The Sting of the Bee

by K E Lanning

  The crowd cheered amid pops from bottles of champagne. Laughter roared as the bubbly spewed across them and then they held out their glasses to be filled.

  The mayor continued after the crowd had quieted. “We also want to announce the winner of the contest to name both the pavilion and this sector we’ve come to call home.” A small troupe of youngsters brought him an envelope and stepped back. With a flourish, he opened the envelope and read the winner. With a big smile, he shouted into the microphone, “The winner is Ginnie Barrous, with the beautiful name of the Adélie River Region! Ginnie, if you’re here, please come up to accept your award.”

  Clapping, Lowry turned to John with a grin. He chuckled in surprise and stumbled to the stage through the cheering crowd. He climbed the steps, smiling at the gathering. One of the children handed him the plaque for his daughter. The mayor motioned him to join him at the podium.

  John stepped to the microphone, holding up the plaque for the crowd to see. “My daughter is away for the holidays. She’ll be disappointed she wasn’t here tonight. But I know she would want me to tell you how she came up with the name, Adélie River Region. In studying the history of Antarctica, she read about the Adélie penguins, a true Antarctic species, but who unfortunately went extinct after the Melt. In their honor, she wanted to name the river and region after them.” John held up the plaque and nodded to the crowd. “Thank you, my friends.”

  A crowd of well-wishers descended upon them and it wasn’t until the New Year was approaching that he was able to be alone with Lowry. They kissed at the stroke of midnight.

  John whispered in her ear, “Let’s go.”

  They climbed into their hovers, and Lowry followed him, floating through the soft light of evening to his farm. After she parked next to house, she opened the door of the hover and stepped out.

  Henry bounded up to greet her. She knelt and petted the dog. With a happy whine, he licked her face.

  John walked over to her. With a grin, he patted the dog’s back, and lifted his ear, and said jokingly, “Henry-boy, back off, you’re in my territory.”

  Laughing, Lowry stood and leaned back against the hover. He moved close to Lowry. Shyly, he pulled a lock of her hair to his lips and kissed it. He gazed into her uncertain eyes and whispered, “Are you all right?”

  She tilted her head. “Yes and no—still a little fragile, I guess.”

  With his knuckles, John gently caressed her cheek, then pulled her into his arms with a sigh. Lowry snuggled her head into his shoulder. He stroked her hair, and his calluses caught on the strands.

  He hesitated, then touched her face with his finger. “Are my hands rough?”

  Smiling, she turned his hand over and kissed the palm. “They’re a little rougher than the last time I felt them.”

  Lowry faced him, and their eyes locked together. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

  Henry pushed between them, wagging his tail.

  John frowned. “Henry, I think you need to stay in your room tonight.”

  John picked her up and carried her to the house, both of them laughing as he maneuvered her through the door. He stuck his leg out, blocking the dog from entering. “You go around back, through the doggy door, and get into your bed, Henry.”

  They entered the house and the lights brightened.

  John said, “Mood lights, P.”

  “Yes, John. Happy New Year’s Eve.”

  “Thanks, P, you, too. Goodnight, P.” The lights dimmed, and he slowly let Lowry down.

  “P?” Lowry asked.

  “Yeah, P for phone—clever, I know.” He stroked her cheek with his fingers.

  “I’ve opted for no virtual assistant. Someday I’ll tell you about ‘Lowry’s Big Adventure’ and then you’ll know why.”

  John kissed her. “But not tonight.” He kissed her again.

  “Definitely—”

  Threading his fingers through her hair, John kissed her harder.

  “—not—”

  He stared into her eyes and pressed Lowry against the wall, clasping her hands and slowly stretching her arms toward the ceiling.

  “—tonight,” she said hoarsely.

  He crushed his mouth into hers.

  With trembling hands, Lowry unbuttoned his shirt, while he kissed her eyebrows. She peeled his shirt back, then ripped hers over her head. Turning toward him, she pulled his face to hers, whispering, “John, I want you to make love to me.”

