“Can I assist?” Finch asked, causing both women to freeze and stare at him.
“Do you know how to cut hair?” Pixie asked, her eyebrows raised.
“I have cut my warrior brothers’ hair before when needed,” Finch answered with a nod.
“Well, okay. Sure.” Poppy glanced at her sister and shrugged.
The next thirty minutes were enlightening as Poppy started out cutting the ends of Pixie’s hair. Trying to make it as even as possible, she took her time trimming it shorter and shorter. Finch hovered the whole time before he snatched the scissors out of her hand and started cutting Pixie’s hair as if he worked at a salon. While he worked, both women smiled and teased him when he stuck out his tongue to concentrate. As he took longer and longer, Pixie chimed in, “Finch, my hair is curly. If it’s a little uneven, no one will ever know.”
“But I will. I am almost finished, just be quiet for a moment longer,” he snapped as he snipped at her hair.
“Geez. We have a bona fide Vidal Sassoon,” Poppy muttered as she grumped at being pushed out of his way.
“You are now finished,” Finch said with a dramatic flourish.
Poppy ran her fingers over her curls. The length and style was almost identical to her sister’s hair now. “Shit, Finch. You did a great job.” Checking over as much of it as she could in the mirror Poppy was holding up, she noticed the curls lay nicely just past her shoulders. “Did you layer it too?” Pixie swished her hair back and forth.
“Just a small amount.” Finch’s embarrassed voice distracted her from the preening she was doing.
“You are totally fucking awesome,” Pixie gushed. “I can’t believe you can do this.”
“Me too,” Poppy agreed. “When I need another trim, you’re doing it.”
“Not only that but I have the feeling most of the brides will want their hair cut at some point. Finch is going to be pretty popular with the ladies,” Pixie said to her sister, who was inspecting Finch’s work.
“No doubt about it.” Poppy bumped her shoulder into Finch’s side. “Good job, big guy.”
“It was nothing. I would cut the hair of my brothers in the barracks every few months. I find it relaxing,” he said offhandedly.
“That’s your hobby!” Pixie said in an excited voice, causing Poppy to jump, startled.
“I’m lost,” Poppy said as she moved her gaze between Finch and Pixie.
“Earlier, we were talking about hobbies and he couldn’t think of anything he enjoyed. Cutting hair is something he enjoys and it relaxes him…that’s pretty much the definition of a hobby.”
“I guess it is.” Finch smiled Pixie’s words. “I have a hobby.” Finch blushed and moved to put the scissors away.
“Enough embarrassing the man. We need to head out now if you want to have second lunch, Frodo,” Pixie said, nudging Poppy toward the door.
“Did you just call me a hobbit?”
“If the fat feet fit…” Pixie teased and jumped when her sister smacked her arm.
“I’m growing a baby alien!” Poppy shouted at her sister.
“That is gonna get real old real quick.” Pixie followed the group out of the door, rolling her eyes at her sister behind her back.
As the trio made their way to medical, the women went over what they needed discuss with Andi.
“We need to come up with a list of for the welcome basket. Tampons, lotion, condoms…all the stuff they would run out of or may have forgotten to bring from Earth. You know, like one of those little hotel kits they hand out.”
“Instructions for the food generator and the shower would be helpful too,” Poppy replied after thinking for a bit.
“That’s a good one,” Pixie agreed, jotting it down on the Post-it she had stuck to her hand.
“Hey, did Dathrow say what they were doing today? Wheaton lit out of our apartment like he was on fire after he received a message,” Poppy asked as they walked up to the medical center door.
“Yeah, the prisoner who’s spilling the beans decided to give them more information this morning.”
“He is still being questioned.” Finch broke into their conversation as the door swished open. “And that information is not widespread so it would be best if you did not talk about it so openly.”
“Sorry, we didn’t even think of that. How do you know he’s still in questioning?” Pixie headed into the large entry area, waving at Andi as she walked out of one of the exam rooms.
