Blaze: A Firefighter Romance

by Lisa Lace

"There is no technology allowed on Yordbrook, Miss," the customs officer repeated, bringing me back to the present.

  "Surely there must be some exceptions," I said.

  The woman shook her head. "How can you come to a planet like Yordbrook without knowing anything about the planet?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "You're certainly in for some culture shock."

  TerraMates had sent me some folders about Jesse and his planet. I had no time to read them because I had been working overtime to buy new clothes. I intended to bring the information to read on the space flight, but my mother had tried to help by cleaning up for me. The folders had been missing ever since.

  My mother. I felt like grinding my teeth at the thought of her. I had returned from TerraMates that day to find her with a new boyfriend. A couple of days later, she asked me to move out. The timing was great because I didn't have to worry about what she would do without me.

  But it still hurt that she cast aside her daughter as soon as she met Marlo. Had she been using me the whole time for my money? Now that she had a new supplier, did she no longer need me?

  Right now, I had even bigger problems than my mother.

  "What happens to my devices if I leave them here?" I asked.

  "There's no if, sweetie. Technology is not allowed on Yordbrook. If you want to beam down, you have to leave everything behind."

  "Okay...where does my stuff go?"

  "It's all stored until you return," she said.

  "Can I have a minute?" I asked, and she smiled, shaking her head again.

  "Sure, dear," she said. The agent waved the next person in line forward. "You can have a minute to say goodbye to your belongings."

  "You're hilarious," I said, giving her an annoyed look.

  "Don't forget, I'll search you when you come back," she called after me.

  I pulled my luggage with me to the bathroom and locked the door, sitting down on the toilet. I could not leave it all here.

  I wondered what I could do. I would let go of the big items like the computer and tablet, and the less important things like my glasses that accessed the Internet and my music-playing ring. I would wear my regular glasses. The frames were way uglier than the Internet-capable glasses, but they would have to do.

  But my phone had to come with me. It couldn't be that big of a deal. It could recharge the battery from any light source. But how would I smuggle it?

  I looked at it thoughtfully. It was a piece of two-by-two inch adjustiplast stuck to the back of my hand. Adjustiplast was state-of-the-art plastic and could become hard or soft as necessary. It adhered to one's skin, so the wearer didn't have to carry it. I couldn't hide it somewhere on my person because the customs agent would find it in the search.

  That left body orifices. Gross. I wrinkled my nose. Swallow it or put it inside me?

  I didn't like either choice. My stomach acid wouldn't hurt it; adjustiplast was impervious to most things. A little hydrochloric acid wasn't going to destroy it. But how would I get it back out? Either vomiting or waiting to pass it in the toilet didn't appeal to me. Even swallowing it might be harder than I thought.

  The other option was to put it inside me, like a tampon. That certainly seemed like the best choice, although it was still distasteful. When I thought about the alternative, I knew I had to do it.

  I remembered Kyle's tearful eyes and the promise. I wasn't one of those people who lie to kids to get them to shut up. If I told him I would keep it with me, I would keep my word, just as if I had made the promise to an adult. In fact, it was more important to me that I keep my word to Kyle.

  A promise made to a child is sacred.

  I peeled off the phone and washed it carefully. I pulled down my pants and underwear. I stared at myself in the mirror and wondered if I was doing the right thing.

  Without thinking too much, I took a deep breath and rolled the phone up, then concealed it. I hoped the agent wasn't going to do a full body cavity examination.

  The die was cast. My phone was coming with me, and I was keeping my promise to Kyle.

  It occurred to me that I was starting my year on Yordbrook by breaking one of their most important laws. But I quickly realized that when I had beamed up from Earth, I needed to leave behind my old ideas about what was right and what wasn't.

  I had always followed the rules my whole life and where had it got me? Nowhere. I was going to follow my heart from now on. Maybe it would lead me to something better.

  I washed my hands and stepped out of the bathroom, ready to beam down to my new home.

