Blossom and the Alien Actor

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  While Blossom got out, holding RaeLynn, Brexton unbuckled Drew and plucked her son out of the backseat. They walked into the store together, and for a moment, she wondered if this was what it felt like to be part of a family. Yes, she’d had boyfriends in the past and they’d gone out with the kids, but it hadn’t ever felt like this. She’d never felt safe, protected. For as long as Blossom could remember she’d feared for her children, but with Brexton watching over the three of them, Blossom felt like she could finally breathe and let some of the tension ease from her body.

  Brexton placed his free hand at the small of her back and led her through the doors of the store. Blossom got a cart with a baby seat attached and buckled RaeLynn in. Then she reached for Drew and placed him into the back of the cart. Brexton grabbed a second cart, and she smiled a little since she hadn’t had to even ask him.

  “Lead the way,” he said. “Get everything they will need. Clothes, diapers, anything you can think they might need in order to be comfortable.”

  Blossom went to the clothing section first and picked out a few outfits for both kids, but Brexton stopped her when she would have walked off. He must have been paying attention, because he pulled at least ten more outfits off the racks himself and got the right sizes for both kids. They picked out new shoes, diapers and training pants, and then Brexton started throwing toys into the basket.

  “You’re going to spoil them,” she said.

  “Maybe they need a little spoiling,” he replied and kept adding more items until the cart was overflowing.

  “Brexton, you need to stop. We still have to get their beds, sheets, and blankets. You’re not going to have room in your car for all of this stuff.”

  “And car seats,” he said, frowning as he gazed around the store. When he spotted the section with seats and strollers, he went directly to the most expensive items. Blossom shook her head, realizing that it was impossible to rein him in.

  A series of loud squeals startled RaeLynn and she started to fuss as three women with babies came rushing toward them. Brexton looked confused a moment, until he realized what was happening. Fans had spotted him. How they’d missed him, Blossom didn’t know. The man was huge. And purple.

  “Brexton!” A blonde pushed in close to him. “That little boy is just so adorable. I didn’t know you had children.”

  He opened his mouth then shut it, as he glanced at Blossom.

  “I bet you’re just the best daddy,” a redhead said, pushing her breasts against his arm. “I wish my little boy had a role model in his life like you, but his daddy is out of the picture.”

  Well, if that wasn’t blatantly obvious… Blossom rolled her eyes.

  “Did you want an autograph?” Brexton asked the trio. “I’m afraid I don’t have a pen or paper with me.”

  Oh, Blossom could see the redhead had a special paper she liked him to sign. Like a marriage license. She nearly snorted at how pathetic they were, and she hoped like hell she hadn’t fangirled as hard as these vultures. She didn’t doubt they’d all sell their souls just for a chance with the actor. Did they even care about him as a person, or was it his bank account they liked? She’d never really thought about it, but it must be hard to be in his position.

  “We were just about to go for a bite to eat, weren’t we?” the redhead asked the other two.

  So far, the woman with dark hair was just silently drooling. Blossom decided she liked her the best out of the three.

  “I’m flattered,” Brexton said, “but…” His gaze locked on Blossom again and her stomach dropped when those pretty purple eyes narrowed a moment. He grinned, and something told her now would be a good time to run. Except he was holding her son, and she wasn’t about to leave without Drew.

  The redhead saw the direction of his gaze and her lips thinned.

  “Ladies, I can trust you to keep quiet, can’t I?” Brexton asked, a calculating look in his eyes.

  Hell. Was the alien about to fuck her over like every other man in her life? Except Drew. Her little angel would never do something to hurt her. At least, not until he hit his teen years. Then she knew all bets were off and he’d possibly turn into a demon she didn’t recognize.

  “Of course,” the blonde simpered.

  “I’m moving my girlfriend and her children into my house today, and we have a lot of things to buy. So, I really don’t have time to eat with the three of you. I’m sure you understand.”

  Blossom’s jaw nearly dropped at the blatant lie.

