pilot of the Red Menace. This was the first time I saw him, and he did good."
"Is Gavor here? I would love to get his autograph." Dirin jumps in.
"Of course you would."
"Whatever man. I promised Nayaa I'd respect you, but I don't have to be impressed by you." Dirin snarls at Andee.
"Please, don't be, but yeah he's here. I'll take you to him. By the way, he loves Nayaa. You can score some points if you tell him she's your friend."
"She is, and I will."
"Really? That dude's into Nayaa too? Man, I have no hope." Gono mumbles disgruntled. Andee nudges him, and shakes his head at Gono with a mischievous squint.
"What?"
"You'll see."
Rico and the other pilots are busy talking to their fans and signing photos of themselves, all of which have them standing in front of their ships, posing like champions. Nayaa is tearing up the dance floor once again. Andee is finally alone on the mezzanine watching the crowd-watching Nayaa dance. Very swiftly and silently, Silestra steps up next to him and leans on the banister. Andee is too lost in his gaze to notice her.
"She is very impressive."
"Oh, hey." Andee reacts surprised finally noticing her.
"Hey yourself."
"Sorry."
"No need. You look bored. I know I'm bored. Why don't you come and keep me company since we've both been abandoned by our companions."
"I don't think Ricio would like that."
Silestra laughs. "Is jealousy normal among the Carpati?"
"I guess."
"We're Bitani. We don't get jealous. He's busy. He would prefer I talk to you than be alone."
"Ok, but I don't want to cause any problems."
"You saved his life. You don't cause problems. You solve them. And you made me happy by saving him. Your humility is a bit extreme don't you think?"
"Really? You think so?"
"Of course. When you do something great, humility is almost an insult. Own what you did, and be proud of it. Anything else that comes of it, you deserve. Don't reject it, take it." She responds with a smile.
"I guess. I'm not used to that, or being that way."
"Well, maybe you should learn. You only live once in this world. If you want something, take it. Don't hesitate. Who's life are you living, yours or someone else?"
"Wow, you're quite the philosopher. You remind me of someone..." But Andee cuts himself off in mid sentence.
Silestra smiles. "I'm just a pragmatist. I know what I want, and I'm not afraid to take it."
"What do you want?"
"Come with me and I'll show you." Andee frowns. She smiles and steps away in her soft fairy-like floating style. This time she is wearing a tight body hugging white miniskirt dress. The long sleeves spiral with white and semitransparent material, as does the dress itself. The transparent material spirals from above the breasts, round back, than over the stomach and down one side giving a translucent glimpse of her glowing skin beneath. Mostly from her right shoulder, with a small attachment just behind her left, hangs a silky cape elegantly draping over her back. Her long legs are exposed from the upper thigh all the way down, and glistening. On her feet she has the typical, yet strange but glamorous high heeled shoes that most Bitani women wear. A type a shoe non existent among the Carpati with their dirt roads. After a couple of beautifully gliding steps she stops and turns to Andee with an inviting smile. Her face is radiant and strong, her beauty mesmerizing. Reluctant, Andee gives in and follows her. She walks towards Ricio's booth, and then right past it.
"Isn't this your booth?"
"Yes. But I want to show you something else." She responds with a bewitching smile. She grabs Andee's hand and takes him behind the autograph area to an isolated dark spot. She stops and turns to him. He looks at her confused.
"Like I said. I know what I want, and I'm not afraid to take it." She grabs Andee by his sleeveless shirt, and pulls him towards her, leans in and starts kissing him. He pulls away, she leans back in, and this time Andee goes for it. He wraps his arms around her and they kiss, and kiss, and kiss, for quite a long time.
"Andee? What are you doing back there? I've been looking for you everywhere. You need to join me..." But Nayaa's voice goes stunned silent when Andee turns revealing who is on the other side of him. Nayaa's mouth drops, and her breath locks into a knot in her throat the moment she realizes what was happening. Her eyes fall to the ground, sheepish and sad. She swallows a gulp of air, struggling to dislodge that knot, and snaps away. Andee pulls from Silestra and moves to rush after Nayaa, but Silestra grabs him.
"Hey, you said she's your friend right?" Andee stops, seems unsure. Silestra locks her confident eyes on his. "If you're in love with her, than go after her."
"She's my friend, and I love her like a sister, but I'm not in love with her."
