by Lisa Lace
Chapter Three
SOPHIE
Khellen’s mother had directed me to the beach, which wasn’t the reception I had envisioned in my mind. She knew Khellen and I corresponded, and I couldn’t imagine why she would be less than pleased to see me. After all, I had come to encourage him to get married. She should be glad there was another ally around.
The path she indicated took me right to the water where I could see Khellen swimming out to an island. I sat down and waited for him to finish, feeling excited and eager to surprise him. There was some trepidation mixed in with the elation in my heart. What would it be like to finally meet him in person? Would it be awkward? Had I made a huge mistake?
It seemed to take forever for him to swim back. Then all of a sudden, there he was, standing up out of the water, trying to take his goggles off and having a hell of a time with them.
I stood up to greet him and froze. Khellen was…hot. There was no other word for it. I had pictures of how he currently looked, of course, but somehow I hadn’t associated the images in my mind with reality. I had imagined he looked the same as when we had first met in that virtual reality camp years ago, and his physical presence was entirely different.
Back then he had been cute but skinny and awkward. There was an air of confidence about him now. He had a lean, powerful swimmer’s body with broad shoulders and muscular biceps. His rock-hard abs tapered down to a narrow waist. His legs were well-muscled and robust. His hair was short and messy after his morning swim.
He was still adjusting his goggles when I started moving toward him, unable to wait for him to reach me. Finally, he tore them off, and by then I was standing in front of him.
He stared at me as if he had seen a ghost. “Sophie?”
Now that we were within arm’s reach, I couldn’t keep from touching him. I smiled and threw my arms around him. “Surprise,” I said, holding him tightly.
His strong arms wrapped around me, and he nearly squeezed the breath out of me. Reluctantly, he let me go, and I stepped back. We grinned at each other until he finally spoke.
“How did you get here?”
“I got that promotion, remember? They always make us take occasional breaks to keep people from burning out. My time here is a vacation.”
“But—”
“And they gave me a gigantic bonus,” I added, answering the question I knew he was about to ask. “Which is how I could afford the flight out here.”
“How long are you staying here?” He reached out for my hand as if he couldn’t resist touching me, either.
“Until your birthday. I’ll catch a ship out the next day.”
“Oh.” His smile fell.
“Is something the matter?” I sensed that beneath his happiness at seeing me, Khellen was uneasy about something. There was tension in every line of his body. “What is it?”
He bent down to pick up his towel, never letting go of my hand. He didn’t bother to dry himself off. He simply threw the towel over his shoulder as we headed up the trail to the house, hand in hand.
“You came at an unusual time.” He looked distraught and hesitated before he spoke again. “I’m getting married.”
I felt a tightness in my chest, but ignored it. “That’s good news,” I said. Wasn’t it? “I can’t have you disappearing on me.”
“No, I guess not.” He tried to put a smile back on his face. “The wedding is the day before my birthday, so you’ll be here for the festivities.”
“Great.” I dropped his hand. It didn’t seem appropriate under the circumstances.
With visible effort, he corralled his usual good humor and gave me a grin. “So, Miss McCallistair, what should we do on your first day on Biyaha?”
“Do you have to ask?” I gazed longingly out at the water.
“Of course. I know the first order of business for a dehydrated human.” He looked at me with an intense gaze I couldn’t immediately identify.
“What’s that?” A warm feeling spilled out of my heart when he looked at me like that.
“A shower, of course. Next a swim. Then a bath. And maybe some water sports later in the day. And if you want to be daring, take a second bath.”
“Why are we wasting time talking about it, then?”
He laughed, knowing me and my fascination with water very well. “How about I take you back to the house to have your first shower, and then we’ll get some breakfast. You can tell me about your trip.”
“That sounds fantastic. I’m glad I’m here.” I looked at him out of the corner of my eye, wondering if he was euphoric too.
