Bodi’s wings fluttered, and she searched for support. But Blaize was curious about Bodi’s culture, and Veda seemed to be fascinated by the crowd.
Bodi opened and shut her mouth several times before she was saved from answering when the server returned with their drinks.
As soon as each of them had a glass of the swirling, shimmering blue concoction, Rhysa raised her glass. “To queens and their Treasure.”
They clinked glasses, and Blaize sipped the drink to be polite. An exotic, fruity, fizzy mouthful had her silently thanking Rhysa for ordering. “Delicious.”
Rhysa laughed. “Of course it is.”
“It’s good.” Veda set her drink on the table. “I suspect it might be strong.”
“Anything you put in your mouth should be.” Rhysa blinked her eyes in a flirty manner.
Bodi laughed. “Don’t pretend you’re that discerning.”
Rhysa swept back her white-streaked brown hair with an almost golden hand. “Well, if it isn’t strong, it better be tasty. This meets both criteria.”
“Sure does.” Blaize hoped they wouldn’t get into a fight, but Bodi laughed again and took another sip. It was the most relaxed she’d seen their navigator in too long.
“Oh!” Blaize blurted the single syllable as it occurred to her that she could change the subject and get information from her partners. “I don’t know if you know, but I work with an engineering academy for girls. Orphans who are aging out of the system. I help with the academy as much as I can. They teach all the skills for them to be techs or engineers on ships.” Blaize paused. “Anyhow, the first class is moving toward graduation, and I told the director I’d look into internships, but I haven’t had much time or luck. Do any of you have any ideas?” Blaize sipped her sparkly drink and waited.
“Really?” Rhysa’s head bobbed as if she’d been struck. “I had no idea you did that or that the school existed. That’s such a great idea. Although, I’m not sure I’d put any young women on the ships I’ve been on.”
“Most of my contacts are back on Arbotriz,” Bodi said. “But if they don’t mind traveling, there might be some great opportunities, and ours is a female-centric culture. Less chance for abuse.”
Rhysa nodded in approval. “I could ask Gareth if he knows of anything.”
“Thank you. I wasn’t sure how I would keep that promise. Even something on station, doing repairs or other tech work, would be great.”
Rhysa nudged her. “I got you.”
Sooner than was prudent, Blaize ordered another. The first one barely muted the running analysis on what Cifer was up to, why he’d left, why he hadn’t come back, what she would do for the time they traveled to not only Hiargus, but the stops on Din’ Gale and Chalcanth. Awkward wouldn’t begin to capture her feelings if she had to avoid him that entire time. Maybe he’d found another ship. Maybe she was worried over nothing.
The bar filled with more crew from the nearby docks. Several males moved more tables and chairs to the edges of the room to expand the impromptu dance floor. The music got louder, and females wearing colorful scraps of clothes, some still in their work boots, filled the center of the space, while the males closed in and slowly positioned themselves in front of the person who drew their attention.
“Come dance.” Bodi stood and wiggled her ample backside in a seductive swivel.
Veda shook her head and clung to her first drink.
Rhysa stood up and pointed at Blaize.
Blaize sipped her drink. “Not yet. You two go.”
Bodi shrugged, grabbed Rhysa’s hand, and pulled her through the tables to join the tight, gyrating crowd.
Veda tried to talk to Blaize, but the bar was loud and neither of them was very good at pointless conversation. Instead, they wordlessly agreed to watch their shipmates. Bodi was quickly surrounded by males trying to get her attention while she danced in her own personal world. A short while later, Rhysa came by the table for her drink and then rushed off to dive back into the group of males. Those two knew how to draw and keep male attention. But Blaize wasn’t sure she wanted to learn the secret. It seemed like that just led to more opportunities to be left behind.
Once again, her glass was empty much sooner than it should have been. She looked at it carefully, held it up to the dim light. She didn’t have a buzz, so she ordered another as soon as the server swung by their table.
“I need to use the facilities,” she told Veda.
“I’ll stay with the table.” Veda wrapped her hands around her mostly full drink and shrank into her chair.
Blaize nodded, stood, and wobbled a bit. She quickly gripped the edge of the table when the room shimmied. Damn, the music must be loud to make the floor move. She had to focus to put her legs in the right order to move her across the room. She moved past the crowd toward the very back of the bar.
A Gordinian occupied a table nearby, and she recoiled. The noxious, hairy blob stood out in the crowd of dockworkers and ship crew. Gordinians were traders, merchants. The only thing they had to do with ships was greet them at the ports to get their stuff. She glanced at the others sitting with him and wrinkled her nose.
Who would do that voluntarily?
