Falling Like Stars

by Eve Kasey

  “I know what you mean. I’ve been apart from my sister for eight years total. Each time I leave her, Xiaoming somehow changes immensely yet stays the same.” A searing pain cleaved in his gut when he thought about how much time would pass until he saw her again.

  “What?”

  Elle must have noticed the pain on his face. “I hate knowing she’s lonely.”

  But he’d taken this job partly for Xiaoming. In fact, he’d scheduled a tour of an adult care facility in San Diego at the end of the day just in case, by some miracle, he was able to stay in the States.

  “I’m sorry.”

  He nodded.

  Inside, they navigated through the labyrinthine hallways of the middle school with the aid of an energetic principal who walked fast and talked even faster. “Oh, man. Thanks so much for doing this. We can tweet about it, right? You don’t mind? We’re really trying to promote STEM learning here.”

  Quinn had coached them the day before on how to answer these questions. “Of course,” Elle answered. “Just make sure to tag OrbitAll. We’re happy to help and can come back anytime.” Her answer turned into a squeal as they entered a classroom where two teenage boys rushed her simultaneously.

  Chen paused, taken aback. She was right: They were almost adults. The twins didn’t look alike and didn’t look like her. They were dark-skinned, clearly mixed race, which she hadn’t mentioned. In France and now in America, blended families and mixed races seemed commonplace. Not so in China. A divide was drawn around your family and place of birth, an invisible line with massive weight that followed you for the rest of your life.

  He couldn’t help but smile as the more muscular of the two boys lifted Elle off her feet in a crushing hug. She pulled the other one in before releasing them both with a sniff. She shot Chen a joyous grin that went straight to his heart before she started peppering them with questions.

  Chen moved to the front of the room to introduce himself to the teacher, Mr. Doud, a man who looked to be about his age. The man shook his head, smiling, as they shook hands. “Never thought I’d meet an astronaut.”

  “Never thought I’d be one.”

  “Tell these kids that. I want them to know they have more options than basketball and professional gaming. They’ll want to know your story.”

  Chen nodded. The more people he met in America, the more sharing his story seemed to be required of him. These teenagers would be a safe start. Elle less so. He’d scare her away with the intensity of how badly he wanted more than he was allowed.

  “People, butts in seats. Mr. Lew has taken time out of his busy schedule perfecting a frickin’ spaceship to come talk to you about the badassery of commercial space travel. Take it away, Mr. Lew.”

  19

  Elle soaked up the information Chen shared with her brothers and their classmates. The overview of his military career as a pilot. How close he came to failing out of the space program. His story of being stranded in space. She’d heard some of the harrowing story that day in her apartment, but this recounting was different. She was as riveted as the students as he explained about the communications failure that led to him manually reentering Earth’s atmosphere without assistance.

  “Were you scared?” a girl asked.

  “Terrified. We’d practiced for months, so the controls were muscle memory, but one wrong move in space or reentry can be fatal. And I panicked more than once, even though I’d been tested for mental endurance during astronaut training.”

  “Have you ever been more scared than that?” That was from Duke, her sensitive and curious brother. She smiled, proud of the insightful question.

  Chen’s gaze flicked to Elle’s. “Not yet.”

  Her heart stuttered. Watching him interact so sweetly with kindergartners and now share real feelings with these students was slowly erasing all the hash marks in the column where she tracked his irritating behavior. Yes, he was loud and had no concept of personal space, but he was also confident and capable. And this softer side? Now she had no choice but to take him out for dumplings.

  Two hours later, stories told and postcards collected at both the middle school and high school, they were done with Quinn’s little public relations tour. Elle’s stomach was eating itself loudly. In her car again, Chen thumbed through the music options.

  “Don’t you dare play that song,” she warned. Though desire looked good on him.

  He smirked. “I don’t need to. I’ve got it memorized.”

  Her response to that came in longing instead of words.

