The Apprentice Starship Engineer: Book One The Link by Daniel Hanks Read Free Book Online Page B

looked at my glass. It was empty, and the room was different. Jack put his head in his hands and then poured more whiskey into his glass. I staggered to his desk with mine.
    “Just a bit more.” I managed to stop him at half a cup.
    Bob let out a long blast of air. “Gad, Jack, that stuff is strong. I’m going home. See you in the morning.” He staggered as he went out the door.
    “Night, Bob,” Jack slurred. “Good man that Bob. Great friend, the best.” He leaned back in his chair.
    Kathy stood, looking tipsy. “You guys are a bunch of lightweights. I know a bunch of girls who could drink the lot of you under the table.” She staggered and sat hard. “Damn, Jack, what the hell is this shit? Poison?” she sputtered.
    I pulled myself to a standing position and reached for Kathy. “Come on, I’ll help you get home.”
    She pointed a finger at me. “You. The last time I took your hand we got caught, remember?” She took my hand. “What the hell,” she said as I pulled her to her feet. Kathy was tall, six feet. She leaned heavily against me. We got our bearings and made a straight line across the shop.
    It was difficult to walk with her head on my chest and both her arms wrapped around me. We ran into several young women, who stopped and stared as we passed. Kathy giggled.
    At her apartment, she said she felt sick. I took her into the bathroom and held her as she vomited. We then staggered into her bed room.
    I dropped her onto the bed, and she stretched her arms up. “Screw me,” she said, then rolled over and got sick again. “God, what was that shit Jack gave us?”
    As she puked, I grabbed another blanket and staggered into her living room. With a spinning head, I curled up on her couch. Several hours later, I woke up and just made it to her bathroom before heaving my guts out. I could hardly see and my head was pounding. I crawled back into her living room, pulled the blanket off the couch and curled up on the floor.
    I woke up to a soft voice. “You’re cute and harmless-looking when you’re asleep. Sit up, sleepy head. Here is something for your head.” I sat up. She said, “Here, drink this.”
    A glass pressed against my lips. My head hurt so bad I wanted to scream, and I couldn’t stand to open my eyes. My whole body relaxed as the cool liquid hit my stomach. My headache went away. I opened my eyes then. Kathy looked as beautiful as the first time I’d seen her. She wore a bathrobe and looked as if she’d just stepped out of the shower.
    I leaned back against the couch. “Jack tried to kill us last night.”
    She sat next to me and gave me a thoughtful look. “I’m ninety-five years old next week,” she said as she placed her hand on my knee. She didn’t look a day over twenty-five to me.
    “I meant what I said last night. I’d be happy just looking into your eyes and hearing your voice.”
    She squeezed my knee, then leaned forward, giving me a kiss on the forehead. “That’s not enough for me.” She got to her feet. “Go take a shower. I’ll get breakfast.”
    She was quiet during breakfast. “You’re breaking my heart,” I said.
    “You’ll get over it.”
    “We’d have fun in bed.”
    “Stop it. You’re too young for me.”
    “No woman on this ship will have me.”
    “Find a man.” She picked up the dishes.
    She stood by the kitchen counter, looking wonderful. “Good day, Drake. Thanks for being decent last night. You’re a good kid. A lucky girl will pick you up.”
    I stood in front of her. “Lucky girl, I wonder. I could tell Jack how stupid he is, but he doesn’t deserve you. I do.” I held her head and gave her a kiss on the lips. She tried to push me away, but not hard.
    “Go, just go,” she said, looking at the floor.
    As I walked away, I thought I was the most unlucky guy in the entire universe. I never get the girl. Something always happened.
    Jack looked like death. I almost laughed, but I was in no better shape. He’d kept his word and showed me