Chapter 2: Tammy

~~ September - Week 36 & Tychy Week 1 ~~

Things were a bit different on this trip.

The crews had elected a floating work schedule. As long as the work was done, they did it as required. In engineering, they all helped each other. Lee and Bing taught everyone how to perform necessary engine checks.

Lee, Bing and Terry while aboard would still do the main checks and repairs, but the others could help by taking a short night shift every few nights to do the simple walk around checks.

Hydroponics elected for a similar loose roster as they were mostly only preserving what was growing. Kitchens would do the three basic meals and otherwise keep the self-help fridge and freezer stocked. Everyone was happy with this arrangement.

Robby, Bray, Sasha and Iran also set up a roster to look after the animals over the night periods. Sasha and Iran often did the first half of the night, and Bray and Robby shared the other.

Rai and Ian also had pilot and/or navigation credentials. They were more than happy to pitch in as required and did short stints in the helm with Penny, Terry, Sung, Nick and Sean. It only took the crews a couple of days to get into their new routines.

They headed out of Utopia’s orbit to get the ship up to speed. They didn’t plan to do warp-jumps on this trip. When they got a quarter of the away around the orbit, they would drop off a new probe. They would slow again near the mid-way point and drop another probe. Then at the third-quarter location, to drop the last probe before reverse thrusting to get into orbit around Tychy.

The direction they were going in was to the opposite side of Delta to where the current mid-way probe was located. They wanted to have probes on both sides for faster communications. They would drop new probes on the return trip on the other half of the orbit.

Gossip aboard the ship that week was centred on Tammy and Bray.

Everyone watched with interest as the young man tried to chat- up Tammy. No one could work out his fascination with Tammy. Most of them had gotten into the habit of avoiding her. However, Bray made his interest and intent known, the first night aboard.

After dinner, he invited Tammy for a walk on the observation deck. She disdainful refused. Not to be daunted, Bray told her it was a shame. A lovely lady such as herself should be bathed in starlight. He informed her he would be going up for a look if she changed her mind. Tammy didn’t go.

The next morning, she found a small potted strawberry plant on her doorstep. The note attached said, ‘They remind me of your sweet lips, your Bray’. Tammy wasn’t sure what to do with the plant or about the note.

It had been a long time since someone had pursued her. Even she could recognise it as a gesture that he was interested in her. She wondered if he had a bet going to see if he could get into her knickers. It wasn’t the first time this had happened to her.

She confronted him at dinnertime. With anger, she asked, “So what’s the bet?”

Bray was confused. “What is a bet? I am not sure of this word.”

Heatedly she said, “A bet is a wager or gamble. What is the prize you receive if you can get me into bed?”

Bray looked at the others. Ivan said to him in their language, “The lady believes you are trying to seduce her as a wager, and she does not believe your intentions are honourable.”

Bray stood and bowed at Tammy, “There is no bet, as you say. I would simply like to get to know you better. I find you fascinating and very beautiful.”

Essco overheard the conversation. Snidely, he said, “I wouldn’t waste your time, boy. She is not worth it, and she’s a lousy lay.”

Tammy was appalled at this statement by Essco. As were many others as the diner was reasonably full. Sean went to intervene, but Lee stopped him and nodded at Bray.

Bray stood at his full height and looked coldly at Essco, “You sir, are a poor excuse of a man. Offending a lady in public in such a manner only belittles yourself.” He went on, “You are lucky we are not on Utopia, or I would call you out. I also believe it is not the lady’s fault but your own if you were not able to please her to your mutual satisfaction.”

Bray bowed at Tammy again, “My Lady, I think I should escort you to your room so you may recover from that man’s appalling behaviour.” He gently placed Tammy’s arm in his and escorted her out of the dining room.

Everyone gave Essco disgusted looks and refused to talk to him. Even Hue was appalled, and he let his disgust show on his face.

Unfortunately, for Essco, he had thought everyone would find his comment funny. He wasn’t happy it had backfired on him. ‘Fuck the slut and fuck them,’ he thought. The animosity directed at him had him returning to his lab after he finished his meal.

Bray escorted Tammy to her room. He asked if she was all right? Did she wish him to stay for a while until she gained her composure? Tammy entered her room and sat on her bed. She had one of the smaller double-bed rooms on this trip.

She had requested a room as far from the inner hulls as she could get. Bray followed her in and pulled over the chair. He sat it beside her bed and took her hand in his. He just sat quietly while she wept. He offered her his hankie and waited until she was ready to talk.

Tammy sniffled and blew her nose. She looked at him, and she said bitterly, “Why are you still here? Didn’t you hear him? I’m not worth your trouble.”

