Tales From The Triple Suns (Chapter Three)

I slowly packed up my apartment, not wanting to put things away, but knowing that I had to put at least some things in storage. Our wedding was three days away, and the launch date in a week. I didn’t know which one I was more nervous about. 1

I paused as I went to put a small box into a larger one. I went to the couch, sat crossed legged on it, and opened the small box. Little ornaments filled the inside, each one with it’s own special meaning. Every time I went to a planet, I picked up some little ‘momento’ to remember the place by. One time it was a silk napkin from when I stayed at an exclusive-have to register at least two years in advance to stay at- resort. A few stones from different places were there, but mostly it was small ornaments I had purchased while there. 2

I moved a few things aside, looking for a specific item. I found the little card with the words Once again, sorry about last night. I ran my fingers along the words, and smiled. 3

~~~~~~~~~~ 4

I bolted up in bed and looked around in confusion for the source of the loud music that had woken me. I slapped at the alarm clock, but the music remained. I blinked my eyes, and came aware that the tunes were generated in the room next to mine. Loud boisterous laughter accompanied it, along with women and men talking loudly. I pulled the pillow over my head, but threw it to the floor in disgust when the noise still drilled into my mind. 5

I put my ear against the wall to make certain it was coming from next door, then pounded on the wall a few times. The music was turned down, and I could hear a few people cursing me. Someone said something, and the room erupted in laughter, then quieted down again. I closed my eyes and tried to get back to sleep. 6

I jumped as the phone rang, wondering who would call this time of the night. I walked to it, and turned it on. The Front Desk manager stared at me. 7

“Hello,” he said crisply. “I am calling to inform you that we have had reports of loud noises coming from your room. Please cease immediately, or security will be there.” He disconnected the call. 8

I stared at the blank screen in shock. From my room? I hurriedly got dressed, pulled my hair back into a ponytail, and slipped on my beach shoes. A quick check in the mirror to ascertain that I didn’t look insane, and then I grabbed the room key, and entered the hallway. I walked to the room next to mine, put an ear against it to double check that this was the room, and then knocked politely. 9

A man around my age answered, and I could see a room full of people behind him. “What?” 10

I smiled sweetly. “I’m from the room next to yours…and …well…I just received a call from the front desk about noises coming from my room.” I smiled again, and put on my most charming ‘puppy dog eyes’. “You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” 11

The man rolled his eyes at me, and went to close the door. I put my foot in the door, and he glared at me. “Get lost, bitch.” 12

People in the room laughed, and the door closed in my face. I walked back to my room in annoyance, and went to the patio, only to catch the last part of a conversation happened next door. 13

“--that about?” a voice asked quietly. 14

“Some bitch next door pounded on the wall, so we called the front desk to complain. She came over to complain, but got a door in the face,” someone explained. 15

“Deal me out,” the first voice said as I heard a patio chair behind pushed back and the door sliding open. 16

“Where’s he going?” 17

“You know him,” someone snorted. “Probably gone to apologize.” 18

Sure enough, there was a knock at my door. I was half tempted to let him knock all night, but decided not to be as rude as they had been. I walked to the door, and leaned against it. “What?” I snapped. 19

“I’m from the room next door,” he said quietly. “I want to apologize for what they did.” I looked at the door in confusion as he continued. “I know it’s no excuse, but…” 20

I pulled the door open, and he jumped back in surprise. He laughed lightly and shook his head. “I seem to keep running into you.” 21

“Don’t let me keep you from your prepubescent buds,” I replied. “Apologizing after the fact is not gonna work…” 22

He sighed. “I know it’s not an excuse, but I didn’t even know they did it. I was on the patio, playing poker.” He took a step back. “Sorry to have bothered you.” 23

“Wait.” I stared at him. “Apology accepted. But, you can let them know that if I am referred to as bitch one more time, then I’ll kick someone’s ass.” I went to close the door, but he reached out and put a hand against it. 24

“Hold on…someone called you a bitch?” 25

“The charming gentleman that answered the door.” 26

He thought for a moment. “That would be Mike. He rented the room.” He glanced at the door next to mine. “It’s a squadron reunion of sorts, and some of the guys can get rather…rude when drunk.” 27

“Charming people.” 28

He bowed his head slightly. “But, once again, I apologize.” 29

I went to close the door again, but stopped when he said, “Hey.” I opened the door slightly. “What’s your name? I mean, I can’t call you ‘path three, seat twelve’ all the time.” 30

“Cali,” I replied. “Calinda.” 31

He nodded. “Craig.” Then he smiled, and went back to the room next door. 32

I laughed when I heard his loud voice come from the room. “Keep it the hell down, or I’m kicking some asses.” The music and voices lowered immediately.33

