Fifteen
I left the shower wearing cozy sweats, my feet moaning in bliss at the soft soles of my off-duty shoes. The ill-fitting pressure suit boots left my arches demanding comfort. Scrubbing my sweat away and steaming my sinuses clear had restored me. I had just enough time to get upstairs for my usual dinner shift.
I ached too much to prance, but I wanted to.
I’d followed orders. Complicated orders. People had laid out a path for negotiation, and despite my doubts I’d successfully followed it. I’d let the conversation meander naturally, but always brought it back to the next negotiating point without making Mason think I was leading him. Leading him too much, at least.
Yes, Mason wasn’t the world’s most experienced negotiator. The man was a coastal farmer. He captained the ship becau
