by J. Judkins
When it was over, she rested her forehead against hers. "Have a good day at work."
"You too," Kim whispered.
Angel smiled. "Silly. I’m not going to work. You’re taking care of me, remember?"
Kim had nothing to say to that, so Angel kissed her again then bounced her way up the stairs.
Kim braced herself against the wall and watched her go. She took a moment to compose herself. She drew in a deep breath. Held it. Let it out slowly.
“Well,” Betty smiled at Kim. "That was certainly interesting. I’m glad to see you’ve finally found someone. Congratulations."
Kim resisted the urge to snarl. "We’re not getting married!"
Betty looked startled. “What? I didn’t mean--“
But Kim wasn’t listening. She stormed out the security door and made a beeline for her garage, fuming.
Honestly! Why was everyone saying that?
Chapter Twenty-Three
Angel was there to greet her as Kim returned home from work. Wary of a hello kiss, Kim prepared to dodge.
“We’re going out to dinner, tonight,” Angel informed Kim, then kissed her in that half-second instant before she could recover from her announcement. “Hello, by the way.”
“What?”
“I said, we’re going out to dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Yes...”
“Then it’s settled. We’re going to the restaurant where Stacy works. I need to talk to her.”
Kim didn’t answer right away. She was still reeling from the first bit of information. Settled? Angel was suggesting a date, and it was already settled?
“I didn’t agree to this,” Kim said.
“I’m only going to talk to her,” Angel replied, complete with an excessive amount of exasperation and eye rolling. “There’s no need to get jealous.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not jealous.”
“Good. Now, get ready. We’re leaving in thirty minutes. I’ve already made reservations in your name.”
“Wait, stop talking for a second. We’re going to a restaurant, and you’ve already made reservations? Why would you do that?”
“It was fairly crowded, last time. Didn’t you notice?” Angel asked, then sidled up next to Kim which did nothing to aid in her concentration. “Or perhaps you weren’t paying attention? Was that it? Hmm? Couldn’t keep your eyes off me?”
“Of course, I noticed, I--”
“Thought so,” Angel interrupted with a grin. “Now, get ready. No more excuses.”
Kim was left standing alone with a stunned expression on her face.
Chapter Twenty-Four
A date.
Another date.
Kim recalled making preparations, but they were mostly a blur. Most of her attention was focused on developing and rejecting various counter arguments to get her out of this situation, and those took time to develop. Angel took advantage of Kim’s focus on the implications of the date and her lack of attention for the reality of what was going on around her and hustled her out the door.
As Kim drove, her mind continued to work furiously.
One could argue that maybe the first date was special because it was an all-important first date, but dating twice in the same week signified dates were becoming routine and thus less special. This defeated the purpose, and that was a reason why they shouldn’t go. Dating more than once made the first time less special.
It made sense. Angel should accept that.
But there were flaws in her logic. If she argued the second date was less special because dates with Angel were becoming commonplace, it automatically implied the first date was definitely special. Arguing that point would feed into the overall relationship fantasy and give it substance. Kim wanted to maintain the illusion. Not escalate it.
In addition, that argument further implied the second date was also special, only not as special as the first. Kim couldn’t use that twisted bit of logic to discredit the second date because it would force her to claim the first one was noticeably extraordinary.
Kim maneuvered into a parking space and killed the engine, but made no move beyond that.
“We’re here,” said Angel, and left the car.
Kim acknowledged the statement with a nod. She unbuckled herself and hurried after, instinctively knowing she’d need someone to argue against the moment her thoughts were in order.
Since she couldn’t use the “dates are special only if they’re rare” argument, could she apply it to the restaurant, instead? They definitely shouldn’t pick the same restaurant. A first time was special, by definition. Returning to the same place was the first step on the road to becoming regulars. Keep this up, and they’d be recognized by the staff. Worse, they’d be greeted by name!
“We should go to different restaurants for our dates,” Kim blurted.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Angel agreed.
“We shouldn’t go to the same restaurant because...” Kim took in the building before her with growing awareness. “We’re here already, aren’t we...?”
“I need to talk to Stacy.”
Kim blinked. She had forgotten that part. “I thought we were here on a date?”
Angel frowned and gave Kim a puzzled look as if the thought were completely new to her. “Is it automatically assumed to be a date if we go to a place together?”
“Of course it is!”
Angel’s look shifted to innocence. “Naturally, I knew this as well.”
Kim snorted. The prospect of Angel not knowing was patently absurd. Like it or not, they were in a relationship, and that meant anything they did together would affect the health of that relationship. Anyone else, and it wouldn’t have been a date.
Kim was about to call her on it when Angel took her hand and pulled her inside.
Together they walked past several others in line. More than a few glanced their way. Kim felt the weight of their gaze and immediately faltered, withdrawing into herself.
Angel, in contrast, was not deterred in the slightest. “We have reservations. Kim Rowland and her girlfriend, Angel,” she announced at full volume to the head waiter, loud enough to ensure everyone in the entire restaurant could hear. “Could you seat us someplace where we can be alone?”
