by Jocelyn Han
“I’ll go make a few calls.” Nic got up and cast her one last, despondent look before he left the room. Ava sighed, whipped out her pad and sent Georgie a message to let her know that they’d be seeing each other soon.
Two days later, Ava met Georgie in front of the Neil Armstrong Lodge. Her friend had used a courtesy Solar van to get to the hotel from the cruiser terminal, despite Ava’s suggestion to get a cab. “I didn’t have to wait very long,” Georgie said as she pulled Ava into a warm embrace. “It’s nonsense to spend all that money on a private taxi.”
“Well, Nicolas is loaded,” Ava replied. “And he wouldn’t have minded paying for the expenses. He’s also paying for the hotel.”
Georgie smirked. “You’re starting to sound like an Elite bitch, Avaleria Windsor. ‘Oh, don’t worry, my half-uncle will pay for everything…’ “
Ava punched her on the shoulder. “Stop it. I don’t want to be a leech, but I really had to get out of that house for a while.”
“Yeah, tell me what happened,” Georgie pleaded as they strolled into the lobby. “You’ve been awfully quiet on the subject of your sexy guardian lately.”
Ava pressed the button for the elevator. “Well, what happened is that he stopped seeing Clea.”
“He did?” Georgie gasped.
“Yeah. Shortly after that night we danced together.”
“Did you ask why he broke up with her?”
“No.” Ava bit her lip. “It’s really not my business.”
“But it is! He realized he likes you better.”
They stepped into the elevator. Ava shook her head. “He rejected me, George. After a workout in his practice room, I – I tried to seduce him. I kissed him, and he – oh, God, that kiss. It was so good he could have taken me against the wall, right there and then, for all I cared.”
“And then?” Georgie gazed at her breathlessly.
“And then he totally freaked out. Said I should never touch him like that again. He broke my heart and trampled all over the pieces.”
Her friend fell silent. “Have you told him you’re in love with him?” she asked gently.
“Why should I?” Ava scoffed. “You want me to make a complete, utter fool of myself?”
“Maybe he doesn’t know.” Georgie took a deep breath. “Maybe he thinks you’re just playing games with him.”
The elevator dinged. As they got out, Ava shook her head again. “He made it perfectly clear to me why he’s drawing a line. Let’s just forget about it. I came here to get him out of my head, and you have to help me.”
Georgie shrugged. “If you say so.”
In the days that followed, Ava was surprised to discover Luna Six wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. It was true that most of its British and Great German citizens were haughty Elitists, but the people in the service industry who ran the shops, the restaurants and the tourist agencies were commoners who reminded her of the people back in Sutton – moderately well-off, proud to be what they were, and thankful to be a part of the moon colony. They also took a day to visit the school Tom and Patty attended during the week, which inspired Ava to seriously look at job openings at Moon-6 Elementary. “I’ve always enjoyed teaching people all kinds of things,” she mused. “Maybe I should get a job as a teacher. Find an apartment in the city. Nicolas can pay for it if he wants.”
“It would be a good place for you,” Georgie agreed. “It’s the only school where Elite and commoner kids attend classes together, right?”
By the time Georgie’s vacation was over, Ava felt so much lighter. She hadn’t thought of Nicolas that much, and by now she also had a new ambition – applying for jobs in the city. The headmistress of Moon-6 Elementary had expressed interest in receiving her resume, so she might be able to provide for herself and move out of Carter Manor entirely before too long.
“Take care,” Georgie said, hugging her tightly as they said their goodbyes on the terminal platform. “Drop by Sutton soon, okay?”
“I will.” Ava watched her friend boarding the cruiser back to Earth, then turned around to exit the building and call a cab to bring her back home.
When the taxi floated up to the front gates, Danny and Margaret were waiting for her with beaming faces. “Welcome back,” Mrs. Pipps said, taking her suitcase. “We missed you! The twins told us you visited their school. They were so excited to meet your friend.”
