Nina left the specimen lab late that afternoon when the sky was just beginning to turn yellow and purple and the white sun hung low over the sea. She wanted nothing more than to go home and shower, get the slime and smell of red worms off of her skin, then eat something and fall into bed. But she had to finish her daily report first, as her contract required, and that would take at least two hours. Two hours, I can handle that. Making her way back to the office she shared with Doctor Ardus, Nina made polite nods to the Dreen she passed and even a tired smile at Doctor O'Connell. I bet I look like hell. Her back and legs were sore from bending, carrying, climbing and fetching all day but Meem and Nia were happy – the worms had eaten and were settling into fresh, warm water like kittens after a long nurse settling into soft, fluffy blankets with full bellies. Nina hoped the worms would get better, she'd hate to see hard work go to waste and would hate it even more if any died. She met Athe on his way out of the office, and he said Doctor Ardus had something to tell her.
"Good news, I hope."
"I'd tell you, but that would spoil his fun."
She smiled at the young Dreen, though tiredly. "Thanks, Athe. Oh! I owe you one for yesterday."
Athe raised his eyes to the ceiling and pretended innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about. You'd better get in there, you look dead on your feet." He patted her on the shoulder. "Good evening, Doctor." She waved him off and stepped into the office.
Ardus was at his desk, as usual, but when he looked up he pushed back and turned to her. "Well then, I am sure Athe has mentioned something." he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "We leave in four weeks."
All her weariness flowed away from her then – her feet stopped hurting, the stiffness in her neck and tightness in her shoulders vanished in an instant, washed away like a picture drawn in sand. "Really?" Nina felt the corners of her mouth drawing into a smile. "Reda approves?"
Ardus nodded. "I presented my amended timeline and cost analysis this morning. There was some resistance, but Reda stilled that. Now," he unfolded his arms and clapped his palms on his knees "how are Meem's worms? I imagine she and Nia had you busy all day, you look like your tide is about to go out."
Nina recounted cleaning the tanks, disassembling the water filters, bathing the worms and administering their feeding, Ardus nodding along. She left out her discussion with Nia. "...Meem said she would hate to lose any, but she doesn't think whatever they have is particularly fatal."
"Yes, I am sure I will read all about it in her report. Tomorrow I will plan for both of us to-" The door interrupted him with a soft ping! "Who in the four tides... Yes?" The door slid open, and Doctor Martin O'Connell stood shuffling in the threshold. Ardus's brows drew together. "Doctor, what brings you here?"
Martin O'Connell nodded to the Dreen. "Evening, Doctor. I saw yesterday that my patient had returned to work, I thought perhaps I might have a look and see how she's doing." Nina recognized his accent, lilting and clipped. European? After the European Union had split, it was a daily occurrence to meet people fleeing the economic as well as environmental instability started by their great-great-great-grandparents' generation. Nina figured he was from some part of the old United Kingdom, now the fractured and fractious countries of England, the Scottish Republic, the Welsh Republic and the newly consolidated Collective of Ireland. Ardus's eyes flicked to Nina. She nodded. "Sure, if it won't take too long."
"Long day?" Martin asked, crossing the room. He glanced at the over-eight-foot-tall Dreen with what Nina thought might have been disdain. She watched Ardus's eyes track him across the room. Hmm... "Yeah, it was."
"Mind if I ask you a few questions? It'll only take a minute."
Nina sighed, tired but resigned. "Sure." Doctor O'Connell took her pulse and asked her about her balance and coordination. "I feel fine," she told him.
"Well, with alien toxins you never know if there will be latent after-effects. Can't have you dropping on us, can we?" The way he held her wrist felt strange. He smiled at her, "Of course, if you did, I'd be right there."
"Um...thank you?" She saw movement in the corner of her eye and looked over at Ardus's desk. The Dreen was sitting hunched over his terminal's typing surface, his hands poised over the key display, but he was looking at Doctor O'Connell with narrowed eyes. She looked down at her wrist, which Martin was still holding. Oho, he doesn't like this! She realized Martin was saying something, but she didn't understand a word of it. "I'm sorry?" After he repeated himself, she realized he was speaking English. "I was saying I don't see you around much, maybe after you finish up here we can head over to my flat."
