“These things make me feel ill,” she said.
“They take a bit of getting used to.”
Nell’s suite was only a short distance from the lift. She paused at the door as she went to open it, turning back to him.
“I really did have a lovely time tonight. Before… that.”
“Me, too.”
She smiled, then ran her ID chip over the locking mechanism, the door sliding open.
“I’m back!” she called into the suite.
A small figure dressed in red and blue bedclothes patterned with some sort of primitive vehicle came running towards the door and jumped up into Nell’s arms. A slightly nervous looking Jenseric girl came running after him.
“I’m sorry, I know you said bed before ten, but we were talking and he was telling me all about his pictures…”
“Ah, yes, he does that,” Nell said. “Many people before you have fallen for that one, don’t worry. Thanks for looking after him.”
“No problem,” the girl said, bobbing her head. She couldn’t have been older than fifteen, Garrant thought. The daughter of one of the other athletes, perhaps, earning some pocket money to spend in the Olympia’s shops.
“Are you home early, Mummy?” the little boy asked.
He looked like Nell - blonde hair, tan skin. He didn’t share the same striking grey eyes that Nell and Asha had, instead a bright green colour.
“A little bit earlier than expected,” Nell said. “But it’s still late, mister.”
Mikey giggled, then turned, catching sight of Garrant.
“Who are you?” he asked in that guileless way that only young children could get away with.
“This is Garrant, he’s a friend of Uncle Cael’s,” Nell said. “He’s one of the athletes competing in the games.”
The little boy’s eyes went wide. “What sport do you play?”
“It’s called Hyperdisk,” Garrant said.
“It sounds a bit like a cross between football and basketball. In space,” Nell said.
“Cool, can we go watch, Mummy?”
“Of course we can.”
“Hm, I don’t know,” Garrant said, pretending to study Mikey. “Are you good at cheering?”
“Really good,” he said with a grin.
“Okay then, but only if you’re cheering for me. No cheering for the other team.”
Mikey giggled, his green eyes flashing with mischief.
“The games start first thing tomorrow morning,” Nell said. “So if you want to be up in time, you better get yourself off to bed, monster.”
Mikey groaned, but when Nell lowered him to the floor, he waved to Garrant then headed into the suite without complaint.
“Where will you be playing?” Nell asked. “And what time?”
“I’ll comm you the details,” he said.
“Oh, so I have to accept your connection request?”
“I actually hadn’t thought of that, that would have been clever of me if I had.”
Nell laughed. “Thank you,” she said. “For walking me home, and for not… freaking out.”
She gestured vaguely in the direction of the arena, and then to the suite behind her.
“Nothing to freak out about,” he said. “For me, anyway, I understand if you’re freaking out.”
She pushed a lock of her hair back, staring out into the middle distance. “It’s just typical, isn’t it?” she said. “You’re having a really nice time, and the past just comes to kick your feet out from under you.”
“The past is a bastard that way.”
She laughed, and though she was still holding herself in, she seemed a little less anxious, a little more relaxed. She smiled up at him, and out of nowhere the thought hit him that he wouldn’t mind having her smile at him like that every day.
“Goodnight, Garrant,” she said. “Send me those details about your event. We’ll definitely be there.”
He gave her a wave as she slipped through the door, closing it behind her.
Garrant commed Allendi as he walked back to his own suite, letting her know that Nell was okay and he was turning in to get an early night ahead of the heats tomorrow. Allendi commed him back almost instantly, thanking him for being a gentleman and wishing him a restful night’s sleep.
If she knew what he’d been up to with Nell, he doubted she would still consider him a gentleman. And a restful night was probably unachievable. Garrant knew, even as he arrived back at his suite, shucking off his clothes as soon as he stepped through in to the bedroom, that he would spend the night replaying in his mind the feel of her skin, the taste of her mouth, her sex. It might have been enough to get him hard again, but the way she’d paled when she’d seen Ricky… the memory of that was enough to erase any feeling of lust.
He lay back on the bed, searching for her on the communication network. He stared at her name for the longest time, running through lines about play dates and suggestions of what they could get up to during the child-free time, before sighing and typing out the information about his heat, where and when it was, and telling her he’d look for them in the crowd. Anything more than that felt crass. Inappropriate. He couldn’t do it before he had the chance to see her in person again. Gauge how she was feeling without having to rely on the medium of a written message, so easily misinterpreted.
He clicked send, then put the comm down, trying to relax himself into the comfort of his bed. But sleep felt a long way away, and he had the feeling it would stay that way for a while.
Chapter 9
NELL WOKE TO TWO MESSAGE REQUESTS on her comm, one from Garrant and one from Ricky. She also had messages from Allendi and Asha, both asking her if she was okay. Nell replied that she was, and Allendi messaged back straight away, despite the early hour.
We’re going to watch Garrant play in his first heats today. You and Mikey are welcome to join us. Garrant plays Hyperdisk - it’s really exciting. I think Mikey would love it!
