ROMULUS (The Innerworld Affairs Series, Book 1) (20 page)

"Dear Lord!"

Rom choked on his own breath when the three-dimensional image of Aster rushed toward him, clutching her towel about her. The shocked look on her face confirmed the fact that the enticing picture was an error. When the blur faded in front of him, he discovered he could breathe again with a little effort.

"Oh, Rom, believe me, I had no idea. Cherry had me playing around with it days ago and I guess I never reset it properly. I'm so embarrassed I could crawl inside one of the supply cabinets."

"I can't imagine what you have to be embarrassed about." He could have said much more but he thought better of it. "Well, you've already agreed to go with me tomorrow, so I guess I won't need to use all the convincing reasons I had ready. I hate to think I actually have something to thank Victor for. This way it will be a complete surprise."

"Another surprise? Or another bribe to get me to behave? Never mind. I don't care right now. What should I wear?"

"Wear? Um, how about something you'd put on to take a hike. I'll pick you up at 1000 hours. That's ten a.m. Try to get some sleep. Would you feel better if I sent a security agent over to stay with you?"

"No. I don't think I need another stranger in my home. But maybe you could just have one do a few drive-bys?"

That term was not familiar to him but he caught her meaning. "I can certainly arrange that."

"Thank you. And thank you for taking my call so quickly. I'll see you in the morning."

Romulus sat staring at his viewing screen long after the call was disconnected. He sincerely hoped the outing would go well. When he saw how intent she was on going home, he was determined not to contact her again for a day or two but that determination had barely lasted a full minute after she left. His fever demanded a remedy.

Chapter 11

Aster requested breakfast from Josephine but was too nervous to swallow more than coffee. All night long in her dreams Victor jumped out at her from behind bushes and walls. In one dream Romulus rescued her from Victor's clutches then began to make love to her. When his kisses became insistent, she turned into a fish and he threw her into the ocean, where the sharks were waiting.

A long steamy shower and a second cup of coffee helped her regain a modicum of calm. She was more than ready to get out of her apartment by the time she heard Romulus's knock. She sprang from the chair then hesitated a second before opening the door. She did not want to appear too anxious.

"Good morning. Did you want to come in for coffee or are we heading off right away?"

Rom let his gaze slide over her as he smiled broadly. "If you're ready, let's get going. I've had enough coffee."

Aster mentally congratulated herself on choosing the same kind of apparel he was wearing. The close fit of his short shorts and sleeveless shirt exhibited his muscular contours and made her stomach flutter again.

"Before we go, there's one rule you have to promise to abide by today."

She looked sideways at him. "Tell me what it is first."

"For the entire day, I am not the chief administrator of Car-Tem and you are not a prominent Outerworld environmentalist. We're just two average people out to have some fun."

"And if I agree?"

"Tomorrow you can get your soapbox back out and I promise to listen without arguing."

"You've got a deal." It was easy to agree to something she had already intended to do.

Riding in his red commuter made Aster think of her Prius. "As convenient as airbuses are, I miss having my own car."

Romulus looked surprised. "You like to drive?"

"Yes, except in traffic. I once wanted to be a race car driver when I grew up. Sounds silly, huh?"

"Not to me. I'm one of a very small minority who owns an individual commuter. I'll tell you what, once we're out of the city, I'll turn her over to you."

"What? Oh, I couldn't. I'd be too afraid of crashing."

"I insist. This is one wish I can easily grant. We've got a considerable distance to travel with a lot of unpopulated area in between. You'll see, it's easy."

Aster could not tell which one of them was going to have the fun. He looked absolutely overjoyed at the news that she liked cars. If that's what it took to gain his friendship, she was in luck after all.

Aster was aware that they were heading in a direction she had not yet seen. The city came to an abrupt end and a gray desert stretched out before them. Romulus stopped on the side of the road and got out.

"Okay, switch." He came around to her side and assisted her out of the low seat. "Go on. Get in the driver's seat."

"This is really crazy. If I have an accident, don't forget this was your idea."

"Aster, look around you. There is nothing out here. Even if another car or bus comes by, you'll be fine. The car's computer would avoid a collision before you could react. There's very little you need to know for regular driving. This commuter is designed for computer and voice commands, as well as manual control. I prefer the feeling of driving it myself. I think that would be more familiar to you too.

"Press the button to turn her on and activate the air cushion." He covered her right hand with his and held her index finger over it to demonstrate. "The button on the right side of the steering bar directs the car forward. The harder you push it in, the faster you'll go." His face was so close that his breath warmed her ear. Aster wondered if he had any idea how suggestive his instructions sounded or what his nearness was doing to her.

"To go in reverse, move this switch, then the button." As he pulled her hand down and forward, her arm brushed against the hair on his leg. His right hand remained over hers after he returned it to the bar. "On the left side of the steering bar," he continued while moving his left arm behind her shoulders and reaching for her left hand, "is the brake button." He firmly enveloped that hand as well, showing her how to use her thumbs to operate the two buttons.

