Page 23 of Searching the Skies
She wasn’t 100 percent convinced their plan would work out, but deep down, she wanted nothing more than to be able to stay with both of them. “I can’t turn down one last good meal before heading back up to the world of unidentifiable foodstuffs,” she tried to joke.
“Excellent.” Marcus smiled and folded his hands in front of him. “If I’m cooking tonight, I’d better start getting ready. I’ll see you in a few hours.” With a polite nod, he turned around and began walking back toward the house.
Geneva waited until he was out of earshot before confronting Ash. “Be honest with me,” she said. “You really don’t have a problem with me spending time with Marcus every now and then?”
“Anyone could see how much you cared about him when you saw him yesterday. Before that, I had sort of been wondering about this ‘friend’ you kept mentioning, but it all became clear when I saw how he looked at you.”
She opened her mouth to apologize, but he shook his head. “I wanted to think you could feel some sort of similar affection toward me,” he continued. “You know, other than your rampant attraction to my dashing good looks and magnetic charm.”
She laughed. “I do.”
“Either way, I realized if I made you choose, I may not come out on top. Or even if I did, I’d always be wondering if you had any second thoughts or regrets.” He put his hands on her shoulders, and she leaned back against the tree, guiding him toward her. “So, let’s not worry about labels, or expectations, or conforming to what other people think we should do. Let’s just relax and go with the flow for a while. And if one day, you decide you don’t want anything to do with me, at least I’ll know it wasn’t because I tried to make you into someone you didn’t want to be.”
Geneva pulled his head down to hers and kissed him. She let her lips linger near his for a moment, feeling his skin near hers and breathing in time with him before letting him go. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to tell him, but she settled for simplicity. “Thank you.”
***
They arrived at Marcus’s doorstep by nightfall, greeted by tantalizing aromas coming from his kitchen. Rather than waiting in the formal dining room, they joined him as he hurried about, checking on various dishes and always ready with a bottle of wine. Geneva perched atop one of the empty countertops, and Ash leaned next to her. Together, they watched Marcus work and entertained him with tales of their travels while he cooked.
“Let’s stay in here,” she said once the preparations were finally complete. “It’s more…cozy than the other room.”
Marcus agreed and set out plates and utensils on a small round table. They took their seats, and Ash continued his story about some of the pranks he pulled as a student at the Academy and the resulting consequences. “I was scrubbing out toilets for the next month, but it was worth it to see the look on the instructor’s face,” he concluded.
“You’re terrible!” she chided him as Marcus laughed. “You’re lucky they let you graduate!”
“Very lucky,” he said, grinning at them from behind his loaded fork. “Otherwise, where would I be now? Certainly not here with the two of you, eating this delicious meal.” He took another bite of food and tipped an imaginary hat at his host. “If you ever get bored around here, you should come up to the ship and cook for us. Or at least give the soldiers in the kitchen some helpful tips.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. I doubt I’m cut out for the military lifestyle.”
“And I already horrified enough people when I joined up all those years ago,” Geneva said. “I’d hate to see what the reaction would be if we stole Marcus away.”
Ash dropped his utensils on his plate and crossed his arms. “Then it’s settled. It’s allherfault we can’t have good food on the ship.”
“Hey!” she exclaimed in mock indignation. Narrowing her eyes at him, she took a sip of wine before turning to face the other man. “Do you have any bathrooms in need of cleaning? I hear Ash is really good at it. Perhaps you can hire him part-time.”
“But then there wouldn’t be anyone to keep you company in the more desolate parts of outer space. I wouldn’t want you to be lonely.” Marcus gave her a pointed look. “You know, since I’m sure as hell not going out there.”
“You’re so sweet.” She pushed some of the food around on her plate and sighed. “At the risk of sounding overly sappy, I can’t tell you how glad I am about how we’re all getting along so well. It makes everything so much easier.”
“Not everything has to be a competition, or some long, drawn-out drama,” Ash said. “We each have our separate roles in your life. It’s just a fact.”
Marcus nodded. “And we’re different enough that I don’t feel particularly threatened or jealous. Spending time with you occasionally is better than never seeing you at all.”
She blew out a puff of air. “You always make it sound so simple.”
Ash shrugged and resumed eating. “Why make things complicated?”
“I guess you’re right. After all, both of you do mean so much to me.” She swirled the remnants of her drink in the bottom of her glass before finishing it off. “Too bad I can’t have both of you at the same time,” she half joked.
Her murmured statement lingered in the air as no one said anything after her. The prolonged silence grew uncomfortable as her words echoed in her mind. Heat crept into her cheeks, and she cursed herself for what she’d spoken aloud.Now I’ve gone and ruined everything…
Several eternal moments later, Ash was the first to speak. “If it’s what you really want…”
Geneva blinked. “What?”
“Oh, how silly of me. I didn’t think you’d say it if you didn’t mean it.” Ash smirked, and she couldn’t tell how sincere he was.
She looked at Marcus and raised her eyebrows. The other man’s face displayed a blank, unreadable expression. Her eyes widened, and she tilted her head, asking him the unspoken question.