Boss Me Hard

by R. R. Banks

  "The shuttle's here," Zuri said.

  Suddenly she was nervous. No one had told her which professor was coming, and she was worried that it might be one of the women with whom she hadn't gotten along very well while she was on Earth. Fortunately there weren't many of them, but she didn't feel prepared to not only deal with one of them for however long she decided to stay on Uoria participating in the exchange program that as of yet had scarcely gotten underway, but to also have to go through the explanations as to why she had submitted papers to take an indefinite leave of absence from the university and stayed on Uoria. She hadn't told a single person on Earth other than Samira what had happened between her and Ero, or why she was choosing to join the Denynso. It wasn't that she meant to hide it from anyone, or that she didn't want her former coworkers or anyone else to know, it was simply that she hadn't cared enough about their perceptions of her or her choices to share it with them.

  "Since the warriors aren't here, I've told the shuttle commander that you will be greeting the professor," Creia said to Zuri.

  "Me?"

  "Yes. You are a fellow professor and a colleague from the university. It will be comforting to see a familiar face and to have some guidance."

  Zuri didn't have a chance to respond before Creia climbed back up the stairs to Theia and they both walked back into the meeting hall, likely to take their places in their main throne room so that they could greet the new teacher they way they did all visitors from Earth. It was both a comforting and intimidating moment that Zuri remembered clearly from her arrival. Thrust in front of the king and queen just moments after meeting Ero, she had felt welcomed onto the blanket, but also somewhat scrutinized. After spending time with the Denynso she knew of the threats that they had faced and felt herself being just as wary of the newcomer as she assumed they had felt about her.

  Chapter Eight

  By the time they made it to the landing platform, the shuttle had settled completely into place and the plumes of white smoke had begun to disappear into the air. The shuttle would stay there for at least 24 hours to give the crew a chance to rest and recuperate after the long journey and prepare for the equally long journey back. Zuri found herself wondering if the flight attendants had the option of undergoing the sedation process that many of the passengers did when they were on their way back to Earth. If the shuttle was empty, there really wasn't much for them to do. Perhaps, though, they were required to stay awake simply because they were working and it wouldn't seem practical to pay them for working five days when they were merely sleeping.

  The door to the shuttle hissed slightly as it loosened from its position in the shuttle wall and opened out into the space above the elevated landing platform. Zuri watched as the shuttle commander, the same pilot who had been in charge of her trips from Earth to Uoria, back to Earth, and then back to Uoria again, stepped out onto the platform and took a deep breath of the cool air as if relieved to be out of the shuttle for the first time in days. Behind him came a young man and a young woman wearing the flight attendant uniform. She thought that the young man could have been the one who had been with her on one of her flights, but she wasn't positive. She didn't recognize the woman, an obvious hasty replacement for the attendant who had used her position on the shuttle as a means of betraying the Denynso because of an old family grudge.

  The women shifted behind her as they waited a few more seconds for the professor to come out. It had been Zuri's experience that passengers who chose to stay awake during the voyage were usually standing right in front of the door with their luggage at their feet, ready to bolt out of the shuttle as quickly as they possibly could when the craft landed because they were so desperate to not be in the same small space, staring out of the window at the deep blackness that was the universe. To her this meant that the new professor must have taken the option given to all of the passengers and been put into a deep sleep to pass the trip. She had done it on one of her trips, and though she had to admit that it made the days pass far more quickly and numbed the pain that she had been feeling, it was not something that she would have wanted to do on her first voyage. That is something that she wanted to feel in control of and remember.

  After another few seconds of waiting she saw a large suitcase fly out of the door to the shuttle and skitter across the platform followed by another, and then a smaller bag. Finally a figure stepped into the doorway and Zuri couldn't withhold her gasp of surprise. It was a man.

  The whispers that came from the women behind her told Zuri that they had all been assuming the same thing; that the new professor that would come to Uoria to be a part of the exchange program would be a woman. She wasn't sure why she had assumed that, other than that she was the only professor to have come to the planet and that the majority of the professors who had been in favor of the exchange program and voiced even the slightest interest in being a part of it were women. Even the only two students who had made their way to the program, Leia and Samira, were women. This middle-aged man's sudden appearance seemed somewhat out of place, like it was throwing the balance off track.

  The man stepped forward and stretched his back, looking down to offer a grin to the women gathered at the foot of the platform, and Zuri suddenly recognized him.

  "George?" she called up to him.

  "Zuri!" he boomed, the lilting accent in his voice sounding both familiar and strange.

  She had worked with George for a few years prior to coming to Uoria, though they were never what she would have considered close friends. She wasn't sure how she felt about him being the professor who was joining the program on Uoria, but she also didn't know how she would have reacted had it been one of the women. As she stood there watching George gathering his bags so that he could carry them down off of the platform, Zuri realized that she was feeling so protective of the compound and the Denynso that she didn't think she would have reacted well to anyone new coming. She would have just as soon cancelled the program and stopped anyone else from coming to the planet.

