A Strange State of Affairs Ch. 12

            The morning sunlight streamed through the thick curtains and beamed straight into Riyel’s face.  He groaned �" his head felt muggy, and his ears still rang from the alcohol he’d ingested the night before.  Rolling over, he fumbled about for a pillow and drew one over his face.

            There was no point in sleeping now; he was already fully awake.  Riyel’s head throbbed, and he tried to focus his jumbled mind and recollect the memories of the previous evening…

            He had left Fye in the West Wing �" breezed straight past him without saying a word �" and gone to the bar down in the South Wing.  It had been very dark there, and very noisy.  Everyone was talking and laughing boisterously as he pushed his way to the bar and ordered a drink and some food. 

            The meal was decent, the wine exceptional.  He’d drunk his glass as slowly as possible and then paid his tab and gotten up to leave.  The room was swirling again, and he wasn’t surprised when he’d stood and crashed right into somebody.

            A shrill voice apologized frantically and repeatedly in his ear.  It was slightly annoying. 

            Riyel had looked down, a curse on his lips, when he suddenly recognized the person.  It was a figure in pale pink with long white hair…it was Fye’s mystery date!!

            “I’m sorry!!  I’m sorry!!” she’d repeated over and over again.

            Riyel gaped at her.  He was only slightly aware of his eyes scrutinizing the figure before him before landing on her lips.  He watched the way they parted while she talked and suddenly felt an odd twinge on the left side of his chest.  Riyel looked down and jumped when he saw the ungainly wine stain spreading across his shirt. 

            Suddenly his sluggish mind grasped why the girl before him was panicking.

            Get a hold of yourself, man, he thought to himself.  A smile automatically sprang to his lips, and his eyes grew soft.

            “Oh…,” the woman sighed and glanced at the empty wineglass in her hand.  “Gosh, I’m so clumsy all the time.  Sorry.”  She smiled hesitantly.

            Riyel grinned, and then peered closely at her face.  “Are you okay?  You look kind of pale…do you need a drink?”

            The woman started, then shook her head.  “I-I’m fine,” she replied, “I was actually leaving.  I’m lost, you see.”

            “Lost?  How?  There’re maps all over the place.” Riyel proffered his arm and she gingerly took it.  They walked towards the exit.

“I’m not the best with directions,” she admitted.  “I went into the bar to see if they had a telephone somewhere in the back, but they didn’t.  And I’m meeting someone in the Central Conference Room in a few minutes, and I’ve lost my way…”

            Riyel shook his head.  “Well, why don’t you come with me then?  I know how to read maps.  You can still make it on time.”  He smiled at her again.

            The girl was a little stunned, but agreed.  “By the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet.  I’m Sherry Coh.”

            Riyel nodded.  “Nice to meet you, Ms. Coh.”  He bowed slightly, then straightened.  “I’m Riyel Jenkins.”

            “Nice to meet you, Mr. Jenkins.”  Sherry nodded, then broke into a genuine smile.  She covered her mouth with one hand self-consciously.

            They had continued like that, bantering in a calm but slightly silly way.  He had told her many things in his loosened state of mind:  things about his job at the University, things about Puri, things about his research in the field of biology, and things about upcoming artists and shows.  She, in return, had told him of her life.  She lived on the northern tip of Kor, in the industrial city of Alber.  “The water’s frigid there,” she’d explained, “I’ve never been swimming in a natural body of water before.”  They had laughed together and talked some more about the Tellurim Gallery show.

            It occurred to Riyel that not once had he mentioned Fye.