by Terri Lane
“Let us call this meeting to order…” the human addressed the people within the chamber. The voices quieted and Kohl was given the floor.
“As discussed, I come to you today with the terms my people seek to…agree upon. We are confident that you and your people will welcome these terms as they were wrought out in all fairness to both our kind,” Kohl began, taking the room’s attention. Broadcasters were pointed at him and he knew he had more of an audience than anticipated. But that audience had no voice, their voice sat silently before him. Kohl almost smiled, he knew how things would proceed.
“Earth and Ve’dra will be united in a truly beneficial alliance. We expect your people to extend both technological as well as medical advancements to Ve’dra. This means allowing our greatest of minds to access the intelligences you gain from the United Alliance of Planets, as well as facilitating, at a future date, the entry of Ve’dra into the UAP. For these courtesies Ve’dra will of course see Earth as friendly and protect its peoples from any galactic military endeavors of ours.” Kohl finished on a crisp note and there was a beat of heavy silence.
“Is that it?” one man snapped, rising swiftly from his seat, hands on his hips and a look of incredulity on his face. “You expect us to give intelligence to you for what? A promise that you won’t aim to ‘hit us’ in case you seek to make war against another planet? You expect us to house your people on our planet in order for you to get what you want?” with that brave outburst the rest followed. Of course the humans were not agreeing to something so simple, so easy to agree to, something that benefitted both sides.
“An alliance is an agreement between two states that is equally beneficial,” shouted one person wearing a drab brown suit.
“This is beneficial for both sides,” Kohl said.
“No it’s not. You only want to use us to get to the UAP and that’s the bottom line. Well the basis for joining the UAP is giving access to your space military force, agreeing to extensive peace treaties with all UAP members, as well as donating your best minds to further the advancements of the galaxy. We won’t accept any other terms less than that.”
Kohl was disgusted with the indignant people before him. “You expect me to allow my military to be used by the likes and whims of you people?” Kohl was perplexed, as if such a thing were fathomable.
“It’s the compromise we all have to come to,” another of their leaders shouted that to Kohl. He had had enough. He quickly stood and made his way to the rear of the room.
“I will be back once you have come to your senses. After all, if we cannot work out a favorable agreement…well then Earth would come to unfavorable terms with Ve’dra then, wouldn’t it?”
Chapter 2
Maya
“Miss Lu, Miss Lu!” Maya glanced up from her desk to see one of the bellhops running into her office. “Miss Lu…he…uh—”
“Calm down Jason, relax...what is it?” she asked him slowly and in a measured tone. Poor Jason, the skinny kid barely out of high school that he was, bent over and took two deep breaths.
“Prince Kohl…he didn’t like the food that we brought him and none of the housekeeping staff want to go up there to clean the mess he made.”
“Alright calm down Jason…I’ll go up there,” Maya sighed and got up. Good thing she finished sorting out checks. That demanding Prince Kohl was one entitled male. “You know…I really need to have a meeting about this. It’s bad enough he has hotel security going up there to bring his meals, but now he has my staff scared? This is ridiculous.”
Maya thanked Jason for informing her, and went to go check out a cleaning cart. Of all the intergalactic diplomats present at the hotel, which was more like one giant hotel for off-planet state guests, Prince Kohl had to be the worst. If he wanted to be treated like a prince with people who would demurely put up with his BS, then he should have stayed on Ve’dra. Honestly the way he treated the hotel’s staff was unacceptable. Maya often had to go in to clean his suite or clear out meals just because her staff would beg not to go in there. Luckily he always ignored Maya when she went in. That or she simply knew how lightly to walk around and to stay out of his line of fire.
Maya reached the cleaning cart storage room at the other end of the hall from the kitchens. She swiped her ID badge and the door unlocked for her to push in. She grabbed the closest cart and rolled out, heading to the elevators to get to the top floor. Of course Prince Kohl had to have the largest suite in the place. She took calming breaths as she stepped onto the elevator and rode up. When the doors opened right into the dining room Maya scowled. The cart that had Kohl’s food on it was tipped over and there was a four course steak dinner all over the floor.
