The Barista, The Vixen And The Goat
The Barista, The Vixen And The Goat
© 2010 CarLOS Penguin
Preface
This originally started as a "Naughty Paws" short story, but I fell in love with the characters and storyline and just kept going... and going... and going. It was at 117 pages when I decided "enough, I'm breaking this into two stories." The reason behind this is characters were added, plot twists, story lines branching out like a seedling in the spring, until it was another story of its own and like the seedling growing into a tree, it was hardly the same 'plant' as when it started. So I broke it off where it was proofread and will continue the 2nd half as its own story.
It's with deepest gratitude I thank SoFurry.com user "Equuleus", for his wonderful help in cleaning this story up, storyline advice and corrections and giving advice and proofreading. If you thank me for this, drop him a note too ;-)
Cheers!
CarLOS Penguin
1 - Love and Beans
Aaban left the café earlier today in order to make it to the banking offices. This should have been his boss' job, but his boss was anything but a boss when it came to doing actual work. He left everything for his 'star manager' to figure out, meaning 12 hour days, staffing problems, scheduling, ordering maintenance of the very vintage espresso makers, you name it. And he was still being paid the same amount he was getting while trying to put himself through college, five years ago.
Though he graduated middle of his class in economics, he had yet to do some actual career hunting in that area. He decided he'd take some time to ponder his opportunities in this ever widening field and continue managing the coffee shop until he decided what to do. Some say he stayed because he liked dealing with the people that came there in the busy business district and 'benefiting their souls' as they sought 30 minutes of personal haven from the 'rat race', his parents claimed he refused to grow up. Maybe it was a bit of both.
Other than Aaban, no one had even directly seen the boss, who chose to spend more time off world than any other small businessman he knew. Three years so far it had been since he last saw the boss. Being the man of responsibility he was, Aaban just took it in stride.
He arrived at the banking offices and was surprised to see a small line up of customers inside. No one had needed a physical branch for nearly a hundred years, everything being done on the data-net, including interviews and security clearances for new accounts. But there was still a need with the many interstellar travellers and merchants either not familiar with the system or needed some sort of physical contact, mostly for busy merchants upgrading outdated point-of-sale equipment. Aaban picked a line that showed in the monitor above a wicket that was capable of helping people in english.
When he got to the counter, he was served by a tiny and very frazzled looking young Canisian red vixen. She was downright pretty, despite her jet-black hair coming out of its pins and clinging to her fur and face. The fact her white short sleeved blouse was buttoned one-button-out-of-order and crumpled was downright amusing to him.
"How can I.." *pfffft* "help..." *pffft* "...you today?" She asked as she was trying to rub and blow her hair off of her face, but constantly wiping at it with her hand paws only made the static worse to the point her fur on her arms was beginning to stand on end and crackle as she moved near the teller booth.
Aaban was chuckling and doing his best to keep from bursting out laughing. "Having a challenging day?" He asked, pretending to cough to hide his laughter.
She cocked her head with a smile, "Please tell me it's going to rain. At least wet fur doesn't do this."
An older human lady came up from behind her with almost a school teacher's glare, "Teri, there's a line forming. Serve your customer and don't chat." Aaban shot her an icy glare that was expertly returned.
"Yes, yes of course, Ms. Hall." Teri said gathering herself and returning her glance back to Aaban with a more forced smile, "What can I do for you today?"
Aaban gave his café's account number, password and asked if anything looked out of place to her. She studied her screen for a moment, subconsciously still wiping her hairs from her short, pretty muzzle.
Aaban was enjoying watching this as intently as she studied her screen. He enjoyed watching pretty girls 'in their environment' as he called it, something working as a coffee barista gave him plenty of opportunity to do with all the young college ladies doing their homework and socializing at his café at night and well dressed secretaries and executives during the day. He was getting a shiver of pleasure from watching this pretty thing stroking her own hair. Though he went to school with a couple of Canisian fellows, this was his first chance to meet a female in person.
Teri shook her head and said, "Why is your account showing in Capellan Golaas?"
Though she asked this quietly, Aaban was startled back into reality from the sudden close voice. "Huh? Golaas? Yes, Golaas. That's why I'm here... it should be in New Euros."
Teri excused herself as she went to discuss this error with her manager. As she walked away around the corner, the static crackled all over her again, sending her hair in a frenzy all about her. Her tail was completely bushed-out from it, looking like she might just have come out of a clothes drier. A smile grew on his face in amusement at the sight.
A few moments later, the 'Ms. Hall of the icy stare' returned to the wicket, "Sorry Mr. Koch, we'll have this fixed for you shortly." She then looked at the screen, then to him a few times and said pointedly, "You don't match your picture on the account and you don't look German."
Aaban sighed, "That's because Mr. Koch is my boss. He's off world and I run the place."
She stared at him for a moment, "We are only authorized to divulge information to and do account modifications for the persons authorized on the account. You are not one of them here. What is your name?"
"Aaban Zaheer." He replied.
A few keystrokes by Ms. Hall brought up some information from the Central Banking Exchange. "Ah! Zaheer, Aaban. You are registered as an employee of Mr. Koch through your own institution. Very well, we will have to log this as a possible security breach."
"Say what?" Aaban said alarmed. "I wasn't trying to steal anything, just tell you about a screw up in the currency you have our account in." He tried to explain.
Ms. Hall glared at him again with that icy stare. "Let me see if I can contact Mr. Koch. If what you say is true, no worries then."
"Thank you!" He said sarcastically to Ms. Hall. "And thank you for your services." He said with a smile and much kinder tone to the young Canisian lady, who returned the smile and nodded.
As Aaban turned around, there was a tall, young Pegasiian fellow sporting a baggy Terran tee shirt, leather vest, tight leather pants, heavy gold neck chain and bracelet and looking like a biker or 'dealer' as seen from the retro movies. "Aaaaaaaabmannnnnn" He shouted loud enough to make both Ms. Hall and Teri jump.
"Goat!" Aaban shouted in reply and gave a high-five and fancy handshake to his best friend since high school. "Your old man sent you for some gold bricks or something?"
"Spot on, mate! Only putting some in." Goat looked over Aaban's head to Ms. Hall, still in the wicket, "Need a steel box tonight, hun!"
Ms. Hall nodded, "One shall be there regular time, Mr. Jonnahfar."
She was one to call most of their alien customers by their title and first names, as many off world last names (and many Terran) were difficult to impossible to pronounce. So Goat and his father were often referred to as "Mr. Jonnahfar" or "Mr. Gontarr" by Terran associates.
Goat put his arm on Aaban's shoulder and they started to walk out, "Been wondering how you've been keeping since I last saw ya, man? Let's grab some decent coffee!"
Goat's father owned the public house and cannabis café right at the edge of the grounds at the Vancouver Interstellar Spaceport. Goat was in charge of ordering and keeping things running smoothly. Goat also had an affinity for the Terran beverage of coffee, having been raised mainly on Earth, but the swill his father insisted was coffee in the pub section he considered undrinkable. Once a week he visited his friend Aaban for a decent cup or three.
"You need an armoured car? I thought you did deposits electronically?" Aaban asked, referring to the 'steel box' he asked from the bank.
"We do!" Goat replied. "But we had a special visit from some very curious Serpen pilots and even got to meet some Draconis anthropologists they were transporting! Brand new to our sector and no banking agreement. They all paid with gold or precious gems."
"No way! Damn you for not calling me to see them!" Aaban replied, always eager to meet new alien visitors. He had been reading for months on how Congressman Gerard and President Nambu of the Terran Interstellar Council had opened a door to travel with a previously untravelled part of nearby systems.
"Yeah, well, I.... didn't get to see much of them. I was doing some inventory in the back when they were here and...." Goat was cut off by his friend with a slap to the back.
"Oh come on, what was her name? Or did you even ask her for it?" Aaban laughed.
"Oh, she was the Centaurian substitute delivery driver for our beer. Not known to be shy those girls and even the most 'delicate' of them can carry a fifty-kilo keg on each shoulder to boot!" Goat smiled with his response, quite pleased with himself.
Both Aaban and Goat considered themselves 'ladies men', but the mystique of an alien gave Goat a slight upper hand with the college girls. Aaban was half Pakistani from his father's side and his mom was part Afro-American from New York. This gave Aaban a natural 'rock star' look with chronic 5-o'clock-shadow no matter how often he shaved and puffy, curly hair and unique-for-the-area skin tone. Between him and Goat, they enjoyed the most infamous reputations on campus.
Arriving at Aaban's café, there was the afternoon lull of traffic as most of the business people were heading home for supper and evening student crowd hadn't arrived. Aaban made Goat and himself each a tall strong brew and sat on the well padded and rarely empty sofas near the artificial fireplace.
"What do you want to tell me first? About the Serpens, the Draconis, or this Centaurian chick?" Aaban asked then took a careful sip of his scalding beverage.
"Well..." Goat began with a smile, twirling his long Fu-Manchu moustache he proudly wore like most Pegasiian males, "...she had been at our establishment before and the first meet was all business. This time, she was smiling and all full of bubbles and sunny things for whatever reason and acting very un-Centaurian that way. I made mention that with a smile like that, if she got bored lugging beer, she could work for me on the dance floor. She looked at me first shocked, then flattered with a blush, then she ATTACKED me!"
"Attacked you... in a good way I hope?" Aaban said with a wink.
"I wasn't sure at first. She grabbed my vest like she was going to head-butt me or something, then locked her lips on mine. Luckily we were done when dad came in the back and gave me mega shit for not getting his beer in the dispenser unit. Apparently the stout ran dry and sprayed foam all over the bartender."
Aaban was doubled over with laughter from the imagined sight and his friend's unbelievable luck. "Oh man, only you could get that kind of action instead of a knock across the head."
Goat looked over and behind Aaban, as his back was to the door and whispered from behind his mug to him, "Isn't that the new vix from the bank?"
Aaban surreptitiously turned and looked over his shoulder to see what his friend was on about. Sure enough, that frazzled looking Canisian named Teri was walking across the floor to the counter. A smile went from ear-to-ear on him as he noticed her rather large-for-her-size hips swaying perfectly under her tight knee length skirt and surprisingly, she was wearing very sexy, high heeled black boots (the shape of Canisian feet did not make themselves readily easy to fit to Terran footwear). "Where has this little thing been hiding?" he thought to himself.
She got a small cup of tea and sat at a table, not noticing them. She dipped the teabag a couple of times, then with a sad look, layed her head on her arms and stared at the opposite wall.
"I better get back to the bar, or dad will have a fit." Goat said as he finished the last of his coffee and placed the empty cup in Aaban's hands. "And it looks like YOU have a damsel in distress to rescue." With a smile, wink and pat on Aaban's shoulder, Goat got up and headed out the door.
Aaban got up, placed the empty cup in a bin and grabbed a towel and draped it over his arm like a waiter. He went up to Teri's table and putting on a posh British accent asked, "Excuse me madame, is the tea not to your palette?"
Teri lifted up her head as if it weighed a tonne. But when she saw Aaban, she gave a smile, "Oh, hi!" She looked at her cup and slid it to herself, "I'm sure the tea is fine."
Continuing the accent, "Then may I recommend to madame, some company?" and he gave her a smile.
Teri gave him a smile and motioned to the chair across from her, where Aaban sat down. "Since we know each other's names already, welcome to my humble little coffee palace!" he said, holding his arms out to the café.
Teri looked around, still smiling, "This is a nice little place. Feels.... friendly!" She looked at him, "Too bad Mr. Koch doesn't spend more time here. He might be a happier man."
Aaban cocked his head, "What an interesting thing to say. What makes you think he isn't happy? Few of us have ever seen him."
"If you loved something, would you leave it? I mean so far away all the time. If one doesn't love something they own, how can one be happy amongst things that don't belong to them?"
"Wow, that's deep! Are you into philosophy?" Aaban asked, impressed with her reply.
She chuckled, "My dad's the philosopher in the family. He has more sayings and quotes and wisdom than I ever learned in school."
"So your dad's a professor?"
Teri chuckled, "Potato farmer."
Aaban learned that she was adopted by a family of potato farmers in Manitoba and had two human brothers the equivalent age and an older sister. This was actually the reason she was able to wear the boots she had on, "You help your family in the field and get all full of mud and dirt and parasites that takes a week to get out of your fur and system, believe me, you learn to wear BOOTS!"
They had a good laugh. The thought of a vixen in gumboots and coveralls was something one could just not make up.
"I like these much better on you. Very ... exotic." Aaban said, with 'exotic' in a whisper.
Teri looked at him with her head tuned and a toothy, coy smile, "You are a charmer, aren't you?" She turned and giggled with her head down, looked up with her eyes in a very exotic gaze and said softly, "My mom warned me about you city boys."
Aaban placed his elbows on the table, entwined his fingers and put his chin on them and asked with a grin, "And what did your sister say about us city boys?"
Teri opened her mouth and clicked her tongue with eyes glistening as she responded shyly, "I promised her I wouldn't say what she told me about you city boys."
Had she not had fur, Aaban could swear she was blushing profusely at the thought of what her sister told her about 'city boys'. "Ahhhh, secrets!" Aaban said with a wink.
"What brings you to the city then? Work?" Then turning his head and looking at her with mock accusation, "City boys?"
"Work!" she said quickly and looking a little sadder, "And see what life is out there for me besides small farming towns."
"Not going too well?"
She shook her head, "I'm good with numbers and an office temp agency hired me quickly, but as you saw today, the dry air in office buildings and my fur don't mix."
"Well, maybe the next office won't be so bad." Aaban said encouragingly.
"There won't be another office." She said lowering her head sadly.
"Oh, ouch!" he said leaning back in his chair getting the picture.
"Uh-huh. It appears your account glitch was my fault. The static I generated hit the computers and messed up not just yours, but 13,000 other accounts as well."
"Surely that can be fixed? Fur spray or something?"
"Yup! But Ms. Hall seems to have as much clout as temper. Bye, bye me!" She sighed and finished her tea.
Aaban offered her another on him, but she declined. "I should go. I have to look for a new job tomorrow."
As she got up, she looked at him and smiled, "You've been really sweet. I'd like to see you again."
Aaban looked up and said, "Come by tomorrow night. I'll buy you a tea and maybe we can work out some options for you."
With a smile, she thanked him and agreed. Looking encouraged and more confident, she walked out with a sway in her hips and swing to her tail that was not lost on his admiring gaze who said under his breath, "Sweeeet!"
Aaban learned something about Canisian hearing, as she stopped and turned around just as she was opening the door and giggled. Aaban placed his hand over his mouth as to say 'oops', but instead got a wink from her as she kicked up her heel and left.
Aaban leaned back in the chair and smiled as he pulled his personal communicator out of his pocket and called Goat.
2 - The Finer Things in Life
The next evening Aaban had finished the days accounting and was in good spirits. The café's account was back in the proper currency and in a few minutes, his friend was to arrive. Giving a big stretch, he got out of the office chair and headed to the floor.
The place was busier than usual for the time. Students had gathered early, discussing the finer points of a lecture that from what Aaban gathered was on a physics topic well over his head. Goat was in the middle of a long line up and one of the employees on Aaban's cover-to-close shift was doing all she could to keep up.
Aaban signalled to Goat to get on the till. While his friend couldn't work the machines well, he knew his way around a credit till just fine. With Aaban and his employee working the machines and Goat at the till, the line up was cleared in no time. Just in time to see Teri walking in the door.
Aaban's employee took over again as he made a tea for Teri and Goat got himself and Aaban some coffee.
"Service with a smile!" Aaban said as he came around to the front of the counter and handed Teri her tea before she even had a chance to order.
She wasn't as fancily dressed as yesterday, but still very pretty nonetheless in her brown collared and cuffed tan satin blouse and loose fitting matching skirt. In typical Canisian fashion, she was bare foot-pawed. Aaban figured that was far more comfortable for 'pounding pavement' to various places than those heeled boots had to be.
Teri smiled appreciatively and accepted the tea as they looked around for a place to sit. There were no free tables to be had inside, so the three went to an outside table on the recessed building front, giving a 'sidewalk café' appeal to the place.
Aaban formally introduced Goat by his name, Jon. "So, why to people call you 'Goat"?" Teri asked curiously.
Goat chuckled, "I went to school on Earth. Being the only Pegasiian at the time there and our faces shaped not unlike a Terran goat, the others tried to use it as an insult."
"You weren't insulted?" Teri asked disbelievingly.
"Of course I was! But I embraced it as a nickname and took their power over me away from them. Also, my real name being Jonnahfar, the alternative was being called 'Jennifer'."
"So, your friends call you 'Goat' and others call you Jon. I get it." Teri took a sip of her tea and looked as if she sipped a cup of heaven.
Goat had a question for her, "Teri isn't a Canisian name by a long shot. What's your real name?"
She giggled, "Teri is my real name. Teri Donnelly. I was adopted by a family of Terran farmers and grew up on Earth too."
"Are you perchance bilingual in Canisian and English?" Goat asked hopeful.
Teri shook her head, "English and Gaelic."
Aaban and Goat looked at each other, back to Teri and simultaneously said, "Gaelic?"
"Yes!" Teri said proudly. "My adoptive father is third generation from Ireland and kept his grandfather's language alive through us. That is my sister and brother's and I. From a young age he taught it to us through song, then to read, write, speak, etc."
Goat and Aaban were impressed. Aaban played Celtic music in the café that often was in Gaelic, but never knew anyone who could speak it. This was Goat's first time hearing of such a tongue.
Goat gave Aaban a slap on the back and laughed, "Better than this guy, he can barely write his name in Urdu!"
Aaban gave a helpless look, "My father made me write left handed in Urdu. I'm so right handed I can barely hold a comb with my left!" The three had a laugh.
Aaban got to business. He wanted Teri to meet Goat, because Goat's father was so paranoid about anyone else but him or his son doing the books, convinced that all accountants were thieves. Teri was good with numbers and could free up Goat and his father to actually be more efficient at what they did best, running their business up front and not from the back.
"Unless you had some luck finding work today?" Aaban said, feeling a little guilty he hadn't even asked how Teri's day went.
She shook her head, "Seems the city isn't interested in farm girls and their basic education."
Goat finished his coffee and got up from his chair, "This will take some convincing of my father. But since we got to know her and she worked for Ms. Hall, even as a temp, that's a big step. Wish me luck!"
Aaban and Teri wished him luck and the hopeful, even pleading look on Teri's face got to Goat. "Don't be ready to trade your office pretties for coveralls and gumboots again just yet. Give me a couple of days with the old man." He said as we walked away with a smile and a wave.
After Goat had gone around the corner, Teri let out a squeal of happiness and jumping out of her chair, wrapped her arms around Aaban's neck and hugged, "Thank you!"
Aaban gratefully accepted the embrace and returned it, "It's not final yet! Don't get your hopes up." He reminded her.
But a creature of emotion was Teri and she wanted to celebrate. "If I could afford it, I'd go shopping!" She said with excitement in her eyes and began pacing in front of Aaban, who was still sitting.
He stopped her pacing by taking her hands, "Why don't I take you to dinner?" He offered with a smile. Teri excitedly nodded and gave his hands a squeeze and nearly pulled him out of his chair so ready to go she was.
He suggested a steak house a few blocks down the street. He didn't know much about Canisian's, but he knew they weren't fond of soup and sandwiches like his café served, or the plentiful vegetarian bistro's of that particular block.
Teri walked beside him with a skip in her step, running to various shop windows and asking what he thought of this or that dress or ladies suit. He tried to picture her in them and other than one lavish dress shop he would have liked to see her in a thing or two, the rest was lost on him.
They came to the steak house and Aaban held the door for Teri. She flashed a flattered, coy look that made him give an involuntary sigh.
"Mr. Zaheer!" The maître 'd said pleased to see him. "Meeting Mr. Koch tonight?"
