Tales From The Triple Suns (Chapter Fifteen)

I smiled as I received confirmation that my most recent news article had been published. Apparently my uncle was impressed with the story about the Courtesans and had printed it without many alterations…a rarity for works submitted to him. It had taken me two weeks to write, and I was happy that he accepted it.1

It had been an interesting meeting with Madame Kathryn, and I came away with a new understanding for a cultural issue that I always had hidden borderline conflicts about.  On one side, it was to be the ‘oldest profession’, and in the last five hundred or so years had been dragged out of the slimy recesses to be sanitized, legalized, and strictly regulated.  Gone were the pimps of old, and the term Courtesan had been adopted to replace the often sleazy connotation that terms like prostitute, whore and hooker evoked.  The women and men who chose this as their profession had to go through stringent educational and medical testing…only about half actually passed.2

One the other side of my former dilemma, was the knowledge that these people were actually selling their bodies as sexual ‘toys’ for profit.  After meeting for coffee, I still thought that, but I came to the realization that these people chose to do this.  They were well aware of the physical, mental, and personal problems it may cause, and steps were set up to help them if needed.  Every five years, they were required to reapply for a license, go through a psychological profile, and to take a ‘refresher’ course in the ‘techniques’ that had been passed down through the years.3

I had never used the services of a Courtesan, and I had no idea if Craig ever had or not.  I knew he had a life before he met me, so I didn’t worry about it.  Thinking of Craig, I glanced out the window and smiled at the sudden prospects of spending the day with him.  I wondered if I could entice him to skip work...or at least work from a mobile station.4

~~~~~~~~~~5

I leaned back against a large rock and looked out over the pristine waters.  Craig and I had finally made it to the coast after I basically blackmailed him into taking a day off.  It wasn’t so much as a day off, since he had a regular work schedule, it was getting him to actually wander father than twenty kilometers from the settlement that took some fancy maneuvering.  The second crop had just been planted, and he was still paranoid about things going wrong and wanted to be around if they did.6

Even after I stood in front of him in our living room, wearing one of the skimpiest swimsuits ever, he still needed a little coaxing.  I mentioned something about topless sunbathing, and promises of needing lots and lots of sunscreen applied…but he was still hesitant (intrigued, but hesitant).  The blackmail came into effect when I told him that I would go to the beach alone…not apply any sunscreen, and any ensuing sunburn would prevent me from intimate contact for at least a week.   His eyes narrowed as he weighed the consequences, and five minutes later we were on our way.7

The beach area was beautiful, and after following vague directions from Mark, we arrived at a secluded area…close enough to the scientific buildings, but far enough to be ‘private’.  I looked up as a shadow fell across me.8

“Hey, chair twelve, path three,” Craig said, referring to the first time we met, and smiled.  He sat in the sand by my feet and looked at the water.  “This is nice.”9

I slipped down the rock and landed softly beside him.  “It is.  Nice to get near the water for a while.”  I glanced at him.  “Sorry to blackmail you into coming.”10

He laughed while watching the birds fly overhead.  “I’m glad you did.”  He laced his fingers together and put his arms straight to flex them.  “And I believe you mentioned something about topless sunbathing?”11

I smiled slyly as I reached behind, and quickly undid the clasp to my top.  I took it off and placed it on his head.  “I did.”  I moved so I was lying in the sand, and passed him a bottle from the pack beside me, then rolled over.12

“Oh, the back, yeah…right.” He sounded disappointed.  I jumped as the lotion hit my back, then relaxed as his strong hands rubbed it in, gliding over my shoulders with deceptive softness.   His fingers moved to the small of my back, massaging as he rubbed the lotion in, occasionally going under the top of my bikini bottoms. I shivered slightly at the heat coming from him, and was sure that the lotion had all been rubbed in, but didn’t say a thing as his hands continued to move.13

I pouted to myself as his hands left my back, and smiled at him as he moved to lie beside me.  “Aren’t you gonna put lotion on?”  I asked.14

“I’m naturally tanned, darlin’,” he said.  “And I don’t burn.”15

I smiled, and glanced at the top portion of the scientific building; the only part visible.  I shielded my eyes, “What do they do?”16

Craig followed my gaze, then looked back at me.  “This one studies ocean currents to see if seabed agriculture is plausible in this area.”17

“How’d you know that?”18

He smiled that annoying superior smile.  “I know what all the science teams do.”19

“Don’t get obnoxious,” I warned in a teasing voice.  “So, Mr. Smartypants…what do the other teams do?”  I arched an eyebrow at him in challenge.20

He raised himself up and leaned on one arm.  “Well…there are eighteen total in this area alone.  Five do the same as this one, while five others study the erosion effects and the migratory issues it causes.  The others are…”21

“Show off,” I said and squinted at him.  I rolled over and looked up at him.  He smiled and started to run his hands over my abdomen.   “Umm…not to be picky, but you forgot the lotion.”22

“I did?” He asked, but didn’t stop rubbing.23

I ran my fingers through the sand, and closed my eyes as his hands glided higher. It felt wonderful, lotion or not.  My mind was turning to what we could be doing…alone…in a secluded beach area, with the sound of the waves hitting the rocky shore…when I felt his lips on mine.  I wrapped my arms around his shoulders, pulled him to the sand, and then rolled over to sit on top of him.24

