Laila
Six months later.
Walking into the bar where she had first met Zac, Laila stopped in the doorway to look around the dim interior. It was the same dingy place, and she loved it. She strode across to the bar, heeled boots clicking on the hard floor. Sliding onto a barstool, she picked up the long hem of her dress and arranged it over her legs with one hand while she signaled the bartender with the other.
“I’ll have a bourbon, thanks.”
It wasn’t just coffee that had become popular with the Taureans. They had a curious palate, and had welcomed the many and varied cuisines from Earth. There were now several human-run restaurants and cafes which had popped up not only here, but on the other space stations that acted as transit hubs throughout Taurean occupied space.
Laila accepted her drink from the bartender with a smile, and swiped her wrist over the chip reader to pay. She took a sip and closed her eyes, savoring the flavor.
So much had changed since her first meeting with Zac all those months ago.
She had resigned from Space Force and was now, officially, a civilian advisor to the Taureans on human issues. Unofficially, it was a cover for her role as the joint leader of a special operations task force.
The team had just returned from a month-long voyage deep into Taurean space, and they had been given a week of leave on Taurus before heading out on another mission. These types of lengthy voyages, Laila had learned, were quite normal for Taurean starships,
Laila spun her glass on the bar between her hands. Zac had asked her to meet him here tonight, to recreate the night when they first met. It turned out that Zac was quite the romantic. Laila smiled at the thought of the giant, scarred warrior being a teddy bear inside. Not that she’d ever let anyone know. That was just for her.
She shifted on the barstool, adjusting the silky fabric of her dress. She rarely wore dresses, but she hoped Zac would like this one. It was bright red, and the toenails that peeked out from her heeled sandals were painted to match.
She turned as Zac slid into the seat next to her, leaning towards her to drop a kiss on her lips.
“Hello, Iriska,” he smiled.
The endearment never got old; she loved how he called her that.
“Hello,” she smiled in reply. “So, what’s the special occasion?”
Zac passed her a glass and raised his own. “To us. May we have many years together.”
Laila smiled. “I’ll drink to that,” she said, taking a sip. She swallowed quickly as Zac slid from the barstool to settle on the ground on one knee. “What are you doing? The floor in this place is disgusting, get up.”
“I hope I’m doing this properly.”
Laila’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open.
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
“I haven’t even asked,” Zac grumbled, a little put out.
Laila laughed. “Of course I’ll marry you. But I didn’t think Taureans married?”
She slid to the floor next to him, no longer caring about how sticky it was.
“That’s true, but I thought you might like to follow the human tradition.”
Laila threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Thank you,” she said, pulling away finally. “This means a lot to me.”
Until she had met Zac, Laila hadn’t thought she would marry. But there was something about moving to the other side of the galaxy and almost dying that put things into perspective.
“So, I thought that since we have a week of leave, we could get married tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” Laila squeaked, eyes wide.
* * *
They held the wedding at Zac’s childhood home on Taurus, in the formal gardens. Laila had often admired the small hedges and flowering plants, artfully arranged to form intricate designs. Zac must have taken notice, for this was where the ceremony took place.
