Summer and the Alien Guard

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  Summer stood and took Vordro’s hand. “We don’t have to leave?”

  Vordro looked down at her. “He insulted you. He’s lucky all I did was hit him once.”

  The male’s friends came over and hauled him to his feet. After they were gone, Vordro and Summer sat back down to wait for a table. They didn’t have to wait for long as the manager went to great lengths to keep them happy. Despite the fact their meal was being paid for, he still intended to tip well. They ordered their food and drinks, and he settled back to watch Summer, something he’d discovered he enjoyed.

  She took in her surroundings before her gaze clashed with his. “This is a nice place.”

  “I come here about once a week. We can return anytime you’d like.”

  “Vordro, I work for you. I don’t expect you to take me out to dinner every week, or ever again. Even if you don’t eat at home some nights, that doesn’t mean I can’t. I’d imagine you’ll want to go on dates on your nights off.”

  Oddly, the thought of dating someone other than the woman in front of him held little appeal. He didn’t understand his mad attraction to her, but he was starting to wonder whether or not he wanted to fight it. Yet he thought she deserved someone closer to her age, someone who would want to take her dancing or whatever else young human females enjoyed.

  “You do go on dates, don’t you?” she asked when he didn’t respond.

  “I have in the past, but not lately. I’ve found that the human females interested in me either want the novelty of being with my kind or they are looking for someone to take care of them financially, and they couldn’t care less about me. Anyone with a wallet or purple skin would suffice.”

  “That must be hard,” she said softly. “I think they’re idiots. You’ve been so kind to me. I can only imagine how well you would treat your wife or girlfriend.”

  He smiled a little. “We don’t use those terms. I know humans have a marriage, but on my world, we have a mating approved by the council, and once we become a pair, nothing but death will separate us.”

  She smiled wistfully. “That sounds so nice. My parents have been together for twenty-one years, but I don’t think they should be. They argue a lot, and I don’t think either of them is happy.”

  “The human-Terran pairings I’ve witnessed have done well,” he said. “But if that young male up front was any indication of your species, it’s no wonder so many women want to be with my kind.”

  She winced. “Not everyone is like Matt. He’s spoiled and thinks he should have whatever he wants.”

  “And he wants you.”

  She shrugged. “At one point he did, and I said no. He tried to force the issue until someone intervened.”

  A rage-filled haze settled over him. “You mean he was going to force you?”

  She nodded as if it were a typical discussion, as if things like that happened to her all the time. It was enough to make him want to bash heads. How could anyone want to harm the sweet woman across from him? From what he’d seen, she didn’t have a mean bone in her body. If anything, she needed to learn to be more assertive. He’d be willing to bet that people took advantage of her all the time.

  “Summer, if anyone tries to hurt you again, I want you to tell me. You shouldn’t have to put up with males like that, or with verbal abuse from your family. You deserve better than that.”

  She looked at him in surprise, as if no one had ever told her such a thing. It made him question the intelligence of the human race, that she’d been so ill-treated her entire life without anyone stepping in to help. If she’d gone to his world like she’d planned, he had no doubt she’d have had her choice of mates. Once they realized how sweet she was, they’d have fought over her.

  He didn’t know how long he could convince her to stay with him, but he would enjoy her company while it lasted. And when she moved on or settled down with someone, he would wish her well, even if it left him feeling empty. She’d only been in his life a few hours, and already his world was brighter for having met her.

  Their food arrived, and he smiled as he saw the joy on Summer’s face with her first bite. He had to admit the food was always excellent here. They enjoyed their meal, and he enjoyed the conversation even more. He found her to be witty, and quite sweet. They ordered dessert, which he insisted on paying for, and then they headed home.

  When they got to the house, he wasn’t sure how to act around Summer. She was his employee, and yet she felt more like a guest. One he wanted to keep. When she turned in for the night, she stood on tiptoe and lightly brushed her lips against his cheek.

  “Thank you, for everything,” she said softly. “I promise you won’t be sorry for giving me a chance.”

  The only thing he was sorry about was suggesting she work for him. He should have just asked her to move in to see if they would suit as a mated pair. Despite his brain telling him that he was way too old for her, he couldn’t deny the way his body reacted to her. But even more, he worried that with time, he would lose his heart to her. Summer was everything he’d been looking for in a mate, and she was out of reach.

  Or was she?

  Chapter Three

  When Summer woke the next morning, Vordro was already gone. He’d left her a note with the number for the Terran Station and one for his cell phone. She doubted she would have much reason to call him, but it was nice to know she could reach him if she needed to. She found the cleaning supplies scattered around the house and hesitated only a moment before she reorganized so that everything was grouped together. The bathroom cleaners were stored under the sink in the downstairs half-bath, kitchen cleaners under the kitchen sink, and anything extra she stored upstairs in the hall bath.

  His house wasn’t messy, not like a lot of single men’s homes she’d seen in the past during the handful of times she’d been invited somewhere. And unlike them, Vordro seemed to have good aim because his bathroom floors and toilet seats weren’t sticky, for which she was eternally grateful. There was nothing nastier than cleaning a careless man’s toilet.

