Echo Book 2

35. Break Time

I wake up alone the next morning. It's early, but weird. "Where's Malax?"

"Fixing the power grid."

I crack up laughing. "Tim there too?"

"Yes."

"Figures." I get my own shower and breakfast. Then I go to the planet. I bang on Hunter's door. He's not home. I can't find anyone. The brains are moving furniture in houses. I find more people. There seems to be a lot here now. I see more women too. I go to the packhouse and find Mahsa. "Good morning."

"Good morning, sweetie."

"Where is everyone?"

"Something about the main power grid. I don't know. How do I furnish this house? The brains aren't bringing any furniture in."

"This house is blocked because it's different. You can let her alter and move furniture in this house only."

"Yes ma'am."

"There you go."

"Thank you. Now how do I do that?"

"Can you go in Hunter's house? I did that one yesterday."

"Yea, we can go over there. He won't care." I follow her over. "This stuff is different."

"Yea, this was our testing stuff. Mason made it easier for the brains to mass produce. But you can order the same stuff. Tell the brains how you want it in the packhouse. Also, if there are offices, you may need conference tables and things."

"I'm not doing the offices. Hunter can do those. I like these couches though."

I pull a brain in. "How many did you want? And do you want this style?"

"Yes. I would like 2 of these couches and 3 of these exact chairs in the packhouse sitting room. Then 2 coffee tables and 4 side tables."

"Yes, ma'am."

"The dining room table is an 8-person table. I don't like it like that. So, I say it's 6. Always say extra seats. They're small if not."

"Oh goodness. We'll need a 30 person dining room table."

"It would probably fit 26 comfortably."

"That would be fine."

"Give her the 30 chairs in case 1 breaks."

"Yes, ma'am."

"There was no bar in the house. The kitchen was already perfect. Oh a gym. We'll need all this in our gym as well. Not sure about a theater. My bedroom is bigger. Can I get a big bed, 2 dressers, a wall mirror, vanity, a 2-person couch, and a coffee table in my bedroom?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"For the guest rooms, I think this is perfect. Big bed, dresser, big mirror, and a chest for extra linens. There are 4 guest rooms."

I nod. "Sounds good to me."

"WHO IS IN HERE?"

"ME, SON. Echo is helping me with the packhouse furniture."

"Ok. We're back from the power station. They're ordering lunch now."

"Great. That's what I need to do next. Put together some food for everyone. Basic things to stock the kitchens."

"That'll be good. You can make some of your noodles and dry them. Everyone loves those."

"Good idea, son."

"Did you see the outside furniture?"

"I did. But we don't have a deck. I was kind of wanting a swing for the porch."

"You have a balcony in your bedroom, mom. Dad knew you would want it."

I jump around. "You might be able to fit a hot tub on it. Or a salt soaking thing from the spa."

Her eyes get so big and she freezes.

"WOMAN. YOU BETTER NOT BE BACK THERE."

I peek out at Malax and Tim. "I AM."

Malax knocks the door into Hunter. "Woman, you are not to be..." He sees Hunter's mom. "Never mind. Didn't know his mom was here."

Tim cracks up laughing. "Yea, that's fine."

"We're doing the packhouse furniture. We came here so I could show her." I dive for Malax.

He gives me a big hug. "I love you, little one."

"I love you too."

Then Tim gives me a hug. "Did you eat?"

"No lunch yet. I had breakfast."

"Let's go eat lunch. Then you can help some more."

"OK."

An hour later, I'm in the packhouse with Mahsa and Thora. She puts a hot tub on the balcony. And some sun chairs. Then we put a real theater in and help Hunter with the offices. After that, I lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling.

Hunter nods. "The pool at my house is done if you 2 want to go swimming over there. It'll give you a break from this."

Thora and I run out of there so fast. We have the brains bring us bikinis that show our asses and change in his house. Then I jump in. "He needs a slide."

The brains put in a slide and play music for us. We have fun for a couple of hours. Then we lay out and get sun. We're lying on our stomachs letting our asses get sun when he comes out with some other guys.

"Nice."

"That pool is perfect."

One of the guys is staring right at our asses. We flip over at the same time. I mutter, "Creepy asshole." under my breath.

She whispers, "Very. I feel like I need sweatpants now."

"I need a coconut drink."

"Yes, ma'am."

I laugh. "I didn't know we made those on the ship."

"Me either. Bring us each 4."

"Yes, ma'am."

The boys leave and we roll back over. "The tan lines from this swimsuit are going to be so sexy."

"Yea I love getting my ass tan."