  He chose an innocuous pop song and very shortly they arrived at the tiny strip mall that held a handful of Chinese restaurants and shops. He peered through the windshield at the bilingual storefronts and windows full of gleaming barbecued ducks.

  “Elle, is this what I think it is?”

  “Yes. We’re testing your xiaolongbao against my street tacos.”

  He leapt out of the car and Elle followed. He did an actual happy dance, wiggling his large frame in her direction. Funnily enough, his rhythm wasn’t bad. The goofy move and the lip-bitten smile melted her insides. The man had moves.

  She shoved his solid back toward the door of the dumpling shop. If she wasn’t mistaken, he leaned into her touch. “I’m going to die if we don’t eat soon.”

  “I’ll take care of you.”

  And he did. He snagged a table without waiting to be seated and spoke quickly and loudly to the waitress. Within minutes, food began to appear. Bowls of pickled veggies, shrimp nestled on a bed of steaming noodles, baskets of bao.

  He lifted the lid off a bamboo basket and smirked at her through the billow of steam. “Ready to lose this contest?” Using chopsticks, he placed a bun on a plate and handed it over. “I’ll wait.”

  “For what?”

  “My winner’s crown.”

  Elle rolled her eyes. “Pretty as this dumpling is, there’s no way it beats a carnitas taco.” She picked up a steaming bun and moved to take a big bite of the pinched pocket of filled dough.

  “I wouldn’t do that yet if I were you.”

  She paused, the dumpling centimeters from her lips. “Are you stalling because you’re afraid you’ll lose?”

  He moved the bao from her chopsticks to her plate and poked a hole in the top. Deliciously scented steam shot out. He brought his amused gaze to hers. “No. I’m afraid you won’t judge fairly if you burn the shit out of your mouth.” He loaded a plate with noodles and slid it toward her. “Start there.”

  The saucy noodles were warm and chewy and divine. She wasn’t as accomplished at slurping as he was, but she tried and ended up with sauce all over her chin. He laughed at her, of course. A large dent made in the pile of noodles on his plate, he picked up a cooling dumpling and ripped off a sizable bite. Seconds later, he moaned her name.

  She pretended she didn’t get butterflies from hearing her name drawn out so sensually from his mouth. And she had to see for herself if the dumpling was as good as he was making it sound. She took a bite. Spongy bun, hot broth, juicy pork, and crispy cabbage spilled into her mouth. “Damn it, Chen.”

  He laughed so hard she was afraid he’d choke. But he might deserve it, she thought, as he continued to chuckle at her expense. Shooting him a glare, she grabbed three more bao from the basket. His cocky grin would be unbearable if he wasn’t so handsome and the bao not quite so delicious.

  He asked about her brothers and growing up in San Diego. He told her about schooling in China, a more rigorous undertaking than her own education. A few minutes of silent chewing later, he said, “Hey, do you mind if we make a stop before heading back?”

  She narrowed her eyes and waited for him to say something snarky, like he wanted to stop at the trophy shop. But the mirth had left his face.

  “It’s a place called Bayview Family Home.”

  Surprise rolled through her. “Why are we going there?” Was he on some sort of humanitarian streak? And of all the places in San Diego, he chose one she had such close ties to
?

  He set down his chopsticks, his gaze skipping around the restaurant before settling on her. “I have an appointment with the director.”

  “Betti Auma.”

  His heavy eyebrows were so drawn that they touched. “Yeah. How’d you know?”

  “Betti is my stepmom. What are we doing at an adult family home, Chen?”

  He stared at her, the serious expression tugging at her heart. “It’s my sister. She has medical problems. Mental problems. Mobility problems. I know she can get better care here than she’s getting in GZ.” He frowned at the table. “I don’t know why I’m bothering. As far as I know, Victory is temporary.”

  He was the rawest she’d seen him. Honest, open, no jokes or smirks. She leaned across the table and put her hand on his impossibly smooth arm. “Bayview is fantastic. It’s not just a job for the staff, or just a facility for the residents. It’s a real home. You’re going to love it. Your sister will, too.”