“I received a message from Dathrow saying that he would not be able to break from the questioning until this evening and to let you know once you finished your tasks,” Finch explained.
“Hey, ladies.” Andi greeted them all with smiles. “What’s up?”
Poppy nudged her sister when she didn’t answer. “Pixie, this is your job.”
“Oh, sorry. I keep spacing out.” When her sister snorted at her words, Pixie smiled. “Get it? Spacing out?”
Finch rubbed his hand over his eyes, obviously at his “humor” limit.
Pixie tried to bite back a grin at the sight. “I wanted to create welcome baskets for the new brides. Something that we can either give to them when they first visit the medical center or better yet, a basket waiting for them in their new apartment.”
“That sounds like a nice gesture. But why did you need me?” Andi propped her hands on her hips, ready to tackle whatever task Pixie gave to her.
“Well, a lot of the items are things that the medical center orders and stores. Tampons, condoms, lotions…all that jazz.”
“Lubricant would be a nice addition,” Finch said, causing all the women to stop and stare at him. “What?”
“Lube? You want us to put lube in a welcome basket?” Pixie asked, trying to keep from laughing.
“Why not?” Finch asked. “It is something that will be used.”
“Sweet baby Jesus in a wheelchair,” Pixie muttered. Looking at the ceiling, she tried to calm her nerves before she lost it.
“What did you just say?” Andi’s voice held her own laughter, this time directed at Pixie.
“Oh, sorry. Sometimes I say phrases instead of cursing. In this case it would have been a ‘holy shit’ moment,” Pixie explained.
“Gotcha. I see what you’re saying now…although lube isn’t a bad idea, per se.” Andi rubbed her chin in thought. “We could always just include the pleasure oil the warriors are fond of using. That would be less awkward than having a huge tube of lube sitting pretty in the basket. It can be used for massages or sexually so that would cover both instances and not freak out the new brides,” she suggested.
“I love that stuff,” Poppy agreed before turning bright red after realizing what she’d said. “Well, I do.”
“Don’t get embarrassed now, you big pervert,” Pixie teased her sister and was unable to dodge the smack that Poppy aimed her way.
“Dammit, you’re gonna bruise this lusciousness if you keep it up.”
“Pffft.” Poppy blew out a raspberry at her before she walked to a table that had donuts on it.
“Poppy?” Pixie waited for her sister to acknowledge her before continuing, “That baby alien is gonna make you super fat.”
Poppy glared at her sister before biting harshly into the soft pastry. “Shtdafkcup.”
“What was that? I couldn’t hear past the carbs flying out of your mouth.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Finch?” Pixie’s tired voice drifted from the couch she was relaxing on. Once they’d left medical, they all were exhausted for the day. Pixie had drifted into her thoughts while she sat quietly.
“Yes?” Finch moved toward the women in the living room.
“What’s the Pleasure Sector like?” Pixie fiddled with her nails as she asked the question. Ever since they’d discussed the oil the men purchased from the market on the pleasure planet, questions about the area had filled her mind.
“What do you mean?” Finch sat on the opposite chair, waiting for her to continue.
&n
bsp; “I want to know what it’s like. Describe it to me. Poppy said it had a marketplace where people sold crafts and stuff…” Pixie nodded her head to where her sister was lying cuddled on some big cushions on the floor. Poppy hadn’t been able to stay awake long after they had arrived back at the apartment and instead of lying on the couch she’d pulled out large stuffed pillows and made herself a nest on the floor.
“She is correct. For instance, the mats that she is lying on are sold there. Normally they are used for more sensual purposes but your sister seems to find them comfortable to sleep on in the middle of the day.” Finch’s voice held wry amusement as he smiled at Pixie. “What else are you curious about?”
“What is it like to walk through it? Describe it to me as if I were blind and needed to see it through your eyes,” Pixie urged.
