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She could hide no longer as the server came and took their order. She ordered a simple salad and baked potato, while Raymond went for a rare steak.

He smiled at her as he poured them both a glass of wine. “What have you been doing with yourself all these years?”

Hayley stared at the glass of wine but didn’t touch it. “This and that. Keeping myself busy.”

“You gave up on your paleontology studies?”

“I had little choice after I lost my place at college.” She glared at him for a second before looking away.

“Of course, that was an unfortunate incident. I had hoped you might recover from that and be strong enough to go on.”

“Strong enough!” She sucked in a breath. “I did try. I applied to several colleges. I finished my studies, but it wasn’t the same.”

“Yes, that college had an excellent reputation, especially when I was there. Things have gone downhill since I left three years ago.”

Hayley doubted it had gone downhill for the students who were free from his lecherous advances.

“I expect you’ve followed my career,” Raymond said. “My last book was a bestseller. I did a worldwide book signing tour. There’s even talk of me going to other planets and doing similar tours.”

“I must have missed that one.” Hayley ignored anything Raymond published and stayed out of the paleontology section in any online store, for fear of seeing his smug face staring at her from the cover of a book.

“I can give you an autographed book. Some people still like to have a physical copy. I always carry spares whenever I travel.”

“I only read e-books. They take up no room, and you can have thousands to choose from.”

“How progressive.” Raymond grinned. “You can also get my books as an e-book. I’ll gift you my back catalog. It makes for fascinating bedtime reading.”

Hayley nodded. He could do what he liked. She had no intention of wasting a single second on his egotistical scribblings.

“My last paper on the social skills of Iguanodons was also well-received. I had several notable scholars contact me with the idea of collaborating in the future.”

“Lucky you.”

Raymond laughed. “Listen to me, talking about myself and how wonderful my life is. It seems you’re enjoying your time in space. How are you finding things in your new job?”

Hayley glanced at him and looked away. “I like it.”

“And you’re enjoying being in space?” Raymond looked around the restaurant. “It still seems so incredible that only a few years ago we knew nothing about aliens. We were struggling on Earth and wondering how we were going to manage, when the wormhole stabilized and everything changed.”

“I like space. There are lots of opportunities for everybody.”

“Quite right. And what an opportunity you have,” Raymond said, “an exciting new role with My Single Alien. It must have been difficult to secure, given your work history.”

Hayley’s gut clenched. “I did okay.”

“Yes, I imagine you did.” He raised his wine glass and took a sip, his gaze not leaving her. “You know, you need to be grateful to me.”

Hayley raised her eyebrows. He had a nasty glint in his eyes. “What for?”

“I lied for you. When I was contacted by My Single Alien, asking about your history at the college, I decided to give you a break. I remembered how hard you took it when your cheating was discovered.”

“I never cheated.” Heat flared on Hayley’s cheeks.

“It’s no matter. It’s all in the past. I remembered you and how adorable you were. So, when I was contacted and asked questions about you, I was determined to make you the ideal candidate. The fact you changed college midway through your studies was discussed. I simply said you had a better offer from another college. In effect, you were headhunted to complete your studies elsewhere. Of course, if they knew their colleges, they’d have known that was nonsense, but they seemed happy with my answer.”

Hayley swallowed her surprise. She’d had no idea My Single Alien would be so thorough when collecting her references. Her change of colleges hadn’t been mentioned when she’d been interviewed.

“After I covered for you, I became curious about what happened to you after you left the college. I looked into your work history.” A sly smile spread across Raymond’s face. “You are a naughty girl.”