Aaban shook his head, "Not this time Marcel." He placed Teri's arm in his, "I have a lady to treat!" He smiled at her as she again gave him a coy smile.
"Very well then." Marcel said as he got Aaban a jacket to wear over his loose tee shirt, being after 1800 (the 24 hour clock had been a world standard for over a hundred years), the dress code was in effect.
Marcel brought two menu's and a wine list and placed them as Aaban sat Teri, who was taking all of this special treatment in.
They just had water to begin with as Aaban read the wine list. "Do Canisian's drink?" He asked her with a curious look.
"Canisian's have the same taste for alcohol as humans and we handle it about as bad as humans do." she chuckled.
Aaban chuckled at the confusing answer she gave. "I think I'll have a glass of house red. With dinner."
Teri smiled, "I'll have one of those too."
She looked at the menu and gasped. She whispered with wide eyes over her menu, "These prices are... interstellar!"
Aaban looked at her with a kind expression, "You're celebrating, remember? Anyway, I'm buying." And gave her a wink.
She looked uncomfortable still with his offer of such an expenditure as she returned her gaze to the menu.
The waiter came to the table and asked if they were ready to order. Teri put down her menu and looked very unsure. "Let's start with the smoked salmon canepes and have a chateaubriand for two for the main course and two glasses of house red!" Aaban said as the waiter thanked him and took the menus and wine list.
"Thank you" Teri whispered with much appreciation on her face.
"When I saw you at the bank, I knew you were a classy lady. I just want to treat you like one." Aaban said with a smile.
The dinner went very well and Teri savoured her treat of the high life, no matter how temporary it may be. She also was surprised at with a few winks between the maître 'd Marcel and Aaban, he appeared to have paid significantly less than the invoice for the dinner.
"What went on there, if I may ask?"
Aaban chuckled, "Marcel gets breakfast at my café three times a week. I let him pay for only two of them."
"So.... he gives you a break when you go to his steak house?" She asked with semi-comprehension.
"Exactly! Though he's not the owner, the maître 'd controls the front of house and can do things like that. Just like I don't own the café, but can hand out the odd 'bribe' you could call it." He looked over at her and seeing she was more lost, added, "It's the way the city works."
Teri snapped her fingers and looked like she had a light go on over her head, "Hay!"
Aaban now looked at her confused, "Hey?"
"'Trading the hay' my adoptive father calls it. We do the same thing on the farm. A way to win favour with the neighbours for times when we're in need."
"There you go! Same idea, different resources." Aaban said as he took her hand and she gave a skip. "You'll do fine in the city, once you understand it."
They strolled for a little while, walking slowly hand in hand. "What would interest my lady in doing next? A stroll in the park? Or more window shopping?" Aaban asked cheerfully.
Teri was a loss for words. She looked shyly at him, "I... I dunno."
They came to a bench and sat down together. Aaban turned towards her with a smile and took her hand and kissed it gently. "It'll come to you... when you're ready."
She looked at her black furred vixen hand if seeing it for the first time. Aaban was starting to clue into her body language, she had never been with a man, or any male before.
Aaban's heart glowed at this realization. Not the kind of glow he had, like a predator about to get his prey as when he and Goat were in college, It was a feeling that here before him was someone special. A rare prize as it were, one to be treasured rather than conquered.
Still holding her hand, he reached around with his other hand behind the bench and gently stroked her hair, then the backs of her soft furred ears. She closed he eyes as he continued to run his fingers through her hair, then stroke her soft face. She turned her head towards him, mouth slightly open. He leaned over and touched his nose against her little black button vixen nose and gently kissed her.
Her hand that was in his, gave a squeeze as he felt her take in a deep breath. He ran his his nose and lips gently along the side of her face, feeling each individual strand of her fur giving him shivers like he hadn't felt since he was a young man. Taking in her sweet scent, he didn't know if it was some perfume she was wearing, it was exotic, intoxicating.
He could feel her pulse on her squeezing hand race. His was too, again something he hadn't felt from one kiss since a young man. She lifted her head as he pressed his face to her cheek, kissing tenderly and again under her chin and back onto her lips.
She pressed her face to his and opened her eyes and looked into his. She felt the side of his face with he free hand and asked in a whisper, "Do you want me?"
Aaban smiled and again stroked her hair gently and replied in an equal whisper, "I so very much do."
She again closed her eyes, "Take me home with you."
Aaban kissed the top of her nose and gently on each closed eyelid and slowly got up. She still sat head lowered, eyes closed with a lovely smile. Then she raised her hands to be gently lifted to her feet by her man.
With an arm around him, he held the tiny vixen close to him as they walked silently an extra block, where Aaban held his humble apartment, a five minute walk from his work.
Opening the door to his apartment and turning on the lights, Teri was surprised at how clean it was. Her brothers lived like slobs and from what she heard, every bachelor did. "You keep a nice place!" She commented.
"Heh, that's because I basically live at the café." He closed the door. It was an ancient one with hinges, doorknob, even a manual lock and key. "I'm never here to mess it up!"
She stepped into the living room and looked around and smiled. Despite its cleanliness, it was very bachelor in other ways. He had a comfortable looking sofa, but two chairs also in the room were plastic patio furniture. His coffee table was a plastiwood sheet with some bricks under each end. It was not quite level either, judging from the half full glass of water on it that showed a visible tilt. She giggled.
"Can I get my lady Teri something?" He offered.
"A glass of water, please?" She asked cheerfully.
Aaban brought her water and had one for himself. They sat on the sofa, her leaning on him as he wrapped an arm around her. She nestled against his chest, took a sip of her water and carefully placed it on the table.
"You're shaking?" Aaban noticed. "Are you OK? Do you want to go home?"
She looked up at him and placed her hand on his face and said quietly, "No. I want to be with you."
He took her hand, kissed it and smiled, "All right, my dear. But I don't want you to do anything you feel you're not ready for." He said gently.
She smiled and gave him a kiss, "I'm.... just a little nervous, that's all."
Leaning over and kissing her gently, he placed his nose on hers and looked into her beautiful deep brown eyes and whispered, "You just tell me if there's something you don't like and I will stop."
She nodded and smiled, saying with a soft breath, "OK".
Aaban reached up with his arm that was around her and gently stroked her cheek and ran his fingers through her hair as she visibly began to relax. He could feel her body loosen up against his. He kissed the top of her head, then her ears as she let out a quiet sigh. Learning that ears must be an erogenous zone as much for Canisians as humans, he ran his nose along their back and gave a gentle nibble at the tip. She took in a gasp of breath with a large smile on her face, signalling his suspicion was tantalizingly correct.
Nibbling down the side of her ear, his nose brushed on of the inner hairs as he felt her ear flutter and she let out a giggle. "I found a ticklish spot" he said teasingly.
"I have a few of those." She giggled and rubbed her ear. Aaban was looking forward to finding all of them.
Moving her hair from the side, exposing her neck, he worked his gentle kisses down from her ear, to the side of her neck as she raised her head, allowing him to nibble gently. He felt her pulse throb against his lips and she breathed heavier.
Reaching around, he unbuttoned her silky feeling blouse and ran a finger down her chin, her neck to her chest. He opened he blouse and revealed her small, but nicely rounded breasts. The light colour of her fur extended from her chin down her neck and widened to cover her chest, half her breasts and down below her navel. He ran his fingers through it and saw her light pink skin underneath. She covered his hand with hers and turned her body to kiss him again, this time, her mouth was more open and he covered hers with his, their tongues touchng.
Her tongue quivered for a moment, as if she was unsure. But as his ran along her lips and inside her mouth, she allowed hers to enter and explore his. As they kissed, Aaban ran his hand over her soft breast and gave a gentle squeeze. She gave a light moan and plunged her tongue deeper inside his mouth as he felt her nipple hardening against the palm of his hand.
He sucked gently on her fully extended, sweet tongue and he slowly drew his head back, until the very tip slipped from between his lips. She opened her eyes and looked at him hungrily. Placing her hands on his face, she smacked her tongue and again thrust it into his mouth for him so suck gently on. Another Canisian pleasuring technique he learned tonight.
Reaching down from her breasts, he ran his finger in a circular motion around her navel to a giggling response. "Another ticklish spot found!" he thought mischievously to himself. Her skirt had an elasticized waist that easily held it up on her wide hips. He slipped his hand underneath it, moving lower. Still in somewhat a sitting position on Aaban's sofa, Teri raised a leg up off the floor and onto the sofa with a bended knee, giving him easy access to the place he wanted to go and she had waited so long to feel a man reach for.
Aaban felt her soft fur getting thinner the lower he went until the firmness give way to the pliable softness of her lips as he ran his fingers gently over their soft, rounded form. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed the side of her face against his and breathed heavily as his fingers explored between her legs. Gently he slipped his finger between her lips at the front and pushed rearward as her warm wetness engulfed his finger and made it effortless.
He ran across the opening to her quivering vagina as she gave another deep gasp of pleasure and held him tight. Running his finger further back is where he felt a pronounced bump under his finger. Teri gave deep, quivering gasps and her pelvis shook uncontrollably and she dug her nails into his shoulder blade. "Ah-ha! Towards the rear!" He thought silently, another thing he learned tonight about Canisian female anatomy.
Aaban massaged her gently, and bringing his finger forward a little, penetrated into her tight, opening. She let out a not very quiet moan as she arched her pelvis and clamped her thighs on his hand. Her hips quivered for about a minute before she began to breathe normally again, though very heavy. She relaxed her thigh clamp on Aaban's hand and settled onto the sofa in a seated position as he withdrew his finger from her and placed it on her hip.
Releasing her nails from his shoulder (they felt really good going in, coming out was another matter), she withdrew her arms and lay totally limp against him, panting, a smile and the expression on her face that told she had just received the largest amount of pleasure in her entire life.
Aaban took the opportunity to undo his belt And remove his pants one-handed, while doing his best to not disturb the 'glowing' vixen leaning next to him.
She opened her eyes and looked down at his throbbing stiffness before her. Aaban nuzzled the back of her head as he felt her hand gently touch him. She ran her fingers across, up and down his shaft and stroked his testicles, to which Aaban responded by kissing and nibbling Teri's neck a little more firmly than before, like a light 'bite', to which he heard her breath out a "Yes!" and gave his penis a firm squeeze, that almost had him release right then and there.
Teri stood up slowly in front of him. She fully removed her opened blouse and slid her hands into the waist of her skirt and sliding it off her hips and down her legs, stepped out of it.
She smiled shyly at him as her hands went to cover her breasts almost instinctively, then catching herself, lowered them to her side. Aaban admired the lovely vixen standing totally nude in front of him. "You are absolutely beautiful!" He said admiringly to her as he ran his hands over her form and took her hands into his, pulling her toward him.
She straddled his lap as he gently kissed her belly, her navel and cupping her breasts, took a nipple into his mouth. She placed her hands on the back of his head and held him against her body as she felt his gently sucking and teasing tongue.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, she lowered herself until she felt his hardness touch her body. Aaban guided his shaft to her moist entrance and let her take him at her own speed. He cupped her soft rear to give her some support as she did so and it was a bonus that she felt so squeezable soft in that department!
She gave a shudder as he felt his tip slip inside. She had been applying some pressure to him when his tip just popped into her. He hoped the shudder was one of pleasure for her, as after a moment, she continued to lower herself on him.
She had been able to lower herself about a third of the way onto him when she shuddered again. Aaban's hopes of that being a pleasurable shudder for her were dashed when he heard her utter "Yikes!" under her breath.
"That's OK, you don't have to go any farther." Aaban whispered consolingly into her ear as she layed her head on his shoulder.
Aaban again gripped her soft buttocks and slowly raised her, then lowered her onto himself. Despite how wet she was, she held a tight grip on him and he was extra gentle with her.
After a minute he stopped, "Doing OK?" he asked compassionately into his lover's soft ear.
She began the thrusting herself again, a little firmer and faster as she moved her head to press her face against his and look him in the eyes pleadingly and whispered, "Please don't stop."
They thrust together at her firmer, faster pace. He let her lead, not wanting her happiness ruined with too much of a push from him. His own orgasm was building as his passion flared and he planted a passionate kiss on his lover, who grabbed his face and pressed as if she desired their mouths to become as one.
He felt her hips quiver in his hands as she gasped high pitched breaths of climax into their lip-locked embrace. Aaban felt her bushy tail trying to pull itself between her legs, as it quivered in excitement as well. Unable to restrain himself any longer, he let his manly juices go. His streams coursed through his body into hers as he pulled her as close and tight as he dared without hurting her. Such was the intensity that he found himself clamping his teeth on Teri's shoulder in as much pleasurable pain as feeling of sexual relief.
They lay their heads on each other's shoulder, breathing heavily. Aaban still held his vixen lover by her rear, as she now caught her breath with one big sigh, and they kissed tenderly.
3 - Taming of the Shrewd
0430 came far too soon as the alarm rang beside Aaban's head. "Oh good gods, what was that noise?" Teri asked sleepily with her face in the pillow.
Aaban leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, "Nothing for you to worry about, my Sweet.". He got up out of bed and quietly gathered some clean clothes and made for the shower.
Twenty minutes later, Teri still hadn't woke. Matter of fact, she was snoring as authoritatively as he remembered his father snoring. He nearly choked on a mouthful of cereal, amused that such a sound could come out of such a sweet little thing like that.
Ten minutes later, he had left his key, written a note for his sleeping lover how to use it and headed off to his café.
0730 and the breakfast rush was winding down. Aaban was in the back dealing with the dish sanitizer being jammed when his morning co-worker, Tom, called him out front.
Greeting him was Teri, who had the most endearing expression on her face, holding out the key to his apartment. "I think I did it right..." she said hopefully, "..it went 'click' and the door wouldn't open again."
Aaban took the key from her and held her hand. Leaning over he gave her a kiss, "Sleep well?"
She nodded shyly. He waved his hand toward the table area and offered, "Have a seat, I'll make you some breakfast."
Aaban looked up to see Tom staring at him with a grin. "Is the dispenser reloaded? Machines clean? Tables bussed?" He asked trying to sound authoritative, but couldn't help grinning himself, threw his arms in the air and shook his head and returned to the kitchen.
"Ham and egg croissant, hash browns with bacon bits and cheese!" Aaban proudly said serving a breakfast that wasn't on the menu to Teri personally, along with a tea. He sat down himself with a coffee and some toast. "I dunno if you like all that, but it has protein written all over it."
"I'm a farm girl, remember?" Teri said with a giggle and dug into the plate, letting her senses take in the odd combination of familiar foods to her. "This isn't bad!" She said genuinely, more impressed with the taste than the appearance.
"Going to be looking for work again today, just in case Goat can't convince his dad?"
Teri nodded and wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I have to go home and change first. I hope you don't mind I had a shower at your place?"
"Not at all, my dear. My home is yours when you are my guest." he replied with an adoring smile.
Something about what he said, sounded very comforting to her. She was so unsure being in another's apartment alone, a man's apartment to boot, that what she was and what wasn't allowed to do unnerved her. So she just showered and came to the café as soon as she could.
She was quiet for a while, then chuckled, "I'm sorry. I don't... quite... know what to say or do. This is all new to me."
Aaban took her hand, kissed it and stroked it lovingly as he said, "That's all right! Just take it as it comes." He held her hand to his face for a while, then kissing it again, "I have to get back to work. How about coming by at 1800 again? We can go to a movie? Or watch birds fly! Or something..."
They laughed. Teri got up and gave him another kiss and a hug, "As long as I'm with you, anything is fine."
As the late afternoon rolled around, Goat stopped by the café. "Where's you lady friend? I have some good news!"
Aaban was looking tired from the early morning and too late of a night. He brought two king sized coffee's to the able for his friend and himself. "She's going to be by after eighteen."
"Can we call her? You know how my father feels about me being away from the shop."
"Uhhh, not really." Aaban replied.
Goat raised an eyebrow at him, "Let me guess, you didn't get her number." Aaban shook his head.
Goat raised both eyebrows, "Where does she live?" Aaban shrugged.
Goat sighed, "Let me guess, you got lucky, left her in your apartment and she dropped off your key later in the morning." Aaban replied with just a very guilty expression.
Goat did the classic face-palm with both hands and shook his head, "One day a girl will clean your apartment out and never come back."
Aaban smiled, "I've never let a girl do this since we left our dorms, Goat. Anyway, she's not like that."
Goat stopped shaking his head and opened his fingers on his face to peer at Aaban with one eye, "Didn't you just meet her like a couple of days ago?"
Aaban gave another guilty expression and a small shrug as he nursed his very hot beverage. "I know lots about her family though."
Goat slapped his knees with his hands and looked at Aaban incredulously, "Oh my Goddess Aaban, you are!"
Aaban looked up at his friend with an expression like he had been accused of a heinous crime, "Am not!"
"You are! Don't lie!"
"Am not!"
"You aren't what?" Came from a confused voice next to the table. Teri was early.
Both gentlemen went silent and Aaban's mouth moved looking for words, "Aren't late on my taxes."
He then got up and gave her a big hug and a kiss as Goat returned to his face palm and muttered, "Are so!"
"Honey, Jon has some good news for you." Aaban said as he pulled up a chair for her and sat her and taking her carry bag and placed it on the chair beside her, as Marcel would have done.
Goat explained that his father was willing to give Teri a probationary trial period for accounting duties. It would be part time, but could go to full time. Goat's father wasn't concerned with her competence or static discharges from her fur, just wanted time to trust someone besides his son with the books. Goat had to check all her work during that time. She would start the day after tomorrow, when the weekend was over.
Teri jumped up with a high pitched squeal of excitement, glomped onto Goat and gave him a big kiss. Goat smiled, "Hey, I like you already. But we have to be all professional now."
"Now, we have to go shopping!" Teri said to Aaban, still hopping up and down with a smile from ear to ear. "But first.... where's the little vixens room, hun?"
Aaban got up and pointed across the room, up a ramp going around the corner. Teri scurried off, her excitement catching as the patrons smiled at her, happy for whatever just happened.
"Dummm-dum-ta-dum!" Goat hummed a few bars of the traditional Terran wedding march and received a mild punch on the shoulder for it. He laughed, "Abman dude, did you hear yourself?"
"What?" Aaban asked, sitting down again.
"Honey, Jon has some good news for you!" Goat said waving his hands and rolling his eyes, then in a teasingly high pitched voice, "Now, we have to go shopping!"
"Oh." Aaban said with realization. "I guess I did say that."
"So, are you going shopping?" Goat asked, grinning and tapping his fingers.
Aaban shrugged, "I have to. She was window shopping last night and is likely to max out her credit if I don't make suggestions."
Goat nearly choked on his coffee, "What does it matter? You'll be paying her cards soon enough!"
"You are enjoying this, aren't you! I find a girl that I don't choose to just be friends with the next day and...."
Goat held up his hands in surrender, "Okay, okay, so maybe we are a little older and mature than we were a couple of years ago. Well, at least one of us is. Just.... don't hurt yourself."
Aaban looked grateful at his friend, "You care if I get hurt? Maybe you're a little more mature too and just don't realize it."
Goat smiled, then put on a tough look, "Hell no! If you're a jackass, I'll be the one to have to help you put your soul back together again and that's more work I don't need!"
Aaban went to the counter and asked his two evening employees if they would be OK for the student rush that he had errands to run. They said they would be and they'd call if they got slammed.
Teri returned from the washroom looking quite a bit refreshed, having restyled her hair somewhat. Her long black hair was in a ponytail with long strands left loose at the sides of her face. She also had added a fragrance that was a combination of flowers and that sweet smell Aaban had noticed on her the night before.
"I have the evening free if you still wanted to go shopping." Aaban offered. Teri gave a happy smile and wrapped her arm in his as they headed back to the table.
"Are you going to come shopping with us Jon? I mean, make sure I get something appropriate for your business, that is." Teri asked Goat as he finished his coffee and stood up.
