Fathom (Mermaids of Montana #3) - Elsa Jade Page 0,53
together. “She is.” When Sting just sputtered, as if submerged before his gills had extended, the Earther male held out his hands again, blocking any reply. “And if you were holding back, maybe she thought you feared her too.”
When that silenced Sting completely, Thomas gazed upward thoughtfully, one forefinger tapping at his chin. “Although I wouldn’t have thought you were holding back at all, after last night…”
It was at that point that Sting had departed the Wavercrest abode.
Evens’ sidelong glance at his trench coat and apparently suspicious bare feet had only worsened Sting’s temper. At least the Cretarni had only ever wanted to kill him, not slyly judge him.
Now he had everything he needed to repair the Diatom, to lift it out of the lake where it had crashed and back among the stars where it belonged. By the time he retrofit the components, the data gel would be replenished enough to maintain the ship’s equilibrium systems. Taking him out of this puddle of misery and back to the black…
He glowered at the Earther male. “What payment do you require for these parts?”
“Take them,” Even said. “They cost me nothing to acquire and have done me no good.” Then he peered at Sting. “Although now that you mention it…”
Sting grunted. He’d seen this sort of dealing when Coriolis had tried to requisition much needed supplies from the Tritonesse and later when he sought to negotiate with the council representatives who would determine Tritona’s fate. There was a good reason Sting had kept silent during those discussions. “What do you want?”
Evens winced, as if Sting had bitten him. As if anything Sting had ever bitten—besides Lana—had lived to complain about it. “It’s not a price, exactly,” he protested. “Just a favor. Not even a favor, because I believe it would help us both.”
“Is it edible?”
Evens opened his mouth and then shut it again slowly. “No? Is that…the main consideration?”
Sting gave him back one of those indecipherable shoulder twitches. “Tell me this thing that we both want.”
“Miss Lana trusted me enough to make this shop a collection point for people seeking answers to questions with out-of-this-world answers.” He shuttered his eyes. “Or, she half trusted me.” He waved one hand negligently. “Regardless, now that I know the greater truth about Tritona’s search for its lost descendants, I believe I can do so much more.” He stood taller. “There are so many here who’ve never found the place they truly belong. They deserve a place. And while that place may not be Tritona in the end, they could definitely start here.” He spread his hands wide. “In the grand reopening of the Big Sky Intergalactic Dating Agency, now under new management.”
Sting lowered his chin to sight the other male in his sonar. “This is your idea?”
“Your man Thomas continues to use the Wavercrest fortune to dredge up weirdlings who would make good candidates for emigration beyond this planet. I serve as the intermediary, identifying those who would thrive on your world versus who would be better suited for other places.” He smiled wide. “Sunset Falls could be the premier destination for extraterrestrial love connections. All it needs is an extraterrestrial entrepreneurial spirit.”
“Which is you,” Sting noted.
“And,” Evens continued blithely, “an initial infusion of startup cash, which is the Wavercrest Foundation, and a built-in initial clientele, which is you all on Tritona.”
Sting stared at Evens. He survived worse floods, but this particular flush of sewage was too much to breathe.
But even though he’d always avoided these sorts of decisions, he was the only one here. “I know nothing of dating,” he admitted. “But the Sunset Falls outpost closed due to mismanagement, scandal, and heartbreak. Some may not believe that it should be reopened.”
“I know scandal and heartbreak,” Evens said. “And I also know one of the purest forms of energy is promoting passionate encounters to launch new beginnings across the universe.”
Sting tilted his head. His one passionate encounter with Lana had seemed to arrow directly to an unfortunate end. “That’s what dating is?”
Evens smiled. “I would be delighted to sign you up for my introductory course: Are you looking for love in all the far places?” The Earther male waggled his fingers, although there was nothing in front of him. “I envision a series of courses and quizzes to really hone in on the best matches.”
Sting eyed him sourly. “And how much will those cost?”
“Nothing compared to the pure joy of finding true love out there when none of the billions here would do.”