  They didn't bring out a big welcoming party on Yordbrook. "Here," a sour-faced woman said roughly as she handed me a large pile of clothes.

  "What's this?" I said.

  "You won't need the things you brought or what you're wearing," she said, glancing distastefully at the clothes in my luggage.

  "Do I have to leave them here like my devices?"

  The woman cut me off with a sharp movement of her hand slicing through the air. "We do not speak of such things. You will not have to leave your clothes here, but it is inappropriate to wear such garments." She glanced in disgust at the cute pair of jeans I wore. I had worked extra shifts to buy them. I wanted to have fresh things when I arrived at my new home.

  I stopped when I realized her implications. "Are you telling me I can't wear pants here?" I asked.

  "Only men wear trousers," she said. She sounded like my question was ridiculous.

  "Maybe on this planet," I said. "On Earth, it's a common practice."

  "You are no longer on Earth," she reminded me with a stern look.

  I didn't think I needed reminding. If I were back home, I certainly wouldn't be hiding my phone. I shifted slightly.

  "Well?" she said, looking back at me. "Take your approved outfit in the changing room and get dressed."

  I hesitated only a moment and followed orders. To my embarrassment, I did have to call her in one time to explain how to do up one of the pieces of under-clothing. The rest was self-explanatory. When taken together, everything looked like a costume from seventeenth-century Earth, my favorite period of ancient history.

  There was a shift, which looked like a slip you would wear under a fancy dress. I left the corset as loose as I dared. I wasn't going to be squeezing my organs and making myself sick. Still, I tied it tightly enough to keep my breasts from bouncing around. The outfit didn't come with a bra. There was an underskirt, an overskirt, and a dress that went over the whole package and laced up in the front.

  I didn't know the names of all the parts; I just remembered a few things from history class and historical fiction books.

  It all felt very complicated. I was already intimidated, but I had to suck it up. When I went back out, the woman burst out laughing and helped me adjust something I had put on backward. I pressed my lips together as she fixed it, and said thank-you when she finished.

  "There," she said. "I suppose you'll do." She didn't seem sure I would do at all. "Your ride is here," she said.

  "I'm all done with customs, then?" I asked. The process had been arduous. There had been a search and verification of my documents at the space station. Once I beamed down, I was searched again (in case I smuggled something in transit, I suppose) and more documents needed signing. I think they said I wouldn't ruin their world with technology, or something of that nature. I hadn't read them in great detail, but I signed them so I could move on. After changing my clothes, it looked like I was finally finished, and my fiance was here.

  "You're done here," she said. "Good luck."

  "Thank you," I said, smiling at her.

  "He's out front," she said. I nodded, pushing open the door.

  When I walked out of the building, I was astonished at the beauty around me. It appeared to be the height of summer here. The grass was green, the trees were in full leaf, and there were flowers everywhere. I looked up and saw one sun approaching the horizon, one overhead, and one rising on the opposite side of the planet.

  Three s
uns? That seemed like overkill.

  "You must be Annalee," a deep voice said, and I turned my head.

  "And you must be the man I'm going to marry?" I said.

  He shook his head. "No such luck, my dear," he said. "The name's Porter. I'll be taking you to your fiance."

  In contrast to the customs agent, Porter seemed gracious and kind. He carried my luggage for me and helped me into the carriage. Even so, I had a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that he was laughing at me behind his serious face.

  There was a team of small creatures that looked like goats attached to the carriage, like reindeer to Santa's sleigh. But there were no reins. Porter gave commands, and they obeyed him. They were a native species to this planet that could be domesticated and used their horns like hands. Weird but cute. I was impressed.

  It took us a few weeks to get to my future husband's farm. Porter was a gentleman the whole time. When we needed to sleep, he got us separate rooms at inns on the way.

  I quickly got used to using composting toilets in little huts behind the main houses. I had to scoop some sawdust or grass clippings to cover things up once I did my business. But the places were nothing like the outhouses I was familiar with on Earth. They smelled sweet and fresh, like sawdust or grass clippings. They were kept scrupulously clean and insect-free.