  "Where to?" George asked as he came up beside Zuri.

  "When new visitors arrive on Uoria, the first place they go is to meet the king and queen. We'll take you there."

  "Sounds good."

  "You might remember Samira," Zuri said, gesturing toward the youngest of the human women.

  "Of course. It's good to see you, Samira."

  Samira nodded and stepped out of the way so that Zuri could introduce the other two women, who exchanged pleasantries and handshakes with George. Zuri could see that all of them were looking at him with expressions that said they were feeling much of the same confusion and uncertainty as she was.

  "And this is Zsilvia."

  Zuri stepped back so that she could gesture toward the Denynso woman. Zsilvia had fallen back a few steps from the rest of them and looked somewhat startled when Zuri urged her forward. George reached forward and Zuri saw Zsilvia's hand tremble slightly as she placed hers against his palm. He closed his fingers around her hand and held it for a few seconds rather than shaking it as he had with the other women.

  "Hello," Zsilvia said, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

  "It is very nice to meet you," George said.

  After a moment Zuri placed a hand on Zsilvia's arm.

  "We should get to the meeting hall. Creia and Theia will be expecting George."

  Her intrusion in the suspension between the two of them seemed to bring Zsilvia back into reality and she stepped away from George, her hand falling away from his and her eyes dropping to the ground. Zuri withheld the smile that was teasing at her lips and started back down the path away from the shuttle and toward the meeting hall.

  Chapter Nine

  As hard as she tried to keep her eyes focused on the king and queen, Zsilvia couldn't seem to stop them from wandering to George's back. He stood several feet ahead of her, facing the king and queen as they stood near the edge of their throne platform looking down at him just as they did with everyone who came to the compound.
She was positioned on the side of the hall, taking up the position that would usually be held by the warriors who accompanied the visitors from the shuttle to the meeting hall. Though she was obviously not a warrior, she was a close as was available at the time, and it was important to maintain tradition.

  "We are very excited to have you here with us," Creia said.

  George nodded and Zsilvia felt her eyes travel down his body again. They didn't seem to care how much her mind was telling them to stay focused and to keep away from him, but traced the broadness of his shoulders and the definition of his back through his shirt. He was not as large as the warriors, but still the biggest human man that she had ever seen. What startled her even more than his size, however, was his age. She had anticipated him being young like the human women. Even Zuri, who was the oldest of the women to have come from Earth, was at least 10 years younger than him.

  Instead of making him look weathered or worn, however, the age made him seem strong, steady, and more dignified than the young warriors. Despite his broad, willing smile and the energy that exuded from him as he carried his huge suitcases with absolute ease, he had a sense of stability and control within him that stood in stark contrast to the wound up, often unpredictable nature of the warriors. She found desperately not to think about it, but she found it irresistible.

  "We have found ourselves very fond of the women who have come here before you," Theia said with a laugh and the human women standing behind George chuckled.

  "I look forward to the opportunity to get to know all of you and to work toward our mutual goal of cooperation between the planets."

  George's voice was different than anything Zsilvia had ever heard. The accent was rumbling, like water rushing over rocks, but occasionally added a sharp edge to a word as if it were more difficult for him to say than the others. The sound rolled through her, seeming to reach deep inside her and settle into her chest.

  "Usually we have one of our warriors act as protector and guide for our human visitors, but our men have recently left the compound on a quest that will keep them away for an unknown amount of time. Since you are already acquainted with Zuri, she may act in a warrior's stead."

  Zsilvia watched Zuri step forward to address the king and queen.

  "With all due respect, as much as I would like to ensure that George settles into the compound comfortably and has everything that he needs to get accustomed to his new surroundings, I don't think that I'm right for the position," she said.

  Creia looked at her sternly.

  "Why?"

  "Ero, sir," she said matter-of-factly, "I know that he would understand, but I don't think that he would like me taking on that role for another man, particularly while he is gone from the compound. I must respect my mate and his feelings."

  With Zuri's mention of her mate, Zsilvia saw George look sharply at his former colleague and then back at the monarchs. Creia had a softer expression on his face now and was nodding slowly.

  "I didn't think of that, Zuri, and I thank you for your honesty and your respect for Ero. I agree that it wouldn't be right for you to act as protector and guide for another man while your mate is away from the compound. He has to have someone, though. It is our law, and as you know, we will not compromise on it."

  "Allow Zsilvia to do it," Zuri said.

  Zsilvia felt her stomach tighten and drew in a sharp breath that she immediately hoped the others hadn't heard. The king turned his attention to her and she pulled herself up to her full height, trying to look as attentive as she could.

  "Zsilvia?"

  "Yes, sir?"

  "Could you please come here?"

  For a brief moment she wasn't sure that her legs would be able to carry her the full distance between where she was standing and the spot the rest of the group had made for her in front of the king and queen by parting and moving slightly away from the center of the room. Even worse, she feared that if she did make it up there, George would see her body trembling and feel the pulsing, intense heat she could feel forming in her skin.