Bray laid her hand out over his and gently traced over the fingers with his other hand. “You have beautiful hands, such long supple fingers. Do you play a musical instrument?”

Surprised by both his actions and words, Tammy blurted out, “I used to play the piano. My sisters liked to hear me play.”

“What is a piano?” Bray asked as he continued to trace his thicker fingers over her hand. Distracted by the feel of his roughened fingers, delicately sliding over hers, Tammy explained as best she could.

“Do you have some of this music which I might hear?” Bray asked politely.

Tammy retrieved her tingling hand. She got up to activate a recording of a concert she had played. When she sat back down, Bray immediately retrieved her hand. They sat quietly and listened to the music. When the piece finished, Bray said, “I enjoyed that piece very much, thank you. The player is very gifted do you know the artist?”

Tammy told him it was herself. Bray looked at her with amazement. “You were playing! You have a fine musical talent I could listen to your play all day,” he told her sincerely.

Tammy realised that it had been many years since she played. She had forgotten how soothing she found playing was. She could forget about what her father did to her most nights when she did. Tammy took a longer look at the young man beside her. He was several years younger, she was sure. He was several inches shorter too.

Even so, he did have a robust physique. He was all muscle with broad shoulders, and she had noticed the trim arse and solid thighs. He had dark curly bluey-black hair that was cut short and deep golden-brown eyes, which seemed to see into her soul.

Tammy shivered, and he gripped her hand a little firmer as if to reassure her, she was safe with him. “Do you want to sleep me?” she asked, surprising herself.

Bray chuckled and squeezed her hand gently. “Very much so, my lovely Lady, but not today.”

His statement took Tammy aback. “Why not today?”

Bray kissed the back of her hand. Then he simply said, “Because you are not ready for that step in our relationship.”

“We have a relationship?” she queried amazed at this young man’s audacity.

“Of course,” he replied. “A man normally has a relationship with the woman he is courting.”

‘Courting?’ She couldn’t believe what he was telling her. She doubted she had ever been courted by anyone. She tended to just fall into or out of relationships.

Bray stood and moved in front of her. He gently cupped her face and asked, “May I have your permission to kiss you, my sweet?”

Obtusely, Tammy nodded. Bray gently touched his lips to hers and softly kissed her lips. “Thank you. Would you consent to have dinner with me tomorrow?” he asked as he gently caressed her cheek.

Dumbly, Tammy nodded at him. Bray kissed her again. This time, he gently sucked her lips into his and softly wiped his tongue over her lips. He released her and smiled. He bowed his head at her and left a perplexed woman sitting on the bed.

In the morning, Tammy found a package on the doorstep. Inside it was four beautiful hand-embroidered hankies with little flowers in the corners. Tammy had to smile. She had to tuck one into her bra just to have it with her for the day.

Later that day, Essco came into her lab. “So, did you fuck the little foreign bastard or just suck him off?” he asked snidely.

“Fuck off, Essco. You and your tiny teeny willy. You would have to be the worst fuck I ever had. No wonder Debora got rid of you. You couldn’t even get me wet, let alone make me come. Go and find your hole and crawl back into it,” she spat at him.

She sat there glaring at him until he huffed and left. “Arse-hole,” she shot at him as he walked out the door. Tammy couldn’t believe how much better she felt for telling him off. Absently, she rubbed the hankie tucked in her bra as she watched him go down the hallway.

Tammy went back to work. As the day progressed, she found the music she had played the night before, stayed in her head all day. She even found herself humming the tune. With a lighter heart, she got involved with her work.

It was much later that she was interrupted by Bray when he came into her lab. “My sweet it is dinner time,” he told her. He caressed the back of her neck and dropped a kiss under her ear. Tammy shivered at the delightful sensation.

Tammy turned and looked at Bray. “Sorry,” he said. “But I just have to kiss that lovely mouth.” He let forward and started kissing her gently. As he went to pull back, she wrapped a hand around his neck and then pulled him back to her lips, and laid one him.

Their tongues were soon duelling. Tammy had spread her legs and pulled Bray between them when she was getting into the kissing. Bray had very mobile lips and lovely tongue action. She was tingling at the desire she felt. Finally, he pulled back and stepped away from her.

“My sweet, we have to stop before I have you naked across that table,” Bray told her, smiling broadly at Tammy’s heaving chest and confused expression. “As much as I would enjoy doing it to you, I have a surprise for you.”

Coming back to her senses, his words registered. Intrigued, Tammy asked, “What surprise?”

“Unh, unh, unh, come my pretty,” he said as he held out his hand for her to take. While he was a shortish man by human standards, she noticed that he had big hands. It felt nice having his big warm hand wrapped around her slim cooler one. Bray led her to the diner.