Terraformed Skies

by Anna Lewis

  There was a predatory look in his eyes, something dark and disconcerting and Kathy slowly drew her hand away. For a moment, there was silence, as if June and Joe didn’t really know what they were meant to do about dinner.

  Then June seemed to compose herself and smiled, “Please, take a seat.”

  With a shrug, Alex pulled one out and sat down. He picked the chair right at the head of the table, without a second thought. Like he was head of the family, like he knew he belonged there and didn’t expect anyone to interfere with him, to challenge him.

  Well he had another thing coming. Kathy smiled, reminding herself to be friendly, to be polite, to make him feel welcome, “Alex, Mom prepared a place for you especially. Just over here.” She tapped the table lightly before pulling out the chair for him.

  Alex looked her over, looking almost amused, but not quite, “I’m pretty comfortable here, sweetheart.” His voice was just as low and deep as she remembered from the introductions, and yet somehow, it seemed to have grown soft, so soft that Kathy was sure no one else could hear him speak.

  Her heart thudded in her chest as anger reared its head, “Well, that’s where Joe sits.”

  “My old man won’t mind.” He seemed too self-assured, so confident in himself and his place that Kathy wanted to scream. Alex shrugged, leaning back into the chair as if it belonged to him. This was her mother’s house, her childhood home and this man, this man who had not even bothered to show up to his father’s wedding, was acting like he owned the same place.

  Anger burnt within Kathy, and as she opened her mouth to retaliate, to tell him exactly where to get off, she felt her mother’s hand on her shoulder. It was an unspoken warning and Kathy knew it. Her mother wanted so badly for this to go well, for Alex to like her.

  Kathy loved her mother with all of her heart and she could not bear to disappoint her. So she closed her mouth and swallowed her retort, the acid lingering on her tongue and burning on the way down. She felt sick, backing off like this and letting this man have his way, but she couldn’t disappoint her mother.

  She needed to be friendly and polite. The manners that she had been brought up to use threw water onto the flames of anger. She sighed and folded her hands in her lap, tightly beneath the table. Joe pulled up another chair and smiled. There was worry in his eyes and Kathy could tell that he was stressed about the whole situation.

  Kathy couldn’t say she blamed him. Here he was, trying to impress his new wife and her daughter, being the perfect gentleman, doing everything her mother could possibly ask for, and now his son was here, being rude and arrogant and painting his father in a terrible light.

  He pulled out a chair for June and pushed her in before he started to carve up the chicken and dish it all up. After serving up June, he served up Alex and Kathy and then himself. He poured the drinks and sat down.

  “Thank you for making dinner, June.” He repeated the praise from earlier and Kathy could see her mother flush with pleasure.

  Alex made a dismissive sort of noise and began to eat, without waiting for anyone else. Kathy had to bite her lip to stop herself from saying anything. Her mother would not want her to make a scene, after all. She would want this to run smoothly and Kathy would do everything she could to honor that… but if she was ever left alone with him, she would be giving him a piece of her mind! Who did he think he was, being so disrespectful to everyone? He didn’t own the place, in fact, he’d never even been there. The least he could manage was a thank you to her mother, and to his own father.

  Steeling herself, Kathy smiled, “Yes, thanks, Mom. And Joe, thank you for serving up.”

  She shot herself a dark glance at Alex. To her annoyance, he just smirked, his eyes flashing with something, Kathy wasn’t sure what. Anger, amusement? Something else?

  He oozed confidence, strong and arrogant and he knew he had power over the situation. Kathy glanced over his jacket, noticing, for the first time, the patches that littered his jacket. They were familiar, but Kathy could not quite place why.

  Familiar. She had seen jackets like his around her town. With a start, she realized that he was wearing biker’s patches. He was part of the big motorcycle club that ran in her city. Her heart thudded in her chest at the thought. Excited, worried. No wonder Joe hadn’t talked much about his son’s work or hobbies.

  As Kathy looked up, Alex caught her eye and grinned, “Like what you see?” He spoke with an easy confidence, low and soft, but somehow heard by everyone in the room.

