Shattered lives, p.34
Shattered Lives, page 34
part #2 of Rymellan Series
“Agreed, but not every overseer is invited. You know how we’re usually issued a block of invitations to these sorts of events that we rotate around to different officers? I bet they do it the same way.”
And it had been Stewart’s turn to attend. “Someone had to submit his name. If you have him replaced with another overseer, his superiors and colleagues will probably find out and wonder. It could affect his career. I’m not sure he deserves that for sending me two letters.”
Laura’s hand went to her hip. “So you’d rather put him in the same room with Jayne, at a ceremony filled with members of the military and government, and the Preeminent Ruler?”
Lesley imagined shouts erupting in the middle of the ceremony, or worse. “I admit, the thought’s a little scary. But if he causes trouble in that environment, he’s already fallen. Perhaps this sounds terrible, but I’d rather he commit a violation in a room filled with military and witnesses, than on a path Jayne is strolling along.”
“Point taken.”
“And seeing Jayne might help him. Right now she’s some monster he’s built up in his mind.” Lesley knew from experience that seeing an imagined foe could make all the difference.
“All right, I won’t ask to have him removed. But I’ll have a few words with him when I spot him, let him know I’m watching him.”
“And I’ll mention it to Jayne. I don’t want her to be unprepared, in case he approaches her.” Unfortunately, that meant she’d have to tell Jayne and Mo about the letters, to explain how she knew about Stewart’s connection to the Incident and why his presence at the ceremony could be a problem. Lesley wasn’t looking forward to the conversation; it would be the first time she’d explicitly discuss the Incident with Jayne. The prospect made her squirm.
As Laura drew breath to reply, Lesley’s comm station beeped. “We’ll talk later,” Laura mouthed. There wasn’t much left to say anyway.
Lesley frowned at the name on the display. “Thompson. Yes, Counsellor Berry?”
After initial pleasantries, Berry said, “I’d like to see you, Lesley. Do you have ten or fifteen minutes to drop in later today?”
“Well, I do, but Mo’s up on 72 for the next few days, and I’m not sure if Jayne is available.”
“That’s fine. I’d like to see you alone.”
“Oh.” Why? “All right. Um, would 5:15 this evening be okay?”
“Sure. It won’t take long. I’ll see you then.”
Lesley glanced at the time. Over three hours to wonder what Berry wanted. She mentally reviewed their last session, but couldn’t think of anything she’d said that would warrant time alone with Berry, especially since Mo had been right and she hadn’t said much at all. Perhaps Berry wanted to discuss why she didn’t say more, but that would apply to Jayne, too. Had Berry also arranged to see Jayne alone? Lesley didn’t want to ask, in case Berry hadn’t.
Three long hours later, she was settling into one of the comfortable chairs in Berry’s consultation room. She declined tziva and tried not to look anxious. “Thank you for coming,” Berry said. “I know it’s early days, but I’ve noticed something during our sessions, and I thought it prudent to bring it up now.”
“I see.” Lesley crossed her legs. Her new position immediately felt uncomfortable, but if she moved again, she’d look nervous.
“I’m glad you, Mo, and Jayne are making the effort to see each other,” Berry said. “I’m very pleased about the Dance Hall. But I’ve noticed that Mo spends time alone with Jayne, but you don’t. Can you tell me why?”
She hadn’t realized Berry was keeping track! “What about Jayne? Are you calling her in, too?”
“I think we both know it’s highly unlikely that Jayne will beep you and ask to see you alone. You’ll have to be the one to take that initiative, and I’m wondering why you haven’t.”
Mo was right. This whole counselling thing was a waste of time. “Mo’s not on duty all the time, like I am. And Jayne’s more comfortable with Mo.”
“Maybe because she sees Mo more often.”
“No, because I’m an Interior officer.”
Berry was silent for a moment. “If that’s true, then that’s all the more reason for you to spend some time alone together. If you won’t let her get to know you, she’ll never see past your uniform.”
