by T. J. Quinn
“If you’re so sure about her, how come you’ve never introduced her to me?” Zorban asked, with a frown.
He and Matthew had been friends for five years now. They had met shortly after Zorban had arrived at the planet, looking for a place to hide and lick his wounds. He hadn’t been in a good place back then, but Matthew had taken him under his wing and had forced him out of his dark mood.
Matthew looked uncomfortable and squirmed on the chair for a few moments before he answered his question. “Because I was afraid to lose her.”
“What? What the hell are you talking about?” he asked, with a deep frown.
His friend sighed and jumped out of his chair to walk to the huge window that opened up to Elliot Bay. He stayed there in silence for a few moments before he turned around and looked at Zorban. “You’re a woman’s magnet. So far, I haven’t met a woman that hasn’t melted at the sight of you,” he confessed. “When I met Joanne, I decided I had to keep her away from you, no matter what.”
Zorban’s frown became even more profound. “You know I would never hit on a woman you were dating,” he protested.
“I know that. You don’t have to. They throw themselves at your feet and sometimes, you don’t even see them,” Matthew said, with a hint of jealousy in his tone.
“What changed? Why do you feel comfortable to introduce her to me now?” Zorban asked, not sure he liked his friend’s description of him. He had been with many females ever since he had arrived at planet Earth, but he hadn’t noticed women reacted differently to his presence. “Aren’t you afraid she might fall for me?” he asked with a sarcastic tone.
Matthew scowled. “I deserve that, I know… but no, I’m not afraid of that anymore. Joanne loves me as much as I love her. Meeting you won’t change her feelings.”
“Well, then I can’t wait to meet her.”
Matthew returned to his seat in front of Zorban’s desk. “There’s something else,” he said, with a smile. “I want you to be my best man.”
Zorban had been to a few weddings by now, and he knew the importance of his friend’s request. He smiled, pleased. “It will be my pleasure,” he assured him.
“Good. I’ll have a dinner party this weekend for you to meet Joanne and some of her friends. Please, try not to seduce any of the bride’s maids.”
Zorban frowned. “You exaggerate my seduction skills.”
“I wish I did,” Matthew sighed. “Can I count on you?”
“I’ll be there.”
“Have you checked the new cell phone? George told me he would be sending it to you today,” he asked, changing the subject.
When Zorban arrived at planet Earth, he had been lost for a few months, not sure how he would make a life for himself on a strange planet. Everything was unfamiliar, and the planet’s technology seemed too rudimentary for him. He was complaining about it to Matthew one night, and his friend’s answer had changed both their lives: ‘Why don’t you do something about it?’
He had done something about it, with Matthew’s help and now they owned a multimillion-dollar company that manufactured cell phones, tablets, laptops, and a few other electronic devices.
“Yes, he has. I’m not very pleased with the case, but they are already working on the changes I suggested,” Zorban explained.
“Perfect.” He got up again. “I have to go now. Joanne is cooking dinner for me tonight, and I can’t wait to get home.”
Zorban smiled. “Have fun. I’ll see you in the morning.”
After his friend left, Zorban got up and walked to the window. He never got tired of the view, it had been one of the reasons he chose that office. Seattle was a lovely city. Not too small, nor too big, and cold enough to make him feel comfortable. Whenever he was homesick, he would fly to Mount Rainier and enjoy the reinvigorating cold air and the gentle caress of the snow.
The sun finally disappeared and gave way to a full moon and a starry night. It was time for him to go back to his place. He had bought a penthouse not far from work, where he spent most of his free time.
Staying off the radar was vital for him. He knew his fictional past wouldn’t stand a thorough investigation, so he had asked Matthew to be the company’s face. Not many people knew who he was, or what he did and he wanted things to stay just like that.
Not even the women he dated knew much about him, and none lasted more than a few weeks in his life. He had lost his soulmate, and he knew he wasn’t going to find another one, so he saw no reason to give them hope of a future he knew was impossible.
Once at home, he went straight to his office. He needed to contact his mother, back on Thalia and he kept his communication device hidden in there. He knew it was risky, but he couldn’t cut all communication with his home planet, he just couldn’t.
“Zorban, darling, I’m so happy to see you,” his mother greeted him, with a faint smile. He could tell she was worried.
“Hello mother, what’s going on?”
“Your father is ill, and I’m suspecting your uncle is behind his sudden illness,” the queen confessed, in a low whisper. He knew she feared someone could hear her, or find her talking to him.
“You know he’s desperate to take over the throne. With me out of the way it’s just a matter of time,” Zorban pointed out, in a bitter tone.
“You should have stayed here, where you belong,” she complained, wiping a tear from her fair cheek.
“I didn’t have a choice; mother and you know it. After fifteen solar rotations looking for a new soulmate, it was more than obvious for everyone that I wasn’t going to find one,” he said, running his fingers through his long hair.
“We all know he was responsible for Leena’s disappearance,” Queen Mayala said, her fury and impotence evident in each word.
“Yes, but no one was able to prove it. I’m destined to be alone, mother and there isn’t much we can do about it.”