~~~~~~~~~~25

The sun cast red hued fingers through the clouds as our wonderful day at the beach was coming to an end.  Craig went back to his notepad as the sun slipped under the horizon, and finished up what little work he had brought with him.  He tucked the notepad into the beach pack I had, and stood.26

“Ready to head back, darlin’?” he asked as he stretched, then held out a hand for me.27

I took it and got to my feet.  “Hope we don’t get lost.”28

“Naw,” he said as we set off.  “Just follow the lights to the science building…no prob.”  He took the beach pack from me, swung it over his other shoulder, then put an arm around me.29

True to his words, we were at the car in less than fifteen minutes and on the drive back home.30

“Uh-oh,” Craig mumbled as he looked up at the sky.  I glanced up at the dark clouds that were slowly obliterating the stars’ twinkling.  “Hope that holds off until we get back.”31

Small droplets started about the same time that we came into view of the community’s lights in the distance.  Although the rains were an important part of nature, I hated the mucky mess it always left behind.  Most of the still dirt roads outside of the community turned into quagmire, trapping anything brave…or stupid enough to attempt to traverse them.  32

Craig swore as the skies seemed to open up and a curtain of water cascaded down on us.  I could see calculations going on behind his eyes, as he worked out the possibilities of attempting to make it the approximate three kilometers back home, or to pull off the road and wait out the rain.33

“Or…we could walk.”34

He glanced at me briefly as he slowed the vehicle down.  “Walk?”35

“We can travel overland…hitting the rocky area, and then over the small footbridge the kids made…that takes us to the hill behind the medical center…”36

Craig pulled over slightly, to avoid a rather large puddle.  “Foot bridge?  What foot bridge?”37

“Over the ravine.”38

“Over the what??!”  He stopped the vehicle as the lights shone on the now muddy roadway.  “You crazy?  Go over a foot bridge in the driving rain?”39

“It’s an option,” I said with a shrug.40

“That ravine has a drop of over twenty meters.”41

I smirked at him.  He had no idea that I walked that bridge almost daily, and it was rather well built with the added safety of rope handrails.  “What’s the matter, Army-man…skeered?”42

He stared at me, then moved the vehicle off to the side of the now completely muck filled road.  “Grab your gear…and it’s Major Army-man to you.”43

We got out, and were immediately soaked to the skin from the surprisingly warm rain.  Craig grabbed a small bad of emergency supplies that were always in the vehicle then turned to me.  “You know the way?” he asked as he handed a flashlight over.44

I paused to get my bearings.  “Community is…there…airstrip…” I looked around for the lights, “there…so the ravine is…”45

“That way.” He pointed to my left.46

I nodded and set off in the direction indicated.  “The bridge goes in a basic straight line from the community to the tarmac,” I said as I nearly slipped in the mud.47

“Whoa!” Craig said from behind, then followed it up with a few choice phrases from various languages. I turned and shone the flashlight on him, clamping my mouth shut to keep from laughing.  “Not…one…word,” he said as he stood from the mud puddle he has slipped in.  Muck covered his entire front, and caked his hair.48

