Cosmic Cabaret

by SFR Shooting Stars

  A couple passed, the young man tickling a girl about his age. In her silky skirt and blouse, she slipped from his fingers and bolted. Her peals of laughter echoed down the hall.

  Ah, young love. Adara stopped and glanced after them, eager to see if he’d caught her again.

  Beyond the couple, light from an open doorway spilled into the corridor. A man glanced around the corner, his long, pointy horns unmistakable—Karl. His dark and menacing gaze tracked down her body.

  Happiness deflated from her in an instant. Goosebumps rose on her arms.

  The couple’s giggles ricocheted off the walls. They ran past him, oblivious to the threat nearby.

  Adara straightened her shoulders, willing herself not to flee, not to show weakness to this arrogant asshat.

  He stepped from the room into the hallway. With deliberate slowness, he pushed his sleeves over his thick forearms. His attention never wavered. “You again. I had to pull extra hours because of you. Are you here to cause me more trouble?”

  Her knees shook, but she held her ground. “Not unless I’m provoked.”

  A lecherous smile curled his lip. His gaze raked over her once again. “I might like that.”

  She forced a stifled laugh. “Don’t kid yourself. I wouldn’t be with a pig-headed boar like you.”

  A short snort burst from him. His eyes flashed a brilliant shade of red.

  Cali’s words trickled into her mind. You shouldn’t have antagonized him.

  Right…too late.

  She didn’t wait for his response. Instead, she turned and dashed down the corridor.

  “If I find you again, you’ll regret it.” His words chased her all the way to her room.

  Five

  Caleb laid his head against the couch’s armrest, the synth-fabric material almost as soft as his pillow, but not quite. He toed off his boots and they landed on the metal floor with a soft thunk. Rubbing his fingers over his brow, he forced himself to think of something, anything to distract himself from her…Adara.

  The whir of the micro-blender filled the small room, giving him the diversion he sought. He glanced at his roommate. Antoine, a Lilitanian, had light green skin and long blond hair. He wore his favorite red shirt, the words “I’ve got you covered” plastered across the back.

  Antoine placed his hand on the kitchen counter and lowered his head to study the swirling mix of melon, cordena leaves, and sprit bark. The concoction blended into a brown goo, resembling things Caleb would rather not contemplate.

  He scowled. “How can you drink that stuff?”

  Antoine shrugged, the material of the shirt pulling tight against his shoulder. “It’s better for you than that crap herbal tea you drink.”

  He pushed the red button and the whir of the blender slowed. With a quick flick, he tugged the stopper from the base and the liquid dribbled into a glass. A sickly sweet aroma filled the room.

  Caleb gagged, dramatizing the effect for Antoine’s benefit.

  His roommate raised the glass in mock salute then chugged the brew. Always a competitor, Caleb respected the man for his consistent routine and determination to maintain his physique. Since he was one of the other dancers in the Star-Studded Male Revue, staying in shape was of the utmost importance.

  Using his natural strength to his advantage, this job was a good fit for Caleb. Fortunately, he didn’t have to speak while he performed. That was his saving grace.

  Antoine wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I expect we’ll have a larger crowd than normal tomorrow night with the ladies from Yumura on board for their accounting convention. Nothing like getting a bunch of number crunchers in here to let loose.”

  Prickles of excitement raced over Caleb’s arms. A sellout crowd sparked his desire to perform, to express through dance his innermost feelings of the joy and beauty in life, things he struggled to verbalize. “The ladies will be in fine form. I look forward to it.”

  Antoine chuckled. “The ladies always love you.”

  “Yeah. Sure.” Caleb’s jaw tightened. If only one would see past his physique, past his weakness, and care for the man inside.

  He stood and the couch creaked, as if thankful for the release of his weight. Walking toward their small bathroom, his mind drifted to Adara and their encounter outside the med clinic. He’d made a fool of himself, stuttering in front of her. His ears heated. Was Doc Cornelia right? Did he stutter more out of habit than anything else?

