Hopping quickly around the dorm, she finished gathering up the dirty clothes strewn around and dumped them into her hamper. Then it was into the bathroom to clean her hair products and make-up off the back of the toilet and cram them all into the medicine cabinet where they belonged. The tub and toilet were clean, thank goodness and there were some fresh towels in the linen closet. The tub, in Melli’s opinion, was the best feature of the dorm room. It was actually deep enough to take a really nice long soak in.
Thinking of that made her realize she hadn’t had a bath or shower since before the Varians had attacked her mother’s house. She’d had a kind of quick sponge bath up in the Med Center of the Kindred Mother ship, but that hardly counted. Suddenly she felt grimy. Ugh—she was definitely going to get a nice long soak in the tub tonight. Well…she eyed the deep sides of the tub uncertainly…if she could get in and out of it by herself without re-injuring her leg, that was.
Bathroom taken care of, she hobbled swiftly to the tiny kitchen and surveyed it with a frown.
The crumbs on the counters were easily swept away and she put away the cereal boxes and instant ramen packs quickly enough. But the sink was full of dishes and there was no quick fix for that.
At least the dishes weren’t crusty with drying food or anything like that. Melli was always careful to rinse everything off before she put it in the sink. It was just that after she rinsed it, she rarely got around to actually washing it until just about everything in the dorm was dirty and she was completely out of dishes, bowls, cups, and silverware to eat from. Then she would do a big wash, all at once, and take care of everything only to start the cycle again the next day.
Unfortunately, she had been just at the point of doing a big wash right before she’d gone to her mom’s house for movie night and ended up being attacked by aliens and taken to the Mother Ship. So just about everything in the dorm was dirty and Melli doubted she had time to clean it up before Liosh got back.
Still, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work. She had filled half the sink with hot, soapy water and was sliding in the first pile of dishes when there was a knock at the door and Liosh came back in, his arms filled with bags of clothes and the food from the food court.
He frowned when he saw Melli standing at the tiny sink.
“What are you doing? Why are you standing on your injured leg, my Lady?”
“Oh, um—my place is kind of a mess,” Melli confessed, feeling her cheeks get hot. “I just…didn’t want you to think I was a slob. And I’m being careful—see?” She motioned down to where she was standing stork-like only on her good leg and keeping the other one carefully off the floor.
Liosh’s frown deepened.
“I still don’t like it. Here, let me help you over to sit down and I will finish this.”
“You will?” Melli squeaked. “But, um, you mean you don’t mind doing dishes?” Her father had never helped around the house at all in any way—well, other than traditionally masculine duties like getting the car fixed if it broke down and opening tight jar lids and things like that. So the idea that the big Kindred might be willing to do dishes—especially dishes he’d had no hand in dirtying—was surprising to her.
But Liosh only shrugged.
“Why shouldn’t I help with the domestic duties while I’m staying with you? It’s only fair, don’t you think?”
“I, uh, guess so,” Melli said hesitantly. “But, well, you didn’t even help make this mess.”
He shrugged again.
“That doesn’t mean I can’t help clean it up. Come—I don’t like seeing you on your feet when you’re supposed to be careful of your leg.”
He helped her over to the little blue overstuffed loveseat and got her settled with her leg propped up on some cushions. Then he went back to the tiny kitchen and Melli heard him humming happily to himself as he washed the dishes.
Wow…she couldn’t help thinking. What a great guy!
Were all Kindred this nice? If so, every girl should have one.
Nine
Vorn looked around the room he had been assigned with a frown. He had taken off his crimson uniform shirt in order to change into something less formal for supper, but now he found he had nowhere to hang it. Bare-chested, he wandered around the small room, wondering if there were any kind of hanging or storage facilities available but finding none.
He supposed he could ask Jodi, but he could still hear her voice murmuring into the phone, presumably ordering them Last Meal, and he didn’t like to interrupt her. There was a small door across from the bed. He had thought that maybe it led to the fresher but it was worth a try.
Pulling open the door, Vorn sucked in a breath and was nearly knocked over by the sudden intense barrage of scents.
This was where the other smells that permeated the small room were coming from, he realized—the scents of leather and latex he had noticed earlier were all coming from this tiny storage area.
Surprisingly, the source of the smells was not immediately apparent. There was no leather or latex in sight. Just a clothing rack filled with hangers and on each one seemed
