“What did you like about it?”
“The adversity,” he says, letting the ball go. Surprisingly, he hits the pins down the middle and knocks over most of them. “Military training tests you at every turn, and I responded well to that. There is also a very strict structure that helped me grow more mature.”
When his ball returns, he tries once more to knock over the remaining pins and manages a spare. I offer him a high five, but he stares down at my hand, clearly confused by it.
“Hold up your hand,” I instruct, and then I slap our palms together. “This is a high five. One of the ways humans congratulate each other for a job well done.”
Khesan’s eyes glitter as he high fives me again, then winds one arm around my waist. He leans down so I can feel his breath against my hair.
“What are the other ways?” he asks. “Do humans sometimes give out kisses as rewards?”
I’m taken aback by his question as a grin spreads across his face.
“O-oh, sure. Sometimes there are kisses.”
Khesan is attractive, and we’ve had a very good time today. I want to be nearer to him, and definitely, I want to kiss him.
I stand up on my toes and Khesan pulls me closer, as if he’s done this before. He cradles my cheeks in both hands before stooping down to press his lips to mine. He’s gentle and tentative, though, only applying the faintest pressure. Maybe like Shathar, he’s only seen this on television.
To encourage him, I respond to his kiss passionately, winding my arms around his neck as I deepen it. Khesan stiffens, then pulls me even closer as he explores me with his lips. I can feel his want through this kiss, and it makes me grow warm all over.
At the sound of a loud gasp, we both pull away. When I glance around us, I find a little kid watching with his mouth hanging open.
“Oops,” I say in a hushed voice. “Maybe we should leave that for the car.”
Khesan grins. “I will happily kiss you again in the car.”
By the end of the game, our scores are fairly even, both of us doing badly. We laugh when I tell him what a good score looks like.
“Perhaps it will take time for me to get better,” Khesan says with a grin. “I’d like to come here with you again, Fiona.”
I nod in agreement. I’ve had a great time getting to know him better. After I return my shoes, he winds an arm around my waist as we head out to the parking lot.
“Thank you,” says Khesan, squeezing me against him.
“It was a blast.”
Then we make out again in the privacy of the car, and I can’t wait for more.
Chapter Eleven
Shathar
It is tedious to be left home alone, wondering what Khesan and Fiona are doing without me. I fiddle with my communicator, then watch some television, then consider making dinner as Khesan did. I make a log of ingredients in the refrigerator and look them up, searching the “internet” for recipes that might make good use of them.
Eventually, I find something that looks manageable and gather all the ingredients on the countertop. I will both make up for my disastrous breakfast attempt and outshine Khesan’s dinner from last night.
Luckily, Fiona has many of the things I need in her pantry, and the chicken is already in the refrigerator. I watch a video showing me how to cut and cook it properly. Once the chicken is prepared, I put it into the cooking unit.
That’s when I hear the front door open. I had hoped to make more progress than this before they came home, but hopefully, Fiona will still be pleased.
“What smells so good in here?” she asks as she enters the kitchen, Khesan hot on her heels. He has a hand resting on her hip possessively, and it takes all my willpower to keep my fans from rising on my head.
“It is a meal called ‘chicken parmesan,’” I explain as I stir the sauce. “I discovered you had ‘bread crumbs’ in the pantry. I thought it would be a nutritious meal.”
Fiona’s mouth falls open. “Chicken parmesan! I love chicken parmesan!” She hurries to my side, peering down into the pan. “Wow, Shathar. This is awesome.”
I preen at her praise, and only hope that I have executed it correctly according to the recipe.
