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“Well, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with her. I have been ever since I met her. She left me earlier and I want to get her back.”
“Maybe it’s for the best. It’s all well and good for your mom to want you to find someone to settle down with, but take it from me, marriage isn’t for everyone. I know I have second thoughts sometimes.”
“I’m not talking about marriage,” I said. “I’m talking about not losing my fated mate.”
“Fated mate? You really think she’s the one?”
“Yes. I know she is. I need your help.”
“Your mom forbade us to lend you money—”
“I don’t need any money. I need some information. She got on a passenger ship about thirty minutes ago. I need to know if the ship would have hit hyperspace yet or not.”
“I’m not sure about this…” Brislax said.
“Listen, uncle,” I said. “Nobody will hear about this, I swear. You’re not even doing anything wrong. When I was a kid, you were always nice to me. You were nicer to me than I deserved. I know that. But I also know that if there’s a chance I could be with Vicky, I want to take it. Please. She means everything to me.”
Brislax let out a deep resonating breath. I could imagine him running his hand through his thinning hair. He always did that when he was forced to make a tricky decision.
“You know, they don’t always stay young and beautiful,” he said. “Maybe you’re on the right track already. I often wonder if I should have sown my wild oats a little longer.”
The idea of Brislax sowing any oats was enough to turn my stomach. But I didn’t add pressure on him. Let him make his decision. Hopefully, in my favor.
“Okay,” he said. “Let me get down to my study and I’ll tell you what you need to know.”
“Thank you!” I said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“Don’t thank me yet. Any minute now, she could be hitting hyperspace. She might have already. Then there would be no catching her.”
Brislax struggled down the stairs in his house one laborious step at a time. His feet were thick and swollen with gout. They barely fit on each step as it was. His wife refused to have wider steps installed as she believed it made the house look “cheap.”
I wanted to scream at him to hurry the hell up! But he was already doing me a favor. Could I really get angry at him now?
Then I heard a door open and something rattled inside.
I ground my teeth so loud I thought he might hear it.
“Are you opening the refrigerator?” I said.
“It’s the middle of the night,” Brislax said. “I could do with a little snack.”
I heard rustling and crunching as he picked up a packet of something and bit into it.
“Can you take it to the desk with you, please?” I said with my head in my hands.
“Sure thing.”
Then I heard more tinkling glasses and plastic pots.
“Now what are you doing?” I said.
“I’m thirsty,” he said.
He tugged on the pull ring before downing a mouthful of calories. He uttered a satisfied “Aaahhh!”
My hands gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. A couple even popped.
I was heading across town in the direction of the spaceport. It was still a long way off.
