Excerpt: "Off World 3: Redemption"
"Well, hello."
Kai had one foot on the lower deck and one still on the lift when the Vigilant 's arguably most controversial passenger found him. Nick Andrade -- part owner of the Doradus's most popular night spot and on his way to Mars for business meeting. "Hello. Get settled in all right?"
"Oh, absolutely. Didn't take long at all." Nick smiled at him and it struck Kai that Nick would probably flirt with the hangman. He had the feeling it was purely reflexive on Nick's part and didn't take it at all personally.
"Good, good. Did anyone show you around? The shower area, mess hall, workout room?"
"No, but they gave me this." Holding up a plastic card, roughly two-hundred centimeters square, Nick's gaze flickered over Kai's body. "I was looking for the dining room. Am I close?"
"Not really. That's it? That's the best they could do? What's that even supposed to be, a map?"
"I think so."
Kai shook his head in disbelief. "Sorry. That's not the way it was supposed to work. You were supposed to get a tour. The ship's not all that big, but still…"
"So I'm doomed to starve is what you're saying?"
"No, come with me. I was headed that way anyway." Setting off in the direction of the ship's mess hall, Kai moderated his normally swift pace, allowing the other man to fall into step.
"Thanks."
A nod was Kai's only response as two opposing impulses competed for supremacy. Part of him sided with Alex and Sandy in the whole 'Nick Andrade makes Satan look like a Boy Scout' view of the universe. He didn't know the particulars of what had gone down any more than Sandy. Alex and Nick were the only two who did and they weren't talking.
He'd seen enough of Nick in his role as part owner of Durty Nelly's back on Doradus to form an opinion, though, and he didn't trust him any more than Sandy did.
Unfortunately, though, once again the vagaries of life had thrown an obstacle in his path that he couldn't go around. He might not necessarily choose Nick Andrade for his team's first paying venture, but Andrade's money had chosen them and for the sake of that kind of cash Kai could smile and keep his opinions to himself.
"No problem. Use the lift as a landmark to orient yourself. It runs the depth of the ship, top to bottom, so if you can find it you know you're toward the front of her. You'll figure out what the different levels look like fast enough, but there are numbers on the wall next to the lift doors, so that's your fall-back if you can't tell otherwise."
"Thanks. She's bigger than she looks, the Vigilant ."
"You think so?" As long as he was wearing his tour guide hat, may as well play it up. Summoning his most affable smile, Kai broke the bad news. "After a few weeks on board you might change your mind about that one."
"You're probably right. I've been so busy making things happen with Joe and Nelly's, I've hardly had an hour to call my own. I've been looking at this as the closest thing to a holiday I'm likely to get. Would you believe I've been looking forward to this trip?"
Cocking his head, Kai sized up the man. Almost tall enough to be one of the team, Nick Andrade was a good-looking man, there was no denying. Blond hair, nicely muscular build, and intense blue-green eyes-eyes that smiled and sent messages Kai had no doubt Nick was prepared to back up with action-and personal charm that was all the more potent for its apparent effortlessness. "Why wouldn't I believe you?"
"Oh, you know. Everybody thinks it must be the greatest thing ever to be running a place like Durty Nelly's. Everyone's dream job. Hot guys. Hot girls. Hot and cold running you-name-it. The most exotic sex acts you can imagine, live on stage all hours of the day and night." Nick's smile was weary. Rueful. The perfect amount of mocking self-awareness in the brief laugh that followed.
"Yeah, I can see how that could get old."
"Well, you'd be the first."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2011, Stephanie Vaughan
All Rights Reserved
"Well, hello."
Kai had one foot on the lower deck and one still on the lift when the Vigilant 's arguably most controversial passenger found him. Nick Andrade -- part owner of the Doradus's most popular night spot and on his way to Mars for business meeting. "Hello. Get settled in all right?"
"Oh, absolutely. Didn't take long at all." Nick smiled at him and it struck Kai that Nick would probably flirt with the hangman. He had the feeling it was purely reflexive on Nick's part and didn't take it at all personally.
"Good, good. Did anyone show you around? The shower area, mess hall, workout room?"
"No, but they gave me this." Holding up a plastic card, roughly two-hundred centimeters square, Nick's gaze flickered over Kai's body. "I was looking for the dining room. Am I close?"
"Not really. That's it? That's the best they could do? What's that even supposed to be, a map?"
"I think so."
Kai shook his head in disbelief. "Sorry. That's not the way it was supposed to work. You were supposed to get a tour. The ship's not all that big, but still…"
"So I'm doomed to starve is what you're saying?"
"No, come with me. I was headed that way anyway." Setting off in the direction of the ship's mess hall, Kai moderated his normally swift pace, allowing the other man to fall into step.
"Thanks."
A nod was Kai's only response as two opposing impulses competed for supremacy. Part of him sided with Alex and Sandy in the whole 'Nick Andrade makes Satan look like a Boy Scout' view of the universe. He didn't know the particulars of what had gone down any more than Sandy. Alex and Nick were the only two who did and they weren't talking.
He'd seen enough of Nick in his role as part owner of Durty Nelly's back on Doradus to form an opinion, though, and he didn't trust him any more than Sandy did.
Unfortunately, though, once again the vagaries of life had thrown an obstacle in his path that he couldn't go around. He might not necessarily choose Nick Andrade for his team's first paying venture, but Andrade's money had chosen them and for the sake of that kind of cash Kai could smile and keep his opinions to himself.
"No problem. Use the lift as a landmark to orient yourself. It runs the depth of the ship, top to bottom, so if you can find it you know you're toward the front of her. You'll figure out what the different levels look like fast enough, but there are numbers on the wall next to the lift doors, so that's your fall-back if you can't tell otherwise."
"Thanks. She's bigger than she looks, the Vigilant ."
"You think so?" As long as he was wearing his tour guide hat, may as well play it up. Summoning his most affable smile, Kai broke the bad news. "After a few weeks on board you might change your mind about that one."
"You're probably right. I've been so busy making things happen with Joe and Nelly's, I've hardly had an hour to call my own. I've been looking at this as the closest thing to a holiday I'm likely to get. Would you believe I've been looking forward to this trip?"
Cocking his head, Kai sized up the man. Almost tall enough to be one of the team, Nick Andrade was a good-looking man, there was no denying. Blond hair, nicely muscular build, and intense blue-green eyes-eyes that smiled and sent messages Kai had no doubt Nick was prepared to back up with action-and personal charm that was all the more potent for its apparent effortlessness. "Why wouldn't I believe you?"
"Oh, you know. Everybody thinks it must be the greatest thing ever to be running a place like Durty Nelly's. Everyone's dream job. Hot guys. Hot girls. Hot and cold running you-name-it. The most exotic sex acts you can imagine, live on stage all hours of the day and night." Nick's smile was weary. Rueful. The perfect amount of mocking self-awareness in the brief laugh that followed.
"Yeah, I can see how that could get old."
"Well, you'd be the first."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2011, Stephanie Vaughan
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2004-2011 - Stephanie Vaughan
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