  Finally she forced herself to take a step forward and then another, fighting to keep her eyes locked tightly on the king where he waited for her near the edge of the platform.

  "Yes, sir," she repeated when at last she made it to the spot.

  Out of the corner of her eye she could see George looking at her, his eyes a swirl of brown and green that she had never seen and his full lips forming only the slightest hint of a smile. She wouldn't let herself look at him, but kept eye contact with the king, who had lowered his gaze slightly.

  "Will you take on the responsibility of being the protector and guard for George while he is here? Help him settle in to his new house and get accustomed to the compound?"

  "Yes, sir."

  It seemed those were the only words that she was able to get past the tightness in her throat. She should have said something else, expressed herself in a more thorough and meaningful way, but she could only agree to the request, as she knew she really had no choice but to do as the king asked, and hope that she would be able to get control of her emotions before they walked out of the meeting hall.

  "Good. George, this is Zsilvia."

  "We've met," George said, his voice sounding slightly smoother and richer, "but I am happy to meet you again."

  He said the last part directly to her and Zsilvia felt a shiver ripple down her spine. She couldn't resist looking at him then, and when their eyes met she felt a surge through her like nothing she had ever experienced. She was suddenly intensely protective, wanting to take care of him and make him as comfortable and happy as she could. An ache had begun to build low in her belly and the longer she looked at him, the more intense the feeling became.

  "I'm sure you are eager to settle in after that long journey," Creia said, his voice sounding like he felt completely confident and that everything was properly in place, "I'll let Zsilvia show you to your house. I look forward to talking with you more over dinner tonight. Zuri, I'd like for all of you to eat in the banquet hall tonight so that we can welcome our new guest."

  "Absolutely. We look forward to it. I will go straight back to Eden's house and make sure that she's up for it."

  "Thank you."

  The room fell silent and Zsilvia knew that the inevitable had come. She couldn't draw it out any longer. The meeting with the monarchs was over and she now had to live up to her responsibilities and duties as his guard and protector, which meant walking away from everyone in the hall who seemed to be acting as a buffer, giving her space and distance from George, and being alone with him.

  Chapter Ten

  The ache was becoming almost unbearable as Zsilvia walked along beside George. The house that they had set aside for him was toward the far end of the compound and they had been walking in silence since they left the meeting hall. She had offered to help him carry his luggage, but he had adamantly refused and swept the suitcases and bags up off the floor as if they weighed nothing. She couldn't help but admire the defined swells of his muscles through his shirt and the way they shifted with the weight of his luggage as he walked.

  "Where have the warriors gone?"

  George's voice suddenly filling the silence startled Zsilvia and she couldn't seem to process what he had asked.

  "Excuse me?"

  "The warriors. The king mentioned that all of the warriors have left the compound on a quest and that you don't know when they're going to be back. Where did they go?"

  "To explore the planet," Zsilvia answered simply, unsure of what else to tell him.

  "Are they looking for something in particular?"

  "They are just looking. None of the Denynso have ever left the compound and some recent unpleasant events have made it so the men want to know what else is out there."

  "What kind of unpleasant events?"

  "There was a war," she said reluctantly. She didn't want to talk about the Klimnu or the battles that broke down the warriors and took Jem's life, "The men decided that
we need to know what other kinds of species exist on the rest of Uoria and if any of them are threats to us. Especially Pyra. He's the leader of the warriors. His mate, Eden, is getting ready to give birth to their first child."

  George nodded his understanding.

  "I can imagine that would make him feel very protective."

  "Do you have any children?"

  Zsilvia surprised herself with the question, but the need to continue hearing him speak was growing, and with it, the ache that had settled into her pelvis and was tormenting her with every step.

  "No," George answered, his eyes sliding over to her, "Do you?"

  Zsilvia shook her head.

  "Pyra and Eden's baby will be the first of the new generation."

  "None of the rest of you have children?"

  "No."

  "That's interesting."

  She wasn't sure that she liked the way he had said that, but she reminded herself that he was a professor who had come to the planet for the purpose of teaching the Denynso about Earth and the ways of the humans that lived there, and to learn about Uoria and the Denynso. His fascination was academic, which suddenly made her feel uncomfortable, as if she was a specimen that he was examining.

  They fell into silence again as they turned onto the road where his house was located and she led him to the front door. It was a small cabin just like the other ones that the Denynso had created specifically for the human visitors who came to the compound. Since the first several humans that came had been kept strictly to the six-month maximum visit duration that Creia had imposed, the cabins were simple and straightforward.

  George didn't seem bothered by this as he stepped inside and looked around. There was enough daylight coming through the windows that the inside appeared bright and welcoming, but she knew that as soon as the late afternoon hit, the interior would grow dark.

  "There is no electricity," she told him, "The lamps, water heater, and stove all work by solar power. There are also a few plants around that will glow so you can keep the lamps off as much as possible to conserve the power."