Tales From The Triple Suns (ChapterTwo)

I put my hand on my stomach to quell the nausea that suddenly appeared.  Since deciding to ‘go for it’ and move to another planet for a least six months, I had to endure a multitude of medical tests.  The Doctor looked up from the hand held monitor to see if I was okay, and then went back to what she was doing.  I lost count of how many times I had been poked and prodded, but I think this was at least the fifteenth appointment.1

“It’s almost through,” she said, as her eyes never left the monitor.  “And…done.”  She smiled at the results.  “Well, you are set to go…everything within normal perimeters, and no allergic reactions.  The nausea you just felt was a normal reaction.”2

“Lovely.”  I pulled my shirt back on and bent down for my shoes.  I stood after slipping them on, and hit an amazing wall of dizziness.  I grabbed blindly for the medical table and sat heavily on it.3

“Slow breaths,” I heard the doctor say.  “It’s a natural effect of the last test.  Should pass in a few minutes.  Just lay back and close your eyes…it’ll help.”4

I lay there, trying not to throw up, and relieved that all the tests were finished.  The planet we were going to may have been unsettled, but a scientific outpost had been there for over ten years.  Everyone who was on the pioneer journey had to be inoculated against specific diseases in order to go; diseases that the scientific team had been able to pinpoint as the most dangerous ones to bring on planet.  A normal viral infection here may not be normal there.  Different things in the geological presence might cause things to mutate into an epidemic.  Hence, the need for me to be laying here, ready to toss my cookies at any moment.5

I could feel myself slipping into sleep, and decided to go with it.  Craig’s image flashed through my mind, and I smiled dreamily.6

~~~~~~~~~~7

“Hey, seat twelve, row three.”8

I looked up, slightly startled.  “Oh, hi…find your friend?”  I glanced around the restaurant, making sure there were no single women shooting death-looks at me for talking to him.  9

“Yeah, found her.”  He motioned behind him, to a table against the wall.  Sure enough, a pretty blonde had me in her sights.  I shivered slightly from the ice in her stare.  “Anyway, I was passing by to call my brother to see what was taking him, when I thought I would stop and say hi.”10

“Ummm….hi,” I replied, slightly confused as to why he was acting like I was an old friend.11

His smile faltered slightly.  “Yes, I’m pretending that I know you…yes, I know I’m being pretentious… yes, I know she’s glaring at you…sorry about that, by the way…” He stopped babbling.  “I’m sorry.  My brother set us up, and she’s not my type…I just wanted to get some air for a second.”  His smile was back as he turned away and headed for the row of video-phones that were in the restaurant lobby.12

I looked up, resisting the urge to turn away when I saw the girl, Kerina I think, still glaring at me.  I waved at her, then went back to looking the menu over.13

Dinner was great…overpriced…but great.  Afterwards, I decided to take a walk on the beach to warm up from all the coolness directed my way from Kerina.  Damn woman glared at me all night.14

I walked along one of the well-lit paths, heading towards the beach.  I inhaled deeply, sucking in as much as the sweet sea-air as I could.  I really had no fear of being mugged or anything like that, since there were stringent security measures taken here.  Crime was virtually non-existent, with only a few things like petty graffiti still happening. 15

I had been walking along the beach for at least an hour, when I heard voices raised in argument.  I looked around, and caught sight of a man and a woman near the path that I had to take to get off the beach.  Great, I thought as I continued to walk.  If I went slow enough, maybe they would be done by the time I got there.  I was tempted to turn back, but that would put me too far from the hotel, and my legs were getting tired from walking in the sand.16

I really couldn’t hear what was being said, or see who it was in the moonlight, but the woman was screeching at the man, who appeared to be trying to calm her down.  Suddenly, the woman struck the man, the sound of her slap making it all the way to where I was.  The woman stormed up the path as the man stared after her.  When she was out of sight, he walked to one of the lounging chairs, pulled back his leg, and kicked it hard.17

I closed my eyes, knowing that it would hurt since the chairs were permanently secured to the beach with metal posts.  Sure enough, a yelp of pain came from the man, and he sat down heavily on the chair he had just kicked.  He leaned back, watching the water and mumbling to himself as I silently slipped behind and walked up the path to the hotel. 18

~~~~~~~~~~19

The next morning, I had an appointment at the local medical clinic to make sure my shoulder was healing properly.  In the beating my ex had given me, a bone had broken in my left shoulder.  The doctors from home had set it, but insisted that I get it checked every six weeks for the next three months.20

I sat there, on the table waiting for the doctor to finish with his patient in the small room next to me, when I heard a faintly familiar voice drifting through the open door.   “Don’t give me the lecture, bro….just set it.”21

“Can’t set a broken toe, Craig,” a voice, presumably the doctor, said.  “I can, however, give you something for rampant stupidity.”22

