Her luck had been terrible all day. It had started when she awoke to find out that she had eaten all of her emergency rations. All that was left was a small box of baking soda and a can of sardines. If that wasn't bad enough, she soon learned that baking soda didn't sit as well as she had thought it would. After her breakfast dilemma she returned to the bridge of the small Ctarl Ctarl Cruiser, where she learned that the engines were no longer functioning. Soon after, she also learned that no amount of fist pounding on either the consoles OR the engines, would fix them. She had no choice; she would have to find a local repair shop. And so, Aisha Clan Clan of the Ctarl Ctarl made her way outside onto the all too familiar terrain of Sentinel III.
After walking for several miles Aisha remembered a certain pair of outlaws that were quite handy with repairing things. Aisha hadn't been in contact with them for almost 10 years though, and wondered if they even still resided on the dull planet. Before she could even finish her thought, a large, block lettered business sign came into view: 'Starwind and Hawking'. But this Starwind and Hawking building was nothing like the rundown, dilapidated one of her memory; it was enormous! The building was nearly a block wide and stretched upward as far as the eye could see. Aisha almost lost her balance trying to trace the building to its top. Could this be owned by the same Starwind and Hawking that she knew? There was no way!
Aisha entered the building and was immediately greeted by an automated receptionist. "Welcome to Starwind and Hawking, Sentinel III location. How may I be of service?"
Aisha stood baffled, with her hand on her hip. "Is Gene or Jim here?"
The automaton answered casually. "Are you referring to Mr. Hawking? He is in a meeting at the moment, but he should be done shortly. Is he expecting you?"
Aisha's jaw slacked, she couldn't believe it. That little runt had grown up to become a successful businessman? And what about Gene, where had he run off to? "Tell him Aisha Clan Clan of the Ctarl Ctarl is here!" Her stature straightened with pride.
After being instructed to take a seat, Aisha began inspecting the premises. The walls were white and were covered with many colorful paintings. Decorative furniture and lace curtains gave the lobby an almost snobbish feeling. This surely could not be the working quarters of the men she once knew. Something seemed fishy. Before she could turn back to question the receptionist, the elevator opened with a ping and out if it stepped the most gorgeous being that she had ever laid eyes on. Not even the most flawless of Ctarl Ctarl men in their masculine prime could hold a candle to this man. He stood there, hands in his pockets, exuding an aura of confidence and utter power. His long, flowing blond hair was slicked back in a suave and almost painstakingly perfect manner. It gently caressed the shoulders of his thousand dollar suit and seemed to further convey the debonair aura about him.
"Aisha? Is that really you?" The figure approached the awe-stricken Ctarl Ctarl.
Aisha blinked a few times before regaining her composure. "Ji-Jim? No way!"
Jim smiled widely and nodded. "Yeah. I've cleaned up a bit since we last met… Not to mention made some changes to the shop."
Aisha's excitement began to get the best of her. "So this is all yours! Where's Gene? So are you guys rich now! My ship broke down and I'm all out of food and I'm starving! Meow."
Jim let out a laugh and placed his arm around Aisha, guiding her to a room in the back. "How about we talk all about it over dinner? I know a nice place with great service."
Aisha was not about to object free food, she trotted along next to Jim happily and still couldn't figure out how he could have changed so much. They soon arrived in a parking garage, where a large limo waited for them. After traveling for several minutes they arrived at the restaurant, its spotlights aimed at the sky, and its red carpet rolled out.
"Wow! Look at this place! They must be expecting someone special tonight!" Aisha stared out the window of the limousine with wide, star-struck eyes.
"They are." Jim gently ran his smooth fingers through Aisha's platinum hair. "You."
Aisha purred slightly. The driver came to the side of the limo and opened the door, motioning with his hand for them to make their way up the red carpet. They headed towards the restaurant, all the while Aisha was gripping Jim's arm tightly and basking in the attention.
"Your usual table Mr. Hawking?" A well dressed waiter greeted them at the door.
"Yes, please." Jim suavely placed a roll of bills into the waiter's palm.
They were casually brought to a candle lit table in the back of the establishment; soft piano music could be heard in the background.
"Wow Jim! This place is great!" Aisha bounced around in her seat like a child while surveying her surroundings.
"Yeah. I come here on special occasions." Jim laid out his napkin on the table and motioned to the waiter to bring them some wine. "So, you wanted to know what I've been up to? Well… Where to start? Several years ago Gene took the Outlaw Star and up and left."
"Meow? Where'd he go?" Aisha cocked her head to the side and inquisitively stared at Jim.
"That's just the thing. He didn't tell me, he just left. Although I'm sure he's ok as I do hear the occasional rumor about him harassing bar maids or wrecking landing stations. But I've moved on since then. Since he left I was able to turn Starwind and Hawking around. I invested in a few choice stocks that a friend of mine suggested and ended up hitting it big. I used the money I made to reinvest in Starwind and Hawking. I was then able to expand and take over much of the industry on Sentinel III. I soon realized that the only way to truly make it big would be to expand my horizons. My friend and I decided that it would be mutually beneficial to vertically merge. In doing so we've tripled our overall earnings and I've been able to open up Starwind and Hawkings all over the galaxy!"
Aisha's ear twitched. "Why'd you keep Gene's name in your business if he left you?"
Jim smiled and placed his arm on top of the round booth seat. "That was more my partner's idea. Part of his condition for merging with me was that we kept Gene's name in it and… And that he got to choose the décor."
Several waiters arrived at the table with various platters of food and bottles of wine. Aisha wasted no time and immediately began to dig in. After what one could only describe as a ridiculously lavish dinner, Jim placed his arm around Aisha and turned to her with a gleam in his eye.
"You know, Aisha, I have a hotel room not far from here. The room service is excellent and there's a great view." Jim tilted his head slightly, his perfectly manicured hair falling slightly out of place.
The now relatively tipsy Aisha turned to Jim with a similar gleam in her eye. "Hehehe… I always knew you had a thing for me Jim! I just knew it!" Aisha hic-upped rather loudly and continued to gaze into Jim's deep blue eyes.
The two sluggishly made their way back to the limousine which promptly dropped them off at a nearby five star hotel. After briefly mentioning to the clerk who he was, Jim and Aisha made their way back up to his room. It didn't take long before the two were savagely undressing one another and rolling around the floor like animals. The loud crash of desk lamps and various other furniture could be heard from the inside, as could the occasional wild, cat-like, growl.
After about an hour, the charming young businessman exited the room, fixing his tie and smoothing out as many of the wrinkles on his suit as he could. He slowly made his way down the hall, and up a flight of stairs. He was soon standing in front of a door to a large suite. He knocked three times.
"Helloooo?" A strange voice called from beyond the door.
"It's me, honey." Jim stretched his arms and worked out kink in his neck.
"James Hawking! Where have you been!" The door to the suite swung open and there stood an apron toting middle aged man. "You had me worried sick!" The man fretfully pinched his right ear.
"Yeah, sorry about that. I had a late meeting with an old friend of mine." Jim walked in and headed towards the living room.
"And why are there scratches on your back!"