Collected (Selected Book 1)

by Robin Roseau

  "I'd love that!" she said. "Thank you."

  "Tell Bronze how Administrator Brighteyes should contact you. She will pass the information on, but it may be some time before she talks to you, and she may not want to talk to you until you've had your testing."

  "I keep waiting. I thought being here, you know, right next to the center and all, that we'd get tested soon. But so far, nothing." Then she turned to Bronze and carefully relayed her phone number and email address. Bronze nodded.

  I will talk to Jasmine. She needs greater maturity, but she has a good attitude.

  "Bronze will pass your information along," I said. "But you're a little young, and they may want you to attend college or even have a few years of a job first. I'm twenty-five and have a master's degree and a job. Well, I had a job. I guess I probably don't anymore."

  "I suppose you have to be smart."

  "They never told me that. They mentioned no xenophobia, and empathy has been mentioned a few times. It is not for Bronze and me to say, though."

  "Thank you, Bronze," she said. "And you're..."

  "Sapphire."

  "Sapphire Fletcher! I didn't recognize you." She glanced at Bronze. "I should have. But you're not, you know... in your pajamas."

  I laughed but then glared at Bronze. "Every ET for a hundred light years around, and I bet every human for a hundred miles around has seen me in my pajamas and no one recognizes me in a dress. I consider that your fault."

  She snickered.

  "The visor is kind of weird," Skye said.

  "It is. I'm normally half blind without my glasses, but you wouldn't believe how well I can see with this. Much better than my glasses. It's a gift from Bronze."

  "Wow. Nice gift!"

  "Yeah. She's going to give me one of those flying things next."

  Bronze lifted her head and gave a full laugh, startling nearly everyone around.

  "Calm down, everyone," I called out. "She's laughing. Maybe I don't get a flying thing."

  You do not.

  "Oh gosh," Skye said. "The manager is giving me dirty looks. Do you know what you want to drink?"

  I looked at Bronze. She shook her head.

  "Give us a few more minutes."

  "All right. I'll be back."

  As soon as she was gone, Bronze snickered.

  You are cute.

  "Cute? I do not believe you know what that word means. What do you want to drink?"

  I don't know. What do you like?

  "Have you had any human food or beverages?"

  Food. And water.

  "Do you drink alcohol?"

  It is not our custom. It seems foolish. Alcohol leads to poor choices.

  "Does it affect you?"

  Yes, although I do not know in what ways. I consider alcohol a drug, Sapphire.

  "So, no wine then. That leaves water, juice, ice tea, or a soft drink."

  What is a soft drink?

  "Coke? Pepsi?" She shook her head. "Do you like fruit?"

  I've never had any. Please order something for me to try.

  I smiled. "Will you answer a question and be honest?" She nodded. "Do I belong to you? No teasing this time."

  Not as property. You will become my mate, but I will become yours. We will belong to each other.

  "So I don't have to obey you any more than you have to obey me."

  You are the one in shackles. Perhaps this tells you something.

  But she smiled when she said it.

  Skye returned. I asked her to bring a Coke and a lemonade as well as two glasses of water. She told us the specials and promised a breadbasket. I looked across the table and asked Bronze if she knew what she wanted. She offered a pained expression.

  "What's wrong?"

  I didn't think this through.

  "What part? Wait, you don't have any money, and I don't have my purse. So we're going to have to wash dishes before they let us leave."

  I have money.

  I grinned.

  Now you are teasing again.

  "I didn't think I stopped. Just tell me what is wrong."

  This is a new body for me.

  "Yes, I know."

  My old shape was very different.

  "So I gathered."

  With a somewhat different way to eat.

  "And?"

  I don't know how to eat.

  "I presume you mean the knife and fork thing."

  Yes.

  "Do you know how to hold them?" I picked mine up to demonstrate. Then I talked about American and Continental styles of holding the silverware. "You would not be considered rude for following either style."

  There are two forks.

  "The smaller one is for salad."

  There are two knives.

  "One is dull and is used for buttering your bread. Really, this isn't rocket science, so imagine how much harder it's going to be for me."

  She offered her growling chuckle.

  "Do you want an appetizer?"

  I don't know.

  She lifted her menu and began looking through it.

  This is confusing. We will be here all night.

  "Do you trust me?"

  Of course.

  "Do you mind if there is a little waste?"

  She paused.

  I will trust you.

  "All right. From what you said, I bet you like meat, and probably very rare, maybe uncooked."

  I can eat it cooked.

  But she didn't look convincing, and I told her that. "Do you like fish?"

  On my planet, the equivalent to fish is poisonous.

  "But our foods are not poisonous to you?"

  If you can eat it, I can eat it. But I don't know if I will care for it.

  "This is what I want to do. I will order a little appetizer just to try. And then we will order two meals and share them. Unless you are very hungry and like both of them quite a lot, we won't finish both."

  I like this plan.

  "Do you know if you like either soup or salad?"

  I have had neither.

  Skye returned with the drinks and a basket of bread. "Are you ready to order?"