“Tom said he wanted you to be their teacher if you get a job at the school,” Danny added. “I think it would be a golden opportunity for you, Ava.”
She nodded, absently looking around. “Nicolas isn’t home yet?” she inquired.
Margaret smiled. “He’s out in the fields with the farmers. He said he’d be here for tea.”
Ava nodded quietly. She’d tried so hard to forget about Nicolas these past few weeks – in fact, she hadn’t even introduced Georgie to him. It had seemed best to steer clear of Carter Manor for a while, but as Ava went inside and looked around the familiar hallway, she realized she’d truly missed the place. The manor felt like home, despite the heartache she’d suffered in this house.
Upstairs, in her room, Ava unpacked her bags and stood in front of her wardrobe to pick out something nice to wear. During her vacation, she’d worn casual, comfortable clothes all the time, but now she suddenly felt the urge to dress in something more elegant. Her fingers ran over the outfits on the hangers before picking out a dark-blue slip dress her dad had given to her one year ago. The Elite-colored outfit would probably come in handy when they visited Uncle Gerald. Maybe she should show it to Nic for approval first.
After changing into the dress, Ava wandered downstairs. She could hear Margaret preparing tea and cakes in the kitchen, but the thought of walking in there and sampling some of the sweets before teatime was strangely off-putting. Actually, she was too nervous to eat anything right now. Her gaze drifted to the back door, leading to the orangery and the shed where she’d kissed Nicolas for the first – and probably last – time. If he’d been working outside, he should be coming in through the gardens any minute now.
Her heart beat in her throat when she pushed open the door and stepped outside. The crisp, cold air under the dome tickled her skin, momentarily causing goose bumps to erupt on her arms. As Ava walked down the garden path and past the vegetable patch where she’d worked with Alen until last month, she hummed a tune. Only when she’d reached the edge of the manor grounds and stopped at the big gate leading to the wheat fields did it dawn on her that she was singing Fly Me To The Moon. She’d listened to the song several times during her stay in the Neil Armstrong Lodge, because it had been in the room’s playlist. By now, she knew the lyrics by heart.
Ava’s breath hitched when her gaze alighted on a tall, dark figure stalking through the field bordering on the manor’s yard. With trembling fingers, she lifted the latch on the gate and pushed it open to step outside and greet Nicolas – her handsome, sexy, well-built guardian with his dark-brown hair and endlessly deep emerald eyes.
He spotted her. For a second she was afraid he’d veer off and make his way around the house to the front door, just to avoid her. But he didn’t. If anything, he seemed to speed up, purposely striding toward the gate, his eyes intently on her.
When Nic finally came to a stop in front of Ava, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he scooped her up in his arms and hugged her so tight it knocked the wind out of her.
“You’re back,” he mumbled in her hair.
“Of – of course I’m back,” she whispered, completely flustered by his warm welcome.
Nicolas sighed. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” And just like that, she knew her mission to get this man out of her system had failed. It had been easy to pretend she didn’t care when she was still in Luna Six having fun with her friend. Seeing him again made her painfully aware of how much he’d become an inevitable part of her world, though. She bit back tears. Their lives would be two straight lines running parallel to eac
h other, never to touch. He’d be forever next to her, unattainable, and it would be her undoing.
“So, Luna Six agreed with you after all?” Nicolas said with a playful smile after he’d released her. “The kids told me you’re aiming for a teaching career.”
“I might apply for a job there, yes.” She looked up at him. “Since you’re not planning on giving me that gardening job.”
Nic chuckled. “I hired a new guy to be groundskeeper. A friend of Danny’s. You might meet him tonight.”
They walked back to the house, chatting about Ava’s adventures in Luna Six and beyond. Nicolas had gone back to keeping his distance again – he was careful not to put his hand on her shoulder or to walk too close, but it was hard to miss his eyes eagerly and repeatedly sweeping up and down her body in the beautiful dress. No matter what he might tell her later about his impromptu hug, Ava knew he hadn’t been able to help himself a few minutes ago. Seeing her after all these weeks had apparently pushed him to throw all caution to the wind. He still wanted her, and for a single, optimistic second, she’d allowed her hope to flare up again. Had he changed his mind?
