AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Klinn followed closely behind, carrying one of my bags, a bemused expression on his face as he saw the supplies in my grasp. He let out a groan. "Do you realize we already have enough soap, lotion, and toothpaste to last us a lifetime? The ship won’t fly with all this stockpiled in the cargo hold."
"Don’t exaggerate. " I adjusted my hold on the goods in my arms to keep them from falling on my feet. "I'm sure you don’t want me intruding on your own stash of shower essentials. Besides, I prefer having my own supply."
"Your supply is enough to bathe the entire Wanderstar Fleet."
I glanced around the ship’s corridor. "Speaking of hygiene, where are the shower stalls? I need to freshen up after our little excursion through Malecor."
Klinn set my new toiletry collection down. "The crew takes turns waiting for the one shower in the main bath. Gravix and Zorbluk worked out a schedule. I’ll ask them what it is."
If he had to ask when they showered, I probably wouldn’t like stepping foot in there. "You're saying I'd have to tiptoe around everyone else's shower routine? I hope I don’t start a rebellion on this ship."
He rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes darting around. "There's one other option. I could let you use my shower in my room. It's private."
I didn’t expect him to offer the use of the shower in his personal quarters. "That’s generous of you." I glanced at the toes of my boots and saw a layer of the same grime that coated every surface on Malecor. "I don’t mind taking a shower now so I can be out of your way later."
He kept quiet as he led me down the right corner and then to his room, the last one at the end. "My home away from home." He opened the door, revealing a modest yet personalized space.
There were the usual furnishings one expected to find in a ship’s personal quarters: bed, table and chair. Then my eyes landed on the Cubs mural adorning one wall. "I knew it." I chuckled.
"Hey now, don't knock the décor. They're a legendary team. Plus, it adds character to the room."
"Can’t deny that." I smiled as the mural reminded me of walking into the stands and hearing the organ play, ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’. "I didn’t expect to see this side of you."
He leaned under the mural. "I'm pretty sure there are sides of you I haven't seen, either."
There he went again. What did he mean? Was he making a general statement or coming onto me? I had this little thing where I could tell when other people flirted with each other, but not so much when guys did it with me. I don’t know. It probably came from being the awkward Black girl who’d never been asked out more than a couple times in high school and college.
Klinn’s tone of voice was, well, his. He often sounded carefree, like a good time to pay dearly for later. Currently, his body language was casual. He didn’t wag his eyebrows or anything.
Did people, humans or extraterrestrials, actually wag their eyebrows when they were interested in someone, or was it something reserved for cartoon characters?Honestly.I chided myself for my lack of experience that forced me to even consider this comparison.
And why would Klinn make a pass at me, anyway? We were worlds apart. Then there was the little fact of me once putting him in handcuffs.
I really could miss by a mile, sometimes.
Things were getting awkward with us standing silently in his bedroom, staring at each other. I shifted my weight and tucked my box of toiletries under one arm. "Just promise me you won't be hiding in the shadows, spying on me while I shower."
"Isn’t spying more your thing?" He finished before I could respond. "I promise, I'll be nowhere near the room." He set in the direction of the door. "I’m gonna see what the guys are doing."
Once he left me alone in his room, I stripped down to hop in the shower. The water got nice and hot fast. I sighed with relief as I started lathering the soap.
I got a little nosey in more ways than one in the shower when I glanced at the soap dispenser panel. Liquid soap landed in my palm when I pressed the button. I brought it to my nose. It smelled fresh and clean, but it wasn’t the specific woodsy fresh musk scent I associated with Klinn. If finding Riven was our combined aim, figuring out what cologne Klinn wore was fast becoming my side quest.
