotel.
One of the other exhibitors stopped next to her, the older man leaning on the top of one of his tall suitcases. "You don't want to go in there."
"Where is that smell coming from? How can it hit the pet show and here?" Vallory asked.
The man shook his head, his silvery hair moving to the movement. "No idea. Half the hotels around the circle have it, and the other half are worried they are about to get it. Grab your luggage and go to the desk. They are trying to give everyone one night's lodging somewhere else while the maintenance crew works on the problem."
"Thanks," Vallory said even as she thought of Damien. Overtime for him tonight.
Taking a big gulp of semi-fresh air, she rushed through the crowd and inside the hotel. Not that it helped for long. She could hold her breath for only so long, and then had to take a breath of the air inside.
She almost gagged. The stench caused her eyes to water to the point she knew she looked like she was crying. She ran down the hall to her room, her fingers trembling as they pressed against the keylock pad.
It smelled just as bad inside the room, giving her no respite as she threw her things together into her luggage. With luggage in tow, she ran back to the foyer and to the desk where several tense and uncomfortable-looking hotel employees did what they could with those lined up.
One man, the top of his head bald, threw up his hands. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. We are working as fast as we can to find other rooms for the night, but the station is already full from the pet show. Please, be patient."
Patient? In this stink? She looked longingly towards the door leading outside. While she'd been inside packing someone had propped open the sliding doors, but it didn't do much to help with the breathability of the air inside.
How she yearned to run out there, to breathe easily again, but then she would lose her place in line. She needed somewhere to sleep for the night, after all. Security wouldn't allow her to make a nest in the dried grass of the enclosure and sleep with the daubpups. She had a feeling her group would sleep better tonight than she would.
Another of the hotel guests raised their voice in complaint as the air thickened with the stench. She didn't notice as much as she might have. Not with the sight of a familiar face walking down the hallway from the back of the hotel.
Damien. Here. At her hotel.
CHAPTER EIGHT
DAMIEN WORE ONLY a simple black t-shirt with heavy dark-blue pants. The type of clothing one might expect of a simple laborer. Only, he wore it with confidence and authority. The men around her in designer shirts and carefully pleated pants didn't even come close to him.
She'd originally thought of him as a simple 'muscle man?' Yes, he possessed muscles galore, enough to attract attention from half the women still in the foyer, but he was more than that.
How much more she wasn't sure she wanted to dwell on. No point in it. Not when she would soon leave. The thought lay heavy on her heart. Somehow, she did want to dwell on it, and more importantly, she wanted it to matter.
Pushing the thoughts firmly aside, she focused on the one thing she could do. Something she hadn't been able to do properly before.
As he neared, she waved at him. But, he'd turned towards his bot, not seeing her. Fortunately the bot did, and it veered towards her, dragging the cart behind it.
Damien looked up, surprised, searching the large room for its destination. The full weight of his attention settled on her. An amused smile lit his face. She hoped it was because of her, not just because it seemed his bot liked her.
She knelt as the bot came to her, as she would to one of the daubpups. The plain white outer shell of the bot was smooth and cool to her fingertips. "How are you today?"
The bot chirped at her. She didn't know what the sound meant, but it sounded happy.
The tops of dark short boots came into view. Still stroking the top of the bot with one hand, she looked up. Damien met her gaze, his green eyes piercing her soul.
She knew it was all in her mind, but the logical part of her mind was drowned out by the sheer overwhelming emotion. Oh yes, he could see her. See her in a way no one else ever had.
"I see you found my bot," his thoroughly male voice rumbled.
"I think it found me." She pushed herself back to her feet. "I'm glad you're here."
A wave of the stench went through the air, drowning out even her raging emotions. She couldn't stop herself from clapping her hand over her mouth and nose. Several in the foyer ran for the doors.
Vallory would have followed them, but Damien still had his feet planted as if he wasn't leaving. He wasn't covering his nose, either. Maybe he was used to it. Besides, she had something to finish.
"If it's about the smell, we are doing our best," Damien said before she could start. He grimaced as he glanced back at the hall he'd just come down. "I've changed all the filters. Checked everything I can think of. I hate to say it, but while we will continue trying, we'll most likely just have to wait it out."
Which meant finding another place to sleep. Judging from the sounds of the poor hotel staff that had no choice but to stay at the front desk the prospect of finding somewhere was remote.
"No, that's not it, although getting rid of the smell would be wonderful." Vallory straightened, forcing herself to drop her hand from her face. She wished she could take a deep breath to steady herself, but she had to content herself with several small quick breaths. Good grief, just his presence affected her anymore. Why was it getting stronger each time they met?
"I wanted to thank you for this morning," Vallory started.
