by Jessica Cole
“Pick one, as long as it’s not sappy. You want something to eat?”
Jana flipped over onto her stomach, feet in the air, flipping through movie options. “Mmm something sweet.”
By the time he got back to the room, she was nodding off. Jana made a halfhearted gesture of getting up.
“Sit down.”
“Ugh,” Jana grunted, obliging. “Okay.”
“What movie did you pick?”
“You’ll see,” she yawned.
“The suspense is killing me. Here, I got you some candy.” He tossed her a box of sour gummy spaceships.
“I said sweet!” Immediately, she was pelted by a box of chocolate covered raisins. They hit the comforter and almost bounced off the bed. “You know me too well already,” she beamed.
She’d picked an old world drama. Music played from unseen speakers, filling the room. The title faded in the white lettering standing out from the blackness of the rest of the room.
“Nice choice,” Aeronth said, sitting next to her.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I like this movie,” he replied. Jana moved closer to him. He was on his back, hands behind his head on the pillow. She set her head down on his chest. I love being close to him.
“Jana?”
“Yeah?”
“...Never mind.”
“No, tell me.”
“I forgot.”
Jana knew he was lying, but said nothing. An hour into the movie, Jana fell asleep to Aeronth stroking her hair gently. In her half-sleeping state, she felt his body relax as he dozed off, arm draped over her.
It wasn’t until someone began pounding frantically on the other side of the door that both of them jolted awake.
34. Intimate
Aeronth stumbled to the door and fumbled with the latch. Finally prizing it open, he looked none too happy to see Lexi standing on the other side. “What the hell do you want?” he grumbled.
“Jana’s missing. I told her to come get me when she came back, and she hasn’t. What if something happened to her?!”
“Relax. Jana’s fine.”
“You don’t know that!” Lexi screeched. Wide-eyed realization fell over her, and she promptly narrowed her eyes at Aeronth.
“She’d still be sleeping if you hadn’t barged in. See for yourself.” He gestured for her to enter, and as she passed under his outstretched arm, Lexi snatched a pillow off the recliner and hurled it across the room at Jana, who ducked and was narrowly missed.
Lexi was positively fuming. “Thanks a lot! You scared the hell out of me! Maybe have some fucking consideration next time.” She turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her.
“She’s pissed.”
Jana leveled her gaze at him. “She’s right, though. I should have told her.”
“You going to go make up with her?”
Jana sighed. “No. She’s too mad right now to be reasoned with. I’ll give her some time to cool off before I go groveling for forgiveness. Besides, I’m too tired,” she yawned, cuddled up against him and quickly fell back asleep.
Hours later she awoke again. The room was dark, but Jana had the feeling of being watched.
“Aeronth?” she whispered.
“Hmm?”
“You awake?”
She heard the smile in his voice. “Yeah.” He stroked her hair. “I didn’t want to wake you up. You looked too peaceful, and it’s been too long since you’ve been able to actually rest.”
“You didn’t wake me up,” she said softly.
Aeronth’s sharp intake of breath was audible as she nudged closer to him. She silently took pleasure in his reaction, so new and unfamiliar and exciting. Jana bit her lip and held her breath, unsure of herself.
He slid his hand under her, wrapping a strong arm around her tiny body. With the slightest effort, he tugged her even closer. Their bodies melded together, Jana breathed in the scent of his body wash. Jana’s body trembled with the insatiable need to be close to him.
Before Aeronth, Jana had never been kissed. The thought of...she put it from her mind. But I want him! She tilted her head back and he was looking down his chin at her. She placed her lips against his, barely brushing them. They were so warm.
Without thinking about it, Jana parted her lips and bit Aeronth’s lower lip softly. She felt his body tense up and he gripped the sheets with his free hand. A low whimper escaped her throat as she fought the urges. I’m done fighting. This is one battle I can’t win. She left a trail of kisses across his cheek and down his neck. He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her collarbone. Jana gasped at the feeling, ticklish but sending waves of pleasure down her body like a jolt of electricity. Like the first time we touched.
