“Will do.”Bubbles of joy filled her belly, making her giddy.She couldn’t remember when last she’d been this happy.
Captain flicked another page.“Welcome to theMula Pesada, Tiny.”
Heat flushed her cheeks, and she hurried to say, “Thank you so much, Captain.”
Dieter ushered her out, waited for the door to close on the captain’s cabin, then laughed.“See.What did I say?”
“You came through for me.And that’s why you’re my hero.”She dipped her head to hide any traitorous expressions.The man didn’t need to know she had a bit of a crush on him.“So, do I get to meet the crew now?”
“First.Computer, grant Tiny access as per standard employee protocol.”
“Acknowledged,” a feminine but robotic voice coming from the ceiling said.
“Nice,” Tiny said.“How kitted out is the med bay?”
“Oh, Captain and Nikko splurged on that.The crew’s the life and blood of the ship.Blah, blah.”
“Hey, I benefit.”She hitched her thumb at herself.“Are we going to stand here all day or what?”
“Are you giving me shit?”Dieter asked, but his tone hinted at teasing.
“Yup,” she said then giggled.“I can’t thank you enough, Dieter.This is… You’re so…” She pinched her lips to stop babbling.
“Tiny, sweetheart, you’re doing us a favor, remember.We score big by having a full-on doctor on our crew.Come.Let me introduce you, show you around, then get you settled.”
He took her hand and rested it on his forearm.Together, they strolled on what sounded like metal grates.“If you get lost, just ask Computer to guide you.I’m pretty sure you’ll learn the routes soon enough.”
The aroma of butter, vanilla, and sugar preceded the mess.Tiny stopped to inhale.“What is that?”
“Cake,” a woman said.“Hi, I’m Leah.Welcome.”A hand gripped and released Tiny’s shoulder.
Tiny drew in another deep breath.“Did you say cake?Like with frosting, real flour, butter, sugar—”
“It’s my birthday,” a young man said from her right elbow.“I’m Grunt.”
“Well, Happy Birthday,” she said, tossing a smile in the direction of his voice.
“I just want the cake,” another man said, his baritone clear.He made a sucking noise like he flicked something across his lips or smacked them together.“Name’s Trent.”
“As long as the captain gets a slice…” Another man came from behind her, his tread heavy.“I’m Nikko.”
“Oh,” she said, bowing her shoulders.“My boss, so to speak.”
He chuckled.“In a way.Captain spends most of these trips in his cabin and leaves the day-to-day running to me.”
“I’d do the same if I had paperbacks.”She tightened her hand on Dieter’s arm.
He jerked then led her to the side.“It’s a bench.Can you slide in?”
She nodded, patted the air until cold metal met her fingertips.From there, she sat, only to bump her elbows on the edge of a table.
“Sorry.Forgot to mention that,” Dieter said, joining her.He nudged her with his hip until she scooted up.“You won’t fall off.The bench rests against a bulkhead.”
She grinned, throwing out a hand to feel for the wall.“Good to know.”
“Here we go,” Leah said, the scrape of a plate across metal telling Tiny what she meant.“Tea, coffee, water?”
“Coffee?”Tiny gasped.“I haven’t had any in years.”