"Your...flat?" English?
"Sure, we can break open a bottle of scotch I brought from home."
"Scotch?" What is happening?
"Yeah, I nicked it past customs on the way. I can pour it neat or on the rocks, or any way you like it." He flashed the smile again. "And I do mean any way." His fingers tightened around her wrist, and Nina felt rather than heard a low rumble start somewhere in the vicinity of the Dreen. Oh, he does not like that. And frankly neither do I. She pulled her arm back. "Thanks for the offer, but I have something I need to finish tonight."
"For him?" Martin jerked his head at the Dreen. "Come now, Nina, you don't have to be at his beck and call."
"Actually, he's in charge of my residency, so in a sense I do."
Martin tsked. "Oh Nina, surely you don't prefer the company of these...these fish? Or have you spent so much time with them you've forgotten what your own people are like?"
Nina sniffed angrily. They're not fish! "Sorry, I have work to do." Turning back to her terminal, Nina saw something flash on her desk and realized it was Doctor O'Connell's left hand. Oh, you pig! Switching back to Dreen and speaking louder than necessary, she said "So, Doctor O'Connell, how's your wife?" At her sudden change in language and volume, both men looked up sharply and with wildly different expressions: Martin guiltily and Ardus with raised brows. She held Martin's eyes and he fidgeted, snatching his hand back and holding it behind his back. "Ah, well, er, she's...not on Dreenai at the moment."
"Then may I suggest you go visit her, I'm sure she misses you." Unless she knew what you're up to. Asshole. A deep, rumbling voice came from across the room. "Doctor O'Connell, is there something I can help you with?" Ardus was sitting up now, his hands folded on his desk. Even though there were several feet and a desk between him and O'Connell, the Dreen's sheer strength of presence made the room feel uncomfortably small. Doctor O'Connell swallowed hard, looking pale.
"Actually," Nina gave Martin a long, cold look, "Doctor O'Connell was just leaving, weren't you?" She stared him down, daring him to press the issue.
"Ah, yes, I suppose I am. Sorry to bother you." He scuffled back from her desk, his shoes rasping across the mats. "I'll, er, I'll see you around."
"If you're lucky. Bye-bye," she waggled her fingers at him, waving him off with a dismissive flip. "Say hello to Mrs O'Connell for me," she twittered at his retreating back. Once the door slid shut behind him, Nina sighed and slumped back against her chair. "Ugh!"
Softly, Ardus spoke up. "Is everything all right? You seemed...uncomfortable." The Dreen's nose-bridge creased with concern.
"I'm fine, but I'm glad you said something. Can you believe him?"
Ardus shook his head slowly. "I am afraid I did not catch most of what was said. I... I do not speak any human languages."
"He was just trying to get me to come over to his place and drink while his wife is on another planet." Nina shuddered. "Gross." She noticed Ardus visibly bristled at that. His jaw clenched and his hands curled while his upper lip drew into a sneer, but he remained composed.
"Would you like to file a personnel complaint?"
"No," Nina rubbed her eyes and forehead, "I think I shut that down pretty fast, he shouldn't bother me any more. Thanks again."
"It is no trouble." He bent back over his desk. Nina went back to her own work as well, but her mind wasn't in it. She didn't think O'Connell would hang around and try again, but she was the only human woman on Dreenai, and O'Connell's contract was nearly identical to hers. He would be here as long as she was and she could only avoid him so much. Typing out her notes, Nina turned over some thoughts. Ardus looked pretty pissed about O'Connell touching me. That was incredibly rude, talking in front of him in a language he doesn't understand. And I don't know for sure O'Connell won't try again, men like him don't always get the hint. And Ardus keeps looking over at me, she noticed. The Dreen was working away at something, but between stretches of tapping keys and shuffling papers he'd peek over the top of his tablet or a printout. Nina thought it was cute. It had been a relief when he'd spoken up, Why can't more men say something when a girl looks uncomfortable? She wrapped up her last paragraph and submitted her report. "There, that's done," she said, and Ardus looked up from his work. The menacing presence from earlier was gone and he regarded her pleasantly, silently.
