Page 22 of Master
"Damn, you're like Maverick." Her relieved giggle was throaty.
I couldn't help but preen under her gaze, whether or not I should. "What’s a maverick?”
"It's from a movie." Clara's violet eyes centered on where my fingers flew over the control panel, assessing the status of the skiff. "Maverick is a soldier—a warrior like you but trained to fight using an aircraft.”
“I think I’d rather be Jamie Fraser.” I winked at her.
“Don’t get the big head,” Clara shot at me.
The only translation I deciphered from her words had me glancing at my crotch.
"Conceited," she blurted, her cheeks flushing. "Don't get conceited!"
“Ahh.” I stood and stretched, flexing my muscles a little more than necessary and giving her an ample view just in case she truly referred to the status of my cock. The way Clara rolled her eyes pulled a low chuckle from my lips.
“Is the ship okay?” Clara glanced back to the control panel at the small red pulsing light.
“I’m running a diagnostic now. It will take a few minutes to complete. Are you hungry?"
Violet eyes blinked at me. "We have food?"
"Not as good as what's on the Bardaga, but we won't starve." I motioned for her to follow and waited while she released the harness. "We have a standard nutrition dispenser on board."
“What’s that?” Her nose scrunched up rather adorably as she followed me to the ship's rear section.
"It's a machine that combines amino acids with other building blocks to concoct something that's hopefully palatable.”
“So, an alien vending machine," Clara teased, lips curving into a wicked grin. It was my favorite of all her expressions—playful, amused, and just the tiniest bit wicked.
The machine itself was unimpressive. A square gray box with a data pad to enter the quantity and peruse flavor selections. I selected a dish I’d eaten a couple of times. While the dispenser churned up the grub, I reached into an overhead cabinet, bringing out one of the few comforts I allowed myself while on a mission. A bottle of valat, along with two metal cups.
There wasn’t a dining table, just a small square-topped surface between two chairs. Clara settled into one chair, watching as I uncorked the bottle and poured a generous serving of the thick burgundy liquid between the two cups.
“What is this?” She raised the cup to her nose, breathing deeply as I settled into the opposite chair.
"It's a wine from my home planet." I partook of the fruity aroma before taking a drink. Smacking my lips in appreciation,I uttered the only word that perfectly described the sweet, rich wine. "Delicious."
Clara gaped at me, eyes and lips wide. "Say that again."
I glanced at the cup in my hand. "Delicious?"
Her violet eyes went wider. "Oh, my God! I hadn't noticed, but... you... you’re actually speaking English.”
“You hadn’t noticed,” I snorted in amusement before taking another sip of wine.
"No." The thick blonde waves bounced as Clara shook her head. "I made myself not pay attention aboard the other ship." Her face scrunched with distaste. It was as adorable as her other expressions. "It’s why I can’t watch dubbed movies. Words not matching lip movements drive me nuts. How did you learn English?”
“Everyone on the Bardaga speaks most of the 6493 Earth languages. My Chieftain felt strongly that if we were going to protect the Earth, we needed to study your language and customs,” I told her, enjoying the expression of pleasure as she took her first sip of valat.
“Where did you get the information? Is there like an Earth school or something?”
“Your radio and TV waves have been transmitting into space for a while.”
The fabricator gave a low ding. I stood, the spicy, savory scent making my stomach rumble. The two bowls steamed with simmering meat and vegetables.
“So, you learned about Earth from watchingI Love LucyandWho's the Boss," Clara laughed as I set the bowl in front of her, as well as napkins and utensils.
"We were able to tap into your Earth internet as well." I settled back in my chair, watching the pleasure flicker across her face as she took in the savory aroma. "It is primitive, but gave us access to your libraries and schools of knowledge, plus more videos."
