Earth Pass

Official statement concerning the accident was made public on the fourth day from its occurrence. John's team was not found guilty of disregarding any of the the policies, and their work approach was considered proper and in line with procedures.

On the other hand, Eric and his team were put on trial. They were immediately removed from the project and sent back to Earth for the World Court to handle the rest. There was no specific reason provided though, but the statement included a following sentence: "Examined parts of the nozzle's coating had signs of intentional material damage."

For Marlow, this single sentence was still enough - the scenario concerning explosives planted inside the coating was confirmed. Mathias and people closest to him knew that very well, same as John and mechanics he talked with, but the information could not be disclosed to anyone outside these groups. Kaller made sure they will not break their word.

Mechanics, though reluctantly, non-disclosure agreements prepared under the name of World Council. Fully confidential, these included a number of consequences should agreement be broken.

Just after signing up the agreements, Martin and others took John with them to one of their rooms in order to talk in private. The guys were not happy with how the situation was resolved, and despite leaving their signatures on documents, they still claimed people deserved the truth, and that everything should be disclosed. Sure, honesty was something important in many cases, but Marlow was far from agreeing here. Of course, such approach was not ideal, but publicly speaking about sabotage and possibility of other such acts could only result in more specialists wanting to leave, destabilizing the project, and even cause an interational conflict, which would be equal to putting the whole undertaking on hold. Even if these would not happen, there was still a risk of panic, having a huge impact on the project.

Fortunately, he did not have to spend a lot of time on explanations as to why this decision was the best one possible at this point. While mechanics wanted the truth to be made public, they could not deny that disclosing the findings as they were now could end up with unwanted consequences. This was a common approach in many situations - white lie, kind lie, yasashii uso as Japanese would say. Mechanics understood that, and even if they wanted to break the agreement, they had too much to lose. Besides, they were compensated with money for their signatures so going against it would mean being a hypocrite.

Ultimately, their discussion turned toward different topics. First of all, they had to prepare for leaving the Orbital Ring within the next two days in order to be able to spend another two days on the surface, attending the funerals. Since investigation was concluded, no additional examination had to be done on the bodies of two dead mechanics, allowing their families to proceed with formalities. Given the circumstances, it was a given that the families wanted to get this done as soon as possible, because of all the commotion media made around this incident despite the Earth Council intervening. However, those who wanted to go to the surface for the funerals had other things to get over with - after all, in order to be allowed to leave the Orbital Ring, they had to go through the serious medical check-ups.

Marlow had many concerns in relation to leaving the Orbital Ring. Being a part of the crew, living for a prolonged time far away from the surface, they had amassed a vast knowledge about the project, and were a great target for journalists, who were likely to follow them whenever possible. Obviously, anyone who saw the accident would not like to talk about it, especially if they were among those who learned more than was made public. Unfortunately, there was no such thing as taboo for reporters nowadays - interesting news meant high read count, and nothing was able to pull the people in as controversial topic. Without a doubt, journalist will be kept away from the funerals as much as possible, but even with a tight security this type of people was known for finding a way.

Still, journalists were only a part of the concerns. These medical check-ups were also something else. It was not a standard examination, but series of checks ending with climatic chamber. People living on the Ring, but working on the surface had their bodies adjusted to differences between the two environments, and were able to handle frequent travels here and forth. However, the situation was completely different for those who had to stay on the Ring for longer periods - organism used to functioning away from the surface could be prone to shock on returning should they not be prepared beforehand.

On Earth, there is a difference in strength of gravity, even though slight, the air is not filtered, and, above all, there is a day and night - there were records of people who spent a longer period of time in space mainly with artificial light contracting a serious photophobia. Previously mentioned chamber was supposed to examine whether the person's organism will be able to handle going back to the surface without damaging their health. John was aware this is a crucial procedure, but he had a chance to hear several times how unpleasant this process is. Fortunately, no one died inside the chamber since the Ring's creation. "I hope I won't be the first case" - he thought to himself.

First, he had to undress and put on a special "underwear", a type of shorts with numerous sensors. Aside from this, several sensors were attached to other parts of his body, including two around the temples, connecting indirectly to PEC. After all necessary equipment was ready, he had to walk into the chamber. It had cylindrical shape and diameter of eight meters. At first, the feel of gravity did not differ from what he felt on the Ring for the last year. He felt light and free. He heard instructions from the doctor, who first told him to walk, then run, and walk again.