Not able to bear the discomfort any longer, Lesley uncrossed her legs. Doing so made her realize how taut her body was. She tried to relax. “Why can’t we just let things happen naturally, instead of forcing them?”
“Why would you have to force yourself to see Jayne alone?”
Was that all counsellors could do? Ask questions?
“Lesley?” Berry prompted when Lesley didn’t reply.
“Look, I don’t have anything against seeing Jayne alone. It’s just never occurred to me.”
“So you won’t have any problem beeping her tonight and setting up a time to see her alone? It doesn’t have to be an all-day affair. Start with an hour. Meet her for lunch.” Berry’s mouth turned up at the corners. “It will give you and Jayne something to talk about at our next session.”
Mo would love that, sitting there listening to her and Jayne talk about their lunch date! Mo. Lesley had never given any thought to seeing Jayne alone because Mo always volunteered to do it. She hadn’t minded going along with her, especially since she understood why Mo was so quick to step in. Did Berry realize the trouble seeing Jayne alone could cause? “Mo won’t like it if I see Jayne alone,” she stated, hoping that would be the end of the matter.
Berry curtly shook her head. “If that’s going to be a problem, then we should surface it early, so we can deal with it. Avoiding the issue won’t make it go away. It will only make it worse.”
“I know. I guess I hoped . . .” Well, she wasn’t sure what she’d hoped. She couldn’t avoid seeing Jayne alone forever. They’d eventually live together. If Mo couldn’t handle them being alone by then . . .
“Mo has to accept that she can’t always be around when you’re with Jayne,” Berry said, her eyes on Lesley’s face. “Do you mind when Mo’s alone with Jayne?”
“No.” But she trusted Mo. Why couldn’t Mo trust her after all these years? She’d never given Mo any reason to doubt her. “I’ll beep Jayne,” she said, wanting to end the conversation.
“Just see her for an hour, for lunch,” Berry suggested again. “If there’s a problem, we’ll deal with it together.”
Easy for Berry to say—she wouldn’t be there when Mo exploded. All Berry could do was help pick up the pieces. Lesley forced a smile. “All right.” She stood, signalling that the conversation was now closed and not caring whether Berry agreed. But despite her eagerness to leave the room, she paused at the door. Now there were two conversations she wasn’t looking forward to, and she wouldn’t mind Berry’s advice on how to approach the second, less personal one. “While I’m here, can I ask your advice about another matter?”
“Of course.” Berry gestured to the chair, but Lesley remained near the door.
“Mo and I have never discussed the Incident with Jayne. I have to talk to her about something related to it. It’s possible I’ll tell her a detail she doesn’t know. I don’t know, because I don’t know what she knows.” Lesley chuckled nervously. “Do you have any advice on how to approach it?”
Berry leaned back in her chair and pursed her lips. “Be straightforward, and don’t worry if you feel uncomfortable. The Incident is an uncomfortable subject, and talking to someone so closely connected to it will compound the discomfort. I think having a conversation about it will be beneficial.”
“Why?”
“Because Jayne needs to know she can talk to you about it. You can’t pretend the Incident didn’t happen, or deny her connection to it.”
“We don’t. But I can’t see Jayne wanting to talk to us about it.”
“Maybe not now, but I suspect you’ll all want to talk about it eventually.”
Berry could be right. At the Dance Hall, Lesley had been disappointed when her conversation with Carol was interrupted. She couldn’t help being curious about what had happened to Jayne after the Incident and how she felt about it. What about her parents? Did Jayne miss them? Love them? Hate them? How did it feel, being the daughter of two people who’d fallen from the Way in such a spectacular fashion? Was the rift with her brother related to the Incident? If Jayne’s parents had died any other way, would Lesley be as hesitant to ask her these questions? Then again, Jayne had never asked Mo how her mama had died. That was another uncomfortable conversation in their future, one Jayne was probably waiting for Mo to initiate.
Lesley shifted her weight. “At least I won’t be alone. Mo will be with me. I’ll tell her about it first.”
