by Tracy Lauren
When her laughter dies away I find I’m still interested in learning more about the life she has led on Tevera. “What did you do for fun with no brothers or sisters to make trouble with?”
Madison shrugs. “Nothing. I studied a lot. Listened to my old CDs until they got too worn out to work. But a lot of the time I just sat around and thought about all the things I was missing on Earth; all the things normal young people are supposed to be doing.”
Her words make me think of my youth, of all the adventures my brothers and I went on, and the trouble we stirred. I’m sure there are different things for humans to do on Earth, but not so different as well. Only Madison has never done any of it. She has been sheltered and alone. I frown at the thought. This woman…in my eyes she is all light and sunshine, yet for all these years she’s been kept in the dark. Perhaps I should take it upon myself to show her some fun on this trip? Sure, I’ll take her to Earth if that is where she wishes to go, but who’s to say we can’t take the scenic route?
“What are CDs?” I ask.
She shrugs. “It’s a rudimentary data storage system for music.”
“Music!” That’s a wonderful idea. I bring up my favorite playlist on the ship’s computer. The brassy sounds of my world fill the audio speakers and I smile proudly at Madison. But she is unimpressed, sticking out her tongue and pointing her thumbs down. I have to laugh.
“Let me guess, too alien for you.”
“Earth music is just better,” she tells me with a shrug.
“Fair enough…let’s see what I can do.” I lean over the keypad and begin working.
“What are you doing?” Madison asks, getting out of her seat to lean over my shoulder.
I bring up Earth on the nav system. Its coordinates are only available to those with the highest security clearances, and as royalty, I have access to such things. Looking for something to please Madison, I run scans focusing on the soft radio waves emanating from the planet.
“Okay, I think I’ve got something. Tell me if this is correct…” I turn the audio up and hear more brassy sounds, albeit much livelier. Surprisingly, I find that I like it very much.
Madison’s eyes go wide and she grips my shoulders, giving me a hard shake. “IS THAT A MARIACHI BAND?” she screams excitedly.
“I don’t know, is it?”
“It’s from Earth! How do I change the station?” There’s desperation in her voice and she shoves me out of my seat, too impatient to wait for an explanation. But Madison is clever and quickly she is filtering through the different waves, searching for something particular.
When Madison makes a loud squeal I’m not sure if she’s frightened or excited. But a second later she is out of her seat screaming something about “Destiny’s Child” and cranking the volume louder. This is Madison’s Earth music, I suppose. And while I do not know if it’s better than the mariachi band, I’m glad she’s pleased.
She’s singly loudly along with the words and dancing in her stolen seat while I lean against the control panel, with my arms crossed over my chest as I admire her. It makes me think of all the times my brothers and I saw her across the ballroom at her father’s parties on Tevera, and the melancholy expression she used to wear. When I see her like this, singing and smiling, it makes me realize that her place is not on that world. But for her sake, I hope it is on Earth. She’s eager to return, but so many years have passed. I wonder if her home world has changed at all. I shake away my worry and instead focus on her smile.
An announcer comes on the radio waves and she turns the volume lower, looking rosy-cheeked. I ignore much of the man’s words, but when he says, “Southern California’s favorite oldie station,” the smile drops from Madison’s face.
“Oldies?” She frowns. “That’s weird. Why are they playing Destiny’s Child on an oldies station? I mean, I know they broke up, but they aren’t that old. Must be some kind of mistake. I mean that song’s only…” Madison does a mentally tally. “Oh. I guess it’s like 20 years old now.”
“Time moves quickly.”
“Yeah,” she says, looking dismayed. “I remember listening to that CD with my mom on the way to school every morning. We’d sing all the songs together.”
She’s silent for a moment and I don’t quite know what to say. But Madison bounces back.
“Whelp, I just need to find a pop station. It’s been a long time since I heard any new music.” She starts scanning the waves once more and eventually hears a number that she recognizes.
