Tanit walked into Tomasco’s office expecting to be placed under arrest. She wasn’t.
“Glad you came to your senses,” said Tomasco.
“Eventually I do the right thing,” she replied.
“Tracking indicated you were orbiting a quarantined planet. I assume that it was something to do with the historian you are dating,” he said with a disappointed tone.
“Yes.”
“Well, I’ve wiped the tracking records and will move the cruiser to a maintenance bay and get the rest of the evidence deleted. A major service event should do it.”
Just over two hundred revs ago Tomasco and Tanit got drunk together at the Einstein Awards ceremony. It was during one of the most boring award acceptance speeches in recent history that Tomasco leaned over to Tanit and whispered in her ear. It was a simple message: “I LOVE YOU.”
Since that time Tanit had been very cautious in her interactions with Tomasco, despite his very profuse apology the next day. Now she kept it all business. No jokes. No smiles. Nothing except work. And Tomasco, being polite and very embarrassed, let her dictate the new terms of their relationship. Still, you and I both know, as do both of them, that his drunken admission was sincere.
“Thank you,” said Tanit. “I’ll pay for any damages.”
“I’ll take it for a flight tonight and let it pick up some dings and ice cones,” said Tomasco.
“I don’t know how I can ever repay you for this.”
“Have dinner with me tonight?” he asked.
“How about tomorrow night? I really need to rest tonight.”
“Wonderful,” he said with a smile.
On the walk back to her apartment, Tanit started crying.