  “Girlfriend?” the redhead asked, her eyes flashing. “We haven’t heard anything about you seeing someone.”

  “We’ve kept it quiet,” Brexton said, inching toward Blossom until he could hook his free arm around her waist. “This is Blossom. The moment I saw her, I knew she was the one.”

  The dark-haired woman got a wistful look on her face as she glanced at Blossom, and gave her a small smile. At least one of them didn’t want to rip out her hair, but the other two looked like they were wondering if they could murder her and claim Brexton for themselves.

  “Your children are really sweet,” the dark-haired woman said.

  “Thank you,” Blossom said. “This is RaeLynn and Drew.”

  Brexton squeezed her waist and she realized she’d never told him the kids’ names. Good thing the ladies hadn’t asked him, or he’d have been caught in his lie. She still didn’t understand what he was up to, but didn’t think now was the time to bring it up. She’d try to wait until they were alone, and then she’d find out what the hell was going on. Maybe where he was from it was all right to just claim a woman in public without any prior notice, especially when they were strangers, but on Earth you just didn’t do that shit.

  “Why haven’t we heard you were dating?” the blonde asked.

  “The man is allowed some privacy,” the dark-haired woman said. “We should give him some time with his family. How would you like it if random people came running at you and scared your kids?”

  The blonde and redhead leveled a glare at her before wandering off. They were whispering furiously to one another, and Blossom wondered how long before Brexton’s news hit social media. Did he even realize what he’d done? “What was that?” she asked.

  He grimaced and looked a little chagrined. “We’ll talk… later. Right now, we need the rest of the items from this store to keep the kids happy, safe, and entertained. Then we’ll go somewhere to shop for you.”

  “Brexton…”

  He shook his head. “Too many people could be listening.”

  “Fine.” She sighed. “But we are going to talk. This isn’t something you can just sweep under the rug.”

  “I know, and I’m truly sorry… but maybe this isn’t a bad thing.”

  “How do you figure that?” she asked.

  “If you’re in the spotlight as my girlfriend, then your boyfriend can’t come after you. Not without a lot of people noticing.”

  “Ex,” she said. “That douche is my ex-boyfriend. If I ever see him again, I just might castrate him.”

  Brexton arched a brow. “I can arrange for that to happen.”

  She stared a moment. “Really?”

  He shrugged. “He’s trying to harm the female I just publicly claimed as mine. That means any crimes against you will be considered as crimes against me. My people would handle it.”

  Huh. Maybe being known as Brexton’s girlfriend wouldn’t so bad after all. Blossom could certainly see the perks.

  Chapter Three

  Brexton felt the tension in his neck and shoulders ease as they quickly bought the items they needed, and he arranged for a delivery later in the day for the children’s beds and other furniture. Getting cornered by rabid fans hadn’t entered into his plans for the day, but it should have. It was a common enough occurrence, but he hadn’t handled it well. The way he’d claimed Blossom and the kids… Yes, he’d made sure they would each have a bedroom of their own, completely outfitted with bedding that had matching curtains, toys, and anythin
g else that looked like something they would need or want. But it hadn’t given the right to tell those women she was his girlfriend. Blossom had protested how much he was spending on them, and yet she hadn’t put up a fight over what he’d told the women. He didn’t know enough about Earth females to know if he should worry.

  He really did owe her an explanation for what happened in the store, but he wasn’t ready for that discussion just yet. He hadn’t really meant to claim her that way, but the women were getting too close, their gazes hungry, and not in a sexual way. No, they hadn’t cared about anything but his status. Sometimes he really hated his fame.

  Blossom had refused a trip to the mall, but he’d found a store in the same strip mall as the baby place. Once he’d discovered her sizes, he’d started adding items that he thought would look nice on her. He’d realized rather quickly that she was going to check the price of everything she picked up, and if she thought it cost too much she put it back. He wasn’t about to let her get away with that. Especially, since he’d just turned her life upside down. Yes, it had been his intention to help her, but now it was only a matter of time before the entire world knew he’d claimed to have a girlfriend with kids who was moving in with him.

