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Description
Treasure Planet Story Excerpt
Return to Flint's Trove

Jim tipped the glass back and downed the contents, enjoying the burn at the back of his throat, heating his nasal passage.

“I don’t know,” he sighed, setting down the glass and rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. “I really thought we had worked this out, but then she changed course out of the blue. She acts like I don’t even want to see her, but she’s the one that keeps switching ships.”

“You’re in a rough patch,” Ford shrugged. The two young men sat hunched over their drinks at the bar on Aluminia. “It happens to every couple.”

“I had plans for our future, but it’s like she doesn’t want me to make plans,” Jim argued, the alcohol honing his vision. He squinted into his shot glass, and a frown decorated his brow when he realized he was empty.

“He’ll take another round,” Ford told the bartender before turning back to Jim. “What sort of plans?” he asked hesitantly.

The bartender slid another shot toward Jim who caught it, downed it, slapped the glass on the counter while simultaneously reaching into his pocket and pulling out –

“No,” Ford laughed. Jim opened up the box and revealed a small diamond ring.

“Yeah.”

“You think she doesn’t want to commit?”

“I really don’t know what she wants anymore.” His tone was of such convicted dejection that Ford flinched. As Jim’s partner, he felt it necessary to halt any further depressing conversations, lest Jim’s performance be affected. In response, Ford closed the box, helped Jim store it safely back in his pocket, and turned to a barmaid whisking past with a tray of drinks.

“Drink,” he ordered Jim.
…

Alice caught her breath when she heard the door creak open and Jim enter. She blinked hard when he turned on the lights, completely ignoring the fact that she might be asleep. Frustrated with his passive aggressive attitude, she sat up only to see Jim wobble as he attempted to remove his boots.

“What are you -?” she began, before assessing the situation. “You’re drunk.”

“What? Pfff no,” Jim shook his head before blinking his eyes hard.

“Jim, I wanted to talk to you tonight. I was hoping to talk to a sober boyfriend,” Alice enunciated.

“What so I can’t have a good time now?” Jim grunted as he succeeded in removing his boots and went for his shirt.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“No, because you change your mind every morning and go to bed unhapp-happily.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alice demanded, throwing off the covers and rising from the bed. She got up in his face as Jim put a hand against the wall to steady himself. He had definitely been drinking, his breath wreaked of hard liquor.

“Alice, can we not do this?” he pleaded, closing his eyes and putting a finger to his lips. “I’m really drunk. Can we just do this in the morning?”

“When you wake up hungover?” she snapped. That got Jim’s attention.

“Well maybe I wouldn’t be hungover if I didn’t have you to come back to!”

Alice froze, and Jim knew, somewhere in his very muddled mind that what he had just said was wrong. So completely wrong. She turned away, covering her mouth as fresh tears escaped the corners of her eyes.

“Alice, I didn’t mean –”

“Don’t touch me, Jim,” she whispered. He went ahead anyway, grabbing her arm and wheeling her around, being careful not to hurt her.

“I didn’t mean it,” he started. “I love you, Alice, I do, but right now…right now we’ve got to figure this out. We’ve got to figure us out.” He wasn’t making sense, but the words were bubbling up before he could choose which meant what. She had her eyes closed as tears slid down her cheeks. Leaning forward he cupped her face in his hands, his forehead resting against hers. He closed his eyes too as dizziness swept over him. And then he didn’t have to say anything because he was closing the distance, and she was closing the distance and their lips were meeting and it was hot, and wet and so perfect. Jim kissed her hard, he kissed her like he never had before. His hands traced the curves of her body, her back, down lower still. He wanted her. He wanted her.

And then she was gone again, pulling back. And he was sinking down onto the bed, watching in a haze as she grabbed her buckle bag, her things, slid on her boots and left the room. She didn’t say goodnight. She didn’t say a word. And Jim sat on the edge of the bed, head spinning until exhaustion took him and he drifted into oblivion.

