Page 64 of Space Junk: Houston, We Have a Hottie
“Flynn,” she continues, when it’s obvious I’m not grasping her insinuation. “I can see how a woman of your...style?... might attract him for a bit.” She flashes her teeth. “He always did like unique models. But after he fixes them up and drives them for a while, he gets bored and trades them in. Looks like he got himself a real fixer-upper this time.” She gives me another once-over. “Oh, darling, are those sneakers?” She laughs. Not kindly.
My hands bunch into fists at ‘darling.’ I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to hit someone in my entire life, but I desperately want to take a swing at her overly plumped lips. “Whoareyou?”
“Me? I’m Beth.” She pauses, like I’m supposed to know what that means.
“Beth who?”
Her expression falls for a moment, but she recovers quickly. “I’m the girl Flynn West wants to marry.”
My mouth drops open and it’s enough to bring that smug look back to her face.
“Marry?”
“That’s right, little girl.” She waves her pointy, polished talons at me. “You might interest him enough for him to want to pop your hood and figure out how you tick, but I’m the classic he’ll keep coming back to.” She runs both of her hands down the sides of her body, then looks pointedly at my shoes and laughs again. It’s soft and deep and sexy. And mean.
Mean enough that I don’t correct her on her faulty metaphor. Cars don’t tick, clocks do.
“Flynn is just slumming, sweetie. He’ll come around and realize his place is with me. He always does.”
The bar tunnels around me and suddenly I’m back in college, listening to the guy I liked joke with his friends about me, about how he finally bagged the nerd. Only now Brian’s face is Flynn’s and the laughter sounds like a woman’s high-pitched giggle.
“Here’s your pitcher.” The bartender sets it down, the noise making me jump. He looks to Beth, smiling. “And what can I getyou?”
Beth licks her lips and angles forward, effectively turning her back on me.
And just like that, I’m forgotten.
Looking at the weirdly symmetrical everything on this woman, I wonder how long it will take Flynn to forget me too.
I pick up the pitcher and make my way outside. I stand there for a moment taking in the scene. Trish is talking to Ian. Holt watches the screen while Jules shows off, doing flips in zero gravity. Flynn sits facing away from his brother but smiling at Rose. It’s a scene that a moment ago would’ve made me feel like I was living the dream.
Someone bumps me hard from behind and half the pitcher of beer spills, soaking my Chucks.
“Oops. Sorry.” Beth has her hand over her mouth, but she can’t quite hide the smile behind it. She brushes past me and struts toward the steps.
I wiggle my toes in my sopping shoes, tears burning behind my eyes.
“Jackie?” Rose stands, looking at me. Her attention snaps over to where Beth is grouped next to another blonde. “What. The. Fuck.” Gone is the usual affable, sweet smile. Rose looks frightening, and with how the blonde next to Beth straightens and backs up, I’m sure she thinks the same.
Rose is up and over the bench, striding toward the two women before I can take a deep breath and collect myself.
Flynn stands as well, looking at the women Rose just charged up to. “What the hell, Holt? Isn’t it enough you fucked my ex, now you invite her out? What the hell is wrong with you?”
All of my co-workers’ heads swivel around the bar, taking in the new drama I’ve brought to their door.
Holt opens his mouth, but never gets a chance to speak.
Because right then, all hell breaks loose on the ISS.
Sirens wail from the speakers by the bar. Everyone flinches and covers their ears. The small LED emergency lights flash yellow across the white station on the screen.
I forget about Beth and my squishy shoes. I put the pitcher down and run over to the camera.
“Jules!” I shout into the microphone.
The astronauts have started pulling themselves in different directions, zooming across the TV, and Jules grabs onto one of the wall handles to steady herself, looking into the camera. “Gotta go, hooker. But if you’d get yourself to MCC to sort this shit out, I’d appreciate it.” Her head turns for a moment as she talks to Bodie off screen. “Yeah, got it.” She turns to me. “Looks like the second EXT isn’t syncing like we hoped.” Her words sound like her, but her tone makes the back of my neck itch. She blows me a kiss, reaches past the camera and then the feed goes dead.
I spin and scan the crowd of people now fumbling for their phones or making for the parking lot. I see Ian on his cell near the stairs. He catches my eye and waves me over. I maneuver through the chaos, but Trish waylays me halfway there.
