“Well, I’ll have to visit Data Haven sometime,” I hear Shu-Fen saying as I approach our table.
Cleve runs a hand over his newly smooth chin in consideration. “After the war, maybe that wouldn’t be so complicated,” he says.
“I hope not so complicated,” Shu-Fen replies.
“Me, too,” Cleve agrees.
And on the topic of things that are complicated, I’d really like to get back to Fritz’s. “Are you all good here?” I ask as I step up to the table but don’t sit back down. “I’m pretty much done for the night.”
“Yup,” Cleve says easily.
“I think so,” Shu-Fen agrees. Everyone cordially shakes hands, Shu-Fen pays the bill, and we part ways.
Once we’re out on the street, Cleve comments, “She actually softened up quite a bit once you left.”
“I thought she might,” I say with a smirk. “Did you?”
“Ah, it’s just so hard, because I can’t tell her stuff,” he replies, with a note of bewildered frustration.
“You can’t tell her stuff now, but maybe when there’s not a war anymore.”
“Well… yeah. We can see where things go, I guess.”
“There’s no prophecy, just to be clear,” I tell him with a grin.
“I know you’re often used for matchmaking services, and I didn’t want to put you in that position,” he replies, and we share a laugh. Cleve shakes his head at the whole situation and jokingly reenacts how the conversation could have gone, “Yeah, you might turn us in as traitors, but definitely let’s get together.”
“Well, hopefully that display of interest means she’s moved away from that threat,” I say optimistically.
Sobering up a little, Cleve says, “What with all that,” he vaguely gestures outside the dome, where Xiao is amassing a fleet for a blockade, “it’s just too dangerous to be making promises or divulging information. She thinks she knows where Data Haven is, but she may not necessarily. The landscape has changed—literally.”
I see where he’s coming from, but ever since I’ve met him, Cleve has been consumed with making himself useful to others. “You need to also be free to live your own life, Cleve,” I tell him. “Not everything has to be datajacks.”
Now all sign of levity disappears from his face. “I’ve been through wars before,” he tells me. “They complicate things a bit.”
On that somber note, we reach the back door to Fritz’s home and business. This time, we knock and wait for him to answer, rather than breaking in. There is a small peephole at eye level, and we hear the slide of someone checking it before the door opens. “Please, please, c’mon, c’mon,” Fritz says, graciously gesturing us inside. He guides us past the stairs up to his apartment and back to the showroom floor, where we left our stuff earlier today. Along the way, I tell him that things went well with Shu-Fen. “Really?” he says, sounding surprised.
“Eventually,” I clarify.
Cleve chuckles, muttering, “Yeah,” under his breath. Then, in good spirits again, he adds, “I’ve told you how good I am at pissing off women.”
I laugh. It’s true, he’s hit some rough patches with Chloe and Astrid. “She didn’t look pissed off with you by the end of the night, Cleve.”
“I think she was flirting with me,” he says.
Fritz’s eyebrows go up. “Cleve, do you need to stay somewhere else tonight?” he asks.
“I don’t think so,” Cleve replies. Then he gives me and Fritz an appraising look. “Do I?” he asks back.
I feel the heat of a blush rise to my cheeks; I was not expecting that from Cleve! “Uh, what kind of accommodations do you have available here?” I ask Fritz.
“Uh, well, I’ve got the extra couch down here, and uh, I could throw down more soft stuff on the floor… my bed’s not very large.” Fritz actually sounds nervous, another thing I was not expecting, given how flirtatious he’s been. He shifts back to business. “I did get our appointment with Leyland Campos. We’re on for tomorrow morning at nine.”
As ever, Cleve embraces the practical. “So, how do you feel about security? When did this happen?” he asks, indicating the bleach-bombing. When Fritz tells him it was two days ago, Cleve’s follow-up question is whether we need to take watches.
“N-no?” Fritz replies, sounding as thrown by this question as I was my first night in Cleve’s company.
“Are you worried about it happening again?” Cleve presses.
“No, the windows are boarded up. Plus, there are more repo squads and the like wandering around in response to these sorts of things. Not that they actually make anything safer, but they do deter this kind of thing. And the dissidents will want to hit a variety of different types of shops. Once a shop is closed, there’s no reason to hit it again until it reopens. You know, when I unveil my new line of bleached clothes…”
There’s some bite in that last line, frustration at his loss. “It got compliments,” I tell him.
“Really?” Fritz brightens right away. “Tell me more.”
“From Shu-Fen, no less.”
“Shu-Fen, hmm? Interesting. She liked the pockets, didn’t she?”
“Well, I like the pockets,” Cleve says, patting one contentedly.
“She liked the pockets, it’s true,” I agree. “But she also appreciated the aesthetic.”
“Interesting! Well, I have some other outfits if you want to try them tomorrow,” Fritz tells Cleve. “If you want to be my official model.”
“Do they have pockets?” Cleve asks, but he quickly amends that to a simple, “Sure.” Even Cleve can tell that Fritz has had a rough couple days and how much this opportunity is improving his mood.
“Well, why don’t I let you turn in, and we’ll pick some things out in the morning,” Fritz tells him happily.
“Sure, but I’ll just sleep in my regular clothes,” Cleve says. “I’ll be sexy again tomorrow,” he adds with a chuckle.
“Some of us strive to be sexy every day, Cleve,” Fritz shoots back.
“Why don’t you get Cleve settled in down here, and I’ll make some tea?” I offer.
Fritz tells me the kitchenette is just at the top of the stairs. I grab a couple packets from the Stepdaughters trunk and head up. I’m not sure where things are going tonight, but at least we’ll be able to have a private chat.