"So warm."

We laugh and my boys and Hunter deliver our drinks. "You can have 2 each. Nobody is sleeping in the bush tonight."

"Fine." I take mine and sit it beside me on the ground. "I can reach my straw from the ground. I don't even have to move."

"That's convenient." She does the same thing. "Now my ass can stay warm."

We crack up laughing and the boys leave.

Eriska comes over next. She has the brains deliver her a sun chair and bikini. She sits beside us and does the same damn thing. "I need a break from boys."

"They're still not giving you space?"

"Alone time, maybe. Mostly they are around me."

Nadine comes out with Kehlani. "Oh, thank God. I need a break from work too." They get more chairs and do the same thing we are.

We complain about work and boys for a while.

Then Malax and Hunter come out. "The amount of ass your deck sees is amazing."

Hunter cracks up laughing. "It really is. What are you doing?"

"TAKING A BREAK FROM BOYS."

"TAKING A BREAK FROM WORK."

"I'M SUNNING MY ASS."

Thora looks at them. "Don't bring that creepy guy back. We'll have to get dressed."

I laugh. "His head would probably blow up now."

Eriska nods. "Something would surely blow up like a balloon."

Malax crosses his arms. "What guy?"

"I don't know. He was harmless. Just stared at our asses."

Thora nods. "I thought he was going to start drooling."

Eriska laughs. "Something was drooling anyway."

I throw a towel at her. "That's my mate. You're not helping."

"It was funny though."

"Yea, it was that."

"Do you know who they're talking about?"

"Yea. I didn't know he was that stupid. I got him out of here."

Thora sits up. "Thanks for visiting boys. We're fine and on break."

They go back in the house.

I glance at her. "What was that about?"

"I need another drink. Nadine, order something from your ship. We're locked out of Echo's now."

"Bring 30 coconut drinks down from my ship. Make the shuttle invisible and land in the yard down there."

"Of course."

"30 drinks?" Eriska looks around. "We're sleeping here tonight."

3 drinks later, I decide to go down the slide upside down. Then everyone has to try it. Suddenly, there are 3 more slides. Each is bigger than the last. I fly down the biggest on a tube, and fly out of the other side of the pool.

I lay in the yard and laugh so hard. "That slide may be too big."

"Just don't go down that one on a tube." Thora falls in.

"Damn it. I lost my top."

Nadine's trying to climb a water slide topless. Thora's trying to get out of the pool. Kehlani is sound asleep in the chair. And Eriska is taking pictures of her ass when Malax and Hunter come back.

"Well, this escalated quickly."

"WATCH ME." I run to the big slide and climb the ladder with my tube. The boys are instantly under me.

"MALAX. IT STOLE MY TOP." Nadine starts sobbing.

"Hang on a second. I don't want her to fall. Then I'll get it."

"YOU WATCHING?"

"We're watching. You can go."

I plop on the tube and go flying out the end of the slide. I go over Thora and into the yard. Then I fly off the tube and land in the grass laughing my ass off.

"YOU NEARLY KILLED ME WITH THAT ONE."

I just laugh harder.

"COME TAKE A PICTURE OF MY ASS. I CAN'T GET THE ANGLE RIGHT."

"I CAN'T GET OUT THE POOL."

"USE THE STAIRS."

"Oh s**t. I forgot about them."

"Do not bring that slide back. No more slides. These 2 are fine. They are permitted no more slides."

"Yes, sir."

Nadine puts her top back on and ties it. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Hunter looks around. "Are you all good now?"

Thora nods. "We're fine. Thanks for visiting."

Eriska fixes her boobs. "Can we pee in your house bathroom?"

"Yea, that's fine."

Malax rubs his eyes. "Dry off before you go in. Don't drench the place."

"Ok."

We go back to sunning our asses and Tye comes next. He brings us island food. "You seem like you're all doing well. KEHLANI, get up and eat."

We get some food, then we get rafts and float in the pool with new drinks.

I wake up when I roll off the raft. I jump up and look around. Tim is staring at me. "You're ok."

I run and put my arms up for him. He picks me up and I wrap around him.

"Every damn time someone is sleeping at the bottom of the pool." Dipak jumps in as the rest of them laugh.

Nadine's at the bottom of the pool. The rest of us were on the rafts.

Victor gets Eriska. "I don't even know what the hell to do with her."

"I'll send Mary over. She can't sleep in that." Dipak hands Nadine to Tre. Then he gives Kehlani to Alden. Then he carries Thora out.

I snuggle Tim and go right to sleep.