But this time she doesn’t turn the music up. And her face doesn’t light with the same joy and recognition. Then eventually, she turns it off.
“I’ll probably just have to hit up a Best Buy and find some stuff I know I’ll like,” she tells me with a forced smile.
“Put it back on your oldies,” I suggest.
“Maybe later.”
My runaway princess’s mood seems to have taken a turn. Wanting to cheer her up, I remember my plan.
“Tell me what Earth things you’ve missed out on,” I blurt out.
“Huh? Why?”
Excitement swells inside me at the prospect of having some real fun with Madison. “Let’s see if we can’t make up for some lost time. It’s a long trip back to Earth and this is your first time away from your parents.” I drop down to my knees in front of Madison and take her hands in mine, hoping she’ll agree to this crazy idea. “Have some fun with me before we get to your planet,” I urge.
Though Madison’s eyes light up, she seems skeptical. “What would we do?”
“You tell me. What do Earth girls do for fun at your age?”
A wicked smile spreads across her lips. “At my age? Well, I’m 21—almost 22. If I were on Earth with my friends, we’d be going to dance clubs or even Vegas. I’d be able to drink and gamble.”
I tsk at her. “You’re making this too easy for me Madison.”
Jumping to my feet, I make my way to the computer and begin browsing all the planets and space stations we’re set to pass along the way to Earth. “Here we are,” I tell her. “Titan Station. Now that place is a party if there ever was one. There’s an entire level of bars and dance clubs, and another dedicated to gaming.” I bring up an image on the view screen and Madison looks at it, a hopeful smile lighting her face. It’s a smile I could spend a lifetime chasing.
She eyes me. “And you’ll still take me to Earth? This is just a little detour?”
“That’s right.” I can’t keep the excitement from my voice nor can I keep my own smile from my face. I want to do this for her, but I wait for Madison to make the call.
“What’s the ETA to Titan?”
“We could be there by tonight.”
Madison jumps up, letting out a little squeak of excitement before running off the bridge.
“Where are you going?” I call after her, still waiting for an answer.
I hear her bare feet backtracking, then she pops her head into the bridge. “To get ready! I have to synth something really good if we’re going dancing—” she says eagerly, but then a sour thought crosses her mind and she wrinkles her nose as she asks, “Hey, this isn’t stuffy ballroom dancing, is it?”
I shake my head. There’s nothing stuffy about Titan. “Far from it.”
“Perfect!” She squeals. And with that, she leaves me.
I wonder vaguely if she will synth an Earth garment or something Teveran. But that thought makes me cringe. What will I wear? I wish to look nice when I go out with Madison, but I also can’t look like a prince. Something tells me she would not appreciate the fact that it is one of her father’s allies who has promised to take her to Earth. And I can’t tell her now, not when she’s just beginning to open up to me. No, Madison needs a friend. She needs someone she can feel comfortable and at ease with. For the time being, it’s best to continue to play the guardsman.
Chapter 12
Madison
It takes forever to get ready. Mostly because I have to program the synthesizer to
make all the things I need, down to mascara and a curling iron. But eventually I’m stepping out of my room and heading to the bridge.
Despite how happy I am with my simple sparkly minidress—backless, with a draping neckline—I can’t help but feel a little self-conscious. I’m not used to wearing such things. I’m usually either in ball gowns or my best attempt at synthesized jeans—which is not easy to do, by the way. But this outfit…this is so fun and mature. It’s thrilling to actually be dressed in something I might have worn had I spent my life on Earth. And for some strange reason I’m a little excited to see Kethian’s reaction to it.
But when I get to the bridge he isn’t there. He must be in his room then. So I turn in that direction, telling myself that I just want to ask how much longer until we arrive at Titan. But in reality, I want to see his face when he looks at me. I want to see him smile at my curves and I wonder if he’ll flirt with me again. Once at his door, I press the notification button, sending a chime into his room letting him know that I’m outside.
“Open,” I hear him say. The door responds to his command.
