Page 32 of Tyton: The Spider and the Dragonfly
Talia’s lopsided smile lit up her face.“I promise I won’t take you anywhere fancy then.”
It was somehow just the right response to break the tension and Callie couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
“I’ll be by at eight.”Talia flashed her overlarge incisors and then turned to leave.“Oh,” she paused.“Before I go, Sparx said to tell you that she’s in if you are.”
“What?”Callie sputtered, but Talia was already gone.
Callie paid for her ankle repair with the ScripChip and walked back home.It felt strange to be able to move without pain again.The pod must have given her some chem.
The door slid shut and Callie sighed with relief.Too much had happened over the last couple of days.Someone had rearranged her life, like after Brin had left.And after that trauma, she’d spent two years wallowing and taking up space.
She waited for the niggling voice of anxiety to pipe up, but it remained oddly silent.Callie did notwantto hide again.She may not be brave or bold and she might rely on Sparx a little too much to drag her out of her rut, but she refused to justexistanymore.
So yes, it might be a bad idea and yes, she might still have reservations about Talia, but she’d had fun last time.Shewantedto have fun again.So, doubts be damned, she was going to go on this date.
With some help from Sparx.
Queen of Swords
January 3 2268
C
allie stood in front of her bathroom mirror, Sparx jacked into her Opti so she could see what Callie saw.
“You’re gorgeous.You know that, right?”
“This is the third time you’ve said that.Stop fawning and help me fix my hair.”Callie fussed with the longer strands on top.
“Pixie.It’s classic butchy-femme, but not too femme.It also works with your…utilitarian style.”
Callie pulled on a fashionably torn grey tank – band merch from an electropunk group that hadn’t put out anything in decades.The colour brought out her eyes and she hoped her re-dyed ash-blonde hair, cut short, might give her a bratty ice-queen punk vibe.More like ice-princess too scared to ask for extra soy sauce, she thought.
“Fine, send it over.”
Sparx sent the specs over to her clippers while she threw on a plastic cape.The clippers did a quick scan of her head and then whirred to life.
“Anything else?”Callie flapped her arms.Who was she fooling?She wasn’t ready to go on an actual date.
“You’re gorgeo…” Callie cut the call when her door chirruped at her.Talia was here.
Callie opened the door to reveal the tall, thin woman in a tailored black suit.She leaned rakishly against the wall.The slacks draped over her slight hips, paired with an unfastened blazer.The sleeves rolled up to show off her forearms.A single raised vein snaked down toward her fingers and Callie had to stop herself from staring.
“No spikes this time?”she teased, giving herself a moment to recuperate.“I thought we weren’t going anywhere fancy.”
“Only on my head.”Talia pointed to her bright red hair, a mussed-up row of longer hair, poking in all directions that travelled from her forehead to her rat tail at the back, somewhat shorter at the sides.The effect would be ridiculous on anyone else, but she wore it with such confidence that it would probably be next year’s trend.“And I like attention.You should have guessed that about me by now.”
Callie stepped out into the hallway and into the aura of Talia’s scent.Artificial peach, with the subtones of gear oil.Strange, but so was Talia.Callie had been expecting something more brash or ostentatious, but this felt soinnocent.
“Where to?”Callie asked, stuffing her hands in her pockets.
Talia saw through it and offered her elbow.It was a cheeky move, but Callie took it anyway, slipping her hand along her slight, but surprisingly firm bicep.Her doubts about this date started to fade.Part of her wanted this to work.
“Let’s go get a drink first,” Talia suggested.“Ask me anything you want.I know you’re probably freaked out about the Adlets.I don’t want you to betooafraid of me,” she teased.“Though,” she leaned close to whisper against Callie’s ear, “a little fear can be fun, if you’re into that.”Talia winked and sucked at her bottom lip.A hot rush bloomed below her navel.She should be annoyed at how forward Talia acted, but couldn’t help but feel charmed.
The pair stepped out into the cool air, biting at the bare skin of Callie’s armsbefore their Thermabulles hummed to life.“C’mon.”Talia jerked her head towardThe Cars.“I know a place we can sit for a bit before we hit the club.”
Talia sauntered through the refuse and graffiti-covered corrugated aluminium, sporting Callie like a prize.Callie’s stomach fluttered, a jolt of giddiness skittering up her spine at being shown off.Talia jerked her head toward several people Callie had never noticed before.They must also be Adlets.Then she saw Mike.
