"Generous?" Strawberry asked. I was quite sure that she was understanding the conversation.
Aeren glanced around at the fancy restaurant around us. No one was paying us or our conversation any attention. "I had hoped to have this discussion in private," she whispered to me. "I know that the situation has completely reversed, and I am dependent on you for survival now. Still, I had hopes. Mixi and I both, to be truthful. That eventually, you would consider inseminating us."
"Are you kidding?" Strawberry asked with a touch of that drunken slur I heard yesterday. "Kash is probably restraining himself from bending you over the table right now and plunging your tight little hole until he blows his load!"
The statement sounded so crude that I was embarrassed and ready to apologize for my first officer. The only reason that I didn't was Aeren's response. She was grinning wildly. I wondered how much of that was the alcohol.
"Why have you two been acting so bashful?" I asked. "In the bedroom especially."
Aeren's smile disappeared, but her voice was friendly when she answered. "We do not wish to be roughed up. Mavdaios had shared some details of your sexual episode with Honeysuckle. And to be completely transparent, your penis is much larger than either of us have experienced."
Strawberry laughed before responding. I was worried that she might snort again. She was acting so loose around us that she seemed to be finding everything extremely funny. "It does hurt a little at first, even for us petite human girls."
CHAPTER NINETEEN:
"Where did you get modded?" a weird looking woman asked as she approached from out of nowhere. We had just left the fancy restaurant and Aeren forgot to pull her hood back up after adjusting her long braids. The inquirer had bluish skin with a repeating pattern of lines that made her look like a fish. Grossly enlarged lips and blue eyebrows that stood on end like fins. Keeping with the style her turquoise hair was formed into a tall, skinny mohawk. Her uniform indicated that she worked for the Rain restaurant that had all the flowing water. Based on her appearance, she just might be their public relations agent or mascot.
When my elfish soon-to-be lover urgently yanked the hood up over her long ears, the woman discouraged her from hiding them and repeated her question about the origination of Aeren's body modifications.
"Saturn," I answered, hoping that any reply would get us closer to ridding ourselves with this inquisitive person. From the glance Strawberry gave me it was not the best choice.
"They are modding at solar stations now?" the fish lady showed surprise and doubt simultaneously.
"No," my redheaded friend answered. "The personal services ship was named Saturn's Glory. I can't remember if it was at Sirius or AC."
"Well, I absolutely love those ears, darling. And those sexy little legs you are trying so desperately to hide." The woman then reached into her pocket for something as I studied her face more closely. When not actively talking the lips made slight circular twitches like a fish. "Here is a credit for the Rain. I would love to see you there this evening. I'll be performing near the rear bar for the late show and saving you a seat up front. You may bring this scraggly man with you if you like. Or the freckled doll face if you prefer. But not the ankle warmer. Bye now."
Then she walked off hurriedly toward three business men. Perhaps she was going to offer them the same deal.
"How am I scraggly?" I asked, only slightly offended. Before I was urged through the portal back on Earth, I fit that description so well that my face probably popped up when you googled the word scraggly. I was lucky for the parting shave and haircut that at the time I had thought totally unnecessary.
"Your grooming is not up to her standard apparently," my navigations officer informed me.
"At least she didn't call you an ankle warmer," Teddy muttered. "Fucking fish face bitch."
We laughed at his comment until a murmur caught our attention. There were others close by that might not have heard his exact words, but caught enough to know he was speaking Galactic Standard. So, we cut our excursion short and hastily got both of our spectacle causing aliens back onboard the ship.
The main cargo hold was empty and only a few crates remained on the dock to be picked up by the buyer. Gako and Dawynda were racing around in a circle in the large space, exercising their legs more than spreading their wings. They looked almost like velociraptors encircling their prey. Once they spotted me watching them they hurried over to talk.
"We go outside," Gako said, gesturing toward the exit with his long gator-like snout.
"No, you don't," I answered firmly.
"When, Kash?" Dawynda asked angrily, not sounding any more patient than her husband. "When can we go outside?"
"Two days," I answered, holding up a pair of fingers. "We load new cargo tomorrow, so you'll be confined to the forward hold most likely. We'll see what Cinnamon has to say. Then we'll land on a planet the next day. We might not be able to let you out right away when we arrive there, but I promise to find you an opportunity as quickly as I can."
"Ship was mistake," Gako told me with an evil stare. He was blaming me for his current claustrophobic predicament. I could understand that. I even predicted it.
"Hush now," Dawynda told him though she was equally disappointed. "Be patient. We are new at space life. Let's give Kash a chance to adjust to our needs."
"Thank you. The way it looks you'll get a day to enjoy the empty cargo space every time we buy and sell. Then another day outside when we are able to visit a planet."
"How
