by Ruby Winter
The large teardrop-shaped ship opened up, and a smaller ship emerged from its belly. It quietly and smoothly flew towards our building before landing on the roof a few feet from where David and I were standing.
The door opened, and Captain Weko and Lt. Voan stepped out. Immediately Lt. Voan set his glowing yellow eyes on me, and a chill ran up my spine, as my heart began to beat faster. The side of his mouth curled up slightly as he continued to stare, and suddenly I recalled having a sex dream about him last night. I screwed my eyes shut and pushed the images of Lt. Voan out of my mind.
“Welcome back, Captain Weko and Lt. Voan,” David greeted them with a smile. “We’re so happy to see you again. Please come into the meeting room once more. Our President is waiting to speak with you,” he said.
David was speaking a lot easier today, but unlike him, I was feeling really nervous, especially with the lieutenant present.
David turned and walked into the elevator, and the captain followed after him. I waited for the lieutenant to get in first, but he cocked his head to the side and put his hand out, gesturing for me to go ahead of him.
“After you, Jennifer,” he said mildly. I gave him a slight smile.
“Thank you, Lieutenant,” I replied.
I felt him staring at my backside as I walked in front of him, making my cheeks burn as blood rushed to them. I could feel his strong and towering physique behind me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
He was so close; I could literally smell his muscular scent. He stood right next to me while inside the elevator, and I had to look down at my heels because I didn’t want to look up and lock eyes with him. I was afraid he might see through me, and notice the lust and desire I had for him.
What was barely a minute inside the elevator seemed much longer, until finally, we were inside the meeting room with the President’s image already flashed on the projection screen. The Captain and Lieutenant immediately went into the details about the Compiers and how to defend against them, while the President and his team of scientists and military specialists asked important questions and listened intently.
The meeting lasted several hours, and I was beginning to feel the toll of not resting at home. I was desperate to get back to my apartment, but at the same time, if the lockdown was lifted, I was probably one of the few, if not the only woman left in the city.
“It is possible one of the reasons the Compiers are going to invade your planet is because they want your females,” the Captain said, making me look at him in alarm. “They have a track record of taking females from us,” the Captain said.
The lieutenant’s head snapped towards the Captain very fast, his eyes looking at his superior as though he couldn’t believe what he just heard.
Was this not planned? Was the Captain not telling the truth? I thought to myself.
“Is that so?” the President said, rubbing his chin with his finger. “That’s good to know. We will guard the few females left in the city, and make sure they are placed with the highest levels of security.”
I thought about pointing out my observation of the lieutenant, but to avoid friction, I held my tongue for now. I really hoped I read it wrong.
“Sir,” David spoke up, raising his hand. “May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead, David.” The President replied.
“I was thinking of allowing my people here in our department to go home for the night and come back to work first thing in the morning, as we don’t have enough food here to sustain them for another night, and most of them have to sleep on the floor.” David continued. “I think it’s important they’re allowed to go home and report back in the morning, wouldn’t you agree?” David asked.
“I agree they should get a good night’s rest,” the President said, nodding. “Just make sure there’s an alternative plan in case the Compiers come while they’re gone.”
“Yes, sir,” David replied.
“Jennifer Rose?” the President called, snapping me out of my daze. I walked towards David and looked up at the screen nervously.
“Y-yes sir, Mr. President?” I asked.
“Being a female, you will need extra protection,” he said, his expression filled with concern. “If you’re planning to return to your home, then I will order security to escort you and stand guard in your apartment.”
I wasn’t keen on the idea, but safety comes first.
“Yes, sir. I understand. Thank you for your concern,” I said graciously.
“Allow me to suggest one thing,” Captain Weko said, raising his hand to call our attention. “I think this human female should be guarded by one of our own kind,” he said.
“May I ask the reasoning behind this, Captain?” the President asked, tilting his head curiously.
“If the Compiers show up tonight, there’s a big possibility they might single her out since she’s one of the few females left in the city. Also, she is too important to our work here. I would like to volunteer my right hand, Lt. Axon Voan, to be a part of the team to protect her. My Lieutenant has fought the Compiers before, and I think he is better prepared for the job should it come down to that then your personnel,” the Captain said.
My eyes widened at this proposal. Lt. Voan, my personal bodyguard?
I was about to protest when the President spoke.
“Yes, I believe that’s a good idea. Thank you for offering your help.” The President responded.
“Well then, I will leave my lieutenant here with you,” the Captain said, turning around to address me properly. “Jennifer Rose, he is your protection until you return here in the morning,” the Captain said.
“Thank you,” I said meekly, not wanting to seem ungrateful. The thought of having to be with Lt. Voan for the next twenty-four hours in such close proximity was… thrilling, albeit filling me with anxiety.
The meeting was adjourned, and David escorted the Captain alone back to the roof, while Lt. Voan followed me back to the office. I watched him over the next three hours, standing against the wall at attention like a good soldier, his eyes constantly moving around the place taking everything in. I tried to distract myself with work but I couldn’t. I kept on thinking about the lieutenant coming with me back to my apartment.
