by Tasha Black
Children squealed with delight and splashed in the water of the false lake. Kitt found it odd that they would choose to swim in the strange chemical mixture of the pool when they were in view of the real lake with all its life and mystery.
But it was lovely anyway. The whole thing was like a holiday compared to his previous accommodations. It was even better than ice cream day at the laboratory.
And even the sterile lab had been like a party compared to the calm and stately life on Aerie.
Two adults walked toward him, swinging a laughing child between them.
He smiled and they smiled back as they passed.
Kitt felt a pang of sadness.
It didn’t make sense to feel anguish - the mates and their young were happy. But he supposed his sadness came from the lonely pull he had felt from the moment he awoke in his human body.
Music distracted him from the wistful chain of thoughts. On the wide open lawn a man with a long blonde ponytail played a stringed instrument. A semicircle of others held similar instruments and tried to imitate his song. It was both beautiful and jangling.
“Brother,” a voice called to him.
He searched the lawn and sure enough, there were his brothers, Indiana and Remington, standing at the far end of the massive stone building near the entrance.
“Did you find her?” Remington’s deep voice held a note of concern.
“Of course he did.” Indiana winked at Kitt.
They had learned winking from one of the scientists in the lab. Indiana, as it turned out, was very skilled at winking and had made a sort of art of it.
“I did,” he assured Remington. “She was very kind.”
Remington nodded, looking decidedly less ruffled.
“Will she be your mate, brother?” Indiana asked eagerly.
Kitt thought about it.
“We did not have much time to discuss it,” he said at length. “But she said I could find her tonight to speak with her more.”
Remington nodded sagely. “This is good,” he said.
“Do you want her to be your mate?” Indiana asked.
“Yes,” Kitt said, before he had considered the question. But he knew his answer was correct. Honey was exactly the right mate for him, though her responses had been deeply confusing.
Kitt felt a wave of contentment wash over him.
Yes, this new world was full of surprises.
Chapter 7
Kitt tried hard to pay attention to their new boss, Malik, but his eye kept catching movement in the bustling kitchen, and it was hard not to be drawn into the symphony of action happening there.
The lab back in Stargazer had a kitchen. It was a small room that consisted of a coffee maker that gurgled and spat out bitter bean juice, a sink, a microwave cooking box, a refrigerator, and a machine filled with wonderful cellophane-wrapped snacks.
The kitchen at Maxwell’s, on the other hand, was like its own tiny universe.
Shining metal stoves, cabinets and refrigerators so large they covered the walls filled the room with a reflective glow. The smells of a thousand foods wafted through the air along with the humid stink of soiled water from the enormous dishwashing machine.
Dozens of people in identical costumes with paper hats flowed in and out of the space, shouting at each other joyfully, with a liberal sprinkling of the words Kitt had been cautioned were considered inappropriate.
The solid tile floor along with the hard surfaces of the equipment reverberated the sound of every footstep and the clang of every copper kettle, until it was doubled or tripled.
“So, basically what I’m saying is that the customer is always right,” Malik finished. “If they want something, make it happen, whatever it is.” He smiled and winked at the boys.
Indiana winked back, clearly delighted.
Malik laughed. He was a small man, with brown skin and a black beard. He had kind eyes, and he spoke with an accent that Kitt recognized from the movies as British. Usually the people with that accent were villains, but sometimes they were super-spies or butlers. Kitt didn’t think Malik was any of those things.
“Now boys,” the man continued. “When I say that, I think you know what I mean. If they want extra french fries, give them extra french fries. If the daughters flirt with you, flirt back. Dance with them if you want. Take them for a walk. But nothing more. That’s the one thing you can’t give them.”
Kitt was flummoxed. Thankfully, his brother seemed to understand.
“So we are not to choose a customer for our mate.” Remington said with a knowing nod.
Malik got a strange look on his face. Then he laughed loudly and thumped Remington on the back. “Well said, man. I’m going to like you, I can tell. Hilarious. Yes, no mating with the customers. We’re tackling the subject head-on. Clearly I need to spend some time in Andorra.”
Dr. Bhimani had instructed the men to report that they were visitors from the small European nation of Andorra, taking an immersion vacation to master English. Kitt was grateful for the cover story. He hoped it would be enough to get them through the complicated interactions still to come.
“There’s a staff party tomorrow night, boys,” Malik said, walking them toward the back door. “You’ll enjoy it, and it will be a good chance to meet everyone, including the women you are allowed to schtup. Go on and settle in now and I’ll see you tomorrow morning, bright and early.”
“Thank you, sir,” Remington said, extending a hand.
“And you, sir, as well,” Malik smiled, shaking each of their hands in turn.
Kitt took one last fond look at the shimmering cacophony of the kitchen and then followed his brothers back out into the sunshine.
He had a pretty good idea what schtup meant. But he thought it might be best to ask Honey about it before the party, just to be sure.
Chapter 8
Honey curled her legs under her and took a sip from the mason jar of sangria Addy had handed her the minute she walked in the door.
The drink was sweet and strong. Ice cubes clinked merrily against the glass and the condensation chilled her hand pleasantly. If only she could lose herself in the lazy enjoyment of a good beverage with good friends tonight.
