“And he’s hot.” She smiled and agreed. I finished my make-up and applied cherry red lip stick.
“Help me zip this up.” I bought a new dress just for this occasion. It stopped just above my knees. The burnt pink color contrasted against my caramel skin nicely. The front swooped down to my stomach and accentuated my breasts. My hair fell in loose curls across my bare back.
“Oh my goodness, he is going to love it!” She was happy with her work.
“Thanks.” the doorbell rang. “It’s him.” I smiled.
He whisked me away like a princess. When he said boat, I expected something quaint, this was not. It was a yacht, no smaller than 200 yards.
“It’s new. I wanted you to be the first to take a ride.” He smiled and I looked again, noticing the writing on the end.
I looked at him, shocked to say the least.
“I’ll explain later, a tour first.” How could I concentrate? He named a yacht after me!
It was like a mini house. It had a small kitchen, a bedroom, a bathroom, even a little sitting area. It was breathtaking. We reached a room just off the kitchen, which was set up with candles and two place settings.
“This is amazing, Cade.” I said as I turned toward him. His face was serious. He looked at me with those shining green eyes.
“Salena.” He took my hands in his. “After meeting you, I don’t think I’ve ever loved someone as much as I love you.” I gasped quietly. “I have fallen in love with you, so completely and so deeply. You make me happier than anyone ever has.” I looked up at him in surprise, I wanted to tell him that he made me happy too, that he’s the reason I get up in the morning, but I just couldn’t.
No one has ever said that to me before and I don’t know what to say.” He stepped closer to me and looked into my eyes.
“You don’t know what to say?”
“I do. I just can’t say it.” He breathed a sigh of relief. He kissed my forehead softly and pressed his face to mine.
“Then I’ll keep saying it for you. I love you Salena Martell.” He caught the falling tear from my face and held me close to him. I was exactly where I wanted to be.
“We never got to take the boat out.” He said. He whisked me away early Saturday morning. I was glad my fear had subsided. I could be with him I just couldn’t tell him I loved him.
I wondered where he learned to sail, he was perfect at it. The yacht glided across the water toward the sunset. He smiled at me from behind the wheel and stalled the boat once we were far enough.
“It’s beautiful.” He held me in his arms as we watched the sunset.
“Not like you are though.” He smiled. I turned to look at him and he smiled down at me. I ran my fingers across his face and kissed him softly.
“I love you too, Cade. So much.” I breathed. He smiled against my lips and kissed me, lifting me up and swinging me around.
“You are my light Salena. You are my love.”
THE END
Bonus Story 6 of 25
Alien’s Mail Order Queen
With slightly trembling hands, 30-year-old Freya Reece tapped on her front door’s digital mailbox screen to check her mail. Immediately, the inbox came to life with a list of final warning letters from her creditors. Her face fell and her heart thumped as she went through them one by one. She couldn’t ignore her debts anymore.
After going through them, she threw herself on her old-fashioned couch in frustration and misery. What am I going to do? she wailed in her mind.
Her only source of income, her yoga studio, was on the verge of closing down. She had tried multiple marketing strategies already and had desperately held on to the studio that had been passed on to her by her mom. Both of them were dedicated yogis, and she hated the thought of even considering her last option—to sell the studio and pay off her debts. But there seemed to be no other choice.
“I’m so sorry, Mom,” she whispered with closed eyes, conjuring up the image of her loving mother who had passed away just a year ago. She knew her mom would understand, though, but it truly hurt to let go of the business that she loved with all her heart. Yoga was not just a business to her, after all. It was her passion, her spiritual rock, and her daily dose of joy and relaxation.
She contacted her real estate agent Fran, who began the arrangements to sell the yoga studio. Fran said there were even a couple of interested potential buyers that she knew of.
She tried to calm down then, slowly breathing in and out. She did not have time for meditation, though, as she had to get dressed for a surprise party that her best friend Lia was throwing for his alien husband Bonx.
