The Penpal Paradox/Chapter Eight
The small device didn't weigh very much, but it lay heavily in the pocket of her cloak. She touched it often to make sure it was still there. Usually, Padme didn't carry her personal alerter with her during off-hours but these were dangerous times and she needed to be reachable no matter where she was.
Oh, who was she kidding? There was only one reason she was carrying her alerter with her around Theed, and it was to make sure she didn't miss a message from Obi-Wan. She knew it and apparently, Dorme knew it too.
While her mother stopped to talk to friends she met during their outing, her assistant apparently felt the need to share a few words of her own.
"I've been thinking," Dorme began, as they both admired a display of elaborate hair clasps. "I don't believe I've ever seen you this distracted before."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Padme replied innocently while holding up a particularly beautiful clasp to see if it matched her gown.
"Come on, when was the last time you cared about writing letters? You can't even stand composing your own work reports. You always make me do it!"
Padme ignored the implications of what she was afraid Dorme was hinting at and stepped away to observe some earrings.
"See? I know you know I'm right, because every time I am, you refuse to talk about it. Well, here's the truth: I think you're becoming infatuated with this Jedi. And the problem with that is, even if it is actually happening like you seem to think it is, you do realize he's thirteen years old! That's kinda sick, Padme. Really."
The accusation gave her pause. It wasn't something she hadn't already thought about, although she wouldn't admit it was true.
"He's fourteen now, by the way, and I'm not infatuated," she argued quietly, noticing her mother was moving closer. "I'm being a supportive friend. Maybe something you should consider!"
"Don't give me that," Dorme shot back. "That's exactly what I'm doing! I've always wished you could find someone to love and who would love you back. Nobody deserves it more, but this…this is not normal!"
Padme had to agree. She too had wished she could find someone to be with, but her career usually got in the way.
Honestly, she told herself, her so-called infatuation, wasn't that at all. It was more like a fascination. All she wanted to be was Obi-Wan's friend; someone he could confide in and talk to about his problems. That was the whole point of the GYCI program, wasn't it?
"You and I both know, if that alerter you're carrying with you right now went off, you would come up with some lame excuse to run back to your parent's house to read his next letter. Tell me that's not an infatuation."
"Aren't these scarves lovely?" Padme chose to ignore Dorme's accusations. This wasn't the time or the place for it. And besides, for once, her friend's observations were way off.
"Wow. I must've hit close to the mark. You rarely avoid a debate. One last thing, and I'll drop it for now: If you're going to date someone, I really think it would be wise if you chose somebody closer to your own age."
"What's that? Padme? Are you actually dating someone? Is it anyone I know?"
Just her luck! Her mother chose the perfect time to step up behind them and obviously heard the end of the conversation.
Padme tried to play it off, but could feel a nervous flush creep up her neck. She cast Dorme a sideways glare and pretended to be interested in a rather outlandish bracelet.
"No mom," she reassured the older woman. "We're just friends."
"Who constantly exchange letters," Dorme added, which wasn't going to help her case at all.
"You write letters? How very sweet and old-fashioned. Your father and I exchanged letters when he was in the military and look where that led. Where did the two of you meet?"
"On the Holonet."
Padme couldn't believe her best friend had just thrown her under the transport like that! She could foresee no positive outcome to this conversation and figured the best way out of it was to humor her mother.
"The Holonet! Oh, Padme! "
Here it came….
"Why would you do something like that? Don't you know how dangerous that is? You never know who you're talking to! Why, you could be giving personal information to a psychopath or a serial killer!"
"My point, exactly," Dorme whispered in her ear.
"It's not like that mom!" she tried to explain. "It's a penpal program. He's a Jedi. We're just friends."
Her explanation actually gave her mother pause. How unusual.
"Oh. Like that correspondence program you signed up for when you were younger? I remember that but I thought it was cancelled. At least that what's you told me."
"It's something like that." Padme took Dorme's arm and squeezed. Hard. As a result, the young woman grunted in pain. Good.
"Mom, we're going to go next door and look as some of the new dresses Lady Nowlynd has in stock."
"All right," her mother agreed, distracted by the collection of jewelry Padme had just been admiring. "I'll catch up with you two in a moment."
Padme escorted Dorme out of the boutique as her friend quietly complained.
"Great. I'm stuck with the pedophile."
"Hilarious," Padme led the way, dragging her friend with her. "Just so you'll know, tonight we're going to put an end to this don't-know-who-you're-talking-to business once and for all. After Obi-Wan's next letter, I'm sending it all to Master Yoda and see what he thinks."