“No,” Berry stated flatly. “You said you might be telling Jayne something about the Incident she doesn’t know. She should hear it first, not Mo.” She raised her hand when Lesley opened her mouth to speak. “I know you’re more comfortable talking to Mo, but put yourself in Jayne’s shoes. How would you feel if Mo always told Jayne about things that concern you before she told you?”
Lesley didn’t have to think too hard to know it would bother her. But to explain how she knew about Stewart’s connection to the Incident and why his presence at the medal ceremony would be worrisome, she had to tell Jayne about the letters she’d received. Mo would not react well to Jayne hearing about the letters first, especially if she was already upset because they were spending time alone.
“If having Mo there will make the conversation that much more comfortable for you, then tell Mo with Jayne, not before her,” Berry said.
Lesley nodded, accepting Berry’s advice. “I’m sorry. I’ve taken up more of your time than I should have.”
Berry smiled. “No, that’s all right. And the fact that some issues are arising is encouraging. I’d be worried if that wasn’t the case.”
When Lesley reached her aviacraft, she sat in the pilot’s seat and pondered whether to beep Mo and tell her about the conversation with Berry. She decided against it. Mo would only stew about it on 72 and return itching for a fight.
Jayne would probably be available for lunch while Mo was still on 72. Wouldn’t it be better to see her and then tell Mo about it in person, after the fact? Mo couldn’t worry about something that had already taken place without affecting their relationship. She wouldn’t have time to build the lunch into something it wasn’t and couldn’t torture herself when Lesley and Jayne were at lunch, brooding about what they were discussing and how long they were lingering over their meal. When Lesley told Mo about the lunch, she could tell her exactly what they’d discussed, where they’d eaten, and how much time they’d spent together. Mo couldn’t twist reality, no matter how hard she tried.
She beeped Jayne and patiently waited for her to respond, knowing from experience that a half-minute wait wasn’t unusual.
“Yes,” Jayne finally said.
“I just saw Counsellor Berry. She’s concerned that you and I aren’t spending time alone together, so I told her we’d have lunch.” She thought she heard Jayne chuckle. “Are you available Thursday?”
“Yes.” Jayne paused. “What does Mo think?”
Lesley hesitated. “She won’t be back from 72 until Friday. I’ll mention it to her when she gets back,” she said casually.
“You sure you shouldn’t tell her before we go?”
“Why?” Lesley said, bristling. “We’re only having lunch because Berry’s forcing us to. Mo won’t care. Why make a big deal of it, when it’s nothing?”
Silence.
“I’ll tell her next time I see her. Don’t you tell her.”
“I won’t,” Jayne said.
“Why don’t I pick you up at your apartment at noon?” Lesley said.
“Sure.”
“I’ll see you Thursday at noon, then. Good-bye.” She disconnected without waiting for a reply, then felt churlish. The lunch wasn’t Jayne’s fault. Not only that, Jayne had no idea of the upset one innocent lunch might cause, didn’t know that telling Mo in advance would only lead to Mo blowing it out of proportion and spending the rest of her time on 72 worrying.
Lesley grudgingly admitted that Berry was right. If they didn’t tackle this issue now, it would only get worse. She punched in the coordinates for the Thompson estate and tried to relax while the auto-navigation system flew her home. But one possible disaster kept nagging at her: Mo finding out about the lunch before Lesley had a chance to tell her. She considered beeping Mo again, but after weighing Mo definitely brooding about the lunch against Mo possibly finding out about it, she stuck to her original decision. The odds that Mo would find out about the lunch were slim. To reduce them further, Lesley whipped off a quick dispatch to her, asking if she’d fly directly from the shuttle base to B2 headquarters upon her return, so they could have supper together, just the two of them.
She winced when Mo’s enthusiastic “yes” arrived five minutes later.
*****
Mo spotted a familiar figure coming toward her as she stepped off the elevator on Deck 7. “Ann!”
Ann wiggled her fingers. “Hey! Anyone accidentally eject today?”
Mo grinned. “I wasn’t doing practicums. Those are tomorrow. Most students have already been out at least once now, anyway.” She nodded down the corridor toward the canteen. “I’m just going to pick up a snack. Want to come? And Derek said everyone’s meeting for cards at 20:30.”
