A Kiss Better by Karen Blayne 

Oh by the way red tape first.

Be warned these short stories contain mature content or naughty bits and as such may corrupt you if you’re under 12, 16, 18, 21 or 25 depending where you live thus if they are not suitable for you put them back on the shelf and let them age for a year or two.

They were sort of scribbled for fun. If you’ve paid money for this book just be aware the author has not received any payment. In fact no one has permission to charge money for this book and copyright ©2019 is retained by the author.  

Luv Karen

Twenty nine year old Brian was tired and dirty as he stepped out of his craft. He’d picked up the private space ship for a song from a police auction after the previous owner had been caught smuggling.  The orbiting container carrier was a platform to hold containers attached to the engine out of a wreck of a naval cruiser that had had its control deck and weapon system totally destroyed.  He’d jury rigged the controls so they could be operated from the small space ship.  The space port harbourmaster welcomed him with open arms.  “I’ve got just the ideal cargo for your next trip.”  “Come back in a year.”  He made his way over to the bank and watched the money transfer into his bank loan to pay it off.  “Now I’m sure you’ll be wanting to buy a bigger ship.”  Smiled the clerk behind the counter.  “And let me guess you have a special on big loans at the moment?”  “Well yes but for a loan the size you’ll be wanting I’m sure we can negociate a more favourable rate.”  “Sorry but it’s time for me to get a bite to eat and a bath.”

He walked into the poshest restaurant in town. The Maitre d’hotel looked down his nose at him.  “I’m sorry sir we are fully booked.”  Behind him a waitress was just coming off shift and remembered his face.  “Hi Brian want to freshen up at my place?”  He smiled at her.  Twenty minutes later he was lazing in the bath when the bathroom door opened and a towel wrapped blonde opened the door.  “What are you doing here?”  “Lazing in the bath.”  “Oh Steph that’s just Brian, he’ll be finished soon.”  “I will?”  “If you want some hot food you will.”  Brian stood up and the blonde firmly closed her eyes and handed him a bath towel.

Food, life was good.  “You know I’ve been living on the cheapest dried prepackaged nutrient for the last year.”  “Poor man.”  “Not quite, my ship came in.”  The tumble dryer beeped.   “You have clothes.”  He looked round the apartment.  “It’s a nice apartment.”  “It is but the landlord wants to sell so we have to find somewhere new.”  “What’s his number?”  Twenty minutes later he owned an apartment.  The legal transfer would come later.  “Do we still have to find somewhere new?” “No you can stay on rent free, but I’d like my own room.”  “We can work something out.”

The doorbell rang and a well-dressed lady stood there.  “Brian Alton?”  Brian reluctantly admitted that was himself.  “I’d like you to deliver some supplies to one of our colonies.  I understand the harbourmaster has already mentioned it to you.”  “And I mentioned to him I wasn’t interested.”  “But you don’t understand there was a mistake made on the last shipment and a number of vaccines were shipped short. If we can get them more within eight months then we hope to be able to wipe out both polio and TB in that sector.  The colony has had a number of cases of both unfortunately and we are rather desperate and more than willing to pay a substantial premium.”

Brian sighed.  “I’ve just spent a year on that thing I was hoping to have some time off.  See if the harbour master can find another qualified pilot I trust and they can pilot the ship.”  The well-dressed lady went off to visit the harbourmaster.

“Well landlord what would you like to do first.”  His eyes turned to Stephanie “Not who what?”  “Well if he has money there is a live play at the theatre this evening he could take me to.” A live play definitely sounded attractive and with a Stephanie on his arm the thing to do.

Stephanie looked over his overalls not quite dress circle standard but if it was a choice of attending the theatre with an escort dressed in overalls or not attending the choice was clear.   “Let me buy the tickets.”  He transferred some cash to her then let her buy the tickets.  She approached the box office manager with a winning smile and soon wound him round her little finger.  She came back grinning “House seats.”  “What on earth are house seats?”  “They always hold back a selection of the best seats in the house that way if a politician or a major patron wants a seat at the last minute there is always an excellent one available.”