  He grabbed the back of her hair and swung her down the hall, pressing her against the opposite wall, only steps from the bedroom.

  John kissed her deeply. Her hands went to his fly and she unbuttoned his jeans, moaning as he thrust his mouth deeper into hers. They broke apart for a moment and he kicked off his pants. He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him. Nuzzling her neck, he carried her into the bedroom.

  Gently, he placed her on the bed and lay next to her. He stared at her tousled hair and the lock curled across her forehead. Her lips curved into a gentle smile. He pushed back the errant lock of hair, and her eyes met his.

  Lowry wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. He hugged her to him, and they lay facing each other on the bed. He stroked her face, then gently kissed his way up to her ear. Lowry inhaled sharply and drew his mouth onto hers.

  For a second their lips parted, and in the dim light of the midnight sun, he stared at her quietly. They made love, with the same magic he had felt the first time with her.

  Afterward, he kissed her gently, and then lay beside her, his breath slowing. He tilted his head to touch hers and stroked her leg with a sigh. The first time they had made love he had been an emotional basket case, but the ghosts of his past had faded into soft memories of another time, another life.

  Lowry smiled tiredly and traced the shape of his lips with her finger. She shivered, and he reached down and covered them both with the sheet.

  He pulled her face to him, kissing her softly. “Lowry, I love you.”

  She kissed his eyelids. “I love you, too.”

  They snuggled together and watched the sun skid along the horizon.

  Lowry whispered, “The sun barely rests now.”

  “Yes.”

  She smoothed his hair away from his face. “You made it to your first New Year’s on Antarctica—a time for reflection. Are you settling in, or do you ever think about going home?”

  He cuddled her to him. “This is my home. I could never go back to that life. That world is so far from mine, there’s no connection anymore. The few times I’ve talked with some of my old chums in the States, I had the vague feeling I’ve become more of a novelty than a friend.” He chuckled. “I’m the one who went native.”

  He rolled onto his back, pulling her onto his shoulder. John stared at the ceiling with a deep sigh. “I won’t deny that it’s been tough. It’s been a complete restructuring of our lives. Here, you either take it or leave it—there are no choices and no conveniences. It’s been especially hard on Ginnie. She’ll have to make her own choice when the time comes as to whether she’ll stay or not.” He looked away. “But it will kill me if she leaves.”

  Lowry ran her fingers through the hair on his chest. “You mean when she leaves.”

  John grimaced. “Yes, when she leaves. There’s no university here as yet, so unless something changes, she’ll be off to college in a couple of years.”

  Yawning, she shifted against his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

  His window of opportunity was closing. John drew in his breath and made the leap. “I know I flubbed our first foray, but I’d like to push the restart button on our relationship.”

  Lowry peered at him, and nestled closer. “For myself, I’ll say this was a good first step.”

  With a grin, John squeezed her. “Back ’atcha, girlfriend.” He hesitated, then started again. “If it were only me, there would be no issue, but with Ginnie—” Clearing his throat, he tapped her arm distractedly. “It
has to work for her, too.” He nuzzled her hair with his chin. “But Ginnie likes you, Lowry.” Out of the corner of his eye, he watched her face.

  “I like her, too; she seems like a good person.” She pushed herself onto her elbow. “What does Ginnie say?”

  He exhaled. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to her.”

  “I think we need to include her in our discussion—it’s her life, too.”

  He tilted his head toward her. “She loves horses; perhaps she could help you out now that our farm is in good shape.” With a little cough, he continued. “And you and she could get to know each other.”

  After a pause, Lowry replied, “I could use the help.” She tapped her finger on his chest. “John, if you really want to us to ‘get to know each other,’ I have a trail ride that I’m planning, and I don’t want to go alone.”

