“Hmmm, bet it was three hundred bucks a plate, and you got four itty-bitty shrimp the size of my little toe arranged in some kind of artistic pattern.”
“Eat there often?”
“Not in this lifetime. I heard most of those places skimp on the grub, but gouge you on the green.”
“It was eight itty-bitty shrimp the size of my pinkie arranged in an artistic pattern. And the highlight of the meal was the brandy pecan pie I had for dessert with a cup of real Brazilian coffee.” For decades, coffee had been a rare and expensive commodity due to a fungus brought about by the greenhouse effect that devastated the plants. Recently, new fungus-and heat-resistant strains of plants had been introduced, but it would take years for the coffee plantations to be established enough to impact the availability and price.
“Oh, sounds scrumptious—and expensive. That one cup of coffee probably cost more than the meal.” Mysha scooted up next to Ariel, leaning her back against the headboard. “Tell me what this Ms. High and Mighty O’Shay paragon is like in person?”
“She seemed very nice and not at all the bitch the media describes.”
“Is she as sexy in person as she is in her pictures and on EM?”
“Oh, yeah, is she ever. The media pics and vids don’t do her justice. She’s a mega supreme babe for sure—OUCH! Why did you do that?” Ariel glowered accusingly at Mysha.
“A simple yes or no will do. I don’t want to hear about you drooling over her.”
Ariel rubbed the pinch mark on her upper leg. “I didn’t drool over her. We talked.”
“Yeah? What kind of things did the two of you talk about?”
“Mostly about her spaceship and theories on light-speed travel. She’s very intelligent and knows a lot on the subject. Did you know she has a degree from Embry-Riddle in aerospace design, as well as a business degree from Harvard?”
“Not only a Momma Mega Bucks, and a babe, but a real Einstein, eh?”
“I was surprised she was so smart. I mean, about anything other than business. Hmm, she invited me to have dinner with her on Celeste and give me a tour.”
“You mean her spaceship? You’re kidding. That’s the most famous spaceship, space yacht, whatever, there is. When are you going?”
“I’m not going.”
Mysha leaned back, assessing her. “Why not?”
“It’s for Friday night, and that’s the night we’re going to see the opening of the Atlantis documentary.”
“Hey, babe, we can go to that another night. There are people out there who would sell the patent rights to their DNA to go on a tour of Celeste.” Mysha’s eyes took on a mischievous glint. “Besides, I want to know all about her zero gravity orgy room.”
“What?”
“You know? Her little romper room, where she has the orgies.”
This was news to Ariel. For some reason, Ms. O’Shay didn’t strike her as someone who was into that sort of thing. From what Ariel knew, she tended to be private in her personal life, not granting interviews. Plus, the worldwide business community and most of the governing bodies on Earth and off-world held her in respect. Then again, Ariel had heard Ms. O’Shay had been wild in her younger days before she took over Stellardyne. Casting Mysha a dark glower, Ariel said, “Where the hell did you hear that?”
“Damn, babe, you need to watch some news on the EM instead of those boring science programs. Everyone has heard about it. The Enquirer channel always has a scoop about it, and who’s been free-floating with her.”
“Mysha, you can’t believe what you see or hear on the tabloid channels. They fabricate those stories from their lurid imaginations.”
“Hey, you know the old saying, where there’s smoke. But don’t ask her to show you the room. She may want to demonstrate it for you, and I don’t want to have to bust her nose for coming on to my girl.” Mysha leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.
Ariel still was undecided, but inclined to accept the invitation.
She needed more convincing. “You think I should go, huh?”
“You would be a fool not to. And when you’re back, you can call me and describe the interior of her ship. She won’t allow anyone to take pictures.”
Mysha’s endorsement convinced Ariel to accept the invitation. A sly expression crept its way onto her face. “I’ll check to see whether they have a gift shop onboard and buy you a postcard of her zero gravity orgy room. Maybe she’ll autograph it. ‘To Mysha, if you’re ever in the neighborhood, float on in.’”
Mysha grabbed her pillow and whipped it against her. Ariel screeched and snatched her own pillow up to flail Mysha. Soon, things escalated into a wrestling match with Ariel managing to get the upper hand. Straddling Mysha’s waist, she held her wrists to the bed, swiped her tongue over Mysha’s lips, and said seductively, “You’ve been a naughty girl, Mysha. Do I need to discipline you?”