“You know where you can stick that,” the other voice said.  “Same place you can stick any future plans you have for setting me up.”23

My eyes went wide, and a hand went over my mouth to cover a laugh.  I hadn’t known who that was on the beach last night, but I knew now.  I also knew his name.  I tried not to listen, and even closed the door, but the voices drifted through an air vent near the ceiling.24

“What’s wrong with you?” The Doctor asked.  “I set you up with a sexy, gorgeous, rich woman, and you blow it.”25

“You forgot; rude, arrogant, spoiled, and has a mean right hook.”  He sucked in a pain-filled breath.  “Watch it, will ya?!”  Silence for a few moments.  “I’ve been coming here every year since…well, you know…and I never knew those chairs were secured with posts.”26

“Well, now you do.”27

“You have a crappy bedside manner, bro,” the guy, who I know new was named Craig, said.  I was also equally certain that the doctor and his brother were the same person.28

“Bet Karina has a great bedside manner.”29

My eyes flew open and I’m sure I blushed.  Not wanting to hear anymore of what was quickly turning into a ‘bull session’, I coughed…loud.  I could hear silence from the other room, followed by a whispered “Shit”, but I wasn’t sure which man had said it.30

“Uhhhh…still going hiking today?” the doctor asked, prompting his brother to burst out laughing.31

~~~~~~~~~~32

I jumped as the vid-phone rang, and reached over to slap the monitor on.  Craig’s face appeared. “Yeah?” I asked sleepily.33

“Didn’t mean to wake you, sweetie,” he said.  “But wanted you to know that I was going to be late tonight.”  I noticed a group of people behind him at a small conference table.  “You feeling okay?”34

I smiled at the concern in his voice.  “Yeah…I just fell asleep while going over a few things…what time is it?”35

“Little before ten.”  I could still hear the concern in his voice.36

I blinked my eyes a few times, coming fully awake.  “It was a boring report.”   I sat up on the bed.   I noticed that little bitc…uh, snit, Marley lurking behind him.  She was forever hitting on him, and it annoyed the hell out of me.  I hoped that she wasn’t in on the set up team.37

Craig must have seen me looking, for he glanced behind him, and then back at me.  “We’re going to break in a few hours for something to eat…say, around one a.m.?”38

I smiled.  “Meet you in the lobby?”39

“It’s a date.”  He gave me that wonderful smile, blew me a kiss, then signed off.40

~~~~~~~~~~41

I was leaning against the wall when the elevator bell sounded and the doors opened.  A group of people walked out, talking.  Craig smiled as he entered the lobby and approached me.42

“Hey, gorgeous,” he said as he hugged me warmly, then followed it up with a rather passionate kiss.43

“Get a room!” one of his co-workers, Mark, said.44

Craig stopped kissing me long enough to reply: “Shove it,” then his lips were on mine again.45

“Craig…food…remember?” Mark yelled from the front door.  “And don’t tell me ‘in a minute’, ‘cause you’re buying.”46

We once again parted.  “Corporate account,” Craig replied, “but don’t go crazy.”47

“Champagne it is, then,” Mark said, and then he was gone.48

I lifted my eyebrow in silent question.  “We’re not going to eat?”49

“In a minute…I wanted to show you the holo’s of the planet first.”  He put his arm around my waist and guided me back to the elevators.   The door was just opening when we got there, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as Marley walked out.50

She stopped when she saw me, and then looked at Craig.  “I didn’t think visitors were allowed after hours.”51

“Mine are,” Craig said and walked past her into the elevator.  The door closed on her shocked face.  52

~~~~~~~~~~53

I studied the holographic images of the planet that would soon be my home for a while.  It looked magnificent, with clear blue oceans, and plenty of green areas.  Mountains dotted a few coastlines, and rivers weaved their way through the continents.54

“Well?”55

I looked from the three dimensional image.  “It’s beautiful.”56

He smiled at the planet.  “It is.  Temperate climate, adequate native flora and fauna.  Home away from home.”  He looked up, slightly startled as a phone rang in another room.  “Be right back,” he said as he headed for that room.57

I looked at the planet for a few more minutes, deciding that it might not be too bad to move to.  I checked my watch; dinner would be over soon if we didn’t hurry.  I wandered around the meeting room to pass the time, taking in the different plan designs that were strewn over one table.  A few things looked interesting, while others gave no hint as to what they could possibly be used for.58

“Hon?”  Craig’s voice filtered from the office.  “Could you come here?”59

I walked to the door and peeked in.  Craig was sitting behind a desk, and he waved me in.  “Didn’t know you got a new office,” I said as I looked around.  A picture of the two of us was on his desk.60

“This morning,” he replied absently.  “Just got a call from the Miradnes agriculture council…they want,” he paused as he cleared his throat.  “They want to move the launch date up two weeks.”61

“What date,” I asked slowly, not really wanting to hear the answer.62

He nodded.  “I’m sorry.” He got up and walked over to sit beside me on the large couch.  “I told them that I was going to be more than a little busy then.  And now, with the new date, it’s going to be even more hectic around here.”63

“It’s okay.”64

He put his arm around me and hugged close.  “No, it’s not okay.  It’s suppose to be our day, and…”65

“When is your brother coming?” I interrupted.66

“Couple days before the wedding.”67

I nodded as an idea ran through my brain.  “Good, good.  And Sindra is already here…so if everyone else.”68

He pulled back and stared at me.  “What are you talking about?”69

“Getting married, of course.”70

“I sorta gathered that.”71

“I’m just rearranging a few things…would you mind getting married a few days earlier?”72

Instead of responding, he leaned forward and kissed me.73