He tilted his head. "I believe you already said that."
"But I didn't finish." The smell stopped her from doing it properly before. Right here and now, the smell would not stop her. "The show has been stressful, and what happened yesterday, well, I sure didn't need it. I don't know anything, I'm dealing with an escape artist." He gave a quick laugh at that. "Now a baby, which is a euphoric and terrifying event all on its own."
A women in line ahead of her gave her an understanding smile. Probably thought she was talking about a human baby. Would she be as happy and terrified with the arrival of her own baby? One with a fuzz of dark hair on its head and green eyes with her fair skin…
She took a shuddering breath, despite the stink, furious at herself. Why did her mind go there? And yet, another part of her t
hrilled at the thought.
"It meant a great deal to have someone believe in me enough to come to my defense. Thank you for doing so. Oh, and thank you for staying still for the baby."
She bit her lip as she finished. The woman gave a horrified gasp, and with a flush of heat to her face, Vallory realized how odd her last words would have sounded to anyone who didn't realize she was talking about animals.
Through it all he'd remained silent, his eyes focused only on her. The full attention gave her another warm rush. She could come to enjoy such attention.
"You are very welcome," Damien said with an incline of his head. "And I spoke the truth. I do not believe you had anything to do with the events at the pet show."
A tightness in her chest loosened. He really did believe her. It meant so much that he did.
"It sounds as if lodging tonight will be an issue," he continued.
The rushing in her ears diminished enough that she could overhear another at the desk. Still having trouble finding rooms for their guests. Vallory started to wonder if she could go to the spaceport and try to get comfortable in one of the benches or chairs there. Not the type of night to look forward to.
"I believe I know a place with a bed."
A bed? His… bed?
***
Well, that comment sent her face flushing a bright red. Going back over the words in his mind, Damien winced. He quickly added, "A nearby bed and breakfast. I know the owners."
"Oh. Of course," she said just as quickly, but the flush remained. He could almost see her thoughts whirling around.
The same thoughts that were whirling around his own head, making him decidedly uncomfortable. Bed. Oh yes, that was a pleasant thought.
But, not the right one right now. He gestured towards the door. "Shall we?"
She hesitated only a moment. The stench growing stronger must have decided it for her. She grabbed her luggage and turned to head straight for the exit. "Oh yes. The sooner the better."
She slowed once outside, as did Damien. He glared back at the hotel. People fleeing it, and he couldn't figure out what was causing it. Small consolation that no one else could, not even Zane.
"I feel bad about taking you away from your job," Vallory said as she set one of the cases to the ground and rubbed a shoulder.
He grabbed the case, finding it heavier than expected. He heaved it into the back of the cart on top of several covered buckets. Her other luggage soon followed. The cart took it all without lowering an inch to the ground, but then it was industrial grade. "I'm on overtime right now. For obvious reasons. They can wait until I get back."
Zane. Back. It felt strange, but right. He only wished he would relax a little. Couldn't the man see the rest of them were glad to have him back? Even the station wanted him back. Zane either didn't notice, or he didn't want to. Either one spawned a multitude of questions.
With the luggage in the cart, Damien took her hand and placed it on his arm. Her hand fisted before relaxing to grip his forearm.
"It's not far from here or the pet show," Damien said, keeping his voice as neutral and conversational as he could.
"Then they may already be filled up." Her stride equalled his, something he found oddly pleasing. She gave him a sad smile. "The hotel is calling every hotel or the like in the area to accommodate their guests, and it looks like I'm at the tail end."
"Another meeting?" Whatever those meetings were about.
"No, observations of the daubpups, specifically the new baby."
Yes, the little ear nuzzler. "And does it have a new name?"
As he led her out of the circle of hotels and towards the large elevator that would take them to the surface of the ring, she shook her head. "I tried a few names while refilling the water, but it ignored all of them. They choose their own names. The problem on my side is finding the right name to say out loud so they can choose it."
With a bark of laugher, Damien regarded his bot. "Sounds like my guy. The station repair bots are the same way. Results in rather odd names."
"Good luck with your naming," Vallory said with a flash of a smile.
"And you." The hand on his forearm tightened as they reached the elevator. Like a transit car, it had three doors, out of which people flowed in and out. At a break in the flow, Damien led her and his bot inside. A short ride later and they were on the surface.
Soft lights glowed along walking paths under a night sky. Night time in the ring, with the night sky filled with the actual sky surrounding Redpoint One. As good as the view was, he wished for the better one at one of the observation points at the top of the ring outer walls. Nothing but the stars and colors of space. Maybe he could talk Vallory into joining him in one of them.
Which sounded too much like a date. What was wrong with him?