With short intervals, he had to repeat these actions, while moving in circles. Every couple of minutes, physical effort was becoming harder. It was due to continuous excercise for sure, but major could tell that the gravity and oxygen levels were being adjusted at the same time. After about one and half an hour, doctor told him to sit down. To make it easier for him, a chair emerged from within a wall - it was nice to have a seat, but the shape forced him into hunched over position. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, and so on. He could feel the sweat flowing down his skin, but his breathing became stable in no time. The room became much colder in a matter of seconds. The lower temperature made him relaxed for some reason.

A container with some fluid emerged from the wall - as it turned out, it was a mineral shake with fruits, really refreshing. The sweat managed to nearly completely disappear.

- That would be all - he heard the doctor's voice - I can see that military staff is in good shape as usual, and changes in both gravity, and oxygen levels don't affect you much. Your condition is good enough for descending to surface.

Marlow breathed a sigh of relief. He did not like to strain his body. While being obliged to participate in military excercises, John never liked them, but in situations like this one he was really grateful. If it was not for the trainings making him keep up the shape, he felt such check-up would not go that smoothly. Now that he left the chamber, he started wondering how do the people who focus mainly on brainy work usually fare in such tests. Well, it was not like he was allowed to stay and watch on others.

All in all, he finally got past it and could calmly wait for the descent, planned for tomorrow.

All mechanics and engineers from the John's crew were granted a leave to the surface, although some who were wounded in the incident had to be injected with medicine in order for their organisms to handle the environment change.

Everyone met as a group following the procedures. The pillar they were to use for descent was located in the central USA, and their first descination was Los Angeles, the city's outskirts to be more precise. Therefore, aside from kilometers to descent, they had to travel several hundred kilometers in addition, through the continent.

Check-in for the elevator was really similar to how it worked on maglev and airplane terminals, but much smoother. Once passengers went through all gates and control points, the time between descent and ascent was approximately fifteen minutes, while the platform made it possible to transport two hundred people, including the operator, who was there to oversee the process and react should any issue occur rather than control the platform.

Everyone in Marlow's group remembered their very first ascent to the Ring, mainly because of the elevator's speed. This kind of ride was not something to recommend for people with heart problems or those not good with multiplied g-force, although the evelator obviously had safeties.

- I didn't think there will be so many people at this hour - mentioned Thorsten, when they finally boarded the platform - It took us longer than expected.

- Well, still better than what happened to me during ascent - said Liu with noticeable allusion in his voice - But it would be bad to be late to a funeral.

- We have enough spare time, so we could visit one more - pointed out Julian - I mean, the schedule is not that tight, is it?

People sure were all tensed up. Recently, it was really hard to see a smile among the people in this group, even though they were making attempts to cheer up. It was hard to tell what everyone thinks, but John expected there was more to the general atmosphere than the funerals. He could think about several different reason, but he was sure many were still concerned whether it was a good decision to stay - after all, there was no guarantee they will return from this space travel safe and sound.

To be honest, Marlow was surprised when Martin and others suddenly informed him that they are not leaving the project after all. Somehow, John knew Mathias was the culprit - though, given the compensation they received, he was sure it would be much harder for them to break the contract.

The sat down on chairs designed to absorb surplus force, each equipped with special harness holding the passenger in the proper position, limiting chances of falling off and getting hurt - one could easily compare them to safeties in rollercoasters, though these ones were much more advanced. Additionally, everyone had to put on a mask and a helmet - the first one in case of possible air loss and risk of fainting, and the second one due to risk of falling elements should there be any failure.

Many permanent clients, mainly people living in apartments on the Ring, treated all this safety measures unnecessary - after all, since the Ring became operational, there were only three malfunctions related to elevators, and there were no casualties in each case - everything owing to a so-called cushion at the elevator's base, which in fact was just an advanced pneumatic system for absorving the force of the descending platform.

Once everyone got seated, and the staff made sure all safeties are on, the countdown was started. From ten to one. The very moment word "one" echoed, everyone felt platform shaking for a moment before starting to fall on a high speed.

When ascending, the feeling everyone had in their bodies was completely different, probable because of going against the force of gravity. However, during descent, gravity was adding to the platform's momentum, therefore the strain put on passengers in such case was bigger. Somewhere far behind Marlow's back, a really specific sound could be heard - John was relieved he skipped the breakfast, because he could have reacted the same otherwise.