“I refuse to believe that. I refuse to believe Thalia is to fall into the hands of a murderer, a person capable of anything to get what he wants. That would be the destruction of our people, and you know it,” she grumbled through gritted teeth.
“I know, mother, but there isn’t a thing I can do. Jharb has too many supporters amongst father’s council, and I warned him about it, but he chose to ignore my warnings,” he ranted, though he knew his mother was not to blame for that. “Those men helped Jharb to get me thrown off Thalia under father’s watch.”
“How can you say that? Your father…” his mother tried to defend her husband, but he didn’t allow her. Not this time.
“My father had the power to put an end to Jharb’s ambitions, and he didn’t. He chose to hope for the best and his inaction has brought us to this.”
His mother sobbed, but this time Zorban didn’t take back his words. It was time his mother understood she was married to a weak man, afraid to confront his own brother and stop his nefarious plans for Thalia and its people.
Queen Mayala wiped the tears from her face with a tiny handkerchief before she looked at her son. “This is why you need to be here. A lot of people were against sending you away, and I’m sure they would be more than happy to help you reestablish the natural order of things,” she said, using her best persuasive tone.
Zorban sighed. “No one will support a man with no mate, mother and we both know that.”
“Your mate wasn’t born yet, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find one. Jharb pressed the council members to rule you as unable to succeed your father on the throne, just to assure his own position, but I’m sure your mate is out there, somewhere,” his mother refuted his words.
“We can’t know that for sure, mother. Not everybody finds a second mate,” he pointed out, tired of the whole situation.
Queen Mayala sighed. “If your father dies, we’re doomed,” his mother said in a low tone.
“Then, keep him alive as long as you can, mother, and start looking for a possible heir, someone willing to stand up against Jharb.”
“
I already have that heir, Zorban, he came out of me,” she protested and ended the call.
Chapter Two
Zorban leaned back on his chair and roared his frustration. He should have known Jharb wouldn’t stay still and watch him kill his ambitions. He should have kept Leena with him at all times, made sure she was protected until she reached maturity, but with the thrill of finally having found her, he had lowered his guard and Jharb had stroked him hard.
Leena was gone, and he was convinced she had taken with her any chance of him ever finding a soulmate. He was destined to be alone.
With a heavy sigh, he jumped to his feet and went for a swim in his outdoor pool. His friends kept telling him he was insane for swimming in cold weather, but nothing made him feel better than a cold swim.
The average temperatures on his planet were very low, compared to the ones on Earth, and sometimes, he felt overwhelmed by the heat, especially on the hot summer nights. Swimming in very cold water used to bring him back to life.
After spending an hour in the pool, he finally came out of it and enjoyed the meal his housekeeper had left for him. Despite his struggle to forget it, the conversation with his mother played again and again in his mind, raising his frustration to unexpected levels.
Matthew’s dinner party ended up being a whole weekend partying in his cabin up in the mountains. Though it was a bit cold, since the fall was slowly giving way to the winter, they had a great time.
Joanne was everything Matthew had told him, and he had kept his promise and stayed away from the bride’s maids, especially from Hannah, the maid of honor. She made sure to let him know she was available and willing, but he ignored her insinuations as gently as possible.
“How come I haven’t met you before?” Joanne asked Zorban, one night, while they were watching the sun go down behind the mountains.
“You should ask Matthew that,” he answered with an amused scowl.
“I did, and he mumbled a few incoherent words that didn’t explain anything. That’s why I’m asking you,” she said, with a smile.
Zorban looked at her and decided to tell her the truth. He wanted to see if she was sure of her feelings for his friend. “I was afraid you might fall for me. According to him, every woman I meet falls for me.”
She looked at him with incredulity. “I would never fall for you,” she assured him. “You’re definitely not my type. Too attractive, too damn sure of yourself. No offense,” she added, smiling.
“None taken,” he chuckled. “I’m glad he found you, then.”
“I’m glad I found him,” she said, with love written all over her face. “He has given sense to my life, making me believe fairy tales do exist.”
He had no idea what she was talking about, but he figured she was talking about the love they shared.
“So, when will you get married?” he asked, changing the subject.
“A week before Christmas. I want a winter wedding, and Matthew has agreed with me. There’s no reason to wait.”
The preparations for the wedding took most of Matthew’s time, especially when Joanne decided to have the wedding ceremony in Anchorage, Alaska. That implied flying the guests up there, in midwinter, but apparently, everybody was thrilled with the whole idea.
After a little research, Zorban assumed the best man’s role perfectly, organizing the best bachelor party he was able to come up with in Anchorage. Matthew and his friends loved it, so he guessed he had done an excellent job.
The cold weather in town made him feel at home, and it cheered him, as few things did. He had even gone for a swim in the frigid ocean. Certainly, one of the best experiences he had had on the planet. He had found a new place to escape to whenever he felt the need to feel close to home.
“Where were you?” Matthew asked when he returned to the hotel that afternoon.
“I went for a walk around town. I really like this place,” he said, omitting his trip to the beach. Matthew wouldn’t understand. “Is everything ready for tomorrow?”
