“Dezmuhnd Cuocua, brother-in-law to the crown prince of Din’Gale.” Dez gave the slightest bow.
“Royalty.” The man smacked his hands together. “I can’t tell you how happy I was to make this deal. I’ve been working on it for ages. How soon can we receive the order.”
“Now if you have a place to receive it. The goods require some reasonable refrigeration as they’re fresh.”
“Yes, yes. I have room in our storage.”
“Do you wish to inspect first?” Cyra asked, not completely certain of the expectations of the buyer. She hadn’t accompanied Auvi on many deliveries.
“Not necessary. If the prince sent his brother-in-law to over see the deal…well, then.” He held his arms wide in an accepting gesture. “I’ll send my men to your ship to retrieve the goods.”
Cyra considered pointing out that his delivery wasn’t the reason Dez was present, but why bother? She texted Veda to expect local warehousers to arrive shortly. “There’s just the matter of payment.”
The buyer settled in his chair that had retained the shape of him while he stood. He tapped a few keys. Cyra’s comm pinged. She checked her account. The credits had arrived. Her half of the deal. Already she felt lighter, having a small cushion of funds not allocated to getting to Kolben.
“When can I expect another delivery?” the man asked Dez.
“It’ll be awhile before we get back to Din’Gale,” Cyra answered. “We have to go to Kolben next.”
The man shivered. “Why would you go there?”
“Other contracts.” It was none of his business.
“Good, good. But don’t forget to contact me when you can run another shipment.” He rubbed his jowly chin and peered at his display. “Actually, this will keep the goods rare, in demand.” Cyra could almost see the credits stack in his eyes.
“Great. Well, I’ll be in touch.” Cyra and Dez left the man to his schemes. “That went well.” Cyra told Dez when they were outside the office, back in the streaming mass of public. There was no time to celebrate, but maybe some time to eat? “We need to put the word out for a communications officer. Let’s grab a mono-tram, and head to some of the popular hang outs.”
Dez nodded, his gaze swiveling around the space.
“You okay?
“There is no air here. It’s worse than the ship. Nothing grows.”
“Not true. They have greenhouses with grow lights on a different level. Hydroponics and waste reclamation growing a variety of crops.”
“It smells dead.” His face wrinkled.
“It’s not that bad.” It was. She recalled having the same reaction to Cassan the first time she’d been there with Auvi. She’d acclimated. Their trip to the retail district where the cheaper bars were found was brief and wordless. Dez seemed to be deep in his own thoughts, and Cyra wasn’t sure what to say to him. It didn’t matter if he got used to the station, he’d never be back.
They visited several of her favorite watering holes. The bartenders were happy to see her and more than willing to chat with her. None of them knew of a communications specialist who was looking for a contract but would keep the word out. They had the same story for contracts to Kolben. Not many transporters would go there, so they didn’t see a lot of demand from the suppliers. Many of them expressed shock that she would be willing to travel so far. She shrugged off their doubts. Time was going to pass either way. Better to pass it with paying contracts.
“Are you hungry?” Cyra asked Dez. He had been her quiet shadow during her visits. Not far from her body, but not intrusive in any way. She had to admit that it was nice to have his company, and she felt more secure than if she’d been by herself.
“I’m always hungry,” Dez answered. It sounded to Cyra as if he was talking about more than food. She chose to ignore the subtext of his statement.
“Great, we’re near my favorite Chalcanth-themed restaurant. You shared your home with me. Now I will give you a taste of my home.”
“Is there a reason none of your other crew mates are willing to dine there with you?”
“I didn’t invite anyone else to go with us. I’ll admit, it’s not Veda’s favorite.”
“Take me and I will decide for myself.”
Dez followed Cyra to a small eatery was tucked away in a remote corner, a few meters from a residential section of the station. The walls of the restaurant were painted a deep cobalt blue and bright green strips of translucent fabric hung from the ceiling. Dez’s head swam a bit at the contrast of the artificial gravity and the sense of being underwater. The server had similar features to Cyra, blue skin and gills, dark green hair tied up on her head. She didn’t spark any attraction.
Only his queen existed in his heart. If only he could find a way into hers.
Cyra ordered for them both. Dez was nervous about her selections, like sea snake and raw bittlefish. He was willing to try it. It was the food of his mate’s childhood. The meal would bring him a new understanding, provide new details for him to contemplate, as he pined for her alone in his room.