  John could see the wheels turning in her head; not sure if that was a positive or not. Facing him, she rubbed her chin with her knuckle. “A sheik has bought the colt for his breeding program, and it’s a great opportunity to let him remain a stallion.” Lowry brushed her hair back with her fingers. “But the sticky part of the deal is that he wants me to deliver him and they are in the middle of nowhere. With no roads, I can’t trailer him, so I’ll have to ride horseback and let the colt follow.”

  John hummed. “I agree that it isn’t safe to travel alone; I wouldn’t do a wilderness trek without a buddy.” He stroked her arm and asked, “Who is this sheik?”

  “His name is Sheik Sahail and they immigrated from North Africa, but not as a part of the Land Rush. It was a purchase agreement, acquiring the land from the UN, under the pretext of a cultural refuge. They settled in one of the Dry Valleys to get away from the modern influences on the tribe—it is a similar, albeit colder, type of climate to their homeland.”

  “When do you think you’ll go?”

  “In a couple of weeks. The colt is weaned him off his mother, but I want to make sure he’s eating well and fit for the trip.”

  John inwardly sighed. Why does there always seem to be some quest with Lowry? Shrugging, he nibbled her ear. “I guess we came to Antarctica for an adventure—it might be fun.”

  CHAPTER 19

  A week later, Lowry floated toward John’s farm to deliver the promised box of vegetables and steaks. They hadn’t seen each other since they had made love on New Year’s Eve. John had been swamped with an addition to a barn and she’d been out of town, meeting with Nick in Amundsen to help prepare for his upcoming campaign for president.

  She turned into the pass leading to his homestead, breathing deeply to calm her heart. Skimming across the ground, an old saying clanged in her head: Sex can kill a good friendship. Life had taught her that love was full of traps and dead ends. The reality of relationships was that they usually don’t work out. Lowry drummed the wheel of the hover. Even if John wanted to have a relationship, did she have the time for one? She had enough worry with her farm and the campaign for Nick.

  Lowry crossed onto his land. The orchards were in full bloom and the scent of apple wafted on the air. With a sigh, she recalled the first time they had made love. Would John play the “I can’t commit” card again?

  She parked in front of his house and unloaded the hover. Her heart thumped as John opened the door. Lowry cleared her throat, turning to him with a slight smile, and lifted up the box of vegetables. “Veggies as promised.” With a jerk of her head, she continued. “And a package of steaks in the back seat.”

  With a nod, he walked to the rear of the hover and grabbed the steaks. “Thanks, Lowry. Nothing like a good cut of beef.”

  She studied his face for any signs of withdrawal, but he simply motioned her into the house with a gesture and they walked to the kitchen. The box of vegetables slipped out of her hands and thumped onto John’s kitchen table. “Sorry!”

  Stuffing the steaks into the freezer, John smiled broadly. “No worries.”

  Lowry pulled the tomatoes, carrots, zucchinis, and cucumbers out of the box and laid them on the table. She bit her lip at the display of mostly phallic objects. Everything I’ve brought is sexually explicit.

  John picked up a large tomato with a nod. “Ginnie loves spaghetti with roasted tomatoes. We’ll have these for dinner when she gets home from school.” He moved by her, squeezing her shoulder as he passed, then turned away, placing the vegetables in a bin on the counter.

  She stared at the back of his toned body and chewed the inside of her mouth. This silence is getting awkward. Why is small talk such a challenge when you’re horny?

  She coughed, and then abruptly said, “Uh, I suppose you heard about the meeting tomorrow to start eviction proceedings on Kiki Daniels?”

  John turned around, leaning on the counter. “What are you talking about?”

  Lowry got control of her body. “Kiki Daniels; she and her partner are homesteaders in the sector southeast of us. She became very ill and they haven’t been able to plant the rest of the land. The bureaucrats are claiming ‘breach of contract’ of the homesteading agreement they signed, and now the station authorities are kicking them off the property. All this happening quietly, so the rest of us don’t get riled. But it leaked out.”

  “They can’t just throw someone off their land in a situation like that! Damned politicians!” John snapped.

