Page 28 of Escape Clause

What had gotten into him? The alcohol, no doubt. He felt drunk, his head reeling, his blood hot, his body alive.

It wasn’t food he hungered for, but then he remembered she’d cooked the meal. “Let’s go eat.” He stood up and offered his hand.

She took it with a shy but accepting smile that sent the problems he carried on his shoulders tumbling away, leaving him wanting yet carefree.

Chapter Fourteen

One week later.

“Hope! It’s so good to see you. How are you? How is the governor-general?” Larth greeted her with a big smile.

“We are doing well,” she answered.For all I’ve seen of him.They’d had no problems, no arguments or disagreements, but he worked such long hours, entire days passed when she didn’t see him at all, when she ate dinner alone, and then went to bed and awakened the next morning to find him already gone.

She didn’t blame him. He had a very important job and carried the weight of his world on his shoulders. His position couldn’t compare to working in a bakery where there were set hours, and, when the shop closed, the workday ended. Krogan couldn’t tell the citizens,Sorry, I can’t deal with that crisis right now, I must meet my wife for dinner.

That’s how she consoled herself, anyway. But insecurities reared their persistent ugly heads.Maybe he regrets kissing me, so he’s avoiding me.

The kiss had been magical, hot, and sweet, igniting a little flame of hope that maybe he was developing romantic feelings, and their legal union could turn into a real marriage.

Then…nothing. A week of absences. No peck hello. No kiss good night. And during their very limited conversations, there’d been no mention of the kiss they had shared.

Logically, she knew he wouldn’t avoid her because he regretted the kiss. That would be cowardly, and he didn’t operate that way. He addressed problems head-on; he didn’t hide or play games. However, they’d both been drinking. More than a little tipsy by the time he’d come home, she’d lost her inhibitions and flirted, letting her tunic slip off her shoulder, sitting extra close to him on the sofa. Maybe the alcohol had loosened his inhibitions and caused him to act out of character, too.

Krogan wasn’t an impetuous man. Everything about him was controlled and measured. On that basis, maybe he did regret his impulsiveness.He doesn’t want to give me the wrong idea.

But her foolish heart hoped that tonight would be a second chance for a little romance. They were going to the Cosmic Mates reception. That was kind of like a date, wasn’t it?

“What brings you to the cozi?” Larth asked.

“I had some time to kill, and I thought I’d wander around the market.” She had too much time on her hands. Don Juan did everything. She’d cooked a couple more meals, but after Krogan worked late and missed them, she didn’t see the point and stopped doing that.

He had given her some suggestions of places to visit, and she’d gone to a few of them, but going solo emphasized her loneliness. She wished she could share those experiences with her husband, but he was tied up at work. So, she’d come to the market today. Other than her husband, Larth was the only person she knew.

“Might I ask you a huge favor, then?” Larth said. “Could you watch my booth for maybe an hour?”

“Um…” She bit her lip. Minding the booth was the least she could do to repay him for rescuing her. “Yeah, I guess I can do that, but what if somebody wishes to buy something? I wouldn’t know how much to charge them orhowto charge them.” She knew embeddedprogram chips were involved, but she barely managed to vap places she knew and get doors to open.

“This is the lull in the day. I don’t expect many customers until people start getting off work. If someone comes by, tell him I’ll be back by two. Mainly, I need someone to prevent theft. We don’t have a big crime problem, but an unattended booth invites trouble.”

“Sure. I’d be happy to help.” Besides repaying him for his kindness, it would give her something more exciting to do than twiddle her thumbs in the vacant penthouse and watch the birds and aerocruisers fly by.

“Thank you. I am going to visit my wife in the stasis pod. She’s unconscious and doesn’t know when I visit, but I go as often as I can to talk to her. I like to think she can sense my presence. I don’t want her to feel alone. I want her to know I love her.” His eyes misted up.

“Oh my gosh, yes. Go! I’ll man the booth.”

He bounded away, and she watched him leave with an ache in her heart.I want a husband who loves me enough to visit me even when I don’t know he’s there.

* * **

Hope was still getting dressed when Krogan arrived home to take her to the reception. He used the time to change his clothing, donning more formal attire. As he left his bedroom suite, she emerged from hers.

She had on the same blue-green dress she’d worn for their wedding. He realized he’d inadvertently chosen the same suit.

“Déjà vu,” she said.

“I don’t know what that means,” he admitted.

“It means this is a repeat. We’ve done this before.”

---