Free No Future Christmas by Barbara Goodwin

blades.
    “I’m getting comfortable. Don’t mind me, I’m just here to
enjoy the ride.” He heard her snort and the hover scooter rose off the ground
and started forward.
    They floated down a narrow, winding road past small
outbuildings or huts. No one traveled on the road. Mike felt Shauna’s body
shift and sway as she maneuvered the hover scooter forward. He closed his eyes
and felt the warm wind as it rushed by his face and arms. I could stay like
this forever , he thought. He snuggled closer and drifted into a state of
semi-sleep secure in the knowledge that Shauna would keep them safe.
    * * * * *
    They’d been at the stunning estate of a friend of hers for
three days. Three glorious days of swimming, sunning, eating and sleeping.
    Mike felt safe, refreshed and antsy.
    A maid brought them a breakfast of mango, pineapple and
papaya layered with yogurt, granola and dried tropical fruits. Mike dug in. The
coffee was Starbucks, the only kind that could be purchased anywhere in the
world. He loved it. Today he drank an Ethiopian Sidamo, a bold coffee with a
floral aroma that had a distinctive lemon flavor as advertised by the
packaging.
    “What do you want to do today, Mike?” Shauna asked.
    “More research, I figure. We need to find out how to find
your parents.” He scraped the bottom of the clear bowl. “Breakfast was
delicious.” Mike got up and went to a sideboard that had a silver coffee
service on it. He poured a second cup and returned to the table.
    “I’ll tell Camille.” Shauna gathered the dishes and took
them to the kitchen.
    Mike heard Shauna return but didn’t take his eyes off the
virtual newspaper in front of him. He scanned it for any mention of them. “I
don’t see anything about us in the news.”
    “Doesn’t mean anything,” Shauna said. “The Global Guardians
are probably tearing the world apart looking for us.”
    “If it weren’t for this protected island and your friend,
we’d still be on the run. I like the friends you keep, Shauna. I haven’t felt
so relaxed in years.”
    “I’m glad you feel better, Mike. I do too. Although I’m sure
my boss is frantic. He knows about my parents, agrees with their views.”
    “Good. Now about today… I’ve been thinking…” Shauna laughed.
The light, happy sound wove around Mike, filling him with warmth and lightness.
He sighed. What would it take to have a woman like this beside him for life? If
only he knew. But with their time separation he figured it couldn’t happen. For
a brief moment he wondered what cruel twist of fate had him meet the woman of
his dreams at the crossroads of two centuries. Shaking his head he continued,
“I want to learn to fly a skycar.”
    Shauna’s head snapped up. “What?”
    “You heard me.”
    “I told you it takes years to learn that. And there’s no way
you can take the world test. If you have a criminal record, or are wanted by
the Global Guardians, you won’t get permission. Not that it stops the criminals
from flying.”
    “Well, there you go. Teach me to fly.”
    “No.”
    “Look, Shauna. If anything happens to you I need to know how
to control that machine. You can’t be the only one to know how to fly it. What
if we needed a quick getaway and you couldn’t fly?” Her forehead wrinkled and
two vertical lines showed just above her nose between her perfectly arched
eyebrows. Mike pulled her hand to him and stroked it. He lifted up her arm and
rose from the table. Like a man taking a woman out onto a dance floor, he
placed one hand at the small of her back and they walked to the ivory-colored
couch in the great room and sat down together.
    “You’re distracting me,” Shauna said.
    “Yes I am.” She tried to pull her hand away but Mike
tightened his grip. When she relented, he ran a finger over her knuckles and
across her palm. He saw her eyes dilate and watched in delight as her tongue
wet her lips. He stifled a groan. “I’m glad it’s that easy for you to be