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Oh yeah, I keffed this one up bad. “Oh. Well. Okay, yeah. We’re doing a retrieval job for Rhonda, who used to be my lover.”
“Do…do you still have feelings for her?”
“Ugh, kef no.” I shake my head. “Just being in the same room with her irritates me.”
“And yet you brought her on the ship?” Dora gives me a suspicious look. “I don’t believe you. I’m not sure I believe any of this.”
She has an excellent point. “I can see that it looks…not great. It’s just that once upon a time I loved Rhonda.” Dora flinches, and I feel even worse. “I don’t anymore,” I say quickly. “But I did once, and I feel I owe it to her to help her out. She’s no longer interested and I’m not, either, okay? She’s looking for her master. Once we find him, we dump her into his lap, collect our pay, and go on our way. Easy, right? Do you feel better now?”
Dora’s face scrunches. “Do I feel better? No! Of course I don’t! You just brought your old lover on board our home and didn’t tell me! I was nice to her!” She kicks at me with one foot. “I let you make me come and right now I want to claw your face off!”
“So…you’re still mad.” The look she shoots me is downright mutinous. “Just checking. Look, fluffit, it’s not ideal. I know it isn’t. And maybe I should have said something when she first came on board the ship. That’s on me.”
“Damn right it is,” Dora gives me another indignant glare. “You know what your problem is? You’re always thinking about yourself and not anyone else. You didn’t stop to think how I’d feel, or how Jamef feels. Instead, you decided to drag her on the ship and shove her under our noses.”
I hate that she’s so upset and I can’t really argue with any of it. It makes me feel defensive, and I dislike that feeling. How is me being nice suddenly getting me in trouble with one of my mates? “What was I supposed to do? She needed help. You think I want to be her employee? But I know if we don’t take on this bounty, someone else will. Someone else is going to rob her or enslave her or possibly kill her. She’s a human in need, and I’m going to help her out…just like I helped you out.”
It’s the wrong thing to say. Dora’s jaw firms and her mouth flattens as she sits upright and shoves her skirts back down over her legs. “Unless you’re planning on fitting her with an arm cannon too, it’s not the same fucking situation at all, so don’t even try it.” She jerks to her feet, straightening her clothing, and throws her shoulders back as she glares down at me. “You really hurt me today, you know. You can sleep somewhere else tonight.”
“It’s my keffing bed, too.”
“Then I’ll sleep somewhere else tonight. All I know is I don’t want to see your face for a while.” She marches out of the room, her back stiff.
“Good!” I call back. “Fine! Keffing fine! I don’t want to see you for a while anyhow! I don’t need to be lectured just for trying to be a decent person!” Hmph. I straighten my hair, and the scent of Dora, still on my fingers, wafts over me.
Maybe what I did was a little thoughtless. I probably should have checked with her first. But even so, there’s no need for her to overreact like that. She’s being unreasonable.
Typical human. They love to just stomp all over your feelings with their tiny little five-toed feet.
Disgruntled, I stand and make the bed, and then because everything still smells like Dora and sex, I head for the shower. She’s not the only one that needs to cool off. I’ll give her some time and let her realize that I’m doing the right thing and there’s no need to be so fussy over it.
Eighty-Five
JAMEF
“Can we talk, Jamef?”
Dora slaps the button on the doors to the bridge, letting them slide shut behind her. Well, that’s not a good sign. Her cheeks are flushed and her hair disheveled, but she looks more angry than well-pleasured. Or both, which is strange.
“You know I always have time for my mates.” I move to her side and bend down to give her a kiss. She absently plants her mouth on mine and then all but storms across the bridge to the constantly empty nav chair.
I’m a little stung by her quick dismissal but I suspect it has something to do with the presence of our employer on ship. “Let me guess. Rhonda?”
She grips the arms of the seat tightly, and her eyes blaze with anger. “Why didn’t anyone tell me she was Bethiah’s ex-girlfriend? Why am I the last one to know?”
