Dealers' Choice - Susan Hayes Page 0,9
“There. Now you can see us both.”
“Ward!” Xori protested.
“Call me Wolf.”
“I’m going to call you something in a second. Put me down. This isn’t appropriate.”
“You gave me permission,” he pointed out.
She huffed and waved her hands in graceful little circles. “I thought you’d move around to sit by Vic or well, anything but this.”
“It’s like she doesn’t know us at all,” He deadpanned to his brother, who burst out laughing in response.
“I don’t know whether to be indignant on her behalf or pissed I didn’t think of it first,” Vic sent over their link.
“The second one. If she were truly unhappy, she would have let us know by now.” And as much as she was protesting, Xori hadn’t made any attempt to move away. She’d stayed nestled in his arms, a fact that pleased him more than it should. This beautiful, delicate female didn’t fear him, and she knew him better than anyone else on the station. Well, anyone but Vic.
“And now you’re talking to each other on that private channel of yours. You know my rule about that.”
Vic leaned forward, and there was something predatory in his eyes that Ward hadn’t seen since before. “Those are your rules for the office. We’re not in a session right now. So, I don’t think the rules apply.”
“This is not a date,” she reminded them.
“This time, no,” Ward said.
“Next time, though…” Vic added.
“There’s going to be a next time?” Xori’s tone was softer now.
“That’s up to you,” Vic said.
“But we want that,” Ward said.
Xori glanced at him, then looked to Vic. “Maybe.”
Vic steepled his hands in front of him the way Xori often did, and his next words came out in a high, fluting tone that was as close to hers as his brother could manage. “I think we’ve made excellent progress today.”
“I do not sound like that!” Xori protested with a laugh.
“Nope, your voice is a lot nicer to listen to than his.” He pointed to Vic, who grabbed his glass and raised it. “You’re a lot nicer to look at, too.” He took a sip, then inclined his head to her. “I still want to know about your matyri, though.”
She raised a hand to the interwoven lines of bronze on her ear. “This is the reason I’m allowed to be here at all.”
His hold on her tightened just a little. Why wouldn’t she be allowed to be here with them? “Explain.”
“I am sooran-nah, which is the lowest caste in our society.”
“Pherans have a caste system? I didn’t know that,” Vic said.
“We do. It’s not something we talk about openly.” Her shoulder dropped into a subtle shrug.
“Why not?” Ward asked.
“Because most of the Pherans you have ever met are from the lower caste. We’re free to leave our planet if we can find the means to pay for it. We’re the labor force for our society, and with all the automation and technology we have, the supply far exceeds the demand.”
He was chewing that over when their food arrived, and the next few minutes were spent showing Xori how to skewer her meal and place it in the pot to cook. He was gratified to note she stayed in his lap the whole time. As far as he was concerned, she could stay there for the rest of the night.
“You said the lower caste Pherans are free to leave. Does that mean the others can’t?” Vic asked once they were settled again.
“It depends. High caste males, yes. Females? No. Not often, and never unescorted, though that can vary depending on how progressive her immediate family is. Some parts of my homeworld have made an effort to set aside the caste system. Most have not.”
“That has to do with the fact your species’ females need to be protected, right?” Ward asked.
Xori snorted. “How many Pheran females have you met that fit the meek and gentle stereotype? Zura is half Pheran, and I wouldn’t call her meek unless I had a running head start.”
“You’re gentle. And Zura’s half-human, from seriously insane stock. You have met her brother, right?” Vic pointed out.
“I have, and your point is well taken, but the females of the lower castes aren’t really meek. that’s an affectation we adopt to avoid giving offense to the higher ranks of society.”
He thought about the female Pherans he’d met over the years, most of them here on Astek station. Xori was right. They’d all been pleasant enough, but nothing about them had really fit the stereotype. He just hadn’t noticed. “What happens