"You are in the marvellous hands of Aaban and that's just fine. Anyway kiddo, once you see my father's establishment, well, my section of the club anyway, you'll see we put the word 'casual' in work dress." Aaban and Goat chuckled and banged their fists on each others and Goat bid a good night to Teri.
Aaban and Teri walked down to the section of town that had the shops. They walked slowly as she held his arm, he looked over and saw she had the whole time a contented grin on her face.
"Did you have any luck looking for work today?"
She shook her head, "I didn't look. I just stayed home."
"Ah! Looking online! More efficient."
She just bowed her head shyly, "You could say that." Truth was, she did look online... whilst holding an ice pack between her legs in recovery from her introduction to 'womanhood' the night before.
Aaban thought that was an interesting answer. "Where do you live, anyway?"
"My father got me a place in Surrey municipality. Said he wasn't going to have his little girl go into the city and live dangerous, so he's paying the rent until I can afford to."
"Surrey is a heck of a big place and not all of it safe." Aaban said, a little concerned.
In the 23rd century, personal and property crime had almost been eliminated in the United North America. Basically, the small time thugs were gone and the big organized crime units had gone interstellar in their operations. But there was always a gang or two to contend with, as they were initiates into the 'big leagues'. Metro Vancouver chased pretty much all of the gangs out, but they still plagued the outlying districts, in certain areas more than others.
She was looking up at him adoringly for his comment. Aaban realized that she was impressed that he cared. Aaban was impressed that he did too. It wasn't that he didn't care about his conquests, he rarely ever got to know them. In college, the girls were just as happy to leave the next day and on to the next guy as he was to have peace and quiet in his dorm again. He valued his alone time and while he made friends easy, his room was a place of solace for him. Much like his apartment was now on his days off. Until Teri had come there, only Goat had been in there, or a couple of employees on business. He always stayed at 'her' house when he tomcatted around.
They arrived at one of the clothing stores that Teri wanted to go in. They were a 'speciality' store with garments fitting all sorts of ladies from several planets Earth traded with, could be found here. Teri headed for the Canisian fashions while Aaban noticed first the speciality shop pricing on the items.
"What kind of clothes should I wear for Jon's dad's place?" Teri asked as she pawed the various items, seeing which generated the least amount of static.
"Honestly, a blouse, jeans and those sexy boots you had on the other day would be fine." Aaban replied as he received a shock from Teri as she rubbed one of the more static-bearing materials against her arm.
"You... you think they were sexy?" She asked, quite happy with his comment.
"Yeah! Heck, that's one of the things that drove me nuts for you in the first place." He replied as he looked around for anyone watching, then growled and nibbled Teri's neck. She gave a 'squeak' and giggled loudly, attracting some attention, to Aaban's embarrassment.
"What kind of a place is it?" She asked, trying to make a decision between skirt pants and jeans.
"Ummm, it's a pub and cannabis lounge."
"Oh, a bar! I've been to those back home. There was a Country/Western dance bar in our town. Live music and my brothers got into a few fights there."
Aaban chuckled, "It's a little more free minded place than that. You'll see."
She decided to try on both the skirt pants and jeans. Aaban waited outside the change rooms and as Teri modelled each piece for him, he told her his likes and dislikes of them. The jeans he really liked, because they were tight on her and flattered her hips and rear. The skirt pants showed off her legs.
"I don't know what else to try on?" She looked around again. "If it's a bar, a dress isn't really going to.... " She saw something and ran over to get it. Hiding what it was against her body, she scurried into the change room with a giggle.
Aaban's curiosity grew with what she had found, especially because of the couple of muted giggles he heard come from the change room. A few moments later, the door clicked open and Teri stuck her face out from around it, "This is what we call farm girl lingerie back home." With a wink she opened the door the rest of the way.
She posed with her hands on the door frame above her head, hips cocked to one side. She wore a thin, collared, short sleeve shirt that was far too small for her. Tied at the bottom and exposing her belly, the chest was wide open enough to expose the inside of her breasts with the material just covering her nipples and towards her sides. She also had on shorts that due to her hip size, looked like they were going to burst at the seams and hugged her figure so that nothing was left to the imagination.
She stepped out and pranced around like a model, showing off what she had found. As she turned and went back, Aaban saw the shorts exposed the lower third of her cheeks. She came to a stop and leaned on the changing room door, rear toward Aaban, bending over slightly. She gave an exotic over her shoulder glance and flit her tail from side to side. "What do you think?"
Aaban sat there with his mouth open and eyes wide, "I... uhhh... think you're getting it."
At the till, Teri's body language and expression bore discomfort with what the clerk had announced for the total. Aaban on the other hand thought it a bargain, compared to what they were charging for the Pegasiian dresses and Centaurian club-wear. Teri pulled out her card and handed it to the clerk, but Aaban noticed that she looked like she was about to be downright sick.
"Excuse me, I'll take care of it." Aaban said as the clerk smiled, handed Teri's card back to her and took Aaban's.
"You are a gentleman, Sir." the clerk said as she handed back his card, a little 'lighter' than it was before. Teri looked a little shy and embarrassed at the same time as the clerk carefully folded the garments and placed then in Teri's carry bag.
"You are going to look fabulous!" Aaban said as they left the shop.
Teri hugged her bag like a little girl would hold her favourite doll. "You didn't have to do that." She said quietly, but with an appreciative look.
Aaban stopped, held her by her shoulders and smiled, "But I wanted to!"
Teri placed her hand behind his neck and gently pulled his head down, giving him a passionate kiss right there on the sidewalk, ignoring the couple of whistles that came from passers by. "And I thank you." She whispered.
Aaban took in the tender moment. It was a special, deep, warm feeling he hadn't experienced before he met Teri. The first time was last night on the bench, and now far more intense. "I could get used to this." He thought to himself, along with a musing "Shut up, Goat!" as he could hear his friend mocking him, inside his head.
"I guess you're going to want to go to your Surrey flat and organize your new wardrobe after this?" Aaban asked, happy that she was happy. Another new experience for him.
"Actually..." She said happily and hopefully, "I was hoping to come back to your place?"
"You can come back there any time you feel like it, my dear one." Waving his hand in in the direction of his apartment in a manner his father does to honoured guests.
"Did I just say that?" He thought to himself.
On their way back to his flat, they stopped into a small produce store. "Aaban!" Shouted the elderly Chinese man who gave him a firm handshake. "You are here in the late afternoon, so it is for pleasure? How can I help you?"
"I just need to get some groceries, Mr. Chin. I'm actually staying home tomorrow for my day off."
Mr. Chin grabbed his chest and stumbled back, mocking a heart attack. "You? Staying home on your one day off? Are you sick or...." It was then Mr. Chin noticed Teri, who was sniffing all the colourful, fresh flowers he had in his store. "Ahhhhhh, I see!" With a wink and a nudge, Mr. Chin headed to get Aaban a hand basket.
Aaban grabbed a few things for his kitchen. Normally he was out for his one day off, either at an electronics boutique checking out the latest gadgets, hanging out with Goat or flirting away at a club. He also grabbed an assortment of flowers, since Teri seemed to like them.
When he came to the till, he saw that Teri had purchased a small potted plant and was munching a pork bun. She was intensely studying Mr. Chin's Buddha statuette.
"Buddha is our guide." Mrs. Chin came from behind the counter where she was working with the plants and flowers. She startled Teri, as Mrs. Chin was very short and was hidden from where Teri stood.
"Is he a god?" Teri asked curious.
Mrs. Chin smiled and shook her head, "He is just the one who found enlightenment. So his path we follow."
Aaban leaned over, "It is as complex as simple. I researched Buddhism and it's a way of life, not a belief system." Mrs. Chin nodded at Aaban's explanation.
"Oh, I see! That sounds fascinating." Teri said as Mrs. Chin got a revealing expression on her face.
Mrs. Chin placed her hand about a centimetre in front of Teri's mouth and closed her eyes. Teri looked surprised and clamped her mouth shut. Out the side of her mouth she asked Aaban, "Did I say something wrong?"
Aaban chuckled, "That's how she reads your Qi. That'll take some more explaining."
Mrs. Chin opened her eyes and smiled. With both hands she stroked the sides of Teri's face from her nose, down her short muzzle, all the way back to her neck. "You are child of earth. Your Qi very much belong here with us."
Teri looked at Aaban for clarification. "Earth as in ground. She knows your a farmer and the earth has accepted you. You are pure Terran in all but body."
Mrs. Chin smiled and nodded, "Aaban, he knows. Long time I know him too." She waved her hand for Aaban to bend lower so she could read him.
Aaban knelt down as Mrs. Chin also placed her hand in front of his mouth and closed her eyes. He gave a large, gentle breath against her palm. "Again?" She asked him and Aaban repeated. For her to request a second breath was unusual and Mr. Chin came over to see what this was meaning.
Mrs. Chin opened her eyes and looked at Aaban with a perplexed look, "Your calling lie elsewhere now. Another place calls to you." She paused for a moment, then looked at Teri and back to Aaban, "Ming-yun." She said as she lightly poked his stomach, then gave him a big smile and a hug.
Aaban thanked her, as he did whenever she read him. She never called herself a fortune teller, just an old woman who knows. Mr. Chin however felt himself smiled upon for being blessed with a seeing woman.
They left the produce market and Teri looked at Aaban confused. "What did she mean, 'Another place calls to you' and what is ming-yun?"
Aaban shook his head, "I dunno about the other place calling, but I believe 'ming-yun' loosely translates to 'fate'. Maybe my fate lies elsewhere?" He chuckled, "Good to know it's not a coffee place the rest of my life!"
"Do you like flowers?" Teri asked, looking over at the assortment Aaban was holding. He had been so engrossed in Mrs. Chin's reading he had forgotten about them.
"I was hoping you did, because they.. are... for... you!" Aaban said as they stopped and he offered them to her.
She took them, sniffed them deeply and began to cry. Looking at Aaban through teary eyes, smiled and said with a teary voice, "This is the first time a guy gave me flowers."
They sat down on a bench and he took her hand as she held the flowers close to her with the other, face in them still crying. "Serious? You had no Valentine sweethearts in school? Prom night?"
She shook her head and placing the flowers on her lap, got a tissue from her handbag and wiped her tears and nose."I come from a staunchly conservative town. Our families guarded over us. Valentine's was 'for adults' and prom girls were well sheltered by the chaperones."
Aaban was beginning to see why she craved a little city adventure. He placed his arm around her and she layed her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head. He was glad he found her when he did. There would be so much new, she could easily be consumed by it. He was going to make sure that did not happen.
They arrived at his apartment and he placed the groceries on the kitchen counter and sought something to use as a vase for Teri's flowers, until she could bring them home. Finding a juice pitcher, he filled it with water and went into the living room.
Teri had placed the potted plant on his crooked coffee table. "It looks good there, don't you think?" She asked, looking pleased.
Aaban handed her the pitcher for her flowers, "Heh, if I remember to water it, it will stay nice. Thank you!" He was taken with the fact she has got the plant for him. Of all the gifts he received, a plant wasn't one of them. The fact it was a living gift, kind of made it special. "Must be all of Mrs. Chin's wisdom sinking in." He thought to himself. He saw the Chin's often as he bought items for the café from the Chin's. The café's dairy purchases alone would keep Mr. Chin in business, so Mr. Chin often joked to him.
Teri helped Aaban put away his groceries. He asked her where she would like to go for dinner and to his surprise, she offered to make him a home cooked meal, in appreciation for dinner last night. Aaban grabbed her around the waist from behind, eliciting a 'squeak and giggle' from her. He whisked her trailing hairs back and kissed her cheek, "I thought you already repaid me for that dinner?"
She covered his embracing hands and arms with hers, turned her head back and gave him a long, sweet kiss. "Oh? I thought that was dessert?" She turned around, reached up her arms and held his shoulders, as he placed his hands on her hips and they kissed again, longer, more passionate. "You changed my life last night." She whispered as she looked up at him sweetly, her shining brown eyes glistening, "The sun set last night, I was only a farm girl. Now I'm a woman, thanks to you."
Aaban stroked her hair, her ears, ran the back of his fingers down the side of her face and up her chin, "You always were a lovely woman to me, ever since I first layed eyes on you."
Her eyes gave a look of complete adoration as she smiled, "Why don't you relax, while I freshen up and try some of my new things on?" She gave him a tender kiss and got her bag and with a smile, headed into the washroom.
As she closed the door, Aaban felt very good. Not his usual, 'I'm going to get lucky!' type of good, it was a different, warmer feeling. He had a special attachment to this lady that he could not explain to himself. The feeling was just there and he was going to ride the wave of 'feel-good'.
He hopped onto his sofa from over the rear and looked at the plant. He turned it so the bushiness of it was facing him, then wondered what kind it really was. There was a tag in the soil, but it was in Chinese. He could speak and understand a few words, anyone who lived any time in the Richmond district of Vancouver could, but he had yet to even begin to understand the little boxes full of lines and squiggles that made up the written language.
He lay down and his mind wandered. He pondered Mrs. Chin's words, that his calling lay elsewhere. He had never been off world and unlike other young men his age, didn't really have any desire to see what lay beyond his own planet. He knew he may one day, but for now, his world was his friends, his café and figuring out what to really do with his economics accreditation.
Maybe, she meant that Teri being his fate, was to be his wife? He dismissed that. That would be in conflict with her being Terran to the core and his calling being elsewhere. Plus, he wasn't in any hurry to be tied down.
He heard the tap running on and off several times and the sound of a hair drier. "Hair drier?" He thought, "Did I have one of those?" His mom had given him a lot of 'practical' stuff when he moved out of home. Much of it he found places for and never looked at it again. His bushy hair was best managed by letting it air dry and forget trying to get a comb through it. Thanks to his heritage on his mom's side, it puffed out perfectly after an hour anyway. Though in the heat of summer, he usually shaved it right down to a buzz.
His stomach growled and that brought him back to the here and now from his thoughts. A half an hour had passed when he finally heard the washroom door open. "Typical" he thought to himself, wondering if at home on her families farm, they had 'his' and 'her' washrooms.
"Close your eyes." Teri called out in a sultry voice. He closed his eyes and got a big smile on his face, anxiously awaiting what surprise she had. Hopefully the farm girl outfit she just got.
He felt a brush along his face of her perfumed hair. It was an interesting sensation, as the hairs he felt was stiffer than her hair, but as long. "Must be that bushy little tail" he thought as his grin got bigger.
He felt her warm breath on his neck and the glancing tickle of her tiny whiskers. He felt his skin tighten with goosebumps with each touch. He leaned his head back, exposing more of his neck, her hotter than human breath glancing along it, with more of those pleasurable, whiskered tickles.
He felt her along his neck and over his ear as her hand caressed his chest underneath his shirt. He felt her tongue run along the edge of his ear, down his cheek and across his neck. It was a totally erotic sensation, especially with his eyes closed. He felt her tongue cross his lips. His stretched out to join hers as they kissed.
He reached out with his arm, eyes still closed, to find her kneeling beside him and her hair loose, long and soft. He stroked her back to discover she wasn't wearing her shirt that she bought. He did feel however that she was wearing something akin to a lace bra that was soft, sensuous to the touch.
"Can I open my eyes yet?" He asked, dying to see what she had on.
She giggled, "In a second..."
She climbed on top of him and he could feel her drape her long hair over his head, like a tent as she layed her soft body against his. "Open your eyes." She whispered sweetly.
Aaban opened his eyes to see the outline of her tiny face nose to nose with his and her hair making it very dark inside the 'tent'. He saw her light chin and neck fur and of course, those lovely eyes glistening. Her perfume filled his senses, as did that sweet scent that was becoming stronger and more exhilarating.
She raised herself over him, hair running over his face with a cool, brushing sensation as she ran her hands down his chest. Aaban saw what he had felt while stroking her back - a strapless satin lace lingerie bra. It was very delicate and very see through. The combination of that and her black furred forearms and hands, gave her a very classy and exotic appeal.
He ran his hands along the outside of her thighs, across the fullness of her hips, up her sides and over her lingerie covered breasts. The smoothness of texture of it was such that he couldn't help but run his hands over them, fondling, caressing.
Teri pulled at his shirt and he sat up more so she could remove it. She explored his hairy chest, seeming fascinated with either how much he had for a human, or how little, he had compared to Canisian males. Either way, she seemed to enjoy it as much as he enjoyed being touched.
Settling back more onto his legs, Teri undid his belt, snap and with a little trouble, zipper. It was a reliving feeling for Aaban, who was quite uncomfortable at this time for him, being restrained after all the exotic teasing this little vixen was doing. She smiled again with utter fascination at the sight of his penis, gently stroking the head, feeling the shape of it, giving a gentle squeeze and a giggle as she watched his reaction of pleasure.
He gave her a very desirous look and she responded with her tantalizing coy smile, head lowered and slightly to the side. She slid back further off his legs and lay back in a pose of total submission to her lover, her arms out invitingly and delicate little feet, sliding up and over his shoulders as he covered her. He found himself not only wanting to be one with her physically, but she was satisfying to his soul as well.
4 - It Pains Me to Have Said That
It was midnight and the lovers lay together in his bed, cuddling in the afterglow of one of the most intense lovemaking sessions Aaban had ever experienced. Though it was but her second experience, she had an intensity for her size that gave him a run to keep up.
Canisian mating instinct was very strong, one of the reasons their world and its colonies had overpopulation problems. Though she was raised a Terran with only Terran influences, she was comfortable enough with Aaban to give in to her instincts and release the fire of passion the Canisian females were becoming well known for (and quite popular with human males). It was a learning experience for her as well, not even touching on the beginnings, let alone the fullness of her own sexuality.
Aaban looked down toward his chest to see the top of her nose as she lay her head on his chest. He began stroking her hair, "Are you asleep?" he whispered, so if she was, he might not disturb her.
"Mmm-mm" she replied that she wasn't.
"What are you thinking?" He asked curiously. Something he never asked a girl before. He genuinely was interested in what was on her mind.
"About us." She said with a sigh. She turned her head and looked at him with one eye and smiled, "I'm going to enjoy this moment until the end."
"Does it have to?"
She rolled on her side, facing him. She swept her hair of her face and lay her hand on his chest, propping herself up on her other arm and her smile grew, "Are... are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"
Aaban gave her ears and head a long, gentle stroke, as he admired her with adoring eyes and a completely new outlook in his heart, "Yes, I do believe I am."
Their stomachs growled in unison as their romantic moment was jarred by the sound that reminded them that neither had supper, causing a burst of laughter. After the laughter wound down, Teri gave Aaban a kiss and gave her answer, "Well, I promised you dinner. I guess I better make sure my boyfriend keeps his strength up." With that, she got up, slipped on one of Aaban's tee shirts (which made a perfect night gown for her) and blew him a kiss as she left the room.
It was Sunday late morning. For Aaban, this was "sleeping all day". But for Teri, it was another casual ten o'clock, time to get up. "Honey, where do you keep your coffee and maker? Do you have a food synthesizer or something?" Teri called to him from the kitchen as he was in the washroom.
"I thought you drank tea?"
"Not for me silly, for you. I found some tea for me."
Aaban entered the kitchen and gives her a hug from behind and a kiss on her neck, "I manage a café. Why do I need a coffee maker?"
Teri turned around and returned the hug and kiss, "Well, let me make us breakfast and we can go get you a coffee then."
"Where have you been all my life?" Aaban thinks silently to himself as he looks into her lovely eyes with deep appreciation. "Is this what it feels like to be in love?"
Teri gives him a sensual kiss, "If I really knew what love was, I could tell you, my dear."
"OHSHIT!" Aaban thought, "I was only supposed to think that!"
Trying to recover from his slip of the tongue, "I thought farm girls rose and set with the sun?"
"Oh good grief! That's what my dad says." She went back towards his stove where she was preparing some eggs, waving her hands, "The first thing I did when I moved out of home was to not bother with wake alarms."