The only person who was not seated during the descent was the person from the staff, walking around in a special suit and magnetic shoes, monitoring the situation. Whenever there was someone vomitting, or having other health problem, this person was there to help. Due to the accident just now, that man just turned on cleaning filters within the shaft and on the platform, to remove the vomit. He also used the terminal to temporarily slow down the descent speed.

Fortunately, aside from this one unpleasant incident, the descent went with no bigger issues and, several minutes later, the platform touched the ground, and the personnel started unlocking the chairs' safeties and helping the passengers take off the masks and helmets. A number of people, including Martin, had pale faces.

Getting off the platform and going through another medical check-up was taking longer than the whole travel, but was still faster than check-in on the Ring. After about fifteen minutes since arriving at the surface, everyone from John's group gathered by the pillar's main gate.

This structure was about three times thicker at its base in comparison to its counterparts in other parts of the world. Such decision was directly realted to the Americans requiring higher capacity for passengers and additional functions of the pillar, for example fitting in a shopping centre.

The main gate led into a wide zone separated by a number of trees and the fence from the baggage terminal, parking lot and the train station. Baggage terminal being located outside of the pillar was a standard solution for each support of the Ring adjusted for transportation - done to ensure the safety of both passengers and the construction.

All belongings not fitting in the hand luggage were to be left outside the building from where the personnel takes it either to the train or into the luggage hatch of the elevator - after a thorough safety check with the use of specialized devices of cours. After all, a pillar supporting the Orbital Ring was too important to risk any kind of damage to it, especially in a terrorist attack. Consequences of small ruptures in the structure would be problematic, but destruction of the pillar, it falling apart would have horrible effect for wide zones of the planet - pieces of steel, concrete and other materials, often weighing dozens of tonnes would cause heavy losses.

John's group obviously went first to pick up their luggage. While they had mainly compact bags and cases, none of them was able to keep everything within a hand baggage, largely due to taking additional things for visiting their families. It was nothing unusual, even in circumstances which made them live the Orbital Ring - most of the people in the group did not see their close ones personally for over one year, and video-chats could not replace face-to-face meeting, so using any moment for that was a standard approach.

Marlow did not leave any family or closed ones back on Earth. Unless he was to count women he used to have relationships with, but still - none of these could be called steady, and were definitely far from calling them family.

The only family he knew and remembered were his parents, whom he was still missing even now. And though it was the case, John felt kind of relieved knowing there is no one he leaves behind to worry about him. Nevertheless, despite all these thoughts he had, hearing others talking about their closed ones made him feel jealous. Eventually, he decided not to listen to such discussions, and in the event of the conversation straying too much into such direction, he tried to change the topic.

Once luggage was picked up, they could proceed further with their travel. Originally, the plan was to depart from the Orbital Ring on the same day of the first funeral, but last moment changes made them arrive one day earlier. This meant they had over a dozen of free hours, a time window they could use, hence the plan to visit their families. However, there was one problem - Kaller gave them permission to go to Earth, but on the condition of having military guards accompany them as overseers in order to make sure no one is meeting with people, who are not authorized to learn about the project, especially those who had connections to governments, corporations or media. Unfortunately, soldiers were less numerous in the crew than mechanics or engineers, therefore they had to be divided into groups, based on the areas where they were to meet their respective families.

Those, who had their families on continents other than Americas, were in worse situation as they had more distance to travel, and less time to spend with their close ones. Still, this had no effect on people who had no one to visit. In the end, groups involved those going to Americas, Europe and Asia, where people from Australia were to meet up in Asia, and a separate group for those who had no families to visit who were to go directly to the city where the first funeral was to be held.

Initially, Marlow was assigned to that last group, but the situation got complicated, and none other than Johnson was the reason there. Martin, hearing about John not having plans, basically forced him to come to his hometown. Major was not really into that idea, but apparently professor Kaller gave a green light for making adjustments to the group. Ultimately, he ended up in American group.

After making a rollcall, everyone went their respective ways. The group John was assigned to, had to pass through the parking lot in order to get to their station.

The parking lot was not that big in current standards, but it still had a lot of free spots. Nowadays, such places were often considered relicts of the past though, and that was because of the fact many people preferred maglevs or flying vehicles over oldstyle cars and motorcycles. The main reason was that exploitation of cars and motorcycles was not cost efficient and only passionates, or those who could afford owing such a vehicle were keeping such vehicles. Well, there were also those leaving in remote locations where access to maglevs and flying vehicles was limited.

