Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88235 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
“Just for now, hmm?” Lauren shook her head skeptically. “Girl, we all saw that kiss. I think your ‘for now’ might be in danger of becoming ‘for always’ if you’re not careful.”
“As well as being the Alien Culture Coordinator or ACC, as I like to abbreviate it—” Kat began.
“Which sounds like Akk! Like a cat coughing up a hairball,” Liv interrupted, grinning at her friend.
“Or maybe Ass,” Sophie said thoughtfully. “Which is hardly any better.”
“Whatever.” Kat gave her friends a look of mock indignation. “Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that as well as being the ACC, I’m also the Mother Ship’s premier wedding slash joining planner. So if you need help planning your nuptials—”
“Oh, I’m sorry to disappoint you but that’s never going to happen,” Vicky said quickly. “I mean, have you seen Chain?” She cast a glance at him as he walked away, down the long row of ships, with Commander Sylvan. He wasn’t wearing his scatterlight cloak for once and his ass looked especially good in the tight black leather trousers he had on.
“Yeah, we see him. So?” Sophie put a hand on her hip. “Is there some reason the two of you could never get Joined?”
“Well, I mean, can’t you tell the age difference?” Vicky asked. “He’s at least fifteen years younger than me.”
“So?” Liv shrugged. “You wouldn’t be the first girl to get bonded to a much younger man around here.”
“But I’m too old for him!” Vicky protested.
“Listen, doll—the heart wants what the heart wants and that’s especially true when it comes to Kindred,” Kat lectured, as she led Vicky down another long row of ships. “Kindred warriors don’t have the same values—or lack of values—that Earth guys do. When they fall for you, they fall hard. And they don’t change their minds.”
“Well…that’s very nice.” Vicky smiled uncertainly. “But I don’t think it’s the case here. Chain and I are just doing this one mission together—that’s all. “Anyway,” she went on, wanting to change the subject. “What can you tell me about Priima Belle—other than the fact that it sounds like an upscale Italian bistro?” she added, which made them all laugh.
“Come with us,” Kat told her. “We’ll tell you everything we know…”
Chapter Twelve
“So I call these ‘goddess gowns,’ because look, aren’t they pretty? They remind me of something you’d see on a statue of a Greek Goddess like Athena,” Kat said, holding up a dress made of flowing, gauzy material for Vicky’s inspection.
It was, indeed, a bit toga-like—an off-the shoulder gown on one side with many floaty layers. The material was light and airy and the gowns all seemed to have graduated colors. For instance, the one Kat was showing started out very pale blush pink at the top and then deepened gradually to a lovely mauve near the waist and then turned into a gorgeous deep maroon at the bottom half of the flowing skirt which fell to Vicky’s ankles.
Kat had already made similar dresses in shades of blue, green, and purple using Vicky’s measurements and an ingenious device which seemed to be some kind of 3-D printer for clothes.
“Oh—those are beautiful!” Vicky exclaimed.
“And they drape just right to accentuate your curves instead of making you look like a puffy wedding cake,” Kat promised. “You want to try one on?”
“I’d love to!” Vicky stepped behind the folding screen Kat had set up in one corner of her office—which was just a room in her suite that she shared with her two husbands and three sons. Outside the door, Vicky could hear the kids running around like crazy but they left “Mommy’s office” strictly alone, “On pain of death or of getting in trouble with my Dark Twin husband, Deep” as Kat had said, smiling.
Vicky decided to try on the green dress first, since it would accentuate her eyes. It slipped easily over her head and fit perfectly but when she smoothed it down to admire it, she found a problem.
“Kat?” she called, looking down at the dress. “I’m afraid there’s a rip in the green gown. Or actually…two rips,” she went on, frowning.
“Make that three,” Kat said, coming around the screen to stand beside her. “There should be one in the crotch area too. And they aren’t rips—they’re ‘teaching slits.’”
“What? What does that mean?” Vicky stared down at herself in concern. The two slits were located over her breasts and her bra was currently poking through them, completely visible on either side.
“I have to be honest with you, doll—I’m not exactly sure.” Kat looked at her apologetically. “The Priima Bellans are great about sharing their learning and philosophy, but they’re kind of private about their customs and daily lives. We know they’re a safe world because it’s run by women and they welcome visitors—mostly students who go to learn or other scholars who go to share their own teachings. But we don’t know much else. In fact,” she went on, “I had a heck of a time getting pictures of their fashion to copy—they have a few public areas but they spend most of their time in private dwellings and temples and universities where photography of any kind is strictly forbidden.”