  "Yes," I said. "Bronze is unaccustomed to human food, so we're going to experiment just a little."

  "We can prepare foods for most of the other races. I can bring a menu, but I do not know which one to bring."

  "No," Bronze said, one of the few words she would speak tonight. She pointed at me.

  "She wishes to try foods I can eat." I looked across the table at her. "And I am touched by the gesture." I proceeded to order for us, including broiled halibut and prime rib served rare. Once Skye disappeared, I told Bronze, "Most of the steak is too undercooked for me, but I think you will prefer it that way. I will eat from the edges, which will be cooked more thoroughly."

  I want you to teach me to like what you want.

  "Then we'll start slowly. Besides, I'm going to love the fish, and you may not like it as much. We'll both get a little of each and more of what we most want. Now, I must ask you. Are you squeamish about sharing a glass?"

  I do not understand the question.

  "If we pass a beverage glass back and forth, will you find this upsetting? Some people do."

  She laughed again.

  "I take it you believe that is a silly question. Do you know how to drink from a glass?"

  Yes.

  "All right. We have water, of course. This is lemonade." I picked it up and took a sip. It was real lemonade. "It is made from the juice of a citrus fruit called lemons. It is very simple. The juice, water, and sugar. It is very popular amongst humans, but you may not care for it." I passed it to her and watched carefully. She took a single, small sip and then handed it back.

  "Answer honestly."

  I will try a little more later.

  "A human would drink more." I took a proper swallow. "This is good lemonade, so if you don't care for it, you won't like it anywhere. There is no obligation to enjoy it, Bronze. Do not force yourself unless you en
joy it."

  What is the other?

  "This is a soft drink." I described it as best I could. "I actually don't think you'll like it, but you might surprise me."

  She picked it up, sipped, and set it down.

  Will you mind if I only drink water?"

  "No. Many people do."

  Perhaps these will grow on me with time.

  "Perhaps so."

  I buttered a piece of bread and handed it to her. She took a bite and chewed slowly.

  "Bronze, you know your own body's needs. You don't have to eat anything you don't want. Are your dietary needs different than they were?"

  No.

  "Then eat what you want."

  You would be disgusted, Sapphire.

  The look she gave me carried pain.

  "Would it be harder to watch you eat than to watch Jasmine eat?"

  She laughed again.

  I believe Jasmine may be far more alien to you than my habits.

  "We're in a good restaurant. If you practice human manners but eat what you want, absolutely no one is going to care. Unless what you want is a plate of creepy crawly creatures eaten live. That might be difficult to watch. That's just.... eww!"

  No. Fresh meat. Please keep letting me sample. Will you be upset if I don't care for something?

  "No. And I am touched you are going to so much effort. Because honestly, unless it's sushi, my body does not do well on raw meat. I need it cooked."

  At that, I had to explain sushi.

  "I do not believe I can eat your food, Bronze. It may be that you will eat raw and I will eat cooked. Is that so terrible?"

  I have heard humans do not like to cook for one. And if I don't eat the foods you do, I can't cook for you, either.

  "I am touched you are trying. In the scheme of things, sharing the same foods is a very small thing. But maybe this is more important to you, and I shouldn't trivialize it."

  It is important, but as you say, in the scheme of things, it is small.

  Our main meal arrived, served family style with two plates. I asked Bronze if she would let me serve her. Then I cut a little of each dish, including a sampling of the potatoes, and traded plates with her. As I did my own plate, I explained what everything was.

  It was clear the silverware was unfamiliar to her, but she ate carefully and was quite able to manage them. After she tried everything I told her it would be a poor way to run a relationship if she couldn't be honest with me, then I asked her how she felt about it.

  The fish is okay. I could eat this with you.

  "Excellent."

  I would like to try it as sushi.

  "I love sushi."

  I will see if there is a restaurant of this type for us to try. I can eat the potatoes. I do not care for this green vegetable.

  "I'm not surprised. A lot of humans don't like asparagus, either."

  The meat is good, but I would rather have it raw. I can eat it cooked, but it tastes wrong and the texture is also wrong.

  "If you don't care for the meat this way, then we can send it back and they can cook it closer to my needs, and you can have the rest of the fish."

  If I have a little more of the fish, is there enough for you?

  "Yes. Plenty."

  We finished the main course, and then I asked Bronze if she wished to experience desserts.

  I tried some of your chocolate last night. I don't know what I think.

  "Have you ever had ice cream?"

  No.

  She loved the ice cream to the point she picked up the little bowl and polished it off. I watched her, amused, and I think perhaps she didn't even realize what she had done until it was empty.

  Oh no. Oh, I didn't do that.

  "You did, and I find it terribly funny. So you like ice cream then."

  We should order more. You barely got any. I am so sorry.

  "Don't be silly. But maybe next time I'll order my own."

  I'm sorry.

  "Stop. I had plenty to eat. I got a taste, and I got to watch you devour the rest. I am pleased."

  We grew quiet for a while. She took care of the bill. I sipped my water, watching her.

