Coffee Cup Dreams (A Redpoint One Romance) by J.A. Marlow Page A

least for tonight.
    "Just for the record, I don't think you are
dangerous," Tish said down to the bot firmly, saying it out loud
more for herself than for the bot. "In fact, I think you're
cute."
    The bot whistled back at her in a nonsensical
response as it continued down the corridor. Past the transit
platform and into the wide corridors beyond.
    She tried to memorize where they were going.
Really she did. But, after the fourth or fifth turn and an elevator
ride, she gave up. They didn't walk very far, not really, yet she
knew she wouldn't be able to find her way back for work the next
morning. And she wanted to be on time. She needed the
job.
    They went through a wide door and into a
light-cream colored corridor. Tish looked back and tried to
memorize what the door looked like, determined to at least try to
remember.
    And almost stepped on the bot.
    It bleeped sharply at her, making her jerk and
snap her attention back to where she was walking. "Sorry about
that."
    But the bot didn't continue forward. It made a
circle in front of the door and whistled again.
    Number BDI-34. "This is it? You do realize you
are taking me back to work in the morning, right?"
    The bot whistled cheerfully, the pulsing light
blinking out and retracting back into the body. Tish touched the
pad to the right of the door, wondering where the lock controls
were. The door smoothly slid open, to reveal a comfortable already
furnished living area.
    With half an ear, she heard the bot behind her
chirp happily and the door close. But she didn't turn back to say
goodbye. Her eyes were glued to the view at the other side of the
room past the recliner and sofa of the main sitting
area.
    She walked forward until her nose was up
against the window. Beyond lay a curved lush green world several
stories below her. Her hands fumbled for the control for the
sliding door. A wave of the smell of plants and moist soil rushed
into the apartment. Tish moved to the far rail to get a better
view.
    And what a view it was. Forests, grasslands,
and even a few fields and gardens. She thought one spot to her left
might be a park. To the far left and right the band of land curved
upwards until occluded by the curve of the ring and the protective
semi-transparent covering of the ring itself.
    An apartment in the side of one of the
habitable rings. How lucky could she get? She'd never been able to
afford her own apartment and now she had one with a view, and not a
dark dingy internal hole-in-the-wall.
    With a terrace!
    ***
    Arthur heard her leave with the bot. Heard her even talking
to the bot, although not the words themselves.
    The 'boss' part of him was glad she'd become
accustomed to their work-partners so quickly. It meant she might
fit in. He might finally have one of the critical job positions
filled, once he figured out in what systems she might have special
talents in.
    A prospect that should thrill him, but a part
of him dreaded. To have her around every day. In close quarters
while working in the sometimes-confining maintenance corridors and
crawl spaces. To see her fresh smiling face each morning as
assignments were given out complete with those ridiculous
holographic hair ties.
    Yet, a part of him thrilled at that, as
well.
    He didn't like any of it, he told himself
firmly. He was the boss. The station needed repairs and it was his
job to make them happen.
    "Make sure it's cleaned before you put it
away," Rachel said down to her bot as she came into the break-room.
Her bot spun around, heading for the supply rooms with a small
hovering cart in tow behind it.
    "Calling it a day?" Arthur asked, noting the
multiple dark streaks of dirt running through her short blond
hair.
    Rachel nodded. She sniffed at the pot of
coffee, cringed, and poured it out. "Up early taking care of the
problem up in Sector 5220. Haven't stopped for more than a breather
since then."
    "Thanks for helping Damien."
    "You're welcome. I stopped by on the way back.
He has the big leaks sealed. Even