Page 9 of Latham
“I meant breakfast.” She gave him a poke in the ribs which he ignored. Her stomach growled and they both laughed.
Latham left the bed and went to the tiny bathroom, returning with a warm washcloth and taking care of Helaine, who closed her eyes to blink back tears. He was so considerate and caring and unlike anyone else she’d ever been with. A peck on the lips let her know he was done and when she opened her eyes and sat up he was donning a pair of running shorts.
“Going for a run along the beach,” he said. “If you’re too hungry don’t wait for me, go ahead and raid the stasis keeper.”
He came to the bed to kiss her again and then left the bungalow. Helaine swathed herself in the sheet and rushed to the door to watch him do a few stretches and then set off to the east, running easily.
She strolled inside reluctantly, still in the happy afterglow of their lovemaking, locked the door (although it was flimsy) and used the refresher. Dressing in a pair of shorts and a cute top, she explored the stasis keeper at her leisure and picked out two breakfasts. Then she took out two more, considering what a big man Latham was.
In all ways.
Smiling at the little aches and pains she had from their vigorous morning wakeup session, she set the meals out, along with plates and utensils. Then she unlocked the bungalow and went outside to wait for him. She didn’t have to wait too long until he came jogging up the walkway to put his arm around her and kiss her nearly senseless before escorting her inside.
He tucked a lush violet-and-orange tropical flower into her hair, behind her ear. “I brought you this.”
Helaine took a deep breath of the exotic scent wafting in the air and touched the soft petals with a careful fingertip. She wouldn’t have expected such a romantic gesture from Latham, which made it even more charming. “It’s wonderful. Thank you. I’ve got breakfast ready to go.”
“You didn’t have to wait for me,” he said, studying the layout of dishes crowding the table.
“I wanted to.” She gave him a push, which of course made no impression on his giant frame. “Go hit the refresher and then let’s eat. I made coffee too—they have a limited supply of the real stuff here.”
“We’re looking into growing the beans ourselves on Ardanna Prime,” he said as he headed to the bathroom. “There are several promising microclimate areas which might work.”
“Earth’s monopoly is under threat,” she said, playacting as if she was in terror over the prospect, raising her hands and making an eerie ooh sound. “Did you know it takes four years before a coffee tree yields its first harvest?”
“On Earth,” he scoffed. “We can do better on Ardanna.” He disappeared into the tiny bathroom.
Breakfast was a companionable affair. They were both hungry so the conversation was minimal until they reached the second cup of coffee stage. Then Latham stretched, kicked out his legs and asked, “What do you feel like doing today?”
She bit her lip. “Honestly? I’m worn out from all the high drama of yesterday. Antigrav jumping, ziplining, hiking…and a bit sore from this morning.”
“Did I hurt you?” He sat bolt upright, eyes darkening. “You should have said something?—"
Helaine laid her hand over his on the table. “I’m fine. It’s been a long dry spell for me and so I’m out of practice.”
“The men of Earth are idiots,” he said with disdain. “But lucky for me.”
“I’d be content lying around the beach here today, frankly, if the idea’s not too boring for you?”
“The waves are a good height for body surfing,” he said. “We could take the boat out later, inside the cove and do a little fishing for our dinner. I could get behind a day of leisure here. And then of course there are the indoor activities as well.” Now he gave her a meaningful glance over the rim of his coffee mug and Helaine blushed. “I don’t suppose you actually know how to scuba dive?”
She shook her head, embarrassed all over again at how she’d fibbed on her IDA preferences sheet. “No, but after yesterday I’m open to new experiences. We can try it if you want.”
Surprisingly Latham declined her offer. “Scuba diving isn’t a skill you can learn on the fly, like ziplining. It takes actual training to be certified. I wouldn’t risk you. You do swim?”
Happy to be able to tell the truth, she nodded. “My family has this legend going all the way back to pre-intersolar Earth days about an ancestor who was on some famous ship which sank and because he couldn’t swim he drowned, along with a lot of other people. So the family matriarch at the time decreed everyone in the bloodline from that time forward had to learn to swim. So yes, I dutifully took lessons when I was a kid. Even though no one knows if the legend was even true. It’s just a thing we Davies do. Family tradition.”
“Great, then we can go snorkeling tomorrow. I saw information on a pretty reef not too far away. We can do a picnic on the island. And in the afternoon if you’re not too tired, there’s a waterfall inland from here. I ran into one of the Harlecky guys who was telling me about it and it’s only a short walk. Lots of birds and flowers, I hear.”
After clearing away the remnants of breakfast Latham got her set up on the beach with a chair and a gaily striped umbrella. She’d brought a book or five of course and alternated between reading her book, watching Latham body surf and observing the Harlecky retreat participants. The attendees took frequent breaks from their meetings, during which some of them would come to chat, and there were also quite a few breakout sessions where small teams would emerge from the big meeting room, set themselves up in different spots close to the bungalows and work on smaller pieces of whatever they were here to resolve. Helaine liked having other people around in an unobtrusive way although she was glad not to be on the crowded beach at the main resort with hundreds of other people.
Corleon Cove was beautiful and peaceful and being here with Latham was worth all the travail she’d had yesterday getting here. She was glad to know a boat was coming to retrieve them in a few days though and she wouldn’t have to do any more climbing or ziplining or serious hiking. Latham seemed so happy and at ease here compared to how tense he’d been when they met, which also made her happy.
At one point he trotted out of the waves like an ocean god, his wet swimsuit molded to his body, showing off his endowments, which made Helaine clench her thighs and fan herself. He was carrying e big, beautiful cream and pink shell. “I found this on the bottom out beyond the waves,” he said, handing it to her to admire. “I thought you might like it for a souvenir. “It’s empty—the occupant moved on.”
“Wow, it’s gorgeous.” She admired the whorls of color and the shiny surface. “I love it.” Putting it to her ear she chuckled and said, “Yup, I can hear the ocean.”
“Maybe because you’re sitting beside the water,” he laughed, obviously not impressed. “Ready for lunch?”