Mysha wiggled in anticipation and said in a purr, “Umm, I think you do.”
Chapter Six
KIERNAN WAS PERUSING the specifications Celeste’s chief technician, Dwayne Campbell, sent on the scheduled overhaul that would put the ship out of commission for the next twelve weeks.
Kelly announced over the deskcom, “Ms. O’Shay, there is a call for you from a Ms. Ariel Thorsen.”
She had been expecting this call ever since she sent her invitation to Ariel on Saturday. Her heartbeat raced and she inhaled deeply. “Put her through, Kelly.” She hastily patted her hair and stared expectantly at the telecom screen. The Stellardyne logo faded into the smiling image of the caller, and Kiernan said, “Hello, Ariel. How are you?”
“I’m doing well, Ms. O’Shay.”
“Please, call me Kiernan.”
Ariel smiled. “I called to tell you I accept your kind invitation to dinner, and I’m looking forward to seeing Celeste.” Ariel dropped her gaze briefly before returning it to Kiernan, her cheeks showing a tinge of pink and her voice sounding shy. “And thank you for the lovely flowers.”
Ariel’s shyness imparted a vulnerable and innocent air, halting Kiernan’s heartbeat for a second. “I’m glad you like the flowers, and I’m more than happy to give you a tour of Celeste and have your company at dinner. I’ll pick you up at your home at five o’clock on Friday.”
“Is there anything I need to bring?”
“No, just yourself. If you have a tendency for motion sickness, you may want to take something before we embark on the shuttle, since the ride can be rough until we leave the atmosphere.”
“I’m not prone to motion sickness. Again, thank you. I’ll let you go back to your work.”
Wanting to stretch out the conversation, Kiernan said, “I’ll have you home by—say—two a.m.? I’m sure you’ll want some time after dinner to view Earth for a while. There may even be a tropical storm or some other interesting phenomena going on.”
With her eyes bright and voice sounding a note of excitement, Ariel said, “That sounds wonderful. I can’t wait.”
Ariel’s eagerness caused a surge of energy in Kiernan, but she knew she had stretched out the conversation as long as she could. Reluctantly she said, “I’ll be seeing you soon.”
“Yes, Friday night. Bye.” Ariel’s image dissolved and the Stellardyne logo reappeared.
Barking out a laugh of both pleasure and triumph, Kiernan pushed her chair back from the desk, twirling it around twice. She glanced at the clock on her desk and realized she was late for a staff meeting, which was a first for her. She had never been late to a meeting since she became president of Stellardyne. But Ariel Thorsen was worth being late for.
A HURRIED RAP sounded on her bedroom door, followed by Leigh rushing in, excitement in her voice. “Ariel, she’s here, hurry up, gosh you ought to see that car. It’s as long as our house and it’s one of those new floating ones!”
Ariel stopped brushing her hair. “You need to wait until I invite you in after you knock, Leigh, and not barge into my room.”
“Err—sorry, but she’s here, so hurr
y up.”
Ariel walked to the window and stared out. A white limo was parked at the curb in front of the house, sitting on squat struts instead of wheels. She had pictured in her mind Ms. O’Shay arriving behind the wheel of some sporty Mercedes, or something similar, and as expensive. This limo far surpassed any little sporty model in both price and technology. Only a few of these aero-autos were on the market, and at a price that only the extremely wealthy could afford.
Ariel recalled watching a science program last year on the engineering and technology that went into constructing them. The vehicles hovered some three feet above the road surface utilizing the same technology for shielding spaceships from debris. This required reducing the force field greatly in size to repel a solid surface beneath it. Minute fluctuations in different areas of the shield enabled the driver to maneuver the vehicle in any direction. These vehicles were touted as the future replacement for wheeled vehicles, though she was doubtful that they would ever be inexpensive enough for her to afford one.
A group of neighborhood kids stood in the yard gawking at the limo, and she was sure many of her neighbors were peeking out the windows wondering who was in it and why it was in front of her house. On second thought, they probably already knew since the twins had more than likely bragged to their friends about Ariel’s invitation, and the friends told their parents.
