Chaos Theory (8 page)

The enhancements were odd, but nothing she couldn’t
handle.

“
Can I have my hand back, Blue?”

He released her hand as if she’d electrocuted him. Kali bit
her lip to hide a smile as he jerked up onto his feet. “I wanted …
my name … I apologize–”

“
Would you sit with me?” She slapped a palm on the plastic
beside her three times to signal him to take a load off, and got
back to her meal.

The best way to deal with jittery people was to ignore the
nerves until they went away. He needed a nanosecond to catch his
breath, and she could give him that. He was nervous, but that was
standard, she’d wait for him.

Kali heard snickering, and turned to glare at Christian who
eyed her from across the range, surrounded by his bevy of HiCaste
sycophants.

After months of him bothering her, she’d gone on a date with
him the year before. Kali explained the insanity of her decision by
reminding herself Christian was her age and of a similar social
standing. A match with him would have been advantageous for her
family and expected. It was a shame he turned out to be a
narcissistic genetic purist. She barely acknowledged his existence
since that disastrous evening, yet he still acted like he owned
her. Even when Max’s fist had declared otherwise after Christian
said one too many things about her virtue within
earshot.

He cocked his head at her in question and jerked his dimpled
chin towards Blue.

She gave him her back, but couldn’t help the ugly glower
contorting her face. Tension thinned her lips as she held back from
screaming an insult across the range. That was not how a female of
her Caste behaved, and it would go down as inappropriate on her
part, no matter how steadfastly it was argued that he’d acted
ungentlemanly and goaded her into rage. She’d learnt that after the
first time when she threw LiquiNu in his face, hot on the heels of
a slur about her ‘lack’ of genetic purity.

“
You’re not happy,” Blue blurted. When he saw the knee-jerk
smile, and the defensive set of her shoulders, he pulled back the
intensity, but quietly urged, “Don’t lie.”

Kali didn’t know how to respond. She took another bite of
dumpling. “That’s an interesting observation,” she replied
finally.

“
Answer, please.”

A simplistic charm Blue didn’t know he possessed had Kali
relaxing. Since he asked so specifically, she gave the answer a
fair bit of thought. “Why wouldn’t I be happy? Am I happy all the
time? No, but I am for most of it. I have two wonderful fathers; a
best friend while somewhat man-whorish would do anything for me.
I’ve lived in a beautiful domicile my whole life, and I’ve had the
best education available. Everything I want, I get, and what I get
is always the best. Unless my uncle has an heir before he passes
on, I’m set to inherit an unmentionable sum of credits through the
Loklear name. The Cosmic Virgin blessed me.” She studied him, and
was captivated. “I’m happy as can be, Blue. Thank you for
caring.”

Introverted yet pleasant to be around, his deep consideration
of her response tickled her. People with Blue’s candid personality
tended to scare people with their forthrightness, but she found it
refreshingly honest and endearing.

The fluttering sensation tightening her chest when he spoke or
their eyes met didn’t hurt either.

“
You believe in an omnipotent higher being?” he asked after a
lengthy pause. “That it’s female?”

“
The cosmos is too pretty to be an accident or designed by a
male.” Kali was intrigued by the abrupt change in his train of
thought and what he had chosen to focus on from all she had said.
She went with it. “Males tend to be more about efficiency than
looks.”

His face lit up, the shadows cast by his features lightening
until he glowed with pleasure. “The universe is
beautiful.”

Cautiously, he sat beside her. His posture was perfect, and
after a beat, he leaned forward and placed his hands on his knees.
It was so controlled and contrived he looked about as casual as a
newly licensed adult outside a RecRom.

Kali’s smile died when she saw opposite them, a few lanes
down, sat a man in the same position.

The precise sameness was eerie.

She did a mental back flip as her heart thumped
harder.

He had the same skill she had.

“
Your pupils have dilated, and your breathing changed,” noticed
Blue. “Am I making you uncomfortable?”

Her eyes tore from the man down the alley, and back to Blue’s
face. He was observant and blunt; both were traits she was well
acquainted with.

She could be as blunt.

“
Blue, have you heard of Implicit Muscle Memory?”

“
No.”

“
Why has your face gone stiff? You’re not being honest, and
that’s not fair when you asked me not to lie.”

“
You surprise me. I never know what to say to you. It’s
interesting how your mind works.”

“
I could say the same of you, Blue. Looks like I’m
up.”

Handing her half-eaten dumpling to him, and her cup, Kali
cocked her leg to land her boot in-between his parted legs. He had
well-built thighs, the long curve of muscle showing through his
leathers. She was pleased he appeared well fed and developed.
LoCaste often had a gauntness that screamed of
malnutrition.

Blue sucked down air and slid back in the seat as Kali leaned
to redo the Velcro on her moon boots. The close proximity was
causing serious damage to his calm. Her ponytail tumbled over her
shoulder, and she flicked it back with a shake of the head, sending
Kali-scented air his direction, a fragrance that made him harden in
the worst way.

Standing, she tucked loose hair behind ears that were
elf-like. Even those he found attractive.

“
You’re okay to hold those for me, right?” She pointed gun
fingers at him. Kali pointed twice more to ensure she had a set of
three. “You haven’t got people waiting on you?”

“
Yours was my last delivery of the night, and I’m not expected
anywhere.” He looked at the food in his hands. “I can hold these
for you.”

He seriously thought that was why she wanted him to stay. Her
lips twitched. “Do you shoot?” She jerked her head to the empty
lane. Her brow puckered as she tried to work out where Christabella
and Max had scurried. She’d been into her conversation with Blue
and hadn’t been paying attention to them.

“
No. The recreation centre in my quadrant is a dangerous
place.”