  He’d been correct though when he’d said that her boyfriend -- ex-boyfriend -- wouldn’t be able to lay a hand on her without someone noticing. With her blue hair, she would stand out a little. Not much, since he’d seen hair every color of the rainbow while living in Los Angeles, but enough that when someone saw a woman with blue hair they would probably look a little closer to see if the female was Brexton’s girlfriend. He eyed the long strands and realized she probably hadn’t been to a salon in a while, if ever. It looked like the type of dye job she’d have done at home. Not that it was horrible, but it was rather obvious it hadn’t been done by a professional. The strands were all one flat color.

  When he got close to the registers to check out, he saw a jewelry case and stopped to see what they offered. Blossom had holes in her ears, but she wasn’t wearing earrings, or any other jewelry for that matter. Did she not have any, or did she just not like it? While she was occupied in the restroom with the kids, he selected a silver pendant, some small hoop earrings, and a ring that he hoped would fit her. It wasn’t much, but she deserved some shiny things.

  Brexton paid for everything while he waited for Blossom, not wanting her to know about the extra purchases just yet. He waited near the doors with the sacks of her new things. She hurried toward him with RaeLynn clutched in her arms and Drew holding tight to her pants leg. When the little boy reached him, Brexton picked him up. He’d never held kids for more than a few minutes before, and he found that he liked the way Drew snuggled into him. He didn’t even mind having his beard tugged.

  “One more stop, then we’ll go home,” Brexton said.

  “Where could we possibly need to go now?” Blossom asked.

  “You’ll see.” He smiled a little and stashed her bags in the back of his SUV before leading her two doors down to a salon he’d noticed earlier. Even though he hadn’t been to this one, he’d heard the name before and knew it was a reputable place.

  “Brexton, why are we here?” she asked, her lips thinning. “If you expect me to change my hair…”

  “Not change it. Not really. You can ask them do whatever you’d like, but I thought you might like the ends trimmed and maybe have it professionally colored? Whatever color you’d like.”

  She pursed her lips and looked around before focusing on him again. “Really? You don’t want my hair a natural color?”

  “Blossom, there are worlds across the galaxies who have people with blue hair, purple hair, rainbow hair… every color you could imagine. It doesn’t matter to me what color you make it, as long as you’re happy with the results.”

  “The kids are getting tired.”

  He could see that she wanted to give in, but she was looking for excuses. He’d never met a female before who didn’t want to spend his money, and Brexton wasn’t quite sure what to make of her. She needed his help, and the little family definitely had needed new things, and yet she was reluctant to accept anything from him. It wasn’t like their small little shopping spree had even put a dent in his bank account.

  “I’ll get RaeLynn’s new stroller and lay it back so she can nap, and Drew can sleep in my arms while we wait for you. If they get fussy, I’ll step out and walk up and down the sidewalk with them, or find a kid friendly place.”

  A stylist noticed them and came rushing forward.

  “Oh my gosh! You’re Brexton!” Her smile widened and excitement flared in her eyes.

  “Yes, I was hoping you might have an opening.”

  “For you?” the stylist asked, her eyes going wide.

  “For my girlfriend,” he corrected, and winked at Blossom. “Anything she wants, she can have.

  “Girlfriend?” the stylist asked, focusing on Blossom, then she smiled. “Well, of course you wouldn’t go for ordinary. If she wants to keep the blue, we have a wonderful color selection. It would be a delight to work with her.”

  Brexton nudged her toward the stylist. “Go on. Tell her what you’d like to have done to your hair.”

  “Anything?” Blossom asked, nibbling on her lower lip.

  “Anything at all,” he assured her.