Aaban could appreciate that. Only until he moved out of home, he didn't bother. When he got a job at the café and attended college, they were a necessary evil.
"Oh for Pete's sake! You are alive!" Jillian shouted as Aaban and Teri entered the café. Jillian was the employee Aaban was 'grooming' to replace him as manager whenever he got a break to use his economics accreditation and move up in the world.
"So, this is that Miss Teri everyone's talking about around here." She said with a huge grin on her face as she held out her hand, "I'm Jillian, slave in training." Teri shook her hand and smiled.
She cocked her head and stared at the outspoken young, plump lady behind the counter with long straight blonde hair, a beaming smile and human in every way except for the slightly pointed ears and wide, flattened nose. "Nice to meet you."
Jillian smiled, "Centaurian."
"'Scuse me?" Teri asked confused, raising her eyebrows.
"My father, he's Centaurian. My mother human. I noticed your curious stare."
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean....." Teri looked upset, fearing she insulted the girl.
Jillian held up her hand and shook her head, "No worries! I may look big and soft, I got my mother's looks, but I have my dad's sense. It's almost impossible to rile me." She looked at Aaban, "Unless your name's Aaban!" She shouted with a smile. It was obvious that she had a good, humorous working relationship with him.
Aaban laughed at her banter and dodged a couple of whacks she gave from a wet bar cloth as he got his coffee.
"Oh, Miss Teri... Jon called earlier, you're starting tonight, not tomorrow morning. Something about a big cruise ship coming in early and they're going to be flooded with her crew tomorrow." Jillian added with a snap of her fingers, that she almost forgot.
Teri thanked her for the message. "Why are they taking my messages and why is she calling me Miss Teri instead of just Teri?" she whispered to Aaban.
"Because Goat probably knows the fastest way to you is through me and I'm usually here." He said to her then pondered the second part to her question. Looking over his shoulder, he shouted to Jillian, "Hey J-girl, why the 'Miss Teri' instead of just 'Teri'?"
"Boss' woman!" Jillian responded casually.
"Did you announce our going out to your friends when I was in the shower?" Teri asked with a flattered smile.
Aaban shook his head, looking confused. He looked over his shoulder and opened his mouth to ask about how she knew, but he didn't get the chance to voice anything when she replied, "The only ones who didn't know you two were going to date were the two of you until now."
Aaban looked lost and Teri giggled, "Don't try and figure it Honey, it's a woman's intuition thing."
Aaban got a wry look on his face, "You mean how you brought that lovely lace over, not knowing if I was still interested?"
She smiled and brought her face close, "More like I brought it because I had a feeling you'd ask me out. It's something special."
"Oh really?" Aaban said with interest, "I'd like to hear that story."
Teri just smiled. She was going to be a mysterious and let him ponder on that for a while.
Though it was his day off, Aaban had some errands to run and invited her to join him. Teri said she'd like to get organized for tonight and was going home until she had to come back in town to meet Jon for work. He didn't see her until the next day.
When Aaban returned home in the evening, he had the place to himself. The peace, quiet, solace he always craved from the very busy outside. He got a glass of water, sat down on his sofa with his computer to catch up on messages and gadget info he's neglected for a few days, then he saw the plant on his coffee table. He immediately felt empty and alone.
"Just you and me tonight." He said to the plant. He looked at his glass of water and decided to pour it in the pot. "I won't forget to water you... this time." He stared at the plant for a while and lost all interest in catching up on the latest gadget news. Turning off the computer, he went to bed.
Aaban opened the café at 0500 on Monday, something he hadn't done for a while. Usually his early morning employee, Tom, does that all but on his days off, so Aaban can 'sleep in' to 0430 on his workdays. The prep required to open at 0500 usually meant someone had to be there no later than 0400. But Aaban didn't sleep well.
It was mid morning when Teri came into the café, looking for a jolt of espresso, rather than her usual tea. "Hey, you look frazzled!" Aaban mentioned as he served her, doing so in a manner to 'look cool' in front of Tom.
Teri hopped up on the counter with her arms holding her feet off the ground as she lunged at Aaban and gave him a quick kiss, "Mr. Cool today huh? I missed you too, Honey."
Aaban immediately went into his 'happy place' again as the world around him ceased to exist. "Ahem!" came from a customer as he came back to reality and realized there were now three regular business people behind Teri. Heavily embarrassed, he served them one by one, barely mentioning a word beyond what was needed to make the transaction, but each smiled at him, knowing a young man's heart.
"Hey Boss, it's your lunch hour already! The lady needs you I think." Tom said nodding his head towards Teri, who looked a little distressed.
Aaban thanked him and scurried over to her table. "Hey Sweetie, what's up?"
"So many people! So loud music! The numbers, so many of them! And.... ladies dancing naked!" Teri gulped her cup down in one shot, scrunched up her little nose, shook her head and gave a full body shiver. "Good grief, I needed that!"
Aaban chuckled, "I guess a farm girl tuned loose in the city and into a place like that might be unnerving, but you'll get used to it."
Teri shook her head, "Oh, it's not that. I mean, sure, I was a little shocked, but those dancers were good. I can see why all the guys loved it there. But the place was like a country bar back home, only ten times louder and more crowded! Also, the amount of departments the books needed and taxes? I did mine and the farm's, but liquor, excise, import duties, Tri Sector Alliance permit fees to bring stuff in from around the quadrant...." She layed her tired head on her arms on the table and sighed.
Aaban rubbed her shoulder consolingly and was concerned that she may not be up for the task. Going from a mathematically inclined office temp to an accountant versed in interstellar transactions might me just out of her grasp. "A good nights... err... days sleep is what you need. The next day is always better."
"I'm so tired, Hun, can I sleep here?" She said as her eyes looked droopy, despite the shot of caffeine.
Aaban reached into his pocket and slipped the key to his ancient door in her arms, beside her cheek. "If you can walk five minutes, you know where you're always welcome."
She sleepily took the key in her hand and smiled, "See you in a few hours." With a kiss, she shuffled her feet out the door.
The lack of sleep was really catching up to him by the time 1800 came around and Aaban was off shift. "I really gotta do normal eight-hour days." He thought to himself. His spirits perked up at the thought of coming home to Teri being at his apartment though.
Coming up to his apartment door, he heard a lovely singing. He stood outside the door and thought to himself, "Oh good, she's awake and playing music." The singing was similar to the Celtic songs he played in the café and he had many of the collections himself on his computer.
As he entered his apartment, he realized that wasn't his computer playing, that was Teri singing as she was filling the flat with a fantastic aroma with something going on in the kitchen. She turned around, startled to see him standing there, then ran towards him with a big smile and arms open, giving him a big hug as she reached him.
"Welcome home!" She said as she gave him a kiss. "You were so right. I feel much better now, having a nap and ready to tackle the world again. Hungry?"
"Starving!" He said, realizing what a great person she was. Kind, generous, giving of her time without a second thought.
"Supper will be ready in a few minutes!" She scurried off back into the kitchen.
"Your singing... that was beautiful!" He said in amazement.
Teri giggled, "I sang all the time at home when in the field with my dad and brothers, or helping mom and my sister.
Aaban had an idea, "Can you play a guitar or other instrument too?"
Teri sighed as she looked at her hands, "Nope! My oldest brother played the guitar and I sang."
He rubbed his chin, "We have some guitarists that come down and play on the weekends. Most can't sing worth a darn, but they can play real good."
She had an idea where he was going with this idea of his. "What are you saying, that I can sing in your café? I don't know...."
"Oh c'mon, you have a lovely voice! Give it a try at least." Aaban said excitedly. Being mostly in a in a business district, weekend evenings especially on Sunday were very slow. One reason he took Sunday's off, because there was no real call for the 'boss' to be there.
She reluctantly agreed to give it a try. She had sang in public before, but that was for family gatherings and invitations to local fairs and school events. Aaban would call one of the guitarists available that knew an Irish song or two and he would announce it on his café's notice board that there would be a special guest appearing that evening.
After they finished dinner and Aaban helped her clean up, he reached around from behind and nibbled on her neck, "Got some time before heading out to the pub?"
She paused for a moment with her eyes closed, under his spell as he fondled her, "Oh, I so wish." She turned around and kissed him tenderly, "But I'll likely be late as it is."
She hadn't had time to go home and change. She napped until the late afternoon and began supper right after that. Aaban offered her a clean shirt to wear and with an improvisation, she tied her suit-skirt belt around one of his black tee shirts and made a rather sharp looking, if short skirted dress from it. She also slipped on her high heeled boots that Aaban so loved on her.
She chuckled, "I don't think anyone there will notice." Having no specific hole for her tail, if she raised it, there could be an embarrassing moment for her. "Is it okay?"
Aaban smiled mischievously, "Slutty.... I like it!"
She looked at him with shock. Eyes wide and jaw dropped, Aaban realize it was the type of thing a girl like her just did not want to hear on her way to a pub for work.
"If my dad heard you say that........." She said incredulously in a high pitched voice.
"I... didn't mean it as an insult, I just... meant..." But Aaban knew that this argument had been lost. "I'm... ahhh, sorry?"
Teri stared at him with an unreadable expression. She grabbed her bag and gave him a 'peck' of a goodbye kiss and left.
Aaban didn't realize that she was that sensitive. "It was an honest evaluation" he thought to himself and a jibe to female friends like that often were met with laughter. Jillian usually laughed and even rolled up her skirt even higher, when they went out with other friends to a club. "Ah, Jillian!" he thought, as he called her up for some advice on this matter.
Aaban was feeling out of his element. His relationships lasted for a day to a week of fun, but no investments on either side. Though with Teri they'd seen each other for a very short time, they clicked. He didn't want to just give up at the first sign of trouble, he wanted to make her happy.
"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise?" Jillian said seeing Aaban's face on the computer screen before he even said a word. "What did you do?"
He was taken aback by immediately being accused of the cause of the trouble. But in this case, he was. Aaban told her what happened, the improvised dress, how it looked and what he said.
Jillian rolled her eyes and shook her head, "Of course she's going to be pissed at you! She heard you calling her a slut!"
"I did no such thing!" Aaban said incensed.
"No, you didn't, but that's what she heard." Jillian sighed as she wound up for an explanation, "The girls you usually date, want to be sluts. When I go out with you and Goat, I'm one of the guys at the table and will play the slut to get free drinks sent to me from other guys all night long. Teri is your girl - the one that looks up to you, respects you and feels treasured by you. When you said she looks 'slutty', your put her outside that inner, protective circle she believes she was in."
"But, she still is! I don't know now how I can convey that to her. Have I totalled things?" Aaban looked into the screen rather helpless with his hands up, not knowing.
"That depends on her. Raised on Earth or not, Canisians are quick tempered and very emotional. Let her cool down, maybe even a few days."
Aaban thanked her for her advice and she wished him luck. He tried to catch up on some magazines online, but couldn't help going over all the scenarios how this would turn out.
Two days had passed and he didn't hear from Teri, nor see her. He didn't know if he totally blew it with her or not, as he tried to call her, but only her voicemail responded. He tried to hold on to the thought that she'd be back any time, as her business skirt and blouse were still at his apartment, from the afternoon she napped there.
Goat came in the café and got his usual. "Abman, your little sweetheart is pretty good. She actually streamlined our bookkeeping system and it takes only 2/3 the time to do it. I think with some coaching on the import and taxes, she'll be full time with us."
"That's great, Goat." Aaban replied neutrally.
"Uh-oh, trouble in paradise. Sit down and let's hear the story. I'll get my tool kit here to put your heart back together." Goat said as he motioned for him to join him at a table.
"Jeez, man! My employees, you! Do I wear my heart on my sleeve or something?" Aaban said irritated.
Goat stopped and turned around, "Your middle eastern blood, dude. You do suppressing of your emotions about as well as a Canisian." He gave a wink and headed to a table.
After handling a short rush of customers, Aaban joined his friend. "So, did she say anything?"
Goat shook his head, "She's been very melancholy and quickly hid a handkerchief that she had been wiping her eyes with when I come into the office, but hasn't uttered a word about what happened."
The story from Goat gave Aaban something of a relived feeling. Not that she was sad, but that she was feeling about the same as he was. At least she hadn't let go of him. Or maybe she had and that was the after effect? He just didn't know.
"She did ask about you though. Your life before you to met."
Aaban looked horrified, "What did you say?"
"I said that she had better ask you about that. I also said that you were a changed man since you met her." But Goat had an expression there was more.
Aaban looked at Goat sideways, "And?"
"And.... I think she may have asked my father."
Aaban dropped his head into his arms on the table. Goat's dad, Gontarr, loved to tell stories, one of the reasons people liked him and came to his place, even when there were no dancers or loud music. He would stand at the tables and chat up a storm to anyone who would listen. Pegasiians had a knack for charm and words came as an in-born gift.
"I guess that's that, then." Aaban said quietly and flatly as he got up from the table and went into the back. Goat never saw Aaban again that evening before he left the café himself. He had decided against going back into the office to say goodbye. He knew his friend would be able to calculate his next move without his help and there were times when human males just needed to be left alone. Dealing with emotions was one of those times.
While Aaban hoped for the best, he prepared for the worst. He got himself back into his routine and buried himself in his work. He also considered expanding his opportunities to use his accreditation. He even considered applying for a posting for an assistant to the Terran economic planner in the offices of the Equuleusian space dock. Since that world had been opened up to opportunities beyond the Pegasi systems, their Table of Elders wanted to include planners from each world they intended to deal with, for the best opportunity of least misunderstandings. "What an oddly worded posting" he thought to himself.
Days later, it was Friday night and Aaban returned home from one of the busiest evenings he could remember. He stayed until 2100, when Jillian finally threatened to pick him up and carry him home if he didn't leave. He saw by the expression on her face, that it was her Centaurian half talking and he'd better leave, now! He grabbed a leftover vegetarian wrap, piled on a tonne extra cheese and complied with his manager-in-training and headed home.
When he arrived home, he found the door unlocked. He carefully entered the flat, expecting to surprise an intruder, but the place appeared empty. Though he didn't remember leaving the bathroom light on. "I must have been more tired than I thought" he thought to himself. His neighbourhood wasn't a bad one and no one in his building had been broken into in months, but still everyone locked their doors when they left, 'just in case'.
He ate his wrap while checking the daily news on the computer, used the washroom and decided to call it a night. His 15 hour workday was catching up right quick like on him and that comfy pillow was calling loudly!
He entered his bedroom and turning on the light, nearly had a heart attack. Teri was lying on this bed, completely naked and looked at him with a smile, "Well, it's about time you got in here!"
Aaban forgot all about how tired he was and how he eased himself back into his routine. He went to the side of the bed, took her in his arms and held her tightly, "You came back!"
They held each other for a long time before Teri whispered, "Make love to me."
Aaban's first reaction was one of pure excitement. He had his Teri back after he had practically resigned himself to bachelorhood again and she seemed more than willing to have 'make-up sex' with him.
But through the hormonal rush, an 'alarm bell' was ringing in his head. Something just didn't feel right.
Aaban looked into her eyes. They glistened, yet still betrayed a deep emotional pain in them. "I... I don't know. Something doesn't feel right about this." He said with a look of concern on his face.
Teri straddled his lap and placed her arms over his shoulders. She cradled the back of his head and gave him a kiss. But the kiss was totally devoid of the passion he had come to appreciate.
Aaban held her shoulders and stroked her fur down her arms, pulling them from around him and held them, "Not tonight." He said as he shook his head slightly. "I'm so sorry I offended you."
Teri looked up at him, cocked her head, smiled, then burst into tears, "I'm not just a play toy to you?" She threw her arms around him and sobbed on his shoulder. Sniffling and wiping her eyes, she said in a shaky voice, "You do care for me!"
"Yes!" Aaban said firmly, with a smile. He grabbed her tear soaked cheeks and kissed her. Her nose ran down his face over their locked lips, but he didn't care. She was back.
Teri wiped his face, then her nose with tissues from a dispenser on the night table and apologized at her nose running all over as she cried, but Aaban held her hands in front of her. "It's okay! As long as your back, here, with me, you can drip all over!" They laughed and he felt so happy, it felt to him as if he were truly happy for the first time in his life.
That night, they just cuddled and talked. His neighbour had seen them together a few times and figured she got locked out and as a courtesy to her, expertly picked Aaban's door open. Aaban made it a point to talk to said neighbour and get an electronic upgrade. But more importantly, they talked about important things. Things that mattered.
"What would you have done had we made love when you asked me to?" Aaban asked curiously.
"I would have pleased you as best as I could possibly have. Then after tomorrow, you'd never have seen me again."
That was an answer he didn't expect. Nor did it make sense to him. "Why did you come back?"
Teri sighed and stroked his chest for a moment, "I was going to come back the next day and apologize for being so silly and over sensitive. I know you didn't mean what you said as an insult, it's just... well.... where I grew up, slut was a very bad thing." She propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him very seriously, "Then I found out what type of a man you are, or were, from Jon's dad.... that's not the type of man I want in my life." She sighed and shook her head, "But Goat said that you were a different person since you met me. So I had to know which 'Aaban' it was I agreed to date.... Jon's father's version, or Jon's version of you."
Aaban gave a huge sigh of relief, "Glad I made the right choice!"
Teri layed her head on his cheat and said softly, "I am too. I want to fall in love with you."
After a few minutes, Aaban clicked into a great disparity in story here, "Then why, not even knowing me, you chose to give your virginity up to me?"
She turned her head and looked at him with a 'grining glare', "You absolutely charmed me, mister. I would have done anything for you that night."
Knowing what she knew about his past, not to mention her brothers crowing when they came home from the city, she expected a gloat or a smug grin on Aaban's face, but that's not what she saw. She saw an expression of concern as he said, "My dear, I'll take care of you." He held her tight and kissed her tenderly on top of her snout.
She knew what he meant by that, at least what she hoped he meant. "My knight in shining armour." She said, giving him a gentle squeeze. Soon after that, they drifted off to sleep.
The alarm woke Aaban at 0430 and he reset it twice. It was nearly 0500 when he got up. To his amazement, Teri was up already and had made breakfast. He ran into the shower first after a kiss (and thanking her and various deities for her still being there) to make up time lost getting up late.
While he was in the shower, his computer indicated there was an incoming video call. He asked Teri to take the call for him. When he got out of the shower, he was curious as to the puzzled look on her face when he asked about the call.
"It was that Jillian girl. She saw my face, shrieked happily, bounced up and down a couple of times and said she'll talk to you at work."
Aaban smiled as he grabbed a waffle that Teri had made, "When I thought I lost you, I sought her advice on how to get you back. Now she knows you're back."
"You asked others how to win me back?" Pulling the waffle away from his mouth she kissed him, "That's such a romantic thing!"
"I'm doing something right, yay!" Aaban thought to himself as he bit into the waffle, "These are delicious! This isn't my instant mix?"
"Yes, it is!" She said and looked at him proudly, "I can fix any crap waffle mix! A farm girl isn't going to tolerate this instant city food for long." She scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue .
"How did I get so lucky?" He said as he grabbed another waffle, kissed her and headed for the bedroom to get dressed.
Teri saw him before going at the pub. They hadn't set a regular schedule for her yet, being just a few hours per day, a few days per week, so she went in around lunch time. Teri informed Aaban that she'd be there for Sunday late afternoon and evening still, as she agreed. She also wanted to do some personal things and she'd see him at his place on Saturday night. Aaban gave her a spare key to his flat, so he wouldn't have to find his door 'picked' again.
There was only a couple days left, Friday and Saturday and Aaban was glad for that. They were busy days and they should pass fast.... at least in theory. He felt he had a hard fought victory under his belt by making the right choice, completely blind, as he was quite out of his element with this budding relationship and he was going to make the most of his good fortune.