~~~~~~~~~~ 34

I opened the door on the third knock, and stepped back as a room server entered pushing a cart. “Whoa…I didn’t order breakfast,” I said as he started to put the food onto the patio table. 35

The man looked at the order, then at me. “Is your name Calinda?” He continued to put the food out when I nodded. When he was finished he took the cart to leave, and handed me a small card. “Enjoy your breakfast,” he said as he closed the door. 36

Still confused, I turned the card over. Once again, sorry about last night. I blushed slightly, put the card on the bedside table, and walked out onto the patio. I sniffed lightly, rolling my eyes at the smell of stale cannabis smoke.  Voices filtered over from the poker game that still seemed to be going on next door. 37

“Read ‘em and weep,” the voice I now recognized said, followed by other men moaning. He laughed. “Once again, it’s been a pleasure cleaning you guys out…next time, bring more money.” 38

Multiple voices jokingly cursed him as they made their way off the patio. I heard a chair being pushed back and soon Craig came into view as he went to the patio edge and leaned against it. He rubbed his eyes, sighing deeply as he stared out across the azure ocean. He tapped his hand on the patio railing a few times as he turned to leave, and smiled when he saw me eating breakfast. 39

“You didn’t have to buy me breakfast,” I said, and took a sip of the coffee. 40

He shrugged and laughed. “Sudden ideas at five in the morning are responsible for that.” He put a hand over his mouth to cover a yawn. 41

I hesitated, then waved him over. “Least I can do is offer you a coffee.” 42

He easily jumped over the small divider, and plopped his frame into a patio chair, accepting the cup I poured for him. He took a sip and sighed in appreciation. “Ahhh…that hits the spot.” He grabbed a slice of toast after I motioned to the main serving plate. “Thanks.” 43

“Squadron reunion?” I asked, trying to make small talk. 44

He nodded as he chewed, then swallowed. “Army. We get together every year…catch up, get drunk, play poker…stuff like that.” 45

“Sounds interesting,” I said, then bit into a sinfully delicious omelet. 46

Craig shrugged. “I come for the poker.” He took another drink of his coffee. “Why are you here?” He stopped. “Sorry…that was rude…forget I said it.” 47

“I’m on…vacation,” I said as I poured myself another coffee. 48

“Would I be presumptuous if I asked what you were doing today?” 49

I smiled slightly, and raised an eyebrow. 50

“Maybe I should rephrase that,” he said with a small cough. “We’re having a beach party this afternoon, and, well…” He sighed. “Never mind…dumb idea. I don’t even know why I’m asking, since I really just met you and it would be rude of me to ask if it wasn’t…” 51

I listened to him ramble…it was charming. “Okay.” 52

He stopped and looked at me. “Okay? As in okay you’ll go?” 53

I nodded. “Sure…sounds like fun.” 54

He smiled. It was charming, sexy and made me need a cold shower. 55

~~~~~~~~~~ 56

I lightly knocked on the doorframe of Craig’s ‘office’. He looked up from the computer, smiled, then went back to reading. “What can I do for ya, hon?” 57

“You asked me to tell you when it was midnight.” 58

He looked at his watch and sighed. “Yeah. Gotta call head office in a few minutes.” He leaned forward, put his head in his hands and sighed again. “They want everything done...now.” He looked as a small tone sounded, and frowned at the information that came across his instant message screen. “What the...?” I quietly backed out of the room as he type out a reply. 59

I grabbed my own work, and sat on the couch. Being a freelance writer gave me freedom, but I was planning on writing about the next year, so I needed to bring a few supplies with me to the new planet. I was also trying to keep my mind off the wedding, which was in two days time. 60

I looked up as Craig’s voice started to talk to someone on the vid-phone. I went back to my organizing since we were to leave a few days after a short honeymoon…and I do mean short…as in overnight in a luxury suite in a hotel. 61

“What?!” Craig said in amazement. “They gotta be kidding!”……”That’s bullshit, pure bullshit, and you know it.”……”Yeah, fine!”……”Look…we’ll discuss this tomorrow afternoon…call a meeting for around two.”……”Because I’m tired, and pissed, and I don’t want to discuss this now, that’s why.” The light on the living room vid-phone extension went out as he hung up, followed by an aggravated growl from his office. 62

He walked out of his office, came to the couch, and plopped down beside me. He cast a tired look my way. “Launch has been put back to its original date.” 63

“Why?” 64

“Because some official decided that he needed to be there, and he’s busy on the rescheduled date…so they re-rescheduled it.” He leaned his head back against the couch and put his hands over his eyes. “We’ve been busting our asses for the past couple weeks…had to move the wedding day…” He paused as he barked out a little laugh. “You had to find a new dress…” 65

I put the notepad computer down that I as holding. I certainly didn’t need to finish it tonight. I moved closer, leaned against him and put my head on his chest. His arms wrapped around me. 66