“Why have you not asked your mate to do this?” Finch’s voice was soft yet probing.
“We haven’t really talked about it other than the fact he visited there when he had the chance. Plus, other things always come up when we’re alone.” Pixie paused to give Finch a knowing look before shrugging. “Just talk to me, okay? I’m bored.”
Finch snorted at her demand. “You and your sister are so strange.” Leaning back in the chair, he rubbed his palms on his thighs as if thinking for a minute. “When you land on the planet, the first thing you notice is that it has a unique smell.”
“Smell?” Pixie wrinkled her nose at his words.
“It is different. Not unpleasant, but earthy. We do not have the aromas on our vessels that you experience there. The ship controls our air quality so it is almost overwhelming to step out of the shuttle and into the marketplace. There are spices and other scents in the air that seem strong at first before you get used to it.”
“What else?”
“It is busy. There are people moving quickly back and forth, most of them transporting purchased items to ships or other vendors.”
“I remember Hudson said they have auctions…” Pixie recalled from a conversation on her first day.
“Everything is sold in the pleasure sector. Food, textiles, animals and sometimes slaves,” Finch explained, his voice devoid of emotion.
“Slaves?” Pixie’s voice rose on the question, the tone causing Poppy to shift on her mountain of pillows.
“Pixie, there are many forms of life that you are not aware of yet. Some of those lifeforms are weaker and have become workers for the more powerful species that live in the void.”
“The void? That sounds so…spacey.”
“It is the term we use. There are areas that we have yet to discover. Anything could be out there. It is unknown to us.”
“So alien slaves. What else?” Pixie’s mind was whirling at the thought of a race as advanced as the Phaetons not knowing all the answers. It was a scary thought that something bigger and badder could be out there.
“There are what you would refer to as brothels.” Finch’s voice had taken on an uncomfortable tone. “They are strictly managed by the Pleasure Sector’s enforcers. Phaetons supply most of them with items that they need in exchange for scheduling privileges.”
“What does that mean?” Pixie was now completely entranced by the picture that Finch was weaving.
“Phaetons developed Hefnon12. It is a drug that we trade with the Pleasure Sector as a form of contraceptive. Our engineers developed it specifically for the brothels in exchange for their owners to allow our men to schedule time when we would be on planet.”
“I don’t get the scheduling part,” Pixie said confused.
Finch sat back for a minute, obviously trying to think of a way to explain it. “We have roughly one hundred warriors that can arrive on the planet at one time during shuttle trips. The trade agreement means that when we arrive we are allowed immediate appointments at the brothels without waiting.”
Pixie let out a startled bark of laughter, “You guys have ‘call ahead’ seating at the brothels?”
“What does that mean?” Finch asked with his brows raised.
“It means you get in ahead of anyone else if they know you’re on your way.”
Finch nodded. “Yes, we get priority. Most times we will book one or two entire pleasure houses when we arrive.”
“Damn.” Pixie shook her head. “That kind of blows my mind a little. Other than sex stuff, what else happens there?”
“Not much. We arrive, purchase items needed or ordered, visit the houses and then leave.” Finch shrugged.
“So it’s all business?” Pixie felt relief at the thought.
“Most of the time. A few warriors have specific workers that they take the time to visit but a majority of us are not picky.” Finch realized what he’d said and grimaced at his own words.
“Don’t make that face. I know what you meant.” Pixie let out a sigh of air. “This is a weird conversation but it makes me feel better.”
“Why were you feeling bad?” Finch asked, cocking his head in confusion.
“Because I couldn’t picture what I was up against from Dath’s past… That sounds stupid, doesn’t it? I mean, he has no competition with my ex. Brian was an asshat on his best day and not even on a level to go against what I feel for Dath. It’s just hard to not know the romantic past of the person you’re with. I don’t want to know the details, but the fact that he was with ‘professionals’ was kind of daunting. I’m just me. Plain old Pixie.”
