Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nixie followed her nose to the farmers market. It was full of fresh local produce. She relished picking out the individual ingredients for breakfast. Soon she had several canvas totes full of potatoes, onions, peppers, and eggs. She even found an old fashioned cheese stall with fragrant wares and a bakery selling streaming fresh bread. She had Kaori pick up a bottle of real cream for their coffee. They got more food than they needed for one breakfast but it was such an enjoyable experience that it didn't matter.

Back at the hotel, they managed to find a frying pan and a baking dish in the kitchenette. Nixie took the lead with preparing breakfast, scrambling the eggs diving the veggies and seasoning the potatoes. She loved making food like this, with loved and wholesome ingredients. Just as she slid the huge omelet onto a player, Austin walked into the kitchen.

"What's this?" he said, his voice gravely from sleep. "Two little women working in my kitchen?"

Nixie leveled her spatula at him. "This is my kitchen, cowboy. Just because I'm making you some grub doesn't give you any special privilages." She shoveled some country potatoes onto the side of his plate and set it on the table. "Now sit down and eat up."

"Yes ma'am," he replied and obediently sat. He held out an empty coffee cup to Katriel and gave her his best lonely puppy-dog look. "Could you pour a weary soul a cuppa joe?"

"Mmm, I like my coffee like I like my women; strong and perky," he teased back, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Nixie slid two smaller omelets onto two more plates, added potatoes, and set them on either side of Austin. He was the center of their little universe, the super massive black hole that brought them together. She brought over the carafe of freshly brewed coffee and a pitcher of cream.

"Now that we're all together, we can plan the day," she said as she sat down.

"Don't you think we should say grace first?" Austin interjected.

Nixie gave him a quizzical look. "After a threesome out of wedlock with your boss and a fox, masquerading in a BDSM underground club and doing violence to the employees there, not to mention your sordid past that gave you your many skills...do you really think this is the time or place to come before an all-powerful god in prayer over food?"

"We're together, we're alive, we're well fed and it's a beautiful day today," Austin replied. He took Nixie's hand and Kaori's forepaw. "I think that is more than enough reason to be thankful."

He bowed his head, said a few heartfelt words, and ended it with the classic "amen." Nixie murmured her amen as well. She had never pegged Austin for particularly religious, but maybe incredible, mind-blowing sex with two hot women made a hard and carnal man think about the source of his blessings.

After breakfast, Nixie picked up her phone and checked her messages. Considering that it was late in the morning, she had shown remarkable restraint. Or maybe she was just well distracted.

"Austin, I have a list of tools I want t you to pick up for Kaori after you drop us off at the chalet," she said, easily sliding into her all-business persona. "We'll be working on a few things today, and I have to make a conference call with Denmark this afternoon."

After breakfast, Austin just threw on some jeans over his boxers and donned a fresh t-shirt. He grabbed the list that Nixie had wrote up for him. Nixie stayed in her workout clothes but packed up a small portfolio of work for the chalet.

Austin drove them to the chalet without much conversation and then departed on his crazy scavenger hunt. Nixie set up a mobile office on the dining room table.

"Do what you can," she said to Kaori. "Mark suspicious spots in the walls, pry at floor boards, whatever. Austin should be back in a few hours."

Nixie nodded. "Enjoy yourself. Don't maul any locals."

Then Nixie dove into her work. It had been her only solace during her marriage--a way to be in tune with ocean even if she couldn't be IN the ocean. When Sovenn had seen how efficient and dedicated she was, he'd gladly passed off all his work as president of the company to her so that he could spend his time in more pleasurable endeavors.

Several hours passed as she wrote emails and proposals, considered grant requests, and reviewed stock reports.