With a heavy sigh, she forced herself to get up and head over to her small bedroom. On one wall was the only modern furniture that she had inside this room—her closet. It was made of steel with a digital screen where she could navigate through the inventory of clothes she had and mix and match them for her chosen outfit. The wardrobe technology even allowed her to just voice in the occasion and a range of suggested ensembles would appear on the screen. It even made use of an image of her in her underwear which she had uploaded before and could be dressed up digitally, hence allowing her to easily picture how she would look like wearing a particular getup.
Apart from this closet which had actually cost a fortune, the rest of her apartment interior was made up of ordinary furniture, appliances, and décor from ten years ago. Recently, however, her landlady had installed digital mailboxes on all doors of the building.
After browsing through a couple of outfits, she finally settled on a white blouse with cutout shoulders and a short printed skirt that showed her long tanned legs. The clothes suited her slender figure perfectly and made her look a little bit taller. Pulling her shoulder-length chocolate brown locks up in a stylish messy bun and putting on some makeup made her look radiantly beautiful despite her chaotic emotions.
She went back to the kitchen and opened her fridge to take out the cupcakes she herself had baked and decorated. This was her contribution to the party food, which she knew Lia and Bonx were crazy about. Most people ate supplements in capsules and instant food concoctions for their daily nutrition, it was definitely a refreshing, exciting change to actually prepare “real” food when there was a special occasion. After all, parties will never be complete without actual appetizing, mouthwatering snacks and dishes.
A honk sounded outside her first floor apartment. She rushed outside and quickly got into the small electric car of her long-time friend Billy.
“Hey, looking good,” Billy immediately said, giving her an appreciative look. He’d always had a thing for her, but she always managed to dodge his advances. She just didn’t see him that way.
“Thanks,” Freya said, smiling. At least he never failed to make her feel good. “And thank you for the ride.”
“No problem,” Billy replied as he drove off. “Anything for you.”
Freya ignored his flirtatious remark and tone and quickly changed the subject. “I can’t believe it’s already been two years since Lia and Bonx got married!”
“Well, I can’t believe she fell for that alien!” Billy said, guffawing. “Remember how Lia used to detest aliens in general since they had invaded the earth and had become a permanent part of our society?”
“Yeah,” Freya agreed with a grin. “But apparently, only aliens like Bonx actually have the patience to put up with her stubbornness.”
They both laughed, recalling how the two had gotten together and had quickly fallen in love with each other.
“So what about you, Freya?” Billy suddenly asked. “When are you going to give me a chance? Or are you also waiting for an alien to come along and sweep you off your feet?”
Freya laughed a little nervously, unsure what he was getting at but certain it wasn’t a conversation she was ready for. “I haven’t got time for those things at the moment,” she answered truthfully. “I’ve got a tons to sort out in my own life first. Anyway, I’m not in a hurry. The right one will come along at t
he right time.”
“Okay,” he said, shrugging. “But what’s your preference, human or alien?”
“Nothing, really,” Freya said. “What I need right now is a buyer to save my ass from all my debt.”
“But you already sold your car, right?”
Freya wrinkled her nose and frowned at the memory of her good old car, which she had sold a few weeks ago. “I’ve put the studio up for sale.”
Billy suddenly reached out to give her a quick shoulder squeeze. “Sorry, Freya… I would have loved to help you out but I’m kind of short too.”
“No worries,” Freya quickly said. “It’s not your problem. You’ve got a lot of younger brothers and sisters to worry about already, so don’t add me to the list anymore. And even if you had extra money, I wouldn’t want you spending it on me.”
The party was in full swing when they arrived at Lia and Bonx’s humble two-story residence. It was a simple home that they were still in the process of filling up with furniture and appliances, but nevertheless it was already looking good. There was a mini garden up front and a quaint patio painted in white that led to the front door. The entire house had been done in white and light blue, painted by none other than Lia’s alien husband. He did not just have super strength, after all, but also had the ability to jump onto roofs and leap from tree to tree if he wanted to.
