Chapter 7 Abby

Holy shit! Grogen was terrifying when he was angry.

She didn’t know what had prompted her to pick up that call and confront her father right in front of her boss. Maybe it was the Rhean spirits. Maybe it was because she’d had enough. Possibly a combination of both. Regardless, it had felt good telling him her plans to move out and saddle the bum with rent she knew he couldn’t afford.

Also, at the back of her mind, she knew that if Grogen was aware of this deal her dad had made, she’d be safer in case the loan shark really did think he owned her. She was totally embarrassed that this was even happening, and she couldn’t believe she was related to the ass on the other end of the line, but she had learned long ago to stop making excuses for him.

For the moment, she thought Grogen was going to yell into the comm at her father. He sure looked ready to pummel the bastard’s head in. But he just ended the comm and turned the device off.

“You will not waste any more time speaking to him,” he said. He still looked very angry.

“You’re right,” she agreed. “Let’s just enjoy ourselves.” She reached for the bottle of Rhean spirits and her glass. “But I think I should dilute it again this time and just take a tiny sip.”

Chugging it down neat earlier had been a mistake. The Rhean spirits had hit harder than she’d thought.

She poured herself a small amount, watered it down, then refilled Grogen's heavy-bottomed tumbler. She had seen enough drunk men in her life to know that Grogen wasn’t anywhere near losing control. His aggressive reaction had been purely at finding out what her father had done. Most of the Talleans at Reka 5 were completely against selling and owning intelligent life. Many of them had escaped slavery at the hands of the Dominion, just like her. From what she knew of Grogen, he’d been a mercenary and had spent his prime taking jobs fighting on this side of the equation.

“So tell me,” she said, trying to direct the conversation away from her problems, “why do you go up to the cabin every year if you don’t enjoy yourself?” She handed him his glass.

A dark look crossed his features, making him look even surlier than usual. At one point this would’ve frightened her, but Abby had a new view of her boss now. She’d seen him get truly violent only once, and that had been to protect his shop and employees from armed thugs who had been trying to steal a particularly expensive vehicle they’d been working on. All the other times, he was a lot of growl and very little bite, and saved his teeth for when it counted.

She let the alcohol make her brave and cuddled up next to him, hoping to encourage him to talk. She took a careful sip of her drink and waited.

After a long moment, he replied. “I wasn’t in a good place when I first came here. I had lost a close friend to the Dominion. He was the last of my crew, and my crew had been like family to me—the only family I ever had since I lost my sire and mother.

“That first winter solstice alone was hard. I couldn’t handle all the happy people spending time with friends and family. I was envious of their happiness and angry that I’d lost so much, and that I had no friends or family to celebrate with.” He stared down at his hands. “So—I ran. Jumped the colony fences, found a little spot in the woods, and stayed there until the festivities were over. I’ve been doing it ever since, except now I actually go through the gates and bring provisions.”

Okay, that was kind of sad. No wonder he got grumpy this time of year. It must suck to feel this alone. But that was years ago, and he had friends now. Right? He didn’t need to hide alone in his cabin anymore. Besides, the big celebration was a huge colony-wide event that was a mix of both Tallean and human traditions. She hadn’t known many people her first year either, but she still had fun.

“So, you’re telling me that you’ve been here all this time, and you haven’t once attended the festivities?”

Grogen took a sip of his drink. He was drinking more slowly now, pacing himself. “I never had anyone to go with.”

“You don’t need to go with anyone, silly. You can go by yourself.”

He made a face that made her chuckle. She was feeling warm and giddy, and she decided to throw caution to the wind. They’d already shared a kiss, so it was going to be awkward when they got back to work anyway. What was one more thing? It would beat being the third wheel with Jenny and Ckarus.

“Okay, what if you went with me this year, then? I don’t have a date either.”

And there it was: she’d specifically called it a date so he couldn’t misunderstand. This way, if he wasn’t interested, he could let her know. Because right now, she was confused as fuck. She’d always thought he only tolerated her because she was good for his business, but after the sizzling kiss they’d shared, she wasn’t so sure. She’d gone from having a silly workplace crush to straight up wanting to climb him like a tree.

Yes, he’d stopped kissing her earlier. But perhaps she’d misread that… Maybe it had been shock and not disgust. She’d been pretty shocked herself. Well, she’d know by his response now. If he rejected her, she could pretend not to care and blame it on the Rhean spirits.

Except… He didn’t reject her.

“I will go with you,” he said, “If the festivities are still happening.”

“You mean because they might be cancelled after the storm? A storm blows in a few days before the celebrations like clockwork every year, at least all the years I’ve been here anyway. They’ve got cleanup down to a science. Everyone pitches in. I think two years ago, we had to postpone it for a day, but that was the only time.”

“Yes, then. We will attend the festivities together.”

“Great!” She was smiling so hard her cheeks hurt. “I have a spot booked for the baths in one of the big pools, but I can cancel it and rebook for us instead.”

It was a Tallean custom to bathe in water scented with winter fruits on the eve of the winter solstice, particularly the red and purple berries that stayed on the trees, vibrant against the white background of snow. With the influx of Earth citrus into the market, there was even an option to add tangerine and orange peels into baths these days. But the baths booked up so quickly now that many people did it the morning of instead, as she planned to. Abby rather liked the ritual and booked a spot in the public baths every year.

“Yes. Please do that.”

“Great! I’m meeting Jenny and Ckarus after, so it’ll be a double date—if you don’t mind.”

“I do not.”

They continued chatting until she started getting sleepy. She didn’t even know what time it was. It was late, but that was all she knew. The storm outside made it impossible to tell.

She stood and yawned, stretching. Oh yeah, she was still just in her bra and underwear. She’d forgotten about that. The azak flower was on the table now; she’d taken it off after the kiss because she thought the way he froze meant he wasn’t interested. Now she wished she had offered it to him. But that could be the alcohol speaking. And anyway, he’d agreed to spend the actual solstice with her, so she’d have plenty more chances to do that.

She looked down at the couch and frowned. It wasn’t nearly big enough for two. Hell, it probably wasn’t big enough for just Grogen. His feet would stick off the end, and his shoulders would take up the entire width.

“Where are we going to sleep?” she asked. “I don’t think you’ll fit on that couch.”

“With the supplies unloaded, there is plenty of space in the back of my transport. The seats flatten down completely.”

“That’s a great idea.” She relaxed, glad that they’d both be comfortable, he in his transport and she on the couch. But she was a teeny tiny bit disappointed that they’d be sleeping apart. She’d enjoyed cuddling up next to him, and a small part of her was worried that if they went their separate ways now, he’d wake up in the morning, decide that this whole night had been a mistake, and cancel their plans for the celebration.

“It is large enough for both of us.”

Oh, was it now?

“But it might be a bit cold. The heater isn’t strong enough to heat the whole garage. It’s intended for a small space.”

“Well then, I guess I’ll have to snuggle in real close, won’t I?”