She did wonder how Mitsuko was going to react to her outfit. It was… a little unconventional, which Nava felt fitted her image. Was Mitsuko going to like it? Probably. Was she going to think it appropriate? Less clear.
Nava spotted the back of someone’s head and knew who that hair belonged to. She vectored in that direction and rapidly caught up with Rochester. ‘Hi, Chess,’ she said as she slowed her pace to match his. A glance took in all there was to see. ‘You’re looking good. That’s an unusually sexy look for you.’
‘I-it is?’ Rochester asked in reply. He was wearing his jeans, because they were about all he had to wear for a party like this, along with a pair of grey loafers which matched reasonably well. He was also wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt with the arms folded up to just below his elbows. The shirt had no buttons and his smooth, tanned chest was visible as the garment moved.
‘Yes, it is. Mel’s going to love it.’
‘Uh, thank you. You look… dangerous.’
‘Thank you. Looks like the doors are open. Let’s hope we can find Mel and Suki in there.’
‘I’m sure we will. If the worst happens, I’ll use Sorcerer’s Eye to get a bird’s eye view. Didn’t you work out how to do a location spell?’
‘I think that might constitute abuse of magic, but I’m willing if it comes to it. Looks like Kyle is on door duty.’
Kyle acknowledged Nava’s nod of greeting with a raised eyebrow and a spreading grin. It was the outfit, she figured. The man himself was actually more conventionally dressed than Rochester: dark-grey slacks, a cap-sleeved shirt in black, and tennis shoes. His shirt had buttons and the majority of them were done up. However, the short sleeves showed off Kyle’s arms, especially biceps, which flexed and shifted under his dark skin in an appealing manner. You could almost feel the humidity rising as women drooled over him. Several men too, though the general male reaction was more jealous than lustful.
‘Nicely crafted illusions,’ Rochester commented as they got through onto the open floor, now stripped of its usual rows of seats.
Nava took in the beach scene spreading around them and nodded. Up on stage, a group of musicians were playing instrumental rock. Nava had no idea whether what they were playing was original or a cover; sooner or later she was really going to have to try to figure out Shinden’s pop culture. There were few people dancing to it at the moment. Most were involved in grabbing food at this point of the evening. Nava kept scanning until she located a head of black hair sticking up above the crowd. Technically, that was not an absolute method of locating Mitsuko, but she was very tall, and she had very black, straight hair; Mitsuko stood out even when surrounded by most men. Kyle was fractionally taller in bare feet, but Mitsuko would be wearing heels.
‘This way,’ Nava said. ‘At least, I think I spotted Suki. Hopefully, Mel will be nearby.’
Sure enough, Melissa was with Mitsuko. They were chatting beside one of the buffet tables. Mitsuko was also watching what was going on nearby. Well, both of them were, but Melissa’s range of vision was significantly reduced by her relative stature. She did spot Rochester as soon as he got through the throng. She smiled. His jaw dropped.
‘That,’ Mitsuko said, ‘is the kind of reaction one expects from a boyfriend.’ Her eyes fell upon Nava, prowling closer. They widened; Mitsuko was far too composed to let her mouth hang open.
Nava had elected to forgo the more usual dress in favour of a sleeveless, full body, faux leather catsuit. It fitted her body perfectly, showing every curve. Much of the front was nanomesh, a window through the leather that started at her collarbones and went down in a V past her navel. There were nanomesh panels diagonally over her hips too. The back of the suit was open, with laces closing the bottom of the opening. Matching bracers – gloves without the hands – encircled her arms from above her elbows to her wrists, and she was wearing her tall boots to finish off the ensemble. She rarely wore makeup, so the dark shades around her eyes and the deep-red lip gloss and nail varnish stood out. She looked dangerous: a fetishist’s wet dream or a character from a dark superhero vid.
‘I d-don’t suppose we can leave early?’ Rochester asked, his eyes still on Melissa. He absently repositioned the bottom of his shirt so that it covered his crotch.
Beside Melissa, Mitsuko nodded as if to say ‘me too.’
‘Sorry,’ Melissa said, ‘I’m on duty until midnight.’
‘Yes,’ Mitsuko agreed on a sigh. ‘I’m afraid we’ll be here for the rest of the night. Aside from breaks. I’m even going to have to ask you to let Mel dance with other men, Chess. She’ll be helping me to get the wallflowers on their feet. Frankly, I’m too tall for some of them.’
Rochester nodded. ‘I understand the dictates of duty. And the issue of standing around the wall looking lost at parties.’
Melissa giggled. ‘Yes, it’s usually me wishing someone would ask me to dance. And dreading that someone will.’
‘It won’t be an issue for the first hour,’ Mitsuko said. ‘They’ll be stuffing their faces for most of it. Uh, we should get food while the selection is still reasonable.’ She let Melissa and Rochester shift toward the buffet first and moved in beside Nava. Bending slightly, she lowered her voice as far as she could without being inaudible. ‘There’s no way you’re wearing anything under that.’
‘There are