“I don’t feel like playing cards.”
“You want to hang out and do something else, then? I played last night.” And she’d probably play tomorrow night, too.
“I don’t know.”
“Come on. Want to fly a sim?”
Ann’s eyes lit up, but she shook her head. “I can’t. I, uh—I’m going down to the planet. So I can’t go to the canteen with you, either.”
“I thought you weren’t going off shift until next week.”
“I’m not.”
Strange. “Is your mama okay?”
Ann shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Then why—Ann had been conspicuously absent from cards last night, too. Mo hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but now . . . She noticed the dark half-circles under Ann’s eyes. “Did you go down last night, too? Aren’t you flying the morning shift this week?”
“Who are you, my mama? See you tomorrow.” Ann brushed by Mo.
Mo turned around and watched her stride away. Ann must be exhausted, going down for evenings. She’d have to either return to 72 very late, or rise early so she could make it back in time for her shift. The only reason Mo might do that was to see Les. Oh! “Ann!”
Almost at the elevator, Ann turned around.
Mo tried not to smile as she closed the distance between them. “Who is he?”
“Who?” Ann said, but her red cheeks gave her away.
“I can’t believe it. You’re running yourself ragged going down to the planet to see some guy?”
“What if I am?” Ann snapped.
“No, I’m happy for you. You must really like him.” For Ann, spending the night with someone and remembering his name the next day was a relationship. Mo had always understood why she was a Solitary.
“He’s just a bit of fun,” Ann said, but Mo wasn’t fooled. Could Ann possibly be in love? Mo smiled at her.
“Stop looking at me like that!” Ann said, frowning. “I told you, it’s just a bit of fun.”
Uh-huh.
“Maybe you should come down with me. Who knows what Lesley and Jayne are getting up to?”
Mo opened her mouth to reply, then realized as Ann pressed the button to summon the elevator that she was just trying to change the subject. “What’s his name?” Mo said instead. “Where’d you meet him?” The elevator door swooshed open. Ann stepped inside. “What’s his name?” Mo asked again from the corridor. She pressed her thumb against the button that would hold the elevator.
Ann folded her arms. “Come on, let the elevator go. You’re not only holding me up, there could be other people waiting for it.”
“Tell me his name and I’ll let you go,” Mo said, grinning.
Ann leaned from the elevator and pushed Mo away. “I don’t think so,” she said, then waved at Mo as the elevator door shut. Mo lunged for the Open button, but she was too late. Oh well. Feeling a bit foolish, she glanced around the corridor. Fortunately, it was deserted. She straightened her shirt and set off for the canteen.
So, Ann had a boyfriend, and it could be serious. Was he in the military? How long had it been going on? Ann hadn’t rushed down to the planet the last time Mo was on 72.
Her comm unit beeped twice. She opened the dispatch from Ann and read a single word: Andrew. So why couldn’t Ann have just told her that? Was she really that shy about her relationship that she had to answer questions via dispatch? Since Ann was so reluctant to divulge details, Mo would have to drag them out of her. Nah, she wouldn’t. After tonight, she’d only be on 72 for one more evening and would probably play cards again. By the time she had the chance to have an extended private conversation with Ann, the relationship would probably be long over. If Mo mentioned the name Andrew, Ann would say, “Who?” just as she always did and be back to hanging around with Mo whenever she could, taking every opportunity to suggest that Les and Jayne were having fun while Mo was on 72.
When Ann had tried to divert the conversation to them, Mo had been pleased, for once. She wanted to tell Ann that Les missed her so much, she’d suggested that Mo fly right to headquarters so they could have supper when she arrived back on Rymel. Mo might finally see Les’s office! Nope, she wasn’t concerned about Les and Jayne at all. She had that situation completely under control.
*****
Jayne pulled out the chair across from Lesley and hoped that lunch would be less awkward than the time they’d already spent together. Except for a brief conversation about where to eat, they’d barely said a word in the fifteen minutes it had taken to walk here, and the silence hadn’t been comfortable. Now they’d be staring at each other.