“So, I booked a flight to Old London,” Nicolas announced when they were all sitting down for tea in the kitchen, Tom and Patty still busy at the counter making dough for more scones. “We’re leaving in two days.”
“That soon?” Ava cried out. “I thought I’d be able to squeeze in a few job interviews first.”
Nicolas gave her a lopsided smile. “Well, you thought wrong. Uncle Gerald doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
She glared at him. “You said he was a nice man.”
“Nice men can’t be impatient?”
Ava grinned. “Were you always being this clever or did I just forget about it while I was away?”
“I have always been this clever,” he replied with a serious face.
“Well, lucky me.”
“Indeed. Count your blessings, Miss Windsor,” he added even more deadpan.
Ava giggled. Somehow, they’d gone back to the teasing exchanges so common between them before things had turned ugly. She stared at him, absorbing his green eyes and playful little smile keenly. And suddenly, she realized just how much she was in love with this guy who was supposed to be her uncle. Maybe Georgie was right – maybe she should tell him. As long as she didn’t, she’d never know if he was able to reciprocate her feelings.
That trip to Earth couldn’t happen soon enough.
11.
“This cruiser service to Novi Mir and Old London is ready to depart,” the mechanical voice announced.
Ava sat strapped into the seat next to Nicolas, slightly nervous about the launch. On her way to Luna, she’d had to keep really still in order not to get sick. With her less-than-Elite background, the occasions for space travel had been few and far between.
“Just close your eyes and relax,” Nic said calmingly. “The first part is the hardest, but it’s not as bad as taking off from Earth. Luna’s gravity is a lot lower.”
“Why is this cruiser also calling at the Russian space station?” she grumbled. “I just want this to be over.”
She bit her lip as Nicolas’s hand covered hers. “I’m here,” he reassured her. “If you feel bad, just talk to me.”
“I don’t know what to talk about,” she squeaked.
“Then sing me a song.”
Ava drew a deep breath when the cruiser engines started to rumble, coming to life with a deafening roar. “Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars,” she started bravely.
Nicolas looked sideways, a pleased glint in his eyes. “You know the lyrics now?”
“Yep.” At some point during her stay in the Luna Six hotel, Sinatra’s song had wormed its way into her mind as being ‘their’ song, and she hadn’t been able to stop listening to it ever since. “I really liked it the first time you played it to me,” she mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut when the G-force of the launch pressed her back in her seat and made her ears pop. Of course, the cruiser was fitted with stabilizers, but it still wasn’t pleasant.
“Hang in there,” Nic said, still holding her hand. “You’re doing fine.”
After a few more agonizing minutes, the cruiser floated away, out of reach of Luna’s gravitational pull. The jets started up with a humming sound. Soon, the cruiser zipped through space toward Earth and the passengers were allowed to take off their seatbelts. The entire trip wouldn’t take more than an hour, including the five minutes they’d dock at Novi Mir.
“Well, you survived without hurling all over me,” Nicolas smiled, letting go of her hand. “Congratulations.”
“Thanks,” Ava responded feebly. “Excuse me. I think I’m going on a little stroll to the bathroom now.”
“Will you be all right?”
“Yeah, don’t worry.” She got up and made her way to the back of the ship, waiting patiently in line with some other passengers gathered in front of the restrooms. From her position, she could still see Nicolas in his seat. He was reading a book on his pad. Every now and then, he smiled faintly, amused by something in the story. It was remarkable how much more peaceful he seemed compared to a few weeks ago. When he’d still been seeing Clea, he’d have mood swings that she couldn’t really keep track of. And of course, after he’d broken up with Clea, he’d struggled with his feelings for her. Somehow, he seemed to have given up that fight. The way he’d welcomed her home a few days ago was still fresh in her mind. Getting away from him for a while had been a good decision, then. Ava silently prayed to Gaia, the Earth goddess her nanny had told her so many stories about, asking Her for counsel and guidance. Had Nicolas come to accept he had feelings for her that transcended his duty as guardian? And if so, would he act upon them?