Jillian came in to take over for the afternoon cover and evening shift. She immediately ran to Aaban and gave him a big hug, most unprofessionally in front of the customers, "Sorry, mom's side of the family came out in me." She hugged him again anyway and congratulated him on whatever it was he did.
Aaban thanked her and they took advantage of the afternoon lull in traffic to sit down and talk about it. "So, was I right, she heard you call her a slut?"
Aaban nodded as he munched on a cold, but still tasty erroneous order for a customer that go sent back, "Yup! She said back home, a slut is a very bad thing. But that wasn't the killer in this whole thing - she talked to Gontarr and got the story on my past from him."
She covered her face and shook her head, "That man has got to keep his mouth shut sometimes."
Aaban almost choked on a piece of tomato as he chuckled over that understatement. "Goat and his dad have got into it a few times over that. At least he stopped telling everyone that you were Goat's first romp!"
Jillian laughed as she was one of the few that actually didn't care. But her mother tore a strip off of Gontarr for 'parading her little girl around' like a trophy for his son. Gontarr thought her fire was amusing and like all the sexually liberal Centaurians, Jillian's father just shrugged.
5 - Eiridh Tonn Air Uisge Balbh
(A Wave Will Rise On Quiet Water )
When Aaban left work on Saturday, he was looking forward to seeing Teri again. He hoped she would be at his apartment, but knew she may show up later. Who knows what Goat's dad has planned? They talked into the wee hours of the morning on the video phone on the computer. She had won over the old Pegasiian's trust and he was even listening to her ideas on how to organize things. Goat was elated as he was 'off the hook' now - had things gone wrong, he'd never hear the end of it for recommending her in the first place.
To Aaban's disappointment, she wasn't there when he got home. Nor was she answering her communicator. He had a shower and made some dinner. He made an extra plate for her and placed it in the sprige (a term coined from storage/preservation unit that replaced refrigeration when it fell to obsolescence a century earlier).
It was nearly 2200 when he heard a key work his lock and the door open. Teri's little face peeked around the door and filled with a beaming smile when she saw him. She dropped her bag and ran into his arms with an embrace and kiss like they had before their misunderstanding.
"I even kept some dinner for you!" Aaban proudly offered to her. She already ate earlier, but she nibbled half of the plate so as not refuse him.
She brought her bag over to the sofa and pulled out a protective clothing wrapper with something in it. "I have to show you this!"
Aaban looked curiously as she opened it and pulled out a deep emerald green hooded cloak that was trimmed with gold coloured embroidery in an intricate pattern that reminded him of the Celtic pattern artwork that accompanied music files he downloaded for the café and his own collection. She put it on and looked marvellous in it.
"Where did you get that, it's beautiful!" He said amazed.
Teri giggled, pleased with his approval. "I made it! Well, I made the cloak. My sister embroidered the trim all by hand." She modelled it for him, then did a traditional curtsey.
In a time where everything was machine synthesized, finding garments that had even partial hand manufacture was rare and expensive. The only places that had them were boutiques like they went to a couple weeks ago, or on the data-net. But farm family ingenuity prevails, even in the 23rd century.
"Mom suggested I have one for when I sang at events. So, I downloaded a pattern and voilà!"
Aaban shook his head, still amazed by the story, "I can sew a button on my pants, since the button attacher mom gave me when I moved out broke and I couldn't afford to replace it back then, but that's it." He stood and held her by the shoulders, you are a never ending source of amazement."
She bowed her head shyly and thanked him. A sight he so missed over the past week.
"You must be tired. Want to go and cuddle for the night?" Aaban offered, feeling tired himself.
She looked up at him with her glittering brown eyes, "Just cuddle? We have some magic to make up for, my dear." That was a cue that wasn't lost on him as passion filled their lives again.
Jason Cornwall, the guitarist Aaban spoke to had arrived at the café a little bit early and took advantage of the 'entertainment eats and drinks free' rule that the café carried over from it's earlier days. They were one of the few left that actually did that and because of that, had no trouble finding entertainment when they needed it. Mr. Koch understood artists and that more often than not, money was just a means to live to them. "You can't buy good entertainment, but you can feed it!" was his motto. Any tips the entertainment made was all theirs to keep as well, while other establishments split them 50/50.
Jason was one of those typical 'starving artists', but never needed to be. He had more work offers than he could handle and turned down most because he didn't like him or her offering the cash. When Aaban called with his idea, he accepted without hesitation. The tips he got there wouldn't pay the rent or even buy more than a coffee and a breakfast sandwich, but when he was starting out and years before Aaban had even worked at the café, Mr. Koch stuffed him with food and whatever he wanted to drink, for nothing but an hour's worth of playing. Jason never forgot that.
Goat had also showed up for the performance. The three were talking about music and Goat said he heard Jason play, but Gontarr never was a fan of live bands, just live girls at his pub.
Teri was nervous. It had been a few years since she sang in public. Though from what she saw when her and Aaban arrived, her public was going to be less than a dozen people. She had been in the washroom for over an hour and Jillian kept coming in to see if she was all right or 'flushed her little self down the toilet'. It was almost show time and she checked her cloak one more time, for the hundredth time, cursed herself for agreeing to this and went out.
"Teri? Teri Donnelly?" Jason stood up and shook her hand, "Jason Cornwall. I'll be the guy on the strings tonight."
Teri looked at the bald, fat and stubby middle aged man smiling in front of her and cocked her head, "Do I know you?"
Jason shook his head, "No ma'am, but I know you. A graduation class, two years ago inPortage la Prairie, Manitoba? I was playing in a pub there and heard of a Celtic songbird. I had to go see and it was you."
"See honey, you're voice is famous!" Aaban said looking almost ecstatic.
Teri looked embarrassed by the notoriety. "Ummm, yes, that would have been me."
Jason nodded, "It's an honour to play for you, ma'am." He went and setup his equipment.
Teri gave an exaggeratedly nervous look to Aaban and Goat and bit down on her nails as she scurried to the area cleared of tables for them. Jason mentioned some encouraging words to her and began with an instrumental number to help Teri 'get in the groove'. Everyone was amazed, because while Jason tuned up with a guitar, with a flick of the switch on his amplifier, the sound came out as a mid-sized harp. "Ain't technology grand?" He said with a smile, getting a chuckle from the crowd.
On the second song, Teri began with a songbird voice that immediately caused the café to go quiet as people gave her their undivided attention. She sang soft, but clear and dressed in her cloak, she suited the part of the delicate Irish girl singing a soft melody.
The third song, her confidence grew and so did her articulation. She was using more of her vocal range and people are applauding mid-song on a two and a half octave change in one bar that she accomplished flawlessly.
The fifth song was her final one for the evening and she was comfortable and loosened up, her body swaying to the music as she gestured with her hands, expressing the action or emotion of the lyrics. She finished with a near 230 year old song that had still been popular. She sang in her soft, princess-like voice and then in the chorus, belted out with passion the lyrics that could have been mistaken for well amplified electronically.
When she finished and bowed, there was a roar of applause that startled her and everyone that had their back to the door - nearly a hundred people had crowded into the café or were lined up outside with the door propped open. She was immediately overcome with emotion and placed her hands on her face and bowed again and scurried off into the ladies'.
Aaban was absolutely stunned. He was at a loss for words. He had been to several concerts, but never heard anything like the solo performance tonight. He looked over to his friend, "Goat? You all right?"
Goat was leaning over, in almost a meditative state. "Abman, that girl should not waste her life on numbers. That would be a crime against nature."
Jillian was slammed at the till taking orders and her help that night was one of the slowest employees they had (hence got Sunday shifts), so Aaban ran and took over the coffee station and sent the help to make sandwiches. "When you got a moment Jill, want to see if Teri's OK?"
"I'll cure the common cold while I'm at it!" She shouted back as she was literally taking three orders at once.
Teri was folding her cloak, feeling very good about tonight. She still was sniffling and wiping tears from her eyes as she slid it into its protective cover. She looked in the mirror. She saw herself as proud and happy for what she accomplished. Matter of fact, she surprised herself. This was no Renaissance Faire event, nor a high school graduation. It wasn't a family get together and most of all, she forgot how much she loved singing.
Jillian came into the washroom, face flushed and hair dishevelled, "Oh, you look okay. Aaban was worried."
Teri shook her head and smiled, "I'm just fine. You can tell my sweetie I'll be out in a bit."
It was another hour before things calmed down enough for Aaban to sit down, rejoining Teri, Jason and Goat. "Honey, Jason wants me to come back next weekend and Jon wants to bring his dad to listen to me sing! Isn't hat great? I mean... if it's okay with you that is."
"Just fine by me!" Aaban said, happy that she'd be willing to do this again and that Jason was willing to clear his schedule to return. "You really think Gontarr would be willing to come, Goat?"
Goat nodded and smiled at Teri, "Dad never could resist a pretty lady. He'll be here."
It was agreed hat they would do this again next week and with pleasantries, Goat and Jason left for the night and Aaban and Teri would go celebrate at Marcel's restaurant.
When they arrived, Marcel handed Aaban a jacket and asked Teri if she was the sensation that some of his customers have been talking about tonight.
"Oh, goodness! People are talking about me?" She was genuinely flattered. "No, no, there's got to be other singers in this area tonight they were talking about?" she said modestly, though in her heart, was hoping the good reviews were about her.
"Miss, I may serve more and more Canisian's, but none of them fit your description and to my knowledge, none of them can sing Terran songs let alone some of them in fluent Gaelic." Marcel said proudly as he led them to their table.
The statement was true enough. There were a few well known Canisian musician's running around. Most were lady instrumentalists and a couple of guys as lead singers in Heavy Metal bands, using their deep, guttural voices and language to emphasize the power of the genre.
"You should be very proud of yourself for tonight. That was, I mean, amazing!" Aaban said, still unable to find words to describe how he felt about her performance. "How does it feel?"
Teri sipped her water and opened her mouth to reply, too at a loss for words. Finally she admitted, "I surprised myself. I didn't know I was capable of that."
"Then you have the gift." Aaban said flatly. "Everyone has a talent they are just born with that they just need to tap into, if they can discover it."
Teri pondered his words for a moment, "What's your gift?"
"I......" he struggled as he looked for the answer, "..... haven't discovered mine yet."
She smiled at him from across the table, "Maybe you're just destined to be a professional charmer." She hid her face behind the menu as Aaban heard her giggle.
"Maybe I want to hang up those guns for the right girl?"
Teri put her menu down and looked at him completely enamoured. Aaban winked and covered his face with his menu. Teri shook her head and smiled, taken by this charming coffee server, hook line and sinker. And she was willing to give him her heart as she has her body.
"What happened to Jon's mom?" Teri asked curious.
"Goat didn't tell you that, huh?" Aaban said from behind his menu.
"No, I just work for him. He's your friend."
"Well....." Aaban hesitated, "... don't tell him I told you. She left them when he was very young."
"Oh? That's terrible! I'm sorry!" Teri said covering her mouth with her hand with a shocked expression.
"What was so terrible, was it was all over a misunderstanding." Aaban said, as the hot bread and butter came to the table and was distracted as he dug in.
Teri had an affinity for the bread sticks that were also served. She often snacked on the 'crunchy sticks' at home as a young one, breaking the silence as her and her siblings did homework.
"What was the misunderstanding?" She asked breaking open another pack and dipping it in the butter like a sauce as Aaban raised an eyebrow.... being versed in upper class dining etiquette obviously wasn't a course her school offered.
"You heard Goat say that his dad could never resist a pretty lady? He likes to flirt with them and his wife thought it meant that he didn't love her any more and/or was cheating on her. So, he woke up one morning to a note that she'd gone back to the Pegasiian systems and that he shouldn't bother trying to find her."
She looked dumbfounded at hearing that. "Did he cheat on her? Why leave Jon behind?"
Aaban shook his head, "No, he didn't. And why Jon was left behind..." Aaban shrugged, "Something about honour. Gontarr bent over backwards raising him and got lucky with the pub. He was actually a busser and dishwasher there when it was nothing but a bar and grill. The owner got into a wicked divorce and signed over the entire place to him, rather than see his wife get a dime of it."
Teri laughed, "Sneaky guy! What did Gontarr do with his new found business?"
Aaban chuckled, "Panicked! He knew nothing of running a pub, he was educated as a marketer and that's why his family was on Earth. But reputation means a lot to his people and when his wife left, that made potential customers question the integrity of the company he represented and they immediately let him go. Feeling disgraced, he didn't want to return home until he made a name for himself again and got a job and started from scratch."
The waiter came and they ordered. Teri was feeling adventurous and ordered the seafood platter. Her family had fish the odd time and she really didn't care for it, but there were seafood items here on the west coast that just weren't on the menu in the middle of the continent. Aaban had a seafood pasta. Teri never did get used to pasta.
"So, how did he make it work?" She asked, wiping breadcrumbs off of her face.
"He made it with charm!" Aaban said with a big grin. "The suppliers, the employees, the other creditors, they all gave him a month to come up with what the place owed. The old owner's bitty didn't get the pub, but she got the accounts, so they were cleaned. In the meantime, he needed money fast. A couple of waitresses offered to 'dance' to bring in the drinking gents as well as get them some needed money immediately. The rest is history. The 'grill' section he sold off and became an independent restaurant, he kept the bar and turned it into the pub with only a small kitchen and recently they added the cannabis lounge and moved the dancers in there."
"Maybe you're destined to do that someday with that charm of yours." Teri said with a smile trying to compliment him.
He reached over and took her hand and held it, "I have loftier goals in my life. And there's enough room for two."
They returned to Aaban's apartment having thoroughly enjoyed their celebratory dinner. Aaban grabbed a quick shower with hopes of 'topping off' such a great night, but when he returned to his bedroom, the excitement had worn his little vixen clean out - she was sound asleep on her side, one hand under her cheek, the other underneath the pillow, cuddling it.
He watched her for a while adoringly as she slept, her delicate form on his bed. Tiny feet to her fluffy tail to the tip of her black ears and her long shining black hair, she was a figure of beauty to him. He carefully got into bed and placed his arm around her, spooning her as she snuggled closer to him.
The week seemed to go fast. Aaban was inundated with customers asking him if Teri will be back again for sure on Sunday. He confirmed it and pointed those people to the big sign he had near the door. Given the questions that had an obvious answer on the sign, he decided to review the wisdom of having specials on the same sign.
"She will be here, but better get here early, as we had a line up out the door last weekend" he said, knowing the place would be too jammed anyway, but the earlier people got there, the more they would order while waiting. He had even went to the expense of getting a 'sidewalk closure wavier' from the city for the evening to close down the pavement to pedestrian traffic and have extra tables out there. When he shelled out the quantity of New Euro's required for it, he was sure he was going to get a call from Mr. Koch on that one on Saturday. He also scheduled all available hands for that night.
On Saturday evening, Jason the guitarist and Teri rehearsed their hour long performance via video phone on her computer at her apartment. Aaban's flat being as 'historic' as it was, had practically zero soundproofing for the vocal range that she intended to use.
Her apartment was far more suited, being nearly 300 years newer in design. Though when they finished sometime after midnight, she did miss Aaban's little 'rustic' place... it didn't seem so sterile, so perfect. Mortar was cracked, brick was chipped and the wood floor creaked. He had told her it was built in the 'dark ages' of mankind - the mid 20th century.
That was a very fearful time she thought as she studied history in school, when humans were so bent on plundering and killing each other, what would they have done to her? Then she thought of her exohistorical studies, where her own planet's heritage was just as dark and bloody. Maybe that's why compared to other species in the sector, Canisians seemed to feel a kindred spirit with the humans - both striving to overcome what they were and control what fierceness they had left in their inherent nature. Indeed next to Pegasiians, they were the largest growing immigrant population of the Terran systems of the last twenty years.
She went to bed, thinking about the possibilities. What if people really like her singing? Maybe she could even sing at the café part time? It was such a nice little place and Aaban was there. Maybe, even maybe, she could get a download deal and make a few dimes singing at other café's? Her head swirled with hopes and dreams as she slipped off to sleep.
She slipped into Aaban's apartment before he woke up. She could hear him snoring in the bedroom and quietly placed her things on the coffee table. The plant she gave him was looking a little off. The touched the soil to see if he'd been forgetting to water it, but this time he was doing the opposite and drowning the poor thing.
She thought about waking him with the smell of breakfast (which she already had), but decided to make herself a tea first instead and lie beside her boyfriend for a while as it was steeping.
Aaban must have been tossing during the night, as the blankets were thrown all helter skelter and he was laying with his head at the foot end of the bed. As his custom, he slept without clothes and Teri stifled a giggle as he had a case of 'morning wood' as he slept. She had heard her brothers tease each other about it, but never actually saw it.
Feeling a little mischievous, she slipped out of her knee length skirt-pants she was wearing (they 'scuffled' and she didn't want to wake him) and lay down on the bed with her head near his hips. She smiled as she drew her polished nail up from the base of his penis to the tip from the exposed underside. She giggled quietly as it bounced in response as she reached the head.
She ran the tip of her finger lightly over his rounded jewels and was fascinated with how they pulled up closer to his body and his scrotum crinkled at her touch. She was startled as she all of a sudden felt his hands slide over her hips and cup her butt cheeks, feeling her hips pulled towards her lover. She looked down to see his nose pushing against her crotch.
"What are you doing?" She whispered shocked at seeing his face so close to that area. She was feeling very shy at that moment and squeezed her thighs together. She knew a little about sexual secrets from her sister, who made her promise never to tell anyone what she had told her. But this was not one of the things she was told to expect.
Aaban had heard Teri come in the door. He had just woke up before she came in and considered greeting his sweetheart like he usually does. But given that he spent the previous few nights alone and he was lying naked on his bed, he decided to 'be asleep' and hoped a situation like this would happen.
When Teri layed beside him bottomless, it was his hopes coming true. He smelled her lovely perfume and heard her giggles, which immediately excited him. He felt her touch which brought an immediate smile to his face and he opened his eyes slightly to see the front of her pelvis filling his view. He admired how her fur thined and accentuated the appeal of her plump, pink lips, looking so inviting to be touched and kissed.
When he felt her tickle his sack and give a little giggle as he felt them tighten, he got a sinus full of that delicately sweet scent he noticed she radiated since the first night they met. He was convinced now that it wasn't her perfumes reaction to her excitement, that was the actual scent of female Canisian pheromones. Acting instinctively with desire, he reached around her hips, grabbing her delightfully round, soft rear and pulled her to his face.
"Honey?" Teri said as Aaban didn't respond to her original question.
"Shhhhh, just relax sweetheart." He whispered to her as he gently ran his hands along the side of her hips.
He self-conciousness slipped away somewhat, but she still felt a little shy. She had no idea that humans 'enjoyed the scent' of their females the way she saw her families farm animals do so.
She felt Aaban's strong hands caressing her legs and stroking from behind. He slipped his hand from behind her knee, which tickled and caused her to giggle. As she did, he spread her legs apart a little bit from their clench as she let out a little gasp. Aaban looked at her with a big smile, "Trust me!"
She felt his gentle grip release and she closed her eyes and hesitantly, lifted her leg up, bit by bit, still a little unsure. She felt his breath cross from front to back between her legs and got a tingle of excitement up her spine. Something she didn't expect and found rather thrilling as she cocked her leg some more and bringing it up as far as she could.
She felt Aaban's fingers touch her lips and spread them apart. Her shyness returned as she tried to pull her tail between her legs to cover herself, but it was blocked by the top Aaban's head. And then her body erupted into and explosive orgasm like she never felt before.
Several minutes later, she lay on her back, panting, tingling from the tip of her ears to the tip of her toes and little internal 'aftershocks' still throbbing deep inside of her. He mouth was open in a huge grin and her eyes were wide, staring at the ceiling. She saw her lover lay on his side up beside her with his head on his arm and rubbing her belly gently over her womb.
"Now aren't you glad you trusted me?" He said with a big grin.