  His eyes traced a path from her lingering hand up her arm and neck to her face. “But I don’t know how—”

  “Let’s talk to Betti. She has all the answers.” Elle moved her hand back to her lap. “I’ll buy lunch. Bao definitely wins. You ready to go?”

  Mischief returned to his expression. “There’s still two bao left.”

  Smirking, Elle snatched them both.

  20

  Bayview was situated on a quiet dead-end street on a bluff. The grounds overflowed with pungent flowering trees and bushes. Chen could swear he heard squawking parrots as they made their way up a ramp to the entrance of the two-story stucco structure.

  The burly man at the front desk shot to his feet when he spotted Elle, and in a move that racked Chen with envy, pulled her into a full-body hug that lifted her off her feet. “Heard you were back in town, beautiful.”

  “Victory isn’t quite in town, but close enough. Nice to see you, Jerome. Betti in her office?”

  “Think so. Go on back.”

  Elle led Chen around the corner and down a hallway. He paused as they passed a common room where residents arranged flowers in vases. Cheerful classical music played in the background. A tiny Japanese woman wandered about offering encouragement and assistance. Several of the residents were in wheelchairs or using walkers despite their young age. Just like Xiaoming. She’d love arranging flowers. She’d love being around people her own age. People who didn’t pretend they couldn’t see her.

  “Baby girl! I didn’t know visiting me was part of your trip.” The husky female voice that drew his attention away from flower arranging was laced with a classic American Southern accent he’d only heard in films. Steel Magnolias had upset both he and Xiaoming, but that’s what her voice reminded him of.

  Elle’s stepmom was stunning. Curiously, her deep-brown, almond-shaped eyes resembled Elle’s. Perhaps it was their matching dark liner and long lashes. Black ringlets framed an elegant face and delicate cheekbones.

  “Visiting wasn’t originally part of the plan, but Chen says you have an entirely coincidental appointment.” Elle gave her stepmom a hug. Standard greeting around there, apparently.

  Betti sent him a dazzling smile. “I guess we do. Imagine that. Those boys behave earlier?”

  “They did. They weren’t even too cool to hug me in front of their friends.”

  “Good. Go check on Rhea, would you? She always likes to bounce activity ideas off you. See if you can convince her not to retire. I don’t know how I’ll find anyone more dedicated than she is to our residents.”

  “I’ll work on it.” Elle sent Chen a reassuring smile as she disappeared around the corner.

  He stepped forward to offer Betti his hand. She shook her head and pulled him into an embrace. “If you’re a friend of my daughter’s, you’re family.”

  Chen leaned into the contact, touched by the warm welcome, though the hug brought what he didn’t have that much closer to the surface. “I appreciate that.”

  She patted his chest. “Let’s go for a walk and you tell me all about your sister.”

  “I will,” he grinned. “And then you can tell me something Elle doesn’t want me to know.”

  She chuckled. “It’s like that, huh?”

  “It’s like that.”

  The tour and introductions to many of the staff and even some residents solidified that Bayview was exactly the place he wanted for Xiaoming. He felt the rightness in his bones. Figuring out if a move to San Diego was even possible was another matter, one that involved immigration and attorneys.

  Betti led him to the facility’s outdoor space, enclosed with a fence and more towering vegetation. “Last stop. My favorite amenity.”

  Chen stared at the playground for adults. There were swings with built-in seats and straps, even a roll-on swing that accommodated wheelchairs. Flower and herb gardens and wide, winding paths with hidden seating nooks created the feel of a secret oasis. Imagining the look of delight on Xiaoming’s face kept the smile on his own.

  “Elle did this,” Betti told him, glowing with obvious pride. “That might not be something she wants you to know, but not in the way you mean. This playground was her thesis project for her master’s. She found a landscape architect and a contractor and secured the funding all on her own. The girl gets stuff done.”

  “She does,” Chen agreed. “OrbitAll is going to be the best human spaceflight company around, and it will be because of her. She thinks of everything. Of everyone. She’s incredible.”