She sidled over to the full-length mirror on her closet door, checking the appearance of her peach-colored linen slacks with the matching jacket over an ivory pullover blouse. She didn’t notice any problems.
“Hurry up, or she’ll drive away without you,” Leigh said impatiently.
“All right, calm down.” Ariel was anything but calm herself. She felt the sensation of soap bubbles floating in her stomach every time she thought about going into space, seeing Earth from orbit, and taking a grand tour of Celeste.
She hung her tan clutch bag, the color matching her flat-heeled shoes, over her shoulder by its chain, followed Leigh down the hallway, and entered the living room as the doorbell rang. Her mother opened the door to a husky dark-skinned man in a gray suit. He touched the bill of his black cap and in a deep bass voice said, “I’m David Washington, Ms. O’Shay’s driver. I’m here for Ms. Ariel Thorsen.”
Joanna moved aside, motioning toward Ariel. “She’s right here.” “I’m ready,” Ariel said. She leaned over and kissed her mother’s cheek. Joanna whispered against her ear, “Have a good time. And don’t forget to mind your manners.”
“Yes, Mom.” The twins gaped in awe at Mr. Washington. She snapped her fingers toward them and said, “I’ll see you two in the morning.”
Seth said, “I’m staying up ‘til you’re back so I can hear all about the ship!”
“I’m staying up, too!” Leigh added.
Joanna looked askance at the two. “We’ll see.”
Ariel accompanied Mr. Washington toward the car. He rapidly strode ahead, saying, “Coming through,” to open a way through the gaggle of neighborhood children gawking at the limo.
He assisted her into the seat right behind the driver’s side and across from Kiernan O’Shay. Her host gave her a friendly smile, quickly sliding her gaze over Ariel before saying in a throaty drawl, “Hello, you look very nice.”
“Thank you. So do you,” Ariel said with a hint of shyness, feeling underdressed when she saw the sleeveless, dark rose dress made of some kind of silky material her host wore. She also noticed the strand of pearls around her neck, with a pearl in each earlobe.
Ariel ran her gaze down in a discreet way to the bodice of the dress, cut in a dip and showing the beginnings of the swell of nicely shaped breasts. She thought she had better focus on Ms. O’Shay’s face before her inspection became a blatant stare. But before she could do so, Ms. O’Shay crossed her right leg over her left, drawing Ariel’s attention to them. The dress stopped a couple of inches above the knee and Ariel noted dark sheer hose with tiny dark dots on them and a pair of black high heels.
Ogling the legs, she thought she sure wouldn’t mind seeing them in a bathing suit. Realizing what she was doing, she promptly brought her eyes up to Ms. O’Shay’s face, seeing bright eyes watching her with what appeared to be amusement. The sudden rush of heat in her cheeks made Ariel blush all the more. Trying to cover her embarrassment, she said, “Your limo is wonderful, and beautiful. I wouldn’t know we were moving if I didn’t see the scenery pass.”
“Thank you. If you would like something to drink, there’s a foldout bar in the middle of the seat.” Kiernan inclined her head toward the back of the seat next to Ariel.
“No thank you, Ms. O’Shay.”
“Please, call me Kiernan.”
“Kiernan.”
“That’s better. Tell me more about yourself. I know you have an interest in spaceships, ride a motorcycle, and you’re a physics professor. Tell me what you like about teaching physics.”
Ariel described the classes she taught, her students, and colleagues, while Kiernan listened. Soon, the topic slid into the different theories of faster than light-speed travel as well as discussions of the various theories of dark matter and antimatter. Once again, Ariel was impressed by Kiernan’s knowledge of these subjects and before she knew it, they arrived at the O’Shay Earth-Side Space Port.
Ariel gazed in awe at the gigantic transport shuttles parked along the different runways, some in the process of having engines, parts, and equipment loaded for use on the O’Shay Orbiting Docks for the construction of new freighters and transports.
The limo slowed, heading down a runway in the direction of a lone, white arrowhead-shaped shuttle waiting on the farthest runway with its green running lights burning to indicate it was preparing for takeoff.
