"Mary Rosenblum - Breeze from the Stars" - читать интересную книгу автора (Rosenblum Mary)

You guys, JeriтАЩs Dispatch, can you believe it?тАЭ
They had no idea what Dispatch really was, but they were suitably impressed
and for a time, he and Sanya and Jorges traded training stories of stupid mistakes,
pranks, and good hits. He drank the beer and it was fun for awhile.
But it wasnтАЩt the same. He caught their brief sideways looks, read the hint of
tension in JorgesтАЩ shoulders. He didnтАЩt belong here. The talk had turned to gossip
and orbital politics and Jeri sat listening, looking into the invisible bubble of
camaraderie. Outsider. Silently he finished his beer. Everything hurt with a subtle
nagging ache and in spite of the buzz of beer in blood, the images of platforms,
shuttles, and drifting bits of old stars lurked like a mist between him and the others
as Jorge told a joke about some teammateтАЩs bad luck with love and everybody
laughed.
тАЬHey, itтАЩs the new Dispatch.тАЭ
Jeri looked up at the familiar voice.
тАЬHey, Zai.тАЭ Sanya waved her over, respect in her tone as well as in the curve
of her shoulders. тАЬJeri was in training with us. Jeri, this is Zai. SheтАЩs NYUpтАЩs
Number One Team leader.тАЭ
тАЬYeah, weтАЩve met,тАЭ Jeri said as the tall jock carried her beer over. She had a
few new tattoos, and her eyes met his, gleaming with laughter and maybe something
more as she perched in a hammock next to him.
тАЬI guess DelfinioтАЩs happy with you.тАЭ She winked. тАЬCongratulations.тАЭ
тАЬWhat about this Delfinio?тАЭ Jorges cracked his third beer. тАЬIs he one of those
weird Gypsies like IтАЩve heard, Jeri? Creepy.тАЭ
With a single, fluid movement, Zai caught JorgesтАЩs foot and flipped him
backward out of his hammock. He landed hard, even in the slight gravity, his beer
skidding across the stained floor, trailing lacey foam. тАЬWatch your mouth, newbie,тАЭ
Zai said very softly.
тАЬSorry.тАЭ Jorges scrambled to his feet, rubbing the back of his head, his
expression nervous. тАЬLook, IтАЩm really sorry.тАЭ His glance skidded from teammate to
teammate, finding no supporters. тАЬI didnтАЩt mean...тАЭ
тАЬDonтАЩt say what you donтАЩt mean.тАЭ Zai turned her back on him. тАЬDispatch, IтАЩd
be honored to buy you a beer.тАЭ She winked at Jeri, a bit of a leer in that wink. тАЬLetтАЩs
take it up to the hub garden, eh? My friend works there and I have a pass.тАЭ
They collected fresh beers and left The Hole and Jeri was aware of some
envious stares from the other jocks. Zai indeed had a pass, so they rode one of the
elevators up to the core of the huge, rotating can that was the NYUp platform. Here,
thickly planted hydroponic tubes turned the hub into a jungle of leaves, fruits, and
vegetables in the hot, bright glare of Sol. In the green-gold light filtering through the
leaves, they drank their beer and Zai pulled him to her, stripping him out of his
singlesuit with casual, lustful purpose, her grin easy and bright with sex.
It didnтАЩt work. Not really. It was there, between them, the slow spin of the
planets, the cans, the ships and shuttles and junk.
тАЬYour mindтАЩs not on your work, sweetheart.тАЭ Zai drifted with her arms
around his waist, her cheek against his hip. тАЬSorry I couldnтАЩt distract you.тАЭ
тАЬIt wasnтАЩt you.тАЭ JeriтАЩs face was on fire, figured he was probably blushing
clear down to his toes. Felt so ... so... тАЬI just...тАЭ He shook his head because how
could you explain?
тАЬHey, when you get focused...тАЭ Zai pushed off, drifted a scant meter looking
for her singlesuit, ... тАЬlook me up.тАЭ She snagged it and kicked off toward the
elevator, her singlesuit trailing from one hand.