And it had been Stewart’s turn to attend. “Someone had to submit his name. If you have him replaced with another overseer, his superiors and colleagues will probably find out and wonder. It could affect his career. I’m not sure he deserves that for sending me two letters.”
Laura’s hand went to her hip. “So you’d rather put him in the same room with Jayne, at a ceremony filled with members of the military and government, and the Preeminent Ruler?”
Lesley imagined shouts erupting in the middle of the ceremony, or worse. “I admit, the thought’s a little scary. But if he causes trouble in that environment, he’s already fallen. Perhaps this sounds terrible, but I’d rather he commit a violation in a room filled with military and witnesses, than on a path Jayne is strolling along.”
“Point taken.”
“And seeing Jayne might help him. Right now she’s some monster he’s built up in his mind.” Lesley knew from experience that seeing an imagined foe could make all the difference.
“All right, I won’t ask to have him removed. But I’ll have a few words with him when I spot him, let him know I’m watching him.”
“And I’ll mention it to Jayne. I don’t want her to be unprepared, in case he approaches her.” Unfortunately, that meant she’d have to tell Jayne and Mo about the letters, to explain how she knew about Stewart’s connection to the Incident and why his presence at the ceremony could be a problem. Lesley wasn’t looking forward to the conversation; it would be the first time she’d explicitly discuss the Incident with Jayne. The prospect made her squirm.
As Laura drew breath to reply, Lesley’s comm station beeped. “We’ll talk later,” Laura mouthed. There wasn’t much left to say anyway.
Lesley frowned at the name on the display. “Thompson. Yes, Counsellor Berry?”
After initial pleasantries, Berry said, “I’d like to see you, Lesley. Do you have ten or fifteen minutes to drop in later today?”
“Well, I do, but Mo’s up on 72 for the next few days, and I’m not sure if Jayne is available.”
“That’s fine. I’d like to see you alone.”
“Oh.” Why? “All right. Um, would 5:15 this evening be okay?”
“Sure. It won’t take long. I’ll see you then.”
Lesley glanced at the time. Over three hours to wonder what Berry wanted. She mentally reviewed their last session, but couldn’t think of anything she’d said that would warrant time alone with Berry, especially since Mo had been right and she hadn’t said much at all. Perhaps Berry wanted to discuss why she didn’t say more, but that would apply to Jayne, too. Had Berry also arranged to see Jayne alone? Lesley didn’t want to ask, in case Berry hadn’t.
Three long hours later, she was settling into one of the comfortable chairs in Berry’s consultation room. She declined tziva and tried not to look anxious. “Thank you for coming,” Berry said. “I know it’s early days, but I’ve noticed something during our sessions, and I thought it prudent to bring it up now.”
“I see.” Lesley crossed her legs. Her new position immediately felt uncomfortable, but if she moved again, she’d look nervous.
“I’m glad you, Mo, and Jayne are making the effort to see each other,” Berry said. “I’m very pleased about the Dance Hall. But I’ve noticed that Mo spends time alone with Jayne, but you don’t. Can you tell me why?”
She hadn’t realized Berry was keeping track! “What about Jayne? Are you calling her in, too?”
“I think we both know it’s highly unlikely that Jayne will beep you and ask to see you alone. You’ll have to be the one to take that initiative, and I’m wondering why you haven’t.”
Mo was right. This whole counselling thing was a waste of time. “Mo’s not on duty all the time, like I am. And Jayne’s more comfortable with Mo.”
“Maybe because she sees Mo more often.”
“No, because I’m an Interior officer.”
Berry was silent for a moment. “If that’s true, then that’s all the more reason for you to spend some time alone together. If you won’t let her get to know you, she’ll never see past your uniform.”
Not able to bear the discomfort any longer, Lesley uncrossed her legs. Doing so made her realize how taut her body was. She tried to relax. “Why can’t we just let things happen naturally, instead of forcing them?”