Centre of the dress circle was just about the best view in the theatre.  The play was good.  “It’s Tuesday of the second week so they know their lines and are fresh.”  “You seem to know a lot about the theatre?”  “Just enough to enjoy the magic.  Chloe studied English she says once you understand all the word plays and so forth it loses its magic. I’m glad she told me before I decided what to study.”  He glanced round at the audience very formal, with evening dresses and suits.  Oh well better Stephanie had brought the tickets he might not have got such good ones.

After the theatre they had a Chinese then returned to the apartment.  Brian was tired out and welcomed a note on Megan’s door saying she was sleeping with her boyfriend that night so he was welcome to her bed.

The next morning bright and early the harbourmaster rang.  He hadn’t been able to find a substitute pilot but Emma had worked out how to bolt on more containers to his ship so now he’d managed to double the lucrative offer he’d made yesterday.  Brian declined.  The harbourmaster told Emma to load the ship with containers.  He was sure a pilot would turn up and they could always unload them if need be.

Stephanie made him some breakfast and asked who was ringing him so early in the morning.  “The harbourmaster wants me to take a load to the colony at Belaire including some vaccines that got missed off the last order.”  “Could anyone else take it?”  “Nothing locally can travel at the speed of my ship and they’re offering a substantial premium.”  “Well it’s being nice meeting you.”  He looked at her.  “All those babies need their vaccines.  I think you should do it.  I’m sure you’ll feel guilty if you don’t.”  He suddenly realised what the box office manager must have felt like as she gazed adoringly at him.

“I was thinking about finding a lady of ill repute and spending the next month in bed.”  “Well don’t look at me and a month isn’t really long enough to get to know someone well enough to make a connection.”

Somehow he sensed he was going but how to pass the time?  He’d think about it.  At least this time he could afford a few appliances to wash clothes and better food than he’d had last time, hell he’d hire someone to keep him company.

He stopped off at the job centre.  “I’m looking for a temporary with good math skills starting tomorrow?  I’ll pay a day’s wages to interview them here first.”  The clerk looked at him “I can arrange to have three candidates here by eleven.”  “I’ll be back then.”

He dropped in to see the harbourmaster.  “Let’s speak to Emma and see what she has come up with.”  Emma explained how she’d come up with a different packing order that would allow a more stable configuration and thus even more containers.  “If we used encrypted WiFi we could increase the distance between the command module and the engines?”  “If we did that we could triple the load.”  “Is that much cargo available?  I’ll pay you a 1% fee for arranging the containers and on whatever else you can find.”  “That’s a lot of money.  I’ll ring round.”  “Could you have some appliances such as a washing machine added?”  “Not in the existing command module but we could bolt on another container to the side and extend it.”  “Just do it please.”  “You have the twenty percent deposits available could I use some of that money to buy goods for shipment?”  “Trade on my own account?”  “Joint as I’ll throw in my 1% as well.”  “I wouldn’t know what to buy.”  “I’ll grab my sister.  She’s good at buying things.”

“Phoebe you know you always wanted to be a personal shopper?”  “Yes?”  “If I find you the money can you do some shopping for me?”  “Sure at the weekend?”  “Today, take the day off.  I’ll make it worth your while.”  “How much for how many?”  “You’re joking right you want me to buy for a million people?”  “It’s a colony at Belaire and the cargo ship leaves tomorrow.”  “You’re not joking oh my god let me think.  OK I’ll do it.”

Phoebe wondered into the wholesalers.  “I’m sorry miss but we only sell wholesale.”  “May I see the manager please?”  “Alf there’s some girl here who’d like to talk to you.”  “I’m busy I’ll send Lily down.”  Lily stepped down “Yes miss?”  “I’d like to buy fifty shipping containers of goods if you have them.”  “Money?”  Phoebe showed her bank balance.  “Well does it matter what they are?”  “It’s for a colony.”  “So top quality as the shipping costs are so high.”  Lily said more to herself than anything else.  “I get free shipping if I can have it packed up and at the harbour by this evening.”  “Now that changes things.”  Lily looked round the warehouse.  “I can offer you some lines that have been moving more slowly at a deeply discounted price.”  They walked round together with a tablet in Lily’s hand.  “These are a good solid product but got caught by a competitor’s advertising campaign and slightly lower price.”  Phoebe nodded at the price.  Next Lily pointed out three containers full of returns.  “Normally we’d ship them out to be auctioned but we normally only cover our shipping costs.  The same price as the last four we sold at auction averaged?”  “Less half your shipping costs?”  Lily’s nose twitched “I’ll see what he says.”