Freya knew most of the people present. Billy mingled a bit with them while she went straight to the kitchen to put down her cupcakes. Lia was there, busy supervising the food preparations. Dinner was about to be served.
“Freya, you’re here!” Lia greeted with relief. “Now you can help me with all this.”
“Sure,” Freya said with a smile. She immediately helped her carry out the trays of food and set up the dessert table under the “Happy Birthday” banner. As the guests milled about, chatted, danced to the music, and munched on chips and nuts, Freya and Lia worked together.
“Whew,” Lia breathed when they were done. Even with a sweaty face and hardly any makeup, she was still beautifully glowing. Her flawless skin was evident and her tiny, pretty face was always very welcoming. She had her wavy black hair tied up in a ponytail and was wearing a simple knitted sweater with jeans.
In a few minutes, the guests had all gathered around in the living room. The curtains had all been arranged so that Bonx wouldn’t be suspicious as he approached the house. He was a scientist who closely worked with the government and that day, he was scheduled to work a bit later than usual. He was home right on time.
“Surprise!” everybody screamed as soon as Bonx entered the house. He literally froze on the spot. Then recovering at once, his eyes scanned the crowd and lingered on his wife. Lia bounded over to him and they met in a sweet, tight embrace. Looking at them, Freya was truly happy for her best friend. They made the perfect couple. Nevertheless, a tinge of envy fluttered in her heart as she silently wondered when she would actually find her own husband.
In the next hour, their little startup house seemed to rock with raucous fun and brim with love and friendship. Bonx looked happy too and seemed to get along really well with Lia’s family and relatives. He also enjoyed the company of their human friends. There were of course several aliens in the crowd too, mostly his colleagues who had left work earlier than him to join the surprise.
“Seems like the Earth really suits you now, Bonx,” Freya remarked when the two of them got a chance to talk. “Aren’t you planning to visit your own planet ever again?”
“You know, over the past two years, I’ve actually still been in contact with some of my old friends from Tryptin,” Bonx said thoughtfully. “And now that you reminded me… I just heard that the royal palace has been looking for an event manager. You might be interested.”
Freya’s mouth dropped open. I might be interested? Are you crazy? she screamed in her mind. This is the sign I’d been waiting for!
“Our planet is much smaller than the Earth,” Bonx explained. “It’s actually like one country only, governed by the royal palace. My friend Patrix is one of the head warriors so he’s in close contact with the king.”
Lia, who had overheard the whole conversation, bounced over to them and threw an arm around Freya’s shoulders. “I believe Freya here is more than qualified for that kind of job. However, the question is— are you willing to live there?” she asked her friend.
Freya’s heart beat faster. She was eager to take on the challenge and had always been quite adventurous too. Since she was single with no parents and had only a few relatives who lived far away, and since she was selling her studio already anyway, the opportunity sounded just perfect. “How much is the pay?” she bluntly asked. She wanted to know if it would be worth the move to a strange planet.
“Well, you’ll be working for royalty so the pay and benefits will be considerable,” Bonx said. “Apart from the free lodging and food, you’ll likely receive the salary similar to that of a CEO here.”
“Wow…” Lia inhaled. “Tryptin must be a really rich country. Why didn’t we choose to live there again, Sweetheart?”
Bonx smiled at his wife. “Because you wanted to stay close to your family.”
“Oh, right.” Lia grinned before turning to her friend again. “Well?”
Freya took a deep breath and made a decision right then and there. “I’m in.”
*****
Within just a week, Freya found herself dressed like an astronaut, trapped inside a single flying pod that served as a miniature space shuttle from Earth to Tryptin. According to Bonx, travel time was just a little more than an hour. But she never realized she would have to travel all by herself!