  The stylist dragged her away, and then Brexton found out the hard way just how long a hair appointment could last for a female. He’d never had anything more than a cut, but it seemed hair color took quite a bit longer, as well as whatever else she was having done. After the hour mark, the kids were getting restless, so he stepped outside and walked up down the length of the strip mall. Until Drew spotted something across the lot and started tugging on his beard again.

  “Please,” the little boy asked softly.

  It was the first time Brexton had heard him speak.

  “You want to go there?” he asked, pointing to the building with a large alligator on top.

  The boy nodded eagerly.

  “All right, but we need to see how much longer your mom will be busy. We don’t want to make her wait for us.”

  Brexton returned to the salon, found out Blossom would be at least another two hours, and then he happily went toward the building that had captured Drew’s attention. When they walked through the doors, they were all three tagged with bracelets that showed they were together and would give Drew the freedom to roam, and Brexton could understand the need for security. It might have been a child’s paradise, but it looked like a parent’s nightmare. Games buzzed and dinged all over the place, there were large plastic tunnels that covered the ceiling, and a massive pit filled with rainbow-colored balls. While it wasn’t all that busy right now, on a weekend it was probably utter chaos.

  “First time here?” one of the employees asked.

  “That obvious?”

  She giggled. “A little. You have that thunderstruck look that most parents get their first trip to Gator Games. There’s not much here for your daughter to enjoy, but if you sit close to the stage down front, there’s a large screen behind the curtain and a movie will be playing soon. Your son should probably stay in the toddler area, which is also near the stage.”

  “Thank you,” Brexton said, feeling warm inside at the thought of Drew and RaeLynn being his kids. Even though he was only twenty-nine, he’d wanted a family for a while. Even at nineteen, he’d dreamed of finding his mate.

  Although, he was a little confused. It was rare for someone not to recognize him. Or if she had, she at least hadn’t been fawning over him. Not to mention, most of the Zelthranite/human pairings had resulted in children with either lavender skin or purple eyes, and neither of the children with him had those characteristics. Her words confused him, but he shrugged it off. He noticed a few moms looking his way and whispering amongst themselves. People tended to stare and point when he was spotted out in public, so he was accustomed to the attention.

  Brexton pushed RaeLynn’s stroller closer
to the stage and signed Drew into the toddler area, which had a small fence around it. There were small rides, a smaller pit of the plastic balls, and a mini-tunnel system. Only two other children were inside the fence, and they seemed to close to Drew’s size. He kept an eye on the boy while trying to entertain RaeLynn so she wouldn’t start crying. The kids had to be starving, but he didn’t know what type of food they were allowed to have. Did they eat regular food like adults?

  His phone chimed and Brexton pulled it from his pocket. His manager had sent a message that had him a little puzzled.

  You’ve kept kids hidden? How did no one know you had a family?

  What the hell was she talking about? He scowled at his phone and was about to respond when instinct told him to check social media before saying anything. He searched for his name online and was bombarded with pictures of him, Blossom, and the children out shopping. Several of him with his hand on her back or around her waist, and a lot of him holding one or both children. How had anyone managed to take their picture without him noticing? The half a dozen pictures proved that there was no such thing as privacy in his world. He pulled up an article from a relatively reliable online paper, hoping to find out what was being said.

  Sources say that Terran actor Brexton was seen today with a woman and two children. The woman is his girlfriend, and now fans are wondering why he kept this family hidden from the public view. The pictures speak for themselves, and that is one doting daddy. Sorry, ladies, it looks like another sexy alien is off the market.

  They assumed that Blossom’s kids were his? He rubbed at his beard as he eyed the kids in question. Both of them did have dark hair. Drew’s hair was more of a dark brown, but RaeLynn’s was black as pitch, just like his. Not knowing what color Blossom’s hair was naturally, it was hard to say if Drew had inherited his coloring from her or his father. He didn’t know how Blossom would feel about this, or how the kids’ dad would react. The children were small enough, it was his hope they wouldn’t notice or react to what was going on around them, but he truly had no idea how human children would respond to something like this.