Nevertheless, a sight of various vehicles from different eras, powered with all known energy sources, was always an interesting experience for Marlow, but his mechanic friends were openly showing a pure joy of spotting beautiful car models and boasting about their knowledge on the topic.

- Hey, it's a Mustang! This car's over three hundred years old and still runs? I wonder where does the owner get the gasoline from.

Commercial gasoline and diesel fuel production was put on hold by the second half of the twenty first century, and since then cars with classic combustion engines were no longer made.

- It may have a completely different engine now. You don't know what's under the hood. Though someone keeps the exhaust, which is indeed interesting.

Even now, design of the old cars was still the thing. Despite the years passing by, many car manufacturers kept returning to the roots, looking for inspiration. No wonder many were seeking the classics, but often decided to make modifications and replace the original engines, mainly with compressed air and electric hybrid engines, which were considered the most economical.

- Look at that, it's Genesis. That's one hell of a ride. How much is it worth?

- I'm more interested in the engine. I doubt they were able to dismantle the reactor without getting irradiated.

Genesis was a return to a twentieth century idea for using nuclear reactors in cars. The car was introduced in the last decade of twenty first century, powered by mini-reactor running on uranium. In its times, Genesis became an iconic car, though the beginnings were harsh and controversial, mainly due to a few cases of protective coating breaking. It's hard to tell how much this incidents affected the global radiation levels, but after subsequent years of failure-free operationing of numerous such cars, the criticism died off. Moreover, many kept these cars for years as the energy was able to last for decades.

- Oh, and that's Chimera. Man, this is a cosmic stuff.

- And groundbreaking. It may be only seventy-something years old, and much younger in comparison to others, but still a classic to which we owe many solutions nowadays.

Chimera was a hybrid car. First models were powered by oxygen-hydrogen engine, supported by a small electric unit. Over years, the project was modified to finally incorporate compressed air intake. With that addition, electric unit was powering up intake pump, pressurising the air and injecting it directly into the system, refilling the tanks. That way, the system became nearly self-sufficient - a separator converting "raw" air into specific substances, and causing a combustion in a closed cycle, producing steam as a side effect, and powering up the electric unit. However, it was not ideal as effectiveness of the car highly depended on the speed it ran at - the higher the speed, the bigger effectiveness. In the end, everything came down to the electric units.

- It's good to know there are people taking care of such treasures - said Martin as they were leaving the parking lot.

Station where they were going was about two hundred meters away in a straight line, but in ordser to get there they had do go through an underground passage, splitting into two smaller corridors. The group turned right and climbed into a wide platform under a curved roof.

Wide benches with tables were placed every several meters, equipped with power outlets for charging electrical devices, and network sockets allowing to connect to the internet without using PEC. It was true that implants were the most common communication devices around the world nowadays and, owing to their small size, were obviously more handy than laptops for example, but recently many people returned to the use of classic solutions, mainly due to hacking incidents. Having someone break into the device with a limited amount of stored data was much less serious than PEC connected directly to the brain being overtaken - there were even cases of hackers being able to affect people's behavior that way.

Seeing how many people at the station were making use of laptops and mobile devices, or terminals, instead of implants, made John think how much sense introducing all these new technologies make. He agreed that having many functions within a single device was useful, but one fact could not be changed, not at this point at least - humans should not be addicted to technology, or become a part of it. Still, implants were capable of breaking that rule. And that was why Marlow was cautious whenever it came down to secure use of PEC - needless to say, he was equipped with one due to current community rules. This was the way of the world, and one had to get used to it.

- John, what's with you? You keep being quiet.

Martin's voice got to him as he was lost in thought. It was usual thing for Marlow, who was always thinking about something, and analyzing everything happening around.

- Sorry, I was looking at all those people with laptops and mobiles.

- Oh, they caught your eye too? It may be a bit unusual, but apparently these became the thing recently. I'm even thinking about getting one for myself.

- Then better hurry. I doubt you can get one in space or on alien planet.

Johnson and others laughed.

- How do you know? Maybe aliens also have such stuff? Maybe even better?

Marlow shrugged.

- You never know. But these may no longer be popular by the time we get back.