“Why would you have to force yourself to see Jayne alone?”
Was that all counsellors could do? Ask questions?
“Lesley?” Berry prompted when Lesley didn’t reply.
“Look, I don’t have anything against seeing Jayne alone. It’s just never occurred to me.”
“So you won’t have any problem beeping her tonight and setting up a time to see her alone? It doesn’t have to be an all-day affair. Start with an hour. Meet her for lunch.” Berry’s mouth turned up at the corners. “It will give you and Jayne something to talk about at our next session.”
Mo would love that, sitting there listening to her and Jayne talk about their lunch date! Mo. Lesley had never given any thought to seeing Jayne alone because Mo always volunteered to do it. She hadn’t minded going along with her, especially since she understood why Mo was so quick to step in. Did Berry realize the trouble seeing Jayne alone could cause? “Mo won’t like it if I see Jayne alone,” she stated, hoping that would be the end of the matter.
Berry curtly shook her head. “If that’s going to be a problem, then we should surface it early, so we can deal with it. Avoiding the issue won’t make it go away. It will only make it worse.”
“I know. I guess I hoped . . .” Well, she wasn’t sure what she’d hoped. She couldn’t avoid seeing Jayne alone forever. They’d eventually live together. If Mo couldn’t handle them being alone by then . . .
“Mo has to accept that she can’t always be around when you’re with Jayne,” Berry said, her eyes on Lesley’s face. “Do you mind when Mo’s alone with Jayne?”
“No.” But she trusted Mo. Why couldn’t Mo trust her after all these years? She’d never given Mo any reason to doubt her. “I’ll beep Jayne,” she said, wanting to end the conversation.
“Just see her for an hour, for lunch,” Berry suggested again. “If there’s a problem, we’ll deal with it together.”
Easy for Berry to say—she wouldn’t be there when Mo exploded. All Berry could do was help pick up the pieces. Lesley forced a smile. “All right.” She stood, signalling that the conversation was now closed and not caring whether Berry agreed. But despite her eagerness to leave the room, she paused at the door. Now there were two conversations she wasn’t looking forward to, and she wouldn’t mind Berry’s advice on how to approach the second, less personal one. “While I’m here, can I ask your advice about another matter?”
“Of course.” Berry gestured to the chair, but Lesley remained near the door.
“Mo and I have never discussed the Incident with Jayne. I have to talk to her about something related to it. It’s possible I’ll tell her a detail she doesn’t know. I don’t know, because I don’t know what she knows.” Lesley chuckled nervously. “Do you have any advice on how to approach it?”
Berry leaned back in her chair and pursed her lips. “Be straightforward, and don’t worry if you feel uncomfortable. The Incident is an uncomfortable subject, and talking to someone so closely connected to it will compound the discomfort. I think having a conversation about it will be beneficial.”
“Why?”
“Because Jayne needs to know she can talk to you about it. You can’t pretend the Incident didn’t happen, or deny her connection to it.”
“We don’t. But I can’t see Jayne wanting to talk to us about it.”
“Maybe not now, but I suspect you’ll all want to talk about it eventually.”
Berry could be right. At the Dance Hall, Lesley had been disappointed when her conversation with Carol was interrupted. She couldn’t help being curious about what had happened to Jayne after the Incident and how she felt about it. What about her parents? Did Jayne miss them? Love them? Hate them? How did it feel, being the daughter of two people who’d fallen from the Way in such a spectacular fashion? Was the rift with her brother related to the Incident? If Jayne’s parents had died any other way, would Lesley be as hesitant to ask her these questions? Then again, Jayne had never asked Mo how her mama had died. That was another uncomfortable conversation in their future, one Jayne was probably waiting for Mo to initiate.
Lesley shifted her weight. “At least I won’t be alone. Mo will be with me. I’ll tell her about it first.”
“No,” Berry stated flatly. “You said you might be telling Jayne something about the Incident she doesn’t know. She should hear it first, not Mo.” She raised her hand when Lesley opened her mouth to speak. “I know you’re more comfortable talking to Mo, but put yourself in Jayne’s shoes. How would you feel if Mo always told Jayne about things that concern you before she told you?”
