A Fortunate Accident – Chapter 7

“No.”

I turn and walk away from Kalvin, though I know he’s going to follow me.

“No? You didn’t miss me at all? Like at all at all?”

“Nope. I hope you don’t mind sleeping on the floor because I have no room for you here.”

There are ten open cabins.

“Well, I mean, I figured you were mad at me when you put my contact on your block list, but…”

I whirl around in time to see Kalvin’s eyes change from happy to wary as he spots Saif. “I what?”

“You…” He tears his eyes from Saif. “You blocked me. I had to find out where you were through Marcelo.” He strides across the room to Marcelo, his hand outstretched. “It’s great to finally meet you in person. Sorry about the short notice.”

The two shake hands, and the moment of me blocking Kalvin from my Estrela communications center pops into my head. I did it way back in flight school, before we grew close on our desert adventure. My finger hovered over the block button for a breath before I committed to it. He was so annoying in class and in messages. I just didn’t want to see them anymore.

“Oh shit,” I say, closing my eyes and shaking my head. “I blocked you.”

“You did.” His smile pulls up on one side. “But I take that as a challenge.” He touches his chest. “I figured you were making it difficult to see if I had mettle, gumption. You know, courage. I’ve got mettle, baby. Lots of it.”

I glance at Saif, and Kalvin stops his prattling.

Kalvin inhales and turns his smile up a few degrees. “This is Saif Bhaat.” Again, he strides across the cargo bay with his hand out. “It’s good to meet you.”

I brace myself for a problem, but Saif’s smile is good-natured, if a bit amused, like he’s looking at a puppy doing tricks.

“You as well,” Saif says, taking Kalvin’s hand and shaking it. “I’ve… uh, I’ve heard a lot about you.”

I cringe, remembering the things I told Saif in the quiet hours of the night about my relationship with Kalvin.

“All good things, I’m sure,” Kalvin says, laughing and letting go.

He spreads his arms wide and puts on a dashing smile. “Skylar, don’t be mad. I had a lot of shit going on at home. I saw you two on the gossip sites, and I knew you were okay.” He gestures to Marcelo. “Plus, I was in contact with him. I figured I would take care of my family and meet you wherever you were.”

The clunk of the fuel and air hoses disengaging from the Amagi echo through the cargo bay.

“I didn’t think I’d make it by the skin of my teeth, though.”

I inhale and lift my shoulders. “Well, as you can see, I need to get ready for departure. Why don’t you two get settled in, and I’ll get us underway?”

“I’m going to —” Marcelo jerks his thumb at his shuttle.

I nod. “Meet me on the bridge?”

Marcelo considers this for a moment before inclining his head and leaving to return to his shuttle.

I want out of here as quickly as possible.

“Sure. Where can I stay?” Kalvin asks, hoisting his bag on his shoulder.

I point to the rear of the cargo bay. “There with the sheep and the chickens.”

He tilts his head and narrows his eyes. “I’m allergic to wool.”

“Sucks to be you.”

I turn to Saif and smile at him. The difference between these two men could not be more apparent at this moment. Kalvin is brash and ebullient. Saif is quiet and kind. They are complete opposites. But I like them both. They bring out distinct qualities in me, and in our relationships, more than I ever thought anyone could.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves yet.

Kalvin is here, but he’s not done any of the hard work that Saif has done. Even so, Saif is a new man in my life. He hasn’t plumbed the depths of my insecurities yet. I haven’t been introduced to his family, and he has seen mine in all its glory. My skin crawls, and I’m embarrassed by how my mom treated him. That would have been enough to send anyone packing.

He’s still here.

“Skylar.” Kalvin steps in front of me. I feel Saif tense next to me. “Skylar,” he repeats, his voice softer. He reaches out and runs his hands down my arms to my hands, taking them in both of his. “I’m sorry. I could have been with you here sooner, and it just didn’t work out. My mom is in a bad way. I… I didn’t want you involved in that, with everything that happened with your family.”

I relax a little.

“I thought the block was funny at first. That you were playing hard to get, or we were joking around. And then things got tense, and I lost sight of my promises to you.” He tugs at my hands. “It won’t happen again.” He looks at Saif. “I want to be here.”

“So do I,” Saif says.

My face heats, so I clear my throat. “You both are completely insane.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Saif says, chuckling.

“Same,” Kalvin replies.

I sigh. “Saif, can you set up for dinner? Is there enough for Kalvin, too?”

“Plenty,” he says with a big smile. Being hospitable is one of Saif’s favorite things. “I bought extra curry in case we had guests.”

I eye Kalvin, and he raises a hand. “I love curry.”

“Great. Saif will take care of dinner, and you can drop your bags in cabin eight.” I point to the lower level of crew quarters. “The number is on the door.”

He steps forward. “I can’t join you on the bridge?”

“Not now.” I need to get away, not have him hovering over my shoulder asking about every detail of the Amagi.

He pouts but nods his head. “Okay. But I really want to see it soon.”

“You’ll have to wait.”

I turn on my heel and stalk away.

Just like you made me wait. Two can play at that game, Kalvin.

—-

When I reach the bridge, I’m surprised to see Marcelo sitting in the captain’s chair.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, laughing. “I thought you were going to your shuttle first.”

I slip into my pilot’s chair and swipe through the communications screens.

“I made sure my shuttle was fine. I came here to make sure you were fine.” He glances over his shoulder, so I close the bridge door from my console.

