Now on Duty: Fax and Benna

Special of the Day: Benna's Crush

Fax laser punches his time card, ties on his apron and wanders over to where Benna is parked behind the bar. She's got both elbows planted on the counter, chin in hands, staring across the room.

"Evenin'," Fax says. When she doesn't respond, he waves his hand in front of her eyes. "You on planet or off tonight?"

"It's him again," she mutters, and Fax follows her gaze to a man sitting alone in a booth at the back wall.

"What? The old guy?"

"Not old." Benna straightens and sighs. "Experienced."

"He's old enough to be your-"

Benna turns and grips his arm. "I heard the other freighters talking. They say he flies solo out of Purmia, that he might be running illegal Borga Ore, but I bet he's some general or prince or something. He sure looks the part, doesn't he? Tall...fair-haired-"

"Gray-haired."

"Mmm, just a touch at the temple. Distinquished."

"He's got wrinkles."

"Character lines."

"Crows feet around his eyes."

"And what eyes they are. Green as Kenton jungle ice."

Fax scowls. "You sure you haven't been sippin' the merchandise?"

"Not me."

"He's practically a senior citizen."

"He's a prince."

"Okay, it's your fantasy; he can be whatever you want. Just make sure he doesn't stiff you on the tab."

Benna raises an eyebrow. "Not him."

Fax shakes his head and goes to fetch a fresh rack of glasses.

Benna pulls an ale for her customer and struts across the room to slide the frothing tankard in front of him. He looks up and gives her a smile and a thanks. She returns to the bar and resets to ogle mode until the subject of her fascination rises, swipes his credit chip through the cash-bot and glances her way as he walks toward the exit.

"Oh, he's leaving." Benna sighs. "But he smiled at me."

"It looked more like a grimace."

She punches the tally to tag his credits. "Definitely my kind of man."

"What makes you say so?"

"Superb tipper," she says with a wistful smile.

In a quiet aside to my patrons: Benna's crush--aka the mysterious Mr. X--is a supporting character from P2PC, a novel I'm currently marketing.

Now on Duty: Fax and Benna

Special of the Day: Benna's Type

"Heard we had a new recruit." Benna shakes hands with Fax, the new tender--tall, blond, bright-eyed, good-looking...and so not her type. "So how was life at the Net?"

His mouth quirked into a smile. "Like the rumors times ten. I am definitely enjoyin' my new work environment." He gives her a wink. "Even better now."

Benna frowns and hands off her electro-pad. "There's new chalks at the counter. Better start earning your pay."

"Leaving so soon?"

"Glasses to rack and inventory to count.,” she says over her shoulder as she walks away. “Think you can handle the counter for a few?"

"'S’what I live for."

#

Fax watches Benna disappear through the swingers into the kitchen and return with a full tray of mugs.

"Worked here long?" Fax asks as he pulls a Billins for a drowsy Parolian female seated at the bar.

"Five spins."

"You're an old hand, then."

"I prefer to think of myself as well-seasoned but not over-fried."

Fax laughs.

Jool, the other duty tender, comes back from a table with an empty tray. "Hey Benna, seen the new delivery guy yet?"

"No. Why?"

"'Cause if you had, you'd be bringing him up in conversation. He's definitely your type."

"I have a type?"

"You know you do. Everyone knows you do."

Benna shrugs.

"Oh, yeah? What's your type?" Fax asks.

She shakes her head and walks away. Jool hipchecks Fax. "Tall, dark and mysterious. Except they don't have to be tall. Or dark."

Fax glances toward Benna. "Hm. She likes a mystery man, huh?"

"Now take that new delivery guy, Sair," Jool says, rearranging the fruit garnishes. "Maybe Rathskian, maybe not. No kensmarcs, you know? Not a scar on him. He's got the looks that would make him a premium gig...but he's deliverin' ale. And he wears those sunshades even indoors.”

"Sounds like he's hidin' somethin’."

"Maybe. It puts him in that questionable category. Benna loves that stuff."

Fax scowls.

“Oh and just for the record,” Jool adds, “Sair’s got that tall and dark thing going on to the T, too.”

“Yeah, prolly big T as in big trouble,” Fax grumbles.

“The more trouble, the better, s’far as Benna’s concerned,” Jool says. “You kinda like her, doncha?”

Fax purses his lips. “Too soon to tell.”

Jool just smiles. “Whatever you say.”

The house ale seems to be reanimating the formerly zombified Parolian sitting at the bar. She snaps her fingers to get Fax’s attention. “Hey, tender. Come down here and talk to me.”