He shook his head, beaming at me. “I can’t believe you’re here in the flesh. I was beginning to wonder if you were real, Sophie.”
“Believe it.” I reached out my hand and poked him in the chest. We headed back to the house, walking side by side up the path.
Khellen’s mother met us when we came into the kitchen, deep in a conversation about my favorite music from Earth. The expression on her face looked stony. We stopped dead in our tracks, words trailing off to silence. She tried to paste a smile on her face, but it was unconvincing.
“Hi, Mom. This is Sophie.” He looked so happy when he said my name that I practically melted inside again.
“Sophie, your pen pal?” She turned to me, confused. “You said you were a friend of Khellen’s.” Her tone was almost accusing.
“I am. We’re friends, right Khellen?” I wondered where her attitude was coming from.
“Mother, I’ve shown you pictures of Sophie before.”
“Those must have been taken quite some time ago.” The way she looked at me now made me feel like a germ on a slide.
I tried to lighten the conversation, which seemed to be disintegrating in front of my eyes, but I didn’t know why. “Oh, dear, did you show her the one from graduation?” Turning to him, I grimaced at the thought. At the time, I had acne, too-short hair, and twenty extra pounds. I hoped I looked considerably better now. “No wonder she didn’t recognize me.”
“You never said she was beautiful, Khellen.” The words sounded like they could be a compliment, but she didn’t seem in the mood to praise me.
Khellen looked upset and tried to end the conversation. “I didn’t realize it mattered. You know what, Mom? Sophie’s tired from her spaceflight and wants to get cleaned up. We’ll see you later.”
“Okay.” As Khellen steered me out of his kitchen, she added, “But remember, your fiancée is coming over with her family for a party tonight before she leaves on her trip.”
“That’s right! I completely forgot about that for some reason. What time are they coming?”
“Eight o’clock.”
“Got it.” He showed me to the staircase. “Go up to the top and turn right. You can stay in the room at the end of the hall. I’ll be around soon to show you how everything works. I need to have a word with my mother first, though. I’m sorry about her behavior.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” I still wasn’t sure what I had done to offend her.
He returned to the kitchen as I headed up the stairs. Almost immediately, I heard Khellen’s voice escalate and his mother’s screaming back him, and I paused. I knew I was eavesdropping, but I couldn’t help myself from having ears.
“What was that, Mother?”
“What was that? What was that?” she repeated, shrill and exasperated. “What are you doing bringing a gorgeous girl like that into this house when you just got engaged? You’re jeopardizing all my hard work?”
“Sophie has had an open invitation to visit me since I’ve known her. She decided to surprise me, and she’s here in time for the wedding, which is great. I want her to be here. She’s my best friend.”
His mother snorted. “How can someone you’ve only talked with through holograms be your best friend? You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m getting tired of you meddling in my affairs.” The longer he spoke, the louder he got. “Getting married was one thing, and I know you
were only thinking about me. But stay away from Sophie. I won’t have you interfering in my friendship with her or making her feel unwelcome.”
“I don’t understand what the fuss is about a little human from Earth.”
There was a deadly silence, and I wondered how he would respond. The barb hit home. I knew some aliens considered humans lower-class citizens in the universe, but I didn’t know Khellen and his family thought that way.
“If you think I’m making a fuss, I’ll go home. I don’t have to stay with you. I’m here because I usually enjoy it, and I know you like having me around. But if you’re going to disrespect Sophie, I will not stay under your roof.” His voice had a note of steel in it that I had never heard in his hologram messages.
“You would leave and miss out on spending Mistivan at home because of her?” Her tone was incredulous.
“Yes. As I said before, she’s my best friend, and you’ve insulted her several times in a single conversation. It’s inexcusable.”
There was silence again, and then I heard Khellen burst through the door into the hallway, looking furious. He froze when he saw me standing on the stairs.
I put on my most apologetic face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to listen in on your conversation. I just wanted to find out why she doesn’t like me.”