“I’m just great, thanks.” I return to the consoles and scan down my launch checklist. “Now, instead of one man I adore, and I’m sure is going to realize I’m a basket case and leave me, I have two.”

Marcelo’s face falls. “You can’t believe that. Not after everything that’s happened in the past two weeks.”

I stare down at the consoles, noting that we’re number eleven in the queue.

“My mom wants the Amagi back,” I whisper, not raising my eyes. “And without the Amagi, I’m nothing. I’ll fight her in court, but I don’t have the money for a sophisticated lawyer.”

“Neither does she,” Marcelo points out. “Remember that she’s in debt up to her eyeballs. You’re actually better off than she is.”

“Yeah, well, tell that to the lawyer she hired who’s already in my inbox telling me not to leave Ossun.”

I raise my eyebrows as I remember the contents of the letter. They didn’t threaten me with legal action, and they didn’t send the local authorities to stop me, which tells me they can’t stop me. They can only ask that I not go anywhere.

And I am just petty enough to ignore all their letters.

“And we’re leaving Ossun?” Marcelo asks.

“That we are. We’re number six in the queue now.”

He nods and sits back in the seat to strap in. “Good. Your mother has lost her marbles, and sticking around here to find them is a waste of time.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. Knowing Marcelo believes me is a tremendous weight off my shoulders. I think I would have to give up if he thought I was lying about everything.

Swiping to my internal comms, I call up the engine room.

“Nisrine, we’re now number three in the queue,” I report, powering up the stabilizers and checking the engine status.

“We’re good to go, Captain. I noticed a crack in one of the instrument panels down here. Then I followed it to a backup air exchanger. Now, it’s just a backup, and it’s just a crack,” she starts.

“I hear you. When we arrive on Rio, please track down a replacement. I want everything at one-hundred percent.”

“Got it.”

“Hope the ship isn’t too boring for you, what with all the new equipment,” I say with a smile.

“This ship is just what I needed. I’m doing yoga with Lia in an hour. Want to join?”

“No, thanks. I have stuff I need to take care of.”

“Yes, I’m sure you do,” she says with a chuckle. “Engine room out.”

I pull my lips in and press on them. “I get the feeling Nisrine finds my romantic situation amusing.”

“She’s not the only one,” Marcelo says. “What are you going to do about Kalvin?”

My screen flashes with a countdown, so I prep for departure.

“Nanci, please tell everyone to buckle in and get ready to leave Sakata City Spaceport,” I ask my AI… and I wait for the inevitable.

“Yes, Captain. No one will be injured on my watch.”

And there it is.

“I have Ossun Orbital Station One’s Emergency Medical Unit on call in case anything happens,” she finishes.

That’s a new one. I roll my eyes. It’s not every day I purchase an AI obsessed with death and mayhem.

“Thank you, Nanci. Everything will be fine,” I reassure her.

“But we could explode into a fiery ball upon ascent into orbit, Captain. It’s best to be prepared.”

“Is Nanci preoccupied with our imminent demise again, sweetheart?” Ai, my other AI, chimes in.

“Oh my God, yes. Can you please talk with her? And don’t bring up sex,” I warn Ai. As a former sexbot AI, she’s the one fixated on dirty talk and the best vibrators.

“I’ll do my best.”

My screen blinks with an incoming message, and I accept it. I know Marcelo is waiting for an answer, but duty calls.

“Amagi cruiser, this is Sakata City Spaceport Command. You are cleared for departure. Please follow markers to lane 6C. You have four minutes to clear local airspace. Thank you.”

“Acknowledged. Thank you!” I chime into the speaker.

My instincts kick in for the flight out and to orbit. I keep my eyes on everything for the ascent because I do not want to die in a giant fireball like Nanci seems to think we might.

Of course, she’s wrong, and I sigh back into my seat once we’re on route for the Ossun-Rio jump ring. We booked an early slot this time, and we’ll be through within an hour.

“So?” Marcelo asks, unlatching his harness. “Kalvin.”

“Yeah, Kalvin.” I reach forward to power down the stabilizers and close the air intake valves. “I guess he’s here, huh?”

Marcelo is a well of restraint. “He’s here. And I won’t tell you what to do about him. I see all the pros and cons. Pros — he’s a fellow pilot and could fly more ships if you acquire them someday, he loves his family, and he’s not in any kind of debt that I can tell.”

I hold my tongue about his last job.

“Cons — he seems to bounce from job to job, he doesn’t have much money, and he has no real ex-girlfriends, which makes me think he’s afraid of commitment. Then there’s the business with his mother. I thought it was a money debt, but now I’m unsure. He hasn’t been forthcoming about the subject.”

I inhale and exhale and try to find my calm.

“Okay, then. I’ll eat dinner with them both, and send them each to their rooms tonight. I’ll deal with the drama of him being here after a good night’s sleep.”

Yep. I do not want to deal with this right now. I have enough problems as it is, and I need to sleep more than anything.

“Skylar,” Marcelo says, his voice low with warning, “you cannot ignore this indefinitely.”

“Can I ignore it until after I get a good night’s sleep?”

He sighs. “I’ll allow it.”

“Good.” I lock down the bridge, open the door, and gesture to it. “Because that’s all I can do right now.”

Right now, it’s curry, jump ring, and then bedtime.

In that order, and not deviating from the plan.

Stick to the plan, Skylar.