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But now I’m cleaning up the mess hall (Bethiah apparently had breakfast and made a mess) and considering making lunch for both of them, and Jamef threw this new situation at me. A date. I mean, it makes sense. People date. We’ve barely even kissed and yet we’re a triad. I feel like a date is something we should do. “What kind of a date?”
“You tell me, sweetheart.” Jamef’s mouth quirks with amusement. “It’s a human tradition, isn’t it?”
Is it? I suspect his people date too. Maybe they’re just not as official about that sort of thing. “Well, I guess we could have a nice dinner together.” The more I think about the idea, the more I like it. “We could do it tonight, even.”
He frowns. “We don’t have to go somewhere for the date?”
“Not at all. We can enjoy ourselves here.” I smile at Jamef, my mind racing. “We can have a nice dinner together, maybe open a bottle of wine —”
“Wine?”
“Um, an alcoholic beverage? Something smooth and tasty and a little special that you have with a dinner?”
He grunts. “I’m sure there’s something in the stores. So…tonight?”
“Tonight,” I agree, beaming. “Dress nicely to impress your women.”
Jamef looks down at his tunic and trou. They’re a dark gray shade. I’m pretty sure most of his clothes are of the exact same make, and the confusion on his face is adorable. I giggle and impulsively step forward, crooking a finger at him.
When he leans in, I reach up and kiss his cheek. “Tonight,” I remind him. “Okay?”
He nods, his tail flicking, but there’s a smile on his hard mouth. He gazes down at me and I wonder if he’s going to kiss me back, but he only pats my head like a child. That makes my mood sour.
“A date tonight?” Bethiah groans. “On the ship?” She shakes her head, then lowers the mask she has over her face, turning on the blowtorch-like tool she’s holding. I found her in the hold, hard at work at a very dangerous-looking workbench covered with all kinds of strange things, most of which look like weapons. “We need to save the good stuff for the next station. And besides, I’m busy today.”
Ugh. She’s such a pain in the ass sometimes. “You don’t look busy. You look like you’re playing with your guns again.”
“Playing with my guns?” She emphasizes the words as if she’s offended. Bethiah turns off the tool again, setting it down, and then turns to face me once more. “I’ll have you know that I’m working on a blaster for a human-sized hand. One that only works for you, you needy creature.”
Oh. I beam at her. “Well in that case, thank you. But we still have a date tonight.”
“No thanks.”
“Bethiah! This was your idea!”
“Yeah but…” She shrugs, not looking at me. “I thought we’d have time. Aren’t we taking things slow?”
Oh my god. Sometimes she’s so damned stressful. “It’s just a date. Don’t you want to get to know me and Jamef better?”
She snorts. “I know plenty about both of you, thank you.”
I know about her, too. I know she gets skittish when emotions come into play. I know she tries to push everyone away the moment she feels the slightest bit vulnerable. I also know she pretends to be tougher than she really is. So I move toward her, blinking up at the tall alien woman and hoping I look sad and wistful. “It would mean a lot to me if we spent this bonding time together.”
“You don’t want to bond to me, fluffit.”
I sigh dramatically. “I guess it’ll just be me and Jamef, then.”
“You and Jamef what?”
“Having the date tonight. If you’re too busy. He’s already agreed to it and I’m making a nice dinner and we’re going to have wine and conversation and get to know each other. And there will be more kissing.” I’m totally making up the last part, but I figure if that doesn’t draw her in, nothing will.
Bethiah frowns. “You guys aren’t supposed to kiss without me.”
“Without you knowing,” I correct and then smile sweetly. “You know about it, so I don’t see the problem.”
She eyes me, and then her lips curve into a smirk. “You’re a dangerous woman, fluffit. Fine, I’ll be there, but I won’t like it.”
“You’ll like it,” I tell her. And when I gesture for her to come close, she rolls her eyes. I kiss her on the cheek anyhow, and she looks flustered, muttering about how she needs to focus on her work.
As I walk away, it occurs to me that both Bethiah and Jamef don’t know how to respond to affection. Jeez. Jamef acts like he’s afraid he’s going to break me, and Bethiah acts like a damn porcupine the moment she thinks someone is getting close. And that was just a silly kiss on the cheek. No one even tried to cop a feel last night.