  Kathy found a blush rising to her cheeks, “Isn’t it a bit warm to be wearing a jacket?” She shot back, a cool edge to her tone even as she smiled a polite, friendly smile.

  He grinned as he caught on to her train of thought, “Never too hot to be without it.” He smirked, “But if you insist.”

  It was as if Joe and June has disappeared from the room altogether. Kathy’s eyes widened as Alex moved. He pulled off his leathers, revealing the toned muscles beneath and making Kathy feel glad that she was sitting down.

  Her knees trembled as he moved, revealing toned muscles and dark streaks of tattoos that marked his skin. He was like no one she had ever known. None of the guys at her school, or in her neighborhood had ever held this type of magnetism, this bold confidence that Alex seemed to shoulder with ease.

  He was strong, he was in control and he was gorgeous. Kathy heard her mother’s breathing catch at the sight of the tattoos down his arms. Her mother didn’t approve of tattoos, didn’t approve of these type of things, and, until this moment, Kathy had thought she didn’t approve either.

  But on Alex, they looked so damn good. On Alex, the bad boy persona, the dark flashing of his eyes, the leather jackets and the way he leaned on the table like he didn’t even care…

  Kathy shivered. She hated this man, she hated him with every fiber of her being for being so rude to her mother, and to Joe. She hated him, and yet the warmth that fluttered through her stomach and down between her legs made her feel weak.

  She hated him. But she couldn’t deny the magnetism, the wildness that seemed to roll of him in waves. He was intoxicating and she hated herself for it. Seeing him grin, she tore her eyes away and fixed them on her glass, taking a deep drink of the water. It was cold and it hit her system like a shock, helping her to clear her head.

  She took a deep breath. Alex was trouble. She needed to remember that.

  The rest of dinner passed in reasonable silence, save for the small talk between June and Joe, and the occasional attempts to include Alex and Kathy. Kathy tried her best to respond, but Alex’s responses were limited, at best. Dinner was amazing, since her mother’s cooking was great, but Alex made no effort to complement her on it.

  When it came time to clear away the plates, Kathy was the first to offer her help- anything to be out of the tension of the room. June and Joe both seemed to have the same idea, though and declined her help.

  “Don’t worry about it, dear. We’ll handle it.” June had smiled as she gathered the plates. Joe had followed soon afterwards, leaving Kathy alone with Alex in the dining room. The door to the kitchen was pulled shut and the sound of murmured conversation, running water and clinking dished filled the air.

  “Got anything to drink?” Alex was still leaning back against the chair as if he didn’t have a care in the whole damn world.

  “There’s water.” Kathy’s voice was clipped and curt and, now that her mother was out of the room, she didn’t care to hide it.

  “Yeah, no shit.” He smiled, a slow, easy smile. It didn’t reach his eyes, “I meant alcoholic.”

  Kathy shrugged, “This is not my house. Ask the hostess.” Her voice was frigid now, and Kathy didn’t care one bit. She wasn’t serving up her mother’s alcohol. That was just rude and she wasn’t about to sink to his level.

  Alex frowned now, eyes boring into her, “You got a problem or something, sweetheart?” His tone bordered on menacing, hidden by a polite lilt.

  Kathy stared him right back even as shive
rs ran through her body, “Why would I have a problem? I’m just a guest here. Like you.” The emphasis did not go unnoticed and Alex shifted in his seat. For the first time that evening, he no longer looked completely at ease and Kathy relished it.

  “Guest?”

  “Yes, guest.” Kathy shot back, “This is my mother’s home. Joe’s home. Not mine and sure as heck not yours.”

  Alex frowned, a dark look in his eyes as he stood up, “Listen, princess, if I’m stuck here playing house, ‘least you can do is make sure I’m comfortable.”

  Kathy nearly slapped him, rising to her feet in time to him. She didn’t tear her gaze away and had to keep her hands at her sides to keep from coming to blows with him, “You arrogant bastard. The least you can do is have some manners!” She hissed.

  Alex took a step closer, and Kathy could smell his musk, the scent of his aftershave. He was close, and electricity crackled between them, “Yeah? Well I showed up like my old man wanted, so what the hell’s your problem?”