  Summer spent her morning scrubbing the bathrooms and kitchen before taking a break for lunch. She hadn’t thought to ask about groceries, and discovered his refrigerator was almost empty. Without a car, she was well and truly stuck. Her bank account only had about thirty dollars left from her last sad attempt at working so ordering out wasn’t going to work.

  Her stomach rumbled, forcing her to take action. She picked up the phone and called Vordro’s cell phone, hoping he would answer. Was he allowed to talk on the phone at work? She didn’t want to get him into trouble.

  “Summer? Is everything all right?” he asked when he answered.

  “Um, I need to go to the grocery store, but I don’t have a car or enough cash to cover it. There’s not much here to eat. There’s no way I can make dinner with what you have in the fridge.”

  He cursed. “And you have nothing to eat for lunch. I’ll have something delivered for you, and we’ll go to the store when I get off work tonight. Are you allergic to anything or do you have a special request?”

  “Anything is fine, and no, I’m not allergic to anything.”

  “I’ll place an order now, so listen for the doorbell in about twenty minutes or so. Tell them a tip is included.”

  “Thank you, Vordro.”

  “I’ll have to come up with a way for you to handle monthly expenses like groceries without having to ask for money every time. We’ll discuss it more tonight. If you need anything else, let me know.”

  She thanked him again and disconnected the call.

  While she waited for her food to arrive, she vacuumed the area rugs on the lower floor and gave the stairs a baleful glare. She wasn’t looking forward to vacuuming those or hauling the machine up to the second floor. She hadn’t seen a second vacuum cleaner up there, though, when she’d been snooping in closets and cabinets. Vordro was such a big guy the machine probably felt like it weighed half a pound to him.

  The doorbell rang, and she rushed
to answer it. A man stood on the other side holding a sack from Mr. Wong’s. The smell nearly took her to her knees. The last time she’d eaten Chinese, it had come from the freezer section of the grocery store, but whatever was in the bag smelled incredible. She accepted the sack and let the man know the tip had been included with payment, thanked him, and practically ran to the kitchen with her prize.

  When she unrolled the sack, the smell was even stronger, and her mouth started to water. Summer pulled out a tray of orange chicken, a container of chicken fried rice, and two egg rolls. There was no way she’d eat everything by herself, but she was going to do her best to put a decent-sized dent in it. For the last few weeks, her family had been surviving off PB&J sandwiches, ramen noodles, and the occasional can of Spam. Between the extravagant meal last night and now the Chinese, she was getting spoiled. Would every day be like this with Vordro? She found it hard to believe no one had wanted him for more than his money or looks. Any woman would be lucky to have a guy like him. She could tell he was the type to take care of those around him, and just knew he would make a wonderful husband.

  Her lunch settled in her stomach, making her feel drowsy and content. She put the leftovers in the fridge and settled on the couch to watch TV for a little while. The house was pretty clean, and if she did everything in one day she’d have nothing to do the rest of the week. Tomorrow she’d tackle the laundry and bedrooms. As daytime TV -- which completely sucked -- droned on, Summer closed her eyes. She told herself it would just be for a moment, but the stress she’d been under the past week or so finally caught up to her, and she ended up sleeping far longer than she’d planned. The next time her eyes opened, Vordro was smoothing her hair back from her face.

  “I hated to wake you,” he said.

  “I’m glad you did. I only meant to take a short nap, but I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

  “Did you not sleep well last night? I know being in a strange place sometimes has that effect on people.”

  She shook her head. “I slept fine, but I guess I’ve just been so worried since I found out we were losing the house that the stress caught up to me. I’ll be fine, though.”

  “Are you ready to go the grocery store or would you prefer to put it off another day? We could order in tonight, and I could have lunch delivered again tomorrow,” he offered.

  As tempting as that sounded, she didn’t want to take advantage of him. She shook her head and stood up, swaying a little until the room stopped spinning. He frowned at her and felt her forehead.

  “I’m fine,” she assured him. “I probably just stood up too fast.”

  “When’s the last time you saw a doctor?” he asked.

  “A while ago,” she admitted.

  “Tomorrow, you should ride to work with me so the doctor at the station can check you out. Typically, they only treat brides or potential brides, but I think they will make an exception this time.”

  “I’m fine,” she insisted again. “Really. Humans sometimes get dizzy if we stand up too fast. I’m sure that’s all it is.”

  He looked like he was going to argue, but she placed a hand on his arm. His gaze dropped to where her fingers curled around his biceps, and she could have sworn she saw heat flare in his eyes. She scoffed at herself. There was no way a guy like Vordro would be interested in someone like her. He could have his pick of any woman in the world, so why select someone penniless like her?

  “I would still prefer a doctor see you,” he said.

  “If I feel the slightest bit sick, you’ll be the first to know.”

  He nodded and grasped her hand, leading her out of the house. The grocery store they went to wasn’t far from his house and carried a lot of organic foods. She couldn’t believe the prices, but Vordro didn’t seem to mind. If she’d thought he was going to stock the house with canned goods, she would have been mistaken. He filled the cart with fresh veggies and fruits and selected the best cuts of meat. If she ate every meal with him, she was going to eat better than she ever had before.

