pads.” She held an earwig next to Tabby’s ear and then put it back in its sleeve. She held another one up and appeared satisfied. “That should do it. Just hold it up next to your ear and then push it in gently. This one has an early generation of the adaptive technology and makes a perfect fit every time.”
Tabby pushed it in and adjusted the earwig so that the fine blue wire led from her ear, along her cheekbone to just in front of her eye.
“It tickles,” she said, with a slight smile.
“You get used to it. That’s because it is held in place entirely by the connection in your ear.”
“You should at least try on the adaptive one,” I said. The woman looked to Tabby, who nodded affirmatively.
They both looked the same when sitting on the counter, but when Tabby pushed the new device in, the difference was immediately evident. It was as if the earwig melted into her ear and onto her skin. Where the previous earwig had filled her ear, this one simply lined it. Additionally, it melded into her skin along her cheekbone and looked more like a tattoo than a piece of equipment.
“That’s too cool,” I said.
“I wanna see,” Tabby said.
The woman who was helping us pinched at something in her vision and mimed tossing it at Tabby. It was a familiar gesture that established a video link between them.
Tabby ran her fingers over her cheekbone while staring off into space. I could tell she was watching the HUD. “That’s incredible. Any trouble with water?”
“Not at all. Most people never take them off.”
Tabby pulled it out of her ear reluctantly. “A little more than I can afford, student and all.”
“With a boyfriend who never gets to see you,” I said. “We’ll take two.”
“Liam, you can’t. They’re expensive.”
“Think of it as an investment in me being able to talk to you more. Let me do this. Please?”
After a few minutes and a private conference, Tabby finally relented.
“So … since you saved all that money on an earwig, maybe you could get a swimsuit?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have an ulterior motive. Oh wait … I do know you better. I’ll get one if you do.” She poked me in the chest with her finger and looked up at me with a smile. It was a moment I wanted to last forever.
We wandered through the streets holding hands and chatting about whatever came to our minds. We ended up finding a push cart filled with swimwear attended by an older woman. Tabby finally found a two piece she felt she could live with. To my disappointment, she wasn’t at all impressed with the bikinis and their lack of coverage. In the end, it didn’t matter too much to me .
WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER
Dinner with Marny and Nick was a blast. But I wanted to spend as much time alone with Tabby as possible. Marny warned us that the plans she had for us started at 0800, so Tabby finally convinced me at 0300 that we should get some sleep. She agreed we could sleep in the same bed, but insisted that was all we would be doing. I’d like to say I didn’t try to convince her otherwise, because I did, but I also respected her desire to ‘save it for marriage.’
A loud rap on the door caused both Tabby and me to jump out of bed. “Frakking Jupiter, are you nuts?” I yelled at the door.
“0800 Cap, time to lose some of that baby fat.” Marny’s voice filtered through the door.
“What are we doing, anyway?” Tabby was standing in front of me in a white lacy camisole top and matching panties. I had a very difficult time focusing on what either her or Marny were saying.
“Hoffen … you’re staring and you’re not answering.”
I looked up guiltily. “Uh … Cripes, I have no idea. And if you’re gonna wear that, I’m gonna stare.”
“Complaining?”
“Not even close.”
“And …”
“Oh, right …”
Marny rapped on the door again.
“Ten minutes, Cap. We’ve got an appointment.”
“I really don’t know. All she said was that you wouldn’t want
Tabby pushed it in and adjusted the earwig so that the fine blue wire led from her ear, along her cheekbone to just in front of her eye.
“It tickles,” she said, with a slight smile.
“You get used to it. That’s because it is held in place entirely by the connection in your ear.”
“You should at least try on the adaptive one,” I said. The woman looked to Tabby, who nodded affirmatively.
They both looked the same when sitting on the counter, but when Tabby pushed the new device in, the difference was immediately evident. It was as if the earwig melted into her ear and onto her skin. Where the previous earwig had filled her ear, this one simply lined it. Additionally, it melded into her skin along her cheekbone and looked more like a tattoo than a piece of equipment.
“That’s too cool,” I said.
“I wanna see,” Tabby said.
The woman who was helping us pinched at something in her vision and mimed tossing it at Tabby. It was a familiar gesture that established a video link between them.
Tabby ran her fingers over her cheekbone while staring off into space. I could tell she was watching the HUD. “That’s incredible. Any trouble with water?”
“Not at all. Most people never take them off.”
Tabby pulled it out of her ear reluctantly. “A little more than I can afford, student and all.”
“With a boyfriend who never gets to see you,” I said. “We’ll take two.”
“Liam, you can’t. They’re expensive.”
“Think of it as an investment in me being able to talk to you more. Let me do this. Please?”
After a few minutes and a private conference, Tabby finally relented.
“So … since you saved all that money on an earwig, maybe you could get a swimsuit?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have an ulterior motive. Oh wait … I do know you better. I’ll get one if you do.” She poked me in the chest with her finger and looked up at me with a smile. It was a moment I wanted to last forever.
We wandered through the streets holding hands and chatting about whatever came to our minds. We ended up finding a push cart filled with swimwear attended by an older woman. Tabby finally found a two piece she felt she could live with. To my disappointment, she wasn’t at all impressed with the bikinis and their lack of coverage. In the end, it didn’t matter too much to me .
WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER
Dinner with Marny and Nick was a blast. But I wanted to spend as much time alone with Tabby as possible. Marny warned us that the plans she had for us started at 0800, so Tabby finally convinced me at 0300 that we should get some sleep. She agreed we could sleep in the same bed, but insisted that was all we would be doing. I’d like to say I didn’t try to convince her otherwise, because I did, but I also respected her desire to ‘save it for marriage.’
A loud rap on the door caused both Tabby and me to jump out of bed. “Frakking Jupiter, are you nuts?” I yelled at the door.
“0800 Cap, time to lose some of that baby fat.” Marny’s voice filtered through the door.
“What are we doing, anyway?” Tabby was standing in front of me in a white lacy camisole top and matching panties. I had a very difficult time focusing on what either her or Marny were saying.
“Hoffen … you’re staring and you’re not answering.”
I looked up guiltily. “Uh … Cripes, I have no idea. And if you’re gonna wear that, I’m gonna stare.”
“Complaining?”
“Not even close.”
“And …”
“Oh, right …”
Marny rapped on the door again.
“Ten minutes, Cap. We’ve got an appointment.”
“I really don’t know. All she said was that you wouldn’t want
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