Margaritifer Basin (Margaritifer Trilogy Book 1) (63 page)

“I’m sorry, it was wrong of me to
ask.”

“No, it’s okay. And by the way,
you’re not the first. People are understandably curious. But honestly, even if
we did have plans to, um, experiment, I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t be talking
about it. To get this little project off the ground, one of the most important
things we need to demonstrate is credibility. We need people to believe that we
know what we’re doing and can succeed. If we started talking about space porn,
I think we’d be in trouble.”

Brad laughed. “Gotcha.”

Jeff smiled. “Doesn’t mean I haven’t lain in bed at
night a few times thinking about it.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet. Anyone in particular?”

Jeff stared at his glass for a
moment. “Yeah, there’s one that gets my heart beating just a bit faster than
the others.”

Brad raised his eyebrows and
smiled.

Jeff shook his head. “No, we’ll
save that for later. There’s still an awful lot of water to pass under the
bridge before we get to that point.”

“Yeah, I imagine so. It’s just that
the whole thing is so utterly fantastic, it’s hard not to ask questions.”

“Believe me, we understand that all
too well. We’ve answered a gazillion questions in front of senate
subcommittees, the President, Jay Leno, and god only knows how many reporters.
And we’re always biting our nails, worrying about what the next question’s
gonna be.”

“I’ll bet.”

“Yeah. There’s so much that we want
to talk about. But there are some things that we’d rather not talk about, and a
few things that we flat won’t talk about. Our biggest problem is getting people
to ask the right questions.”

Brad nodded and drained his beer.

“Another?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Jeff made up two more boilermakers.
“Shall we join the womenfolk? Make sure they’re not talking about us like we’re
talking about them?”

“Yeah, why not?”

They returned to the patio and took
chairs near the hot tub. “Mind if we join y’all?” said Jeff.

Diane smiled. “Not at all.”

Abby groaned. “Now we can’t talk
about you anymore.”

Jeff smiled. “That’s why we’re
here.”

“Aren’t you going to come in?” said
Diane.

Jeff and Brad glanced at each
other, and shook their heads.

“Um, maybe later,” said Brad.

Diane grinned. “What’s the matter,
dear, too much excitement?”

He chuckled. “In a manner of
speaking.”

“So, what have you two been talking
about?” said Gabe.

Jeff shrugged. “You.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah. Brad plays chess. Told him
he should play you, and learn the true meaning of humility.”

Gabe grinned. “Go get the board.”

Brad frowned. “What? Hot tub
chess?”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t
need to see the board, but I presume you do.”

Brad’s jaw dropped. “You don’t need
to see the board?”

“No. I can see it in my head.”

Jeff patted Brad on the shoulder. “Told
you. I’ll get the board.” He went into the house, grabbed a magnetic chessboard
and returned. He set the board on the table beside Brad. “Good luck, you’re
gonna need it.”

“Yeah.” Brad picked up black and
white pawns, shuffled them in his hands, and held them out.

“Left,” said Gabe.

Brad rolled his hand over and
opened it. “White.”

Diane frowned. “Don’t chess games
take a long time to play?”

Jeff shook his head. “Not against
Gabe they don’t.”

“Okay, Gabe,” said Brad, “you’re
move.”

Gabe smiled. “e4.”

Brad looked at her, puzzled. “Huh?”

“You’re not familiar with algebraic
chess notation?”

He shook his head. “Never heard of
it.”

“Ah, I see. Well, then I guess
we’ll do this the old fashioned way. Pawn to King four.”

“Okay. That I understand.”

“Good. Then we’re underway.” She
leaned back in the hot tub and closed her eyes. “Just tell me your moves.”

Jeff whispered, “Diane…”

She glanced up at him.

He shook his head and grinned.
“This won’t take long.”

Brad harrumphed. “Alright. Pawn to
Queen four.”

Gabe nodded. “Ah, you favor the
Scandinavian Defense, do you? Pawn takes Pawn.”

“Is that what it’s called? Queen
takes Pawn.”

“Yes. Knight to Queen’s Bishop
three.”

“Somebody in the Navy taught me it
years ago. Queen to Queen’s Rook four.”

“It’s a popular – and very old –
asymmetric defense against White’s King’s Pawn opening. Pawn to Queen four.”

“Pawn to Queen’s Bishop three. Can
you actually see this in your head?”

She nodded. “Uh huh. Knight to
King’s Bishop three.”

“Bishop to King’s Knight five.”

