Page 31 of Romancing the Clone


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“Can’t forget Pluto.” She gives him an affectionate scratch. “So you’re going to get your own place? Because you know you can move in with me. You’re practically living here anyhow.”

“I’d love to move in with you,” I admit. “But I didn’t want to presume.”

“Presume away. I’d love to have you here.” Her smile is brilliant.

I smile back. “So…yeah. I guess I’m staying. The cantina crew needs me.”

Her look grows competitive. “I need you more.”

Just what I like to hear. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re always first in line.”

“Good.” Her smile is big enough to rival the stars, and my heart feels light as air. I stroke Pluto’s nose and then rest my hand on his thick neck, and when Simone’s hand finds mine, our fingers twine. It’s like the last few puzzle pieces lock into place.

I’m exactly where I need to be.

EPILOGUE

SIMONE

“I hadno idea that thing would be so big in person,” the mesakkah Custodian says, unable to take his eyes off my carinoux. “Why did I assume it would be smaller?”

“He’s a good boy,” I say, putting my hand on Pluto’s harness. The lizard-cat rubs against my leg, but he watches Custodian Sinath with an intent gaze. “He isn’t around a lot of men, so maybe don’t get too close.”

It’s a lie. It’s not that Pluto doesn’t like men. He just knows which ones are my friends and which ones aren’t. And while the Custodian is perfectly pleasant, coming into the office here always sets me on edge.

He takes a careful step behind his desk. “I won’t. What can I help you with?”

“My bakery application? I was coming to check on the progress.” I smile brightly and gesture at the box in my hands. “I brought over some leftover cookies from today’s sales. Figured someone could eat them.”

The Custodian’s eyes brighten. “Lucky me! That’s wonderful.” He gets to his feet, eyes Pluto, and sits back down again. “Maybe just leave them on the closest desk to you?”

I bite back a chuckle, because Pluto is rather huge and carinoux are known for their fierce protection of their owners. This guy doesn’t need to know that Pluto is also scared of loud noises and the dark and sometimes his own tail. He looks intimidating, and that’s enough. I set the box down on the desk and give it a happy pat while Custodian Sinath flicks through a screen, typing as he does.

“It looks like it’s been updated. You should have received a notification,” he says.

“I can’t read your language,” I say patiently.

“Right. Of course.” He gives me a sheepish smile, tapping a button on his data pad. Immediately, a piece of plas-paper slithers out of a nearby printer. “We don’t get a lot of business applications from humans, so we haven’t quite worked out all the holes in the process.”

“It’s all right.” I hold my hand out for the plas-paper. “Was it approved?”

“It was. A two-story building along Main Street,” he says, reading from the paper. “Downstairs will contain a cooking facility and a front area for business. Upstairs will be private apartments. You’ll be attached to the electrical grid and water filtration system once the shell of the building is printed. Estimate is about five Risda months.”

My excitement dims a little at that and I drop my hand (not that he’s coming over to bring the paper to me). “Fivemonths?”

“Five months,” he repeats, nodding. “Lord va’Rin wants his space port expansion to be completed first, and then there’s a list of other projects for the contractors. He’s limiting the availability of extraterrestrial workers to keep the colonists safe. You’re in the queue, and that’s all I can tell you. I’m sorry.”

Well, it makes sense. And five months is not so long a time in the scheme of things. “Can I see the printout?”

He surges up from behind his desk, eager to please—and immediately stops as Pluto jerks in his harness. Custodian Sinath stares down the carinoux, then eyes me. “How about I put it on the desk corner here and then I move to the back room so you can get it?”

“Perfect. Thanks.” I wait patiently as he does just that, my thoughts whirling. Five months. It gives us more time to plan—Ruth-Ann’s favorite hobby—but I’m impatient. I want my storefront yesterday, darn it. When he’s safely in the next room, I move through the empty office and pick up the plas, scanning it. There are layouts of what our building is going to look like. My heart skips a happy beat.

I can’t wait to show this to Ruth-Ann.

“This is wonderful, thank you, Custodian!” I wave the paper at him. “Can I keep this?”

“All yours,” he yells from the next room over, and gives me a very goofy thumbs-up gesture he probably learned from his wife.