Kim thought a dark corner where she could curl up and die would be sufficient, but no one asked her opinion.
There was more insistent tugging, and her mind snapped to the here and now with a jolt. As she trailed in Angel’s wake, Kim realized with a start that if Angel gained too great a lead, people would see the two of them holding hands. She quickened her pace, hoping no one saw, bumping into Angel more than once.
They were seated at a table more isolated than the first from the previous date. At least it’s a different table, Kim thought, well aware of the symbolism behind certain actions even if Angel pretended to be completely oblivious to them. If they weren’t careful, one specific table could be elevated to the status of our table. There were countless other examples. Our restaurant, our song, our this and our that. The list was endless, even if she couldn’t think of any others off the top of her head.
Angel excused herself and left as soon as Kim sat down. Kim didn’t object. Her thoughts were all a-jumble anyway, and she needed time to sort them out.
Now that she was in this situation, maybe she should make the best of it? Look on the bright side. At least by coming to the same place, she wouldn’t be embarrassing herself in front of a brand new group of people.
How exactly did I agree to this?
When Angel returned to the table with Stacy a few minutes later, Kim was still trying to think of a way to have dinner alone with Angel without it meaning anything whatsoever. She despaired of ever finding one. Without even trying, Angel continued to find ways to twist ordinary events into meaningful romantic intentions that seemed deliberate on Kim’s part. Kim did her best to minimize the damage each time, but was hampered by her inability to reveal she knew the secret Angel was conce
aling.
This was all Angel’s fault. She was supposed to be out prepping the way for the invasion like any other self-respecting alien would, not buying lingerie and going on dates in a twisted, sinister plan to become a better girlfriend.
It was almost enough to make Kim wonder if Angel really had lost her memory.
Now that she thought about it, she didn’t have a clue why Angel wanted to talk to Stacy in the first place. Even she barely knew Stacy, and she worked with her.
So why would Angel do it? What did she want with her? How could she find out?
Talk to her and ask? her inner voice sneered.
Oh, yeah. There was that.
Had her inner voice always been this sarcastic?
Angel resumed her seat opposite Kim. Stacy sat down next to her, looking uncomfortable.
“I thought you wanted to talk to her privately?” Kim addressed Angel.
“She already did,” Stacy answered for her. “I thought that since you’re both here, I’d stop over and say hi. Haven’t seen you for a few days. Not since work.” Her voice trailed off, giving Kim the impression she wanted to ask questions but was too polite to do so.
Kim sighed. “What are they saying about me?”
The question seemed to make Stacy even more uncomfortable. This in turn caused Kim’s paranoia to spike. Based on her reaction, it had to be bad.
“Are you sure you want to know?” Stacy asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Just tell me?”
“Keep in mind, this isn’t a scandal. Nobody cares what you do with your personal life. The others just like to talk about it.”
“Yes, I know.”
“If they act surprised or shocked, they’re only doing it to get a rise out of you.”
“Enough with the disclaimers. What are they saying?”
“First of all,” Stacy glanced at Angel, “she sent you flowers? Is that part true?”
At Angel’s almost imperceptible nod, Stacy continued. “None of them know exactly why Angel sent them, so all they can do is guess. Some say you had a fight. The flowers were an apology. Others say maybe because the two of you,” again, she paused, “started sleeping with each other.”
Kim didn’t respond, so Stacy hastily added, “Assuming that’s true, remember, it isn’t anything no one’s ever done before. That’s nobody’s business but your own.”
Still Kim said nothing. The news wasn’t unexpected to her. In fact, she was surprised she wasn’t freaking out even a little bit.
Angel filled in the uncomfortable silence. “This is personal information,” she admonished Stacy. “I believe Kim would prefer we kept it a secret and didn’t share or talk about it.”
“So the two of you are...” Stacy left the rest unspoken.
“As I indicated, this is personal information.”
“A denial,” hissed Kim, “would have been nice.”
Angel looked puzzled and a bit perturbed. “But a denial wouldn’t be true. Isn’t it preferable to say nothing at all, if you wished to avoid the truth?”
“There’s nothing wrong with the two of you being together, Kim,” Stacy said again.
“But...we haven’t...”
“So, Angel,” Stacy interrupted, turning to her, “where are you from?”
All irritation on Angel’s face vanished as if someone had thrown a switch. “I’m a tourist,” she answered.
Stacy smiled and nodded. “Okaaay,” she said, drawing out the word. “So, what do you do for a living?”
“I’m a tourist,” Angel said again.
“You have a tourism job?”
“I did at first, but Kim wanted me to quit. I agreed. She told me she’d rather I stayed at home while she worked to support me financially.”
Stacy looked between the two. “That almost sounds like you’re turning Angel into an old-fashioned housewife.”
Kim gave Stacy an incredulous look. “We’re not getting married.”
“That’s true,” said Angel. “Kim only talked about getting married one time.”
“What?” Kim gasped.
Stacy’s eyes widened. “Wait...you’ve talked about it?”