“Hmmm, that’s unconventional. I’m
curious to see where you’re going with this. Bishop to King’s Bishop four.”

Brad frowned. “Um… Pawn to King
three.”

“Uh oh, Brad, now you’re just
guessing. Pawn to King’s Rook three.”

He groaned. “Okay. Uh… Bishop takes
Knight.”

She smiled. “Ah, desperation. Queen
takes Bishop.”

“Um, hmmm. Uh, Bishop to Queen’s
Knight five.”

Gabe rubbed her lips with her
finger. “Interesting. Bishop to King two.”

“Knight to Queen two.”

Gabe opened her eyes and stared at
Brad. “Alright. Pawn to Queen’s Rook three.”

Brad stared at the board,
scratching his chin.

She smiled. “Take your time.”

Chrissie climbed out of the hot
tub, picked a wine bottle off the table and walked around the tub refilling
glasses. She paused in front of Jeff and Brad. “You two alright? Need anything
from the bar?”

“Thanks, Chrissie, I’m fine,” said
Jeff.

Brad glanced up at her and, as she
stood there naked and dripping wet, wheezed, “Oh lord. Now there’s a
distraction I didn’t need. Ahem, thanks, Chrissie, I’m good.”

She smiled. “Sorry.” Then hopped
back in the tub.

Brad returned his gaze to the chess
board and mumbled, “Good grief.”

“Stumped?” said Gabe.

“I’m just not sure where you’re
heading with this. Um… castle.”

Gabe’s eyes opened wide. “Really?
Wow. Okay.” She chuckled. “Pawn takes Bishop.”

Brad glanced at her, surprised.
“Huh?”

“Yes.”

He shrugged. “Alright. Queen takes
Rook. Check.”

She nodded. “King to Queen two.”

“Are you serious?”

Gabe leaned back and closed her
eyes again. “Uh huh.”

Brad shook his head. “Okay. Queen
takes Rook.”

She sighed. “Queen takes Pawn.”

Brad nearly fell out of his chair.
He stared at Gabe. “What are you doing?”

Gabe chuckled. “Beating you,
mercilessly. You just don’t know it.”

Brad shook his head. “If you say
so. Pawn takes Queen!”

Gabe opened her eyes and smiled.
“Men are so predictable. Bishop to Queen’s Rook six. Mate.”

Brad stared at the board, his mouth
hanging open. “Son of a bitch.”

Jeff picked up Brad’s now empty
glass. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. I’ll get you another drink, you look like
you could use it.”

Gabe smiled. “Thank you Brad, that
was fun.”

Jeff returned a minute later with
another drink for Brad. “You over the shock yet?”

Brad shook his head. “No. Gabe,
when did you see that?”

“I saw the opportunity to draw you
into a Boden’s Mate when we traded Knight and Bishop, but I didn’t really think
you’d castle on the Queenside. When you did, it was over. At that point I saw
three different paths to Mate in four to eight moves. I just picked the most
entertaining one.”

Diane looked at her with amazement.
“And you can do that without ever looking at the board? How?”

“As I said, I can see the board in
my head.”

“That’s astonishing. What’s a…
Boden’s Mate?”

“It’s simply a checkmate pattern
using Bishops on crossing diagonals when the opposing King is blocked from
flight by friendly pieces. It’s frequently preceded by a sacrifice to open one
of the diagonals.” She chuckled. “And your husband obligingly fell for my Queen
sacrifice.”

Brad groaned.

“How good are you?” said Diane.

Gabe shrugged.

Jeff chuckled. “Now, don’t be
modest. She’s a Grandmaster and in college was ranked 28
^th
in the
world.”

Brad gasped. “28
^th
in
the world? Okay, suddenly I don’t feel so bad.”

“Now you know why I’ve never beat
her.”

Gabe grinned. “Some years back
there was a professional chess player, Jennifer Shahade. She was twice U.S.
Women’s Chess Champion. But her major claim to fame is ‘Naked Chess’. Do you
suppose this counts?”

Abby shook her head. “More like
‘Naked Audience Chess’. It’s not the same.”

Gabe giggled.

Jeff smiled at Brad. “If you’re
thinking of challenging her to a game of strip chess,” he shook his head, “I
wouldn’t recommend it.” He glanced at Gabe and grinned. “Even with all the
points she’s spotting you right now.”

Brad laughed. “Oh, I dunno, I would
have done fairly well with that game.”