Aster could barely hear what he was saying over her own lecherous thoughts. He was simply explaining how to operate a machine. So why did she want to forget the driving lesson and throw herself at him? She was scarcely breathing as she turned her face to his. Her lips parted slightly at the sight of the bright green eyes so close to hers. But something wasn't right. He looked more mischievous than passionate.

"Ahem." Romulus cleared his throat, withdrew his arms and casually leaned back in his own seat. "She's all yours."

Aster had heard him clear his throat like that before. He could not be as relaxed as he pretended. She certainly was trembling inside. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him suck in his cheeks in an effort to repress a smile. Of all the nerve! He had known what he was doing. She wished she could be more like Cherry for just five minutes.
She
would certainly be able to give him back some of his own medicine.

Taking a slow, deep breath, Aster turned the commuter on and the air cushion raised them above the road.

"What about all these other switches and dials? It looks like there's more to driving this car than the couple of buttons you showed me."

"For the first lesson I strongly recommend you stick with going forward...
slowly
. I'll be glad to give you a full demonstration after you turn the controls back to me."

Aster agreed and applied pressure to the right-hand button. The vehicle jerked forward at a frightening speed and then abruptly stood still as she released the power button and pressed the brake. "I guess it takes a little lighter touch," Aster mumbled, then burst out laughing when she saw the horrified expression on Rom's face.

He was extremely relieved when, after a few more erratic starts, she mastered the sensitive button. Soon she was handling the vehicle as if she'd been doing it for years. Then she came to a stop and got out of the car. "Now show me what she can really do," Aster dared.

As soon as he was back in the driver's seat, Rom rose to the challenge. His fingers moved confidently over the control panel in front of him. The rear of the commuter slid open and a flat square of clear glass emerged. The square consisted of countless thin layers which unfolded in segments, growing larger and larger, until the entire top of the vehicle, including its inhabitants, were enclosed in an elongated bubble. Aster was not only amazed by the speed at which the transformation was accomplished but also, when it was completed, she saw no seam or crease.

"Ready?" Romulus asked with a grin. Without waiting for her answer, he flipped a switch and pulled the steering bar toward him.

Aster's mouth dropped open as the commuter shot straight up then sliced through the air in front of them. This was wilder than the lift at her apartment building. But in spite of the incredible velocity at which they left the ground, there was no gravitational pull inside the cabin.

"You said you wanted to see what she could do. We could go back down and do it the slow way, but it'll take forever to get to where we're going."

"No, no, I'm okay. You could have given me a little warning though. I definitely owe you one now. Go ahead, do your worst."

He was not sure what it was she owed him but he was anxious to give her the ride of her life—so far, that is. He maneuvered his vehicle through spins and turns and the tension left Aster's face as she began to enjoy the flight.

"Look down to your right," Rom directed. "We're back over Car-Tem One. There's your apartment building."

"Is this what you wanted to show me? This is great!"

"As a matter of fact, this is a little unscheduled detour, but I'm glad you're amused."

"An unscheduled event? I got the impression you didn't do such things," she said with a smirk.

Rom could not tell if she was kidding. "I don't, normally. It seems I've been doing a lot of things lately that I don't normally do." He stared at her meaningfully until she turned her head away.

She knew what he meant. She was undergoing some behavioral changes herself. The question was, what were they going to do about it?

Rom made a point of keeping the conversation light for the rest of their journey and about a half hour later landed his commuter in front of a colonial-style house standing alone in a country setting. As they got out of the car, a woman came out of the house and ran into Rom's arms. He lifted her off the ground in an uninhibited bear hug.

"Romulus! You should have called first. What if we weren't home?"

"Hah!" he replied after setting her down. "You never leave this farm. You're just like my parents and you know it. Where is the rest of the clan?"

"Frank is out inspecting the crops and the boys stay at the academy most weekends. I'm afraid they take after you in that. They just aren't interested in being farmers. Frank will be back before lunch, you can bet on that." The older woman smiled at Aster then wrinkled her forehead at Rom. "Well?"

"Marya, this is Aster Mackenzie, recently arrived from Outerworld. Aster, this is my mother's sister, Marya."

"How do you do?" Aster said, smiling politely. Marya was a tall attractive woman with graying hair. It became apparent that Marya was scrutinizing her and Aster worried that she did not share Rom's liberal attitude toward Terrans.

Obviously coming to a satisfactory conclusion, Marya smiled. "You'll stay for lunch, of course."

"No, but we'll be here for dinner. I'm taking Aster on a picnic. May I borrow two horses?" He stole a glance at Aster to see how she had taken his announcement of their plans and was rewarded by the bright twinkle in her beautiful eyes.

Marya glanced from her nephew to his friend and arched one brow without speaking her question. "You know you don't have to ask. We'll see you back here for dinner. Don't get lost!" She shook her finger at him and returned to the house.

"You do know how to sweep a girl off her feet," Aster said with a smile she felt all through her body.

"Oh, you want to be swept? Let's go!" Rom grabbed her hand and pulled her into a run toward the red-painted stables behind the house. He swung the heavy door open and waved for her to precede him. "Milady, choose your mount."

Aster stopped to catch her breath. "Rom, I've only ridden a couple of times. I mean, I'm a real amateur." A high whinny from the rear of the barn caught her attention.