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Chapter 4

“How can Karn be mymatch?” Ivy looked at Prince Charming in the reflection of the mirror she stood in front of. “He’s fun and hot, but shady.”

Prince Charming slowly waved a gold furred arm at her.

Ivy had left the office and returned to her quarters. She was getting ready to meet Karn. The nerves in her stomach wouldn’t settle, no matter how many shots of vodka she downed.

“I know. I can be a little shady when I need to be. You must keep reminding me this is a fact-finding mission. This is not a proper date. I have to figure out how the stupid My Single Alien database matched us. There must be something wrong with it.”

Prince Charming made a soft snorting sound before inching his way along one of his branches, his long sloth talons expertly keeping him in place.

“There’s no point in telling me off. I’m doing nothing wrong. I need to watch out for myself. I know you do the best you can, but you’ve got other priorities, like eating and sleeping and not falling off your branch.” Ivy did a final check of her makeup. She’d gone for killer red lips.

She’d kept the outfit casual, sticking to the usual jumpsuit, the same as most humans wore. Ivy had accessorized with several pieces of expensive jewelry and a pair of her favorite red boots to match her lips.

She turned from the mirror and walked over to tickle Prince Charming under the chin. “You be a good boy while I’m gone. No late-night snacks or inviting anybody around without me knowing about it.”

He snorted again and reached an arm out as if meaning to climb onto her.

“No time for cuddles. I have a date. I mean, I have a mission. Wish me luck.” Ivy left her quarters before she changed her mind and abandoned the whole plan.

She needed another drink. Those shots had done nothing for her. She was never normally nervous when she dated. This wasn’t even the first time she’d been out with Karn. She knew him. She’d made out with him several times.

The first time Ivy had seen Karn, he’d been dressed in head to toe black, and his skin was pale blue. As she’d gotten to know him better, she realized the color of his skin changed along with his mood, and there was little he could do about it. It helped get a read on him and figure out when he was being genuine and when he was being a charming liar.

Entering the Enchanted Captain, Ivy looked around. She was early. She was never early for dates.

She grabbed a drink from the bar and sat facing the entrance, so she could see when Karn arrived.

The Enchanted Captain was a favorite place to hang out any evening on the space station. Apart from the occasional bar fight when a few too many drinks got consumed, it was a fun place. They often had live music, although some of the tunes the aliens played were bizarre.

The alien who ran the bar, Olid, always let the fun times roll without letting things get too messy.

Ivy sipped her drink, her knees bouncing up and down as she waited for Karn to arrive. She made a list in her head of everything she needed to figure out to see if he was her ideal mate. His background would be useful, what his family was like. She knew little about his work.

Forka were known for their espionage skills. They were basically intergalactic spies. From the odd hours Karn kept and the way he’d sometimes vanish for several days, Ivy knew he was in the same line of work. It didn’t bother her. As long as he did no harm to others, she couldn’t see there being a problem with spying.

“Do you need a refill?” Olid wandered over and nodded at her drink.

Ivy realized her glass was almost empty. She hadn’t even noticed she’d been drinking. “No thanks. I’m waiting for someone.”

“Have you got a date?”

“Yes. No. Well, it’s more a work thing.”

Olid nodded. “Those kinds of dates are always the trickiest.”

Ivy needed to get a grip on herself. “It’s nothing serious.” Her gaze shifted to the entrance of the bar as Karn walked through the doorway. Oh boy, she was in trouble. Her racing heart and sweaty palms weren’t helping her feel cool and composed. This was fact finding, nothing more.

As usual, Karn was dressed to kill in a form-fitting bodysuit. He looked like something out of a freaking Spiderman movie. The fabric stretched tautly over his lean muscles as he strode toward her.

Karn gestured to Olid. “We’ll have two more of whatever Ivy’s drinking.” He slid into the seat opposite her. “I hope I haven’t kept you waiting long.”

“It’s fine. I was early.”

“Tough day?”

“The same as always. Ridiculously happy couples and their babies showing the world how great My Single Alien is.”