Fuck. That. Noise. Domesticity isnotmy jam.
But warrior culture is what is revered on our home world, and the warrior class holds the most power in Dravethian society. Our planet is often attacked by outside species who want to pillage our desirable natural resources, so protecting our home world is a constant struggle.
For safety, those who are not warriors are not allowed to live on their own and instead partner with a warrior or several warriors in order to provide protection. That kind of confined life wasn’t something I wanted. I had too many dreams and desires, and I was tired of the limitations placed on me by Dravethian society. Like Kheph, I wanted to see more of the universe and maybe even find my true love along the way.
“How has FLIRTT been working for you and Gemma?”
I grin. “Top-notch. We’ve been texting every day for the last week.”
It’s his turn to arch an eyebrow at me, his tentacles waving excitedly around him. “Oh, really? That sounds promising.”
I snort. “Duh. As if I was going to pass up an opportunity to flirt with such a beautiful woman.”
And an Earthling to boot.
I have to say, I’m seriously intrigued by her already.
“How’s the flirting campaign with her going? It seems like you two hit it off from the start,” Khephren says.
My tentacles wriggle with pleasure. “We totally have chemistry, but I think there’s the potential for more. We’ve been learning more about one another using FLIRTT, and the more I learn the more she continues to fill my mind.”
And dreams, but I don’t need to tell him that.
“That’s wonderful,” Kheph says, clapping two tentacles together.
“Simmer down, man. I don’t know where any of this is going yet. Having a screen—and light-years of distance—between us is far from ideal. Right now, I’m making the most of this chance to gradually learn more about Gemma. I can say that, with her, it’s not about hooking up for a day or two and then saying our farewells as we go our separate ways. If we can, I want us to try building something that lasts.”
Because my tentacles are telling me we share that potential.
Kheph nods. “It isn’t easy to build a relationship when you’re traveling to the far reaches of the universe all the time.”
“We haven’t been staying anywhere long enough for me to have more than casual encounters. I’m not opposed to those by any means, and some have been really fun, but…”
I secretly want so much more than that.
In our space travels, my encounters with other women have all been fleeting and transient in nature. We stop somewhere. I enjoy a night or two of passion with someone, but that’s it. I haven’t found anybody who wanted to join us or whom I wanted to bring into our very own extraterrestrial RV among the stars.
None of my hookups this past year have even kept in touch and vice versa. Every day I spend on this ship witnessing the beautiful relationship between Khephren and Sasha and the deep mutual affection they share, I can’t help but yearn for the same.
I love the idea of true love, and I want to believe that my cosmic soulmate is out there, waiting for me to find her. Deep down, I’m a cheesy romantic at heart even though I like to act tough.
“Do you think Gemma could be real relationship material?” Khephren asks, eyes big and full of honest hope.
I’m already convinced she is, but I’m not ready to tell anyone else that quite yet.
I shrug and try to play it cool. “Dunno. Our texting banter is a whole hell of a lot of fun, and the more I learn about her the more invested I become, but it’s still early days. The real test will come when we finally meet in person.”
A moment I’m dreaming of daily. Maybe hourly.
Khephren nods. “I hear where you’re coming from, but as your friend, I also want to let you know that I haven’t seen you this amped up since we decided to visit Earth shortly before Christmas last year.”
It might seem a bit out there, but it was in fact our mutual fascination with Christmas that compelled us to travel to Earth in the first place—and then abduct Sasha so we could have a human teach us everything there is to know about the holiday and help us experience an authentic version on our ship.
Skillfully, I shift the conversation to a topic I know Kheph can’t resist. “What do you think about Naj and Felix? Are they making any progress?”
Kheph flails his tentacles. “Those two keep dancing around one another. It’s maddening. They’d be so perfect for each other!”
I scoff. “I predict those two will be an item before Christmas arrives and then they’ll have a difficult decision to make.”
