Submitting to the Shadow (Kindred Tales #27) - Evangeline Anderson Page 0,54

But for now, she just wanted to turn her brain off.

Thirty-Nine

The trip down to Earth didn’t take long. Before she knew it, Sammi was standing outside the Human/Kindred Relations building in downtown Tampa, watching the traffic whiz by.

After living in the temperature and humidity-controlled Mother Ship for so long, the muggy Florida heat felt like a punishment. Her blouse was already sticking to her skin and everything felt clammy. Ugh, she needed to get out of here!

Sammi reached for her phone and realized that she had come down to Earth with absolutely nothing on her—her purse with her money and cell phone and wallet—everything was back aboard the Mother Ship. She had been so upset at Roark’s reaction to her pregnancy, she had left without even taking the basic necessities with her.

She didn’t have a ride either. Sammi groaned inwardly. What had she been thinking? Now she would either have to go all the way back to the Mother Ship to get her things, or call her Aunt Vicky and ask her to come give her a lift. Or maybe one of the Kindred warriors would drive her?

She turned hesitantly back towards the plate glass doors of the building. She could see several on-duty warriors standing around, waiting to greet people. Surely one of them might be willing to drive her? She really didn’t want to have to go back up to the Mother Ship and risk running into Roark again…

“Professor Grey?”

The voice was vaguely familiar and when Sammi turned around, she saw a vaguely familiar face to go with it. But the name escaped her.

“Oh, um…” She stalled for time. The young man who was standing there was so nondescript it was almost impossible to place him. He had brownish hair and brownish eyes and he was around 5’9 and seemed to be average weight—not scrawny and not fat. Who in the world was he?

“It’s me—Bernard Chelising? From your Biology class at USF?” he asked, smiling hopefully.

“Oh, uh…right—of course!” Sammi smiled at him. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it has. What happened to you? They said you were taking a leave of absence.” He gave her a concerned look.

“Oh, well…” Sammi cleared her throat. She had left the class in the middle of the semester but she’d gotten a replacement professor to teach in her place and the USF management had been very understanding.

“I mean, the new professor is okay but he’s not nearly as good as you,” Bernard continued.

“I just had some, uh, personal issues,” Sammi explained, feeling guilty for leaving a student behind. “And I got a job offer with the Kindred—up in the Mother Ship,” she added. Which only made her think of Roark and want to cry again. Grimly, she held the tears back.

“Really? What a coincidence!” Bernard exclaimed. “I’m working for the Kindred now, too!”

“You are?” Sammi frowned uncertainly.

“Oh, yeah—they’re great guys.” He lifted a hand and waved at one of the warriors inside the HKR building and the warrior smiled and waved back. “Always so friendly,” Bernard remarked, smiling.

“Yes. Most of the time,” Sammi said in a low voice. Roark had never been friendly or approachable at all, but somehow she had still managed to stupidly fall in love with him…

“Of course, it’s not like a real career or anything,” Bernard said, derailing her train of thought. “I just take people back and forth from the HKR building to wherever they want to go. Kind of like a Kindred Uber driver.”

“You do?” Sammi asked hopefully. “Um, does it cost anything?”

“No charge—the Kindred are a class act. They just want us humans to be happy.” Bernard grinned. “Why? You need to go someplace?”

“Actually, I do but it’s kind of far away—up in North Tampa?” Sammi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bernard made a shooing gesture.

“North Tampa’s not a problem. I drive people all the way out to Pinellas sometimes.”

“Oh, well in that case, could you take me?” Sammi asked. “I mean, if you’re not waiting on anyone else?”

“Well, I was supposed to have another passenger but she’s apparently going to be another hour or two. Getting some stuff from the Mother Ship or something.” He shrugged. “So sure, I’ve got time to take you. Hop in.”

He walked to a plain black sedan parked at the curb just a little way away and opened the back door for her.

“Thank you.” Sammi nodded gratefully and got in.

“Watch your hands and feet!” Bernard said and carefully closed the door. “All right,” he said as he got settled in