Make It Last Forever
Page 17
She had to be ready to drop whatever she was doing whenever the text message for the next impromptu protest came through. The flash protest format started in the early part of the twenty-first century. But with new technology and so many causes in the world to protest, the old style of protest had taken on new dimensions. Once she received the electronic notification of when and where to be for any given protest, she could literally be there in minutes. Beam technology made it so that she could travel miles away, even to another country in the blink of an eye. What made things even better was the fact that Agitators could break out and beam away as soon as the police came to break up protests.
She’d found that employers didn’t take kindly to employees beaming out of work to join a flash protest, even if they beamed right back within the space of an hour. So, she freelanced translating ancient texts part-time and spent the better part of her days and nights protesting injustices all across the globe.
Just as she was thinking it had been a rather slow day for flash protests, she eyed the most intriguing leather-bound book she had ever seen. It didn’t have a title on the cover or the side binding, so she had no idea what the book was about, but she knew she had to have it.
She took a step closer to the book and was glad that it was a relic potential buyers could actually touch before the bidding started. There were some relics that they kept behind glass so that people could only look at them. She walked over and picked up the leather-bound book just as another hand reached for it.
The hand skimmed hers and sent tingles from her fingers to her chest. She clutched the book tighter and glanced up to see who had touched her. Most importantly, who had the nerve to want the book that she had to have!
He was tall, dark and devastating to say the least. His skin was the shade of the deepest, richest mahogany, and his eyes looked like orbs of obsidian. His jet-black hair held deep waves. And his build… His muscular build showed that he still found ways to work on his body during a time when most folks were content to beam everywhere instead of walk and sit around in front of their telecomps and computers all day. Yes, devastatingly handsome described him best. Too bad he reeked of Establishment. From his fancy suit to his state-of-the-art beamer and telecomp, he had Establishment written all over him.
“I’m bidding on this book. So you might as well find something else to bid on. There are lots of interesting relics here. This one is mine.” She staked her claim and started to open the book to have a look inside.
Stunned, Dana stared at the woman in front of him. He was so captivated by her earthy beauty that he barely heard what she said. Her petite frame, creamy mocha skin and haunting gray eyes were speaking to him a lot more than the words coming out of her bow-shaped, very captivating mouth.
He shook his head. “Pardon, me, Ms….” He waited for her to fill in her name, and she cut him a look that told him not to hold his breath.
“I see…well, my name is Dana Freedmen, and I collect relics such as these for the High Divine Church Federation.”
“Establishment zealots.” She smirked. “That makes me want this book all the more. I can’t have it get into Establishment hands. It’s bad enough access to knowledge is limited for the majority of the people of the world. I’ll consider it my duty to liberate this book today.”
What an infuriating woman! So why did he find himself so attracted to her? “Listen, Ms….” He waited again for her to give him a name.
“The name is Kiona Graham. Not that it matters, because we don’t run in the same circles, obviously.”
“Well, Ms. Graham, I just wanted to make a deal with you.” He pulled his telecomp from its side clamp and transmitted his contact information directly to her telecomp with the press of a button. “In the interest of being free with knowledge, I’ll make you a deal. You can feel free to contact me after I outbid you on this book. I have deeper pockets, being Establishment and all…but I am willing to share.”
She gave him an incredulous stare. “Don’t expect me to do the same when I outbid you on this book, Dana. I have no plans on ever letting you see it.” She sniffed. “What is that…smell? Did you not read the sign that this is a scent-free environment? There are people who are very sensitive to smells, and the use of scents, perfumes and the like has been banned in this country for years.”
He sniffed. He smelled something all right, but it wasn’t coming from him. It was coming from her. He couldn’t pinpoint the scents. The only thing he knew was that she smelled really good, and the scent made him want her very much. It filled him with desire.
She sniffed and what might have passed for a smile if she were inclined to do so crossed her face. “It smells nice…but surely it’s not worth the fine you would have to pay for wearing it in a public space.” She shook her head.
He was just about to tell her that he wasn’t wearing any scent and she clearly was, when the Divine High Priestess came walking over. He had hoped that his boss wouldn’t come over and see him haggling with the annoying woman over the very item they had come to the auction to purchase. The Divine High Priestess had said it was imperative that they get this journal and that he translate it immediately. He really hoped that she hadn’t heard their bickering.
The Divine High Priestess was a tall, dark-complexioned woman who wore her long, jet-black hair in beautiful long braids. She had an air of almost unearthly beauty, and at the same time, she seemed to embody all that was still good and pure about the planet Earth.
“Ah…I see you’ve found the relic, Dana. Good job, dear one.” The Divine High Priestess looked at the journal, still unfortunately in Kiona’s adorable hands.
“Yes, Divine one, I’ve found it and so has Ms. Kiona Graham. She has promised to outbid us on it.”
The High Priestess smiled. “Well, then, we shall see who gets it, won’t we. I’m going to take a seat. There’s no need for you to look at the journal, Dana. That’s the one we need.”
The High Priestess walked away, and Dana smiled at Kiona. “May the best person win, then, Ms. Graham. Just remember you have my contact information if you ever want to come and look at the book. Good day.” He walked off while he still could, cursing each and every step away from her. He had really wanted to stay and kiss her, taste her delectable lips until the end of time, forever if at all possible. But he had a feeling she would slay him where he stood if he tried to kiss her—and rightfully so. He just met the woman after all. So he walked away to join the High Priestess.
He took a seat by her and got ready for the bidding war to begin.
“She’s not exactly what you were expecting, is she?” The High Priestess teased with a tilt of her lips.
“Who, Kiona? What do you mean, not what I expected? I certainly didn’t expect to meet someone so passionate and infuriating who happened to want the very journal my boss told me I must acquire today.”
“No. No. No. Dear one, I meant she’s not what you expected to find when you found your soul mate.” The High Priestess chuckled and stood up. “I trust you to get the journal and have the translating done by the end of the month. I think I’ll go back to the Federation now.”
Kiona watched the Divine High Priestess leave. She flipped through the book and got excited. She noticed the different handwritings in the book. It was some kind of journal or diary. But different people had written in it. It would be thrilling to begin translating it. Just looking at the dates alone she could tell that it would give her glimpses of real lives throughout time. The latest entry was in the early twenty-first century. What an amazing find! She had to get the book.
Just as she had that thought, her telecomp pulsed and she looked at the message. It was a message from her friend Cullen. He was thoroughly anti-Establishment, especially now that the Establishment was forcing religion down everyone’s throat and he had set up some of the most world-renowned protests ever. She didn’t have anything against religion, but she was against people not having the freedom to choose.
Cullen’
s text said that there was a flash protest against the containment efforts of the government in less than a minute right in front of the House of Nations.
She frowned and bit her lip in contemplation.
This was the kind of protest that came along once in a long while. The kind that Agitators like her bragged about being at for years to come.
She put the journal down. She took one more look at the journal and then at the tall, dark and devastating Dana before she beamed out. She really hoped that Dana guy got the book and had given her his right contact information. Because she fully intended to take him up on his generous offer!
She found herself thinking yet again how handsome he was. He was the kind of man a girl could easily see spending forever wrapped in his arms.
Easily?
Well maybe not easily but definitely forever…if she were looking for forever, that was.
The end…or because true love never dies and real soul mates can make it last forever, maybe it’s just a new beginning.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-6463-6
MAKE IT LAST FOREVER
Copyright © 2010 by Gwendolyn D. Pough
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