I turn away from the viewer when BuK tugs on my arm, only to see he has pulled the chair up behind me. He sits down, and I crawl into his lap. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite places. “This is much better but let me know if I start squishing you.”
“Baby Suets weigh more than you do.”
“So, speaking of brothers, do you have a favorite?”
“Not really. I have worked with MeK several times, but up until Lacie, he was always a loner. I probably know DeS the best as we trained together and stayed in the same barracks for several orbital rotations. He is best friends with Onyx, Commander ZoD’s son. He is fond of a female working on Ecstasy. That is apleasure planet, located on the other side of the universe from here.”
“Welllll now, isn’t this some new information? Just how often do you all visit this pleasure planet?”
“I have traveled along several times. The food is amazing, and so is the entertainment. Now, do not give me that look because I know what you are thinking. Yes, they do have areas where females offer services for credits, but there are also upscale sections like gambling halls and performance areas. I believe he met her after her singing performance one darkness. It is a mystery to me how Onyx can walk away, leaving her there, if he likes her so much. I can see the shadows in her eyes even when she smiles. That place is leaving its mark on her soul, and I feel sorry for the ones that are not there willingly.”
“Hmmm …well, a girl’s gotta eat, so I’m not going to be the one to throw that first stone. Hopefully, one day he’ll man up and take her out of a place like that, even if it’s not a strip bar. I would ask you if you enjoyed any of the entertainment on a more personal basis, but I don’t want to know, so off to the next question. Let me think … Ok, what was the best piece of advice you were ever given?”
“Let me think on that for a moment. Until then, what is yours?”
“When you’ve had all you can take, you’ll know what to do!”
“Briar, who told you that?”
“My grandmother.”
“Smart female! I can see that phrase applying to many aspects of life. I do not know if I have a specific saying because being raised by a father who is also a Commander seems to resultin a constant stream of advice and wisdom. I have the greatest respect for my father and older brothers, who keep a firm hold on the rights and wrongs in our world. I hope that when the Lord of Light takes me from this world into the next, I have proven to be half the male my father is.”
“He does have big shoes to fill, but you are not him, BuK. It’s enough that you are who you are. Yes, I agree that our parents lay the foundation for our lives and beliefs, but we are still our own person. My father was a lawyer, so everything was a debate in our house. I think because I was so good at arguing with him, he thought I would follow in his footsteps. When I told him I wanted to go to school for design, he was not happy. Of course, Mom was always the referee, and I knew she understood my desire for my own identity. But the Earth decided to send out eviction notices during my junior year in college, so I never finished, but I learned a lot.”
“Is this something you want to pursue?”
“I’ve thought about it a lot, especially when we woke up with only the clothes on our backs and limited availability for anything more or different. I brought the idea up to Lacie and Keida. I even thought about talking to Victoria, but I don’t know. It’s like writing a book; coming up with the idea doesn’t fill the pages. Starting my own boutique in my mind does not fill the shelves or make the clothes.”
“Briar, I will support you in any way I can. Females should have the best of garments to cover their delicate bodies, and I will help fund this project fully if it is something you want to do.”
“What do you mean, fund it?”
“I will acquire the machines and the shop dwelling necessary to make your dreams a reality. You are mine and your happiness is my top priority. Seeing all the females leave smiling will simply be a perk of this new market opportunity.”
“BuK, I could never ask that of you.”
“Why? I do not understand. Is this any different from MeK providing the funds for the extra supports you and Lacie needed for your mountaintop pods? He knew this would make her happy, and he provided it. I will do the same for this new endeavor of yours.”
“Yeah, but how? I mean, please don’t take this the wrong way, but MeK is an engineer for pretty much everything, owns a private shuttle, and has all kinds of expensive trinkets just lying around. Meanwhile, you’re living in a tent behind the main communal area that apparently doesn’t even have a chair. Not that any of that makes a difference to me! I love you for who you are, not what you can give me. The fact that you’re willing to do anything to make me happy is worth more than everything money can buy.”
“Ahhh, so you do love me?”
“Why are you saying that? Of course, I love you! I would not have risked my life had I not. I absolutely adore your smile and the way you make me laugh. How the brush of your hand sends my heart racing and simply knowing you’ll always be standing there waiting on me brings me more joy than you realize. I couldn’t care less about money or credits, as you guys call them. And if we need to live in a tent, as long as there’s heat, I’ll deal with it. I may not like it, but as long as we’re together, that’s fine with me.
When the idea of a clothing store hit me, I decided to ask DaR and Kira about opening it to see if I could get a loan or something before I contacted Victoria. I didn’t want to get my hopes up only for them to have different plans for the settlement. Why are you smirking like that?”
“Up until now, you had not said the words.”
Pulling his head down, I rub my nose against his. “I’m sorry …I LOVE YOU! How’s that, goofball?” His smile is so big that I roll my eyes and laugh along too.
“I have enjoyed these questions and it is amazing the things you can learn by simply asking. Once this mass leaves, we will start making a list of the things needed to get this market open. I am sure SAGE will have some wonderful ideas as well. We will contact her once communications reopen.”
“Who is SAGE?”
“You have not met her?”
“No.”