Martin nodded, and give John a pat, smiling.

- It doesn't matter, I can be trendy guy through the whole expedition.

According to the station clock, their train was supposed to arrive within twenty minutes, so they had a pretty good reserve.

They were going east, through Austin to Houston, and from there towards Saratoga, northwest from Beaumont. While the connection between major hubs like cities of Austin and Houston were really good, further way was a different matter. They could organize cars, but it would have easily taken about four hours, while luxury flying vehicles came with expensive cost, therefore the group decided on trains before the departure.

First of all, they had to reach Austin, and only from there they had much better options for Saratoga. From their current location, getting to Austin would take about fifteen minutes, but taking maglev from Austin to Houston meant no more than ten minutes ride. After that, going from Beaumont to Saratoga would take no more than one hour. So, to sum it up, they should get to their destination in the next two hours - that was the plan at least.

The train arrived five minutes before the scheduled time. It might have sounded crazy, but summed up delays gathered since the moment maglevs were introduced did not exceed one hour, excluding major incident such as terrorist attacks. Generally speaking, it was natural for maglevs to arrive ahead of time. With this kind of reserve, there was no rush in boarding. Besides, maglevs rarely needed to run on top speed to be on time, so they always had some room to make up in case of expected delay.

John's group was made of five people, including one soldier, who was supposed to act as security for others. Since standard rooms were four-person, and premium compartments were fully occupied, they could not fit all in a single compartment, therefore their chaperon - as they called the soldier - decided to stay in the corridor and keep an eye on everything from there.

- Carl - the soldier's name was Karol, but Julian was unable to say it properly - Are you sure? You could walk inside and just stand in the compartment.

- No worries, it's only fifteen minutes - Karol declined - Standing for such time is not much. Besides, I can control the situation better that way.

- Well, if you say so.

The remaining distance passed without the problems, and they have reached Saratoga within about two hours. The place where Martin grew up was agreed on by everyone in the group owing to several things. First and foremost, the farm was big enough to easily accommodate about thirty people, but its location was also really good for everyone's families, and that allowed them to save a lot of time for traveling.

They ate a dinner together, talked, and enjoyed the time. Some disappeared at some point, couples to be exact - even Karol, who went away with his girlfriend as if forgetting about his duties.

Marlow expected such a turn of events, so he had nothing else to do but to stay with people by the table - mainly parents, and siblings of his colleagues. One of those siblings was seated next to him - Martin's sister, Jessica.

She was in her twenties, pretty brunette with blue eyes, a tomboyish type.

- Finally, I have a chance to talk with the famous John Marlow - she said when her brother and some other people went out - Martin couldn't shut up about his new friend.

The way Jessica spoke was straightforward, and she did not seem shy around people - to John, it felt fresh since many people kept calling him sir back on the Orbital Ring.

- Really? And what exactly did you hear from him? - he asked her - Knowing Martin, I'm kind of worried.

She laughed hearing him say that.

- Yes, Martin sure talks a lot. Whenever we talked recently, there was no such time when we didn't hear your name. I heard you are a trustworthy guy, on whom one can always count. And that you treat everyone equally, and don't use your position. Besides, Martin says that despite looking grumpy, you can actually be pretty funny. I wonder how much of that is true.

If John were to be honest about how he felt about himself, he would not be able to agree about more than one point she made. Yes, he did care about getting the job done, and to reach a goal he believed proper treatment of the personnel was the key, but he never considered himself a funny person, and given the recent events - being trustworthy seemed like a joke.

- I doubt anyone should trust me blindly. You know, the people whose funerals we will attend died under my supervision. To be honest, I'm still thinking how to approach their families.

Jessica caught his hand and gave him a pat, unexpectedly.

- All I can say is that's how the life is. You can't blame yourself for everything. Martin also said it's not your fault.

- I get that, we've followed the procedures, that's for sure. We did everything fine, as we should. I know it's not something that happened because of our mistake, but I can't help but feel guilty whenever I think about that. It's like, I'm wondering if I could to something to avoid this accident.

- No one gets better by dwelling on the past. C'mon, let's have a walk.

She pulled him from the table, leading him towards storied fields.

