The Law of Attraction [Chris Beck]

Chapter 34

Johanssen had floated away, and Beck was still moving along the halls with Alice. She glanced at him briefly, smiled up at the man. It was as if they were good friends, nothing was quite binding the relationship as that. No one had stated that it was what they had between them; nothing between them had ever been conventional or normal. Alice realized that she wanted that to change because things on the Hermes had changed. Glancing back down the hall, she felt a nervousness in the pit of her stomach that only ever came hand in hand with infatuation. If someone told her to describe that feeling two years ago, she couldn't have remembered what it felt like with Patrick. But with Beck, the feeling never seemed to ebb. That was naïve thinking, because it always faded, but hopefully with him it wouldn't ever entirely disappear.

"Do you want to join me?" Alice asked.

"For what?" Beck was just moving along with her without knowing where she was headed.

"I'm doing a video chat with Nick and his family." She said, the words feeling slightly foreign on her tongue, but still fitting.

Beck laughed. "Are you asking me to meet your family?"

"Too soon?"

"No, not at all," Beck said. "Just seems a little strange to do it on a video chat."

"It's up to you." Alice smiled as they got into the rec room where they could now walk. She pulled her sweater off of her body, feeling relaxed for the first time in a while. Everything was going smoothly so far, and despite being excited to talk to Nick again for the first time since Mark's alleged death, she felt an overwhelming sense of relaxation. Beck lingered near the doorway for a minute, his strong arms crossed over his broad chest. He was still wearing his sweater, and Alice realized just how similar they must all look. NASA aimed for comfort, that was for sure. "Might be easier to do it now than when we get back."

"Great, is he the over-protective dad type?" Beck asked with a chuckle.

"A little bit." She grinned. "But you're a flight surgeon on a space craft that has gone to Mars; I think you're quite fitting for his little sister."

Beck overplayed the flatter by smiling and wiggling his shoulders a little bit. "I agree on that point."

Alice flopped down on the chair, turning on the main computer and then patting the seat next to her. "So what's your decision?"

"Ah, why the hell not." He sat down beside her and leaned in, kissing her on the cheek. Alice hadn't expected it, and found it one of the sweetest gestures that she'd ever encountered. There was a sense of nervousness in that quick peck on the cheek, and Alice grinned.

"You're nervous."

"I am not," he denied, but there was a smile on his lips that gave it away as Alice turned on the video chat.