Page 35 of Accounting for Taste

“Surprise, expecting it, doesn’t matter.He likes me reckless or shy.”

Essan laughed and stroked his hand down her back.“You aren’t wrong.”

“Found some new scales?”

He hissed softly, “Yes, and I will greet them properly as soon as our hosts return and show us where our guestroom is.”

She chuckled.“If you get desperate, we can always go and defile the shuttle.”

His soft hissing against her neck made her consider the shuttle option.The flicking of his forked tongue had caught her focus.

He paused.“It seems my brother wishes to speak to me.”

He abandoned her and went to talk to Zell.Kris looked to Yorness.“Was he always that much of a twit?”

“No, Nana, I am pretty sure that it’s a recent development.I don’t know how he was with my ancestor, but there are no records of him playing tag with her.”

Sage wandered over and sat with them.“Well, it looks like we have lost our playmates.”

Kris chuckled.“Do you mean Harwin or Zell?”

Sage wrinkled her nose.“No comment.”

Yorness laughed.

They got some more snacks, the primal Terrans gathered around, they made a pillow fort, and had a pre-sleepover chat.

Kris sat up after Sage mentioned a similar sleepover on Bailey’s ship surrounded by Earth trees.The other ladies sat up, and Kris asked, “What kind of trees?”

“Uh, cacao and coffee.I think she had some tea bushes.Bailey believes that some of our traditions need to be restarted on other worlds.”

Kris asked, “Where is she now?”

“Um, probably under Symo?His ship was heading home.”She smiled.“We are going to test the plants we got in Zell’s system.”

Kris paused, “Is Zell’s ship a transport or—”

“Warship.”

“Dang.”

Sage said, “You are really getting into the whole bossy consort thing, huh?”

“It has its moments.What about you?”

“I got companion training, so I can pour a steady cup of tea in a hurricane.”

Kris frowned.“But you are a consort.”

“Yup.Paperwork is filed and everything.”

Jasmine asked, “What is the difference?”

Sage snorted.“Foreplay and aftercare.A companion contract is mostly about being an outlet, not a partner.”

Kris nodded.“That sounds like it sucks.”

“Minimal sucking.”

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