  No. Years of treatment and speech therapy had helped some, but not enough. Stuttering was a part of him, something he couldn’t get rid of, like a piece of gum stuck to his shoe.

  He fisted his hand. A workout…that’s what he needed.

  He stepped past the bathroom’s sliding door and wrapped his fingers around a towel. The soft material tickled his palm, reminding him of the softness of Adara’s skin. A groan of pure frustration eased from his lips. He tossed the cloth over his shoulder, stepped into his sandals, and headed for the exit.

  Antoine cleared his throat. He sat on the large couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table. With an amused smile, he raised an eyebrow. “Going to the pool?”

  “Yeah. Didn’t make it to the gym today. Need to get the cardio in.” The truth of the matter was he preferred the pool over the gym. Less chance he’d have to speak to anyone, especially this late at night.

  “You sure you don’t want to stay? Go head to head in one of the holo games?”

  The thought of chatting with his roommate about his situation toyed with Caleb’s insides, twisting them into a knot. Deciding to take the plunge, his pulse quickened. “Doc Cornelia says my stuttering is all—”

  “C’mon, man. Let’s play.”

  Caleb tensed. Blood rushed to his face, heating his skin. He shook his head. “Naw, not this time.”

  “Suit yourself. Maybe when you return, I’ll make you one of my shakes.” He winked. “In the meantime, I’m going to connect to the holo game room. Although I prefer your competitive nature, Marco beat my butt at Galactic Battleship last week. I owe him.”

  Caleb glanced at his display. “You do that.” He shut the door and headed for his nightly workout, eager for some alone time.

  Adara’s heart pounded loud in her ears. Her encounter with Karl left her breathless and dizzy, but at least he hadn’t chased her. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. The mantra helped calm her ravaged nerves, and after a moment, her racing heart slowed. She glanced at the door, room 2815, her temporary quarters during her stay on Quantum. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

  She bent down until she was eye level with the track pad. The light scanned her retina and the door to her crew quarters eased open on a soft hiss. A blast of interstellar music, mixed with loud, raucous laughter, spilled into the hallway.

  With a tentative step, she eased into the room, the door closing softly behind her.

  A waft of fragrant smoke filtered into her lungs. On the small entryway table, incense burned from the depiction of a long, skinny dragon, smoke curling from its nostrils. Short coughs racked her body even as she smiled.

  Getting a hold of herself, she peered around the entryway’s short wall. Four girls, the other inhabitants in the crew’s temporary lodging, sat around a table playing a holographic game of Galactic Battleship.

  Two were Altonians from the planet Alta. They had a slight green tint to their skin and yellow eyes. Another was a Transinian. With her big bone structure, spiky hair, and deep voice she wasn’t hard to miss.

  The last woman was a species Adara didn’t recognize. Blue skin with matching blue eyes and white hair, she was beautiful.

  The hologram of a large battleship hovered above the table. Small fighter spacecrafts circled the giant ship, gamma rays and torpedoes bursting from their depths. Loud zings and pops filled the room.

  Adara slumped her shoulders. She’d planned to head straight to bed, get some sleep. It had been a long day delivering the cargo, going to the show, meeting up with…Caleb. Her breath
caught in her throat.

  The hologram stilled, spacecrafts frozen in time—paused by one of the women.

  “Hey, hi. You staying here, too?” The Transinian rose from her seat. She raised her hands in the air in a giant stretch, the muscles in her arms flexing as she moved. “My name is Serna. You want to join us?”

  The tittering from the others stopped as they assessed her. Without conscious thought, Adara tilted her head. A few strands of hair fell over her eyes. She swallowed and stepped further into the room.

  “Hi, I’m Adara. I, ah, may catch up with you later. I’m heading to the lap pool.” The excuse was as good as any. With the amount of noise from the women, she wouldn’t sleep anytime soon. Maybe a few laps around the pool would do her some good.

  “No problem. If you decide to join us when you get back, let us know.” Serna returned to the couch and the rowdy banter resumed.