Before Khellen could speak, his mother came in after him. “Khellen, please, don’t go.” She broke off when she saw me standing in front of her and realized that I had heard everything. Her face went blank, and she drew a deep breath. “I’m sorry for what I said, and I would like you both to stay.”
Khellen scowled. He was still upset with his mother, and I was severely embarrassed.
“Sure, it’s fine,” I said.
Khellen turned to her. “It’s not fine, Mother. But we’ll stay, for now.”
She blinked and looked confused. I was confused too. I had never seen this side of Khellen before, and I realized that even though I felt closer to him than anyone else, we hardly knew each other. I followed him up the stairs, leaving his bewildered mother behind. For the first time since my shuttle had blasted off from Earth, I wondered what the hell I was doing.
Khellen’s legs looked stiff and jerky as he climbed the stairs, with none of the grace I had seen earlier when he emerged from the water. He was quite upset, and I wanted to reassure him that I wasn’t offended.
“Khellen.” I put my hand on his arm to make him look at me. He stopped. “It’s okay. I’m sure she means well.”
He cut me off. “I don’t understand her. You have to know that she has a kind heart. I don’t know why she’s acting like this.”
“I want you to know that I’m not offended.”
He looked at me skeptically.
“Do you think you’re the first aliens who don’t like people from Earth? I’ve had run-ins with people from other planets before.”
“There are others who’ve treated you this way?” He seemed disturbed by the idea.
“Just a couple of jerks on the flight. Nothing to be upset about.”
“It’s frustrating.”
“Why?” I looked up into his green eyes, and for a second it felt like my heart skipped a beat.
“Because.” He hesitated, and it seemed as if he couldn’t tear his eyes away from mine. “You’re my friend.”
“Oh.” I was disappointed in his answer, even if I couldn’t say why. I was his friend, wasn’t I?
“Anyway, this is a towel. It’s for drying off your body.”
I rolled my eyes. “I know what a towel is, Khellen.”
He smiled briefly, but it didn’t reach his eyes. As he led me into a small bathroom connected to my room, he continued his explanation. “This is your shower.” I peeked around his body into the stall. “You swipe your hand over this pad. Blue will make it colder, and red will make it hotter. Take as long as you want. We have too much water in the lake this year; they’re going to have to drain some of it. Knock yourself out.”
“Okay.” We were standing only inches apart, partially inside the shower stall, and my heart started to race. I glanced up at Khellen, wondering if he was as affected by our proximity as I was. I stepped away quickly and bumped into the wall. “Got it. I’m sure it will be wonderful.”
“Call if you need any help.” He looked lost. “Not cleaning yourself. I mean, if you can’t get it to work. I mean…”
I laughed, and the spell broke. His cheeky grin came back, and he gave me a quick peck on the cheek before he left.
I had always thought that a shower would be like standing in the ionizer, only wetter. I was wrong. Once I got the temperature adjusted and stripped off my clothes, I slipped under the shower and let the water stream down my body. It was the most amazing feeling I could remember. Everything was warm, and the water moving over my body was a sensual experience.
The water spilled everywhere, and my nipples hardened when I turned them into the solid stream of water. The sensation made me think of Khellen, but I tried to force my mind elsewhere. He was getting married, and I was not. I had taken a vow.
I had a boyfriend before I joined Single for Life. We fucked, but we were young, and he had never been able to last long enough for me to come. I always pretended I was having an orgasm and then finish myself off later. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. But ever since I joinedSingle for Life, I had tried to put aside all physical desires and focus on my goal of saving the Earth from overpopulation one person at a time, starting with myself.
Something in my head reminded me that there was no overpopulation problem on Biyaha. They wanted people to have babies here. But I wasn’t staying here forever. I was going home soon, and Khellen was going to marry a beautiful girl who would make him happy. At the very least, she would keep him from disappearing.
