“What do you mean?”
“Will Felix decide to stay with us like Sasha did, or will he return to Earth?”
Kheph’s tentacles wilt a little at that. “You’re right. With Sasha, it was so much simpler. He had no family or other loved ones waiting for him. Leaving his old life behind was a piece of cake.”
Unfortunately, Felix’s situation is complicated by the fact that his sister—lovely, luscious Gemma—is still on Earth.
Kheph wrings his tentacles in obvious worry. “Oh dear. What a cosmic pickle!”
Suddenly, he snaps his fingers with all the finesse of a clumsy toddler. It’s a skill Sasha has been teaching him, or trying to, for the past year. I’d say progress is at ten percent. For all that he’s an unparalleled intergalactic computer whiz, things like this can totally stump him. But we still love him.
“You should convince Gemma to join us!” Kheph declares, as if he’s just come up with a brilliant idea.
I roll my eyes.
“Easier said than done, friend. Sure, we’re vibing in our chats, but that’s not exactly the strongest foundation on which to build a case to convince her to leave Earth behind and follow us into the unknown.”
“True,” Kheph muses, “but ever since you first spoke with Gemma through the view screen, you’ve been different. Happier.”
I tilt my head. “How so?”
He cups his chin with a tentacle, thinking about this for a moment. “You’ve got this glow about you that I’ve never seen, at least not like this.”
“You’re right, I’ve been a lot happier since meeting Gemma. In general, I’m easygoing and optimistic. I look forward to every message we share and every new detail I learn about her.”
Kheph gets all starry-eyed. “How romantic! I want you to know I’m rooting for you two. Imagine how perfect it would be ifGemma joined us and rounded out our crew while also officially ending your single status.”
That’s a fantasy I haven’t fully let myself delve into quite yet. If I do, I know I’ll get invested in it so hard that if it all comes falling down, I’ll be devastated.
“It would, but I don’t want to put any pressure on her or myself. Taking it slow for now.”
Kheph’s tentacles flail about. “Say what you will, but I caught you humming Christmas songs to yourself the other day when nobody was looking.”
I gape at him. “No way.”
“Yes, way,” he retorts with a smug grin. “Sasha would say you’ve been walking around with hearts in your eyes.”
My cheeks warm at his insinuation. I can’t entirely deny what he’s saying, but I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. Not yet. After all, when Gemma and I finally meet in person and she sees me in all my tentacled glory, she may decide I’m not for her.
But fuck, I like her a whole damn lot, at least what I know of her so far.
And dark matter and dammit, do I ever want to spend some quality time with her in person. Maybe then so many of my questions will be answered.
Am I already crossing off days on my calendar? Yep.
I lean back, resting my head against the hull of the ship with a sigh.
“My friend, I don’t know what the future will bring but I believe you and Gemma share the potential for something special and wondrous together,” Khephren offers softly. “No matter what you may think, I believe you will find true love like I have.” His eyes sparkle. “Remember, it’s the Christmas season, a time of magic and possibility!”
The comm system turns on, and Sasha’s voice comes through. “Paging Tentacle Boy, my talented husband, please report to our quarters for some pre-dinner nookie.”
Flustered but grinning from ear to ear, Khephren springs to his feet and hurries toward the engine room door. “Gotta run. Good chatting with you, Luna. Don’t forget, I’m here if you need someone to lend an ear.”
And then he’s gone.
Rambo does a little twirling loop, beeps, and says, “I’ll be back.” His Arnold has gotten better.
I pat him on his chrome head. “I hear you, buddy. Now let’s get back to work.”
