“Minx is more accurate, but yeah, that’s her.”
“You took three women to Chez Henri?”
“Well, Ms. Avril was busy and couldn’t go with us or there’d have been four.”
“You’re kidding!”
“I am not kidding. It wasn’t even my idea. When Brill heard I had an introduction to Henry Roubaille, she insisted. I thought we were going to have half the ship up there watching me change clothes.”
“You had an introduction?”
I gave a half shrug. “I think that’s about the only way you can see him. His receptionist is a real pro.”
“Where’d you get an invitation?”
“Bresheu on St. Cloud gave it to me.”
“You’re kidding!”
“You’ve got to stop saying that.” I stood and held out my hand. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.”
She put her hand in mine, and I pulled her to her feet. I led her back to where Brill was still sitting, but she had moved to my old seat beside Al. Brill got a really funny grin on her face and Al gave me a big wink and raised her glass in my direction.
“You know these women, I think?” I said to Alvarez.
“Hi, Brill, Al,” she said.
“Hey, AA.” Al saluted with her glass.
“Hi. Alicia,” Brill said. “How’s it going?”
“Great! This one is something, huh?” She nodded in my direction.
Al spoke up before Brill could answer, “Hell, I’ve only known him for two stans and I know that!”
“You have no idea, Alicia.”
“Settle a bet for me, B?” she said.
“Sure, if I can.”
“Where’d he get this jacket?”
“Chez Henri up on eleven, why? He got the whole outfit there the other day. Bev and Diane and I went with him.”
“Jillian was too busy?”
“I think she’s slit her wrists by now, but yeah. She had the duty.”
“How did he get into Henri’s?”
“We were on St. Cloud and he got an introduction from Bresheu.”
“The Bresheu?” she asked.
Brill shrugged. “Is there more than one?”
“Why did Bresheu give him an introduction?”
Brill was grinning by this time. “Because the jacket he tried on there didn’t fit and we didn’t have time for it to be tailored before we shipped out.”
Alicia started laughing. “This is all true, isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes. Did he tell you his rating?”
“Engineman, isn’t it?”
“Well, yeah, but he’s also rated as Ordinary Spacer, Cargo Handler, and Food Handler. In a few weeks he’ll be spec two environmental as well.” She said it with a certain amount of pride.
Alicia looked at me with a speculative look in her eye. “You looking for a new berth?”
Brill said, “Hey, no poaching. He’s mine!”
I found I quite liked the way she said, “He’s mine.”
Alicia giggled and gripped my hand a little more firmly. The temperature rose in the bar by about ten degrees Celsius with that giggle. She looked back at Brill then. “Okay, can I borrow him for a few stans, then? I’ll bring him back, I promise.”
“Okay,” Brill replied warily, “but don’t break him. I need him on watch tomorrow night.”
I confess, it felt a little odd, being bargained over like that, but the comment that Diane had made at dinner about what it means to be a spacer hit hard just then. Something must have shown on my face, because Brill asked me, “You okay, Ish?”
“It just struck me what you said earlier about civilians.”
She nodded knowingly, even a bit sadly. “Have fun, Ish.”
Bless her heart.
“Don’t wait up,” I said and let the fascinating Alicia Alvarez lead me out of the bar.
Chapter 20
DUNSANY ROADS ORBITAL
2352-APRIL-17
Alicia Alvarez led me out of Jump! and straight to the lift. I found it quite pleasant, walking along hand in hand. I enjoyed the looks the other spacers gave us and I think Alicia did, too. She had a little smile on her face as we threaded our way through the clots of people flowing erratically through the promenade.
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” we both said at once and laughed.
“Okay, you first,” she told me.
“You’ve already given me a night I’ll never forget. It was a sucker bet.”
“You think I’m paying off a bet?” she asked gently as we waited for the lift and she looked up at me.
“No,” I said just as gently. “Now, your turn.”
“You don’t seem quite as sure of yourself as you did earlier.”
“It’s a cultural thing. I’m still adjusting to life aboard I think.”
“A case of be careful what you wish for?” she suggested.
The lift arrived then and we got on with a rowdy group who rode up two levels and then fell off at the docks. She punched number seven and we kept riding up.
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. You’re a fascinating and stunning woman. I don’t know you except remotely because of Pip.”
“Of all the women in that bar, you picked me because of Pip?” she asked with a little grin. “Why pick any? I’m sure you could have attracted some all by yourself.”
“Murdock was a set up,” I told her.
The lift stopped on level seven, and we stepped off, strolling along the curved passage, still hand in hand. I had no idea where we were going or even if we were going anywhere at all, but her hand felt nice in mine and that was enough.
“What?” Her brow furrowed into a quizzical scowl.
“Murdock was a setup. She was supposed to latch onto me and take me out for a spin.”
“What makes you say that?”
“I overheard more of a conversation than I was supposed to. Some people who care about me very deeply were trying to take care of me in a way they couldn’t.”
“You mean Brill set you up to get you laid?”