~~~~~~~~~~74

Things kicked into high gear, although now planning the wedding basically fell on my shoulders.  I worked on it when I could, thankful that most of the plans had been finalized a few months back.  All that was required was a small date change.  Then, it happened. The place I was getting my dress from informed me that they were unable to finish it in time.  Well, no big deal to them but my throat got sore from yelling and pleading with them.  Finally, an ineloquent “fuck you”, followed by me canceling the entire order, left me without a dress, and a wedding three weeks away.75

I sat out on my patio, sipping a frosty beer when Craig arrived.  He had been working mega hours, and it was starting to show in his demeanor.  The smile was still there, but it was a tried smile.  He fell into the chair beside mine, gently took the beer mug from my hand, and took a sip before giving it back.  76

“Music,” he said to the in-house computer system.  “Debussy, volume two.”  Immediately, classical music began to filter through the patio and house.  He turned to me, and raised an eyebrow at the smirk on my face.  “What?”77

“Mr. Heavy Rock listening to classical?”78

He laughed. “Yeah, well…you’re a bad influence.”  He reached out and took my hand in his.  “If the phone rings, I’m not here…you haven’t seen me…don’t know where I am…”79

I smiled.  “That bad of a day?”  I lifted his hand to my mouth and kissed it when he nodded.  “Are you going to sleep tonight, or would you like to come with me to find a gown?”80

He took my beer again and took another sip.  “What kind of gown?”81

“Bridal.”82

The beer mug stopped short of another sip, and his eyes regarded me curiously from above it.  “And why would you need another bridal gown?”83

“Well, ya see..” I laughed nervously.  “Funny thing…I sort of canceled my other one today.”84

“Uh-huh.”85

“They said they couldn’t have it done by the new date.”86

“Uh-huh.”87

“I tried everything from yelling to begging, to bribing with extra money.”88

“Uh-huh.”89

I paused.  He was taking this remarkably calm.  “So, I…uh…canceled it.”90

“Just like that?”91

“Yes,” I insisted, “Just like that.”92

He laughed, knowing there was more I wasn’t telling him.  “Sure, I’ll come with.  But could it wait a few hours?  I want to…take a bath.”  He smiled seductively, and I damn near melted on the spot.93

~~~~~~~~~~94

“Whoa!”  Craig said, as he took a few steps back to look at a dress in the store window.95

I eyed it dubiously.  “I dunno…looks kinda…slutty.”96

“Yeah,” he whispered in awe at the plunging neckline and extremely short hemline.  97

“All it needs is a whip and some chains,” I added.98

Craig blinked, then looked at me.  “Try it on.”  There was a strange look in his eyes, but I decided to humor him, and walked into the store.99

~~~~~~~~~~100

The dress was indeed slutty looking, but fit like a dream. I don't think my chest ever looked so big, or my behind so small...that in itself an added bonus. 101

"Craig has to see this," I said and turned from the mirror.102

“What about that custom on not seeing the bride in the dress before the wedding?” the sales associate said.103

“There’s also a custom about being a virgin bride,” I countered over my shoulder as I walked out of the dressing room.104

“Good point.”105

Craig was leaning back in an overstuffed chair, blankly staring at his reflection in the dressing mirrors.106

“Well?” I asked.  He glanced at me, then sat up straight.  I did a small turn, causing him to lean forward in the chair.  “Comments?”107

He eyes traveled over the beige material.  “Ohhh…you gotta get that,” he breathed.   “We’ll pick up the whips and chains later.”108

I gaped at him, then burst out laughing. “You pervert.”  I walked up to him and stood in his direct view.  “Do you really like it?”109

His eyes never left the dress.  “For a wedding, no…but as a normal dress, it’s great.”  He reached out to touch the material, running his hand along my thigh.  “Oh, yeah…”  He took his hand away quickly as the sales associate entered.110

“Everything all right in here?”111

I turned to head back to the changing rooms.  “Fine, and I’ll take the dress.”112