She had no idea that hungry eyes were watching her and marking her progress to the blue light district, getting closer with every step she took.
55
The Saurian tradition for husbands-to-be, was to go out carousing on the day and night before their wedding. It was supposed to be good luck for a male to spike as many other females as he could before he got wed to his wife.
But it was a tradition that Dragon had no interest in participating in. He had no wish to make love to any woman but Bobbi. Indeed, even if they had been on a planet dominated by mammalian life instead of Saurian, he still wouldn’t have cared—he only wanted his petite, curvy feela and no one else.
So, after putting off the members of his crew who came by his rooms, asking to take him out, he went back inside and sat on the couch, trying to watch a program on the curving 3-D screen. Nothing caught his attention, however, and he found himself thinking of Bobbi again—of the last words she had said to him.
She said she loves me but it’s a reluctant love—like she doesn’t want to love me.
Her words troubled him—troubled him a lot. She was upset that he had taken her from her life and made her a part of his world, giving her a new life to live—but that was what males did with females, Dragon argued with himself. Women were taken all the time from their homelands in distance cities or continents and used as Pleasure Girls or taken as wives.
Of course, Dragon didn’t approve of the fate of the Pleasure Girls—he never had. But he wasn’t proposing to use Bobbi that way—he was going to give her a wonderful life. He would care for her and protect her and give her anything she wanted. In return, all she had to do was be faithful to him and bear his sons—was that so much to ask?
Her other complaint seemed to be that their relationship was unequal and he was the only one making decisions for the two of them. But again, that was how it was supposed to be—at least, that was how Dragon had been raised. Res. Tizlah had a great deal of power running the household but Komendant Vizlar’s word was law and she never crossed him. Shouldn’t that be the way with his own marriage, too?
She’s just upset because she was raised differently, Dragon told himself uneasily. He remembered her saying that the Kindred of the Mother Ship believed women were equal to men. But how would that work? What if a man and his wife were having a disagreement and neither had the right to the final say? How would anything ever get decided?
But what if she’s right? What if women should be allowed an equal say? What if she has a right to be upset? whispered a little voice in his head. After all, the Saurian way can’t be the only way of living in the universe. The Kindred of the Mother Ship must make their strange arrangement with their wives work somehow…
His musings turned hazy as he leaned back on the couch, which was much softer now that Bobbi had gotten him to add some cushions to it. Dragon had been up much of the night worrying about the time he must spend away from his curvy little feela and now he felt tired.
I’m glad I forbid her to go to the Market, he thought sleepily. Otherwise I’d have to worry even more.
He thought that later on he would go by the women’s room and check on her. He couldn’t see her of course—that would be bad luck on the eve of their wedding. But he might just ask one of the women to tell her that he loved her and that he couldn’t wait to wed her…
His thoughts drifted off as his eyelids closed.
And then the dreams began…
56
Bobbi took a deep breath and rapped sharply with her knuckles on the peeling gray door. The blue light district with its sagging buildings and chipped and peeling paint certainly wasn’t much to look at, but presumably the men who came here weren’t interested in the decor.
There were no other customers around yet—for which she was extremely grateful. As far as Bobbi could see, she was the only one on the street so far. But then, it was still light outside, so maybe it was too early to “play” yet.
Still, evening would be coming soon and she didn’t want to be in this district after nightfall. Hopefully she could conduct her business quickly and get Keelah back to the house before anyone was the wiser. As for Res. Jynah and Res. Leezah, they were probably still shopping—at least Bobbi hoped they were.
No one had come to the door, so she knocked again, more loudly this time.