* * *
After winding my way through the dimly lit back tunnels to get to the dining room, my eyes need time to adjust. I squint as I sit in my seat to the left of Raf’ere, letting Jens’i pull out my chair.
The room is decked out in emerald green and gold, but the table is made of a semi translucent stone. It reminds me of Raf’ere’s iridescent scales peppering his high cheekbones.
“How much longer do you think he’ll be?”
“Soon, Marta. I’ve just received word that his cruiser is docked,” the butler says before pouring me a glass of the alien liquor I’ve grown fond of. It’s no vino, but it gets the job done.
I throw back the triangle shaped glass and take a big gulp for courage. It burns as it slides down my throat, but the sting is replaced by that old familiar warmth.
I won’t let him shut down tonight—or distract me with some new and amazing alien sex toy. I need to find out about the world outside.
Gulp two goes down just the tiniest bit easier as my body acclimates to the alcohol. It’s slightly briny, but sweet, once you get over the initial burn.
The knob of the door to the main ballroom spins, and I turn my head away to avoid catching a glimpse of the ocean ceiling in the room beyond.
“Hello, Marta.”
When I hear the door click shut, I turn and smile broadly at him. Jens’i helps to remove his formal coat. He sits in the chair next to me with a heavy sigh.
“Long day?” I ask the alien I’ve been playing house with.
“You have no idea,” he says, and I want to laugh.
I don’t have any idea what he doesout there.I wonder what he did today. We don’t talk about his life outside, but to be fair, I haven’t asked. Maybe I know I’ll be jealous, so why ask and worry about the FOMO?
“Well, it’s over now.” I place my hand over his much larger one in a reassuring pat. He curls his fingers up around mine and grabs a sip of his freshly made cocktail.
“The dress suits you,” he says, letting his eyes linger a bit longer than they should on my chest. I wink at him, and he acts as though he wasn’t just ogling my goodies.
He doesn’t ask what I did today because he knows. Eighty percent of my day is just tending to Nubbins, and the other twenty is split between waiting for him to return and him getting me off.
I was never good with silence though, and doubly bad when I have something on my mind. I feel the question bubbling up from my belly like some uncontrollable word vomit because I can’t stop it.
“So, why didn’t you just take me to the palace?” I blurt out nervously. I pull my hand from his and down the rest of the contents of my glass. The cup clinks as I slam it on the table.
He blinks at me several times with his mouth open.
“What—how do you know about the palace?”
“I guess I don’t?” I answer after a few silent beats.No point in lying about it.
“The same reason I keep you safe here, Marta… Do you even know what’s going on there?”
“Well, no, like I said. I don’t really know about anything—It’s just that the maid had said she was surprised you didn’t just take me to the palace, and I was wondering why.” This isn’t how the conversation went in my head when I imagined it earlier. I was going to destroy him with my feminine wiles, and he would tell me everything I wanted to know!
I’m too impatient to have good plans, I suppose. My inability to lie or sugar coat things has always bitten me in the ass.
“We’re not talking about this right now. I spent all day negotiating with the Andjin diplomat about how we weren’t going to force any of the wo—” He cuts himself off, his eyes widening.
“Any of the what?” Can I keep him talking? This is the first time he’s even mentioned what he does outside these walls.
“This discussion is over. You’re not ready yet, trust me.”
“You know I trust you. We wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing if I didn’t. But I can’t live half a life, and you can’t keep me locked up forever.” I’m laying the guilt on thick.
“No, you can’t, and that’s why it’s not forever—just not right now.”
