Where Starlight Burns (Nova Moss Chronicles Book 1) by Alicia Haberski

Author:Alicia Haberski [Haberski, Alicia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kosmic Syren Books
Published: 2023-07-17T23:00:00+00:00

12

Little Eden

For their first dinner date on Ascension, Aster left the choice of restaurant up to Cori. Wholly overwhelmed by the selection in the guides, Cori asked a colleague one day in passing —Dr. Kiran Alvarez, a friendly neurologist who had lived on the station for some time.

“Well, what kinds of food do you like?” Kiran asked with their signature charm.

“Gosh, I’ll try anything . . . That doesn’t help, though.”

Kiran chuckled. “Okay. What kind of atmosphere are you looking for?”

Cori thought that over for a moment. “Well, there was this neat restaurant on Victory that was decorated to look like a nature scene on a planet. I liked that!”

“Hmm. Okay. Important question: Are you alright with it being ultra romantic?”

“Absolutely!”

“Boom,” Kiran said, grinning. “I know the perfect place.”

That evening, dressing for dinner, Cori felt like she was radiating excitement. It was so wonderful to be going out on their new home station, especially since Aster would be able to relax and enjoy herself without worrying about work options.

“You look beautiful,” Cori said as Aster emerged in her maroon top and dark pants, paired with shiny black heels. Her hair was side-swept to show off a sparkly ear cuff, and her eyes were lined with dark makeup. It was an outfit Cori had seen a couple times, and it never failed to make her weak at the knees.

“Thanks,” Aster said with a little laugh. “You look gorgeous. I’ve never seen this before!”

An odd heat rushed to Cori’s face. She couldn’t claim to understand fashion, typically opting for comfort over style, but she was fond of her current ensemble: A soft black top with thin straps that left her shoulders bare, paired with a floor-length silver skirt that reminded her of a sparkly fish tail.

“Thank you,” she said. “It’s been a while since I’ve worn it, but this feels like the right place.”

Catching a train just outside their apartment, they were whisked toward the restaurant. Among the other travelers, their clothes didn’t stand out, but Cori hardly noticed the rest of them anyway, since she couldn’t seem to stop looking at Aster—who caught her staring and smiled, taking her hand.

Despite the station’s size and the restaurant being in the next hub over, they arrived in under ten minutes thanks to the efficient transportation system.

Not wanting to spoil the surprise, Cori had taken Kiran’s recommendation at their word and simply made a reservation at a restaurant called Little Eden. But even if she had peeked at photos, nothing could have prepared her for the splendor of stepping through the door.

“Oh, wow,” she said under her breath.

“Holy shit,” Aster echoed.

The place looked like an enchanted garden from a fantasy film—or perhaps a dream. Every table Cori could see was nestled in its own round booth, hugged by what looked like wooden trees with winding branches bearing pink blossoms and glowing lanterns to provide ambient table lighting. Above them, a strikingly pretty sky simulation obscured the ceiling, with an impossible amount of sparkling stars that shifted and shimmered as patches of puffy gray clouds rolled over, glowing with starlight.

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