  I'm sorry.

  "If you apologize once more about the ice cream..."

  Not the ice cream. I wanted a nice date, and you spent the entire time taking care of me.

  "You wish us to be mates. This is what mates do. It is also what friends do, and whether we are to be mates or not, are we not becoming friends?"

  Yes. I have never been on a date before. Have you?

  "Yes. I wouldn't say often, as I was not so popular. But I have had three steady girlfriends over the years." Then my face clouded, and I looked away.

  What is wrong?

  "Nothing."

  I know human expressions, Sapphire. Please do not lie to me.

  "A memory," I said. "Certain things remind me of something."

  Tell me.

  "No. It is a very bad memory. We aren't going to talk about it tonight. Maybe someday."

  I should not ask about dates?

  "You may ask all you want about dates."

  I do not entirely understand dating.

  "It was your idea that you would court me," I said. "After our challenges."

  That is a compromise for the humans. My species does not court. After I win the challenges, if you were my species, we would mate. You chose to not mate with your girlfriends. Why?

  I began to blush.

  I know this expression. What embarrasses you?

  "In English, the word you use has more than one meaning. Do you know how a human sees the difference between sex, making love, and being mates?"

  When one has sex, one is mated. This is simple.

  "For a human, it is far more complex than that. For humans, sex can be recreational, and one can engage in sex with someone that isn't a mate. We also do not necessarily mate for life."

  I have heard human marriage vows. You say 'Until death do us part'.

  "You should look up the word 'divorce'. You should look up the concept of 'pre-marital sex'."

  And then I looked away and wouldn't talk to her for several minutes. After I ignored her for a while, she blinded my visor.

  "Hey! Not fair."

  What is wrong, Sapphire?

  "You aren't going to want me when you find out. And then you'll give me back to Jasmine, and she'll give me to someone I won't like."

  It is impossible for me not to want you. You remain blind until you tell me what is wrong.

  "That is being very heavy-handed, and you know I do not respond well to that."

  She didn't say anything for a minute, and neither did I, but then she returned control of the visor to me.

  "Do you have access to the human computer network?"

  Yes.

  "Look up pre-marital sex. Read it."

  It was several minutes later before her next words.

  I can guess. You have had sex but were not mated. You worry I won't want you now. You can set aside your worries. I don't care.

  "You need to be sure, Bronze. I will not respond well if you ever throw this in my face. Ever."

  It is my turn to be pleased.

  "Why?"

  Because you want to be my mate, and it made you sad to think I wouldn't want you.

  "I haven't had sex in a while. Maybe I just want a quickie." Then I waited for her to learn what that meant.

  There will be no quickie! There will only be a longie, and you will desire no one after me.

  "I don't know. I heard you haven't had any practice. You might not be very good. Good sex is important to human relationships." I paused. "Can you hear the change in my speaking tone when I am teasing you?"

  Yes.

  "Do you have any idea of how to court a woman?"

  Yes. I read a lot.

  I laughed.

  I am to buy you chocolate and presents.

  "Good start. And take me to Paris. And let me win any little competitions in which we
engage."

  Of course. But just the little ones.

  "Damn. Can't blame me for trying."

  We teased each other for a few more minutes. Then she asked me a question.

  How am I doing on dating so far?

  "Well, if I were scoring you, you would get big points for the presents you've given me."

  Of course.

  "You are also very tender, which gets you more points."

  Excellent.

  "However, having me kidnapped from my home while in my pajamas more than erases those points."

  I did not have you kidnapped. Jasmine did. In fact, I tried to send you home, but she wouldn't let me.

  "Yes, but Jasmine isn't asking for points, and you are. And so the negative points she has accrued transfer to you."

  She didn't answer, and I thought perhaps she wasn't sure how much I was teasing. I wasn't sure, either.

  "But you have taken me for a pleasant meal, and you let me do most of the talking. That gives you back some of the missing points. And you have taken me to a very exotic location. I have never been to Africa before."

  And I will take you to even more exotic locations. That should erase the rest of my negative points.

  "I admit, out beyond Saturn's orbit is, indeed, quite exotic, but I heard it's not a very good neighborhood. It's cold and dirty there."

  Again she said nothing.

  "And then there are the shackles," I said. "And the blindfold. I am unsure how to score those."

  More negative points.

  "Perhaps not. Do not do it now, but before the next time I want you to look something up. Fifty Shades of Gray. I'll forward the title."

  I look forward to it.

  "When you do, remember the tone I was using. Do not come to any conclusions regarding my preferences. I am teasing, but it is very good teasing."

  I understand. I think.

  "So, I would say you began with a deep, deep, negative score, but perhaps you are working your way upwards."

  That is good then.

  "I wish to ask a serious question without teasing. Why must I be shackled? I couldn't run from you. Why am I blindfolded when we travel?"

  Because Jasmine insisted.

  "So if I asked for a walk to stretch our legs, you would give me one, but I would not be able to see the city."

  I am sorry. I will not override her on this.

  I sighed. "I suppose we must go."