Grumbling to herself about spoiled men, she got to cleaning up the mess, throwing out all but the silver platters the plates were served on. After that she scrubbed and treated the floor and went about cleaning the dining table.
“My prince, what if the humans do not accept our terms?”
Maya’s ears pricked when she heard the deep male voice. Whoever it was speaking to Prince Kohl, he was just in the living room and didn’t seem to realize she was in earshot.
“They will. They do not have the backing of the precious UAP. When they went to our planet it was a sole excursion, not approved by the UAP. The UAP have never invited us to become a member because they believe our kind to be…aggressive.”
Prince Kohl’s voice was silky, as if he were a cat with his prey in reach. Maya’s hand tightened around the bottle of disinfectant she held. She never understood galactic politics and she didn’t understand why her people didn’t just kick those Ve’dran assholes off of Earth. They were humanoid, and the same height as humans, but denser and therefore heavier than humans. Their planet was a bit larger so their gravity was stronger. Maya just didn’t understand what made the world leaders so reluctant to take a stand.
“So you are confident they will accept, without a counter?” the man asked Kohl. Maya’s head turned when she caught movement at the corner of her eye. A guard was patrolling the suite and walked into the dining room.
“Are you having difficulty with that?” he asked gruffly. She looked him up and down. He was wearing a uniform of crisp, white cargo pants and a white, padded, most likely armored, vest. He also had a huge blaster weapon of some sort strapped across his back with a sturdy looking pair of dark grey boots.
“No…I’m not,” Maya said, trying to keep any derision out of her tone.
“Well I suggest you hurry and finish with that. Prince Kohl does not take kindly to eavesdroppers.” The guard’s features were nondescript. He looked like a normal guy, pale blue eyes with dark brown hair cut so low he appeared nearly bald.
“I’ll be finished shortly,” was all Maya said to that, trying not to start anything that would leave her way out of her depth. Of course the guard stayed to watch her while she cleaned. She quickly finished, eager to leave the suite before she ran into the prince himself. Thankfully she was out with her cleaning cart just as the prince’s new dinner was being delivered by hotel security, dressed as a waiter.
“I’ll take it,” she said. “You guys aren’t supposed to be serving meals.”
“Are you sure?”
“It’s no problem.”
The security man nodded and left. Maya was not really sure why she had offered to serve the dinner, because she had thought she wanted to go home and unwind, and try to forget all about what her planet was going through and the unwelcome presence that was the prince.
Well, it would only take a few minutes. Then home.
Chapter 3
Kohl
“I must admit, I grow weary of waiting for these petty humans to come to a decision on the inevitable,” Kohl murmured as he watched the large television screen in the living area of his suite. His fellow Ve’dran diplomats had just retired for the night. He only turned on the television to see the progress of the humans’ decision. Earth’s leaders still had not voted on whether the terms wo
uld be accepted or denied.
“The humans are so…disjointed. They’d all benefit from being under one rule,” Sommer, one of Kohl’s most trusted guards spoke up from the rear of the room.
“Perhaps after they accept the terms we can fix such things for them.” Said Kohl, smiling wolfishly. Sommer chuckled. He checked the time on his wrist band and his smile turned quickly into a scowl. His dinner should be arriving, yet where were those lazy humans? Kohl stood and walked into the dining room. He paused when he saw a female setting the table for his food. Though it should have been done already, he silently leaned against the entryway and watched her.
She was pleasing to the eye. Her hair the color of mahogany, her eyes a bright green, her features soft. Her body was petite and inviting. Kohl would have believed her to be Ve’dran if not for his being on Earth. Her form was hidden under the unflattering uniform she wore. Some loose-fitting light brown pants along with a collared white shirt. It would be interesting to see her spread out for him, bared and waiting to provide his pleasure.
“Oh…” the woman turned to see him there, watching her. Her green eyes wide with the surprise.