"Oh... my... gods..." Was her only response as she continued to stare up with a mesmerized expression.
Aaban kissed her hand tenderly, "Thanks for the wakeup call, Sweetie."
She no longer felt any shame with her lover. She didn't fear fully exposing herself and most importantly, she fully trusted him. With a big satisfied sigh, she looked at him appreciatively, adoringly, then rolled onto her belly and got on her knees, arching her back and raising her tail, fully exposing that which she shyly kept hidden from him so far. Not a word needed to be said further. Teri's tea ended up getting very cold and very strong that morning.
6 - Showtime!
Aaban and Teri arrived at the café an hour and a half before show time. He saw two employees setting up a large view screen on portable mount outside and some extra speakers. That was something Aaban didn't order, or expect. Though he also did not expect close to what must have been three hundred people around the café.
Teri came to an abrupt stop about thirty metres from the entrance and her jaw dropped. Aaban was holding her hand and he nearly lost his balance when she stopped and he didn't. "Oh, no!" He thought to himself as he thought Teri was petrified with stage fright from the sight of all the people.
"Those.... those people are here to see me?" Teri shrieked excitedly as a smile grew on her face. She then began to pull Aaban as she sprinted to the café.
"Be careful with that!" Jillian was shouting at Tom and another fellow he didn't recognize that was helping setup the view screen. "Drop it and you'll buy me a new one after I beat you to a pulp!"
Tom smiled at her, "Promise?" Jillian responded with a half-hearted swing at him and a frustrated look on her face as Tom cackled.
"What on earth is going on, Jill?" Aaban said as he and Teri came jogging up to the crowd.
Jillian gave another frustrated look and held her arms out to the crowd, "They started coming in two hours ago. I had to get my dad to drop off my big screen here so we can setup a video link to the stage inside."
"Where did all these people come from?" Teri asked as she stared at them with a mixture of star-struck amazement and sheer terror.
"Ask Goat! He's inside." Jillian replied, then grabbed the mount to steady it as Tom and the other guy attached the clamps.
"Excuse us! Pardon me! Boss coming through..." Aaban was saying as he tried to get inside. It was times like this he wished there was a real rear entry and not just a fire escape 'blow-out door'.
Once they entered, it was obvious who the real culprit was... Gontarr was in the middle of the crowd with all his priceless 'bling' around his neck and wrists, wearing an apron folded into a 'halfer' and was carrying around a huge tray up over his head with one hand filled with coffee, fancy smoothies and sandwiches. He was also the loudest one there telling stories and listening to others and thanking people for coming here instead of his place that evening.
Goat was helping out running the till while Jillian was handling her project and six other hands were scrambling behind the counter or bussing.
"There's the man!" Gontarr bellowed from across the room towards Aaban and Teri, who was hidden below everyone's shoulders in the crowd. People turned toward Aaban and thanked him for this opportunity to hear some uncommon talent.
Aaban leaned over and slipped his head between Teri's legs and raised her up on his shoulders and she grabbed his hair and let out a little shriek. "This is the real star of the show!" He said as everyone applauded and cheered.
Teri looked around at the crowd, her hand on her chest all flattered, "I'll... ummm.... do my best!"
Aaban manoeuvred her through the crowd to the washroom area, where he put her down and handed her, her bag. "Are you going to be OK, Honey?" He asked, running his hand along side her face.
She gave a big sigh, a sigh of the magnitude of the event sinking in as she looked at the crowd, "I have to be." She smiled and reaching up to him, gave him a kiss, "I'll be fine."
Aaban got behind the counter and thanked Goat for him and his dad helping out. "Pffff, Abman, this is NOTHING compared to our place on a Friday night, you know that. It's a working vacation as far as we're concerned." He said with a wink.
Jason showed up, squeezing in though the door just barely. He looked over the crowd at Aaban and gave a mock scream and laughed. He quickly got setup and provided some background music for the place, motioning after the first tune to Aaban that the food would be welcome.
The hour and a half flew by with the crowd and Jillian checked on Teri in the ladies. She was ready to go. She wore her cloak, looked confident, proud and only a slight bit nervous this time. "You sure overcame your shyness fast?" Jillian remarked.
"This is really what I love to do and I had forgot that." She looked at Jillian with a smile, "After school, dad wanted me to stay on the farm, but mom said she saw something else in my eyes... something farther away. She and my sister were the ones that said I should go 'find myself'." She shrugged and checked herself in the mirror again, "Maybe this is it? Because office temping sure wasn't!"
Jillian gave her a big hug. "Knock 'em out, hun!" They walked out together and Jillian ran ahead to start the video link to outside and cue Jason.
Jillian dimmed the house lights (Aaban wished she would have warned him, he thought they lost power at first) and kept the cleared area well lit as Teri appeared. The applause was painfully loud with expectation of the performance they were to receive.
As per last weekend, Jason began with a short instrumental number and Teri hummed along, getting in the groove. That was followed by several Gaelic traditional songs and a few more modern Irish tunes. The first set ended after a half hour with a humorous wench medley, which had her going between Jason and the crowd, like a singer in a musical would, acting the part as the dock wench approaching the sailor after his return from sea, spurned, then pleading, than accepted. They broke for the intermission to a deafening roar of applause.
"Holy heck! Are you a singer, actress or both?" Aaban said as he embraced and kissed her when she came around the corner from up the ramp.
Teri looked shocked and shrugged, "I had no idea I was going to do most of that until we did it!"
"You mean, that wasn't part of the act you and Jason rehearsed?" Aaban said looking in disbelief.
"No, It wasn't!" Jason said as he approached the washroom area, wiping sweat from his face. Having provided some background music, he'd been playing for almost two hours straight. "I just knew the story that went with the song and it was easy to follow your ladies' lead!"
Teri hugged Jason, "Thank you for picking up on that. I'll try not to surprise you again!"
Jason patted her on the back as he hugged in return, "No worries little lady! You just do what your little heart tells you out there and I'll fumble along." He continued his way into the men's.
She turned back to Aaban to see him smiling, yet a tear rolled down his cheek, "Honey, what's wrong?" She said with concern as she placed her hand on his face.
Aaban took her hand with both of his, kissing her several times, "You have the gift! You are like a Goddess to me!"
Teri looked at him endearingly and pressed herself into his body as he held her tightly. "I'm just... me. Nobody special."
The rest was over all too soon as Teri and Jason went back out onto the floor. Their second set was as spectacular as the first going by the crowd's response. Teri again had acted out some parts of the medley's she sang. Her eyes were closed and face filled with emotion, depending on the intensity of the mood in the song and Aaban wondered if she was even consciously aware she was doing that. But no matter, the result was a final applause and cheer that Marcel would tell him on Monday morning was heard from his restaurant, five blocks away!
They finally were able to close the café at 0300 (Sunday nights were usually 2100 to 2200, depending on business), but traffic had tapered enough to send all but Jillian and Tom home at 2300. When they all finally had left and were standing on the pavement, Jillian told Aaban and Tom in one of her stubborn mannerisms that neither of them were welcome there before noon... or else! She would take care of the morning and call another in (Tom and Aaban usually opened on weekdays). They smiled and saluted, saying, "Yes Ma'am!" in unison.
Goat, Jason, Teri and Aaban were all bidding each other a good night when Gontarr spoke up and asked Teri, "How would you like to do this part time for me and books part time?"
Jason looked at Teri, who looked at Aaban, who said to her encouragingly, "You're the gifted one."
Teri bounced up and down a couple of times and nodded. Jason shrugged, "What the hell, sure!"
"Before I accept your agreement, there's a catch...." Gontarr said with a wry smile that drew everyone's attention as they went silent.... even Goat. Gontarr then pointed upwards, "Up there."
Everyone looked confused and stared at each other in turn as Gontarr continued, "Schedule Tuesday off for yourself Aaban, I'll need you there and can you please come too, Mr. Cornwall?"
Jason looked upwards ponderously as if checking his schedule in his head and nodded, "Just a recording session I can ditch. Big name band. They usually fight over what set they'll do the first day anyway and the actual recording will get done Wednesday."
"What about Goat?" Aaban asked, "It's his birthday on Tuesday. Weren't we planning something for the evening?"
Goat just looked at his friend and shrugged, "We've been so busy, I honestly forgot about it."
Aaban shot him a smile and shook his head with an expression that said 'bullshit!'
"There WILL be a party, trust me." Gontarr said. "But it's happening 20,000 kilometres up from here."
"Par-tay on the space dock!" Jason shouted. "Been a while since I've been up there."
Teri looked absolutely beside herself with excitement, "Were going in space? The space dock?" She let out such a high pitched squeal and hopped up and down that Aaban was sure to attract a police call or two, given the time of night.
Aaban looked at Goat and shrugged and Goat did the same in return. Aaban didn't care for air travel let alone going into space. He wanted to say, "Have fun, guys!", but he wasn't about to leave Teri's side on her first trip up. "We'll be there!" He said. But secretly, he was glad she'd be at HIS side for his first trip up.
Tuesday morning, Goat showed up at Aaban's apartment. Aaban answered the door sleepily and in his skivvies as he let Goat inside and pointed to the kitchen, that he knew where the kettle was. If Goat popped over on a workday to see Aaban at his place, he usually did so at around 0500, knowing he'd be up. Aaban having the day off, didn't expect to be disturbed so early though.
After Goat put on some water for stale instant coffee Aaban kept for the occasional guest, he stuck his head into the steaming washroom as Aaban showered, "Do you know what this is about?"
"What's what about?" Aaban said, his face muffled in a wet wash cloth.
"Going up to the space dock at noon?"
Aaban stuck his head from around the shower curtain, "You don't know? It's your birthday, I was going to ask you?"
Goat shook his head and shrugged, then went back towards the kitchen to make his coffee.
As he got into the kitchen, he was greeted by a towel wrapped vixen with hair and fur all dishevelled, getting a teacup and saucer out as more water boiled in a kettle, "Oh! Good morning Jon. I thought I heard someone else here."
Goat stopped and gave a startled hop, not expecting Teri to be there. But then he realized that was silly... his friend seemed to have something going along pretty well with her.
"Hey Teri. Sorry, I didn't think you'd be here. Didn't mean to intrude so early." He said as he grabbed a cup of coffee.
Teri gave a big yawn, "Aaban's becoming more of a night person since he met me."
"I bet!" Goat said and gave a wink as Teri's eyes went wide and she averted her head with her hand on her mouth as she realized that she lined herself up for that comment. Her brothers teased her sister the same way too when she found her love and she felt sorry for her the way they teased her sometimes. She learned now that such was not limited to her brothers.
"So, you have no idea what's happening or why, huh?" Aaban said coming out of the washroom and drying his hair.
"Honey! We have guests!" Teri shrieked and ran and got another towel and tied it around Aaban's waist.
"Ummm, it's just Goat?" Aaban said confused as he was being wrapped.
Goat was cackling away on the sofa, "That's right Teri. You teach that uncivilized hairy-bear some manners around his guests!"
After tying the towel, Teri gave Aaban another shocked glare and swatted his belly with the back of her hand and went into the washroom herself for a shower.
Goat was still laughing uncontrollably, holding his stomach as he lay on the sofa. "Oh, shaddap!" Aaban said as he snapped a towel at his friend.
Gontarr hopped onto the MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) shuttle bus as if he was boarding a city hover bus. It wasn't a small craft, carrying 250 people at a time from the space dock to earth and back and had regular schedules, especially with the increase in interstellar cruise ship traffic in recent years. Yet Aaban could swear he saw the vehicle bounce and the fairly large Pegasiian hopped up into it.
They strapped themselves into their harnesses in the seats. The stewards and stewardesses came by and checked harness, adjusting or tightening them as needed. One steward nearly cut off Aaban's breath when he tightened his. They began the video on the monitor for the usual safety procedures.... though it looked far more dangerous than Aaban imagined.
Teri was an excited chatterbox. Gontarr had no problem keeping up with her chatting, but Goat's eyes had long glazed over on the trip over to the space port and looked like he was heading for brain death. Aaban leaned over to Goat and whispered, "At least YOU can go home!" Goat chuckled and patted Aaban's shoulder sympathetically.
"Now there's an experienced traveller!" Goat said to Aaban as he pointed to where Jason was sitting, he was already sound asleep.
Aaban didn't even feel the lift off. He looked out the window to see they were silently flying over water, then a city what must have been Victoria, some mountains and finally over the Pacific. In a few minutes, he did notice himself gently pushing back into the very comfortable chair as the 'Arms On Laps Please!' flashed on the view screen mounted on the back of the chair in front of him with a countdown. He didn't really know why the reason for that, but he did so when the count hit zero and all of a sudden he felt the craft pitch sharply upwards at about a forty degree angle and the thrust poured on.
"Wheeeeeeeeeeee!" Teri squealed as some mumblings and a couple of loud 'yahoo's' came from other passengers. The silence of the ride gave way to a rumble coming from outside. Aaban again looked out the window and realized the rumble wasn't from the engines, but the speed of the air rushing past as the water and clouds fell away at a dizzying rate and the leading edges at the tips of the wings glowed a dull red.
"Is... is it supposed to do that?" Aaban said wide eyed as Goat looked out, shrugged and went back to watching some music video on his monitor.
"You think that's cool Aaban? Wait until we come back and are engulfed in an iridescent fireball!" Gontarr said with a chuckle.
Teri had her head turned to the side, looking out the window with a huge smile. "At least she's having the time of her life" Aaban thought to himself. He moved his hand a little closer to the 'airsickness' funnel on the arm of his chair, fearing he may need to use it.
The rumble got less and less as he could see the sky getting darker and darker blue and the rim of the horizon became a blue line as he could see the curve of the planet. As if a curtain was pulled, the dark blue immediately went to jet black and the rumble sound ceased, as if someone turned off the speakers. The earth fell away significantly faster for a few minutes and he felt his stomach give a small lurch as the steward announced they would be in a 'coast phase' for the next 30 minutes before docking.
"Honey, look! Isn't it beautiful!" Teri said as she grabbed Aaban's hand. She had her face out the window the whole way other than breaks to massage her neck as it got strained. This time she was referring to the space dock coming into view. It was an obviously massive structure that was nothing in scale to what Aaban imagined from seeing pictures of it.
There were dozens of little shining dots floating around it that as they got closer, he saw were other ships... some as large as the one they were in, a couple bigger and others smaller. For the first time since the journey began, Aaban thought something was 'very cool'.
7 - Happy Birthday!
The group of five stepped off onto the docking level and Gontarr led the group past customs, information and onto the main promenade level, which served as the merchant centre and recreation facilities. "I found this great restaurant. First, we'll have lunch"
"Dad, won't there be food at the party?" Goat asked.
"And girls too!" Gontarr replied with a wink.
Aaban and Goat looked at each other and shrugged while Jason put a hand on each of their shoulders and said happily, "Two feasts? That's MY idea of a party!". Teri giggled as the guys all laughed and Jason patted his ample stomach.
They ate a fabulous lunch and were puzzled as to Gontarr's evasiveness when quizzed as to why they were at the station when planet side would have been far less expensive. Gontarr wasn't a penny pincher by any means, but he was a stickler for efficient use of money.
Gontarr kept an unusual eye on his wrist chrono during lunch and on one check, smiled and said, "It's time!" And he got up and headed for the door.
"Dad, what about the bill?" Goat shouted after him.
"Don't worry, it's on my account!"
"Account?" Goat thought to himself. He knew his dad travelled on business more often lately, but had no idea it was to up here on the space dock.
Teri had ice cream all over her muzzle fur as she tried to finish it as fast as she could before being left behind. Aaban chuckled at the sight. "What?" Teri said oblivious that she was all full of the sweet treat, which made it even more adorable. A moment later she realized 'what' as it dripped off her chin.
Gontarr again led the group. This time it was more toward the recreation area of the promenade, a little out of the way of the main tourist traps until they came to a split cover wall over a seeming unused shop stall.
Gontarr held up his arms, "Behold!"
Goat took a few steps forward towards the wall and looked back at his dad, "A private party in there?" He smiled, "No noise complaints up here, huh?"
Gontarr looked back at Jason, Aaban and Teri, "My boy, he's slow sometimes."
Goat turned around and looked all excited, "You bought a store here on the station? So cool!"
"Getting waaaarmerrrrr, son." Gontarr said with a grin. "Okay, enough torturing you." Gontarr let out a shrill whistle and two claps and the cover wall opened with the help of two men dressed in tuxedos.
There was a full transparent front to the 'stall' from floor to ceiling, with accent lighting on its deep red walls and emerald tapestries making it look very regal. It looked like the entrance to a very upscale dining establishment.
But there was one thing that all caught their eyes - glowing red signage above the entrance in a fancy cursive font that read, "Jonnahfar's".
Goat was totally speechless. He stared at the front, his mouth open and eyes wide in disbelief. Gontarr, Jason, Aaban and Teri, as well as the two dressed in tuxedos, applauded. Teri gave Goat a big hug as Gontarr announced, "Happy birthday son.. she's all yours!"
Gontarr put his arm around his speechless son and led him inside as one of the tux dressed men opened the door for them. As they rounded the entrance way, which had a list of possible future drink, food specials and entertainment, they saw the rear was much, much larger than the entry way presumed the place to be. What they thought was a restaurant at first, turned out to be a candlelight cocktail and show lounge.
There was a dedicated stage area and on a step down from the stage to the side, was a grand piano. There were cloth covered tables everywhere and each had a real candle in the middle and not an artificial flickering light. The carpet was emerald green as was hanging tapestries on ruby red walls, making it look like an 18th century Terran theatre. There was a cocktail bar as well as a kitchen grill area visible from behind the bar.
"I... I... I have no idea what to say?" Goat said still in a state of shock.
"How about nothing yet, son. There's still more." Gontarr said as he motioned to someone in the background.
From the kitchen area, Goat's friends came out one by one. Even Jillian was there and ran up to him and gave him a big hug and kiss.
Aaban looked over to her with a look on his face that said it all as she mouthed to him from over Goat's shoulder, "Tom".
Goat fought back tears as he said, "Dad, I love it! But... why?"
Gontarr put his arm around his son and began to show him around more as he explained, "I know you've been wanting to experience more than just our pub. I have overheard you talking to Aaban before about you wish our place was 'more refined'."
Goat looked appreciatively at his dad and gripped his shoulder, "No words can thank you for this. But I didn't mean to make you think our place wasn't good enough for me. I know how hard you worked since mom left. I would have done the same."
Gontarr smiled, "I know son and I won't live forever. You'll still get the pub. But until then, I hope you hone your skills in this establishment. Run it well and maybe, you won't need to work as hard as me, huh?"
Gontarr turned to Jason and Teri, "This is the place I was talking about., Miss Teri and Mr. Cornwall. Would you like to work here?"
"I come here every six months to do gigs anyway. Sure, I'd be happy to do a regular thing here." Jason said. "Do I get to eat?"
Everyone laughed and Goat said he'd stuff him until he couldn't move. Eyes turned now to Teri.
"Well, if I have to do the record keeping and sing, doesn't that mean I'd need to stay here? She said looking a little unsure as she pressed against Aaban's side, holding him.
Goat looked and smiled, "Six months on and one month planet side are the regulations for working up here, if I recall correctly." Gontarr affirmed this with an "Uh-huh."
Goat continued after pondering a moment on how he'd run things, "Plus a day off per week of course and two off every six weeks. I'm not a slave driver."
Teri didn't even hesitate, "Not if it means I'll only get to see Aaban only twice a year, I'm sorry Jon."
Goat nodded with a smile, expecting that answer. He looked to Aaban, "Abman, I know you've been bitching about being stuck in that café forever and I would need a manager up here." Raising his eyebrows, he looked expectantly at Aaban in a way that he knew his best friend wouldn't want to turn him down.
