The Kiss: An Anthology About Love and Other Close Encounters(114)
*
Corrie Fischer is the author of the Shattered Skies series. She lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas with her two dogs and a leopard gecko.
http://corriefischer.com
*
The Slave Who'd Never Been Kissed
Jess Mountifield
The Captain's First Contact
“All right, all right, the lot of you can have an hour in the market. Then I want you back to your stations.” The man said with an Irish lilt and chuckled. The five people Auraylia had seen badger him for the last few minutes grinned and dispersed into the crowds.
Despite knowing none of them she found herself smiling at their exchange. He wore the uniform of a Unified Federations ship captain, and the deep blue shirt and trousers brought out the blue in his eyes. Complete with the black ankle-length coat and insignia on the right shoulder, he had many young ladies turning their heads in his direction, her included.
She saw him pull out an ornate pocket watch and glance at the time before making his own way into the market area right past her. The scent of spiced aftershave marked his path and tantalised her senses. Intrigued, she followed him.
For several minutes he merely browsed and didn't buy a single item, but eventually he haggled for a small packet of herbs from a specialist stall. It disappeared somewhere into his coat, leaving her no reason to engage him yet. She kept back and continued to watch, only half sure she wanted to approach but convinced the risk would be worth the nerves making her shiver already.
*
Dylan made his way through the pressing crowds, inspecting the wares of many of the market stalls. Although he'd held out on his crew and pretended to be concerned over their wishes to explore the market town, he was pleased at their desire. It gave him the free time to browse alone and gather his thoughts.
The few purchases he had already made were tucked into the deep pockets of his coat and weighed it down a little more than usual, but it helped keep them safe from the little hands that snuck about the place.
As he glanced over some ornate necklaces on one stall and wondered if they would make a good gift for his third officer he noticed a familiar figure amongst the masses; a young woman, barely of age yet dressed in the usual female slave outfit, a pale coloured top and pantaloons, leaving her mid-riff and arms barely covered by the partially transparent organza overlay, to hint at the body that lay beneath. Unlike most of the girls nearby, who wore oranges and yellows to stand out, she wore a pale blue ensemble. Ironically, the contrast made her easier to spot and it was the third time he'd noticed her meandering along behind him.
He frowned but didn't confront her yet. So far she had kept her distance and appeared to be alone.
At the next few stalls he picked up more of the items he wanted, including the necklace he'd spotted and two more books for his miniature library in his cabin. With the newly acquired bottle of wine and jars of his favourite foods he had his arms full and started looking around for something to carry his purchases in.
The slave girl chose this moment to close the final gap between them and he steeled himself to reprimand her or prevent her stealing his items.
“Can I help with those, sir?” She turned her bright green eyes on him and they flitted across his face like a nervous cat's. Her words startled him to silence and for a moment he could only stare back at her. Before long she broke the eye-contact and lowered her head, allowing him to think about the question she asked.
“How do I know you won't run off with anything I hand you?” he asked.
She pulled back the organza sleeves that covered her wrists and most of her hands and showed him the black rose tattoo on the soft inside. He frowned. Such a tattoo in so delicate a place must have hurt.
“My master and owner trades under this mark. If I displease anyone they can find him easily in the nearby district.” She pointed to the buildings rising up in the west. Several tall wooden houses rose up, each with a different symbol on the side of it. The matching black flower covered one of the constructions, although, like many of the others, it looked as if it had seen better days.
When he looked back at her, she was shivering and her head was bowed. He couldn't tell if it was respect or fear, but he decided to take pity on her.
“How much will such a service cost me?” he asked. Her head lifted and showed him her widened eyes.
“Nothing, sir. I... If I help to your satisfaction...”
“All right. Carry these for me and keep up.”
She nodded and flicked her brown hair back behind her shoulders so it wouldn't become entangled before taking the few parcels he sent her way and cradling them against her body.
“You've been following me for quite a while,” he added as he made his way to the next stall of interest to him. She had the good grace to blush at this challenge but didn't respond at first, giving him time to purchase some food for the fish he kept. The wrapped up item was added to the stack already burdening her.
“I saw you earlier, sir, with your crew. I liked the way you talked to them. I can tell you are a good man,” she said as he moved on again.
“Being a slave cannot be easy.”
“It is not always bad, but I am for sale and that worries me sometimes. I want to be bought by someone who won't hurt me... or... What is space like? I've always wanted to see it.”