Evolution

She stepped out of the bathroom, zipping the small makeup pouch she carried. Without haste, she crossed to the bags and slipped it into one of them. Then she turned to face him, smiling sweetly. “No, darling, I’m afraid that it’s you who’ve made the mistake. Screwed up, as you so elegantly put it. You may not be leaving until tomorrow, but I am leaving today.”

York caught the undertone of mutiny in her voice, but chose to ignore it. “Brigitte, what are you talking about?”

“Find yourself another sex toy, Trev. This one doesn’t like the way she’s being treated.”

He frowned. “Sex toy? You’re not just—”

She patted him gently on the cheek. “Don’t get yourself in a dither, darling,” she said patronizingly. “I’m sure you won’t have any trouble finding someone to keep your bed warm—or has Sue thrown you over, too?”

He flinched. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Brigitte only smiled in return. “Sue, my darling, invariably wears a fragrance called Serenity. And though she is close to you throughout the day, there are certain parts of you she has no right to be near… yet she leaves her calling card.”

“Brigitte—”

“Good-bye, Trev.”

“Where are you going?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve been accepted here in Crisium. I’ve already found a job.”

“A job!” he huffed, as though that were ample evidence of how low she would fall without him.

“Modeling. Amongst other things, I’ll be wearing the Second Skin fall line next Tuesday night.”

He reached out for her. “Listen, Brigitte, I’m sure we can work things out.”

“I already have,” she said evenly, then picked up her bags and left, leaving him staring after her.

Had anyone suggested to Roberta Lith a month ago that she would be feeling this way about a man, she would have told them they were crazy. The Lunarian men she had met so far were OK, but there always seemed to be something lacking. Within seconds of meeting Mike Ordner her life turned upside down. Colors were brighter. Food tasted better. She could swear that the very air had more oxygen in it. Strange that it should take a man from Earth to make her feel this way. After all, Earth was what she had come to Luna to escape.

She glanced at the signs and skipped over to the slowest lane of the slidewalk, then onto the fixed sidewalk almost directly in front of the side corridor where Mike lived. His directions had said that he lived in the third tunnel on the right.

When he answered the portal, she smiled, just at the sight of him. He had that effect on her. On the way over, she had felt a little nervous; suddenly it was gone.

“Ready to go?” she asked.

“Hang on a second.” He turned and reached for his wallet, which was on the table right behind him. The tunnel was that small.

She glanced in. It was not much more than a closet in the rock. Tiny to the point of inducing claustrophobia. And her mother thought her place was small… “Uh, Mike, what happens if you sneeze?”

From the sudden defensive look on his face, she knew she had made a mistake.

“It keeps the rain off my head,” he said gruffly, then quickly stepped out into the corridor, closing the portal behind. Heavy silence surrounded him like armor plating.

As they made their way across town to the Door to New London, she did her futile best to get him to come out of his shell. Finally, when she could bear the weight of his silence no longer, she reached out and touched his arm gently. “Look, Mike, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like I was criticizing your tunnel.”

He shrugged, not meeting her eyes. “It’s OK. I’ve been meaning to look into getting something bigger, anyway.”

Better, but not quite the Mike she knew he could be. “No, really, I mean it. I was teasing you, but it fell flat. I’m sorry.”

He glanced at her sideways. “It’s all I’ve needed up to now. A small room is all you need to hold a small life. Suddenly my life is growing, and I’m struggling to catch up.”

It was the little things he said that made her heart jump. “Maybe we could…” no, too soon to bring that up, “uh, eat while we’re in the Atrium.”

“We’re already supposed to, remember?”

Damn… caught. The twinkle in his eye told her that he had guessed what she had been about to say. He was so cute when he looked at her that way. “OK, OK. Just let me stew in my own juices.”

He cocked one eyebrow. “Surely, you aren’t the main course at dinner?”

She grinned saucily at him. “Nope. Dessert.”

His eyes widened. “I think I’m looking forward to this meal.”

Anne Lister threw herself back from her desk, kicked free of her chair, and was nearly to the portal when the computer chimed to announce an incoming call. She stared at the icon in an agony of indecision. What if it was the doctor? She pointed at the icon and the computer brought up the call.

It was Edgar Rice. He took one look at her blanched face and said, “My God, Anne! Are you all right?”

“It’s Alan. He’s hurt. I’m on my way there.”

“The office?”

She nodded jerkily. “Yes.”

“I’ll meet you there in ten minutes. Go!”