I was freaking out.
Finally, as the day ended, David gave the order to pull the department out of lockdown, and everyone appeared relieved to leave the building. They could take a shower, eat some decent food, and sleep in their beds.
Me? Well, I still wasn’t done freaking the hell out.
“My apartment is close by, Lieutenant,” I murmured, swallowing the spit gathering inside my mouth before trying to speak again. “I, uh, often walk to work since it’s only a couple of blocks in this direction,” I raised my hand up and pointed towards my apartment’s general direction—like an idiot, I might add,—while I led him and two military guards onto the sidewalk outside of my work building.
“Lead the way, Jennifer,” Lt. Voan said with a smile.
We walked in silence for four blocks until we arrived at the front of my building. It was sad how deserted and empty it was, the whole street devoid of people. Nevertheless, I was glad to be home.
“This is it,” I said, waving my hand towards the door of the building. Lt. Voan looked around the area quietly before looking at the other guards.
“Post a man out here at the door, and one on the roof,” he ordered. “You two should post outside her apartment door with me,” he ordered.
The two military guys nodded and went to work, pressing the receivers on their earpieces, and relaying their orders to the rest of the members of their team.
We went inside and took the elevator all the way up to the 12th floor where my apartment was. I fished my keys out of my purse, and unlocked the door, and as soon as I placed my hand over the knob to open it, Lt. Voan placed his hand over mine and shook his head.
“Let me enter first before you,” he said,
and I nodded, stepping aside. I didn’t think there would be any Compiers in there, but maybe someone left behind in the evacuation decided to break in or something.
After a minute inside, he popped back out and smiled.
“All clear,” he said, before coming out of my apartment. “Shout if you need anything.”
“Okay. Anything?” I asked him, totally serious. “Should I scream like ‘Aaah! Compier!’ when I’m in danger, or just ‘Aaah! Spider!’ if it’s something else?” I said seriously.
Lt. Voan looked at me with amusement as I actually demonstrated how I was going to shout. My face turned beet red in embarrassment.
Thankfully, he took it all in stride and merely chuckled, shaking his head.
“No, no signal. Just holler if you need me,” he clarified, his face looking mildly amused.
“Oh, okay,” I said dumbly, feeling even more embarrassed.
I walked into my apartment and looked at the vast terrace outside my sliding glass doors. Suddenly I grew very nervous. What if a Compier landed and got to me before I could even scream? I creeped myself out and opened the door to the hallway, biting my lip.
“Um, Lieutenant?” I cried softly, making him look at me. “I, uh, have a very large terrace coupled with really large windows, so it would make me feel more comfortable if you would sit inside the living room because I can’t watch them all at once,” I said quickly, realizing too late I was inviting him into my home, alone with me.
“As you wish,” he said, nodding to the two men to stay in the hall.
“Thank you,” I murmured, letting him inside and closing the door after him.
“Very nice living quarters,” he complimented, looking around my apartment once more before moving towards the windows to stand there. I smiled at him.
“Thank you. Though, I’m sure it’s very different compared to what you’re accustomed to back on your planet,” I said, reaching down to take off my shoes. My feet were throbbing from being in high heels for two days, not to mention my back and neck strain from staying in front of the monitor for so long.
“Yes, it’s very different,” Lt. Voan replied, smiling back.
“So, um,” I faltered, looking around for something to offer him. “Lieutenant, you can help yourself to anything you need. This over here is what we call the kitchen,” I waved my hands over the general area of my stove and countertops. I walked over towards my fridge and placed my hand on top of it. “This is a refrigerator, there’s cold water in here if you’re thirsty, and some food, of course. And uh…,” I trailed off once more. Is there anything else here I need to point out to him?
“Jennifer Rose,” Lt. Voan called.
“Oh! And that black thing over there is what we call a ‘TV’. The remote is over there by the coffee table if you want to watch--,” he raised his hand up and interrupted.
“Jennifer,” he said, calling my name firmly.
“Huh?” was all I could get out.
“I appreciate you telling me about all these contraptions, but it’s not necessary. I already know them,” Lt. Voan explained.
“Oh. Right,” I said, blinking dumbly. “Alright-y then. I’ll just… go take a shower. That means ‘washing up,’” I said, stammering.
His lips curved into a half-smile.
“Yes, I understand the meaning,” he replied, his smirk now turning into a full smile.
“I’ll come back in a few minutes,” I said before racing towards my bedroom and closing the door. I pulled off my stockings and went into the bathroom, running the hot water before taking the rest of my clothes off and getting in.
As I enjoyed my steamy shower, I couldn’t help but imagine Lt. Axon Voan barging in on me. I would be completely wet and naked as he pressed me against the bathroom wall and had his way with me…
“What in the hell are you thinking, Jennifer? Stop it. Snap out it,” I muttered, admonishing myself for even thinking about such a thing.
I finished my shower and moved into my room to pull on a sweatshirt and a pair of yoga pants. It felt good to be out of my work clothes and into something comfortable.