"So," she began, drumming her fingers on her tablet before slipping it into her bag. "About earlier..." When she paused, he raised his eyebrows.
"Yes?"
Nina took a breath. "Would you...like to walk me to my apartment?"
His eyes widened and she could watch his posture change – his shoulders twitched back and his chest puffed out. "Of course." His big hands moved across the desktop and Nina heard the chime as his terminal shut down. Damn, that was too easy! She gave him a few moments to gather his things, busying herself with her bag as well. She didn't feel quite so tired, or as irritated.
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Ardus bit his cheek to keep from smiling. She turned down Doctor O'Connell, and now I am walking her home! Going slowly to accommodate her, he glanced down and caught her mid-yawn. "I am sorry my schedule did not allow me to help with Meem's worms today."
"It's fine," Nina rubbed her eyes and hitched her bag higher on her shoulder. "I don't mind the work, it's all for a good cause. And the worms seemed to appreciate it."
"Did they?" He tucked his hands into his pockets. "I am surprised you could tell."
"Well, they settled down pretty quickly after we bathed and fed them. They were probably tired, being ill and all."
"I imagine they are, but red worms are hardier than they seem. Meem provides them with more attention than they would receive in the wild, so they have grown accustomed to regular feedings and safety."
"She really cares about them, she treats them like they're her children."
"Yes, she is quite passionate about the program. She does good work, her results are always top tier." He looked down and Nina was staring off into the space before her. "How are you feeling?"
"Tired."
"I meant about earlier, with Doctor O'Connell."
"Oh, him," Nina rolled her eyes. "It's not the first time. I'm not worried about it."
Ardus side-eyed her. "And yet you asked me to walk you home." He watched with satisfaction as Nina's cheeks pinked. She gave him a look. "Well, I have to watch out for scoundrels like him, don't I?"
"I have a feeling you can handle yourself. Besides, not all scoundrels look the same. They could be walking right beside you and you would never know." He lifted his chin, looking archly down his nose. She laughed softly and his chest tightened. In her saffron tunic she glowed in the soft orange light reflecting off the sea, the sun touching the tops of the archipelago beyond the lagoon. Her hair rippled down her back, free and tinged with copper from the sinking sun.
"I think I'd recognize a real scoundrel if I saw one, but I've been wrong before. You'd tell me if you were one, wouldn't you?"
He chuckled. "Perhaps. It would depend on whether or not I felt like one."
"Well, I think you're all right." She yawned again, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're definitely better than when I first got here."
Stepping down a short flight of stone stairs, he waited for her to catch up. "Am I?"
"Yeah, you don't avoid me like you used to." She caught his stride and they were off again, side by side. Lizards skittered across the sandy footpath, disappearing into burrows along the sides. "For the longest time I thought you were scared of me."
Ardus laughed, and he noticed that she seemed to grow pinker when he did. "To be honest, I think I was."
"Why? I'm small, what could I do to you?"
He looked at her. Make me feel things I have not felt in a long, long time. Things I did not think I could feel anymore. "The skimmer was small, too."
"I can't paralyze you."
Oh, but you do. He shrugged. "Novelty, I suppose. I do not adjust to change as quickly as I used to."
"To think, a big guy like you scared of a little thing like me."
"Well, you do share a name with one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet."
Nina smiled, "I promise I'm harmless."
He laughed again, watching that delightful pink color her cheeks. It was almost as though she had glowing pores. "Doubtful. You have done irreparable damage to my mental health since your arrival."
She gasped in mock offense. "What? How?"
"Well then," Ardus began counting on his fingers. "You have been bitten and paralyzed by a sand-skimmer, been knocked down twice-" He put up a finger for each time.
Nina balked, "One of those was you."
"It still counts. To continue, you confront me about my behavior, you risk both of our reputations by having me carry you-"
"Hey! That was all you, remember?"