  Her eyes widened at the checkout when the cashier gave him the total. It didn’t seem to bother Vordro, though, as he swiped his card and paid for everything. They loaded the bags into the back of the SUV and then went home. She had no idea what she would make for dinner out of the bags of goodies, but it was bound to be good. She’d told him she could only make simple things, though, and some of the items he’d purchased she’d never bought before. Like eggplant. How was she supposed to cook eggplant? Or asparagus?

  Vordro brought the bags into the house, and she helped him put everything away. The clock on the microwave said it was nearly seven o’clock, which meant they were going to eat late. She hoped he didn’t plan to go to bed early tonight. As she was perusing the contents of the fridge, she felt his hands clasp her hips and draw her away.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Figuring out what to make for dinner.”

  He shook his head. “It’s too late for you to cook tonight. Besides, I have a surprise that should arrive for you shortly. Why don’t we step out onto the porch and enjoy the fresh air while we wait for it?”

  He wanted to go outside at night? It was chilly out there once the sun started to set. October in Virginia could either be freezing or warm, but seldom in between. The days had been in the lower seventies and the nights in the fifties, but she knew a change was coming. The closer November got, the more likely the temps would drop, and they would see snow. Summer had always loved snow in the winter, but sometimes they just got way too much of it. And she’d never been a good driver when it came to icy roads. Those were the days she stayed home.

  Vordro ushered her outside and motioned for her to have a seat on the small swing at the end of the porch. She’d scarcely noticed it last night. It swayed a little in the breeze as she lowered herself onto the wooden seat. Vordro stood nearby, watching the road. She didn’t have the faintest idea what this surprise was, but he seemed eager for to her to see it.

  Two cars approached. One pulled into the driveway, and the other stopped at the curb. Summer couldn’t imagine what they’d brought that would require two cars. Vordro was smiling as he held out a hand to help her off the swing. They walked down the porch steps as two men dressed in polos and khakis approached. One held a large manila envelope in his hands, which he gave to Vordro.

  “Mr. Vordro, it’s been a pleasure doing business with you. If there’s anything you ever need or if you have any questions about your purchase, my card is in the envelope.”

  Vordro accepted the package and shook the man’s hand. The other offered a wave, and they left together in the car parked on the curb. Were they leaving the first one behind? Summer wondered if she looked as confused as she felt. Vordro smiled as he opened the envelope and pulled out a set of keys, and then handed them to her.

  “I don’t understand,” she said. “Why are you giving me keys?”

  “You’ll need reliable transportation for running household errands. It was only logical that I purchase a car for you to use.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You’re giving me a car? I can’t accept it!”

  “Of course, you can. Think of it as a signing bonus for coming to work for me. It’s unreasonable for you only to do the shopping on my off days, or having to wait for me to get off work before you can go somewhere.”

  “But…” She looked longingly at the cute little hatchback. It was far nicer than her old car. She didn’t need to see the window sticker to know it was nice. She had a feeling he never did anything in half measures.

  “Take the car, Summer,” he said softly. “I’ll worry about you if you don’t have something sturdy to drive around. The crash test rating on this particular car is excellent, and it’s last year’s model so I got it for a lot less than sticker price. It even comes with a warranty that covers your oil changes and routine maintenance for the first three years.”

  She wanted to accept, badly.

  He pulled out his wallet and hande
d her a gold Visa card.

  “You’re giving me a credit card too?” she asked.

  “It’s a prepaid card. I put enough on there to cover a month’s expenses for the house, but if you run out, I can always add more. I thought it would be easier than carrying around large sums of cash.”

  She clutched the card and her new keys. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes as she sniffled.

  “I thought these things would make you happy,” Vordro said.

  “I am happy. No one has ever done anything like this for me before.”

  “I thought we’d grab something to eat while we’re out tonight.”

  She looked up at him. “We’re going out?”

  “You want to test drive your car, don’t you?” He smiled. “You get your purse, and I’ll lock up the house when you’re done. We can just get fast food tonight if you don’t feel up to sitting in a restaurant.”

  “Burger Barn is pretty good,” she said.

  “Then take us to Burger Barn,” Vordro said, as he followed her up the front door. She disappeared inside long enough to grab her jacket and her purse, then they walked back to her car and Vordro got in.

  She wasn’t entirely certain how he fit in there. She tried not to laugh when she got in. Even though his seat was pressed all the way back, his knees were practically in his chest. A snort escaped her, then another, and then she was full-out belly laughing.

  He gave her an amused smile. “Maybe we could take the SUV, and you can test drive your car tomorrow.”

  “I think that might be a good idea.”

  She leaned across the console and brushed her lips against his cheek. “Thank you, for everything.”

  He nodded, his cheeks a slightly darker shade of purple than before, as he exited the car. They got into his SUV and went for burgers, opting to eat there instead of taking them home. Summer enjoyed her time with Vordro, wishing she could learn everything about him. He wasn’t only the first Terran she’d ever spoken to, but he was the first guy ever to get her attention. She’d been on some dates, but no one had ever made her feel the way he did. Just one touch of his hand and she wanted to curl against him and beg him to kiss her until she couldn’t breathe.