Shit, what did I get myself into? she thought in desperation, closing her eyes fearfully as the pod began to shake and glide across the atmosphere. She wasn’t claustrophobic but her rising panic was making the cramped space and her worn helmet too much for her to handle. Suddenly, she felt woozy and just plain frightened.
“Ms. Freya Reece,” a booming voice suddenly sounded, making her jump in alarm. A few seconds of static followed, before the screen in front of her came to life, showing an alien warrior in a navy blue uniform who looked about her age.
“Uh, yes?” she said softly, opening her eyes and trying to control her growing anxiety.
“Are you alright?” he asked, looking concerned. “My name is Patrix, a warrior general from the Tryptin Palace. Bonx probably told you about me.”
“Yes,” Freya answered hesitantly, looking really relieved that she at least had someone to talk to. “I’m a little anxious in here all by myself. Could you stay with me throughout the journey?”
“That’s not possible, sorry,” Patrix replied in an apologetic tone. “However, if you wish, I can tune in your video screen to a channel of your choice—from Earth, of course. That should keep you entertained and relaxed for the rest of the journey.”
“Thanks,” Freya breathed with a weak smile.
“Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and make sure you’re okay,” Patrix said. “Don’t worry, because the pod will bring you straight to the palace grounds. I will personally pick you up and escort you to your quarters.”
“Okay, thank you!” Freya said.
Patrix gave a curt nod before the live feed disappeared and was replaced by a listing of popular cable networks. Freya figured the monitor in front of her made use of touchscreen technology since there were no buttons to click anywhere. She tapped on a channel and quickly relaxed when a movie came on.
Before she knew it, an hour had already passed. She felt the pod slowing and then descending until it came to a full stop. “Thank God,” she whispered, immediately taking off her helmet and trying to fix her flattened hair with her fingers. There was no mirror anywhere so she just hoped she looked at least decent enough to make a good first impression.
A beep sounded and the wall on her right suddenly began to divide, letting in a stream of bright sunlight. She squinted, letting her eyes adjust to the glare.
> When the door had completely opened and her vision finally cleared, she was shocked to find about ten alien warriors positioned in front of her, all wearing army green uniforms. In front of them was Patrix in his navy blue garb, looking manly and regal.
“Welcome to Planet Tryptin, Ms. Freya Reece,” Patrix greeted, his face and voice both expressionless. “Follow me, please.”
“Um, my luggage…” Freya started to say.
“Somebody will take care of that,” Patrix informed her as she reluctantly followed him. The other soldiers marched behind them wordlessly.
Freya’s hazelnut brown eyes widened as she surveyed her surroundings. They were in the midst of a vast field situated in between tall, castle-like structures seemingly made of steel instead of stone and bricks. Everything looked medieval—in a modern way.
As they walked through the field, Patrix told her that she would be introduced to the king during a formal event that evening. “You will be filling a major position in this kingdom,” he explained. “You have to look your best at all times. You need to impress the king.”
“Okay,” Freya said timidly, not knowing what to expect. She was nervous yet thrilled, constantly telling herself that this was the adventure of a lifetime and a to-die-for opportunity.
In a minute’s time, she was ushered to a grand bedroom styled in a posh, contemporary interior like that of a five-star hotel. Her heart skipped a beat as she imagined living like a sophisticated executive, famous celebrity, or rich business tycoon. A girl can dream, she told herself with a grin as she began to feel more excited than tense while scanning her supposed living quarters from the entrance.
“This will be your room only for now while you are resting and being groomed,” Patrix told her.
“Groomed?” Freya asked, puzzled.
“Yes. As I said, you will need to look your best. Your personal assistant Grailey will be here shortly, along with a cook, maid, masseur, hairstylist, and others.”
Alpha Vampire Romance: Vampire’s Mate (Paranormal Shapeshifter Alpha Demon Vampire Romance) (Coming of Age Werewolf BBW Shifter Women’s Fiction Short Stories) Page 20