My eyes go wide when I see him. Kethian is fresh out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel hanging low around his waist. He stops what he’s doing and turns to appraise me from head to toe.
“Look at you,” he says, grinning wide.
“Yeah and look at you. How about some pants, huh?” I suggest, averting my gaze.
Kethian just chuckles at my modesty and motions for me to come in. “Give me a sec,” he says, ducking into the bathroom and not bothering to shut the door. If I were into muscular, green, alien men all I’d have to do is lean a bit to the side and I’d be able to sneak a peek at what’s going on in there.
But Kethian is definitely not my kind of guy…with his broad shoulders and intense eyes. No, I like Earth boys with side-swept hair and angelic singing voices. Too bad, it seems my body has a hard time remembering that fact. Because when Kethian steps out a moment later, the room suddenly feels small and hot.
He’s got pants on thankfully, but still no shirt, and I have to focus extra hard to keep my eyes on his, rather than allowing them to wander across his chest like they did yesterday. Again, it proves to be a difficult task. I mean, who has so many perfectly sculpted muscles anyway? And why is he wearing his pants so low on his hips? Is he trying to show off how far his six-pack travels down below his navel?
And while I’m trying to be proper, Kethian seems determined to show me that he doesn’t share my sense of decency. His eyes playfully rake over my body. And even though this is exactly what I wanted, it still makes me feel a little shy and awkward. But the longer I’m in Kethian’s presence, the more I start to feel sexy…like a woman should.
“I like your dress,” he says as he pulls on his boots.
“You don’t think it’s too much?” I’m worried that it’s overkill for the occasion.
“If anything, it’s too little,” he tells me, playfully eyeing the hemline.
I cringe. “I should change—” I start to back out of the room, but Kethian jumps up and grabs my hand.
“Only if you’re trying to break my heart,” he teases, feigning a sad expression. But those pouty alien lips aren’t getting to me. I roll my eyes at his words.
“How long until Titan?”
“Minutes.” He grins.
“Want me to go do docking procedures?” I offer, still conscious of my hand in his.
“I have everything set to auto. How about you join me for a drink instead?” He tugs me over to the cupboard and pulls out a bottle and two short glasses, wagging them in my direction.
There’s a drink on Tevera that is what I imagine champagne to be like. It’s mild and sometimes I have a glass with dinner at my parents’ government parties. But I’ve never had anything stronger. I don’t know if I’ll like it. I move closer to Kethian’s side and tip the bottle toward my nose, smelling its contents. I imagined it would smell like a chemical or something harsh and strong, but instead it’s rich and woodsy.
“Is it gross?” I ask.
Kethian looks at me with confusion on his face and chuckles. “Why would I offer you something gross?”
“I don’t know, isn’t all alcohol kind of gross?”
“You will enjoy this,” he says confidently.
“Okay then.” I wait patiently as Kethian pours a glass for me and then one for himself. “What should we drink to?”
“I always drink to adventure.”
“That’s a good one.” I smile, hopeful at the prospect, and clink my glass against Kethian’s before I take the contents in one big gulp.
“Whoa, Princess! Pace yourself!” he warns.
“Was I not supposed to do it like that?” I worry, touching my lips. I thought we were doing shots.
“It’s meant to be consumed a little more slowly,” Kethian tells me, laughing.
“Oh no! Am I going to be drunk now?” I gasp.
“Not yet I don’t think. But we have the whole night ahead of us,” Kethian assures me with a grin.
“Well, don’t let me get too tipsy. If we’re going to make some memories tonight I want to actually be able to remember them.”
Kethian takes my request seriously and his voice is solemn when he promises, “I’ll watch over you all night.”
I bite my lip feeling a little disoriented by his intense gaze. “Thanks,” I tell him.
But his smile quickly grows wide and playful once more. “Believe me,” he says, “it’s no hardship.” Kethian looks pointedly at my dress and I find myself biting into my lip again. But this time it’s so he doesn’t see me smiling.
“You should finish getting ready,” I urge.