She studied the other two women lounging on the sectional sofa with her, wondering where to begin.
Addy was leaning back, ever relaxed, her long blond ponytail slung over her shoulder, t-shirt thrown over her bathing suit. She looked like she had already dismissed whatever Honey was worried about as no big deal.
Nikki sat forward, turning her own mason jar in her hands without drinking it. She was wearing her favorite tennis dress, which meant she would be even more keyed up than usual. Nikki loved the idea of tennis, but wasn’t a good player. She was so frustrated with her lessons, that Honey wondered why she didn’t just quit. But Nikki was the determined type.
“So,” Nikki said worriedly, “what did you need to talk to us about?”
Honey took a deep breath and tried to figure out how to broach the unbelievable news. Giving speeches wasn’t her strong suit, but this deserved a soft approach.
“You guys know I’m close with Posey Quinn, right?” It was as good a place as any to start.
“That’s the girl on TV, right? The one that married one of those aliens?” Nikki smiled and smoothed a dark curl behind her ear.
Addy nodded, taking a sip of her drink. “They sure don’t look like aliens.”
Nikki giggled in response.
“That’s her,” Honey said. “We were roommates during freshman year. Anyway, I got a letter from her today.”
“Cool,” Addy said.
“That’s really nice,” Nikki’s bell-like voice sounded relieved, like maybe she thought that was the reason for the big sit down. “She’s not letting the fame go to her head.”
“She needs my help with something,” Honey went on. “Something big, something confidential.”
Addy chuckled lightly.
“They’re coming here,�
�� Nikki breathed, ecstatic. “They’re going to spend the summer in the Catskills. The two of them will love it here, and it’s so private - away from the crowds.”
“Not quite,” Honey said. “But you’re close.”
She stopped and took a gulp of the sangria. It was a shame not to savor every drop, but she needed a little liquid courage for what came next.
“Can I count on the two of you to keep a secret?”
Addy and Nikki exchanged a look.
“Um, yeah,” Addy replied.
“Funny she didn’t ask us that when she needed to be sneaked out of the main house in a laundry cart to avoid her ex,” Nikki said, twirling a curl around her index finger and letting it bounce back.
“Or when we told her mom she was working off-site for the weekend so she could avoid having her mom meet her latest beau,” Addy remarked.
“Or—” Nikki began.
“Okay, okay,” Honey laughed. “I get it, I can trust you.”
Addy leaned back again, grinning.
Nikki shrugged and smiled.
“Posey reached out to me because she needs my help finding mates for three more aliens.” she said. “Here at Maxwell’s.”
There was a moment of silence.
“I’m sorry, what?” Addy asked.
“Are you serious?” Nikki demanded, leaping to her feet, eyes sparkling. “Three aliens are coming here?”
Honey nodded. “Yes, Nikki, I’m serious.”
“That is so cool,” Nikki said, sitting down again and leaning forward raptly.
“Are you gonna marry an alien, Nikki?” Addy laughed.
Nikki sat up straighter.
“Wait. You didn’t mean us, did you?”
Honey paused, wondering if it was worse to admit that she did mean them, or not.
“I wonder if they’re as hot as the other ones, Nikki,” Addy teased.
Nikki blushed deeply and looked down at her hands.
Nikki didn’t talk about it much, but Honey knew she was a Theology and Theater double major at Vanderbilt. Nikki had never had a fling with another staff member that Honey knew of. And she slipped off for an hour on Sunday mornings, when everyone else was sleeping off their staff party shenanigans. Honey assumed it was to attend a church someplace nearby.
If Nikki was a member of a conservative religion, she might not be comfortable at the idea of being set up with someone who didn’t share her faith.
“I just want you to meet them, Nikki,” Honey said gently. “Nobody has to marry anyone.”
Nikki met her eye and gave her a grateful smile.
“I’m not the marrying kind,” Addy declared, “but I’d be glad to meet your aliens and lend you a hand with matchmaking. I’ve been here every summer since I was fifteen. I’ll be able to hook them up with decent women.”
Honey smiled. Well, they were three for three at not wanting to be mated. But maybe when they met the boys, her friends would feel differently. At least she wouldn’t have to bear the secret on her own.
“And of course, there’s you,” Addy added.
“Me?” Honey was astonished.
“Of course you,” Nikki said. “This is right up your alley - the language barrier means no small talk.”
“Yes, but we all know I’m cursed when it comes to relationships,” Honey said.
“No, you’re just picking the wrong guys,” Nikki said earnestly.
“Well, then I’m cursed at picking guys,” Honey said, shaking her head sadly.
“Maybe this time you’ll pick the right one,” Addy said, raising an eyebrow.
“No way,” Honey said. “I’m not going to tempt fate by trying to make an alien fall in love with me. My human ex’s are bad enough.”
“We’ll see about that,” Addy said. “To a summer of love.” She held her glass high.
“Summer of love,” Nikki echoed.
“And hot aliens,” Addy yelled.
“Maybe not so loud with the alien part,” Honey suggested.