  One thing I wouldn't get used to was the lack of electricity. They only used candles for lights and still did many things by hand. But the food was incredible, and the weak artificial light meant I could see the stars at night.

  No electricity meant no gadgets. I continually glanced at the back of my hand, unconsciously looking for my phone. Whenever I wanted to learn something new about this planet I wanted to look it up on the Internet, and I couldn't. Even though I had traveled through space to get here, I felt like I was living in the stone age.

  All in all, this planet wasn't bad, but I missed modern living. I was also getting nervous about meeting my fiance. Each day that passed only made me more anxious. I tried asking Porter about him, but he hadn't said anything interesting. As we drove the last few miles to the village, I tried again.

  "Porter," I said. "Tell me about Jesse."

  "There's not much to tell, Annalee. I've known him a long time. He's a good man. And you shouldn't believe what people will say about him."

  "What's that supposed to mean?" I said.

  "You're an off-worlder, so you don't know what it's like here. People are particular about things. They think that there's only one way to live. Jesse feels differently, but that doesn't mean that he's bad or wrong."

  I didn't say anything. It seemed like he was avoiding talking about something. It was the first time Porter had spoken with me honestly and not through a polished veneer.

  He pulled into the yard, and a young man came out and started unharnessing the cute alien goats. I looked at Porter, but he shook his head. Apparently this wasn't Jesse.

  Porter came around and offered me his hand. I took it and climbed down. At first I had tried to preserve my independence and modern woman status, but it didn't take me long to realize that there was a reason women needed so much help in the past. It had to do with the restrictions clothing put on them.

  That's why being able to wear pants was such a big symbol for the feminists of the late twentieth century. It represented freedom from needing men to help us because of our stupid outfits.

  Here I was, many years after those women had fought for our right to wear whatever we wanted. I was back to needing a man to help me in and out of vehicles. I silently asked my foremothers for forgiveness as he helped me leave the carriage.

  In frustration, I straightened the skirts that made me dependent on a man just to climb out of a vehicle, shaking them out and trying to get rid of the dust which had settled on my clothing. The task seemed impossible, so I settled for brushing them off the best I could. They still looked dirty. I checked my bust — cleavage, yes, plenty of that with the corset and low-cut dress.

  The wife of the most recent innkeeper helped make my long brown hair. A bun was one of the acceptable hair styles on this planet. By this time, the bun had eroded, and my hair was slipping out all over the place. It never seemed to stay where I put it.

  I wore a royal blue cloak with the hood up. It covered my hair and helped conceal my untamed mane. I pushed my glasses back up my nose and supposed this was as good as I was going to look after three weeks of travel. I needed a shower, and I wasn't sure when the next one was coming.

  When a man walked into the yard from the fields behind the inn, I immediately knew he was Jesse. It wasn't just because I recognized him from his pictures from the TerraMates office back on Earth. I felt myself come alive as soon as our eyes met. He had an aura of power about him. And charisma. And he had bad-boy stamped on his forehead.

  Unfortunately, he didn't feel the same way about me. He took one look at me and frowned.

  "Is this the one?" he asked Porter. He didn't even look at me and talked right over my head.

  "That's her," Porter said. "Annalee Beauchene, meet your fiance, Jesse Melnyk."

  Jesse moved toward me. "It's good to meet you, Miss Beauchene," he said. He didn't sound like he meant it at all. "Would you like to come inside and wash up or rest? Perhaps you can get something to eat before we go back to my father's farm and meet him?"

  Meet his father? I hadn't thought that I would have to meet his family. But I supposed it might be possible if we were going to get married. Thank goodness he wouldn't have to meet my parents...not that I really had a family anymore.

  "Nice to meet you, too," I said, trying a curtsy. He didn't smile, and Porter was clearly trying not to laugh.