His body must have tensed, because she glanced up at him uncertainly as they walked through the night air. He forced himself to relax and smile. "I think you'll like this place. The woman who owns it is slightly nuts, but that's part of its charm."
Vallory smiled, even though he could feel her tense through the hand still on his arm. She'd left it there through the entire walk. He hadn't even meant to do it. It just seemed the thing to do. "Does she know she's nuts?"
Damien laughed. "Not a chance. Her and the rest of the Naughty Knitters Club view themselves as the epitome of sanity, and prove it by showing us how it's really done."
"Including your job?" Her rich voice lilted with humor.
"Not so far, but they have gone so far as finding and bringing us people they think should work for the department. Sad thing is, so far they've been right. It's driving the boss crazy."
The night air filled with her uninhibited laughter. Such a pleasing sound, and one he'd not heard, but now having done so, he wanted to hear it again.
He mentally chided himself for his interest. Soon the pet show would end and Vallory would be off on her next nomadic adventure. Away from Redpoint One, and unlikely to return.
Yet, he found himself sharing tales of the Naughty Knitters Club. Their matchmaking with Rachel. Daisy's rummage sale finds, including the time she found an alien bug in stasis that she and the previous owner thought was a statue. Siggy, Velda's neurotic but lovable dog.
By the time they arrived at the Northstar Bed & Breakfast, he had her constantly laughing. A sound he was quickly becoming addicted to. Her hand lay relaxed on his forearm. He wished they could continue walking, but time to get her settled for the night. Also time for him to get back to Hotel Circle to see if he could figure out some other cause for the stink. Preferably before it spread to the other hotels.
Also time to see if he could sweet-talk Velda into the bed Vallory needed for the night. Might not be as easy to do as making Vallory laugh.
Velda opened the front door after the first ring of the chimes, dressed in a ruby-red and ivory white Chinese silk-screened dress that fell off her trim frame in elegant waves, tucked in at just the right places. The bleach-blond woman may be a legal 'senior citizen,' but she still knew style and wore it well.
Her eyes alit. "Damien! To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Siggy looked around from the back of her ankles to woof up at him. Damien took her hand and bent to kiss the bony knuckles. "A pleasure, as always, Velda. You look lovely."
Her eyes narrowed, taking in him, the bot and cart, and Vallory. Specifically how Vallory's hand still rested on his forearm. "I know bamboozling when I hear it. Okay, what do you want?"
Damien grinned, unrepentant. "I recall Rachel mentioning the room you are refurbishing above the kitchen addition. This is Vallory Schist, and she's in desperate need of a bed for the night."
"Anything to do with what was described to me as 'a stench even high heaven would not suffer gladly?'" Velda asked sweetly. "I've had three hotels call me in the last hour."
His smile disappeared. "That would be the one. Vallory has pets in the Exotic Pet Show, and as you know, tomorrow starts the active judging." Now, why did th
at make her hand tense? "She doesn't need much. Just a bed."
Vallory nodded vigorously. "Yes, just a bed. When I'm out in the field, all I usually have is a tent, so I don't need much."
"A tent?" Velda echoed even as Damien's heart clenched. A nomad. Of course she was familiar with tents. "Well, no tent here. The room was just painted, but the new floor isn't in yet. Still, it will do."
Velda stepped back and motioned them inside. With regret, Damien let Vallory's hand fall away from his arm. Just as well. He was liking it there far too much.
As he grabbed the luggage from out of the back of the cart, he realized part of what he'd just thought. Liked walking with her with her arm crooked into his. A formal way of walking, but with Vallory it felt right. No informal holding of hands with her. It wouldn't feel right.
How long had it been since he yearned for the simple company of a woman for something as simple as a walk? Lord, he could be in trouble here.
He followed the two women into the stately two-story house as Velda guided Vallory towards the stairs leading to the upstairs room. A rounded shape zipped by his feet, to come to a hovering halt just behind Vallory. Siggy dove to the floor in surprise, then jumped up and started barking furiously at Damien's bot.
"Siggy, enough," Velda said, without even looking back. With one last indignant woof, the little dog pattered off after the women, wandering from one side to the other, as if he were incapable of walking in a straight line.
His bot? It left the cart to follow Vallory?
His bot? Yes, he might be in trouble here if even his bot was besotted with the fiery woman.
Fiery, but passionate with a healthy dose of volatile. Compassion, caring, so soft around the edges even while taking on someone like cantankerous Mr. Pyman. Not a combination he was usually attracted to, but he wouldn't have Vallory any other way.
"Here we are," Velda announced at the end of one of the halls on the second story. She turned on the inside light and hurried in. "Just give me a minute to make the bed and store a few of the supplies away."
Once Upon a Pet Show (A Redpoint One Romance) Page 8
