The Trouble with Tinsel by Julia Huni

Author:Julia Huni
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: space station mysteries shiny investigator, fast fun Christmas mystery Santa Claus, amnesia elves sleigh snow presents gifts reindeer, humorous crime fictions amature sleuth, stockings love figgy pudding laugh out loud, science fiction computer robot programming code, luxury feast waffles mission control
Publisher: Julia Huni
Published: 2018-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

Six

We exit the float tubes on Level 6. I’m not sure I want Scott hanging around my compartment, but I really need to change clothes. I could have worn some of the abandoned clothing populating the closets of my room up on 83, but I can’t pass up an opportunity to wear my station coverall in front of Mother. It seemed like a good idea this morning, but I’m feeling kind of funky by now.

We swing down the radial to A Ring, and I swipe open the door to our compartment. Loud voices assault our ears as we enter.

“How can you even suggest that?” Kara shrieks. “No one does that!”

“What kind of crazy planet did you grow up on?” Erco screams back. “Everyone does it that way! Your idea is insane!”

“Get out! I can’t be with someone who thinks that is OK! Just get out!” Kara flings a shoe at Erco. He leaps out of the way, and it just misses his head.

“Crazy, misguided, backward, idiotic. I can’t. I just can’t!” He stomps out of the compartment.

Kara bursts into tears. She flings herself at me.

“Go after him,” I mouth at Scott over Kara’s shoulder. He gives me a nervous look but follows Erco out the door.

Kara and I have been friends a long time, so I know how to deal with this. I hold her for a few minutes, letting her get the first wild sobs out. Then I lead her to the couch and settle her in the corner. Wrapping a blanket around her, I hand her a box of tissues.

“What do you want to drink?” I ask.

With a sniff, she dabs her eyes. “Tea, with rum. Lots of rum.”

“Not eggnog?” I ask, thinking of Nicolai.

Kara shudders.

When the tea is ready, I pour in a stiff slug of Cap’n Drake and stir. Plopping down beside her on the couch, I had her the cup. ‘What happened?”

Kara’s eyes fill with tears, so I hold up a hand. “Whenever you’re ready.” I flip on a Christmas vid and we watch in silence.

» «

“OK,” I say, when the vid ends. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Kara sniffles and bobbles her head in a non-committal way. She takes a sip of her third cup of tea and pulls the blanket more tightly around her shoulders. Her makeup has smeared, leaving dark circles around her eyes, and tear tracks down her cheeks. “We were talking about Christmas.”

We sit in silence for a couple minutes. “And?” I finally prompt when it becomes obvious she isn’t continuing.

“And he, I can’t believe anyone, he—” She wipes away fresh tears. “This is so hard! I love him so much, but I don’t know if I can be with him after this.”

“What?!” I squeak. Taking a deep breath, I resist the urge to shake her. “What did he do? Did he cheat on you?”

“No!” she cries, horror on her face. “Why would you think that?”

“Uh, because you’re crying, and you said you didn’t know if you could stay with him.

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