“I won’t be much longer.”
I take a seat on Kethian’s bed, toying with my empty glass as he ducks back into the bathroom. He returns a second later with a dark, sleeveless shirt on. It’s simple, but crisp, and it accentuates those broad shoulders and thick biceps of his. In his hand he’s got a comb and he uses it to slick his still-wet hair back and away from his face. It’s a good look for the green alien.
“You look nice,” I tell him. He doesn’t say anything, but he smirks at me, like he knows exactly how good he looks. And just because I don’t want him getting too cocky, I add, “Not bad for a frog at least.”
“Hm, so I’m not an alien anymore? I’ve been upgraded to frog.”
“I’d hardly call it an upgrade.”
“It’s one step closer to that kiss.” Kethian’s smile is both wicked and charming as he moves to his cupboard. “Which do you prefer?” he asks, holding up two vials of scented oil. Aliens use the stuff like cologne or perfume.
I rise and go to his side. Kethian holds out each bottle for me to assess. Unfortunately, neither of them smell like the sleep shirt he leant me last night. I frown.
“You don’t like them?”
“No it’s just…” I lean in a little closer to him…then a little closer still. With humor in his eyes, he tilts his head to the side so that I can smell his neck. “What’s the one that you’re wearing? I like that best.”
Kethian grins, dazzling and bright. “I’m not wearing anything, Princess. That’s just me.”
We’re still only inches apart and I’m staring at Kethian’s cocky smile. For some reason I think about the fact that I’ve never kissed anyone before. Suddenly it feels a little warm and I wonder if the alcohol is kicking in.
“Call me Madison,” I remind, my voice coming out breathier than intended. Kethian looks down at me like he knows something I don’t. I find it horribly annoying. And a little bit attractive too.
Beep beep.
I startle when the computer chimes, sending us a notification from the bridge.
“Well, Madison. Looks like we have arrived,” Kethian tells me, his voice low and sexy. Sexy for an alien, that is. “What would you like to do first? We could have dinner, go to the gaming level—”
“Oh we’re dancing,” I tell h
im with conviction.
“Dancing it is,” Kethian agrees, wrapping an arm around my waist. I get goosebumps across my exposed skin as he leads me to the hatch. His touch…simple as it is, it’s still the most flirtatious thing anyone’s ever done to me before and the feeling is nothing short of thrilling. I tell myself it’s not Kethian. It’s the fact that someone is actually venturing to flirt with me. But, green skin or not, there’s something undeniably appealing about the alien at my side.
Chapter 13
Kethian
Colored lights bounce across the club and the music is so loud it can be felt in the pit of one’s belly. I have to remind myself that Madison has never been out like this before, that her life has been a sheltered one. Though there is excitement written plainly on her face, she remains close to my side and her body language speaks of nervousness.
I lean in close to her ear. “Do you like the music?”
She smiles and nods, but doesn’t quite look ready to dive onto the dance floor.
“Let’s start with a drink,” I shout over the noise, hoping that perhaps one more might help the princess relax enough to have a little fun.
To be honest, I was surprised when Madison told me she wanted to go dancing. Every time my family was invited to Tevera, my brothers and I would always argue over who would get to ask her to dance first. But she would invariably vanish before any music could begin.
We make our way over to the crowded bar and find a place to squeeze in. “Oolai, two of them,” I tell the bartender, passing him my cred reader. He works fast and moves on to the next patrons.
It’s nearly too loud to talk here and I wonder if this is the right place for Madison. But as she sips at the drink in her hand, I see her beginning to sway her hips. She looks out at the crowded club, her expression unsure, but interested.
I’m about to invite Madison for a dance when a male at her side turns abruptly, accidentally bumping into her. “Apologies,” I hear him say. But when looks down and he sees the beauty he’s run into his expression changes to one of interest. My hackles rise and I fight the urge to pull her away from him. I shouldn’t though… Madison and I are not here on a date. And besides, I’m not even the jealous type. Not usually at least.