Matthew sighed. “Joanne is quite disappointed with the ice chapel. It’s far from what she had been hoping for.”
Zorban frowned not sure what to do. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.
Matthew shook his head. “She asked the ice sculptor to work on it, and she agreed to try,” he explained. “Let’s hope she’s able to do a good job.”
“Perhaps, I should go and offer my help,” Zorban said, wishing he could use his abilities with snow and ice to help his friend. But that would be too dangerous.
Humans didn’t react well to talents they couldn’t explain. Putting himself in the spotlight would be a huge mistake since it could expose him for what he was – an alien.
“No, thank you. She has requested to be alone to do the job and Joanne has ordered everybody to stay away from the chapel. She’s sure the woman will work miracles on the chapel.”
“Let’s hope she’s not disappointed.”
“Yes, those are my feelings exactly,” Matthew said in a somber tone. “We’ll have rehearsal dinner in a couple of hours. Please, don’t be late.”
“I won’t, don’t worry.”
Leah walked down the street wishing she was back at home. She hated the way people looked at her, and now that her parents were gone, no one bothered to hide their suspicions about her.
She guessed she was the only one to blame on that, but it still bothered her enough to keep her away from town as much as possible.
She walked straight to the coffee shop on the main street, where she would meet her new customer, ignoring the snowflakes that swirled around, blown by the gentle breeze. She had the woman’s sculpture on her refrigerated truck, parked a couple of blocks away, but the woman had insisted on meeting her at the coffee shop.
She wasn’t a social person, and she tried to handle her orders through the internet as much as possible, with little or no contact at all with her customers. People enervated her, they always had, and she was sure they always would. However, this customer had insisted so much, she ended up accepting.
With a deep sigh, she entered the coffee shop and went straight to the table where her client waited for her.
“Good afternoon, Miss Southerland. I’m Leah,” she introduced herself, keeping her hands still at her side. She avoided touching other people as much as she could.
The woman looked at her startled. “Oh… You’re Leah?” she asked, surprised by Leah’s looks.
Leah knew her almost white hair wasn’t typical but after a while, people’s reaction to it was a bit tiring. “Yes, I’m Leah,” she confirmed, in a cold tone. “I have your sculpture on my truck. Would you like to take a look at it?” she asked, getting straight to the point, feeling people’s eyes on her and hating it.
The woman cleared her throat and gestured at the chair in front of her. “I was about to have a coffee; wouldn’t you like one?”
“I’m afraid I have a long trip back home, so if you don’t mind I would really prefer to get this over with,” she replied, rejecting the woman’s offering. She noticed the woman’s cup was still full, so she backed up a bit. “But I can wait for you to finish yours.”
“Thank you, I really need it. But, please, take a seat. I would like to discuss a new idea I had last night,” the woman asked, and after a deep sigh, Leah finally took a seat in front of the blonde woman.
“What new idea?” she had made an ice sculpture of a unicorn for the woman’s wedding celebration after she had approved her drawings, so she couldn’t imagine what new idea she was talking about.
“Well, as you know, my wedding ceremony will be at the ice chapel that the staff built at the hotel where we’re staying,” the woman started.
“Yes, so you told me.”
The woman nodded. “They finished building the chapel a couple of days ago, and I have to admit I’m quite disappointed with the final result,” she continued.
“Why is that?” she asked, not really interested in the woman’s answer.<
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“It’s too perfect. It doesn’t have the romantic look I was hoping for, you know? I wanted huge snowflakes hanging from the ceiling and stalactites hanging from the roof and every window,” she explained, so close to tears Leah had to make a considerable effort not to grunt her impatience out loud.
“Have you complained?” she asked, with a fake sympathetic smile.
“Yes, but they told me there wasn’t anything they could do. As you know, the wedding ceremony is tomorrow, and the hotel staff coordinator claims they don’t have the time to do what I’m asking.”
“I see… and why are you telling me all this?” she asked, with a slight frown.
The woman cleared her throat and wiped a tear that had rolled from her eye. “I was told you are the only person in town able to do it and judging by the pictures of your sculptures I’m sure of it.”
But Leah was already shaking her head. “You’re asking too much. I live too far from here, and I couldn’t be back in time for your wedding, even if the weather allowed me to, but we’re expecting a storm back at where I live,” she explained, in a cold tone.
“Wouldn’t you be able to work here? I would gladly pay for your hotel room,” the woman begged.
“Miss Southerland, I don’t have my tools here,” that was a lie, but she didn’t need to know that.
“Please… I have been planning this wedding ever since I met my fiancé. I want this to be a special moment for us, and it would mean a lot if you helped me,” she insisted, clearly desperate. “I would pay you three times what I’ve paid you for the unicorn sculpture.”
Leah sighed considering her options. She could do the job with her eyes closed and in just a few hours, but that meant she would have to spend the night in town and she hated that. However, the money would be of great help. She could spend the winter months at home, without having to work.
“Four times,” the woman offered, feeling Leah was giving in. “You can buy all the tools you might need as well, and I’ll pay for you to have a room at the same hotel we’re staying in.”