“
Bella and Max have run off to rec.” She sighed. Christabella
was a clinger; the weeks after Max dumped her were not going to be
fun. Never had Kali known someone who could boast a legion of
stalkers like Max could. “We’ll take their turns.”

“
Max abandoned you for another?”

“
Hmm?”

“
He brought you here on a date then left you alone.”

“
You’ve misunderstood,” she laughed. “Max is on a date with
Christabella. I was the third wheel. An escape route if it went
badly.”

He felt immense relief, but Blue managed to keep it out of his
expression. He suspected some seeped into his voice though. “Escape
route?”

“
If it went bad, and Max gave me the signal, I’d
accidentally-on-purpose toss a drink over Christabella, or get
sick, and we’d leave.”

His mouth popped open. “
Mean
.”

Kali’s nose wrinkled. “It’s an act of kindness. Max is an ass
when it comes to girls. He looses interest fast, and it’s better
this way.”

“
Why?”

“
He’s got the normal urges. He won’t intend to maintain a
relationship with a girl moon mad for him, but still rec. HiCaste
avoid having loads of RecRom encounters logged. It’s frowned upon
and makes you less desirable to suitors.”

Blue’s cheeks reddened. “I see. You do this to save them
heartache.”

“
You make me sound noble. I do it because I care about Max. One
day, he’ll meet a keeper, someone he loves and respects. I don’t
want him to lose her because he’s known as a womanizer who’ll screw
anything.”

“
He
is
a womanizer who’ll screw
anything.”

“
Yes, but he’ll grow out of that. Let’s shoot.”

Blue uncoiled from his seat. “Do you use Max the same
way?”

Now she coloured a little. “Once, but it was awful. He kept
trying to drag me into a RecRom when I clearly wasn’t interested.”
She glared in Christian’s direction.

Blue tapped his foot, agitated. “What did Max do?”

Kali blushed harder. “Punched him in the face.”

“
I see.”

“
Do you? People assume Max and I are secretly solar-hot for
each other when we’re not. He’s a brother to me, and I know that
for a certainty.”

“
How?”

“
He was my first.” She shuddered. “It was awkward and I have
nightmares about it. It freaks him out too. What’s between us is
affection. We take care of each other until we meet our soul
mates.” Embarrassed she’d over shared, Kali tugged at the hem of
her tunic, enormously aware of why she felt the need to make it
clear she and Max weren’t a couple. “Got it?”

Reserving judgment, Blue looked away. “Don’t know how to
shoot.”

Silently frustrated, Kali took the drink from him and slurped
until it was gone. She offered Blue a sip halfway, but he declined
as he unzipped his jacket. Kali got flustered watching him tug it
off, and looked away to chuck the dumpling in the waste unit. Now
she’d realised she liked him, she was fidgety. She had gone to the
range annoyed Max was on a date, and irritated the delays courtship
rituals brought to the game. Now she wanted to abandon the whole
thing and focus on her conversation with Blue.

She wanted to know he got the hint she was
available.

Maybe he was put off knowing about her and Max’s past? How
else could she have addressed his fears of them secretly lusting
after each other?

Kali dried her hands by rubbing them on her butt as she
searched for a decent laser pistol from the rack.

Blue was messing with her, right? Who didn’t know how to
shoot? It was one of the more primitive skills to learn in a
society of peace, but it hadn’t gone that out of
fashion.

It was retro.

What if he genuinely didn’t know how, and she made a joke, and
he was offended?

“
I don’t mind teaching you how,” Kali offered. “Grab a pistol
that’s easy to hold, but heavy enough, so you extend some effort.”
Picking a weapon, she quirked an eyebrow when Blue chose a sturdier
blaster the more proficient shooter chose. “You sure about that
one?”

He heard doubt in her voice and set the blaster down. He
picked up the twin of the pistol she carried.

Blue watched Kali as she moved her weapon from palm to palm
playfully. After a nanosecond, he did the same. Exactly the same,
even down to how her fingers gripped the hilt.

Kali opened her mouth to question him then decided against it.
“Stellar?”

“
Standard,” he affirmed and waited for her to take the
lead.

“
Go first and I’ll help you with your stance.” She stared a
challenge. “Since this is your first time and all.”

Blue narrowed his eyes. “You don’t believe me.” His head
tilted down until it was level with hers, and his opticals slipped
down his nose.

Kali caught herself before she took a startled step
back.

Sapphire eyes peered at her with singular intensity then
changed colour. Now emerald eyes raked her down before sliding to
the side and focusing on the task. Blue’s lips curved. He pushed
the thick black frame up the bridge of his nose, and the glass
dimmed the strength of his stare.

He turned his back to her.

Kali placed a hand to her chest, blinking at the floor,
concerned her heart rate was spiking for no reason other than Blue
looked at her.

Walking with slow measured steps to the line, he looked left
then right. He discharged two rounds. His aim was wide, and he hit
the target at the edge, scoring him twenty out of a possible
hundred, and missed the second shot altogether since the weapon
recoiled and jerked his hand as he fired.

The shooter in the alley to their left had the same score; his
shot had hit the target in exactly the same place a nanosecond
before Blue had taken his shots.

Kali leaned back on her heel and rubbed her neck. “He has no
technique, Blue,” she explained and came up beside him. Lifting up
onto her toes, she whispered into his ear. “You would have been
more successful if you’d copied the guy two lanes down to our
right.”

She should be asking questions; like if he had seen her use
her ability. Maybe he didn’t know she could do it too, and he had
made an impulsive decision to show her his skill because she’d
noticed and asked about it.

Caving to the delicious thought of getting closer, Kali moved
in front of Blue and threaded her fingers with those of his free
hand. His hands closed over hers, palms cool and dry. Again, his
long elegant fingers captured her attention. She wiggled her hand
from under his and placed it on top to guide his fingers around the
hilt.