Gabe smiled. “No, you wouldn’t
have. I didn’t have to sacrifice the Rooks and Queen. It just would have taken
a bit longer.”

“Strip chess?” said Diane,
grinning.

Gabe nodded. “Pawns don’t count,
but for every major piece you lose, something comes off.”

“Have you ever played it?”

She smiled. “Um, no.”

“Who taught you to play?”

“No one, I’m self-taught. I learned
by playing
Fritz
when I was thirteen.”

“Who’s
Fritz
?”

“
Fritz
isn’t a who, it’s a
what. A computer chess program.”

“Can you beat it?” said Brad.

Gabe glanced at him and shrugged.
“Sometimes.”

Brad shook his head. “Good god.”

Susan stood up in the tub,
collected her hair and, as she twisted it like a rope, wringing the water out,
said, “Alright, entertainment and leisure time over. Abby, Chrissie, we need to
get supper started before it gets too late.”

They both nodded and stood.

“I want to help,” said Diane.

Susan shook her head. “It’s not
necessary.”

“No, but I want to. You have to let
me do something in that kitchen. It’s spectacular.”

Jeff pulled out his iPhone, pointed
it at the hot tub, and punched the video record button.

Soon they were all up and climbing
out.

Abby turned around and got out right in front of
Jeff and Brad. Standing on the edge of the tub she stopped and frowned at Jeff.
“
What
… are you doing?”

Jeff smiled, looking at the
iPhone’s screen. “Oh lord. Um, you know, 21
^st
century version of
home movies.”

Abby smiled and shook her head. “Pervert.”

Jeff chuckled.

Brad leaned over to see. “Oh god.
You’re gonna email me a copy of this, right?”

“You bet.”

Abby turned around. “Okay,
everybody smile, you’re on Candid Camera.”

Diane stopped, turned around,
smiled and waved at Jeff.

Jeff shook his head. “Mercy.”

She grabbed Abby’s arm, pulled her
close, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “Alright, while we’re here,
best get a picture of my daughter and I.”

Jeff nodded, stopped the video, and
snapped a photo of them. “Wow.” He took a few more stills then restarted the
video. If he hadn’t been so intent on watching Heidi towel off he might of seen
it coming, but he didn’t, and Gabe’s soaking wet, balled-up bikini top hit him
square in the side of the face with a very audible ‘SPLAT’. He glanced up at
her, startled. “Hey! What was that for?”

Abby high-fived her. “Nice shot.”

“Thanks.” Gabe stood, holding a
towel over her chest, grinning at Jeff. “That was for being a pain in the
butt.”

Jeff stood, nodded and smiled.
“Yeah, okay, message received.” He turned off the video, snapped a last picture
of Gabe and pocketed the iPhone. As everyone began filing into the house, he
walked over to Gabe, grabbed the bottom of her towel, which she clutched more
tightly, and dried his face and shoulder. “You could have just asked.”

She smiled. “Yes, but this way was
more fun.”

“Uh huh.” He returned to the chair,
picked up her top, walked back to her and held it out. “I think this is yours.”

“Yes, looks like mine.” She reached
out for it but he suddenly pulled it back and stood staring at it.

“Took me three years,” he gazed
into her eyes and smiled, “but I finally came up with a way to get this off
you.”

Gabe giggled. “I didn’t know you’d
been trying.”

Alone now on the patio, Jeff
dropped the top in a chair, grabbed her around her waist, and smiled softly.
“Well, it hasn’t been a high priority, but it’s crossed my mind from time to
time.”

She pressed against him and wrapped
her arms around his neck. “Really?”

“Uh huh.”

“You know, there is an easier way.”

“Oh? What’s that?”

She whispered, “You could just
ask.”

“Would it work?”

She gazed into his eyes, bit her
lip, and began panting softly, her breasts rising and falling with each breath.
“You’ll never know until you try.”

Jeff nodded. “Well, when the time
comes, I’ll ask.”

She smiled softly. “When the time
comes, you won’t have to.”

He kissed her, passionately, while
running his hands up and down her bare back.

After a minute, their lips parted
and Gabe just stood, eyes closed, mouth open, gasping for air. She licked her
lips and slowly opened her eyes. “You can do that whenever you like.”

He kissed her again.

She sighed softly, rested her head
on his shoulder and, for a long moment, embraced him.

From the back door came Susan’s
voice. “When you two are finished doing whatever it is you are, uh… doing,
Jeff, would you light the barbeque?”