“I...uh...” explained Kim.
“And you’ve known each other for, what, a week? I’m impressed. Which one of you proposed? How did you do it?”
Angel answered for Kim, who still looked more than a little bit horrified. “She hasn’t proposed. I believe Kim is waiting for an upcoming anniversary of ours. In fact, she went out of her way to keep it a secret from me. It was only by accident I found out. When are anniversaries supposed to happen?”
“Anniversaries are--” began Stacy.
“Don’t tell her that,” Kim hissed in a loud whisper.
Angel looked disappointed. “Oh. Never mind.”
“I think she was talking to you,” Stacy told Angel, but she looked confused and not at all certain about it.
Angel nodded. “I believe I understand. Kim wanted to keep it a secret, and I wasn’t supposed to tell you. Please, don’t tell anyone else?”
“I won’t,” promised Stacy.
“When the time comes, I imagine I’ll need to act surprised. I even told her we didn’t have to get married, if she didn’t want to,” Angel continued.
Stacy nodded solemnly. “In any case, I suppose you’ll know for certain by the time your anniversary rolls around.”
“Since you are allowed to tell me, when are anniversaries supposed to happen?”
Kim found her voice again. “We’re not getting married!”
“Ah. Okay, I’m confused now,” admitted Stacy. “Are the two of you only thinking about getting married, or--”
“We are not getting married!” Kim insisted once more. “Honestly, this isn’t a big deal. Angel and I are only sleeping together.”
There was a sudden, awkward silence.
“I thought we were concealing that information,” Angel accused Kim, looking annoyed.
“In the same bed!” Kim failed to clarify.
“Like I said, this isn’t a scandal, Kim,” said Stacy.
“I agree. There is no scandal. We’re not having sex on a regular basis,” Angel added in a helpful manner that wasn’t at all helpful.
“Or any type of basis,” Kim added, even less helpfully.
Stacy gave them both a puzzled look. “I don’t mean to pry, but are you saying you haven’t yet, or it isn’t happening as often as you’d like, or…”
“We haven’t yet,” Angel told her, “but I hope to, soon. Perhaps later this week or even tonight we--”
“Angel!”
Angel turned her full attention on Kim. “I don’t understand you. How can it be considered private information when it hasn’t even happened yet?”
“So,” Stacy clapped her hands. “Tell me, Kim, why did you want Angel to quit her job?”
Kim froze under the scrutiny. “I...there was...”
“Actually, if you must know,” began Angel, “my visa was lost in a fire and likely expired. I’m currently here in the country illegally and Kim is sheltering me. Also, illegally.”
“Really,” Stacy deadpanned.
“Telling Stacy you’re in the country illegally isn’t a good way to alleviate suspicion!” Kim pointed out, her voice rising.
Stacy blinked and smiled in sudden understanding. “I see. Is that why the two of you are talking about getting married? Because you want Angel to stay?”
“I asked her more than once, but she wouldn’t give me an answer,” said Angel. “I’m still not sure if she’d rather we have sex first.”
“Of course I’d rather…” Kim retorted. “I mean, I’d rather not!”
“You’d rather get married first?” Angel asked.
Kim’s eyes widened as she jumped to a conclusion several time zones away. “Is that what all this is about?” she demanded.
“What do you mean?”
“You want to get married?”
Angel considered her an
swer for less than half a second. “Okay.”
Kim gripped her chest and staggered back. If she weren’t already sitting down, she might have fallen.
“It would certainly solve my residency problems,” Angel continued.
“Congratulations?” offered Stacy.
“Hghh!” said Kim.
“Teasing, Kim,” Angel reached out and attempted to take Kim’s hand, but couldn’t pry it from its death grip. She lay her hand on top of Kim’s other hand where it clutched the table, instead. “I’m only teasing. I knew you wanted to wait to ask until after our anniversary before you asked me to marry you. Which is when, by the way?”
“Hnnnng!”
“Okay, maybe we should stop talking. I think Kim is having a heart attack,” Stacy observed.
“Actually, all teasing aside, I don’t think I’m even ready for marriage,” Angel pointed out. “I still think we should have sex, first. I’ve read that sometimes people aren’t compatible. Before getting married, we should have sex as often as possible. Just to be sure.”
“Yes, well…” Stacy looked away, her face a little red. “Normally, I’m all for marriage, but wouldn’t it be better to know each other longer than a week before deciding on a lifelong commitment?”
Angel shrugged. “I can wait.”
Kim seized her glass of water and drank half of it.
“Anyway,” said Stacy, “I should get back to work. It was nice seeing you both, again. Angel, did you just stop by just to talk?”
“Kim and I are on a date.”
“Stacy,” Kim rasped, “before you came to the table, what did you and Angel talk about?”
“I’d rather not say.” Stacy scooted out of the booth and turned to go. “Enjoy your evening.”
“Angel?”
“Hmm?”
“What did you two talk about?”
“I’d rather not say. Thank you for setting up our date.”
“You’re the one that set it up.”
“Then thank you for accepting.”