“Good evening,” Kohl greeted her as she seemed to regain herself.
“I’ll have your dinner set out in just a moment.” Her tone was almost short with him, causing something to stir in his chest. Something past vague interest.
“Very well, you will need to stay once the food has been set out,” he told her, matching her own short tone.
“Stay?” she actually questioned him, stopping her duty even to address him. A female of lesser station. Kohl was briefly mystified. “I mean…sure, okay.” She corrected herself before he could respond and continued her work. She moved deftly and had his food set out within the minute.
Kohl called in one of his guards to of course test the food before he sat to eat. The woman stood beside the cart which previously held his food and Kohl watched her while she watched Meekah taste the food.
Kohl asked her, “What is your name?”
She looked at him with a sort of surprise which she hid almost immediately.
“Maya Lu, and yours?” she said, surprising him yet again. Kohl almost smiled as he imagined the pleasurable things he could do to quiet that straying tongue.
“I am sure you know my name,” he said simply before turning his attention to Meekah.
“All seems well my prince,” Meekah straightened from the table and gave Kohl a brief salute. Kohl dismissed him and watched as Maya Lu prepared to leave.
“If you would, Maya Lu, do stay,” he directed her, his tone not offering a chance of her doing otherwise.
“I…ah, have other things to see to. If you don’t mind,” she said, almost ground out through her teeth. Kohl couldn’t help his smile, he enjoyed making her stay to his will.
“I mind. Though I must admit, it seems… you aren’t very fond of me?” Kohl posed the question to her as he took a bite of the delicately prepared lobster dish.
Maya had had enough of him. She said, slightly sharply, “That’s right. Just like any other human with access to the news, I’m not exactly ‘fond’ of you.”
Kohl was so surprised that he stopped eating for a moment.
“What a tongue you have,” Kohl said slowly. He watched as her arched brows furrowed and a scowl touched her plump lips.
“Excuse me?” she looked at him, head on, her gaze never wavering. Never shifting away or sliding downcast.
“You should be wary speaking in such a manner to me,” he said calmly, resuming his meal.
“As far as I’m concerned, if we both get cut, we’ll both bleed. I’m fine speaking to you as any other being,” she said, almost haughtily. Kohl smiled to himself and slowly finished his meal, watching her as she came to the height of annoyance. Obviously she knew to tread somewhat carefully, or else she would have gone.
“While I finish, perhaps you can make yourself comfortable to spend the night with me. In the bedroom,” Kohl gestured to the direction of the master bedroom and Maya’s jaw appeared to momentarily unhinge.
“Excuse me?” she said. Kohl sighed and stood up from the table to approach her. She backed into the wall behind her, until she could no longer back away. Kohl saw her chest quickly rising and falling. He came to a stop only a hair’s breadth away from her. “I’m not…I am not sleeping with you Kohl,” she stuttered briefly, but her tone was firm enough.
“We wouldn’t be sleeping,” he said, his tone low. He hoped to strike a chord with her and he did. Maya’s eyes drifted to his lips as her breath caught. Kohl could feel the stiffening of his sex and his nostrils flared as the desire to bed Maya Lu blared like a siren within him. Kohl tilted his head inquisitively. He felt the attraction crack like a fiery whip between them and wondered if her senses were the same. Would Maya Lu welcome their bond of lust? Or turn him away, as she said she would?
“I hope you’ve enjoyed your meal Prince Kohl, please do have a good night,” she breathed. Kohl stood in place. Surprise gripped him yet again, but he refused to show it. He simply clenched his jaw and watched as she quickly cleared the table, took her cart, and left his suite. All without so much as a last glance his way.
Chapter 4
Maya
Maya took a deep breath, not releasing it until she was safely in her office. She paced around, wondering if what happened had actually happened. Prince Kohl had really just hit on her! What’s worse is that when he was close to her, she almost wanted to lean into him. But that was ridiculous, the guy was…well he wasn’t a good person. Taking another breath to try and settle herself, she wondered about how long it had been since she’d been with a man. Maybe she needed to get out, flirt a little or something. But right now, her shift was ending.