Nell wondered for a brief moment how she could understand what Allendi had written. Did the translator in her ear also connect to her eyes? Or did the comm automatically translate to whatever language the user spoke. The technology of the Intergalactic Community never ceased to amaze her. She tapped out a response to Allendi, confirming that she would love to go with her. Allendi responded within seconds.
Perfect. Sassi is already asking when she can see Mikey again. So cute.
Nell smiled, glad Mikey had made a friend.
She clicked out of the messages from Allendi, her eyes going back to the two requests.
Ricky and Garrant.
Having the two of them next to each other, even on her comm inbox, felt all kinds of wrong and strange. Just typical, she thought, that Ricky had waltzed out of her life at the most inconvenient moment, and then waltzed back in at the most inconvenient moment, too. She contemplated ignoring him, but couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She clicked through to his message, accepting the contact.
I know it was awkward and unexpected, but it was really good to see you tonight. You looked amazing. Can I see you again? I’d love to take you out for dinner one night and catch up. Much love, R x
From anyone else, it would have been a perfectly reasonable message. But Nell felt a swell of rage that Ricky thought he had the right to ask her out for dinner in such a casual, normal way. Like they were old friends who hadn’t seen each other for a long time. Not like he’d cleared his belongings out of her student flat and left her without so much as an ‘it’s over’ message, never speaking to her again.
She put the comm down, breathing through the anger until it started to dissipate.
It was just a message. It was hard to write a message that conveyed your exact meaning, even when the relationship wasn’t fraught and troublesome. Perhaps he didn’t intend to come across the way he did. Calmer, she tapped out a reply.
Thank you, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. I appreciate you have a job to do, and that means I’ll probably se
e you around, but I think it would be best if we just tried to stay away from each other as much as possible.
She hit send before she could talk herself out of it, then turned to Garrant’s message.
Hi. First heat tomorrow starts at 10. If you sit in Sector G, you’ll have a really good view. I’ll be looking for you and Mikey in the crowd!
Disappointment settled in her stomach like a stone. He’d sent her through the information he’d promised. But not an innuendo or even a winking face in sight. Did that mean bumping in to Ricky had cooled Garrant’s feelings towards her? Or was it the reality of Mikey? He hadn’t seemed bothered by the idea of it, but ideas and reality were two very different things. One way or another, she was no longer a carefree, simple prospect. Too much emotional baggage for a hook up. She couldn’t even blame him, but still… it stung.
Before she could dwell on it long, Mikey ran into the room and leapt up on to her bed, jumping excitedly.
“The games start today! The games start today!” he said.
Nell grabbed him, pulling him down so he was lying next to her, tickling him until he was shrieking with laughter. As always, his laughter cheered her up.
“Sassi’s Mummy wants to know if we’d like to go with them to watch the games,” Nell said. “Would you like that?”
“Yes!” Mikey said, then frowned. “Are they going to watch Garrant’s game?”
Nell was a little surprised he’d remembered Garrant’s name. “Yes, they are.”
“We have to cheer for him, Mummy.”
“Yes, we do,” Nell said, though she didn’t like the idea of seeing him again so soon, didn’t trust herself not to respond to him, even though he’d clearly shut that part of their relationship down.
Better to get it over and done with, she decided. Once she saw him and he didn’t look at her like he wanted to strip off all her clothes and have his wicked way with her, any lingering feelings she had towards him would cool.
They met Allendi, Ardan and Sassi after breakfast and walked over to the arena together, the two kids chattering excitedly together.
“We have to do some play dates,” Allendi said, “I have never been able to do play dates before.”
Before Garrant’s message, Nell had been wondering how she would bring this up with Allendi in a natural, non-suspicious way. It wasn’t that she was embarrassed about what she’d done with Garrant - she just didn’t want people to give her that look of concern, ask her if she really knew what she was doing, afraid that if anyone tried to pick it apart, that confidence she’d felt in herself, her sexuality, would vanish. Not that it mattered any more.
Still, it was typical that Allendi came right out with it that way - the knowledge that it would have been that easy irritating an already tender spot.
Then she remembered her plans with Angela. Garrant wasn’t the only reason that a play date exchange was a good idea.
“I’d love that,” Nell said. “I’m happy to have them any time.”
Allendi grinned. “Marvellous. We can schedule some times later.”
The arena had been transformed from the venue it had been last night into a bustling, busy space full of athletes stretching and warming up. Allendi guided them round to Sector G, picking seats at the very front of the upper tier. In a theatre, they would have been the cheap seats, but Allendi promised they would provide the best view. Nell realised why when the field was prepared - two floating nets at either end of it, both at about their level.
A fanfare sounded, and suddenly two teams of five were floating in the air in front of them. Sassi spotted Garrant immediately and pointed him out. Garrant waved at her, then looked to Mikey, cupping a hand to his ear. Mikey responded by letting out a loud whoop and Garrant grinned, giving him the thumbs up.