Aaban scowled at his friend, knowing exactly the card he was playing. He also looked down to Teri and she was looking up at him with that big excited smile and shining eyes. She wanted to take the job, but not at the expense of Aaban. The ball was in his court and as much as he didn't like the idea of his feet being off 'Terra firma', he would make the people closest to him happy. Who knows? Maybe he'd even get to like 'living in the sky'.
"Okay." Aaban simply said and Teri erupted in an excited squeal and started bouncing like she did the Sunday before. Goat even unexpectedly came over and hugged him.
"Let the party begin!" Gontarr bellowed in his deep voice as a band appeared on stage as well as several close clients and suppliers of his. He knew it was his son's turn to do the art of schmooze and set it all up well.
The celebrations ended all too soon for them as they had to board the next shuttle home. Gontarr, Jason, Aaban and Teri had boarded and were sitting together. "Where's Jon?" Teri asked Gontarr.
"I think he's going to stay a while." He replied with a wink.
"I don't see Jill either?" Aaban said, looking around. "She was supposed to be on today and tomorrow too?"
Gontarr chuckled, "Sorry to do that to you. She caught the shuttle six hours before ours at my request. And... I think she's 'congratulating' my son on his new place."
Aaban just rolled his eyes and Teri added, "Aww, isn't that sweet, Hun?"
Aaban and Teri were exhausted from the trip, though they were gone less than a day. They both cuddled for a nap before having to get up in a few hours.
"Have you considered how expensive renting a place would be on the station?" Teri said with some concern.
"I'm sure Goat or his dad will work something out." Aaban replied groggily. "If we all got a place together, it'll save money."
Teri thought this over for a moment, "I can see it working with you and Jon, or maybe even you and me, but all three? Won't Jon want his private time with the ladies?"
"Why don't we find out what Goat says about this." Aaban said and after a yawn, fell asleep.
A very tired Aaban came into the café at 0700. Tom had opened as per usual, but looked like he slept in the clothes he was in. "Big party, Tom?" Aaban mumbled as he poured coffee half into a cup and half on the counter.
Tom glared at Aaban, "No, trying to figure out how to balance the days books after being left to run the place all day and night. Tell Jillian if she does that again, I quit!"
Aaban explained what had happened, that she went at Gontarr's request and it was Jon's birthday, the lounge... but that made Tom twice as pissed off that he wasn't invited. "Dude, I'm his best friend and she... well... popped him in high school."
Tom pondered that fact with a grin, "Okay, okay. I guess I won't bitch her out when I see her."
"And don't you dare tell her I told you that. She'll beat the crap out of me." Aaban said with an only half joking smile. "She may have her mother's soft looking body, but she's got her dad's strength."
"And mouth!" Tom reminded him as they laughed.
Noon came around when both Jillian and Teri came in, chatting away about the previous night. Aaban got his sweetie a tea right away and Jillian apologized profusely to Tom for the day before. To see Jillian doing that was almost amusing to anyone who knew her well and seen her and her dad argue. But here she was, asking for forgiveness from someone she even 'outranked' at her job.
"Well if the sun isn't purple with dots today!" Aaban commented to Teri, who smiled and whispered, "She had a really good night with Jon."
It was a couple of days before Aaban heard from Goat. Teri had worked with him, but was working on Gontarr's books and planning the new system for his lounge and didn't really have any time to talk about living arrangements.
Goat got hold of Aaban through video phone on his computer at home. Thursday night meant he couldn't be spared to come in person, but made an offer that he could discuss with Teri when she got to his place next time.
"The most efficient accommodation are either bunk rooms for workers, or family suites. The latter are usually vacation time shares, one bedroom in each, but I can swing a deal to make one a permanent corporate suite." Goat said as he was reading a data pad.
"What is a family suite?" Aaban asked intrigued.
"Basically two suites back to back with a door joining them. Otherwise they are completely separate units."
When Aaban heard the cost, he nearly fell off the sofa. "That's ten times what I pay here! I can commute the 45 minute trip to the space dock for less."
Goat held up his finger and raised an eyebrow that he wasn't finished, "My lounge pays half, you pay half. That's five times. Four people in the family suite makes it one and a quarter times. Plus, I'll double what you are getting paid right now, plus you keep all your tips."
"Okay, you got me." Aaban said, thinking the deal was sounding pretty sweet. "So, I'll have to talk Teri into living with me, or is she staying with you until our relationship is more settled?"
Goat just smiled, "We have a fourth and she can stay with me, or you, but I think the arrangement will work out."
Aaban looked at his friend sideways, "Who? Are you dating someone and didn't tell me you scoundrel?"
Goat chuckled, "Dating, no. Good friends with, yes. Sort of a friendship with fringe benefits. But, we see others as we see fit."
"It's Jillian, isn't it?!?!" Aaban shouted with realization and rolled back on his sofa and laughed. "How... I mean when.... WHAT?"
"It was HER idea!" Goat said with a big grin. "She said with you and I going up to the space dock, she'd feel left behind and the 'Three Musketeers' would be no more. Plus, I could use an experienced hostess."
"So, the gang will be all together still." Aaban nodded. "I can see this working, plus Teri will have a friend."
Aaban no sooner terminated the connection with Goat when Teri came in the door. After a most warm greeting, he told her of the plan Goat had given them. Teri was elated that Jillian would be going as well, but soon became quiet.
"Uh-oh, something big is bothering you isn't it?" Aaban asked her, wondering if he said something wrong.
"This sounds like a great idea and I'm looking forward to the adventure, but..."
"But?"
"After thinking about this, I'm not sure if I'm ready to move in with you yet."
A tonne of bricks may as well have fallen on Aaban for the feeling that answer gave him.
"How about... let me talk to Jillian and see what she thinks. Maybe there's an arrangement she can come up with?" Teri said with an expression that she had an idea, but wasn't really ready to share it yet. "She invited me to go shopping with her on Saturday, so when I see you on Sunday, maybe she'll something worked out."
"Well, maybe." Aaban said unsure. "Goat should be telling her about the plan right now."
Aaban's mood seemed muted the rest of the evening. They cuddled on his sofa, trying to watch a movie together on his computer and he realized it may be time to get an actual screen for the purpose.
"I guess you are right. We've been going out... how long?" He said, the weight of her words still weighing on him to the point he really wasn't paying attention to the movie.
Her head was on his chest as he had his arm around her. She looked up at him, her head upside down from his vantage point, "Six weeks?"
"There's a word for this..." Aaban said as they said simultaneously, "Whirlwind."
Teri giggled. Then looking at him more serious, "But it's been long enough."
"For?" He said curiously, half expecting more bad news.
"To know that I love you."
Any gloomy weight Aaban felt was now equally transformed into the brightest feeling he could ever remember having as they kissed.
"My question has been answered then." He said as he tried valiantly, but failed to suppress tears of joy that ran down his cheek.
"What's that?" Teri whispered.
"Is this... what love feels like?" He held her tight as he told her that he loved her too.
8 - The Plan
Saturday evening came and Aaban got a call from Teri. He could barely hear her above the background noise on her end of the comm and she wasn't speaking too clearly. Her and Jillian were making a full day out of being together and they had a plan. If Aaban wanted to hear about it, he should get down to Goat's dad's pub.
"Aww, geez!" Aaban said aloud as he terminated the call.
"What's up boss?" Tom asked as he grabbed his jacket, ready to let the evening shift take over for them.
"Teri's out with Jill and they wound up at Goat's dad's place."
Tom laughed, "Lemmie guess, your girlfriend is getting loaded?"
Aaban nodded, "Sounds like it. I better go rescue her."
"From the booze or Jill?" Tom asked as Aaban was making haste to the door.
"Both!" He shouted in reply as he headed out the café door.
Aaban stepped off the transport near the spaceport and headed for the pub. Even a blind man could find the place on a weekend, just follow the noise of the crowd and music.
He reached the main doors and saw that entering that way was hopeless. The line up was backed up around the building, halfway to the family restaurant that was attached to the pub. "Screw this!" Aaban said aloud as he went to the receiving entrance and sat on the announcer button until someone heard it over the racket.
Goat's voice came over the intercom, "About time you got here, they're ganging up on us!" The door opened to the sight of Goat flipping at his lips with his finger. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."
"What, the lounge or hiring us?" Aaban mused.
"Letting your girlfriend and Jillian get together. She's defected and formed her own Musketeer's, that pointy-eared traitor!"
"Which pointy eared one... fuzzy or non?" Aaban grinned.
Goat looked at him with his arms out and a frustrated look, "Pick one... BOTH!"
Aaban had to laugh. Those two knew from their younger days how bad it was when females got together and talked too much. They both carried pocket knives ever since the incident of the 'cheerleaders and duct tape'. That was a cold night they spent suspended underneath the bleachers.... with nothing on but the tape.
Goat led Aaban into the cannabis lounge section of the bar. Aaban's ears were thankful, as it was the significantly quieter of the two sections, but still loud.
Speaking of loud, there was a table up near the stage where the exotic dancers were doing their mesmerizing act, that had the loudest hooting and whistling of the place.... and to Aaban's shock, it was Teri and Jillian seated there.
"Honey!" Teri shouted as she jumped up to greet and hug her boyfriend, but missed him and embracing nothing but air, ended up on her back, on the floor, laughing her little head off.
"She's having a lot of fun!" Jillian said, bobbing to the music in her seat.
"I see that!" Aaban said with a smile as he held out a hand and helped his soused girlfriend to her feet, surprised that her blouse was completely unbuttoned. Teri didn't seem to know, or care, that her blouse was flapping open for all to see her uncovered form.
"She's been flashing the strippers!" Jillian shouted and guzzled the rest of her mug as if it were water.
Aaban looked at Goat perturbed, "Didn't your servers cut her off?" As he pointed to Teri, who was holding his hand, trying to keep balance.
Goat nodded, "Yup! She's had three beers, that's it!"
"C'mon, Goat! Tell the truth!" Jillian laughed as she pointed to her mug for a refill.
Aaban scowled at Goat, who admitted, "Okay, three Centaurian horla stouts."
Aaban did a face-palm. Centaurian horla stout was what he and Goat drank in college to 'prove they were men' amongst the binge drinking sports teams when they won for their school. Teri was half their size and had nothing more than a glass of wine or champagne at holidays or festivals back home before today. Even when he took her to Marcel's for dinner, she was hesitant about having a glass of wine the first time.
Teri gave Aaban a shove and he lost balance and landed in her chair. Teri hopped on his lap, "Let's watch the show while Jillie here tells you about the plan!"
"Plan?" Aaban asked as he looked over to Jillian while reaching around Teri and buttoning her blouse.
Goat pulled up another chair and sat on it reverse and rested his chin on his arms that were crossed on the back support. "Plan, Abman, plan." He rolled his eyes.
Jillian took a couple of deep gulps of the freshly filled mug of stout and began, "Teri and I will happily live with you in Goat's little corporate suite. BUT...."
"Here's the kicker..." Goat whispered into Aaban's ear.
"But..." Teri finished the thought, "Jillie and I will take one side and you boys can have the other."
Aaban turned to Goat, "So, what's the problem? It'll be a few months of extra bachelorhood for me while going next door to get laid?"
Goat nodded with an eyebrow raised, "Do you know how much damage Jillian can do to Teri in that time?"
"Ohhhhhhhhhhh.................." Aaban said with wide eyed realization of the problem.
Jillian, slammed her hand on the table, knocking over Teri's empty glass and motioned for Aaban to come and talk to her in private.
Aaban went to put Teri on the floor as he got up, but she spun around and hopped up in his arms with hers around his neck and giggling like a schoolgirl. "I have to talk to Jill for a minute, Hun."
"But I don't want you to go just yet." Teri looked up at him with puppy dog eyes.
Aaban turned to Goat who stood up with his arms out as Aaban placed her into his arms instead, "Here, hold my drunk for a minute?" Aaban slipped out of her grip and went off to where Jillian stood at the other side of the lounge.
"You have it all wrong." Jillian said shaking her head. "This little deception is for Goat. I'm not going to turn your sweetheart wild, but she's not ready to shack up. I just want to... mature her for hopefully the long road you two have ahead."
"Seriously?" Aaban looked at her suspicious.
"When have I lied to you?" Jillian looked imploringly, "There's a reason I never slept with you... You're like a big brother to me. Now let me take tare of your little one so you can worry about the bigger picture."
Aaban was touched by her admission of how she felt about him. Something he realized now that made sense. Even more so since he had never tried his charms on her for a reason he never quite knew why.
Jillian and Aaban returned to the table that had already been taken over by other patrons. Goat was still standing there holding Teri as they both watched the dancers. "I'll take my drunk back now." Aaban said with a smile holding his arms out. "Ready to go home, Hun?" He asked her as she landed in his arms.
"You guys work it all out?" Goat asked curious.
"Yeah, I had to put Jill in her place." Aaban said with a big smile, immediately reflected by Goat, as Jillian cocked her fist at Aaban with a smile that said, "If you weren't holding Teri....."
Teri fell asleep on the transit ride home. It was such a good thing Aaban thought she was so tiny and light, otherwise he'd have to beg Jill to help carry her. Well, she'd probably do it quite willing.... in trade for a favour later, which if their history serves as an example, could be an annoyance fulfilling.
Aaban was sure Teri would have one hell of a hangover the next day. Turned out the Canisian constitution is a pretty strong one as Teri just lost her appetite due to the 'world spinning out of control' for the morning with only one visit to the 'porcelain altar', but she certainly made up for it in the afternoon.
Jillian of course was at the café bright and early to open the store and seemed no worse for the wear. "Mom freaked when my dad took me drinking the first time, but insisted if his daughter was going to be REALLY half Centaurian. There's few now that can put me under a table." She explained to Teri, who was surprised she didn't have the morning 'spins'.
Goat and Aaban already knew this and the only person they had seen drink with her until she passed out was Gontarr. Which brought on a little friendly Centaurian-Pegasiian rivalry with Jillian's dad. That drinking contest has yet to be settled with a definite winner.
Goat showed up for his usual Sunday visit as the four sat in the comfy furniture and enjoyed the slow day of the week. "So, when are we going?" Teri asked excitedly.
Goat turned to Aaban, "How about you find a new manager here, ASAP. You were grooming Jill for the job, but she's coming too." Goat finished a sip of his coffee, "What about that Tom character that does mornings with you?"
Aaban shook his head, "Nah, he can't handle the pressure of busy days."
"Where's the owner anyway?" Goat asked puzzled. He knew Mr. Koch spent a lot of time off world, but never really knew why. Aaban never had an answer to give him.
"I'll have to try and get hold of him. Heck, if the bank can, I should be able too." Aaban said pulling out his pocket communicator.
As per usual, the voice mail picked up and Aaban did his best to explain in four minutes that in a short while, him hand Jillian would be leaving for bigger opportunities.
"Well, we can't do anything until you hear back, so I'll fumble with the grand opening plans in the meantime." Goat said calmly, though he impatiently tapped his fingers on his knee. "What's on the agenda for tonight, folks?"
Aaban shook his head, "Didn't get that far yet."
"How about a movie at the Retro Theatre?" Teri offered. Aaban and Goat shrugged that it was OK with them and better than nothing.
"Yeah! I'm off at eighteen... I hear they're playing a romance theme this weekend." Jillian offered to the immediate shaking of heads from the guys.
"Nuh-uh. No chick-flicks. How about an action film?" Goat said sounding hopeful with Aaban agreeing wholeheartedly with him.
"Oh Honey, pleeeeeeeease?" Teri asked sweetly as she clung to his arm, smiled and batted her eyelashes.
"Yes Honey, pleeeeeeeease?" Jillian said doing the same thing to Goat, who rolled his eyes.
"You ain't my girlfriend! That's not going to work!" He said to Jillian as he gave her a playful swat on the back of her head.
"No, I'm not." She agreed. "But when I go to work for you, there won't be any 'fringe benefits' in our friendship, so get it while the gettin' is good!" Jillian said in a scolding tone with her hand on her hip for emphasis, though she barely kept a straight face.
Goat made an expression of realization at Aaban, "I... hadn't thought of that. OK, chick flick it is!" Jillian gave him a kiss as Teri clapped with a cheer and Aaban sank on the sofa with his arms and head flopped, acting like he had just been 'betrayed and killed' by his best friend.
At the theatre nearby, the seats were terrible. They weren't as spacious as the newer ones built in rural areas up in the Valley since the nostalgia boom for projecting a physically moving film on to a screen. Being a Sunday, there were mostly seniors at the theatre and in true retro fashion, the loudest sound area was near the screen, so most all the patrons were there, leaving the back five rows completely free.
Goat winked to Aaban as Jillian giggled as they took the back row. "But Hun, wouldn't it be better up front?" Teri suggested.
Aaban smiled, "Theatres aren't just about the movie, Sweetie." Teri looked a little confused at his statement as she sat down munching on popcorn.
The girls sat together in the middle of the row with the guys on the outside of them. Jillian and Teri were chatting away excitedly about the potential of living together and the way they were going to decorate their side of the suite. Aaban and Goat just winked at each other, "Like old times, hey buddy?" Aaban whispered.
Fifteen minutes into the movie, the girls were still chatting, but in whispers. Goat poked Jillian in the side, causing her to give a jump and give a tickled 'squeak'. "Shhhhh, I thought you wanted to watch this wordy mush?"
"Oh, like you care!" She said back to him, giving him pokes back in his ribs, giggling.
Goat grabbed her poking finger, smiling and asked her, "Are you going to behave, or not?"
"Not!" Jillian replied with a mischievous grin as she wrapped her other hand behind his head and kissed him.
Teri giggled and wrapped her arms around Aaban's arm and leaned her chin on his shoulder and whispered, "I think Jill is getting a little involved over there."
"Oh really?" Aaban said innocently. "How dare they not watch such a good movie?" as he rolled his eyes.
He ran his nose over Teri's little black nose, feeling her light whiskers tickle his lips. They joined their friends now in a passionate kiss, his arms now wrapped around her tiny frame, caressing, as she also was doing to him.
Aaban ran his hand down, onto the side of her leg as she stretched up a little further, giving his a little more access room to fondle her butt. To his pleasant surprise, the black knee-length skirt she was wearing, wasn't the skirt-pants, but a regular skirt. "This has some potential!" Aaban thought to himself as he slipped his hand up inside of it.
Teri gave a passionate sigh and only a half-hearted, whispered protest, "Sweetie, we're in public!"
"Tell that to Jill." He whispered back to her as she looked around to find Jillian leaning over Goat.
Teri looked a little closer at them, cocked her head and snapped her head towards Aaban with a little gasp, "She.... does she have his... you know.... in her mouth?"
Aaban chuckled, "Something we'll have to teach you one of these days." He leaned over and swept her hair aside and gave her neck a good nibble as she let out a moan and dug her nails into his shoulder blade. He'd learned the things that drove his girl wild.... and made her forget unimportant things, like the fact they were in a public place.
Near the end of the movie, Jillian having returned to her seat as if nothing ever happened, looked toward Teri to find her not in her seat. For a moment, she thought perhaps Teri had to use the washroom, but as the movie screen lit with a bright scene, she saw her sitting on Aaban's lap and leaning her head on her crossed arms on the seat in front, eyes closed with a very contented expression on her face. Aaban was rubbing Teri's back fondly, gently, his head back and eyes closed.
"That was a close one" Jillian remarked with a giggle as they left the theatre. "Another two minutes and the usher would have caught you two!"
If Teri wasn't so furry, she would have been beet red with blushing. "It's all Aaban's fault!" She replied as she lightly smacked Aaban in the stomach. "He knows what to do to get me do pretty much anything!"
Aaban gave her a kiss on top of her head and pulled her closer, "Ah, but do you regret it?"
Teri paused and smiled coyly, "No, of course not." She gave him a poke in the ribs, "But that was so.... NAUGHTY!"
