After the lush tropical splendor of Pele's Orchard, Endurance was even more bleak than it might have appeared. The harsh sun bit at your eyes, making it hard to concentrate, even in the shade.
Endurance was the sort of rock people didn't come back to once they left. The surface was very dry, few things were able to grow. If it wasn't that terraforming was cheaper than domes or EVA mining, this rock never would have supported human life.
However, it did boast rich mines of copper, iron and gold, so it wasn't as poor as it could have been, at least, the upper class wasn't.
River dressed in silk robes and delicate silver sandals, all borrowed from Inara. She looked classy enough to give Jayne ideas about mussing her up again. Jayne couldn't figure out how River looked so cool.
Mal had the doors to the ship shut up tight to keep the heat out, He'd also grumbled a little about the buyers coming right up to the ship.
River had given him a Look and said her business was legitimate and law abiding. That had made Mal wander off grumbling.
River had helped him set up a ground cloth, a little table and two chairs. The goods were in a climate controlled crate behind them in the airlock. The snack tray he was supposed to serve was just inside to keep it cool. Everything was ready, they were just waiting for the client to show up.
At this time of day, Serenity even gave them almost ten feet of shaded space outside. Nice of the old girl.
"Ain't much here." Jayne observed as they stood just inside the open cargo ramp.
A hot, dry breeze blew thru the docks, luckily not much dust today. Endurance's weather was almost entirely varying dust levels.
"No." River agreed. "As soon as all business is transacted, we will leave."
"How much business?" He asked, she hadn't said much outside of how to deal with the first buyer, that had been strangely specific. The hardest part was going to be keeping his mouth shut.
"Three separate buyers and a few deliveries. I auctioned off my top cargo right before we landed. There are two buyers for two similar lots, and all the bananas are for the third buyer."
A fancy hover car swooped up, stirring dust.
"That should be Lady Karin." She didn't look at him, her eyes were firmly on the hover car. "You remember everything I told you?"
"Yep." He picked up the crate and stood two paces behind her. "Don't frown, but look intimidating, keep my mouth shut."
She smiled, darting her eyes to his face. "Close enough." Her eyes held sensual promise for a good performance.
River stepped another pace forward. The slinky silk called his attention to the gentle curves of her body and reminded him of their first night together. River glanced at him again, smiling like she knew where his mind was, which she probably did.
He hoped this went quick-like. The box was getting heavy.
"All right, here we go." River lifted the silk scarf she had laid around her neck so that it covered the top of her head and then hung down to her knees. Or it would have without the breeze.
They walked down the ramp onto the ground cover. River stopped in the center of the shade.
Jayne came down behind her and set the crate down. He crossed his arms menacingly. Damn it was hot. He could feel the sweat running in lines down his nearly bare torso. The leather of his weapon belts chafed a little. He was used to wearing a t-shirt under them.
River had been specific in exactly how he was supposed to dress, or rather undress. At least she'd had him weapon up properly. He touched Vera's stock comfortingly.
They waited silently as two men in purple clothes jumped out of the driver's box. They unrolled a carpet along the ground, overlapping River's ground cloth. The two men scurried back to the hover car and opened a canopy. They held it over the side of the car.
Only then did the passenger door open. A third man in the same purple clothes jumped out and pulled out the steps.
He reached back into the compartment and helped the passenger out.
Jayne admitted to himself that he was impressed. The woman looked as well put together as Inara always did. She was older, her hair was already turned grey. Her skin was an unlikely shade of pale, given the climate. She must hardly never get out.
She nodded to her servant, who picked up a small chest from right inside the door and then sealed the car shut.
The lady walked forward slowly, allowing the canopy to keep her in the shade. Maybe part of that pale was makeup.
River waited until the shadows of Serenity and the canopy merged before stepping forward gracefully.
"Lady Karin, good of you to come all this way yourself." She said, curtsying.
Jayne had always thought people looked silly bending to each other, but River sure looked good no matter what she did. Jayne reminded himself he was supposed to be scary looking. One of the servants flinched, under his gaze.
"My dear girl," Lady Karin said, bowing her head slightly. "I feel certain you have come farther."
The woman's voice was rather stronger than Jayne would have guessed.
"Although." She swept her eyes over Serenity. "In less style than I would prefer, myself."
Jayne wanted to protest, but River had been very specific that not one word was to pass his lips in Lady Karin's presence. He settled for working on intimidating the pansy assed purple clothed buffoons.
"The ship is my home." River said simply. She wasn't even defensive.
"Of course, my dear." The lady's gaze softened. "Affection cures many ills. I came myself to see the cargo."
"I pray it meets your approval." River knelt gracefully by the box and opened the latches. She lifted the lid slowly.
