Chapter 6 Grogen

“Don’t drop your arm after you throw the knife,” Grogen said as he adjusted Abby’s stance. “Make sure to follow through. Try again.”

Abby threw her knife at the board, and this time, it hit much closer to the target and stuck.

“Good job!”

She beamed up at him.

They’d finished their dinner of roast tepin, made more delicious after Abby worked her magic on it with spices she’d found in the breakroom, and were now passing the time playing knives and drinking the Rhean spirits Grogen had packed for his trip to the cabin.

Or rather, he was drinking Rhean spirits; she was drinking mostly water with just a splash of the potent alcohol mixed in. She’d assured him that it was plenty strong for her.

“I think that’s my last throw,” she said. “I’m getting tipsy, and I don’t think knives and alcohol mix.”

Grogen shrugged. “It is a common enough game at bars and inns. Some players are better with some liquor in their system.”

“True. I’ve seen them play,” Abby said. “But the boards at Last Stop Alley are mounted on a moving track.”

Grogen tried to hide his reaction. Last Stop Alley had always been the cheaper, rowdier bar in the colony, even when there’d only been two. Now that Reka 5 was growing so fast, many more bars and pubs had opened up, and Last Stop Alley had only gotten worse. What was Abby doing in a place like that?

“Do you go there often?” he asked, trying to keep his tone casual.

“No, not really.” She took another sip of her drink as Grogen sank his first knife into the center of the target. “Mostly just when my father gets too drunk and Holis wants him out of there.”

Holis was Last Stop Alley’s owner. Grogen had known him for a long time; the male was even grumpier than Grogen himself most of the time.

“And is that a common occurrence?” He landed his second knife right next to the first.

Abby hesitated. He didn’t miss the way her mood soured. It was like the thought sucked all the happiness from her. She downed the rest of her drink.

Grogen poured her another splash and reached for the water flask to dilute it, but she surprised him by downing the Rhean spirits neat this time. Her face screwed up into an adorable grimace.

“Oh wow. A lime and some salt would’ve helped,” she grumbled, sitting back down on the couch. “Anyway, yes, unfortunately, that is a common occurrence, same as on Earth. That’s why I went no contact in the first place. But it’s less the drinking and more the gambling that’s the problem. Recently, anyway. It’s hard to get drunk if you’ve lost all your credits gambling.”

Grogen was beginning to dislike this male more and more. He already blamed him for Abby’s change of mood in recent months. Now he had an idea why.

He looked down at his tumbler of Rhean spirits on the table. What did Abby think of the fact that he’d packed so much alcohol for his trip to the cabin? It wasn’t a regular habit, though he did sometimes enjoy a drink or two after work. But it was the winter solstice, and he granted himself free rein this time of year. It was how he coped with being alone when everyone else had family and friends to celebrate with.

But you’re not alone right now , he thought to himself.

He sat down next to Abby and leaned back so he could extend his arms around the back of the couch and over her shoulders. “Next time Holis calls, don’t pick up. It's not your job to get your father home. Better yet, call me.”

“Aww, thanks. But there won’t be a next time.” Abby reached across him for the water, her body brushing against his.

She was still mostly naked. So was he, since their clothes were still wet, and he was suddenly very aware of their closeness. The last time they were this close he’d kissed her, a human custom he’d seen many times but had never tried. Now, he wanted to pull her back into his lap and continue what they started.

But when he’d stopped in an effort to control himself, she’d scrambled off his lap. Perhaps it was for the best. He’d been so close to just claiming her on the couch right then and there.

“It was a mistake taking him in,” she continued. There was a flush to her face, and her rigid stance had softened. The alcohol was affecting her, even though she’d only imbibed a fraction of what he had.

“Is he why you were sleeping here?” Grogen hoped she trusted him enough to talk to him about it now.

“Yeah. But don’t worry about me. He’s on his own after what happened today.”

“You kicking him out?” That was probably for the best. Her father hadn’t been on Reka 5 that long, so he’d still qualify for a room in the new colonist housing building. He’d have to prove that he was attempting to become self-sufficient, but he would be out of Abby’s hair. Maybe Grogen could help kick him out.

“Not exactly. I’ve been meaning to move out myself for a while now. Find some place closer to the shop. You know, I’m almost at the opposite end of the colony.”

Grogen grunted. He knew. That explained why her useless sire was drinking at Last Stop Alley and not at the Hideout, the bar Grogen preferred. The Hideout had great food, a fusion of human and Tallean pub fare. Considering his inability to do much more than roast tepins on a pre-programmed setting, he spent a lot of time there, as well as in the multitudes of food establishments around the colony.

He wondered if Abby enjoyed eating out. Maybe he should take her sometime after work.

“Well, I’ve been saving up. I wasn’t planning on moving out; I kind of made the decision on a whim today and left a message with my building’s office telling them this season will be my last. It might have been a mistake though, because now I can’t find anything else.”

She can stay with me , he thought. But he instantly pushed the idea away.

She sighed and leaned into him, placing a hand on his forearm. “I’m sorry I messed up your trip to the cabin. I know you said you might not have made it, but we don’t know that for sure.”

“I think I prefer it here.” It was the truth. His trips to the cabin weren’t usually fun. It was just how he’d spent every winter solstice since coming to Reka 5 and opening his repair shop.

“Oh really?” She elbowed him again and then pressed herself up against him. “Is it because of the company?”

She’d said it jokingly, but she was more right than she knew, so Grogen told her so.

“Yes.” He angled himself toward her. “It is.” He couldn’t stop the husky tone from entering his voice. “If I were at the cabin, I’d be doing exactly the same thing. Eating roast tepin. Drinking Rhean spirits. But I’d be doing it alone. This is much better.”

“It’s better for me here too,” she admitted.

He looked into her dark brown eyes, so different from the green of his people, and was immediately lost in them. She, too, seemed unable to look away. Her breathing became shallower, and her cheeks turned rosy from the drink.

The moment was interrupted by the sound of her comm unit beeping from the table in front of them.

“Shit!” she swore. She rarely did that, at work anyway. “I thought I turned that off. Ah, fuck it.” She grabbed the device and answered the comm, accepting it as an audio communication only, and the sound of her sire’s voice came through immediately.

“Where the fuck are you, girl?” There was the sound of other male voices in the background.

“Somewhere safe, and I’m not coming back to the apartment. So good luck trying to sell me off to clear your debt.”

What the fuck did she mean by that? Selling her off ? Red filled Grogen’s vision.

“How do you—I mean, what are you talking about?”

“Please. I heard everything, asswipe. First of all, this is Reka 5. You can’t just sell people here. Second, even if you could, I’m not yours to sell.”

“I-it… It was only supposed to be temporary,” her father stammered. “And you’re my daughter. I raised you. Gave everything for you. You owe it to me to bail me out.”

“The fuck I do!” Abby yelled back.

Grogen had never seen her this worked up, and rightly so. He let out a feral growl and snatched the comm out of Abby’s hand.