  Adara strode into the adjoining bedroom, the one she shared with Cali, and changed into her two-piece bathing suit. As she tied the strings around her neck, the ragged ends were a reminder she needed to purchase something new. She’d promised to shop with Cali, so maybe that was her opportunity to replace her tattered suit. After sliding her feet into her sandals, she grabbed a towel from the bathroom and slipped out the door, happy to escape.

  Six

  Adara stepped into the tiny locker room. Banked in rows surrounding the pool, the small changing areas were private refuges from the throngs of employees scuttling around on Quantum’s lower decks. The crisp, fresh scent of clean water filtered into Adara’s senses. She inhaled and let the essence seep into her lungs.

  Water for the crew’s lap pool filtered through an elaborate cleansing process, negating the need for chlorine or other chemicals. Chlorine dried her skin, and that was something she could do without.

  She hung her towel on a hook in the locker and glanced at herself in the mirror. Several locks of hair hung loose over her shoulders. With a quickness born of practice, she braided the long strands and wrapped it around her head until she’d created a bun. She grabbed the swim cap from her small bag and drew the material over her head. At least the edge covered the majority of her mark.

  Her stomach fluttered, as if tiny bots tinkered with her insides. Was Caleb here?

  No. Don’t be silly. She’d only seen him a few times. Yet, when she had, her attraction to him had been irrefutable. Still, he’d never spoken to her, not until he’d bumped into her outside the med clinic.

  The memory of his touch warmed her skin.

  Enough. Time to burn off some energy.

  “Rinse, please.”

  A loud hiss filtered through the pipes. The nozzle over her head shuddered for a moment then a fine spray of cool water hit her skin. A shiver traveled over her shoulders and down her back. “Geez, that’s cold. Stop rinse.”

  Time to head for the pool.

  She placed her eye over the retinal scanner, and the door leading from the locker room to the pool opened with a soft whoosh.

  Warm steam dampened her skin. Water splashing echoed in the room.

  The crew’s pool, one of several on the ship, was a standard intergalactic length at fifty meters with four lanes. Three figures swam in the pool, each taking one lane, leaving one for her. Relief fluttered over her shoulders. She wouldn’t have to wait.

  Two of the swimmers were close by, a man and woman engaged in a splash war. The third was at the far end of the pool, under the water. At this distance, she couldn’t identify gender. Her heart picked up speed as she walked down the short steps into the open lane.

  “Had enough yet?” The man’s deep voice carried across the pool.

  “Ha. You’ll have to catch me first.” The woman gave him a large splash. After emerging from the water, she took small, rushed steps. The man laughed and followed in close pursuit. They disappeared into a changing room.

  A peaceful quiet filled the place.

  Adara slipped into the water and glanced to the occupied lane where the lone swimmer swam toward her. From this distance, she could tell it was a man by his broad shoulders and the muscles in his back. He had dark hair, but most hair appeared dark when wet. That doesn’t mean he’s Caleb, she chided herself.

  Energy born as much of frustration as anticipation buzzed through her, and she plunged under the water. The rhythmic movement of arm over arm, steady breaths, and constant kicks eased some of the tension. She counted the laps. One…two…three…four.

  Stopping for a breather, she gripped her fingers over the smooth, tiled edge of the pool. Her gaze flicked to the massive figure in the next lane.

  A quick intake of breath. Her heart pounded.

  Caleb…

  His eyes widened, and a flicker of something she couldn’t quite pin down—happiness perhaps—flitted across his features before disappearing. He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervousness appearing that wasn’t there before. The muscles in his bicep bulged, and she couldn’t stop her gaze from wandering over his firm pecs and the tight plane of his abs.

  He glanced toward the lockers. Near the entrance to the one of the rooms was a bench flanked by two resin chairs. A towel lay across one, a pair of brown sandals underneath. A frown tugged at his lip.

  She spoke before he bolted, saying the first thing that popped into her mind. “Thank you for helping me today. I was so clumsy.”

  “N…n…no…mmm…my…f…fff…fault.” His words came out harsh as if he’d said them with great effort. A tic pulsed in his jaw.

  The sincerity in his voice tugged at her heart. “Let’s call it a mutual mishap, then.”

