Lily's lips puckered and pulled back, puckered and pulled back as if she were rolling out the dough of her mouth. "Won't find cheaper any other port, Lulu."
The office walls of Bravo Port barely kept out the hum of the docking bay's activity. It was late evening. Short trippers were coming back in, their cargo unloading on the backs of crew and droids. The port's own robots and droids wound their way between ships and people, checking cargo, reporting on manifests, and keeping the hive a dance of ordered chaos.
Lirssa stood across from Lily's desk. She had not found her coat or gloves, and all that was left to her in this cold season was the coat Crispin gave her for the holidays. The trim cut of the brown leather had gotten compliments from other pilots. In the comfort of her ship and the work of her day, three quarter sleeves was perfect. The cold of planet-side winter, however, meant her arms had the comfort of her sleeves and naught else.
Plucking at the edge of one dark green sleeve, Lirssa nodded. "I know, Lily. I know you won't be saving it for me either. I've thought about this. I gotta save up, and this port is a luxury I can't afford."
"Luxury." Lily scoffed. "Flatterer."
"You keep a safe and orderly bay, Lily, and you don't charge me my left kidney for it." Lirssa had a smile for the lady. If she thought about a particularly good day in her youth, the smile could be forced to brighten her eyes. It was a good show. She was well practiced in keeping her feelings at bay. Perform with a broken leg or a hacking cough enough times, living lies becomes easy. And lately she had gotten too complacent. Others were paying for her laziness. "So, yeah, gonna cancel my contract' I'd like it if I could avoid the penalty, too. Not like you won't find someone fast enough."
Lily's dark eyes studied Lirssa. A furrow, faint as shadow, formed and left the woman's brow. "As you say, I don't charge much. Being without a port can't be worth the small about you'll save."
But it might, and Lirssa was going to stop trying to be something she was not. Her own wants and desires had made her falter, and she had still failed. There was a limit, she realized, a limit to the dreams come true. "Don't know, but rather not risk it."
The business woman's fingers went flying over the keyboard. Sure, she could have spoken to the machine and it would have answered, but Lirssa knew Lily was the secretive type. Almost all of the people who worked and lived in Bravo Port were. "Yeah, okay, Lulu. I'll let you out of the contract with no penalty." One finger hovered over a key. "You sure?"
The deep breath pulled in the smell of the bay with its oils and grit. "Yes."
With a fingertap to a key, Lily canceled the contract. She leaned back in the chair, the long fall of black hair sweeping out behind her. Lily was an institution in Stars End, but her face would never reveal her age. Lirssa had once asked her how long she had owned Bravo Port, and Lily had replied seventy years without hesitation or sly winks. The woman was not a grandmother and she was not a shrew. Years of living and she was comfortable in the grey middle ground. "It's done, Lirssa al Amat. You have twenty four to get your ship out of port." Sentiment also was not one of her failings.
"Thanks, Lily." Lirssa patted the desk edge and nodded. "Right. I best go find a place to park."
Lirssa opened up the office door and the song of activity crescendo. "What's the savings for?" Lily called to her.
Lirssa smiled back to Lily. "Have to buy a house."
The office walls of Bravo Port barely kept out the hum of the docking bay's activity. It was late evening. Short trippers were coming back in, their cargo unloading on the backs of crew and droids. The port's own robots and droids wound their way between ships and people, checking cargo, reporting on manifests, and keeping the hive a dance of ordered chaos.
Lirssa stood across from Lily's desk. She had not found her coat or gloves, and all that was left to her in this cold season was the coat Crispin gave her for the holidays. The trim cut of the brown leather had gotten compliments from other pilots. In the comfort of her ship and the work of her day, three quarter sleeves was perfect. The cold of planet-side winter, however, meant her arms had the comfort of her sleeves and naught else.
Plucking at the edge of one dark green sleeve, Lirssa nodded. "I know, Lily. I know you won't be saving it for me either. I've thought about this. I gotta save up, and this port is a luxury I can't afford."
"Luxury." Lily scoffed. "Flatterer."
"You keep a safe and orderly bay, Lily, and you don't charge me my left kidney for it." Lirssa had a smile for the lady. If she thought about a particularly good day in her youth, the smile could be forced to brighten her eyes. It was a good show. She was well practiced in keeping her feelings at bay. Perform with a broken leg or a hacking cough enough times, living lies becomes easy. And lately she had gotten too complacent. Others were paying for her laziness. "So, yeah, gonna cancel my contract' I'd like it if I could avoid the penalty, too. Not like you won't find someone fast enough."
Lily's dark eyes studied Lirssa. A furrow, faint as shadow, formed and left the woman's brow. "As you say, I don't charge much. Being without a port can't be worth the small about you'll save."
But it might, and Lirssa was going to stop trying to be something she was not. Her own wants and desires had made her falter, and she had still failed. There was a limit, she realized, a limit to the dreams come true. "Don't know, but rather not risk it."
The business woman's fingers went flying over the keyboard. Sure, she could have spoken to the machine and it would have answered, but Lirssa knew Lily was the secretive type. Almost all of the people who worked and lived in Bravo Port were. "Yeah, okay, Lulu. I'll let you out of the contract with no penalty." One finger hovered over a key. "You sure?"
The deep breath pulled in the smell of the bay with its oils and grit. "Yes."
With a fingertap to a key, Lily canceled the contract. She leaned back in the chair, the long fall of black hair sweeping out behind her. Lily was an institution in Stars End, but her face would never reveal her age. Lirssa had once asked her how long she had owned Bravo Port, and Lily had replied seventy years without hesitation or sly winks. The woman was not a grandmother and she was not a shrew. Years of living and she was comfortable in the grey middle ground. "It's done, Lirssa al Amat. You have twenty four to get your ship out of port." Sentiment also was not one of her failings.
"Thanks, Lily." Lirssa patted the desk edge and nodded. "Right. I best go find a place to park."
Lirssa opened up the office door and the song of activity crescendo. "What's the savings for?" Lily called to her.
Lirssa smiled back to Lily. "Have to buy a house."