Finally they had forty-seven containers picked out.  “Normally on this size of order we’d give you ten percent discount but I need his approval first, back in a minute.”  Lily came back smiling “It’s all been approved.  He was busy on the phone trying to send back some of the stock I’ve sold you and he just nodded when I said normal discount.  I’ll just arrange delivery.  By the way have you room for any more?”  Phoebe admitted there was room and still some money left.  “We’ll go and see Hoskins, who are one of our suppliers. They had an order fall through recently and whilst I think about it there is a complete light rail system that was cancelled?”  The complete light rail system was sold at a heavily discounted price provided she brought the entire system.  Well a substantial deposit had been paid and it wasn’t something that was cheap to ship.  It took the rest of Phoebe’s money.  Phoebe wondered if the colony had need of a light rail system however she consoled herself with the bargain price.

Phoebe felt pleased with herself.  Nineteen hundred and sixty-two 24.4 metre shipping containers delivered to the harbour’s dock.  That was definitely a personal best.  She wondered about the odd size why 24.4 rather than 24 or 25 metres.  Probably something historical or was that cubits that were mentioned in the bible?

Brian looked over the four CVs and opted to see them in increasing order of their maths score.  The first two were so so.  The third was a possible but the last with the highest score intrigued him.  “I’m making a quick trip to Belaire tomorrow morning.  You have a job serving coffee and meals.  I’ll need your measurements for a space suit.  Also can you send a complete list of what you’ll be taking with you for customs purposes.  They get a bit anxious on drugs these days so a photocopy of any prescriptions would be handy to enable preauthorised clearance.”  He took her measurements and after giving her the name of the ship and left to sort out a space suit for her and other things.  He paid the other interviewees in cash.

Georgia looked up Brian’s ship.  A private space ship, small but luxurious and not intended for long distance travel with a maximum range of four to six days.  She’d pack her ebook after loading it up with three new unread books.  A spaceship so minimal luggage, basically a change of clothes and she was ready with her small carry on bag.  She sent an email off to her mom saying she’d be a way for about a week then went to bed early.

Emma sat back satisfied, she’d managed to find another two thousand containers and they were being slung up into orbit by the harbour’s ELS or Electromagnetic Launch System there to be added to the existing containers by a fleet of drones and robots.  Finally as a precaution they’d wrap a series of nylon ropes round everything to hold it all together.  She ran through the spreadsheet again.  If Brian was successful just her percentage would mean she would never need to work again and if he sold things at a profit well neither would her children.

Brian forced himself out of bed, back to the space craft today.  One last fry up with fresh eggs and bacon before he left.  He liked his eggs pity he couldn’t take them with him.

At the docks he handed over his id then climbed into his craft.  Looked like Emma had some cleaners in.  Everything sparkled.  Still, it wouldn’t last long.

Georgia climbed aboard as Brian was doing his preflight checks.  “Sign on the dotted line as crew.”  She dutifully signed. “Lie back on the couch and strap yourself in.”  Moments later they were cleared for take off and the tug pulled them into position for the electromagnetic assisted takeoff.  There was a roar from the engines and Georgia felt the seat pressing into her.  An hour later there was a loud clunk and the tiny ship juddered as if it had hit something.  “Should I get suited up?”  “No need we’ve just docked.”   

