again on Elatia. Want to join us? I’m willing to share.”
“No, thank you.” She blushed, imagining having sex with someone her best friend had done the deed with, and being in the same room while Michelle got busy with another guy. She would never do such a thing. Sex happened behind closed doors.
“C’mon. We’re going to be on the pleasure planet. Time to have our sexual fantasies come true.” Michelle squeezed her thigh. “You haven’t had any fun on this voyage at all. Did you meet someone back home before we left and not tell me?”
She shook her head. How she wished. “I’m saving myself.”
Michelle snorted. “For what?”
“Never mind.” She sighed. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Whatever.” Michelle frowned, turning away, leaving her to wallow in her own guilt.
“By the way,” her friend continued. “You’re supposed to go to the communications center after you’ve escorted your passengers off. You have a message from someone named Madame Evangeline.”
Ava groaned, her stomach twisting in knots. “I didn’t expect to hear from her so soon,” she whispered, fingering the hem of her shirt. Now she’d have the return trip to increase her anxiousness for the date.
Michelle twisted back toward her. “What? Who is Madame Evangeline, anyway?”
Ava glanced around. The rest of the staff seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations—reciting their plans during the layover on Elatia—but she still didn’t want anyone to hear. She leaned closer to her friend. “I applied to a dating service before we left. Madame Eve is the woman who runs it. I’m saving myself for my date.”
Michelle’s eyes widened. “So you’re meeting your special someone on Elatia? Could it be a passenger from the Star Spirit?”
“No.” She dreaded the thought. Guests from the mother traveler would still see her as a second-class being, and she didn’t know of any employee on board looking for a serious relationship. She jumped at the crunch of the ship docking, unprepared to meet her date already. “It won’t happen until we return to Earth. It can’t.”
“Well, do you mind if I come with you to find out? I have to wait for the twins to complete their quarantine period, anyway.”
“Sure.” She could use the support. Clasping her shoulder straps, she took a deep breath, willing her body to stop shaking.
***
“What does it say?” Michelle leaned over her shoulder, trying to read the message on her tablet.
No one had questioned her in the communications center. The technician had simply glanced at her identification then transferred the message to her device. Unable to wait until she arrived in her room, Ava opened the email from 1Night Stand and began to read the letter while in the elevator.
Dearest Ava …
The elevator slowed. She braced for the change in direction.
… I trust the first leg of your journey went well. While you traveled through space, I received an application from a man whom I believe would be an ideal match for you. Since you already have the required inoculations and do not need to go through the quarantine period before entering Elatia, I have arranged for someone to meet you. His name is Jacobus. While he is not your date, he will prepare you then escort you to the man you will spend the evening with .
Affectueusement,
Madame Eve
So soon? The woman had found her a match already? A rush of giddiness filled her before nerves pushed it aside. She wasn’t an impossible match. Then bile burned the back of her throat. What had Madame Eve meant by prepare ? She spun to face her friend. “I can’t do this. I thought I could but I don’t even know this guy.”
She paced, the walls seeming to close in on her. “I wanted to find someone to spend the rest of my life with. On Earth. But this is just going to be another one-night stand. I fucked up. What am I supposed to do?”
Her friend shrugged, an amused grin on her face. “You can spend
“No, thank you.” She blushed, imagining having sex with someone her best friend had done the deed with, and being in the same room while Michelle got busy with another guy. She would never do such a thing. Sex happened behind closed doors.
“C’mon. We’re going to be on the pleasure planet. Time to have our sexual fantasies come true.” Michelle squeezed her thigh. “You haven’t had any fun on this voyage at all. Did you meet someone back home before we left and not tell me?”
She shook her head. How she wished. “I’m saving myself.”
Michelle snorted. “For what?”
“Never mind.” She sighed. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Whatever.” Michelle frowned, turning away, leaving her to wallow in her own guilt.
“By the way,” her friend continued. “You’re supposed to go to the communications center after you’ve escorted your passengers off. You have a message from someone named Madame Evangeline.”
Ava groaned, her stomach twisting in knots. “I didn’t expect to hear from her so soon,” she whispered, fingering the hem of her shirt. Now she’d have the return trip to increase her anxiousness for the date.
Michelle twisted back toward her. “What? Who is Madame Evangeline, anyway?”
Ava glanced around. The rest of the staff seemed to be engrossed in their own conversations—reciting their plans during the layover on Elatia—but she still didn’t want anyone to hear. She leaned closer to her friend. “I applied to a dating service before we left. Madame Eve is the woman who runs it. I’m saving myself for my date.”
Michelle’s eyes widened. “So you’re meeting your special someone on Elatia? Could it be a passenger from the Star Spirit?”
“No.” She dreaded the thought. Guests from the mother traveler would still see her as a second-class being, and she didn’t know of any employee on board looking for a serious relationship. She jumped at the crunch of the ship docking, unprepared to meet her date already. “It won’t happen until we return to Earth. It can’t.”
“Well, do you mind if I come with you to find out? I have to wait for the twins to complete their quarantine period, anyway.”
“Sure.” She could use the support. Clasping her shoulder straps, she took a deep breath, willing her body to stop shaking.
***
“What does it say?” Michelle leaned over her shoulder, trying to read the message on her tablet.
No one had questioned her in the communications center. The technician had simply glanced at her identification then transferred the message to her device. Unable to wait until she arrived in her room, Ava opened the email from 1Night Stand and began to read the letter while in the elevator.
Dearest Ava …
The elevator slowed. She braced for the change in direction.
… I trust the first leg of your journey went well. While you traveled through space, I received an application from a man whom I believe would be an ideal match for you. Since you already have the required inoculations and do not need to go through the quarantine period before entering Elatia, I have arranged for someone to meet you. His name is Jacobus. While he is not your date, he will prepare you then escort you to the man you will spend the evening with .
Affectueusement,
Madame Eve
So soon? The woman had found her a match already? A rush of giddiness filled her before nerves pushed it aside. She wasn’t an impossible match. Then bile burned the back of her throat. What had Madame Eve meant by prepare ? She spun to face her friend. “I can’t do this. I thought I could but I don’t even know this guy.”
She paced, the walls seeming to close in on her. “I wanted to find someone to spend the rest of my life with. On Earth. But this is just going to be another one-night stand. I fucked up. What am I supposed to do?”
Her friend shrugged, an amused grin on her face. “You can spend
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