“That’s okay,” I said. “We’ll have our meeting now.”
Waev frowned, in total confusion.
“Right,” he said. “Okay. Uh, would you care for drinks?”
“Tea,” I said.
“Very good, sir,” he said, backing out of the room.
Once he’d gone, I shook my head.
“Waev,” I said. “He’s beginning to get a bit long in the tooth, I’m afraid. You’re free to visit the gardens after our meeting if you’d like.”
“Thanks,” she said.
I shook her hand.
“Call me Traes,” I said.
“Bianca,” she said.
I couldn’t resist asking the next question:
“Did you grow up in a house similar to this?” I said.
The smile faltered on her lips.
“I, uh, no, uh, yes. The thing is… Sort of.”
“I hear a lot of families earn a lot of money from energies from your homeworld,” I said. “Oil. Gas. Things like that.”
Bianca looked at me through squinting eyes.
“Right…” she said.
I turned to my desk and glanced in the mirror back at her. She peered at her surroundings and paid attention to the underside of the chair arms and the desktop. Did she think my office was bugged?
“Shall we get down to business?” I said.
“Yeah…” she said, her eyes still wandering around the office. “Sure.”
We took seats on either side of the desk. I looked her over properly for the first time. I was wrong. She wasn’t pretty. She was beautiful. She had eyes big enough to fall into, set in a face that promised desire, passion, and yes, more than a little challenge. Surely even Cleb would behave himself with her?
“Do you have your resume?” I said.
“I’m afraid I didn’t have time to print it out,” Bianca said.
“No problem,” I said. “So, what experience do you have with teaching small children?”
“I was an elementary school teacher for three years back on my homeworld. I taught a range of subjects and developed a good rapport with my students.”
“You sound like you loved your job very much,” I said.
Her smile faltered again.
“I did,” she said. “Very much.”
“And your students must have loved you. Students always love the teachers who teach with passion.”
She smiled at me and it lit up the entire room.
“I hope so,” she said. “I agree with you. Kids always know when their teachers are being honest with them. I guess we all do.”
And did her eyes shift minutely to the restroom door?
Waev knocked on the door before he shouldered it open and entered with a tray of drinks. Bianca looked like she wanted to get up and give him a hand but wasn’t sure how to behave in this kind of situation.
While she was distracted, I took the time to run my eyes over her appreciatively.
How long had it been since I did something like that?
How long had it been since I peered up from a dry piece of paper to look at something so beautiful?
To have a real conversation with someone and not just trying to score negotiation points?
Longer than I cared to admit.
“How did you come to be on Arcturon Prime?” I said.
“I… wanted to see more of the galaxy,” she said. “I wanted to see other alien species and planets.”
“Has it been everything you hoped it would?”
If I didn’t know any better, I would have said she was on the verge of tears.
“It’s been very… educational,” she said.
“Do you have any plans to return home?” I said.
“Yes. One day.”
“It must be difficult being so far from friends and family.”
“The people I’ve met here have been very kind to me,” she said. “For the most part.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
I wasn’t sure I believed her. It was in her eyes. She did her best to hide the painful experiences she’d had to endure. I felt angry that anyone could mistreat this woman.
“Do you have any references I can look at?” I said, steering the subject back to the job position. “Preferably on Arcturon Prime or in the local cluster?”
“I’ve only just arrived here,” she said. “I’m afraid I don’t have many references.”
“How about on other planets in the Titan empire where you’ve worked?” I said.
She smiled.
“Sure,” she said. “Of course. I’m sure I can get them to write a reference for you.”
“Not written,” I said. “I need to see them face to face. You can tell so much more about a person when you see them in person.”
“Right,” she said. She looked very despondent. “Of course.”
“The position will require you to live in,” I said. “Is that a problem?”
“No.”
“No boyfriend or husband issues?”
“None,” she said. “Just me.”
She suddenly seemed so small in that massive wing chair. Just her. Alone. On the far side of the galaxy. It made me want to scoop her up in my arms and care for her.
I blinked at my instincts.
“I need to warn you about Cleb, who you’d be taking care of,” I said. “He can be… a bit of a handful.”
“I’ve had to deal with many difficult kids over the years,” she said confidently. “I’ve found the way to make them behave isn’t to attempt to control them. It’s to—”
She lost her train of thought and shook her head.
“Sorry,” she said. “I need to mention something. You asked for references, but I won’t be able to give them. Not unless you send someone to Earth.”
“Why not?”
She couldn’t meet my eyes.
“Because… Because… I was sworn to secrecy,” she said.
“Secrecy?” I said. “What sort of secrecy?”
“It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you, would it?” she said, eyes glinting with mischief. “I educated children of rich and powerful Titan families. I had to sign non-disclosure agreements before they allowed me to take on the position.”
I knew many of the rich Titan families. I wondered which ones she was referring to.
“But… How am I supposed to know you’re as qualified as you say you are?” I said.
She shrugged.
“You’re going to have to trust me,” she said.
“Trust you? I don’t even know you! You just came off the street. You could be anyone. You might be dangerous.”
“Do I look dangerous to you?” she said with an arched eyebrow.
Yes. You look like the most dangerous woman