Description
Treasure Planet Story Excerpt
Return to Flint's Trove

Jim tipped the glass back and downed the contents, enjoying the burn at the back of his throat, heating his nasal passage.

“I don’t know,” he sighed, setting down the glass and rubbing his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. “I really thought we had worked this out, but then she changed course out of the blue. She acts like I don’t even want to see her, but she’s the one that keeps switching ships.”

“You’re in a rough patch,” Ford shrugged. The two young men sat hunched over their drinks at the bar on Aluminia. “It happens to every couple.”

“I had plans for our future, but it’s like she doesn’t want me to make plans,” Jim argued, the alcohol honing his vision. He squinted into his shot glass, and a frown decorated his brow when he realized he was empty.

“He’ll take another round,” Ford told the bartender before turning back to Jim. “What sort of plans?” he asked hesitantly.

The bartender slid another shot toward Jim who caught it, downed it, slapped the glass on the counter while simultaneously reaching into his pocket and pulling out –

“No,” Ford laughed. Jim opened up the box and revealed a small diamond ring.

“Yeah.”

“You think she doesn’t want to commit?”

“I really don’t know what she wants anymore.” His tone was of such convicted dejection that Ford flinched. As Jim’s partner, he felt it necessary to halt any further depressing conversations, lest Jim’s performance be affected. In response, Ford closed the box, helped Jim store it safely back in his pocket, and turned to a barmaid whisking past with a tray of drinks.

“Drink,” he ordered Jim.
…

Alice caught her breath when she heard the door creak open and Jim enter. She blinked hard when he turned on the lights, completely ignoring the fact that she might be asleep. Frustrated with his passive aggressive attitude, she sat up only to see Jim wobble as he attempted to remove his boots.

“What are you -?” she began, before assessing the situation. “You’re drunk.”

“What? Pfff no,” Jim shook his head before blinking his eyes hard.

“Jim, I wanted to talk to you tonight. I was hoping to talk to a sober boyfriend,” Alice enunciated.

“What so I can’t have a good time now?” Jim grunted as he succeeded in removing his boots and went for his shirt.

“That’s not what I meant.”

“No, because you change your mind every morning and go to bed unhapp-happily.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alice demanded, throwing off the covers and rising from the bed. She got up in his face as Jim put a hand against the wall to steady himself. He had definitely been drinking, his breath wreaked of hard liquor.

“Alice, can we not do this?” he pleaded, closing his eyes and putting a finger to his lips. “I’m really drunk. Can we just do this in the morning?”

“When you wake up hungover?” she snapped. That got Jim’s attention.

“Well maybe I wouldn’t be hungover if I didn’t have you to come back to!”

Alice froze, and Jim knew, somewhere in his very muddled mind that what he had just said was wrong. So completely wrong. She turned away, covering her mouth as fresh tears escaped the corners of her eyes.

“Alice, I didn’t mean –”

“Don’t touch me, Jim,” she whispered. He went ahead anyway, grabbing her arm and wheeling her around, being careful not to hurt her.

“I didn’t mean it,” he started. “I love you, Alice, I do, but right now…right now we’ve got to figure this out. We’ve got to figure us out.” He wasn’t making sense, but the words were bubbling up before he could choose which meant what. She had her eyes closed as tears slid down her cheeks. Leaning forward he cupped her face in his hands, his forehead resting against hers. He closed his eyes too as dizziness swept over him. And then he didn’t have to say anything because he was closing the distance, and she was closing the distance and their lips were meeting and it was hot, and wet and so perfect. Jim kissed her hard, he kissed her like he never had before. His hands traced the curves of her body, her back, down lower still. He wanted her. He wanted her.

And then she was gone again, pulling back. And he was sinking down onto the bed, watching in a haze as she grabbed her buckle bag, her things, slid on her boots and left the room. She didn’t say goodnight. She didn’t say a word. And Jim sat on the edge of the bed, head spinning until exhaustion took him and he drifted into oblivion.