Free Fly You To The Moon by Jocelyn Han

her, unattainable, and it would be her undoing.
    “So, Luna Six agreed with you after all?” Nicolas said with a playful smile after he’d released her. “The kids told me you’re aiming for a teaching career.”
    “I might apply for a job there, yes.” She looked up at him. “Since you’re not planning on giving me that gardening job.”
    Nic chuckled. “I hired a new guy to be groundskeeper. A friend of Danny’s. You might meet him tonight.”
    They walked back to the house, chatting about Ava’s adventures in Luna Six and beyond. Nicolas had gone back to keeping his distance again – he was careful not to put his hand on her shoulder or to walk too close, but it was hard to miss his eyes eagerly and repeatedly sweeping up and down her body in the beautiful dress. No matter what he might tell her later about his impromptu hug, Ava knew he hadn’t been able to help himself a few minutes ago. Seeing her after all these weeks had apparently pushed him to throw all caution to the wind. He still wanted her, and for a single, optimistic second, she’d allowed her hope to flare up again. Had he changed his mind?
    “So, I booked a flight to Old London,” Nicolas announced when they were all sitting down for tea in the kitchen, Tom and Patty still busy at the counter making dough for more scones. “We’re leaving in two days.”
    “That soon?” Ava cried out. “I thought I’d be able to squeeze in a few job interviews first.”
    Nicolas gave her a lopsided smile. “Well, you thought wrong. Uncle Gerald doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
    She glared at him. “You said he was a nice man.”
    “Nice men can’t be impatient?”
    Ava grinned. “Were you always being this clever or did I just forget about it while I was away?”
    “I have always been this clever,” he replied with a serious face.
    “Well, lucky me.”
    “ Indeed. Count your blessings, Miss Windsor,” he added even more deadpan.
    Ava giggled. Somehow, they’d gone back to the teasing exchanges so common between them before things had turned ugly. She stared at him, absorbing his green eyes and playful little smile keenly. And suddenly, she realized just how much she was in love with this guy who was supposed to be her uncle. Maybe Georgie was right – maybe she should tell him. As long as she didn’t, she’d never know if he was able to reciprocate her feelings.
    That trip to Earth couldn’t happen soon enough.

11.
     
    “This cruiser service to Novi Mir and Old London is ready to depart,” the mechanical voice announced.
    Ava sat strapped into the seat next to Nicolas, slightly nervous about the launch. On her way to Luna, she’d had to keep really still in order not to get sick. With her less-than-Elite background, the occasions for space travel had been few and far between.
    “Just close your eyes and relax,” Nic said calmingly. “The first part is the hardest, but it’s not as bad as taking off from Earth. Luna’s gravity is a lot lower.”
    “Why is this cruiser also calling at the Russian space station?” she grumbled. “I just want this to be over.”
    She bit her lip as Nicolas’s hand covered hers. “I’m here,” he reassured her. “If you feel bad, just talk to me.”
    “I don’t know what to talk about,” she squeaked.
    “Then sing me a song.”
    Ava drew a deep breath when the cruiser engines started to rumble, coming to life with a deafening roar. “Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars,” she started bravely.
    Nicolas looked sideways, a pleased glint in his eyes. “You know the lyrics now?”
    “Yep.” At some point during her stay in the Luna Six hotel, Sinatra’s song had wormed its way into her mind as being ‘their’ song, and she hadn’t been able to stop listening to it ever since. “I really liked it the first time you played it to me,” she mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut when the G-force of the launch pressed her back in her seat and made her ears pop. Of course,