  "Yes, I'd like to wash up, please. And have a meal," I said, feeling bleak for the first time since my adventure started. I stared at the back of my hand, wishing for the comfort of my phone to distract me from my unhappiness.

  My future husband didn't seem to like me, and he wasn't as much of a gentleman as Porter had been. He made me open the door for myself. Not that I couldn't, I reminded myself. I was a modern woman. Still, it had been nice to feel special when Porter opened doors for me. I guess I had gotten used to it.

  "Porter, will you join us?" he asked.

  Porter looked back and forth between us, grinning. "Of course, Jesse," he said. "I'd pay to see this show."

  Chapter Four

  JESSE

  While I waited for Porter and my fiancee, I had been checking out the innkeeper's fields. Although he was an idiot in some respects, Myron Dublay was becoming a decent farmer. I stopped when I got to the edge of the yard, surveying all the people. Porter had sent word they would arrive in the afternoon, but I didn't know when.

  At that moment, I spotted him helping a woman out of a carriage. She was here.

  I watched as she descended gracefully from the vehicle. Her form was pleasing. Full breasts, a narrow waist, and wide hips. She would bear children well.

  I supposed I should stop hiding at the edge of the yard and meet her. I felt nervous, which made me irritated. There was no reason to be nervous.

  And yet I was. I gathered myself and walked toward her. I had met more intimidating people than her, so there was no reason I should be anxious.

  She turned her head and watched my approach. Her eyes widened in...appreciation? I filed that information away in the back of my mind. I ignored the shot of energy that went through me when our eyes met. This woman was a means to an end. I had no desire to become emotionally entangled with her.

  As I got closer to her body, I noticed she was somewhat plain and unkempt. Her hair was a mess, her skirts full of dust, and she wore large spectacles on her face.

  Apparently I wasn't getting a lovely woman to look at over the breakfast table.

  "Is this the one?" I said to Porter, avoiding direct eye contact. I didn't want to have to look at her more than was necessary. I clung tightly to the thought that all women look beautiful in a dark bedroom.

  "Tha
t's her," he said. "Annalee Beauchene, meet your fiance, Jesse Melnyk."

  He spoke respectfully to Annalee, but when he turned to me, he smirked and winked.

  I rolled my eyes. Where had he found this wench? I checked out her cleavage — ample. I supposed she would do.

  "It's good to meet you, Miss Beauchene," I said, formally. "Would you like to come inside and wash up or rest? Perhaps you can get something to eat before we go back to my father's farm and meet him?"

  She looked like she hadn't been expecting me to ask her anything, but she recovered quickly.

  "Nice to meet you, too," she said, doing a clumsy curtsy that reminded me she only looked like a Yordbrook woman. She had likely never curtsied before because she was from another planet — a modern world, with modern things. I frowned. It might be harder than I thought to hide that she wasn't from around these parts. The notion hadn't occurred to me when I asked for Porter's help.

  "Yes, I'd like to wash up, please. And have a meal," she said, the light going out of her eyes when she looked at me. It was as if all the spunk had drained out of her. I wondered what had caused the change. She hadn't looked like that when she arrived.

  "Porter, will you join us?" I clapped him on the shoulder and squeezed it tightly.

  "Of course, Jesse." His eyes twinkled with amusement. "I'd pay to see this show."

  The bastard. He would pay for setting me up with this homely lass. She had better be amazing in bed.

  Despite my dreams, after she cleaned up the woman didn't look much better than before she went inside. I wondered if she had a brush. I tried to remember I was doing this for my father so he could die in peace. She was something necessary, and I would have to adjust.

  The three of us sat down at a table. The innkeeper's wife, Isabella, brought us fresh baked bread and butter, along with three plates and a knife. She smiled at me.

  We had a morelia encounter when we were both teenagers, and apparently she had never forgotten it. At least, that was how it seemed to me the two times she tried to get me to have an affair with her. I had turned her down, but she was difficult to resist.