Glancing at Kiernan, Ariel saw her host’s attention not focused on the view outside the window, but on her. Kiernan’s eyes smoldered, bringing heat to Ariel’s face. She gave her host a slight smile before returning her attention to the view out the limo’s window.
KIERNAN WATCHED ARIEL stare wide-eyed out the window as the shuttle rapidly ascended through cloud cover and saw her stiffen slightly as the mild g-forces pushed her back against the seat.
The shuttle shook from mild turbulence, and Ariel dug her fingers nervously into the armrest with apprehension painting her features. Kiernan closed her hand over Ariel’s and squeezed in reassurance.
Soon, the shuttle broke through the cloud ceiling and hurtled rapidly upward, the white and gray carpet of clouds below them, the horizon shading to midnight blue eternity.
The shuttle continued to climb and one could see the horizon curve downward, giving Earth the appearance of an upside down bowl of blue and green. Gone were the smog and haze that had hung over the heavily industrialized parts of Earth during the first half of the century before the Clean Earth Act was enforced. Now Earth’s features were sharply distinct and identifiable.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Kiernan squeezed Ariel’s hand once more, and suddenly her body weighed nothing. She would have floated from her seat if not for the seatbelt.
Hearing a gasp of surprise from Ariel, Kiernan riveted her gaze on her guest, thinking she had never seen anyone so beguiling as this woman, whose lips parted in amazement, her eyes bright, and her hair floating in strands of gossamer gold about her face. She appeared angelic, and Kiernan couldn’t help but to reach out, feeling the softness of a strand of hair slide like silk through her fingers. Watching the strands splay and separate into a wide splash of gold, her heart skipped a beat.
Ariel’s expression was one of wonder. “It feels as if I’m dreaming or falling asleep—the weightlessness, that is. Has the interior of Celeste ever been in zero gravity for an extended period of time?” Ariel watched her right hand slowly bob in front of her.
“Yes. When she’s going through a maintenance routine, the rotation of the gyro-grav system is shut down for some time for certain diagnostics to be performed, so no gravity.”
“I read the gyro-grav’s rotations power
a dynamo that charges a series of batteries with enough energy to keep it going for twelve hours, as well as maintaining the lighting and air supply if the engines shut down.”
“One of grandmother’s innovations. The story is that she got the idea when she saw a field of wind turbines in the Midwest. Stellardyne was the first to develop and use the dynamo system.”
Ariel returned her attention once again out the window. “Is the silver line in the distance one of the solar arrays?”
Kiernan said, “That’s the North American array, which supplies power to Canada, the USA, and Mexico. I’ll point out the other arrays to you when we’re aboard Celeste.”
Gazing overhead, Kiernan said, “Look up.”
Ariel’s eyes filled with awe at the vision of the white, six-sided cylindrical spaceship suspended against a backdrop of stars. “Oh, she’s magnificent.”
“She is, isn’t she?” Kiernan said with pride, leaning partly over Ariel to get a better view out the window, which put her close enough to inhale her scent and feel the brush of a strand of floating hair across her face. A strong current of arousal flooded her and she hastily resumed her seat, feeling weak. Now, she knew a marriage to Ariel would have to include the physical aspect. She was confident Ariel would agree to this. Ariel probably found her attractive, if her inspection of her assets in the limo was an indicator. Besides, Ariel was young and healthy and probably had a normal sexual appetite. Kiernan didn’t think the other woman would be averse to including sex in the arrangement.
As the shuttle zoomed toward Celeste, Ariel said in awe, “Wow. She’s bigger than I expected. It was hard to tell when we were so far away.”
“She’s twenty meters higher, or longer, than the Washington Monument.”
“You told me her dimensions and I researched them later, but—”
“Yes. I know. It’s often hard to judge size by numbers. Sometimes you need something to compare.”
“I read the crew numbers twenty.”
“Yes, when she’s going to Mars or beyond. Tonight I have five crew on duty who reside aboard her carrying out maintenance and some engineering routines. Celeste’s chief technician, who is also First Mate, is one of those who resides aboard. The Captain, pilots, and other crew aren’t currently needed since Celeste is in a fixed orbit around Earth. I’ll have my chef aboard for tonight and wait staff as well.”
Linda S. North - The Dreamer, Her Angel and the Stars Page 5