Addy laughed and Nikki got up to grab the pitcher of sangria off the coffee table and began to refill their glasses.
“Really though,” Honey said. “We need to keep quiet. If word got out, this place would be crawling with reporters.”
On the table, sangria poured over the rim of Honey’s overflowing glass.
“Nikki!”
“Shoot,” she said, setting down the pitcher and scrambling for some paper towels. “I’m sorry. I was just… thinking.”
“Less thinking, more drinking.” Addy said, reaching for the pitcher.
“I’ll drink to that,” Honey said.
They shared a laugh and raised their glasses.
A light tap sounded on the screen door.
“Oh,” Honey said suddenly, remembering her invitation. “That might be him.”
“Who?” Addy asked suspiciously.
“Um,” Honey said.
“Is that them?” Nikki’s thrilled stage whisper was almost comical. “Like they’re already here now?”
“Well, I only met one of them,” Honey hedged.
Chapter 9
Honey stared at the other two women, unsure how to proceed.
There was another light knock.
“Go open the door,” Addy said, sitting back with her drink. “Before he changes his mind.”
Honey headed for the screen door. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nikki give her curls a fluff.
The light inside the cabin made it hard to see outside, but the size of the silhouette told her their guest was a man, and a big one.
She pushed it open and sure enough, there was Kitt.
He gazed down at her and she was nearly lost in his gray eyes again. Something about him reminded her of the beach at dawn, the peace of the unblemished sand and the threat of the coming tide.
“Hello, Honey,” he said solemnly.
“Hello, Kitt,” she whispered. “Would you like to come in and meet my friends?”
He nodded and she escorted him into the room.
“Hey guys,” she said, feeling more awkward by the moment. “This is Kitt.”
“Hi, I’m Nikki.” Her friend smiled, stood, and extended a hand.
“Pleased to meet you,” Kitt said, shaking her hand briskly as if they had just made a deal on a reliable used car.
Nikki looked surprised and a little disappointed as she watched Kitt’s hand pumping hers up and down vigorously.
“Addy,” Addy nodded from her place on the couch.
“A pleasure,” Kitt said, freeing Nikki at once and giving Addy the semblance of a bow with the inclination of his head and a quick movement of his hand.
Addy nodded, raising an eyebrow, her lips turning up at the corners.
Oh man, Addy was going to have a field day with this. Well, there was nothing Honey could do about it now. She’d meant to be clever about things and instead she’d spilled the beans immediately.
Well, if Addy got a laugh out of this at Honey’s expense, so be it. When push came to shove, she knew the laid-back swim coach would have her back.
She realized the room had gone quiet and everyone was looking at her.
“Oh, er, Kitt,” she said, “would you like a drink?”
“Yes, please,” he said.
“Have a seat,” Addy offered, indicating Honey’s spot on the sectional.
Kitt sat down and Honey was struck by how small the sofa suddenly looked with the big hunk sitting on it. Really, the whole living room seemed much tinier than it had a few moments ago.
“Ahem,” Nikki cleared her throat.
Honey realized she was just staring at Kitt.
He was eyeing her up too, a hungry expression on his gorgeous face.
She spun and dashed for the kitchenette, grabbing a mason jar and heading back to the gang in the living room.
She poured sangria into the jar slowly, willing her hand not to tremble.
“Here you go,” she said, handing it to Kitt.
&n
bsp; “Thank you, Honey,” he replied, taking it.
Their fingers brushed as she handed off the glass and she shivered at the little shock of awareness she felt at the gentle contact.
Easy, Honey. He’s just a guy.
But that wasn’t entirely true. And she knew it.
“Are you cold, Honey?” Kitt asked attentively.
“I’m fine,” she said too quickly.
She seated herself opposite him, effectively forcing Nikki to slide closer to Addy.
They all observed the enormous man as if he were a new exhibit at the zoo.
He took a sip of his drink.
Honey watched, somehow hypnotized by the way he swirled the liquid in his mouth appraisingly, like a billionaire drinking fancy wine in a movie.
He swallowed, and she watched the fine muscles of his jaw working.
Then, he coughed, grabbed his throat with a massive hand and coughed again.
Honey shot out of her seat and began thumping him on the back.
“That’s not how you do CPR,” Addy observed lazily from the sofa.
Kitt stopped coughing and his big warm hand was splayed on her back like a giant starfish.
“I’m okay,” he told her. “I was only surprised.”
She stopped thumping him and realized their closeness - the warmth of his arm around her, the way his voice reverberated slightly through his hand and into her back. He smelled good, like he had been hiking in the woods today.
“Have you ever had alcohol before?”
Honey was grateful for Addy’s question as it awoke her from her trance. She slipped out of Kitt’s hold again and seated herself on the edge of the sofa opposite him again.
“This was alcohol?” Kitt sounded surprised.
“Well, it’s got a lot of juice and fruit and honey in it too,” Nikki amended.
“Someone spiked the punch,” Kitt said, studying his glass wonderingly. “Just like in the movies.”
“No, I did it on purpose,” Addy told him. “It’s called sangria.”
“This is blood?” Kitt asked, clearly taken aback.