By the time the cruiser reached Earth, several passenger announcements had been made about the state of the weather on the surface.
“Due to tornadoes hitting the southern part of the British Isles, this cruiser will be diverted to another spaceport,” the captain’s voice poured from the speakers. “Our current destination is Old Berlin, Great Germany. Vouchers for on-site accommodation will be handed out upon arrival. There will be no outbound flights to the British Isles tonight.”
“Damn.” Nicolas set down their bags with a thud. “Looks like we’re stranded for the night. I’ll give Uncle Gerald a call.” He grimaced at her. “See, this is why I’m not a big fan of uncontrolled weather. This would never happen on Luna.”
“No, because Luna has no soul,” Ava replied a bit tartly.
Nic raised an eyebrow. “That’s not what your nanny taught you, right?”
“Oh, stop being a prick,” Ava couldn’t help snap at him. She’d looked forward to setting foot on British soil once again, but now she’d have to wait a little while longer.
He looked at her thoughtfully. “Don’t worry about the landing,” he said, his voice suddenly gentle. “That’s going to be a piece of cake, compared to take-off from Luna.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled. “I’m just pissed off because of the delay.”
Nicolas was right – the landing was smooth sailing. That’s were their luck ended, though. By the time they’d made it to the main hall, vouchers in hand, a whole host of people had flocked to the waiting area in front of customer service.
“Are all these people supposed to stay at the spaceport tonight?” Ava blurted out in horror. “We’re never gonna get a room.”
Nicolas sighed. “Let’s just get in line.”
It took them forty-five minutes to move up and finally speak to a representative. “Good evening,” Nicolas greeted the man in English, putting their vouchers on the desk. “We’d like to get a hotel for the night, please.”
“Dorm or private room?”
Nicolas almost rolled his eyes at the man, suddenly looking very much Elite. “Private room.” Ava suppressed a giggle. The thought of Nicolas letting the two of them stay in a twelve-bedded standard dorm was preposterous, to say the least.
> The customer service rep frowned, tapped in a few things on the screen in front of him, and cleared his throat. “It’s your lucky night, Sir,” he said. “I have one more double room available in the Reichstag Ritz. Perfect for you and your girlfriend. These vouchers will cover all expenses.”
Wrong move. Ava saw Nicolas completely tense up, giving the spaceport employee a stern look. “Any chance you can change that to two single rooms? She’s my niece. We’d like to each have a room to ourselves.”
The man visibly paled. “I’m sorry for my assumption, Sir,” he stammered. “But this really is the last room I have.”
“Okay then. We’ll take it,” Nicolas said grudgingly.
He carefully avoided her gaze as he handed over their passport chips to check in. Ava bit her lip. Gone was Nic’s relaxed demeanor of earlier that day. He was shitting bricks – probably afraid she might try something with him again. Or maybe, just maybe, Nic was scared of what he might be tempted to do. The thought brought unbidden tears to her eyes. Why couldn’t they just be comfortable around each other, like they’d been on the cruiser? Nic had held her hand. They’d laughed together. He’d been a good guardian and friend to her. And by trying to kiss him once, she’d ruined everything, including the chance of them ever being normal friends.
After check-in, they were ushered to a bay where a dozen people were waiting for the hotel’s courtesy van. Nicolas put down their bags and turned around to address her, but then stared past her at someone else in the group of hotel guests.
“Jeremy!” he exclaimed, a broad grin splitting his face in two. “What are you doing here?”
Ava whipped around to see a handsome, young man approaching them. His green eyes reminded her of Nic’s, but his hair was lighter – a mix of copper and auburn. “Hey, Nicolas!” Jeremy greeted her half-uncle. “I could ask you the same thing.” His gaze swerved to Ava. “And who is this lovely young lady?”
