Page 11 of Warrior
“On the Bardaga, we have an extensive kitchen with many earth ingredients. Perhaps you can cook dinner for me when we get back.”
Sweet fancy Moses.
Did he just ask me for a date?
“I’d like that. I like to cook, even here, with these awful ingredients. It's a challenge to turn out something tasty."
Did I just accept a date with him?
Why did the idea of a date with Daicon make me so darn giddy?
Calm down. You're excited to cook him dinner on his ship because it means you'll be out of here.
Yeah, I didn’t believe that either.
I handed him the last pot to dry, careful to keep our hands from touching. Water and electricity didn’t mix well in my experience. The grin he gave me faltered, as though he noticed I purposely didn’t touch him and didn’t like it.
"That's it. Thank you for helping." I pulled away the large rock acting as a sink stopper, and the dirty water gurgled away.
“It was the least I could do,” Daicon grinned. He stepped away, lifting his muscular arms over his head and stretching.
Sweet fancy Moses, how did it get so stinking hot in here?
"I guess I'll go find an empty bed in the dormitory." Daicon glanced at me over his shoulder. “Good night, Daisy.”
“Wait!”
One dark brow cocked, and his lips twitched upward, one side of his face raised in amused anticipation. Heat suffused my body, and I schooled my face into neutrality, despite knowing my cheeks were pink. I’d stopped him for purely rational reasons.
“You can’t sleep in the dorm. The guards sometimes do nightly inspections to ensure no children are missing."
Daicon pursed his lips, brows furrowing. But it only lasted a moment, and he smiled again. I liked his smile.
“I’ll find a spot in one of the tunnels,” he told me with a shrug. “Good night, Daisy.”
“You are not going to sleep in the tunnels,” I huffed, my southern hostess rearing her head. Stepping closer, like my presence next to him could exert influence, I tilted my head to meet his golden gaze. “I know you didn’t get any sleep last night, and you worked in the tunnel all day. You need to get a good night's sleep. The tunnels are too cold and damp and downright nasty for that to happen.”
Daicon frowned, taking my words to heart. “Is there a place I can sleep the guards don’t inspect?”
There was a place.
Sweet fancy Moses!
Despite the butterflies that suddenly occupied my stomach, I gave a firm nod.
“Yes. My room.”
His eyebrow raised higher, and it might have peeved me off had I not caught the teasing glint in his eyes. I didn't give him a chance to tease me further, immediately going into what Gavin called mybulldozer mode.
"The guards leave me alone for me most part.” I jerked my chin toward the ragged piece of metal serving as a door. The locks wouldn't keep anyone out, but at least it would warn us someone is trying to get in." A basket of clean scraps sat by the door, and I pilfered through it as I spoke, pulling out the largest and cleanest pieces. "There are some sacks of grain and flour in the storage area. It might make a decent mattress if we lay them side by side."
Daicon’s eyes widened with surprise, but he moved into the storage area, returning with bags of alien flour hoisted on each shoulder. I went ahead of him, broom in hand, and sweptout an area in the corner of my room, purposely picking a spot to the right of the door. That way, if someone got inside before he could hide, at least he could get the drop on them.
It took him eight trips—Daicon was a big boy—before we had enough bags to make a decent-size mattress. I set about fashioning a fitted sheet and pillow with the fabric scraps.
“I can do that,” Daicon offered. I shooed him away, so he made himself useful, shoring up the door locks.
“Your very mothering,” he said softly as his fingers deftly fiddled with the small mechanism.