- The fact that you are worrying like that means you are actually a good person - she continued - You say you might have done something differently, right? I can tell you one thing, John. No one knows what will happen within a year, a month, a day, or an hour. What I want to say all these ifs cannot change a thing. Martin is a good judge of character, and is never wrong about the people he puts his trust in. If he says you are good person, that's a fact. The problem with both of you is that you are overly good-natured. I know that Martin only acts tough when having a hard time, but deep down he is a sensitive man. It's the same thing with you, but you can be honest at least. That's why I'll tell you the same thing I told my brother: you can't save everyone.

Yet another person was comforting him. Marlow felt stupid, and embarrassed - after all, it was the very first time he talked to this woman. He already thought he pulled himself together, and here such a weak first impression.

- You are absolutely right. I've been already past that. I don't know why did I bring this up now. Thank you for being nice to me.

- Oh, it's nothing. Martin cares about you, and I want someone to help him during this expedition. I'm really worried. Our parents too.

- I think that's normal. What kind of family wouldn't care?

- So, is it the same with your family?

John shook his head.

- Seems like Martin didn't tell you that much. I don't have family. If I had, they would have been here, as others' families.

- I'm sorry, I thought they just couldn't make it.

Jessica finally let go of his hand, which she kept holding until now. She took couple of steps forward, stopped and turned around.

- I can be worried about you, if you don't mind - she suggested.

- You don't even know me, so why would you?

- Do I really need to have a reason?

She approached him smoothly, and - before he managed to react - kissed him. At first, he was hesitant about what to do - after all, she was a colleague's sister, but a really pretty sister, and John simply could not resist, hugging her instinctively. Jessica trembled slightly and stopped kissing him.

- Sorry about that, I couldn't stop myself - she said.

Marlow wanted to say something, but Jessica made it impossible with another kiss - she was really good at it. For some reason, he recalled Keira with her smile and blue eyes - still, they were not together so it was not important. He did not have to care - this was pretty much friends with benefits kind of relationship. Despite that, John felt guilty of doing something bad.

Despite being ready for action, and with Jessica standing there nearly naked, he put his hands on her shoulders and moved her away.

- I'm really happy such a beauty is interested in me - he said - But there is a certain person in my life. If we were to do that... I mean...

She caught his forearms and stood firmly, making it impossible for him to get away without hurting her. This was unusual thing, and John could not believe this woman had so much strength.

- I don't care about your exes or whatever. I want you, here and now. It doesn't matter what will happen. Just this one time, I want to feel you.

Marlow felt a huge internal struggle, opposite feelings fighting each another, and lust having an upper hand. After all, he was a man and ignoring a naked woman, pressing against him.

- What about Martin? Didn't you think what he...?

- He's got nothing to do with it. Don't think about him, think about me.

She leaned onto him, up and down, moving in sync with John whose body reacted automatically. There was no turning back now. They have switched positions several times, with Jessica pulling John to the ground in the end, catching him with her legs.

When they finished, Marlow felt Jessica letting go, and laying on ground, breathing deeply and smiling. He also needed to catch a breath, but was far from smiling as he realized what they have just done. It gave him pleasure, obviously, but this woman kept throwing his off.

John picked up his clothes, and started putting them on.

- What's that supposed to mean? - he asked with the voice he intended to be firm, and maybe slightly angry.

The woman was still lying on her back, completely naked. She kept smiling as if not seeing the mood of the man she just had sex with.

- I don't know what are you going about. It was just sex. Don't say you didn't like it.

This was something John could not deny. Definitely, they matched well, and in other situation, he would likely repeated that - obviously, he had no intention of telling her that. But there was something that got him worried.

- It's not only about the sex, but what you did in the end. I wasn't wearing a rubber. Did you use any contraceptive? What if you get pregnant?

Jessica finally moved and sat down. No longer smiling that widely, but still looking happy, she said to him:

- What's bad about that? Even if that happened, don't you like children?

- It's not a matter of liking or not. I'm talking about consequences.

Jessica put her clothes, straight onto her naked body, without wearing underwear. She made a face of a sad cat, and showed him a fallic-shaped device.

- Chill out, I thought about it.

Marlow looked at the device and sighed.

- You could just tell me you used it.

Wide smile returned to her face.

- And don't see the face you made? It was worth it!

He was at loss of words, and did not know how to react. This woman definitely had way too much crazy energy to keep up with her. They spent a good time together, but she also gave him a good headache. Nevertheless, John decided not to argue with her and only smiled at his helplessness not only around this woman, but in face of beautiful women in general.

Jessica caught his arm, pulling him back home.