She waited patiently for the seatbelt sign to be turned off.  Finally it was done and the engine roar was much more muted.  “Shall I see to the passengers now?”  “There are none.  It’s just my coffee and food you get to prepare.”  “Are we flying somewhere to pick them up.”  “No we’re delivering a load of cargo.  Why not have an explore.  Your room is the corner behind you.”  Georgia sat up.  “I didn’t know small space ships had gravity?”  “They don’t, it’s centrifugal force as the ship spins and we are on the outside.”

Georgia had a feeling she was missing something in the conversation but went exploring anyway.  She found her room and placed her belongings in the drawers provided.

She wondered where the hatch doorway now led to.  The green light came on to show it was pressurised so she pressed the open button and explored.  A corridor and off it there were doors.  She opened the one marked chicken run.  Inside were two small robots that appeared to be unwrapping a dozen hens from their special containers.  They must be a special breed to be coddled so well.  The next was labelled farm.  There were lots of lights and things sprouting in trays.  Frozen food?  Chest freezers full of things like bacon and prepacked meals. That seemed crazy even Georgia knew the cost of shipping through space was such that you shipped only the essentials.   “There’s things like hens and same sort of farm thing plus lots of freezers full of bacon and stuff and what looks like a laundry room.”  “Oh good Emma’s been busy.”

“Are we there all ready?”  “No just attaching the power unit and containers.”  Brian replayed the video so she could see the approach and what they had docked against.  “It’s massive.”  “Isn’t it just.  There are four main parts the control part which we are in, the engine part which is about two kilometres away, the cargo which consists of lots of 24.4 metres long containers clamped together with a few nylon ropes round everything and as you’ve seen a few more extra containers of more living space and a washing machine.”

“Why would you need a washing machine for a trip of four days?”  “Who mentioned four days?”  “Well when I looked up the type of private space ship this is it mentioned it was intended for up to four days of travel.”  “Belaire is six months travel away.”  “You said it was a quick trip.”  “Normally it would be a year but with baby here we can make it in six months.  It would be twenty two weeks if we had a minimal load but even though there is no air resistance in space it’s the inertia that’s the problem. We’ll spend three months coming up to speed then three months slowing down.”

A look of pure horror came over Georgia’s face.  “You mean I’m stuck on here with you for six months?”  “A year if you want a lift back.  The pay is good though .05% of the profit.”  “How much is the profit if you can afford to pay me for a year?”  He told her the obscene amount.  “My God, but I’ve got no clothes.”  “They should be in the second bedroom.  I used the  measurements you gave me for the space suit.”  Georgia opened the door and pulled out a range of garments that looked as if they were specifically designed to show off those parts she had no intention of showing anyone before she was married.

“They’re obscene.  You expect me to be some sort of sex slave?  How could you?  I was hoping to go to college not be kidnapped for a year.  I haven’t even got pills to stop me getting pregnant for a year.”  “There’s no compulsion but I have all the material for you to study to get your pilot’s license.  I happen to be a qualified invigilator and examiner for your practicals.  Oh you’ll find three years supply of the pill in the second bedroom.”   “The full three year course pilots course?”  “The full three year B.Sc. Plus Pilot's License and I’ll pay your examination fees.  Oh and if you decide not to you get normal crew rations of dried prepackaged nutrient.”  “You’re a real bastard.”  Brian smiled at her.  “Does that mean I get a blow job?”  She stormed off to think things over.

She thought about how much he was worth.  How much a B.Sc. was worth then she smiled at herself.  Six months, no three years all alone with him to build a proper relationship and what was in that wardrobe next door?  She slipped into the other room and looked through the clothes.  Well there was a school girl outfit that no self respecting school other than St. Trinians would ever sanction.  It seemed almost too easy.  She changed into the school girl outfit then looked through the blouses to find one without pockets and slightly sheer, worn over a quarter cup French bra.  There perfect, as she admired herself in the mirror.  She rolled over the waistband over once to ensure an inch of thigh showed above her stocking tops.  Two inch heels set her bum off nicely.

It was nice to be appreciated as she noticed his dropped jaw. She kissed him on the lips before he recovered, not bad not unkissable then.  “Now where is this poor thing that needs kissing better?” as she unzipped his jeans.