“Do you want me to try to explain the rules, or are you content to just watch ten men with nice arms getting sweaty?” Allendi said.
“Disk goes in net, that’s a point, right?” Nell said. “I don’t think I need to know much more than that.”
The fanfare sounded again, this time announcing the start of play. The two teams zipped around the aerial court, ducking and weaving around and over and under each other, their movements so fast, so precise. Without having to fully understand it, Nell found herself swept up in the drama, the excitement of it, cheering when Allendi cheered and groaning when she groaned. Mikey and Sassi jumped up and down at the front of the balcony, too excited to even remain in their seats, Sassi shaking her noisemaker every time Garrant’s team scored a point.
The round lasted only ten minutes, a short little burst of play so intense that Nell thought the players probably couldn’t keep going much longer. There were four rounds played ordinarily, Allendi explained, a fifth and final round if the score was still tied. In the break between rounds, the players stretched or adjusted their propulsion shoes, or talked tactics in little huddles.
As they waited for play to resume, Nell felt the vibration of her comm in her pocket and took it out. Another message from Ricky was waiting for her.
Nell, please. That’s the last thing I want. I know we didn’t part on the best terms, but it’s been more than five years now. Surely we can do better than just trying our best to avoid each other?
Nell’s chest tightened. More than five years. The proof of that sat next to her, chattering with Sassi about Earth sports. Nell put her comm back in her pocket, resolving to ignore Ricky. But the second round had barely got started when he messaged her again.
Please answer me, Nell.
Guilt stabbed at her stomach, but she took a deep breath, forcing the emotion out. How many countless messages had she sent him in the early days, none of them answered? He was lucky that she’d accepted his messages in the first place. Resisting the urge to snap at him, she composed a quick reply.
I’m spending time with family right now. I’ve received your message and will reply when the games finish for the day.
And then she muted her comm.
As the next round started, Nell let her eyes linger on Garrant’s form. His skin glistened with sweat, his hair sticking to his forehead. She admired the ripple of muscles beneath his tattooed skin as he drew his arm back to attempt to score, her mind going back to those arms being wrapped around her, tugging at the ties of her dress. He could have been such a pleasant diversion during this trip. Instead, he’d been scared off by Ricky, and even if he hadn’t, she didn’t think her head was in the right space for a holiday fling anymore, even if her body did heat up, just for watching him.
Oh well, at least she’d had one spectacular night out of it.
By the fourth round, Garrant’s team had such a lead, the fifth round became unnecessary. Garrant scored a final point with a very elaborate series of manoeuvres, and then the final klaxon sounded. The two teams shook hands, and the players started to drift away. Garrant spoke briefly with one of his team members, then started moving towards the balcony.
Allendi cheered as he came over, congratulating him for winning the first heat.
“We’re playing well today,” Garrant said. “If we keep it up, we’ve got a good shot at making the final.”
“And your shoulder’s holding up alright?”
“Like I never had a problem. Just needed that early night.” He gave Nell a wink.
At least he seemed genuinely okay about cutting his evening short.
“What did you think of your first Hyperdisk game, then?” he asked Mikey. “Did you enjoy it?”
“It was so cool!” Mikey said, jumping up and down to accentuate his point. “Is it hard to play?”
“It’s hard to play well,” Garrant said. “Lots of things you have to think about all the time.”
“Flying must be hard.”
“It’s the trickiest bit.” He leaned back and wobbled theatrically, making both children laugh.
“You should give Mikey a lesson,” Allendi said to him. Then, to Nell, “He’s been dying to get Sassi to have a go, but she won�
��t have it.”
“That’s because she’s sensible,” Ardan said, lips quirking up at the corners.
Nell wasn’t convinced. “It looks dangerous…”
Allendi shook her head. “It’s not. It looks dangerous, but it’s not. No more than any other sport, anyway.”
“I wouldn’t mind showing him the basics,” Garrant said, looking to her.
Nell couldn’t help thinking of the bland message he’d sent her. Not even a hint of flirtation in it. So was the glimmer of heat she saw in his gaze now just wishful thinking?
“Can I, Mummy?” Mikey said, looking up at her with pleading eyes.
Her fears about her five-year-old wearing flying shoes were overridden by his obvious excitement.
“If you’re sure you don’t mind?” she said to Garrant.
“I have one condition,” Garrant said, looking to Mikey. “My next heat starts in fifteen minutes. I want to hear you cheering louder than anyone else. Got it?”
“Got it!” Mikey said, grinning.
“We’ll have to wait for the games to be over for the day,” Garrant said. “I’ll send your Mum a message, okay?”
“Okay,” Mikey said.
Garrant shot Nell a grin as he plummeted down to where the rest of his team were sitting at the edge of the arena at ground level.
After much deafening cheering, Garrant’s team comfortably won their second heat. Done for the day, he and his team mates disappeared in the direction of the changing rooms. Nell wondered if Garrant’s team changed in the same place they’d had their encounter, whether he was thinking of her pressed up against the wall, pinned by his body…
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