herself not to let her feelings
get the better of her. She had explained to Clive that she wasn’t ready for anything
more serious in her life. He said he was perfectly fine with that.
Whenever Justine was away, they remained friendly and
platonic; but whenever she was on Luna Station, she would stay with him at his
apartment. They had fallen into a routine, and Justine didn’t want to change
their arrangement.
She had not had time to contact Clive before the space liner
took off, and normally he wouldn’t call her while she was on duty, so she was
surprised that he managed to track her down. No one was supposed to know about
her presence on the ship.
“Nice to see you, too,” he replied with a playful smile and
a hint of sarcasm.
When Justine didn’t respond right away, Clive pretended to
look hurt.
“Sorry,” she said. “Of course, I’m happy to see you. You
know that. I just wasn’t expecting you to call me here.”
“You don’t like surprises?” he asked with a smile. “I would
have called before you left, but I’ve been up to my neck in paperwork,
arranging for the transfer and storage of your, ahem, precious cargo.”
“You know about the shipment?” she asked.
“Who do you think suggested you for the assignment?”
Justine’s eyes flared. “You! You’re responsible for me
spending the last ten hours in a freezing cargo bay? And you didn’t give me a
heads-up?”
His smile grew wider. “Sorry about that,” he said, not
sounding apologetic at all. “But I figured it would be a great opportunity for
you.”
“What?” Justine couldn’t believe her ears. “And how is this
a great opportunity for me? It’s so secret I didn’t know about it until a few
moments before I came on board. And it’s so tedious, I’m about to go crazy from
the boredom. And did I mention,” she added, “that I’m freezing my extremities down
there?”
Clive laughed. “I have some news that might warm you up.”
She pointed a warning finger at him. “It had better be
good.”
“I’ve arranged to escort you—and the shipment—from CS3 to
Luna Station.”
“You have?” Justine felt herself flush. Then she blinked. “Where
are you calling from?”
“I just arrived on CS3 about a half hour ago. I’ve also made
reservations for a private booth at the Terra Vista Restaurant, and I have balcony
tickets to La Dance Des Étoiles . ”
“I’ve always wanted to see that,” Justine said, her voice
softening.
“There’s no sense in spending the eight-hour layover—as you
say—freezing our extremities on the liner’s cargo bay. There are plenty of things
to do on CS3.”
“Clive, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were
trying to butter me up for something.”
He laughed. “It’s all for purely selfish reasons, I assure
you. I just want you to start thinking of me as more than a bi-monthly
boyfriend.” Clive’s tone turned serious at that last part.
Justine balked at his declaration. She was comfortable the
way things were. There had been far too many changes in her life over the past
few years, and she was just starting to get her feet under her and adjust to
her circumstances.
She truly looked forward to spending a couple of days every
other week with Clive on the moon. With his busy political schedule and her
traveling, Justine didn’t know if there was any way they could bring their
relationship to the next level. Or that she wanted to.
The thought of anything more than what they had already
scared her. Justine’s long-ago marriage to Brian had been a disaster, and it
hadn’t been his fault. She had always been a career-minded woman, and had her
eyes—and heart—set on the stars.
Even now that she could no longer captain a ship, deep down
she held the desire to return to space as something more than a tour guide. She
did not want to be bound to Earth or the Moon. It was a ridiculous notion, but
she hoped technology would advance to the point where it could
get the better of her. She had explained to Clive that she wasn’t ready for anything
more serious in her life. He said he was perfectly fine with that.
Whenever Justine was away, they remained friendly and
platonic; but whenever she was on Luna Station, she would stay with him at his
apartment. They had fallen into a routine, and Justine didn’t want to change
their arrangement.
She had not had time to contact Clive before the space liner
took off, and normally he wouldn’t call her while she was on duty, so she was
surprised that he managed to track her down. No one was supposed to know about
her presence on the ship.
“Nice to see you, too,” he replied with a playful smile and
a hint of sarcasm.
When Justine didn’t respond right away, Clive pretended to
look hurt.
“Sorry,” she said. “Of course, I’m happy to see you. You
know that. I just wasn’t expecting you to call me here.”
“You don’t like surprises?” he asked with a smile. “I would
have called before you left, but I’ve been up to my neck in paperwork,
arranging for the transfer and storage of your, ahem, precious cargo.”
“You know about the shipment?” she asked.
“Who do you think suggested you for the assignment?”
Justine’s eyes flared. “You! You’re responsible for me
spending the last ten hours in a freezing cargo bay? And you didn’t give me a
heads-up?”
His smile grew wider. “Sorry about that,” he said, not
sounding apologetic at all. “But I figured it would be a great opportunity for
you.”
“What?” Justine couldn’t believe her ears. “And how is this
a great opportunity for me? It’s so secret I didn’t know about it until a few
moments before I came on board. And it’s so tedious, I’m about to go crazy from
the boredom. And did I mention,” she added, “that I’m freezing my extremities down
there?”
Clive laughed. “I have some news that might warm you up.”
She pointed a warning finger at him. “It had better be
good.”
“I’ve arranged to escort you—and the shipment—from CS3 to
Luna Station.”
“You have?” Justine felt herself flush. Then she blinked. “Where
are you calling from?”
“I just arrived on CS3 about a half hour ago. I’ve also made
reservations for a private booth at the Terra Vista Restaurant, and I have balcony
tickets to La Dance Des Étoiles . ”
“I’ve always wanted to see that,” Justine said, her voice
softening.
“There’s no sense in spending the eight-hour layover—as you
say—freezing our extremities on the liner’s cargo bay. There are plenty of things
to do on CS3.”
“Clive, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were
trying to butter me up for something.”
He laughed. “It’s all for purely selfish reasons, I assure
you. I just want you to start thinking of me as more than a bi-monthly
boyfriend.” Clive’s tone turned serious at that last part.
Justine balked at his declaration. She was comfortable the
way things were. There had been far too many changes in her life over the past
few years, and she was just starting to get her feet under her and adjust to
her circumstances.
She truly looked forward to spending a couple of days every
other week with Clive on the moon. With his busy political schedule and her
traveling, Justine didn’t know if there was any way they could bring their
relationship to the next level. Or that she wanted to.
The thought of anything more than what they had already
scared her. Justine’s long-ago marriage to Brian had been a disaster, and it
hadn’t been his fault. She had always been a career-minded woman, and had her
eyes—and heart—set on the stars.
Even now that she could no longer captain a ship, deep down
she held the desire to return to space as something more than a tour guide. She
did not want to be bound to Earth or the Moon. It was a ridiculous notion, but
she hoped technology would advance to the point where it could
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