I regretfully turned off the water. It had been one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I wished it had gone on forever. I took consolation in the fact that I could shower plenty while I was off-planet.
I stepped out of the shower and started toweling myself off. I nearly came in there. Who knew that getting clean could be so pleasurable? It almost made me feel guilty. There was nothing sensual about using the ionizer. You stepped in dirty and stepped out clean.
“Sophie? You okay in there?” Khellen’s voice through the door made me blush. I was still naked, and I looked at myself in the mirror. Medium breasts. Flat stomach. Slim legs. Attractive face. Long copper-colored hair. Blue eyes. Not a devastating beauty, that was for sure. I wondered what his mother had seen in me.
I was pretty enough, I supposed. Not that it mattered. For a brief moment, I wondered if Khellen thought I was pretty. What did it matter? We were only friends. I watched my cheeks turning a rosy pink in the mirror.
“Sophie?”
I realized that I hadn’t answered him even though I was thinking a lot. “Oh, yes. I’m fine. The shower entranced me.”
“I have your bag here if you want some clean clothes.”
That would mean opening the door with only a towel covering me and Khellen standing right in front of me. The thought sent a thrill straight to my core, and my breath quickened.
“I’ll just leave it out here.” I felt irrationally disappointed that he wasn’t going to be there.
I eased the door open and peeked out. No Khellen and that was probably for the best. I grabbed my bag and dragged it into the bathroom, pulling out some shorts and a T-shirt. I needed to get some clothes on. Nudity was playing tricks on my mind. When I emerged from the bathroom, I went to look for Khellen and found him in his old bedroom. I recognized it from his holograms before he moved into his apartment.
“All clean?”
I blushed again, turning away and pretending to look at something on his dresser so he wouldn’t see my red cheeks. “Totally. What are we going to do now?”
“How about this? I packed us a picnic, and I thought I’d take you out in the boat.”
I turned to face him, hoping my chee
ks had settled down. “That sounds fantastic. Are you sure I’m not intruding on anything?” I had to be sure after the reception I had gotten from his mother.
“No.” His voice suddenly sounded too loud, and he dropped it to a more reasonable tone. “I’m glad you’re here, Sophie. I felt like I was alone for a while, and now that you’re here, it’s like I have someone who’s on my side.”
“I am, Khellen. But there’s another woman in your life now.” I didn’t want to ask anything overtly, but I was extremely curious about her.
His expression darkened. “You’ll see when you meet her.” He went over to a window and stared out at the wisps of yellow clouds drifting by in the green sky. “She’s no Sophie,” he muttered under his breath.
Why was he comparing his fiancée to me? I needed some time to think and sort things out. Since I had gotten here, my mind felt hazy and dizzy. The only clear thing I could see was Khellen. But I knew that wasn’t my future. We would both soon be married: He to a woman. I to my cause. There was no room for anything but friendship between us. I decided I would reassess my situation when I got into bed in the evening. Until then, I just had to keep myself out of trouble.
Khellen turned around and gave me a smoldering, tormented look. I felt a primal energy tingling throughout my body again. Maybe keeping out of trouble would be harder than I thought with Khellen around.
Chapter Four
KHELLEN
I stared at myself in my bedroom mirror, wondering who the person was I saw staring back at me. I imagined myself to be a hard-working, stable, and reasonable person. It was unheard of for me to give my mother backtalk or threaten to leave her house in the middle of the Mistivan season.
My pale, sky green eyes stared back at me. I shook my head silently. Ever since Mother had insisted that I meet Morda, my life had taken an unexpected turn. Sophie’s arrival made me feel even more confused. It was a pleasant surprise, but I didn’t understand my reactions to her. Her presence made my impending marriage seem like a rash decision.
Looking away from my image, I cursed myself for not having tried harder to find someone when I was younger. Now it was too late, and I was stuck with the bottom of the barrel. No, that was unkind. Morda would make the perfect wife for someone. Just not for me.
