AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s a gift from a friend, so you’re allowed to use it.” I can tell by her expression she didn’t know this. “It’s an old tradition but one that is still allowed. You won’t be fined. Take it to the dining hall, and they’ll set it aside only for you.”
“Can I share it?”
“No. Custom doesn’t allow for sharing.”
“Ah, I see,” she says as if figuring out another element of our culture. “However, that’s not going to stop me from using all of this delicious honey. Thank you, Sem. This was very thoughtful, and as usual, you’ve surprised me with something I didn’t know about your culture.”
I bow to her, and she leaves.
Needing to do some work, I sit at my desk and review my last week's GC messages. There are many. But a week with Ivy was all worth it. I occasionally glance at my Earth phone next to my computer; it’s enhanced to work on the base. I look at its dark screen, wishing Ivy would send me a message, but she’s only halfway home by now.
I turn my human phone over and try to focus on work.
* * *
Over the evening meal, my fellow officers ask me about going on a holiday with a human woman. None of them ask if we had sex. There’s no need to ask because they’ve already assumed one way or another and know that I’d never admit to it either way. No, my fellow officers are more interested in what human women talk about and whether or not she suspected I was not from Earth. I answer the questions honestly. It did feel awkward at first, not waiting for a woman’s approval about everything, but then I found the equality that Ivy wanted very refreshing. Satisfying their curiosity, the conversation turns to men’s rights in the Empire.
After the evening meal, Vin meets me in my quarters, and I sit at my desk, and he in a chair. “I need you to contact the middlings for human money to purchase a house for Ivy. We’re courting, and she needs a more suitable place to live.”
Vin is surprised but says nothing as he makes a note of it. “The High Priestess may require proof.”
I transfer him an image of Ivy wearing my Known Jewelry. “This should be enough.” Every man’s Known Jewelry is publicly listed. However, my request is an odd one. Only in exceptional circumstances would a man buy a house for a woman he’s courting, but being with a human woman must fall into extraordinary circumstances.
Vin makes a note of the bracelet. “Does it have a tracking device?”
A lot of Known Jewelry has tracking devices as a romantic way to keep track of your partner. “It does.”
“Switched on?”
“Yes.” I purposely turned it on as this will only strengthen our legal standing as courting in the eyes of the High Priestess and the High Council.
Vin takes all that information down. “What’s next?”
“I need you to schedule a meeting with my team tomorrow after the morning meal.” I bring up a short video on my computer. It’s a new kind of human aircraft coming into space and back down without doing anything. “We need to discuss this.”
“Yes, we noticed it this last week. Humans are joy riding into their upper atmosphere.”
I shake my head. “Why would they pollute their planet more? They can see what their planet looks like with their telescopes aimed backward.”
Vin shrugs his shoulders.
“We need to meet to discuss ways to avoid being seen because, as far as I can tell, it’s quite random how often they’ll do this joyriding to space.”
“I’ll inform your team.”
I continued instructing Vin, and even though I’ve only been back a few hours, I already felt like it’s been days, not hours, since I have seen Ivy. After I dismiss Vin, I’m so tired I take off my uniform and slip into my familiar bed. However, my mind and body won’t quiet. They both miss Ivy. Right now, I wish I’d made a holo of our first night together. I would’ve liked to have that now, I think regretfully. But there’s nothing I can do, and to use the bed’s sex holo seems so empty and pathetic when I’ve experienced the real thing. What was beautiful about being with Ivy was the naturalness of her touch, which no computer can replicate.
I close my eyes, willing myself to sleep. Consoling myself that I’ll see Ivy again soon, and hopefully, even after she learns the truth, she’ll still have me.
Twenty-Six
April 12, 2023
Ivy
“I like this one," I whisper to Sem as we’re shown a small but nice home in a good location in New Orleans. After much discussion, I’ve agreed to let Sem buy me a house in my name. He says that for tax reasons, he doesn't want to own any property in the US. I was very suspicious of that at first, but then I researched it, and it made a lot of sense. Although it's a lot of trust to put in me, I still don't grasp how much money Sem has. Not that it matters to me, but I’d feel terrible if he was spending everything he had on me. I'm not that kind of woman, and I don't want that. But as often as I've brought that up with him, he assures me that's not the case at all.
The real estate agent gives us a moment to walk around by ourselves. It's a nice three-bedroom house. Big enough for a family. As I look out the window into the backyard, I think, Plenty of space for kids to play.
