he’d find out if she was truly as interested as he.
“Lo’San!” a familiar voice called out.
Lo’San looked up and found Rokai ahl and Rosie coming toward him as they wove through the tables to reach him.
Lo’San raised a hand in greeting, and smiled as he relaxed, thankful for the distraction Rokai provided while he waited for the females to arrive in the commissary.
“Why do you sit here alone all the time? You should give yourself some recreation!” Rokai said as he approached.
“I’m busy. I don’t have much time for recreation,” Lo’San answered.
“You should make time. I make time. Don’t I, Rosalita?” Rokai asked, looking down at his Ehlealah, who stood at his side as Rokai held her hand tightly in his.
Lo’San took a minute to look at Rosalita and realized the female was sweating and slightly out of breath. “Your female appears to need a rest, Rokai.”
Rokai looked down at Rosie again, then back at Lo’San. “We have just come from Vivian’s dance club. It is very crowded there tonight. Many males and females are taking advantage of the recreation and exercise,” he explained. “You should go there.”
“I thought I might. I haven’t attended since Sirena Vivian opened its doors. She promised that it would be a good option for all of us to expend some energy and have fun. It is past time that I attended,” Lo’San said.
“Oh, there’s a lot of energy being expended in there tonight. Vivian and Elisha are dancing together. I think most males know not to invite Vivi or Elisha to dance — Quin and Ba Re’ would most likely punish them for dancing with their females, but I saw six different males alone ask Synclare to dance. Poor female doesn't even get a chance to rest between dances!” Rokai exclaimed.
The smile fell from Lo’San’s face at once. “They are already there? And dancing?” he asked, getting to his feet.
“Yes. And yes,” Rokai answered with a glint in his eye.
“But they have not had their dinner yet. I’ve been here all evening,” Lo’San said.
“Oh? Were you waiting for them to arrive?” Rokai asked innocently.
“Well, no!” Lo’San denied. “I’d simply noticed that she’d, I mean they’d, not entered the commissary,” Lo’San said, not wanting Rokai to know he was actually waiting for Sink Lar and Vivian to arrive.
Rokai leaned closer and feigned a whisper. “If you were waiting on Synclare to arrive here, you should have planned to be here much earlier. She’s had dinner, and now she’s searching for dessert.”
“Dessert?” Lo’San asked.
“Yes! A male, to sweeten her evening,” Rokai said, grinning ear-to-ear.
Lo’San’s chest rumbled and he rushed away from Rokai and Rosalita, leaving his dishes on the table in a completely uncharacteristic move.
“I shall take care of your dishes, since you seem to be in a hurry!” Rokai called out.
Lo’San didn’t even turn around, he just disappeared through the doors of the commissary on his way to the dance club.
Rosie shook her head slowly as she watched Rokai with a smirk.
“What?” he asked, still grinning.
“You know what,” she answered.
“I have no idea what you are referring to,” Rokai answered haughtily.
“Yes, you do. You came in here to find him and tell him Synclare is dancing with six other males,” Rosie accused.
“And the problem with that would be?” Rokai asked.
“She hasn’t danced with anyone! She’s just sitting at the table and sipping her drink!” Rosie said.
“Exactly! While Vivi and Elisha dance, she’s simply sitting, waiting — for him!” Rokai said.
“You don’t know that,” Rosie argued. “Just because she likes him doesn’t mean she’s waiting for him.”
“I do. And I’m tired of watching them look at each other like dogs, while neither are willing to make the first step. So I’ve made the first step. He will now go to her and stay there, perhaps even do something other than offer her a cake. Perhaps he’ll even actually speak to her, even dance with her!” Rokai exclaimed.
“Like dogs?” Rosie asked, still trying to understand the analogy he’d used.
“Yes, when males and females look at one another with love in their eyes and silly smiles on their faces. Vivi says they look at each other like dogs,” Rokai said confidently.
Rosalita thought about it, then, she realized what he was trying to say. “With puppy-dog-eyes? Do you mean they look at each other with puppy-dog-eyes?” she asked.
“Yes. That is exactly what I said,” Rokai claimed.
“It is not.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it’s not,” Rosie insisted.
“Does it matter?” Rokai asked. “Truly, does it matter? I caused Lo’San to finally go after