“I have the early shift tomorrow, but I’d really like to take you out on a proper date.”
Callie’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest and into Talia’s arms.“I’d really like that.”
“Send me your info?”Talia cocked her head.
Callie activated her Opti and sent the details.Talia grinned.
“I’ll message you in the next week, okay?”
Callie nodded.
“Tab’s paid already, right Cam?”Talia gestured toward the mixer who confirmed it.
Callie watched as Talia left, wondering what had just happened.Almost nothing had objectively changed, but it felt like her entire world was different.She thanked the mixer and stepped back out into the cold.
“Need someone to take you home, miss?”
Callie turned around and saw that it was the large man standing in front of the fire door from before.
“Um…”
The man nodded and she saw his Opti flicker.Seconds later a large black car pulled up.The man opened the door and gestured for her to step in.
Callie briefly considered that this might be a kidnapping, but she was already in the building.Wouldn’t they have done it there?
Callie stepped in the vehicle cautiously, heard the door close and sat in silence as the driver took her home.It only occurred to her later that she hadn’t given him her address.
The Empress
January 1 2268
C
allie woke up with a screaming headache.Water.She needed water.She pressed a glass to the dispenser next to her bed and watched the meter roll.She could afford it, but she would need to drink more on shift where it was paid for by the company.
After carefully drinking the entire glass, she stiffly got up and signed some scrip to her Vendr for some protein and a nerve dampener.
Seven unread messages on her Opti.
Callie scrolled through the recordings her Opti took last night.Her stomach fluttered remembering Talia.
She looked so bizarre, but she wore it with such confidence.Like the world offended her for not falling at her feet.And thatvoice!She nearly felt her contralto resonate in her bones.Callie almost melted again.
There she was leaving the club, walking to the edge of Rhea when suddenly the recording went static.It didn’t pick up again until she left the car.The bar Talia took her to must have had some sort of recording scrambler.That was probably a good thing.
Callie felt weightless at the thought of Talia.She was sweet.Considerate.Mysterious and above all,hot.Evasive, though.And there were some vague plans about a real date.The night hadn’t ended the way Callie had hoped it would, butCallie was still feeling butterflies, and that was significantly better than how she had been feeling when Sparx threatened to bring everyone over to her flat.She only hoped those butterflies were warranted.
Callie grabbed her SubSuit and mask and shoved them into her rucksack.A shot of taurine might be a good idea as well, she thought.She grabbed the yellow inhaler and tossed it in with the rest.Model 21 would know it was the day after NYE and would probably try to pull some shit.She didn’t want to be caught off guard.
Callie ran into Akna in the changeroom.Akna normally worked as a Secondary, which meant that Yara must still be in there and she was late.
“Fuck, I’m sorry,” she muttered.
“Hope it was worth it,” Akna laughed.She busied herself in her locker.
Callie knew she couldn’t hide her blush, but she wasn’t close enough with Akna to spill all the details.“It might have been.”
Akna stretched, raising her arms high above her head.“I wouldn’t worry about it.They’ll probably just dock your pay.There aren’t a lot of people out there who want to do this job.Or who can.”