  His brow furrowed. He rose on one of the steps. More of his deliciously firm abs emerged from the water. Droplets glistened against his bare skin. The urge to touch him tingled her fingers.

  “I’ve seen you swim here before. Do you work on Quantum?”

  With a quick nod, he glanced at the chairs. Another step up. This time, a thin trail of dark hair led beneath the edge of his swimming trunks. She wanted to trace her fingers over the short bristles. Stop it! She forced her gaze to meet his.

  “I’m a space trader. We barter for goods and supplies. When we have something special, we deliver cargo to Quantum.” Her words came out in a rush. “What do you do here?”

  “I…n…n…need m…my…” He walked up the remaining steps and strode toward the chairs. His broad shoulders flexed as he moved, graceful and strong. He yanked his shirt from the back of the chair and drew an object from his pocket.

  There was something about him, his kindness maybe, that drew her to him. He’d stuttered, and empathy for him propelled her from the water, up the steps, and onto the tile.

  He opened a small container and placed something in each eye—contacts. “Adara—”

  Water dripped from her bathing suit onto the floor. She slowed and her feet skittered over the tile. Her balance wavered.

  In an instant, he wrapped his arms around her, steadying her against him. “No worries, I’ve got you.”

  His stutter was gone.

  Caleb held Adara close. Dressed in her tiny bathing suit, the warmth of her bare skin soaked into him, lighting up his nerves. When she’d slipped on the tile, visions of her hitting her head had him sprinting to catch her. She hadn’t fallen, but he’d pulled her into his embrace anyway. She shivered against him, rubbing her backside along his hardening shaft. Not wanting her to notice, he pulled away.

  With a slow turn, she faced him. He held on to her arms, unwilling to let go.

  “That was close. Thank you.” She remained tense, but made no further move to escape his grasp.

  He sent his thoughts through his brain-computer interface and glanced over her shoulder to read the display. “You’ve fallen once already because of me. I can’t let that happen again.”

  She stifled a short laugh.

  The muscles in his shoulders tensed. Was she laughing at him? He stole a glance at her.

  Her eyes glowed with a radiance and spark tha
t sent his pulse into a rapid-fire response. She was beautiful and full of energy. He could gaze upon her fine features and never tire of her radiance.

  “Be careful, I may decide I need to fall, just so you’ll catch me.” Her smile quirked at the corner of her mouth.

  His attention riveted there. An urge to pull her close, ravish those lips until they were plump and full from his kisses sent a rush of blood to his groin. He stifled a groan.

  “Caleb…you’re shaking. Are you all right?” Adara brushed a finger down his arm. A trail of goosebumps rose in its wake. Awareness of her near nakedness raced over him, sending more blood to his already engorged shaft. If she looked down, she’d see just how much she affected him.

  Before he could stop himself, his gaze flitted to her bathing top. The ragged strap over her shoulder had a small hole, showing a bit of white beneath the blue cloth. Further down, the material cupped her full breasts. They raised and lowered with each breath she took.

  “N…nnn…no…no.” Crap! She had him so flustered, he’d spoken without using his contacts.

  He let her go and turned away, placing a hand over his crotch to hide his arousal. “I mean…yes. I’m fine.”

  She placed a hand on his back and her warmth seeped under his skin. “Caleb. You’re not fine. Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, not at all. You’re…” …perfect. The word hung on the screen as big as life. He couldn’t bring himself to say it. As much as he wanted to tell her, he wasn’t worthy of someone like her because he was…imperfect.

  She tugged at his arm. When he wouldn’t face her, she walked around him. Her mouth was in a thin line, and her gaze searched his features. “I’m what?”

  The hurt tone in her voice constricted his chest. He let out a slow exhale and traced his fingers over her forehead, gently caressing the edge of her birthmark.

  She jerked from his touch.

  Caleb flinched and dropped his hand.

  Adara’s shoulders trembled. She ripped off her cap then pointed at her birthmark. “Take a good look. Nice, isn’t it?” Sarcasm hung heavy in the air.