  Betti turned toward him and cocked her head, a smile on her lips. “Beanie babies.”

  “What?”

  “Beanie babies. Those little stuffed animals with the heart-shaped tags? I met her when she was twelve and she was obsessed with them. She has over four hundred. She still gets one every year in her stocking. We let her think it’s a joke, but I’m pretty sure you’d find a collection of them in her apartment if you looked hard enough.”

  Chen started to worry that his face might break in half from grinning. “Oh, Betti. You have no idea how happy you just made me.”

  Later, miles outside of San Diego, as the traffic thinned and the sky started blooming into pastels, Elle pulled to the side of the road. Their return trip had so far been easy and comfortable, not as charged as the drive in had been. Not that there weren’t sparks. In every respect—looks, intelligence, humor, drive—Elle was the kind of woman he wanted. Her soft edges melted into his rigid ones and despite their differences, their fire burned with the same colors. Too bad she didn’t live in China.

  In no way would his parents agree with his assessment of Elle. That fact, and one other, kept Chen from sweeping her off her fucking feet like she deserved. The other problem? She wanted the real deal and he could only offer limited time. Attempting more than their cautious friendship would only hurt them both.

  “What’s up?” he asked. “Why’d we stop?”

  Her saucy sideways look flipped his stomach upside down. “Wanna drive?”

  He exhaled in ecstasy. “First dumplings, now this? Elle, put your thinking hat on. Whatever you want from me, it’s yours.”

  “It’s thinking cap.” She giggled as she leveraged herself out of the car.

  Gravel crunched underneath Chen’s black sneakers as he rounded his way to the driver’s side, excitement fluttering in his veins. Her R8 was fucking fast. And he’d get to control the radio. He’d lied to her earlier. He could listen to that sensual song about a naked Elle for the rest of his damn life.

  Her bare arm brushed his as they crossed paths. White-hot sparks surged through his body at the contact. Affection came first, but deeper, baser emotions followed. From the one small touch, Chen broke.

  “Elle.”

  He squared his body with hers and moved closer. Too close. He gladly flew the white flag as he let the pads of his fingers connect with the backs of her arms. Her lips parted. Crimson crept up her neck and Chen followed it with his fingers. He slid his hand into her hair and tipped her head up like no barriers could keep
them apart. In that moment, nothing could.

  His lips claimed hers seconds later.

  Elle opened for him, pulling him in with heat and gravity. Every part of Chen sparked to life. This. Her. He wanted more of both. His heart broke a little when her body arched into his, her arms around his neck. She was fucking perfect. Too fucking perfect, with her breasts pressed into him and her tongue battling with his. One more exploration of her mouth and he broke off, hand cradling her cheek. “Thank you.”

  She could barely swallow. Her desire for more was as stark as her black car on that dun-colored desert highway. “For the kiss or the car?”

  “Both.”

  After a long, searching moment, she offered a nonchalant shrug he knew she faked. “Figured we might as well get driving the Audi out of the way. Couldn’t listen to you beg for the next two years.”

  A semi-truck blew by, the resulting blast of wind lifting and scattering Elle’s hair all over her face. Chen tucked the errant curls back in place one by one, sliding his fingers down the silky strands. In that moment, all he knew were the textures of her. Her dark eyes forced the fissures in his remaining resolve to crack open. “I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than you.”

  “Liar,” she croaked out.

  He raised an eyebrow, his index finger still entwined in her hair. The whole world was in his hands with that one strand.

  “You’ve had Earth in your viewfinder. What could be more beautiful than that?”

  He released the soft curl and leaned his mouth close to her ear. She shivered in the warm air. “You.”

  With a grin, he kept walking and slid himself into the driver’s seat of her sexy car. Even at top speed, it was going to be a long drive home.

  21

  The next day Rosie and Elle gathered at the table in Elle’s office, poring over the sketches Rosie’s team had drafted of the hotel that would underline the OrbitAll experience.