"Good, than this should be no problem." She leans in to kiss him again. They kiss but Andee pulls away.
"Wait! This is wrong."
"So you are in love with her."
"No not me. You."
"Sorry." Looking at him askew and confused. "Me?"
"With Ricio. No? The love or your life?"
"Ahh, yes of course."
"This is wrong. He's your boyfriend. We shouldn't be doing this."
"You don't understand."
"Is he not your boyfriend?"
Indecisive. "Well yes..."
"...but?"
"It's complicated. We're kind of an arrangement. The Bitani society is... well, strange. I do like him, but... I'm not in love with him."
"You can't be in love with me either. So why mess things up with Ricio?"
"How do you know I'm not in love with you?"
"You don't know me."
"That's not a barrier to love."
"Of course it is."
"I know what I feel."
"Maybe you have a crush on that guy you saw rescue your boyfriend, but you don't know me. I think love is more complicated than a crush. Love takes time."
"Looks like you're the philosopher. See that's why I like you."
"But you didn't know that about me till just now."
"No, but I sense it in you."
"Sense what?"
"You're mystique. Ricio is a good guy. He's loyal. Honest. But there is not much more to him. He is his father's son, and that's what he'll always be. You..." And she stops and looks deeply into his eyes.
"Me what?"
"There's something about you. A mystery, inside of another mystery. You're exciting. I believe you'll do great things."
"So you are psychic too? Is this a Bitani thing, or just you?"
She doesn't answer just leans in and kisses him again. Andee doesn't resist. They kiss passionately. She starts being more aggressive, pushing her body into his, rubbing her face, her cheek against his, nibbling at his lips. Andee gently pulls away, locks eyes with her then gently waves his head side to side. She turns her face into a cute flirty pout. Andee giggles with a smirk overwhelmed by his desire and her inviting appeal. Silestra tries to move in and kiss him again but he stops her with his words.
"You are also mystery. In fact you kind of scare me." Andee muses. She smiles and then growls at him like the sexiest and cutest beast you've ever seen. Andee laughs. "Yup, you definitely scare me."
"Me scary? Why?" She counters with a cute flirtatious pout of a smile as she steps closer to him.
"Maybe it's a Bitani thing, I don't know. You're the first Bitani girl I've ever met, but girls here don't behave like you. This is a little too much for me. I'm sorry. You are absolutely beautiful, but, I don't like this. You're with Ricio. You live up in the city. I'm not going to help you cheat on someone you promised your trust. And I can't be with you if we can't be equal. I would never ask you to come down here to be with me. This will never work, and a fling is just not worth it." Silestra's soft smiling beauty for the first time fades replaced by a hard incredulous face. She then forces a friendl
y smile.
"Wow. That's probably the most brutal, yet polite rejection I've ever had. Well actually, the only rejection I've ever had. Are you sure that's what you want?"
"If we can't truly be together, than this, no, I don't want this."
"Oh-kay. If that's how you want it." And without any further complication, she casually turns, and calmly walks away quickly vanishing into the darkness, while a second later Gono leaps up next to Andee.
"Dude are you crazy?" Andee looks at him without a word and walks away stepping out onto the mezzanine. Gono follows. "I heard everything man. You're insane. Not equal? Are you stupid? Dude! You'll never meet a girl like her ever again. Who cares about that pilot. Look at him, arrogant punk." Gono nods with his head to the top of the stairs where the pilots are lined up, facing away, signing their autographs for the crowd in front of them. "She doesn't want him, she wants you. Dude! I can't believe you just did that." Andee stops and stares at Gono.
"I did what I had to do."
"I think you made the biggest mistake of your life, but hey, it's your life. But don't expect me to support it. I never will. I'm sorry man, but... I'm hurt. I'm hurt for you. Because I think one day you'll realize what you did, and you'll hate me for not doing more to stop you."
"Then I promise, I won't hate you. You told me and I didn't listen. If I made a mistake, it's my mistake." Gono shakes his head in disbelief and walks off.
The mezzanine is now almost completely empty, except by the stairs where the pilots are signing autographs. Downstairs is still busy and the dance floor is full. Andee wonders around for a bit than leaps over the banister and climbs down. He starts searching the club. He looks everywhere. He fights the crowds as he navigates the entire place. Nothing.