Finch stared at her for a few moments before shaking his head at her. “There is nothing plain about you, Pixie. You are funny, smart and beautiful. You love your sister and, from what I can see, you love Dathrow as well. That emotion is priceless. The workers he had visited before he met you have no basis for comparison. They were merely vessels to expend sexual energy on. Nothing more.”
Pixie grinned at Finch. “That makes me feel better. Kind of bitchy, but better. I just didn’t know how much emotion you guys felt toward the women you visited and it was a nagging thought that I made more of than I should have.”
Finch watched her closely before finally speaking. “My warrior brothers are starved for affection. We have been too long without the connection that I see between the men and their new brides. I know of a few men who have become attached to specific workers, imagining something there that did not exist. There were very few of those instances though, and the men quickly realized their mistake in developing feelings for a paid sex worker. Most of us learned early that our brothers and friends may visit a female we had seen previously. Feelings have no place in a place that exchanges money for physical pleasure.”
“That’s a sad reality to have to face. Especially when it’s the only physical comfort that you have access too,” Pixie said softly.
“It is one reason why some of the warriors have turned toward their fellow barrack mates for that connection.”
Pixie’s eyes widened. She’d never considered that before. “Are you saying that the lack of women may have led some of the men to…?”
“I do not believe that is the only reason, but yes…I think it may have contributed to some of the relationships forming between warriors. I have never felt inclined to have sex with another male but when there are no options and the future is unclear…” Finch left the statement open, his voice letting her draw her own conclusions.
Honestly, if Pixie were faced with an all-female race with no hopes of ever finding men as companions, she didn’t know what the hell she would do. In her mind, she was one hundred percent hetero but these men had been facing decades lacking female companionship. It was hard to wrap her head around the fact that until recently, the Phaeton men had no compatible females other than the pleasure workers. Talk about a harsh reality. Comfort and contact from another person was vital for survival in her opinion.
“Jesus Christ, people. Can you cut the deep conversation and let me fucking sleep?” Poppy’s voice from the floor was dry with complaint as she rolled over on her pillows.
“When did you wake up?” Pixie deman
ded.
“When you started whining, you big baby.” Poppy moved onto her knees and struggled to stand up. Finally using a small side table to give her leverage, she hoisted herself to her feet. “I already told you not to worry about the space hookers.”
Pixie glowered at her sister. Crossing her arms over her chest, she grumped, “I know, bish. I just couldn’t help it.”
“Brian fucked with your head. You’re stronger than that. Don’t let him make issues between you and Dath.”
Pixie sat watching her sister. Poppy had a point. No matter how much it irked Pixie to admit it. The situation with Brian had messed with her head. The scary thing was she knew if Dath ever cheated on her, it would hurt a thousand times more than Brian’s betrayal. Everything with Dath was magnified. The passion. The comfortable feeling she had when they were together. The general sense of rightness. It was if her previous relationship had been under a gray filter and now it was removed, allowing her to experience the true spectrum of emotions.
“You’re right,” Pixie said under her breath.
“What was that?” Poppy held her hand up to her ear, taking enjoyment in Pixie admitting she was wrong.
“I said that you’re right, bish. I hate to love you sometimes, you know that?” Pixie teased, making a face at her sister.
“I’m just focusing on being right at the moment.” Poppy put her arms out and took in a deep exaggerated breath. “It feels good to be finally recognized by the little people.”
Pixie lifted up the pillow from beside her on the couch and threw it at her sister. “You’re a nutball.”
“But a right nutball! That’s all that matters.” Catching the pillow, Poppy walked over to Finch who was sitting quietly, watching the pair.
“What?” he asked as she stopped in front of him, simply staring.
“Tell me more about your homosexual tendencies,” Poppy said in a tone Pixie could only describe as her “doctor’s voice”. It was filled with mock patience and understanding. The tone of her speech made Finch start to sputter.
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