Nothing Is Eternal (Book One)

VII

"I don't want to go see that crazy son of a bitch."

Shin Watanabe rolled his eyes as Kate looked away while he put on his pants. He didn't understand her shyness, considering in their youth, they had been skinny dipping at Bell Park. For some reason, the Eternal Light's culture of shame seemed to permeate everyone, even unbelievers.

But not Shin. He had no shame.

Kate shielded her face. "Mr. Knight thinks it might be dangerous if I went on my own."

"Because the crazy son of a bitch knocked you on your ass the last time?" Shin asked. "Oh, come on... I'm decent now!"

She turned around. "Mr. O'Neil did not knock me on my ass the last time. He only startled me a little."

"Katie, you had a big bump on your head," Shin said. "You said no one could pay you to be alone with him again."

"I was exaggerating." She waved her hand in a dismissing motion. "And Mr. Knight wouldn't know what I said. You were the only one I told, and you promised to keep your mouth shut."

"I don't squeal... now where'd I put my shirt?" Shin scratched his head.

"Right here!"

Shin's lady of the moment dashed out of the other room, carrying Shin's wrinkled shirt. She handed it to him and he kissed her.

Kate cleared her throat. "How are you, Mrs. Stone?" she asked politely. "It's been a while... since I've... um... seen you."

Ida Stone pivoted and beamed. "Mrs. Morris! I didn't know you were here. It's lovely to see you again."

"Likewise," Kate said, her face twitching as she seemingly struggled not to laugh.

Kate's amusement was likely because Ida wore nothing at all and acted as though it was an ordinary social gathering. But that attitude sent jolts of desire through Shin. Well into her late twenties, she had a few years on him. She wasn't overly beautiful or overly unattractive. Far shorter than most. The petite Kate looked statuesque beside Ida. A rumbled chestnut bob framed Ida's heart-shaped freckled face. She was remarkably ordinary except for her indifference to the decrees of the Eternal.

That made her irresistible.

"How have you been?" Ida asked Kate.

"Well," Kate said, gamely going along with Ida's artlessness. "I just wrote an article that caused quite the commotion."

"The one about Mr. O'Neil?" Ida smiled. "Shin showed me. Quite a character, ain't he?"

"Indeed he..."

"Oh! Is that fresh coffee?" Ida asked eagerly. "May I?"

Kate smiled and offered Ida a cup. Ida accepted it and began chatting about everything under the sun.

"Ida?" Shin held up his pocket watch. "You have to get to work in the next twelve minutes."

"Oh my! Excuse me and thank you for the coffee, Mrs. Morris," Ida said, darting back to Shin's room.

Kate raised an eyebrow but refrained from commenting on Ida's free spirit. But she did have another complaint. "Morris? Is Sullivan-Morris so hard to remember?"

Shin shrugged, picking up his waistcoat, which had been left dangling on a chair. "It's your fault, you know. I told you getting married was a bad idea..."

Kate snorted. "If I recall correctly, you were the most enthusiastic supporter of Will and I getting together."

"There was a reason! If I had to go through another year of you and Will sulking over each other, I'd have killed myself," Shin said bluntly. "I never said anything about getting married! Marriage is just another form of imprisonment by the Sacred State."