Valentine's Day in the Void

The cockpit of The Cat was unusually quiet. Kash had just run diagnostics, Triana was napping somewhere, and Calynn… well, Calynn had that look. You know the one. The “I’m about to ask a question, and you better not mess up the answer” look.

“So, Kash,” Calynn said, crossing her arms and leaning against the console. “What do you want for Valentine’s Day?”

Kash glanced up from his monitor, one eyebrow raised. “Valentine’s Day?”

“Yes, Kash. Valentine’s Day. The universal day of overpriced chocolates, regrettable roses, and love declarations.” She smirked. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”

“Of course not,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “But, uh… I don’t need anything. I mean, I already have you.”

Calynn blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “That’s… sweet, actually.”

Kash grinned. “Or, you know, you in a bow could work. Red’s a nice color.”

And just like that, the moment was over. Calynn rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “You’re impossible.”

“True. But seriously, I don’t need anything,” Kash said, standing and stretching. “What about you? What do you want for Valentine’s Day?”

Calynn frowned, tilting her head. “I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought about it. Maybe… chocolate? Or… oh, I don’t know. What do people even do for Valentine’s Day this far from Earth?”

Before Kash could respond, a voice echoed through the room.

“I could put your book on sale!”

Both Kash and Calynn froze, looking around the cockpit.

“What the—” Kash started.

“Did you hear that?” Calynn interrupted, her eyes scanning the empty space.

“Who said that?” Kash asked, narrowing his eyes toward the empty console.

“I’m your writer,” the voice replied.

“We have a writer?” Calynn asked rhetorically, looking around as if the voice would materialize out of thin air.

“Well... kinda,” the voice clarified. “I observe your antics from afar and chronicle the incident reports.”

“Everything we do?” Calynn asked with an arched brow, a smirk creeping across her face. She raised both hands and shot a double middle-finger salute to the air.

“Calynn mocked the mysterious voice, defiantly raising both of her arms with a middle finger salute,” the voice narrated dryly. “Upon hearing this, Calynn’s arms dropped, and she stuck out her tongue like a petulant child. Her mouth fell open in shock…”

“Alright,” Kash interrupted, shaking his head. “We get it. Can we focus?”

“Sure thing,” the voice chirped. “But seriously, how about I put Poncia Problems on sale for Valentine’s Day? It’s a great way to share your chaos with new readers.”

Kash crossed his arms. “And what do we get out of this?”

“Oh, nothing,” the voice said innocently. “Just a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of knowing your story is bringing joy to lonely hearts everywhere.”

“I’m gonna need more than that,” Kash argued.

“Hmm… I could help you find a quiet, beautiful planet full of flowers for you to spend Valentine’s Day on,” the voice offered. “Just the two of you.”

“A whole planet of flowers,” Calynn swooned. “Just for me? Can they be roses?”

“You know roses have thorns, right?” the voice asked.

“Yeah, I don’t want to get all scratched up on Valentine’s…” Kash muttered.

“A good writer would make the roses without thorns,” Calynn interrupted with a grin. “So their heroes could frolic in them without worry.”

“Not sure how I feel about frolicking…”

Calynn held up her hand to end Kash’s retort leaving an awkward silence that hung in the air as the duo waited for a reply.

“Noted,” the voice conceded.

Calynn smiled, cherishing her victory.

Kash smirked. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Calynn. Frolic responsibly.”

(P.S.: Grab Poncia Problems eBook, on sale on Valentine’s Day February 14th. No thorns guaranteed. Book 2 coming soon!)