  “I smell the stench of Durant. Despite the ANT contract scandal, he’s landed on his feet, by conveniently throwing his cohorts under the bus.” Lowry heaved a sigh. “And it’s official—he’s running for president.”

  He shook his head. “I knew that son of a bitch would be back.”

  Lowry glanced at the time. “I have to go. Chuy’s waiting for me.”

  John tightened his lips. “So soon?”

  She shrugged. “We’re moving the cattle to the northwest pasture today, and he needs my help.”

  John touched her shoulder as they walked to the front door. “Do you at least have time for a kiss goodbye?”

  With a smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck, and they kissed. So much for getting my body under control. Sighing, she put her hands on his chest. “I really need to go.”

  With a soft peck on her forehead, he opened the door. “Don’t be such a stranger.”

  Half-way to the hover, Lowry turned back to him. “Are you going to Daniels’ eviction proceedings tomorrow?”

  With a grimace, John replied, “Oh, yes, I’ll be there.”

  CHAPTER 20

  The next day, John traveled to Amundsen to witness the eviction proceedings on Daniels. A buzz of angry voices hit him as he slipped into the packed courthouse. He surveyed the crowd and saw Lowry waving to him. With a smile on her face, she beckoned him toward an empty seat next to her. John edged his way down the crowded row and sat. He had a clear view of the UN authorities seated, like the Spanish Inquisition, at the center of the front table.

  Lowry cocked her head toward them, and whispered to John, “Roscha, the one in the middle of the table, was appointed by the United Nations as a liaison to the farmers during the provisional government, but we think Durant handpicked him to do his dirty work.”

  Roscha’s little pig eyes shifted over the hostile crowd. A scowl on his face, he brought the meeting to order with heavy blows of his gavel.

  “I already hate this guy and I don’t even know him,” John murmured. Roscha had the arrogant attitude of someone who relishes the feel of power, no matter how insignificant the advantage. He had hoped to escape from all that leaving the Old World, but here it was right in front of him, just with a different face.

  Roscha shouted, “This meeting is in session, quiet in the room!”

  The meeting proceeded with minor items, until Roscha cleared his throat dramatically. “The final item of business is the eviction proceeding of Kiki Daniels.”

  Angry murmurs bubbled from the crowd. The room fell silent as a frail woman in a hover chair, followed by her partner, moved up the aisle toward the front of the hall. She coughe
d, and then said in a subdued voice, “I’m Kiki Daniels and I’m appealing to this board to allow an extension of my agreement due to a health issue, which prevented us from planting the required percentage of our land.”

  Roscha glanced at the subordinates flanking him. “Ms. Daniels, if you were too ill, why didn’t your partner fulfill your contractual obligations?”

  Ellie Daniels stepped closer to the table. “I had to care for her night and day—she’s been very ill for weeks.”

  With a twitch of his nose, Roscha slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry to inform you, but NO extensions are available to fulfill your contract with the UN.” Tapping the table with his finger, he snapped, “You both will need to vacate your homesteaded tract in one week.” He picked up the gavel and started to swing it down to end the meeting.

  Kiki wheezed as she struggled to inhale. She slumped in the chair and Ellie stepped over, placing her arm around Kiki’s shoulder. The room was silent.

  A growl simmered in John’s throat. This cannot stand. He took a deep breath and stood. He raised a finger in the air. “I have a question.”

  Roscha narrowed his eyes at John. “Who are you?” he asked, dismissively.

  John chewed the inside of his cheek, staring at the self-important man at the center of the table. You little worm. With a loud voice, John said, “John Barrous. I’m homesteading block NW12.”

  Roscha’s brows furrowed, studying his tablet in front of him. Then he glanced at John, tapping the screen. “You’re not a speaker on the agenda—you’re interrupting this meeting!”

  The room became deathly still.

  John’s lip curled at the sight of Roscha’s arrogant chin jutting out. He breathed deep to control his anger. “You can’t throw someone off of their land because of health reasons, you ass!”