"I'm not sure how to start this." Zahra shook her head with a small laugh as she placed her hands in her lap, her thumbs twisting around each other. "I've got twenty-four Earth hours to figure out what I want to do with my life for the next year."
"Oh? Are you being stationed somewhere?" Harlow paused in applying her makeup to focus on Zahra through the camera.
"Umm, yes and no." Zahra figured it was sort of like being stationed somewhere. She would live on an alien planet with her husband. What a strange word to say. Husband. Her last boyfriend had tried proposing, and she'd freaked at the idea of being a fiancé and dumped his ass so fast. And now she might have a husband in twenty-four short hours.
She wouldn’t say commitment scared her, but it was a big deal to say yes to marriage. Even though it almost never did these days, the vows were meant to be until death do you part. Marriage was a monumental decision. Something not to be taken lightly. Divorce could be ugly and nasty. She’d like to avoid it if possible.
"So, I kind of initiated first contact with an alien race and in their culture,” or so she assumed since she didn't know awhole lot about them, "they marry families as a way of sealing a deal."
When Harlow waited for more, Zahra continued, "I'm... well, they'd like me to marry one of their people for one year. In exchange, they'll assist us with the war."
Harlow blinked fast a couple of times. "Wow. That’s a lot to take in. And you have twenty-four hours to decide?"
"Yup."
"Not a lot of time, but," Harlow raised a hand with a shrug. "You'd only be committing to marriage for a year. You could think of it as a trial run so to speak."
"Trial run?" Zahra scoffed with a roll of her eyes. "It'd still be a marriage."
Harlow leaned back in her chair, a smile dancing across her lips. "Sounds a lot like handfasting, like what we did back on Earth centuries ago. Who knows. Maybe you'll have so much fun, you’ll stay married after the year." Her tone light, and a glimmer of amusement in her dark eyes.
"Maybe. But doubtful. We all know how I handled it when David proposed." Zahra hung her head as memories threatened to surface. That relationship still felt like a failure to her. David had been a sweet guy, a guy who hadn’t deserved how she’d treated him.
"Yeah," Harlow laughed. "You telling him you had to use the restroom and then leaving the restaurant... could have been handled better when he proposed. Some women stick around and say no."
"Why did he have to ask some where public?" Zahra groaned. Shame for her actions still pierced her soul. After five years of dating, he'd deserved a simple answer.
Yes or no. Instead, she'd left him high and dry.
"If it makes you feel any better, I heard he's doing really well and might be dating again."
Zahra grimaced. It wasn't like she hadn't loved him. She'd been taken by surprise and so on the spot. So much for being a soldier. Her flight response had kicked in full force, and she’d bolted. "Good. I'm glad. He deserves to find someone who is good for him."
"Anyways, what I'm trying to say is maybe this would be a good opportunity. You've been married to your job long enough. Go out there and see something new. Experience a new culture."
Easy for Harlow to say. Her sister lived life to her own tone. Trying new jobs every six months, a new man when she got tired, and overall enjoying whatever life offered her. Zahra could learn a thing or two from her sister when it came to enjoying life rather than just living it.
"Sleep on it, Zahra. But don't forget to let me know what you decide."
"Are you going somewhere tonight?" Zahra asked, finally seeing the tight, sexy dress Harlow had on.
"Oh, yeah!" Harlow beamed. "My friend somehow got us invites to a club that just opened. Supposed to be a place for everyone that is someone to party. Maybe I'll finally meet my dream man."
"Do you even know what he would look like? This dream man?” Zahra scoffed. She might be afraid of saying yes to the wrong man, but her sister would never get married because she enjoyed men too much. Enjoyed the attention. The gifts. Harlow would never do well as a soldier. A life of simplicity was not for her.
"Yeah, he'll be rich, tall, muscular, and perfect.” Harlow said on a dreamy sigh. “You can't rush these things, but I feel certain you'll know when you meet him. That's how it is in the movies."
"We aren't in the movies." Zahra shook her head.
Harlow rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Remember to tell me what you decide."
"Let me know you got home safe." Zahra rushed to say before Harlow ended the call. Her sister's face clicked off her screen, and Zahra sat there staring at her reflection on the black screen.
"Call General Bohler." Zahra instructed her console as it flashed back to a blue screen.
"Commander." General Bohler smiled as his face appeared on the screen of her console. "Made a decision already?"
"No. But can you send over any files or information we have about these aliens?"
