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Sinead craved something stodgy and carb loaded. After her fun-filled night at the Enchanted Captain, the greasier the food, the better. But she shouldn’t, not in front of her client. She needed to act like a professional.
“How about a baked potato and salad?” It sounded so dull.
Talyn frowned. “The replicator doesn’t stretch to human food. You’re the first human I’ve had on here. Booby, what’s the closest we have to a baked potato and salad?”
“Pizza,” Booby said.
Sinead’s eyes widened. It was as if Booby had read her thoughts. Maybe she had. “Pizza! I love pizza.”
“Pizza it is,” Talyn said. “Booby, can you do the honors?”
“I live to serve.”
“When it suits you.” Talyn gestured to the table, and Sinead sat down, discreetly easing off her high-heeled boots that had been rubbing all day.
“So, it’s a big day for you.”
Talyn walked over, carrying a twelve-inch cheese, pineapple, and mushroom pizza. “It is. I didn’t think it would be this easy.”
Sinead was almost salivating as she stared at the pizza. “We’re not there yet. We’ve got a few formalities to go through.”
“I’m convinced this is the right thing.” He eyed the pizza cautiously. “I’ve never eaten one of these.”
“Cut it into slices and eat it with your hands. That’s the easiest way.”
Talyn returned with a knife and was about to slice the pizza into long thin strips.
“Let me.” Sinead grabbed the knife, and her hand brushed across his. She rested it there for a moment and sighed. Being around Talyn felt so good.
Sinead stroked a hand up his forearm before she realized what she was doing. She pulled away and blushed. She hadn’t meant to be so forward but touching Talyn made every worry melt away. Whoever joined with him would be one lucky girl.
Talyn tilted his head to the side as he passed her the knife. He watched as she cut the pizza into triangles and handed him a piece.
He took a bite and nodded. “Not bad.”
“It’s just what I need.” She took a huge bite and almost groaned at how delicious the melted cheese and pizza crust tasted.
“Why did you ask for a baked potato if you wanted pizza?” Talyn settled in a seat opposite her.
Sinead sighed. “I don’t want you to think badly of me. I want your time with My Single Alien to be amazing.”
“And you think it won’t be amazing because you wanted pizza over potato?”
Sinead placed her pizza crust down. “No, it’s not that.”
“You have alcohol in your system,” Booby said. “But you’re not drunk.”
Sinead gasped. “How do you know that?”
“You touched my wall. Your pores registered a signature. That’s why I selected pizza. I understand it’s a common food to eat after consuming a lot of alcohol.”
She chuckled. “I was surprised by how well you read my craving.” Her gaze turned to Talyn. “I don’t want to let you down. I can handle my alcohol. I want to make this as easy for you as possible.”
“I have no complaints so far,” Talyn said.
Sinead found herself wanting to open up to Talyn. She didn’t feel the need to keep her sunny demeanor in place. She gave a small shake of her head. No, he was a client, nothing more. His ability was incredible, but it wasn’t for her.
She cleared her throat. “If you could dream up your perfect female, who would she be? What interests does she have? What future does she see for herself? And her physical appearance? Tell me everything.”