There were dead versions of Tandorian rats, with toothed tentacles. Gary shoved one aside with his boot as the women stood in the center of the cylind...r. Al held his hand against the sensor and it registered its acceptance. A moment later the floor lifted up, carrying them along, ending at a wide room which led into yet another entranceway.Al saluted. “Ensign Al Collins, reporting for duty, sir.”“You’re hardly a simple first-time officer,” the ship’s Commander said, stepping forward to shake. “He came to me!” I shot back, trying and failing to reach for the brown folder. “He’s always been with me. I don’t know what lies you’ve told him,” she accused. “I don’t need to tell lies!” No, I didn’t. I spoke with his secretary, and all I had told her was that I was the expert for Asia, and that I could raise his profit margin by a good number. “I’ll take that,” Helen stated, hiding the folder behind her back and taking another step towards me until we were almost touching, “and good save. All she’d needed to do was give herself a pep talk and be real careful about knowing what she was doing. This isn’t the way I need to be. I ain’t fucking crazy. Chanting the last sentence in her head, she saw her face relax. Took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Jay Jenkins, her boss and now boyfriend, had given her a chance. A job when no one else in town would. Even though he’d recently given her busiest shifts to the new waitress, he’d kept her on, and she couldn’t. " Not only was she not angry, for which I was relieved, but she was sitting next to me wearing her short robe. (I know. I couldn't help it, OK?) My eyes touched on hers, then looked down again, conveniently affording me a look at her long, bare legs, which led into the darkness only inches away beneath the robe."Okay?" her voice broke in. "It was only an accident. Don't be sorry. Besides," and she shifted her bent knees away from me, as if she were going to leave, "nudity is nothing to be.