She was moving as graceful as Inara always did, all feminine-like. Maybe they could do some play acting when they got back out in the Black. The Companion and the illicit lover…
River lifted a piece of fruit out of the box and handed it to the grand lady. Lady Karin took it gently and raised it to her face, breathing in the smell of it.
"A miracle in the desert, daughter." She handed the fruit back to River. "Sedgwick."
The third servant brought the box he was holding forward and held it open where his mistress could reach it.
Lady Karin reached in deeply and lifted out a handful of coins. She let the shiny slip through her fingers back into the little chest. Beauty. His nostrils flared.
"As agreed." Lady Karin said.
His girl didn't so much as blink. She'd warned him not to make any fuss over the pay, and she was taking her own advice.
Lady Karin smiled, closing the box and watching only River. She motioned her servant forward, and the man held the pay out to Jayne. He took it, trying not to clench his jaw noticeably.
Jayne didn't think he'd ever seen so much real cashy money handed over so quick-like before, at least outside of a bank heist.
River replaced the fruit in the crate and latched it shut.
"Would you care for some refreshment, Lady Karin?" River asked.
"Thank you, my dear." The lady replied, finally stepping under Serenity's awning. Her servants lowered her canopy, placing its supports on the ground.
River indicated the little table and let Lady Karin sit first. She shot a significant glance at him.
Oh, yeah, his cue. Jayne tromped onto the ship. He stowed the little box with the big payday into a sealable compartment and locked it in. Then he picked up the tray of goodies River had prepared earlier. He hoped he didn't look too clumsy or break nuthin.
He felt Lady Karin's eyes on him as he brought the tray to the table. Kinda a lecherous look for so old and respectable a woman. Jayne got the tray to the table without incident. He stood back, crossing his arms again.
River took over. She lifted the silk kerchief off the tray. She let it fall to the ground as if it were worthless. Then she poured fresh iced pineapple juice into the two glasses. She handed one to her guest.
"I must say, my dear." Lady Karin sipped at her juice. "You have done your research well."
"Thank you, milady." River offered the plate of delicate little pastries she'd made special that morning.
"It is refreshing to see an off world young person willing to humor the customs of a place she's never been."
"You are too kind." River said, eyes downturned.
Jayne split his attention between the ladies, the street in general and the three servants who now had the cargo stowed away.
"I'm curious." Lady Karin was saying. "That wasn't the only fruit you picked up on Pele's Orchard, now was it?"
River bit her lip and shook her head. "No, milady."
"Who is your other buyer? Perhaps I can better the price." Lady Karin offered.
River smiled gently. "You weren't the high bidder, milady, not even by half. Plus, I have taken my main contract from the Endurance Municipal School System. They are receiving a considerable discount as long as the schoolchildren eat the fruit."
"The bananas?" Lady Karin's lips twitched.
River nodded and sipped from her glass. "I doubt there is much that could change my mind."
"Good for you." Lady Karin sat back in her chair, new respect in her eyes. "I will speak with the Superintendent of Schools. I will let him know I will be watching to see the terms of the contract are properly fulfilled."
River smiled. "Thank you, Lady Karin."
"I'll leave you." The lady said, her mouth twitching again. "I don't think your man will hold out much longer, and he has done so well up to now."
River glanced up at Jayne, who was admittedly fidgeting. He lifted one shoulder in silent apology.
"I get the impression he is unused to his role." Lady Karin stood.
River shook her head slightly and stood as well. "It is not what I usually ask of him at all." She placed a cool hand on Jayne's arm and he relaxed slightly. "But he is my treasure."
River looked up at him with admiration and a bit of lust. Jayne smiled slightly down at her.
Lady Karin actually smiled at that. "You are delightful, daughter. Let me know if you return to our world. Perhaps we can do business again."
The two women exchanged airy kisses and Lady Karin retreated with the help of her canopy bearing servants. They stowed the canopy and folded the carpet accordion style to keep the top surface clean.
When the hover car lifted away, River spoke. "Thank you. You did really well. Please bring the table and chairs back inside."
She disappeared into the cargo bay, carrying the refreshment tray. Before he'd even gotten the table lifted aboard she appeared again, dressed in a long tan cotton dress with an equally long straight vest over it. He wondered how she got her dancer shoes back on so quickly too.
As she moved he caught a tiny glimpse of her pistol holstered in a shoulder harness under the vest. He also got a provocative glimpse of her calf just once when the vest fell back and the slit in her skirt opened.
She rolled up the ground cover.
"Hopefully the other trades will go as well." River smiled up at him. "You may put your shirt back on if you prefer. Although I am enjoying the sight." She touched his bare chest.
Jayne chuckled softly.