“Might want to heed that,” Jool whispers. “She’s a great tipper when she’s in a good mood.”

Fax puts on a grin and saunters her way.

“What’s the latest, doll boy?” the Parolian purrs and flashes him an orange-fanged smile.

“Not a lot of news, of late. But I did hear The Galaxy Express had a coupla entertaining topics: Bug-Eyed Monsters in Love and Counselor Troi Must Die.”

“Fascinating.” She gives him a sly wink. “Got anything a bit sexier for a workin’ girl?”

“Just might.” Fax gives her his best conspiring tender smile. “The folks at io9 tap into Authors Who Put the Sex in their Science Fiction.”

“Now you’re talkin’. In my line of work, I have to keep up with the competition.”

Fax nods. "Refill?"

"Not before me shift." She slithers off her bar stool and adjusts her scanty outfit. "Just crank this up ta my house tab, and I'll be back in a coupla' days to settle." She pauses to lean across the bar toward Fax. "Oh, an' a lil bonus tip for ya, doll face. You want to get Benna's attention, don't act so interested in 'er. Take it from an expert."

She gives a saucy wink as she heads toward the exit.

Benna on the Job

Special of the Day: Meet Benna

"Hi, I'm Benna. What can I get you?" She smiles and nods. "Yeah, Benna from Banna, I get that a lot." She laughs and ticks off your order on her electropad. "Coming right up."

She busies herself collecting your drink and munch order. "Fax? Yeah, he's the new tender here. I haven't worked with him yet, but I hear he came over from The Nasty Net." She smirks. "Yeah, local nick for the place. Smart career move, if you ask me. That Net..." She purses her lips and shakes her head. "Lot of turnover there and I don't mean just in the employment department. Only place on Banna where the staff can get mugged."

"Oh, Fax mentioned the trouble there? Yes, the whole spaceport is talking. Forty of the Net's finest ganged up on some little female that wandered in during the blockade." She resets a cube keg and draws off the air. "Joke was on them, though. Rumor is she was some sort of trained mercenary. Most of them are missing teeth and nursing slashes for their trouble. I'll have to ask Fax for the lowdown when I meet him."

Benna fixes her attention on a tall man who enters the lounge and saunters to a booth in the corner. He's almost as tall as a Rathskian, but leaner and blond. One of Benna's coworkers goes to take his order.

"News?" she mumbles, her eyes still set on the mature man. "Yeah, I've heard a couple of interesting facts. There's a book giveaway in progress over at Writer's Musings. Stop by for a chat to get entered into their contest for a copy of BRALESS IN WONDERLAND by Debbie Reed Fischer or SHIFT by Jennifer Bradbury."

Noting your fingers are getting slick from the delicious Bannan fries, she deals a couple more napkins from the dispenser and slides them next to your plate.

"Then over on The Galaxy Express there's a very interesting retrospective on the Star Wars series. If you're a fan of that particular universe, you really should check it out."

"In case you haven't heard, Lisa Shearin has posted another snippet from her upcoming April release, THE TROUBLE WITH DEMONS, book three in her Raine Benares series. It's a real teaser." She winks. "Maybe you should look in."

"A couple of our favorite patrons...patronesses?...Barbara Elsborg and Dawn Jackson both have news. If you like your reading on the spicier side, Barbara's next erotica romance ANNA IN THE MIDDLE , an intriguing menage featuring Jax from her previous novel, SOMETHING ABOUT POLLY, is now available at Ellora's Cave and Dawn Jackson's next short, SPEAKEASY, a fabulous, sexy romp through the roaring 20s, is up on Ravenous Romance. Barbara was also interviewed this past week by author Margaret West on her blog."

"Also, be sure to check out Ghost Planet, the website of recent visitor and RWA Golden Heart nominee for paranormal romance, Sharon Lynn Fisher." Benna glances down the bar and curls her forefinger, motioning you closer. "The GH Award is for unpublished manuscripts, and you might want to keep an eye out for GHOST PLANET in the future. I know I'm going to."

"Oh, leaving us so soon?" She motions to the cash-bot to hover over and collect your payment, and you note how her gaze moves back to the mystery man in the corner booth.

"Sure, always glad to share." She sends a scrubber-bot down the counter to vacuum up a few stray crumbs after you rise to your feet. "Well, be sure to stop back and see us next trip."

You head toward the exit, glancing back to see she's got her eyes fixed on Mr. X, once again.