She felt the pressure of his teeth grazing her neck, and understood now what she’d done to him minutes before. Minutes? It felt like hours. It took every ounce of control she had to stop herself from reacting. She went to that place in her mind she’d been so many times before, when she felt she was losing control. Control yourself. Don’t react. Don’t shake.
For the first time, she couldn’t shut off her feelings. She couldn’t control herself. Not wanting to stop him, Jana found Aeronth’s ear and ran the tip of her tongue along it, moving to straddle him while she did so.
When she finally pulled away, Aeronth looked unsure of himself. He’s replaying it in his mind. Jana instantly knew he was thinking about their conversation about her lack of...experience. His concern only made her want him more. Always so cautious with me. She reached down, not breaking her gaze, and traced the waistline of his boxers with her index finger, hooking it around the elastic and slowly pulling it down. He put a hand under her chin and drew her back. She could see in his eyes how much he wanted her.
The feeling was intoxicating. She felt him trembling beneath her, and she bit her lip again. He squeezed his eyes shut for just a moment, trying to compose himself enough to speak. Aeronth’s hands caressed her upper arms, and Jana’s hands balled into fists. She placed a finger to his lips, silencing him.
“I’m sure.”
35. All Dolled Up
“You’re so going down this round.” Jana furiously mashed buttons on the handheld controller.
“Ohhhh whatever! You wish.”
“At least we found something you’re good at,” she teased. He looked over at her meaningfully, and Jana felt herself turn red. “Aside from that.”
“Yeah, well...I’m only half of that equation, missy.” He looked down at the watch on his wrist. “Bad news. We’re late.”
“HNNNGGGGG. They are going to be so mad at us!” She tossed the controller down on the bed and ran to the closet, throwing the doors open and poking her head back out. “Hey! This doesn’t mean you won. It’s just...postponed. What am I supposed to wear for this, anyway?”
“I don’t know.” He laid back on the bed, hands behind his head. “Lexi said it was a formalwear thing. Did you bring anything like that?”
“What? No. I don’t even own anything like that. I don’t even have a dress. What am I supposed to do?” Jana rummaged around in her suitcase. “I’ll just wear this.” She pulled out a button down shirt and black dress pants as someone knocked on the door.
Aeronth got up to open it. “Okay, but it’s your funeral...”
Jana heard Lexi before she entered the room. “How are you not ready yet?! OH MY GOD—you are not wearing that tonight. BACK AWAY FROM THE SLACKS.” Lexi ripped the clothes out of Jana’s grasp and took her by the hand. “We’ll meet you there, Aeronth. The guys are outside. Get changed. Don’t think that because your girlfriend wants to go as a hostess that you don’t have to dress up.”
Girlfriend? They hadn’t really talked about any of that, and to be honest, Jana hadn’t really thought of it. But now, she worried that he’d heard her. The last few days were amazing, and she didn’t want that ruined. Commitment obviously scared him for whatever reason. The last thing Jana wanted was for him to end things because it was too
much for him. She felt the anxiety rising up in her throat.
Lexi literally dragged Jana by the hand back to her own room. Lexi threw open the closet doors and one side of Jana’s mouth raised. So. Many. Clothes. Mostly dresses, of every color and length imaginable. Sun dresses, club dresses, even a ball gown were packed into the tiny closet. “How did you even get all of this in here? Did you BRING all of this with you?!”
“Hush. We don’t have all night.” She sized Jana up with her eyes. “If you were any shorter, you wouldn’t have been eligible for the military at all.”
“Technically, I’m not. I went in when I was twelve, remember? I think everyone thought I’d grow a bunch when I hit puberty. But I was already through Academy when they realized that wasn’t going to happen.”
“Yeah, well you look like someone left you in a dryer too long.”
“Still mad about the other night?”
“About you not telling me you weren’t dead in a back alley somewhere? No. But what is this whole thing with you and Aeronth?” And I was so hoping you weren’t going to bring this up.
