Crescent by Phil Rossi Page A

And if they don’t notice us floating out here.” Gerald gestured to the camera view that now showed the two suited figures floating back to the unmarked cargo vessel; they were guiding a long, heavy-duty crate into the ship’s hold. What is that? Gerald wondered.
    “So we wait?” Ina asked before Gerald could speculate any further.
    “Yeah. Pretty simple. We wait.”
    Ina sighed. Gerald could see her breath. He was surprised at how quickly the heat had dissipated once the life support systems were cut to a minimum. Bean shouldn’t have cooled off so fast. Clearly, there was still collision damage that needed repairing. He was about to ask Bean to check into it when Ina placed her hand on his cheek. It was cool and soft. Gerald looked at her, his brow rising in surprise and more than mild confusion.
    “Is my hand cold?” she asked.
    “Yes. A little bit. I’m sorry about that.” He was about to go on to an explanation of bad circuits and clogged vents when she put her other hand on his cheek.
    “How about this one?”
    “Yeah, that one too.” Gerald felt his cheeks getting hot despite the cabin temperature.
    “How long do you think we’ll be waiting?”
    Ina inched toward him, close enough that he could smell her hair. It smelled clean—like spring time, planet-side. The scent made him feel a little light-headed.
    “I don’t know. Not long? Long?”
    “Oh.” Ina trailed the fingertips of one hand down the line of his jaw and down his neck to rest on his collarbone. She closed the distance between them, her arms sliding out over his shoulders. She brushed her lips over his. Gerald was not surprised that they were as soft as her hands. He brought his head back, but she was still only centimeters away. Her breath drifted toward him in warm puffs.
    “Ina. I’m flattered, but I’ve…   ”
    “Got a girlfriend millions of kilometers and two hulls away?” She silenced him with her index finger. “Or is it a wife? A boyfriend? I don’t really care. I don’t know what’s come over me, Gerald. But, were I you, I’d consider myself lucky to be here.” She kissed him again, this time with a fierceness that caught him off guard. Ina pushed him back into the control couch and straddled him. Her hair hung down over his face and tickled his cheeks. For an instant, he thought he glimpsed a shadow behind her. A trick of the light.
    “Gerald.” She paused, rocking forward and back once. “Captain.” She bit her lip. “You no doubt have a bunk on this ship? With blankets?”
    He nodded in response.
    “Good. Take me there.”
     
    (•••)
     
    At first, it was cool in the small sleep quarters. Gerald had closed the overhead vents to preserve what little warmth remained. Forty-five minutes later, he wished he had kept them open. Their lovemaking turned the four-by-four meter enclosure into a sauna. The smell of their combined sweat and the tang of sex was pungent, but not unpleasant. Ina lay beside him, her arm and leg draped over Gerald’s naked body. His chest rose and fell as his breathing returned to normal. Either he had set the life support systems too low or he had to start hitting the gym.
    “Thank you,” Ina said and looked up at him, blinking her wide, clear eyes twice. She gave him a tentative smile, closer to the shyness he had witnessed at Heathen’s and again in the hangar.
    Gerald didn’t reply, but only returned the grin. Ina had been far more adept between the sheets than he would’ve expected. It’s always the quiet ones.
    “Don’t tell my father.”
    “Not a word.” Gerald slipped from her slender arms and pulled on his pants. He smiled, trying to make his face appear as safe as possible. He placed a hand on her bare thigh. “Really, I’m not such a bad guy.” Just weak willed, he mused and thought of Marisa. He pushed the guilt down before it could sneak up on him.
    “I’m counting on it,” she said, strangely.
    “What’s that supposed to mean?” He removed his