“Excuse me, Miss Lu?”
Maya turned her head to see the culinary coordinator peeking his head into her office.
“Hey Carlo…” she sighed, waving him into the small space.
“I heard you served the prince’s dinner.”
“Yes. I was up there, and it’s not really security’s job.”
“So everything was all good then?” he asked her curiously.
“Yeah, yeah everything was fine…” she lied. She definitely didn’t want to talk about what Kohl had said up there.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” he said, and bid her goodbye. She gave him a hurried goodbye as she got her things together to leave. But before she did she quickly logged into her computer to change shifts around. She wouldn’t be caught dead going back up there. Her cleaning crew would have to get over themselves, but she’d only send her boys up there. No way would she send any of her cleaning ladies up to that pig’s suite. Her guys would have to grow thick skin when it came to Kohl’s guards and that was that.
Once the schedule was sent out she breathed a small sigh of relief and went to go clock out. She called her best friend, Tilly, while walking to the security room where the computer to sign in and out was stationed.
“Hey Maya girl!” Tilly answered in her usual cheery fashion.
“Till! Tell me you’re free tonight? I need a night out on the town or something.” Maya smiled at Harry, one of the security monitors, and made her way to the staff lot behind the hotel.
“I’m so glad you called! I was actually just contemplating going to this DJ concert at Club Z tonight. Are you up for that?” she asked. Maya jumped on it and they made plans to meet up later that night. She couldn’t wait to put Kohl far, far from her mind with a drink or three.
*
Come Monday Maya felt as if she were walking into the twilight zone. As soon as she clocked in to work and made her way to her office she found about ten of her cleaning staff crowding her office and the hallway.
“Miss Lu! We really need to talk about this schedule…”
“It’s that Prince Kohl, he’s crazy!”
“He threatens us! With actual weapons! His guards too!”
Maya was shocked at what
she heard.
“One at a time please, guys. Now, have you all reported this to security?”
“Yeah, but there’s only so much they can do. You know how he is and how the higher ups are when it comes to him.”
“Okay, okay…we’ll prioritize his room down to only evening clean ups, and I’ll handle it myself…” Maya murmured, a hot annoyance already filling her chest. Or was it something else?
The guys all seem relieved, and some went back to their duties.
“Well if that’s the case then why don’t we rotate if it’s only once a day clean ups?” Eddie offered.
“If you guys are alright with that?” she asked the six or seven who remained. They all gave their approval and she set up the schedule with them present.
Once that fire was put out Maya went about her usual daily routine; making sure everything was in working order in the laundry room, making sure all the cleaning supplies were well stocked and checking on floor rotations; checking which levels were being cleaned, and so forth.
She almost didn’t want seven thirty to come around. That was when she was supposed to clean up Kohl’s suite. She reminded herself that it was only once a week, that the guys would take care of it on other days, and she may not even run into Kohl…hopefully.
Maya checked out a cleaning cart and took the elevator up to Kohl’s floor. It was quiet in the elevator. She could feel her heart thudding.
When she arrived at Kohl’s suite, she stopped outside the door and listened. It seemed quiet in the suite. Maybe Kohl had gone out. She smiled to herself hoping her luck would hold out while she cleaned up.
She knocked, and said, “Scheduled cleaning.” There was no reply so she let herself in.
Inside, she came across no guards nor any sign of Kohl. When she plugged in the vacuum and started it up though, she froze when she saw Kohl step curiously into the room from the reading parlor. He was wearing a normal outfit for once, a simple blue button down shirt and khaki slacks. She watched as a slow smile spread across his lips and was briefly caught off guard by how beautiful his smile was. Prince Kohl was handsome and attractive, and though his attitude often overshadowed his looks, at times it was impossible to ignore. He looked almost exactly like David Beckham, apart from Kohl having almost violet colored eyes. He also had to be about six-seven and was built, but not too bulky. That and Kohl’s gaze was a bit smokier, his voice silky.