  Enraged, Kathy stepped forward, refusing to back down. She wanted to grab him, but reminded herself not to make a scene. Instead, she whispered her words, an angry hiss, “You could try saying thank you for the dinner! Or saying more than two words to my mother.” Kathy swallowed, glaring at him.

  Alex was seething by this point, and the dark look in his eyes had grown all the darker, “Look, my Dad has picked one good woman in his life… and your mother is not than woman.” He rose to his full height and, for a moment, Kathy almost cowered at the sight, but she stood her ground.

  Alex continued, “I’m not going to play nice with a woman who I don’t even want in my life, and her brat of a kid who doesn’t know when to back off.” He snarled.

  They were only inches apart. Kathy could see the dark eyelashes that contrasted strongly with his skin, the intricate weave of his tattoos, the way his chest rose and fell. They were close, almost as close as lovers, but Kathy wanted nothing more than to push him the hell out of her life. Her own heart raced, her skin flushed. Inches apart.

  The door to the kitchen flung open and they jumped apart, the tension draining out of the air in an instant. June was smiling, and Kathy prayed that she hadn’t heard any of their conversation, “Who wants dessert?”

  “I would, thanks, Mom.” Kathy smiled, her voice wavering a little with the effort to keep it pleasant, “I’ll help you dish up.” This time, she didn’t give her mom enough time to say no, hurrying past her into the kitchen.

  The rest of the evening passed in a blur. She didn’t remember what she had for dessert, only that it tasted remarkably bitter after the evening conversation with Alex. This meeting had not gone well, but when she had crept out into the lounge room, dessert at the ready, the conversation was civil.

  She caught Joe throwing Alex a few meaningful glances. It seemed reluctant, but Alex was being a little more pleasant towards June and she seemed thrilled. The sight warmed Kathy’s heart, but she had no doubt that Joe had put him up to it.

  Her anger for Alex still simmered beneath the surface, even when he was about to leave. She did not shake hands with him, opting instead for a simple goodbye. He had the manners to at least thank her mother for the evening, though Kathy had a feeling he was only do it to help his father feel better about the evening. Once he had done the bare minimum, he was off again, and Kathy was left to ponder the situation.

  The ride home had seemed to take an age, but Kathy’s angry thoughts were drowned out by the happy chatter of Joe and June.

  Kathy’s body still tingled from the encounter, from the feel of Alex only inches away, the broad set of his shoulders, the easy confident with which he moved, the way he had invaded her senses.

  But Alex was bad news. Alex was trouble, and Kathy was too smart for that.

  ***

  It wasn’t until a week later that Kathy heard from her mother again. She received a phone call on the Saturday, and picked it up happily. She always loved talking to her mother, although she had avoided calling after last week. It was difficult enough to put aside her frustration with Alex when she was alone. Add her mother and she was likely to spill the beans on how much she disliked him. Her mother would be heartbroken and Kathy was not about to let that happen.

  “Hi, Mom, how are you?” Kathy greeted with a happy tone.

  “Good, thanks, honey.” Her mother sounded upbeat and that was a relief, “I wanted to invite you over for next weekend.” Her mother was never one to beat around the bush too much when it came to Kathy.

  Kathy smiled, “Of course. It’s your anniversary, isn’t it?”

  “Kathy!” Her mother sounded delighted, “You remembered!”

  “Of course I did, mom. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Kathy settled down into her sofa, staring out the window into the city below.

  “Good.” Her mother paused and then added, “I don’t know if we’ll be able to pick you up, dear… we have a few things to organize.”

  “Oh, that’s okay…” Kathy felt worry settle in her stomach. A cab ride there would be prohibitively expensive and she didn’t know if she could catch a bus on the weekend– probably not.

  “But Alex is coming and he agreed to give you a ride. You don’t mind bikes, do you?” Her mother sounded anxious and Kathy was quick to reassure her.

  “No, that’s fine.”

  “Oh good, I’ll let him know to pick you up on Saturday.” Her mother sounded relieved.

  It wasn’t until Kathy put down the phone that she realized just what she had done, and who was giving her a lift. Alex! She wanted to stay as far away from him as possible, and now she had agreed to get a lift with him, on his bike!