Lesley didn’t have to think too hard to know it would bother her. But to explain how she knew about Stewart’s connection to the Incident and why his presence at the medal ceremony would be worrisome, she had to tell Jayne about the letters she’d received. Mo would not react well to Jayne hearing about the letters first, especially if she was already upset because they were spending time alone.
“If having Mo there will make the conversation that much more comfortable for you, then tell Mo with Jayne, not before her,” Berry said.
Lesley nodded, accepting Berry’s advice. “I’m sorry. I’ve taken up more of your time than I should have.”
Berry smiled. “No, that’s all right. And the fact that some issues are arising is encouraging. I’d be worried if that wasn’t the case.”
When Lesley reached her aviacraft, she sat in the pilot’s seat and pondered whether to beep Mo and tell her about the conversation with Berry. She decided against it. Mo would only stew about it on 72 and return itching for a fight.
Jayne would probably be available for lunch while Mo was still on 72. Wouldn’t it be better to see her and then tell Mo about it in person, after the fact? Mo couldn’t worry about something that had already taken place without affecting their relationship. She wouldn’t have time to build the lunch into something it wasn’t and couldn’t torture herself when Lesley and Jayne were at lunch, brooding about what they were discussing and how long they were lingering over their meal. When Lesley told Mo about the lunch, she could tell her exactly what they’d discussed, where they’d eaten, and how much time they’d spent together. Mo couldn’t twist reality, no matter how hard she tried.
She beeped Jayne and patiently waited for her to respond, knowing from experience that a half-minute wait wasn’t unusual.
“Yes,” Jayne finally said.
“I just saw Counsellor Berry. She’s concerned that you and I aren’t spending time alone together, so I told her we’d have lunch.” She thought she heard Jayne chuckle. “Are you available Thursday?”
“Yes.” Jayne paused. “What does Mo think?”
Lesley hesitated. “She won’t be back from 72 until Friday. I’ll mention it to her when she gets back,” she said casually.
“You sure you shouldn’t tell her before we go?”
“Why?” Lesley said, bristling. “We’re only having lunch because Berry’s forcing us to. Mo won’t care. Why make a big deal of it, when it’s nothing?”
Silence.
“I’ll tell her next time I see her. Don’t you tell her.”
“I won’t,” Jayne said.
“Why don’t I pick you up at your apartment at noon?” Lesley said.
“Sure.”
“I’ll see you Thursday at noon, then. Good-bye.” She disconnected without waiting for a reply, then felt churlish. The lunch wasn’t Jayne’s fault. Not only that, Jayne had no idea of the upset one innocent lunch might cause, didn’t know that telling Mo in advance would only lead to Mo blowing it out of proportion and spending the rest of her time on 72 worrying.
Lesley grudgingly admitted that Berry was right. If they didn’t tackle this issue now, it would only get worse. She punched in the coordinates for the Thompson estate and tried to relax while the auto-navigation system flew her home. But one possible disaster kept nagging at her: Mo finding out about the lunch before Lesley had a chance to tell her. She considered beeping Mo again, but after weighing Mo definitely brooding about the lunch against Mo possibly finding out about it, she stuck to her original decision. The odds that Mo would find out about the lunch were slim. To reduce them further, Lesley whipped off a quick dispatch to her, asking if she’d fly directly from the shuttle base to B2 headquarters upon her return, so they could have supper together, just the two of them.
She winced when Mo’s enthusiastic “yes” arrived five minutes later.
*****
Mo spotted a familiar figure coming toward her as she stepped off the elevator on Deck 7. “Ann!”
Ann wiggled her fingers. “Hey! Anyone accidentally eject today?”
Mo grinned. “I wasn’t doing practicums. Those are tomorrow. Most students have already been out at least once now, anyway.” She nodded down the corridor toward the canteen. “I’m just going to pick up a snack. Want to come? And Derek said everyone’s meeting for cards at 20:30.”
