9. Chapter 9
Waking up before six am almost every day was not Dare”s favorite experience. The dampers made him groggy at first, so he usually laid in bed, making sure his shields were adequate for the day ahead. At least, he had his usual morning clients today, then only two after shift clients later. Smiling, he sat up, swinging his legs off the berth. Stretching, he realized that today was poker night, and he”d be able to make it this time.
In the last six weeks, he”d been able to make only three of the game nights because of his schedule, even though they were held every week. It was a good way to see some of his crewmates and socialize. Dare shook his head, smiling to himself. He never won a game, not because he pointedly took a damper before beginning to play, but because he was a terrible card player. It didn”t matter to him whether he won or lost. The stakes were purposefully kept low, mostly playing for counters, not actual credits. He enjoyed being around the crew, talking about anything but work.
He”d met Lewis Richards, one of Jason Stravetta”s aides, at the last game. Peter had casually introduced them, then stayed by Dare when he stiffened in alarm. Assuring his friend that Lewis was ”good people”, Peter drew Stravetta”s aide into a conversation about books. Lewis, after giving Dare a questioning glance, launched into a fervent defense of a book he”d just read that had been panned by critics. His passion seemed genuine to the empath, and he subtly relaxed just a little. Peter didn”t stop there.
”Lewis, Dare met your boss a few weeks ago when Jason ran him over in the infirmary. If you saw him tense up, that was why.”
Lewis flushed, then ducked his head. ”Mr. Stravetta is, ah, intense most of the time. He”s a good boss, and thoughtful to our team.” He gazed at Dare. ”You”re an empath, aren”t you?”
Dare had to look up to meet Lewis” eyes. Stravetta”s minion had to be six foot two next to his five foot ten, and his body was proportionally sized. Raising his chin, he gave a quick nod. ”I am. I know Mr. Stravetta does not like, or rather hates, empaths. If you feel the same, tell me. I don”t want any trouble.”
Lewis gave the younger man a tentative smile. ”I don”t have a problem with your gift. My sis in law is a Mindset Four. Works with kids. I appreciate what you can do, but I don”t talk about it with the boss.”
Dare visibly relaxed, closing his eyes for a moment. ”I”m glad to hear that. I”d appreciate it if you didn”t mention I was here to your boss. I think he”s already wrapped too tight, if you know what I mean. He doesn”t need more stress.”
Lewis grinned, taking in the empath”s smile. ”Don”t worry, I won”t. I don”t want to upset him either. He”s been through too much as it is.”
Dare carefully did not reach out to find out what ”too much” was, knowing it would breach his ethics. He wished he”d taken his damper before he came since Lewis broadcasted his feelings openly. He could feel Lewis” protectiveness of Jason. That spoke well of him. At least his boss had someone who cared about him.
”I know he”s dealing with a lot from our brief, somewhat painful encounter. I could help him, but I know that won”t happen.” He glanced over at Peter. ”We ready to play?”
That brief meeting gave the empath more insight into Jason Stravetta, making the imperative to help him even more insistent.
Tonight”s game brought a new player, courtesy of Lewis. Derek Lonley, also an aide to Jason, fortunately had nothing against empaths. He was about the same height as Louis, but whipcord thin, with a wicked sense of humor. Derek kept the laughter going throughout the game, seemingly uncaring whether or not he won.
As always, Dare took his damper in front of the group so they would know he took it before play began. He caught Derek giving him a narrow-eyed glance when he did so, whispering something to Lewis directly afterward. They played a few hands with Peter, crowing with elation since he was winning. Derek smiled at the jubilation, then stared at Dare for a moment. The empath thought to himself, here it comes, just before Derek asked innocuous questions at first, followed by more pointed ones.
Dare answered all the questions honestly as a Mindset Three. There was no way he was going to out himself as a One to an aide of Jason Stravetta, or truthfully, anyone else at the table. They might know about him, they might not, but he would not give them proof. After about fifteen minutes of questions, asked in between bets, Lewis gave his co-worker a nudge in the ribs with his elbow.
”Give it a rest, Derek. You”re acting like you”d like to see his test ratings. If you”re so curious, make an appointment with him. We”re here to relax, not grill a crewmate.”
Derek shot Lewis a hard look, then composed his expression as he turned back to the empath. ”Sorry, Dare. I guess I”m just curious about how you do what you do. Never spent any time with an empath before, so I forgot my manners.”
Dare murmured a polite disclaimer, then turned to Peter and the rest of the group. ”I”ve got an early start tomorrow, so this”ll be my last hand. I know you”ll miss watching me lose consistently, but I”ll try to be back next week with hope in my heart.”
A quiet laugh flowed around the table before Artie from Engineering spoke up. ”We like you, Dare, because you don”t bring any problems in here like some people do. Plus, you”ve got a quiet way about you. You”re a terrible poker player but very restful.”
Dare gave the older man a grin before shaking his head. ”That”s me, unlike you, you card shark. Maybe you should give me lessons so I can win once in a while.”
Artie met the empath”s eyes, slowly shaking his head. ”Oh lord, no. I don”t need any more competition at this table. Besides, it”s not about winning, now, is it? It”s about sportsmanship.”
Dare laughed outright. ”Is that what it”s about? How would you know? You win all the time.”
Artie paused, considering his answer, then gave a quick smile, glancing over at the doctor. “I used to lose, didn”t I, Peter? I just learned the game finally.”
Peter frowned. ”That”s not how I remember it. You”ve always been a good card player. Dare may have a point, card shark.”
”You were supposed to back me up, Peter. What are friends for?”
The doctor gave him a long-suffering look. ”I”m not lying for you, old man. Accept the appellation and let Dare get home to bed.”
Artie turned to the empath, giving him a sincere smile. ”Have a good rest, Dare, and don”t worry about what that quack says.”
Dare looked back and forth between them, then around the table, chuckling. ”I”m not worried, Artie, except about your memory. Nice meeting you, Derek. Please give my regards to your boss and ask him to see me if he has any more questions. Good night, everyone.”
Dare pushed his chair back and stood, nodding along with his farewell. Lewis ducked his head, then gave Derek a solid poke in the ribs again, while Derek looked annoyed. Lewis met Dare”s eyes just as he was passing him. ”Have a great night, Dare, and don”t worry about Derek. We”ll have a little chat before returning to duty.” The others around the table murmured their farewells, giving Derek a considering look.
Dare gave them all a smile as he left. Walking to his berth, he reminded himself why it”s a bad idea to poke someone more powerful than yourself. Sighing, he thought, fuck it, and let it go. Sometimes he had to speak up when people thought they were outsmarting him. Tonight was that night, and hopefully, he wouldn”t regret it.