"That was the whole point!" Goat said with a smile and a wink to Aaban as he gave Jillian a squeeze and they continued walking towards the hover bus stop.
9 - "Changing of the Guard"
Early Monday morning, Tom came to the café to open the store when he noticed the lights were already on. Given the relatively inexperienced person that closed the night before, according to Jillian's message she left on his voicemail, he thought maybe it was an error. But then he found the door was open.
Cautiously Tom entered the café, carefully closing the door behind him to not let it slam shut. He was nervous as he walked closer to the counter and heard shuffling of the papers. "Oh, geez! There's a burglar in the office!" He thought to himself as his heart raced and breathed heavy.
Tom pulled his personal communicator out of his pocket to call the police as he slowly backed towards the exit. But in his nervousness, he ended up banging against a chair which startled his so bad, his communicator went flying across the room and behind the counter.
"Who's there?" An authoritative voice rumbled with a thick German accent.
Tom just froze as an older, heavy set man appeared from the back. He had curly grey unkempt hair at the sides and a bald top and sported a scowl that could turn someone to stone. "I said, who's there!?" He repeated as he stared at Tom.
Tom opened his mouth, but nothing came out. On his second try, he was able to squeak quietly, "T... Tom."
"Tom!" He shouted and gave a humph. "You are the opening guy for Aaban, right? He is here soon?"
Tom relaxed a bit, yet still didn't know who this intruder was. "Yes. Who are you and what are you doing here?"
The man nodded, raised an eyebrow and turned as he said, "That Jillian girl probably would have had me in a headlock by now and bitching my ears off. She's never seen me either. I guess I should be thankful that you are here, but I was hoping to see Aaban." He poured himself a coffee from one of the thermal carafe's, looked at Tom and said probably far louder than he should have, "I am Helmut Koch! I own this place."
Tom ran up to the counter. "You're the mysterious Mr. Koch? I've heard plenty about you, but...." Mr. Koch cut him off.
"Mysterious? More like mythical from the gossip Aaban tells me." He laughed, came around and sat at a table, motioning for Tom to join him. "My boy, I have heard from people that they thought Aaban really owned this place and I was a figurehead. No, I am quite real."
"Aaban said you spent all your time off world, that's why you left him to run the place. Where have you been... Sir?" Tom asked as he looked in awe that there really was a 'Mr. Koch'. He knew Aaban didn't own the place, but like most of the others, had never seen or met him.
Mr. Koch gave a deep chuckle and wiped some dribbled coffee off his chin. "I was away for a while. Probably six months. Then I came back and have been in Europe ever since."
They discussed a little bit of history of the café and Mr. Koch expertly evaded any leading question as to why he had been away and time slipped by. So much time that Aaban came barging in the door, "What the hell Tom... why isn't this place open?"
"Aaban!" Mr. Koch shouted from the table that Aaban hadn't noticed them sitting at and made the younger fellow jump.
Aaban came over slowly, grin widening, "Mr. Koch?"
"Who else? Seems you are going to make me work my own café again... damn you!" He stood up and laughed as they shook hands.
"Where have you been for the last three years?" Aaban asked curiously. "I missed our fancy business dinners. Marcel still remembers..."
Mr. Koch raised his eyebrows, "I bet he remembers! He remembers robbing me blind!"
Mr. Koch didn't quite realize the appetite he worked up during business meetings and always overate, especially on what he considered overpriced desserts. That never stopped him from returning.
"So, now you leave me for bigger and better things. What is her name?" Mr. Koch said with a grin as he jabbed Aaban in the ribs with his elbow.
"Well, I'm not leaving because of Teri...."
"Ahhh! Teri is her name." Mr. Koch interrupted with a big smile and raising a finger as a lawyer might at someone's confession.
"Goat has offered me a position as manager at his new lounge on the..." Aaban was cut off again.
"Space dock!" Mr. Koch finished his sentence for him. "Gunther called me and explained the whole story. Yes, we need to train someone quick, because your friend also steals Jillian from me."
"Gunther?" Tom asked curiously.
"Gunther..." Mr. Koch said, "Jonnahfar's father."
"I thought his name Gontarr?" Tom tried to politely correct the elderly man by phrasing it as a question.
"Gun-tar... how unpronounceable for me. Translation I think is easier, Gunther." Mr. Koch said matter of factly as Aaban nodded to Tom that the translation was correct.
Mr. Koch explained that he and Gontarr were friends like he and Jon are. A fact neither Aaban or Tom knew until now. "Who do you think owned the bar and grill when he came to work for me, huh?"
Mr. Koch sighed, sat back in his chair and continued, "Twenty years I was off world. Trying to forget my ex wife. I came back to start this place for a while and keep a low profile. Her lawyers had a long memory, found me and off I went again."
"Why didn't they just take this place too, then?' Aaban asked, shocked to hear this story for the first time.
"Pegasiian law! I was working in their system and they prohibit taking of businesses without being served the proper documents. Her lawyer could never find me off world."
"But this is a Terran café, isn't it? "Tom asked, not following Mr. Koch.
Mr. Koch nodded, "Yes! Registered to a Pegasiian owner... I have dual Terran-Pegasiian citizenship since I left the first time. It was easier to work with them that way and why I was able to sponsor Gunther after a couple of years when he proved he could run the bar."
"But now they will for sure find you?" Tom asked.
Mr. Koch shook his head, "Doesn't matter any more. I learned my ex wife passed away three years ago. That is why I went home to the German province of Europe. I needed to... start over." He bowed his head, in obvious hiding of emotion. "Aaban, good luck to you and your Teri. You don't deserve to end up a lonely old man."
"AHEM!" Was heard loudly behind the talking men as they turned around to see five customers, dressed in business suits lined up at the counter.
"Look at me, first day on the job and I have screwed up already." Mr. Koch said as he got up from his chair and Tom and Aaban moved like lightning. Nothing except the one thermal carafe of coffee Mr. Koch had made was prepared. Most of the customers thought the place closed and went elsewhere that morning.
It was a long month as Aaban caught Mr. Koch up on the record keeping system. The machines were pretty much the same since he had left, so only a small refresher course was needed.
Jillian had done an admirable job training three new employees. One of them was a Canisian by the name of Matarr. But more surprisingly, he was of a pure blooded wolf caste. On his home world, that was the ruling caste and known to be less than kind to 'lesser' members of the population.
Matarr was a misfit on his world and came to Earth on a spiritual quest. Something his well to do family accepted without question. He however, had deeper goals.
On Canisius, the wolf caste considered themselves 'predestined' to be the 'strength of the world' and most opted for military or government service. Matarr, or Mat as his new co-workers all called him, was very spiritual and preferred to work on his inner strength. It was a way that many youths of his caste were taking to, mostly in hiding. But Mat had a vision that a renaissance was about to sweep his world. He wanted to explore this further, but with his world pressuring him into politics or military service, he decided to come to Earth for a few years on a 'pilgrimage' before entering such service (which he had no intention of doing).
Mat was the favourite of Jillian to replace Aaban as manager. He dealt well with people, spoke in a soft voice, humble was an understatement for him and authority came from his piercing, blue eyes when he needed to use them.
Mr. Koch had given full trust in Mat as well, something that didn't come easy for him. "A dishonest Canisian on Earth I have not met." He said, "If they want something, they ask. If they don't like you, you go to the hospital. But lie to you? Steal from you?" He shook his head.
Later that evening, Aaban was relating his experience at seeing Mr. Koch again and Teri was happy that meant a replacement for Aaban and Jillian was soon in coming with the boss there.
"How does your family feel about you going up to the station to work and live?" Aaban asked her and immediately noticing an uncomfortable look in her eyes.
"They are quite thrilled!" She said happily. "Dad's tickled that I'm singing again, too."
"But?" He asked with an eyebrow raised as Teri squirmed a bit, "They aren't thrilled about me, right?"
Teri paused, looking for the words. "Dad doesn't know about you. I don't think he'd understand our relationship."
Aaban breathed a sigh of relief, "I take it that's a good thing." After taking another bite of dinner, he carefully asked, "Any of them know about me?"
Teri smiled and her eyes twinkled, "Mom knows I have someone I love." She finished her bite of dinner and continued, "And that we're close.... physically. She was the one that suggested I don't tell dad.... until....." She trailed off.
"Until?" Aaban pried at her mischievously and Teri just gave him silence, but a hopeful smile.
"Let me guess, your sister knows all the details." Aaban asked with a wink.
"Uh-hum." she just said as she chewed. A few moments later she explained, "She was the one that gave me the lace bra."
"That's right, you said there was a story behind it."
"She wore it when she found her first love.... she hoped it would do the same for me." Teri said with a wink.
His last last day here, Aaban was saying his good-byes to the local area people that didn't normally come into the café, especially the Chin's.
"You were right Mrs. Chin, seems my 'Ming-yun' is taking me elsewhere."
She looked at him with a big smile, "First step only for you, but in the right way I believe."
He thanked and hugged her and accepted a gift from a grinning Mr. Chin, "This for luck!" He said as he rolled something into Aaban's hand before he saw what it was. He thanked him appreciatively for the gift and left.
"Oh, get off of him Jill! You're acting like a mother!" Goat mocked Jillian for her emotional and tearful farewell to Aaban as he, Goat and Teri were leaving to prepare for the grand opening of 'Jonnahfar's'. She would follow in a few weeks, but Goat needed his book keeper and manager straight away. Teri was also to be the 'star attraction', along with Jason for the opening night and a few days after.
"Hey, he and Teri get hugs. What have I been giving you for the last two straight weeks, huh?" She retorted to Goat as he fell silent, but had a big toothy grin on his face.
"So now my boy finally moves out of the house!" Gontarr said as he embarrassed Goat by giving him a farewell hug in front of everyone. "I will be there for your grand opening. You may need some help with dishes or something." He finished with a wink.
Goat for the first time since Aaban met him, couldn't keep his tears back as he hugged his dad again, "I'll miss the hell out of you too dad."
Aaban counted down in his head, "Three... two... one..." And right on cue was a collective "Awwwww!" from Teri and Jillian.
But Aaban was not to escape the burly Pegasiian's grip as he shook Gontarr's hand and he also pulled him into a hug. "You take care of my Jonnahfar up there."
Mr. Koch as well was seeing them off and promised to shoo Jillian up there in two weeks, not a second longer.
The 50 minute ride today felt like a full day to Aaban. He realized now that he didn't have a problem with space after all, it was the getting there that unnerved him immensely. Especially because it was very busy around the space dock with one of the giant Procyon class cruise ships coming in.
"Damn!" Goat shouted. "I forgot about this in the excitement. Dad's going to be slammed tonight with her crew and regular travellers."
Teri patted his arm, "You will have your own 'slams' to worry about soon enough, Jon." She gave him a consoling smile, "Your dad will be just fine."
They settled into their new abode with what they had on them at the time. It would be two days before the cargo ship with the rest of their belongings and furniture arrived. Aaban however, pulled out a now prized possession from a large bag that he carefully packed and placed it on the portable utility table he and Goat were going to use as a makeshift coffee table.
"You smuggled a plant up here?" Goat asked, looking at the pot that took up most of the space on one of two tables they had. "If the station manager sees that, he'll read you the riot act on mould spores and stuff and probably fine the hell out of you."
Aaban shrugged, "Hey, I've kept it alive and it was the first thing Teri ever bought me."
Goat just rolled his eyes and went and put his clothes away in the storage bins and checked out the cushioned metal slab what they called a bed. "Can't wait for that cargo ship to get here. I won't be able to sleep until my own bed gets here."
"You've gone soft!" Aaban shouted from the living room towards the bedroom. "Like you're sleeping here anyway until you see your place open up!"
Teri came in through the adjoining door with an irritated look on her face, "The bunk over there is hard as a rock!"
"So is our bunks apparently." Aaban said, nodding towards the bedroom. "Have you ever gone camping?"
Teri nodded, "We could camp in our field, it was fun!"
Aaban pulled a roll out of another bag and with a loud *POP*, an air mattress inflated on the living room floor. "So have I!" He said with a grin.
"What the hell was that?" Goat shouted as he came out of the bedroom and saw the mattress. "So, like I'd get any sleep anyway with you two making a racket all night on the living room floor?"
Aaban laughed, "Hey, until Jillian gets here, I thought Teri and I would give you some privacy and stay at her place." He winked as he picked up the mattress and headed to the adjoining door with it and Teri right behind him looking most pleased with her boyfriend's ingenuity.
"Abman is right, I am getting soft... in the HEAD!" Goat said to himself after they already left. He hadn't thought of that as a temporary solution and worst of all, he had his lounge on his mind so much, he hadn't even thought of how to arrange bringing a lady back to their quarters.
He checked out the washroom facilities and after a pause, looked into the mirror, "Hey you!" He said to his reflection, "Becoming your dad already, huh?" He thought for a moment on his dad's life, working so hard to bring him up, being dad, mom, pretty much a whole family to him and never neglecting him for a minute or putting his pub ahead of him. His mind wandered... he must have relatives? Did they not want to see him? Did they even know about him? Did his mom think of him at all? He sighed, "Focus... you are in charge. No safety net now. Just.... do what you have to do. Just do it!"
Aaban and Goat worked long and hard and with the staff Gontarr had recruited for his son, preparations went relatively quickly. Teri had an efficient and streamlined system in place for the point of sale, accounting and even managed to have it approved for the import tracking of speciality items not available in the Terran system. They were three days ahead of schedule and to Aaban's dismay, Teri spent most of her free time rehearsing over video link with Jason, who was getting pretty excited about the opening himself.
The eve before opening, Aaban and Goat were going over the last minute plans at one of the café's on the station. Aaban went more than his budget should allow, everything being at least three times more expensive than planet side, but he missed the café and the free coffee it allowed him. He knew bigger things awaited him with Goat, but still to let go of five years didn't come easy.
"I thought we'd find one of you here" Came a deep voice from beside them. Gontarr had arrived and beside him was Jillian. The last minute planning would wait as they enjoyed a joyful reunion like they hadn't seen each other in months.
"I thought you would be another week?" Goat said sounding both surprised and pleased.
She smiled and shrugged and smiled, "I changed my mind. Girls privilege, y'know."
"Mat and Mr. Koch can handle things and told you to 'rause' or something, right?"
Jillian laughed, "That was exactly it. Mat and his monk-like demeanour just fit that place. Business is great."
"Well, ummm, great... I think." Aaban replied feeling not quite as important as he did a few minutes ago.
"I didn't mean it that way!" Jillian realized what she said and her eyes widened as she blushed and placed her hand over her mouth embarrassed.
Teri rescued her with her arrival to see what was keeping the boys so long. When they saw each other, there was a happy squeal from the two of them so loud that space dock security poked their heads inside.
"Now that I'm thoroughly deaf, let's get back to the lounge and we can show dad around." Goat said to Aaban as the three left the girls to their light-year-a-minute chatter.
Opening night could not have gone better for business, but ran Goat and his staff ragged. Gontarr was having the time of his life, though totally not dressed for the part. Waitresses had spectacular black evening gowns on, waiters had tuxedos and even the bussers wore black bow ties, white shirts with black pants and black aprons.
Gontarr on the other hand had a flannel plaid shirt half unbuttoned and sleeves rolled up, jeans and a white apron as a halfer as he expertly weaved through the crowd carrying a huge tray filled with at least a dozen tables orders.
Jillian being the hostess was a like a bright star greeting everyone that came in in her revealing red sequined dress, strap high heeled shoes and let her waist length straight hair hang freely down.
"How come you never dressed like that for me?" Goat asked when they were on a break.
Jillian just smiled as she retorted, "How come you always dressed like a biker and never in that tux for me?"
Teri and Jason began their set. As in the café, the loud, crowded room fell dead silent when she let her songbird voice fill the room with song like the station had never heard. An hour later, it filled with applause and cheers like the station had never heard.
Gontarr could only stay and help for the one night. Goat appreciatively thanked his dad for being there for him and looked forward to having him there again. "If you need me..." Goat said, "...just call and I'll be there for you too!"
Gontarr just smiled, "Thanks son, but always look onward and upward and never look back. That was my secret." With a pat on the side of Goat's face, he left for the passenger boarding area to Earth.
On the third and final day of the grand opening before 'business as usual', Jillian had just locked the doors as the five flopped down in chairs at a large table, absolutely exhausted. It was 0400 station time, yet all but Jason forgot what time meant any more.
Teri was laying with her head in her crossed arms on the table, eyes closed. Aaban was sprawled in a chair, eyes half closed. Jillian had kicked off her shoes and had her feet on Goats lap and he was too tired to even look at the data pad to see what they made that night. Jason was the only one looking reasonably awake until he said something none of them had heard from him before, "I'm not even hungry."
There was a tap at the front door. In unison, all five said, "We're closed!"
The tap came again.
Jillian growled as she got up and stomped towards the entrance.
"They're sure going to be sorry..." Goat remarked with a grin.
Jillian opened the door to what appeared to be a young teenage Pegasiian girl, dressed in a what could only be described as an ancient, Terran 'hoodie', sweatpants and had a backpack on. "Look kid, we're closed and we couldn't let you in even if we weren't. This is a Terran station."
"Is there a Jonnahfar, son of Gontarr here?" She said looking up at Jillian with eyes as tired as hers.
Jillian was about to explode or send her away or something. But the pitiful look on the girl's face made her decide otherwise, "Okay kid, come in. But only for a moment, we are all tired and want to go home."
"Thank you." The girl said quietly as she paid no notice to Jillian's mood and walked in.
"Goat, you have a visitor." Jillian said as the two approached the table.
Goat looked up and studied the girl. "Do I know you?"
She shook her head.
"Are you hungry? Can I get you something?"
She shrugged, "A little."
"Garçon!" Goat said raising his hand. Aaban took that to mean him as he got up with a grumble and a moan and went into the kitchen to see if there was any leftovers.
"Would you like to sit down?" Goat asked as she just stood there and stared at him.
"Are you Jonnahfar, son of Gontarr?" She asked.
"Yes, I am young lady. What can I do for you?" Goat replied looking a little cautious. A few things went through his mind, but that this girl could be his daughter from one of his escapades was unlikely... she appeared to be in her early to mid teens and Goat was only 24.
"You have.... or had a mother named Aanuah?"
Goat's face hardened. He'd been pondering his family deeply for the last few days and what they mean to him, even if he wasn't in their thoughts. He explored a wide range of emotions on the subject, some so intense he was glad even his closest friend had given him some privacy until Jill arrived at the station. Right now, he was not in the mood for guessing games, especially with young strangers on the topic of his family.
"Young lady, I really am not in the mood to discuss my private affairs. You may take any food Aaban find you and leave!"
She took no notice of Goat's reproving tone and took two steps closer to him, with both a smile and tears now running down her face. "I'm.... my name... is Harliah. I'm.... your sister."
Goat's jaw dropped. Jillian's did the same as she literally collapsed back into her chair. Jason had a shocked smile on his face. Teri was snoring and Aaban walked in with some mishmash of leftover fried vegetarian this and that he found for the Pegasiian visitor.
Aaban arrived in time to see his obviously shocked friend take the girl into his arms as they hugged each other and let loose the whole gamut of emotion. He looked at Jillian, "I missed something hella good, didn't I?"
Jason nodded profusely, "Family reunion!"
Jillian was wiping tears from her eyes as she looked at Aaban, "She's his sister."
Jason looked at the plate Aaban now put down at the table toward the girl and sat down. "Is there by chance any Calamari left back there?" Jason said with a smile as the plate filled his sinuses with a smell that awoke his appetite.
Aaban reached into his pocket and took out the gift Mr. Chin had given him. It was a priceless 2,500 year old coin with Chinese writing on it and a square hole in the middle. Tied on it was some red string. Had he known it was a real Han Dynasty coin, he likely would not have accepted it. But after seeing the 'luck' effects, he treasured the piece as he placed it back in his pocket.
End Part 1