I finished drying my hair, and then applied a small amount of lip gloss before going back into the living room to get something to eat from the kitchen.
“Hey, Lieutenant. I’m back,” I said, smiling.
“Did you enjoy your shower?” he asked.
I narrowed my eyes at the smile he had on his face, knowing he was teasing me. I was astounded by how human-like he was.
I shrugged off his teasing with a grin.
“I did, thank you for asking. I’m going to cook dinner, I’m absolutely famished, are you hungry as well?” I asked, walking towards the fridge and opening it before looking back at him.
I mentally kicked myself. I’m such an idiot. I mean, I sounded like I was asking him out on a—
“It’s a date,” he quipped, and I looked at him, wide eyes in shock. Did he just read my mind?
“Where did you learn that expression?” I asked him, and he shrugged.
“I told you already. We know a lot about Earth and its inhabitants. We have been receiving information about Earth for a long time. There is much that we know,” he explained.
“Well that’s not fair, we know nothing of you,” I said, half-jokingly. I pulled out some fruit and vegetables from the crisper, and some fish from the freezer before putting everything on top of the counter.
I cooked while I talked with Lt. Voan, who insisted I call him by his first name—Axon. He was actually enjoyable to have a conversation with, and I was starting to feel less and less anxious the longer I spent time with him.
“Okay, Axon. Dinner is ready!” I announced, putting plates of food on the table.
He turned his nose in the air, sniffing and smiling as he walked towards the table.
“It smells delicious, Jennifer. Thank you,” he said as he sat down. I bit my lip to keep from laughing out loud as I looked at his massive body dwarfing the dining chair. He could barely fit in it.
“Are all the Revians as tall as you and the Captain?” I said, mildly curious. He smiled again as he nodded.
“Yes, for the most part. We range between seven feet to eight and a half on the average,” he said. He took a spoonful of fish and put it in his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. “This is really good.” He said.
“Thank you. I’m glad you like it,” I said, blushing slightly at the compliment. I’ve never really had anyone to cook for besides Lisa, so being praised by someone other than my best friend made me feel good.
I took a bite from my plate, too, before continuing to probe him with my questions.
“What about the female Revians, are they as tall as you too?” I asked. He smiled and quirked his eyebrow at me.
“You want to know about our females?” he asked, purring a little.
“Y-yes,” I said, feeling the blood rush to my cheeks again.
“Alright. The Revian females are also tall, but most of them cap at around seven feet, so only slightly smaller than us males.”
“That is fascinating,” I said. I wanted to ask a very important question, but I didn’t know how to do it without it sounding too… personal.
“Are you…,” I started to say, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Are you… with one of these females?” I asked carefully.
“With a female?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows together in feigned confusion. I narrowed my eyes at him, not buying his act. I had a feeling he knew exactly what I meant, but he was teasing me, so I’ll play along.
“I mean are you with one in a union. You know, ‘promised to each other’, like in marriage as we call it.” I said.
“Oh, I see. I do know this,” he nodded firmly. “We have this on our planet as well. We do marry and stay with one female forever,” he said.
“Oh, you do? That’s a relief,” I commented with a smile, and he raised his eyebrows at me in surprise. My own
eyes widened as I realized my slip-up. “I-I mean, it’s really amazing how similar our cultures are!”
I shoved another bite into my mouth to keep myself from speaking again, chewing my food vigorously. He did manage to avoid my question, though. He said marriage existed on his planet, but didn’t say whether he was or not.
There was an awkward silence as we concentrated on our food.
“No, I am not married to a female on my planet,” he answered softly. “I do not have a wife or even a lover.”
“Oh,” I said.
“And you?” he asked, concentrating his gaze on me now. “Do you have a husband who evacuated the city? Or a lover, perhaps?” he asked. My eyes widened at his boldness.
“No, I don’t!” I said, a little affronted. “I-I mean uh, no, I don’t have a husband.”
“And a lover?” he asked, probing further, his eyebrows furrowing.
“I had one, but I broke up—separated with him fairly recently. He’s not someone I am in love with,” I said.
“That is good to know,” he said, continuing to eat after his statement, his face a picture of neutrality.
I could feel the chemistry between us growing into a thick tension, making it hard for me to keep myself from looking at his strong naked chest as he sat across from me. I just wanted to stare at it as I ate, and I was sure he caught me doing it a couple of times.
His long, silver hair was messy, making him look rugged and dangerous. I had to rub my legs together to ease the tingle I felt as my insides reacted to his masculine beauty.
Finally, we finished our food, and the tension lifted a bit as I could finally stop staring at him. I gathered the plates and placed them in the sink before stretching my arms up over my head, mewling a little as the knots in my back started to unravel. I could swear I saw him stare at my chest as I did so, but he turned his head away quickly before I could be certain.
“Hey, um, it’s a little too soon for me to sleep after eating, so I was wondering if you would like to sit and talk some more?” I asked, making my way over to the living room and sitting on the couch. He stood in front of the coffee table, and looked at me with a smile, his eyes half-lidded as he looked at me.