“I don’t feel like playing cards.”
“You want to hang out and do something else, then? I played last night.” And she’d probably play tomorrow night, too.
“I don’t know.”
“Come on. Want to fly a sim?”
Ann’s eyes lit up, but she shook her head. “I can’t. I, uh—I’m going down to the planet. So I can’t go to the canteen with you, either.”
“I thought you weren’t going off shift until next week.”
“I’m not.”
Strange. “Is your mama okay?”
Ann shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Then why—Ann had been conspicuously absent from cards last night, too. Mo hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but now . . . She noticed the dark half-circles under Ann’s eyes. “Did you go down last night, too? Aren’t you flying the morning shift this week?”
“Who are you, my mama? See you tomorrow.” Ann brushed by Mo.
Mo turned around and watched her stride away. Ann must be exhausted, going down for evenings. She’d have to either return to 72 very late, or rise early so she could make it back in time for her shift. The only reason Mo might do that was to see Les. Oh! “Ann!”
Almost at the elevator, Ann turned around.
Mo tried not to smile as she closed the distance between them. “Who is he?”
“Who?” Ann said, but her red cheeks gave her away.
“I can’t believe it. You’re running yourself ragged going down to the planet to see some guy?”
“What if I am?” Ann snapped.
“No, I’m happy for you. You must really like him.” For Ann, spending the night with someone and remembering his name the next day was a relationship. Mo had always understood why she was a Solitary.
“He’s just a bit of fun,” Ann said, but Mo wasn’t fooled. Could Ann possibly be in love? Mo smiled at her.
“Stop looking at me like that!” Ann said, frowning. “I told you, it’s just a bit of fun.”
Uh-huh.
“Maybe you should come down with me. Who knows what Lesley and Jayne are getting up to?”
Mo opened her mouth to reply, then realized as Ann pressed the button to summon the elevator that she was just trying to change the subject. “What’s his name?” Mo said instead. “Where’d you meet him?” The elevator door swooshed open. Ann stepped inside. “What’s his name?” Mo asked again from the corridor. She pressed her thumb against the button that would hold the elevator.
Ann folded her arms. “Come on, let the elevator go. You’re not only holding me up, there could be other people waiting for it.”
“Tell me his name and I’ll let you go,” Mo said, grinning.
Ann leaned from the elevator and pushed Mo away. “I don’t think so,” she said, then waved at Mo as the elevator door shut. Mo lunged for the Open button, but she was too late. Oh well. Feeling a bit foolish, she glanced around the corridor. Fortunately, it was deserted. She straightened her shirt and set off for the canteen.
So, Ann had a boyfriend, and it could be serious. Was he in the military? How long had it been going on? Ann hadn’t rushed down to the planet the last time Mo was on 72.
Her comm unit beeped twice. She opened the dispatch from Ann and read a single word: Andrew. So why couldn’t Ann have just told her that? Was she really that shy about her relationship that she had to answer questions via dispatch? Since Ann was so reluctant to divulge details, Mo would have to drag them out of her. Nah, she wouldn’t. After tonight, she’d only be on 72 for one more evening and would probably play cards again. By the time she had the chance to have an extended private conversation with Ann, the relationship would probably be long over. If Mo mentioned the name Andrew, Ann would say, “Who?” just as she always did and be back to hanging around with Mo whenever she could, taking every opportunity to suggest that Les and Jayne were having fun while Mo was on 72.
When Ann had tried to divert the conversation to them, Mo had been pleased, for once. She wanted to tell Ann that Les missed her so much, she’d suggested that Mo fly right to headquarters so they could have supper when she arrived back on Rymel. Mo might finally see Les’s office! Nope, she wasn’t concerned about Les and Jayne at all. She had that situation completely under control.
*****
Jayne pulled out the chair across from Lesley and hoped that lunch would be less awkward than the time they’d already spent together. Except for a brief conversation about where to eat, they’d barely said a word in the fifteen minutes it had taken to walk here, and the silence hadn’t been comfortable. Now they’d be staring at each other.