  Nerves flooded Kathy’s system. It wasn’t a very long drive, and she was sure she would be just fine, but worry persisted, working knots in her stomach and making her feel quite sick. She couldn’t cancel on her mother, and she had a sneaky suspicion that her mom wanted Alex and her to get along. Still, the thought of seeing him in a week’s time made her stomach feel uncomfortable.

  With a reluctant sigh, Kathy leaned back into the cushions of her couch and tried to relax. She had a few things to get ready, she supposed.

  ***

  When Saturday afternoon rolled around, Kathy was ready. She had taken her time getting ready for her mother’s big day and had packed a small backpack with clothing and toiletries. It would be fine for riding on the back of a bike– she had double and triple checked online, just to make sure.

  She’d also managed to borrow a leather jacket from a friend of hers and she was wearing jeans and practical shoes. She had wanted to dress up into something a bit more elegant, but she didn’t trust Alex to be a gentleman and she wanted to be safe, at least.

  She was nervous about riding on his bike and she hoped that it wouldn’t show too badly. Butterflies tingled in her stomach and she bit her lip as she looked at the time. She had never ridden on a bike and it was something that struck her as being dangerous, as being deadly and untrustworthy.

  Like Alex. She shushed the little voice in her head and shouldered her backpack. Her hair was twisted into a practical pony tail, and although she had still done her make-up, she felt terribly underdressed. The thought of being underdressed for someone like Alex was laughable. But as she headed out of her apartment and locked it up, the thought persisted.

  When she arrived at the foot of the stairs, she was surprised to find that Alex was on time, already waiting for her. His arms were folded and he was just as she remembered him. Strong build, flashing eyes and dark hair. He smirked when she came over to the bike, “Ever ridden one?”

  Kathy drew herself up, “No, I have not.” She answered with as much dignity as she could. Not even a hello from him. He grinned and straddled the bike. He seemed happier, more relaxed now that he was outside and around his bike. There was still an air of frustration emanating from him, but it seemed almost manageable now.

  “Well, hop on.” He handed her a helmet. />
  Hesitantly, Kathy took the helmet and climbed onto the bike. It took her a few tries to get comfortable behind him, and, once she was, she put the helmet over her head, tucking in her pony tail. No sooner had she done this, than the engine of the bike was roaring to life beneath her.

  Kathy almost jumped out of her seat, blushing red as she felt the deep rumble pass through her body, trembling against her and making Kathy shiver. Kathy could feel a rumble of laughter coming from Alex in front of her.

  “Hold on, sweetheart.” He pulled his helmet over his head and revved the engine. Kathy found herself grabbing onto his jacket as tightly as she could, feeling the warmth of his muscles beneath her hands, the way he moved with the bike.

  Then they were off, and Kathy could not think of anything but the sensations around her. The feel of him against her was intoxicating in a way that Kathy had been determined not to feel, not to consider. The wind rushing past her, the ground tearing away below her at high speeds made her feel giddy, made her feel sick with fear and terror. Yet at the same time, Kathy could not deny that the feeling of the wind, the rush of the ground, and the roar of the bike… it was making her giddy in a whole different way.

  It was so… freeing. So wild and raw and it made her whole body shiver as she clung to his jacket, too afraid to let go. Part of her not wanting to let go.

  As they turned onto the long stretch of highway that ran into the small town her mother called home, Kathy barely noticed the change. All she noticed was the way Alex’s arms tensed as he revved the engine, the way the ground was suddenly moving at speeds that she didn’t even think possible.

  Kathy’s heart soared despite herself, despite the fear that was bubbling right beneath the surface. She held onto Alex tightly as they moved through the countryside, big expanses of nothingness around them, the sun beating down on her back and making her shiver as the heat moved through the leather. It was perfect.

  The smell of gas and leather and Alex had her head spinning and it was easy to forget, at least for a moment, how much she hated him, how worried she was about her future, how everything needed to be safe and secure. This was not safe. This was not secure, and yet she was loving it, loving it with a freeing type of passion that she had never known.