All too soon, the food was gone, and I had to reluctantly inform him that I needed to go to bed, as I had PT in the morning.
“PT? Really? I don’t remember you having to do that before.”
“I went running and swimming, remember?”
“Well, yeah, but I thought that was just because you liked it. You didn’t seem to have a set schedule for it.”
“I did not, except for hula.”
“Hula?” Carl looked incredulous. “Every Sunday morning at 4 a.m., I participated in a hula distance course. Basically, we practiced dancing only, but now I’m here with the Fleet, I have to attend a more rigorous hula program.”
“Is this just you or everyone?”
“Humans may attend, but it is mandatory for all Mylos. The children have their own lessons at school and on the weekends.”
“Wow. I’d heard you guys had a whole deal going with native Hawaiians and heard that there was a hula school or two up here, but I thought it was for recreation while doing the whole "help preserve culture" thing you guys do.”
“It is, but it is also a wonderful way for a warrior to stay fit.”
“Can I come watch?”
I dipped my head in assent, as this was allowed, and guests frequently came to watch or join in a taster session.”
“Awesome!”
His thrilled expression only dimmed a very tiny bit when I told him we had to report there at six.
“I best get to bed then too, as the time difference is kinda messing with me.”
I let him use the shower first while I unfolded the couch to reveal the bed hidden inside. I quickly made it up for him, and after muttering his thanks, I went to take my own shower in my ensuite bathroom. I made it quick, eager to get to sleep so I would stop overthinking this business with Carl and his presence here.
My subconscious wasn’t having any of my rationales. I woke up achingly hard, having endured a dream about Carl greeting me at the door in the nude, offering me cake as he was in his ‘birthday suit’. Then he insisted I birthday spank him, and things got steamier from there. I jumped in the shower, letting the cold water do its job.
“It’s your birthday soon, isn’t it?” I asked Carl as I sipped my cup of tea.
“Yeah, in three weeks. Hey! We should go check out the bowling alley that day. Be fun, like old times.”
“Sounds good,” I replied, relieved. One did not go in the nude to bowling alleys and get naked spankings, which hopefully my subconscious would take note of and quit with that uncalled for naughtiness while I was asleep.
It was probably just because of the stupid stuff I was thinking about over lunch, when I wondered for a hot minute if he was hoping to be matched as my mate, I told myself as we rode the elevator to the simulated beach. Yes, that had to be it.
17
CARL
When he’d said hula was a good workout for a warrior, my mind had gone down the path that the movements involved in the dances and the calories expended were a good workout. I was, therefore ill prepared for the sight of a dozen Mylos and several humans running down a sandy beach. An actual friggin’ beach with a simulated ocean behind it. Further down, some surfers were preparing to paddle out. My mind was absolutely blown. The surprises weren’t finished with me yet, however. The men all ran, and after a cool down and some stretches, began climbing two huge coconut palm trees. It was quite the sight to behold, all that sweat glistening skin, the muscles in their thighs, arms, and backs flexing…I damn near needed to go dunk myself in the ocean to cool down. As it was, I just prayed that the loose sweatpants I’d put on in solidarity with it being physical training hid my erection well enough.
“If I join the program here, will I have to do all that?” I asked Kit afterwards.
“You can join a more recreational level class, but you will have to learn, yes, as well as take a Hawaiian language class, in addition to conversational Mylos and Dragonii,” he informed me.
“Two languages?” That seemed daunting. “At the same time or…?”
“No,” he responded, amused. “Mylos first for a year, unless you get matched to a Dragonii, then of course you’ll be relocating and having to learn their language before any other.”
That made sense.
“That doesn’t sound so bad. I’m still pretty fair in Spanish and can order food and reserve a hotel and shit in German.” I ignored what he’d just said about getting matched. I knew that was not going to happen unless it did for Kit and me. I’d read an article about how one of the Mylos, an officer investigating the kidnapping of a child and teacher from that big picnic event, hadn’t realized that the teacher was his mate right away. It had taken him weeks, apparently, so it was entirely possible for the Mylos mating drive to not surface without delays. My personal opinion on the matter, without any scientific backing, admittedly, was that since the Mylos relied so much on the matching service to identify their mates and therefore knew upon first look that they were a match, that it was the conscious acknowledgement of the match that helped kickstart their reaction, usually. Sure, we’d had a lot of contact and social time over three years, but surely some of the genetics of the maternal species came into play, too. Just look at those two vampire ones, for example, who were the first Mylos-human throuple and made all the news.