“I don’t know. I care about him.”
Lexi was flipping through outfits in the closet. “And he cares about you? What’s going to happen when we get back to base?”
“I don’t know.” Dread crept up on her. I don’t want to lose what we have. What am I supposed to do? Do I talk to him about it?
Lexi heard the distress in Jana’s voice and looked over, empathetic. “He obviously cares about you. He’s protective of you. He’s good to you. I wouldn’t worry about it. Here, try this on.”
She crammed the dress over Jana’s head like she was dressing a rag doll. “Hey. HEY! That hurts!”
“Beauty is pain, little doll.”
The dress was turquoise and had a fitted waist. The neckline cut straight across her shoulders, and the bottom flared out a bit and hit almost to her knees. It was a little loose around the midsection and neck.
“I feel like I’m going to fall out of this.”
“Yeah, well I don’t own doll clothes.” She pulled out a little sewing kit and bit at a piece of thread. “Nothing we can’t fix.” Lexi set to work on adjusting the dress to fit Jana better.
“The mystery is solved.”
“What?”
“You do sew yourself into your clothing. We had a bet going whether you painted your clothes on or sewed them onto yourself.”
“Oh ha ha. So funny. Last time I checked, there was nothing wrong with flaunting what you’ve got. There. Let’s check now.” She instructed Jana to turn around a few times, then nodded. “Much better. Now...hair and makeup.”
“Can’t I just go like this?”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that. Now, sit.”
Jana sheepishly looked at Lexi’s spackled on foundation and heavy eye makeup. “You aren’t going to do it like yours, are you?”
“Shut your mouth, or I’ll shut it for you.”
The hair didn’t take long, but Lexi took no prisoners. By the time she was finished, Jana’s head ached from all the pulling and furious brushing. Then, Jana winced every time Lexi poked her in the face with this brush or that makeup stick.
“If you don’t stop moving, I will actually poke your eye out. Have you never worn makeup before?”
“No!”
“Oh well, excuse me. I should have known you had porcelain doll skin to go with the rest of your body. I’m almost done.” She pulled back to admire her handiwork. “There you go. Take a look.”
She’d left Jana’s hair in a slicked back ponytail, with a small piece of hair from the crown of her head braided and wrapped around the base of the pony. She’d used black eyeliner for a winged look, and brushed on a bright red lipstick. The minimalist makeup made her feel comfortable with it.
“Let’s go meet the guys.”
“Where are we going? You never told us.”
“We’re going to dinner at a jazz club. I hope you like dancing.”
Oh, no.
36. And Nowhere To Go
Jana was overwhelmingly thankful when the bouncer opened the glass door to the club and ushered them into the lobby; the colony was still chilly, and Lexi hadn’t allowed her to wear a jacket. Beauty is pain, she’d repeated.
The warmth of the venue enveloped her, and the heat on her cheeks felt like pinpricks. She spotted David across the room and waved. He was standing with the other guys, their back to the entrance. He smiled and begun to wave back, but leaned in and said something to Aeronth instead.
Aeronth met them halfway. “You look beautiful. Not better, just different.” He slipped an arm around Jana and rubbed her shoulder. His skin was hot, and welcome. “You’re freezing. Do you want my jacket?” Even Aeronth had dressed to the nines for the occasion, sporting black dress pants and a collared shirt under a blazer.
“I’ll be fine.”
The hostess led them into the next room, draped with burgundy curtains held back by gold ropes with tassels. The lighting was soft, cozy. Half-circle booths lined the room and all the way in the back was a raised stage on which a band was playing lively jazz music. She showed them to their seats, and Jana scooted into the booth, ladylike grace be damned. They’d barely sat down before Lexi grabbed David by the arm and yanked him towards the dance floor. He managed to mouth “Help me!” before he was whisked away.
Gordon opened up the menu and started reading off options that he found interesting, asking questions about anything he wanted clarification on. Does this have butter in it? What is your favorite appetizer? How do you prep your chicken for this dish? Do you have a healthier option similar to this? Eventually the waiter stopped leaving the table only to be called back thirty seconds later, instead choosing the path of least resistance and just answering the droll questions all at once. Poor guy.
