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"You should go," he said over his shoulder. "This discussion is over. There is no job, the listing was a mistake. A test message that should not have gone live."
The dismissal slapped her like cold water, dousing the heat of the moment. He was lying. Anger and embarrassment warred within her, but rather than argue, she snapped her chin up. She knew a losing battle when she saw one.
"I see," she said, voice icy. "Well, thank you for your time."
Hands curled into fists, she marched past him to the door. As it slid open, she glanced back at him just as he looked at her. His expression was shuttered but she thought she detected a flicker of something almost like regret in the depths of his eyes. Before she could work out what it was though, it was gone.
Lifting her chin, she swept out of the office without another word. If he didn't want her, then she would just have to find someone who did.
* * *
"No job, my arse! Fucking asshole didn't want to give me the job is more like it!"
Sadie slammed the pot down on the stove, the clang echoing around the small kitchen. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she cranked the heat up to high and chopped the vegetables with more force than necessary, envisioning the weird pink carrots as a certain silver-haired Latharian's head. How dare he speak to her that way… just dismiss her like that? Didn't they have laws about diversity and inclusivity up here? Even Earth, which the Lathar was always telling them was so backward that it might as well be in the dark ages, had eliminated gender-based recruitment. There was no job on Earth that she was barred from just because she was a woman. Technically anyway.
She huffed to herself. They weren't talking about Earth though. They were talking about Devan Station and the 'enlightened' Lathar. But he'd dismissed her out of hand. After she'd mustered the courage to enter the engineering bay on her own and everything. She knew she didn't belong there, and she knew she didn't know anything about their technology, but she was trying. Was willing to learn. Didn't that count for anything?
Apparently not to the great Chief Engineer Vaarn T'Kaan. No, he had just dismissed her. She slammed her knife down on a green turnip, slicing it in half, and blinked back the hot tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.
This was ridiculous. Crying over a man, especially one who didn't think she was worth his time, was pathetic. She was stronger than this.
Scooping up the mutilated vegetables, she dumped them in the sizzling pan. Good thing they were having stir-fry tonight.
The door chimed, and she froze. For a fleeting moment, she thought it might be Vaarn coming to apologize, but it wouldn’t be. He thought he was in the right, always in the right. He would never lower himself to apologize.
"Come in," she called out, plastering a smile on her face as the door slid open.
Her sister Halle walked in, her tall mate Kaas behind her. Sadie's breath caught as she saw Prince Rohn just behind them, holding a squirming Ollie in his arms.
"Surprise!" Halle said with a wide smile. "I hope you don't mind us being a little early? Ollie was ready to come straight home after his checkup."
"Of course not. Thank you for taking him," she said brightly, holding her arms out for her son. He leapt into them, almost bowling her over with his enthusiasm. She squeezed him tight, breathing in his little boy scent. This is what mattered, not some arrogant Latharian.
"Mommy, mommy! We played with blocks today!" Ollie vibrated with excitement. "I builded a big tall tower and it was this many!" He held his little arms out wide. "But Dekk knocked it over by accident. He didn't mean to."
Ollie scrunched up his nose. "Miss Emma readed us a story about a crazy monkey. He was silly. And we got to paint pictures too! I made you one, see?" He showed her the piece of paper he was holding, all scribbles and smears of color.
"It's wonderful, angelcake." She kissed the top of his tousled curls as she walked through the kitchen and into the lounge area.
His happy chatter filled her heart. He'd been so ill and silent for months so it was nice to see him acting like a normal little boy. Memories of his illness still haunted her. The helplessness and terror she'd felt watching him waste away, not knowing if he'd survive… she'd come so close to losing him forever. Never again. She would build a new life for them here, where he had access to excellent medical care and the best nutrition.
Setting Ollie down on the couch with his favorite stuffed cat, she turned on a children's program about shapes and colors and said, "Mommy will be right in the kitchen making dinner if you need me, okay sweetie?"
Ollie's eyes were already glued to the screen, enraptured by the dancing shapes. Smiling, she returned to the small kitchen and sliced some kind of purple meat that tasted like chicken into strips for the stir-fry. The two alien men had already retreated to the end of the counter, deep in conversation about training schedules.
Halle leaned against the counter, studying her sister with a frown. "Alright Sadie-bug, what's going on with you? And don't say 'nothing'."
She sighed, shoulders slumping. "It's stupid. I went to the engineering bay today to ask about getting a job. But Vaarn shot me down. He was so condescending like I was just a dumb little girl wasting his time."
She sliced up more purple meat with vicious movements. "He didn't even consider giving me a chance! I may not know Latharian tech, but I'm willing to learn. How am I supposed to provide for Ollie and be independent if no one will hire me?"
Halle reached out to rub her shoulder.
"I'm sorry he was such a jerk. You don't deserve that." She shot a pointed glance at Kaas when he looked over.
"My apologies, I did not mean to eavesdrop," Rohn said and Sadie shrugged. She was more than used to the Latharian ability to focus on multiple conversations at the same time. And they were the worst gossips she'd ever met. "Perhaps I can be of assistance?"
"It's fine, Your Highness." She flushed. "I shouldn't be venting so loudly."