He folded down a finger. "That is still four incidents, not counting the psychological strain of an internal inquiry."
"And yet you still put up with me." She shook her head, her hair sweeping across her back. Her lips curled, her cheeks dimpling. "You are strange."
"I have been called worse."
"So I've heard. Did Reda call you anything new today?"
Ardus shook his head, beads and wires tinkling. "Baru had a few choice words about my request to move up the field work schedule, but I expected that."
"You didn't seem too surprised Reda approved the change."
"She knows I would not make the request without good reason. And she believes that your assistance with Nia's work coming up with a skimmer antitoxin bodes well for our future work. I believe," he came to a halt in front of the building Nina called home, "that this is your stop."
"We're here already?" She looked up at him, and he took note of her disappointment. "Huh, that took less time than I thought." Ardus thought the same. A shame, too. I was enjoying the conversation. "Well," she said, "I guess I'm good from here. I'll see you tomorrow morning?"
He nodded. "Yes, tomorrow morning. And most of the day, likely. Good night, Nina."
"I'll look forward to it," she smiled. "Good night Ardus, and thanks for walking me here." She climbed the short steps up to the entrance and once again Ardus got a good look at the mesh back of her tunic, and those glorious dimples just above her hips. The way her hips moved when she took each rise made him smile. She turned and waved to him before she keyed into the building, disappearing beyond his sight.
Ardus turned and began walking towards the sea. With a great sigh, he looked up towards the purpling sky and watched a pair of sea birds wheeling above, riding a late thermal a thousand feet overhead. He left the path and found the edge of a bluff about eight feet above the tide-line, spiked with tallgrass and dimpled with stones. He picked a spot between two smallish boulders and stood facing the water. At dusk the tide was coming in, and on the beach the sea-birds were making their last wild dashes for food and little crustaceans were digging their holes for the night. Leaning against one of the rocks, Ardus listened to the bubbling and hissing of the waves below. She is easy to talk to, he thought. The words flowed so well I completely lost track of time and place. And not a pause between thoughts – I could talk to her about Meem's worms and the board meeting, she never seemed bored. She is certainly not boring. I have not had a conversation like that in...years.
Alone in the growing dark, Ardus remembered another he'd been able to speak to with such ease. He plucked a strand of tallgrass and ran it through his fingers, tying it in knots. It has been so long since I felt like this, I forgot what it was. He counted the years with the knots. Far too long. But am I ready? My pores have not lit again, I thought they were supposed to recover after a time. I must be one of the unlucky ones. He tossed the knotted grass over the side of the bluff, watching it spin away in the wind. He lost it somewhere above the surf where the water and the sand crashed together in a silvery grey foam. He looked up towards the stars, the brilliant chain of blue-white points that according to legend were the shining beads of Omi's Necklace. Miles to the east, a similar band crossed the sky around another constellation, the Collar of Aku. Years ago, his had glowed as brightly. I miss you. A touch of sadness, an emptiness like the spaces between the stars, welled up briefly in his chest. But for the first time in years, the darkness colored with hope. Ardus turned back to the mainland, facing the lights of the apartment buildings and the university campus. He looked up at the staggered windows on the building where she lived, and saw a tiny figure standing on one of the balconies. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he grinned and walked toward the lights.
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Standing on the balcony of her apartment, Nina watched the dark shape on the shore and wondered what he was doing. I should have invited him in. He's been in my apartment before, a couple of times. I wonder how he got in the first time, I doubt he knows my access code. She looked down at her hand. Sometimes I use the fingerprint scanner, he probably did that. The thought of him taking her hand in his, holding her tiny fingers up to the bioscan lock and waiting for the light to turn from blue to green, made her smile. I can think of a few other things he can do with those great big hands. Next time, she would invite him to stay a while, maybe have a drink. I'd rather drink with him than O'Connell. Does Ardus drink? Big guy like him, probably takes a hell of a lot of alcohol to get him loose. Leaning on the rail, Nina watched as he tossed something out into the water. What's he doing? Picking flowers? Huh, I guess he is a romantic. That's adorable. Sea gods drown me, I should've asked him to come inside!