“The rain will wash it off,” I said, and then started to laugh.  It must have been divine justice, because I felt my feet slip out from under me and down I went.49

~~~~~~~~~~50

We were closer to the rocky area than I thought, and soon were looking at the small footbridge that spanned the ravine.  Lightning flashed to illuminate it, causing Craig to take a step back.51

I walked towards it, and turned to look at him.  “Coming?”52

His eyes never left the bridge. “Umm…no.”  He didn’t look as I walked back to him.  I took his hand and led him to the bridge.  53

“It’s perfectly safe,” I told him, but he didn’t move.  I studied his wet face for a few minutes.  “You got something about heights?”54

“No…something about walking over a footbridge in the middle of a storm while lightening flashes, actually.”  A frown touched his face.  “Been there, done that…never gonna do it again.”55

I took his hand and he finally looked at me.  “But…” He inhaled deeply, and let it out slowly as another bolt of lightening flashed overhead.  “Let’s go,” he whispered but didn’t move.56

I gently pulled on his hand and he followed, hesitating slightly at the start of the bridge.  The wind whipped through the ravine, making the bridge sway slightly and the wood slick underfoot.  We slowly made our way across, hanging onto the rope with one hand as he held onto my other with a death grip.  I fought the desire to look down…and to jump when lightening flashed.57

Craig sat on the ground when we finally made it to the other side.  “Hold on…gotta rest for a second.”  He laid back on the wet grass and stared into the turbulent sky as the water fell onto his face.  I sat down beside him, not really feeling the water any longer.58

He coughed lightly and looked at me.  “How much longer?”59

“Just over the hill,” I pointed.  “Leads to the area behind the Medical Center, then a short walk home.”60

He sat up, then stood and helped me to my feet.  “Good…can’t wait to get outta these clothes and get into the shower.”  He laughed at that thought since we were wetter than any shower could have ever gotten us.61

~~~~~~~~~~62

There was no one on the streets as we walked through the community towards our home.  Craig punched in the door code and opened the back door, moving aside so I could enter first.  He walked in and leaned gratefully against the closed door.  He took of his shirt and dropped it into the puddle that was dripping off him, and kicked his shoes in the general direction of the mat beside the door.  He then stripped out of the rest of his clothes, adding them to the mess.63

“Out of your clothes,” he said as he walked towards the bathroom, “and into the shower…now.”64

I tossed a salute to his retreating back as I bent down to pick up his clothes.  I went to the bedroom, placed his clothes in the hamper, then took off my own soaked garments.  I opened the shower door and stepped in beside him.  He moved out of the way, and I sighed as the water hit my body.65

I smiled as I felt his hands on my back, rubbing soap from top to bottom.  “Just what do you do with your days,” he asked, “for you to know about that bridge?”66

“It’s a nice walk,” I replied.  “When it’s not raining, that is.”  I turned around, and motioned for him to trade places.  I grabbed the soap and ran my hands along his back.  He moved slightly and I gasped as the water hit me full in the face.  “Stop doing that!” 67

He laughed and went back to blocking the flow. He always did that, and thought it was hilarious…men!  I ran my hands around his body, and pressed myself against his back.  He turned around in my arms to face me.68

“Last time I was on a footbridge…in a storm…I got this.”  He lightly touched the scar near his hairline. He had always told me that he would someday tell me how he had gotten it…and that day was here.69

“We were…somewhere…dropped in the middle of a big-ass hurricane type storm…” he paused for a moment and I could see a far away look in his eyes.  “Had to cross a foot bridge to get out…lightening flashing…it was surreal.” 70

“What happened?” I whispered.71

He blinked and looked at me.  “Lightening illuminated us for a brief moment…but it was enough to be noticed and all hell broke loose.”  He shivered slightly at the memory.  “Guy in front of me got it in the back…and his gear blew.”  He frowned as I inhaled sharply.  “I jumped back and turned…and caught a piece in the faceplate…shattering it.”  He turned me around so my back was facing the running water.  He put his face in the stream, letting it run down him.  “I woke up a few days later in medical with...this.” He motioned to his forehead.72

I put my head against his chest and hugged him close. I hated it when I unwittingly brought bad memories up for him.73

He bent his head and kissed my hair.  “Next time you want to go to the coast, check the weather reports first, okay?”  He pulled back and put a finger under my chin so he could see my face.  “I’m never gonna get all that mud off me.”74

I laughed and kissed him.  He leaned beyond me, turned the water off and opened the shower door.  I went to step out, and squealed when he picked me up in his arms and started for the bedroom.75