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“With whom?”
“It wasn’t a date exactly. He’s a guy who’s been coming to my talks.”
“Oh, yes. I’ve been meaning to come to one of those but have been so busy here.”
“I know. I barely made it in time for this one. But I love giving those talks.”
“They sound fascinating. So, you met this guy at a talk?”
“Yes, his name is Elias. He’s a Retar. He’s been to every talk I’ve given and always sits in the front row. He never takes his eyes off me. At first, I found it a bit intense, but he’s just engaged in what I have to say and not some stalker. He asked so many questions I was convinced he’d been listening and wasn’t there to look at my cleavage the whole time.”
“He looked some of the time?”
Hayley laughed. “I saw him sneaking a peek.”
Nell chuckled. “He asked you out?”
“Actually, I asked him. I didn’t mean to, but it looked like he wanted to talk, and we were running out of time. I’m also interested in Retars. I don’t know much about them.”
“They’re an interesting alien. They have a tricky tradition when it comes to the mating process. We’ve had several Retars on our books. Only one of those matches was a success.”
Hayley tilted her head. “What happened?”
“A lot of the males have hang-ups about sex because of the females’ desire to eat them. It’s not that they don’t want to be intimate, but they get stressed by the prospect of mating with someone then have that person kill them.”
“No kidding. I see why that would be stressful if your lover fancies you as a post coital snack.”
Nell nodded. “The Retars we paired with humans needed mates who were understanding and calm and know they need to take things slowly. One couple tried for a year before the human decided she couldn’t wait any longer. They would get so far, and the Retar would panic and leave. She felt abandoned. The other couple lasted an even shorter time. The male Retar attacked her when he thought she was going to harm him. That was a bit messy.”
“It sounds like PTSD. These males experienced trauma and are struggling to live with it.” Had something bad happened to Elias? It would explain his reaction when they were at dinner. “What about the couple that was successful? Do they have any offspring?”
“Oh, well, I did say they were a successful couple.” Nell shrugged. “The trouble is, they decided to have a platonic relationship. They live together and are married. They have their own home and seem content, but they aren’t intimate.”
“A sexless marriage?” Hayley couldn’t handle that. Maybe when she was ninety and shuffled around in her slippers. Even then, she’d like a snuggle with her sweetie.
“It happens but mainly with much older couples.” Nell ate a piece of her cookie. “In fact, I have heard there are some Retars who don’t indulge in sex at all because they don’t want to die. They’re so fearful of the consequences of intimacy.”
“I had no idea,” Hayley said, feeling like a thoughtless idiot. “There I was chatting away about the love life of Retars as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Elias must think I’m a tactless moron. I didn’t know it was such a tricky topic.”
“It sounds like the date didn’t go all that well.”
“If you call him practically running out of the dining hall with a look of horror on his face, then it didn’t.”
“If you ask me,” Ivy said from across the room, “that kind of behavior is shameful.”
Hayley hadn’t realized Ivy was listening. “Why is it shameful?”
“That’s his duty. Male Retars know, when they get with a female Retar, they could die. I hear the sex is out of this world, so it must be worth it. Even so, by sacrificing himself, he’s ensuring the survival of his children. Isn’t that noble? Isn’t it more selfish to decide your life is more valuable?”
Irritation flooded through Hayley. “Not necessarily. Why shouldn’t a male Retar get an opportunity to have a full life?”
“Because that’s their way. It’s their culture.”
Nell touched her port screen and scrolled through a few pages. “We have a complete history of Retars on the database. A few thousand years ago, such behavior was understandable but not now. Their home planet is stable, they’re outside of any war zones, and their population is thriving.”
“Because the males sacrifice themselves.” Ivy smirked at Hayley. “Have you fallen in love with a coward?”
Hayley glared at her. “I have not, and he’s not a coward.” She was surprised by how angry she felt. Could she like Elias more than she’d realized? She thought about him a lot, and before her last talk, had spent time styling her hair in the hope of him being there. She couldn’t fall for him, though. She was not here to find love.