In the shower later, she rinsed the last of the worm-smell out of her hair and congratulated herself on asking him to walk her home. That was much easier than I thought it would be. I mean, I'm pretty sure he's interested, but I didn't think he'd jump on the chance that quick. Should I...should I go harder? Can I? There's nothing in my contract that specifically says I can't. There was also the fact that he was Dreen, and she human. No matter how I feel, nothing's going to change that. But, does it really matter? Sure, he's way bigger than any guy I've ever dated, but does that mean anything? An image flashed in her mind, something she'd looked up out of curiosity. "Okay, whoa, not what I meant by bigger!" She snickered at herself. Then again... Nina laughed, toweling off and squeezing water out of her hair. "You're awful, thinking about your boss's...equipment like that!"
Curling up in bed with her tablet, Nina watched some news clips and a few minutes of a series she'd started following once she got settled. When her eyelids started to drift closed, she shut it down and set the tablet aside, pulling blankets the size of sails over her legs. The bed that had come with her apartment was huge, a good ten feet long and twelve feet wide and recessed into a wall-alcove with rounded corners and a light built into the ceiling. Two Dreen could sleep comfortably in it, or four or five humans. It felt like a cozy cave, and Nina rather liked it. Sometimes she felt lost in it, though, and often woke curled up against the wall with a pile of blankets around her and one of the massive pillows wrapped in her arms. She wondered how Ardus slept. He's been in a good mood lately, he probably sleeps great. I bet he spreads out, if he's by himself in one of these big beds.
That brought her eyes wide open. Ardus never mentioned having anyone at home, and Nina felt a flare of panic in her stomach. What if he's got a girlfriend, or a wife, or whatever Dreen call it? Athe said he was really private, what if he's just being exceptionally nice and I'm misinterpreting it? She tried to remember if he'd ever mentioned having to get home, or if any names had come up. But Nina couldn't recall anything, had seen no pictures in his office or heard any conversations that might have mentioned another. If he's that private, he wouldn't have any pictures. Some people are like that. I'll have to ask Athe, he'd know. Perhaps Athe wouldn't tell her everything, but at least she might get a yes or no out of him. Rolling to her side, Nina pulled a pillow almost as big as she was close. I hope I'm not flirting with a married man, that would be awful. Her chest hurt thinking about it.
As she fell asleep, though, Nina thought about how much he'd changed since she'd started working with him. Those first few days, he'd been so strange. Distant, cold, even grim. He said he was kind of scared of me. She grinned sleepily. Scared of me! That's ridiculous, I'm too small to be scary. She wondered what he thought she was capable of, which brought on another grin. If only he knew. After the skimmer bite, he'd made such a profound behavior modification that she almost hadn't recognized him when he came to see her in the infirmary. Since then he'd been pleasant, friendly, easier to talk to. And tonight, he'd even been kind enough to walk her home. He's sweet. Really sweet. Can't believe I was ever intimidated by him. I'd never seen him smile before then...
He was smiling more often now, all different kinds of smiles. There was the slight, amused smile that barely showed except in the corners of his mouth and the crinkles around his eyes; his wide-eyed, easy smile that she'd seen when Nia had announced her discovery, and when he'd apologized for not paying enough attention to her when she was bitten; the friendly one he'd given several times on their walk over to her building. He is absolutely stunning when he smiles. And then there was the narrow-eyed smile that made him look dangerous, where he sometimes showed his teeth and reminded her that he was most definitely descended from ancient Dreenai sea-predators. It's oddly sexy. And that voice! If she held very still, she could remember how it felt in her chest. Like an earthquake. What would he sound like, look like, feel like if she got him alone? She squeezed the pillow in her arms and wrapped her legs around it. Rubbing her face against the fabric, she thought hard about him rolling up his sleeves, his forearms and wrists exposed... I'm sure he could handle me. And if he can't, well, I'd be surprised. She grinned, her eyes closing. He looks like he'd be a hell of a ride.
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