“Are you okay?” Aeronth asked. “You’re quiet tonight.”
“I just have a lot on my mind.”
He didn’t seem pleased about being brushed off, but Jana really didn’t want to get into their personal life in the middle of dinner. Either he’d be mad at her for worrying about something so stupid, or worse, he’d confirm her fears that this was all going to end when they got back to the station. I just want to enjoy this. Why can’t he just drop the subject? He did, by shutting down. He didn’t outright ignore her, but his responses were short and the warmth she’d become accustomed to was nowhere in sight.
David managed to persuade Lexi to return to the table long enough to order their food and allow him to suck down a glass of water. Lexi squirmed in her seat before settling. Embarrassed by the tiff with Aeronth, Jana buried her face in the menu. She caught Lexi’s gaze and immediately realized how big a mistake that was.
“What’s wrong with you?” Lexi asked, smearing butter on a chunk of steaming bread from the basket in the center of the table.
“Nothing.” Jana said through grit teeth, managing a forced smile and glaring at Lexi. Back off. Please. Don’t make this worse.
Aeronth was far more observant than Jana cared for. “I’m gonna go get drinks for everyone. Gordon?”
“Yeah. Yeah...I’ll uh. I’ll come with you.”
They were hardly out of earshot before Lexi started in on her. “What are you doing?”
“Why can’t you just drop it?” Jana hissed back at her.
“Because you’re sitting over here being huffy with each other like he stole your teddy bear. Enjoy this while you can.”
“While I can? That’s the whole problem. How am I supposed to enjoy this when it might be over in a week?”
“Kid, you need to learn to live in the moment. And have you talked to him about this? You’re losing your mind over something that might not even happen. Besides, I know he’s a SOFT member, but it might still be possible for you to keep him on the team, permanently. But that’s something you two need to discuss. Together.”
Jana grumbled, but couldn’t argue with the logic. The music ling
ered in the warm air, glasses clinked and the low murmur of patrons’ voices filled the void. It enveloped her like a blanket, and would’ve been welcome if Jana’s mood was better. Presently, it only suffocated her. It felt...awful. Choking.
“I will talk to him when he gets back over here, assuming he doesn’t wander off and leave me here.” Lexi glowered at her, and Jana held up her hands in defense. “Kidding! I’m kidding. Relax.”
“I think I’m going to get the steak.” Jana and Lexi nearly jumped out of their skins and looked across the table. David still sat there, unmoved, thumbing through the drink menu. He looked between the two of them and shrugged. “I’m like furniture; hardly know I’m here. I think I missed my calling. I could have been a SOFT, in Intel. And Lexi is right. Just talk to him about it. You might get an actual answer between all the frowning and arm folding.” His impersonation of Aeronth was over exaggerated, but not entirely without merit.
“I hate you.”
Outside, the lockdown alarm sounded. It was a long, deep bellow with intermittent, piercing shrieks. Jana instinctively reached for her handgun, only to realize it wasn’t there. The other two had the same reaction. Where is Aeronth? “We need to find the others, regroup.” As active military personnel, they’d have been notified of a pending routine lockdown during their stay. “Do you hear that?” This part of the venue was below ground level, and Jana could hear the pop of gunfire above. The band kept playing; no one else seemed to notice what was going on.
Breaking glass. Shouting. Jana stood, and craned her neck to see through the exit, to the lobby. A few men struggled with one another. More gunshots, this time inside the building. The band stopped playing. Other patrons looked on anxiously. Next to her, David grabbed her wrist, tugging her towards the safety of one of the booths. One of the men in the lobby threw something into the lounge. It clinked against one of the metal table bases and bounced towards them, three meters away away from her. Close enough that she could see the little ridges along its exterior.
“Get down!” Jana yelled, shoving David out of the way. They landed on the other side of the booth, toppling a chair as they went.