Page 23 of Kailirex (Brides of the Mylos #6)
CHAPTER 23
KAILIREX
“Do you think the food will be alright in the fridge? Stella asked me while staring at the minifridge in our room.
“The food Tillin gave us? If you’re worried about it, we can tell your brother that they should go ahead and eat our share as well. We can order replacements from the deli’s mail order store he mentioned on the flight up.”
“He did?”
“Yes. He was dictating an entry into his portal page, I believe, and we were not meant to overhear it, I don’t think.”
“Okay, let’s do that but not tell him we didn’t eat the actual stuff he sent. We’ll just order the same exact thing again when we get home.”
I nodded. “I will ask Xeranos to put a standing order for it so it comes on the next shuttle from New York after we return. I’ll have him notify your brother about the food as well.”
She looked relieved that I would handle it for her.
“Why don’t you go take a soak in the bath, and I will go out and purchase our clothing for tomorrow, as well as some swimsuits? Would you like to make use of the hot tub?”
“Ohh, a soak and maybe go for that drink Mom suggested at the bar, then the hot tub?”
“That sounds wonderful,” I told her, imagining her nestled under my arm as the heat soaked into our bodies, relaxing her even more than the bath and alcohol would. She was looking rather frazzled around the edges and it would do her a world of good. Not that it was any wonder that she was - today had been a rollercoaster ride for both her and Eric, as well as the rest of the family. For me and Piloris, too, and I was certain that both he and Eric were busy doing their best to unwind or soon would be after they were chased out of Sickbay to let their father eat his meal and rest up for tomorrow’s procedure.
She closed the blinds and began to strip, leaving her clothes on the bed.
“You can get my size from those. If you can’t tell what size swimsuit to get me, just tell the clerk what size undies and bra I wear.” She kissed my cheek before sauntering across the bedroom and into the bathroom, leaving me to watch the delectable way her butt bounced sweetly as she moved.
I licked my lips, fisting my hands to fight back the urge to follow her in there and grab handfuls of her ass as I plundered her mouth.
“Clothes,” I reminded myself, looking at the tags inside and noting down the sizes on them. I heard her turn on the water in the tub and knew I had an hour at most to get to the stores in the adjoining plaza and return. I grabbed my key and quickly tapped out the promised messages to both Eric, via Piloris, and Xeranos, who I also let know that I was going shopping for clothes and asking how I should pay for them. Xeranos replied immediately, pinging me with a new icon on my kunnarskyn’s main screen. I tapped it and was rewarded to see it was a wallet, with a Fleet card in my name already on it. There was also a message, which read, “Just tap it at any contactless pay station’.
Moments later, Eric and Piloris messaged me back, letting me know they would share the food with Mom once visiting hours were over and that they would all never say a word about it to Tillin, in case his feelings got hurt. I smiled at that, knowing it would make my mate happy to know that the matter was indeed taken care of. That task accomplished, I strode out the door, making certain to bring my copy of our room key with me so I could take care of the next.
Reaching the elevator, I pushed the button and was gratified when it stopped to let me on mere moments later. There was another guest and his mate and young already in the cubicle and they stared at me openly.
“Daddy, why is he green?”
“Shh, Kelly, it’s rude to ask where people can hear you,” her mother admonished as I looked at the control panel. The ground floor had already been selected.
I smiled at her, careful to keep the fangs, which I could feel had begun to emerge thanks to my mating display, hidden behind my lips.
“It’s okay,” I reassured the parents. “Children are naturally curious.” I bent down so my face was on the same level as the children and addressed young Kelly. Stroking the scales along my arm, I asked, “See these scales?”
“Yeah,” she replied.
“Do you gots those because you’re like a Mylos?” a male young a couple of inches shorter than Kelly asked me in return.
I nodded. “It’s exactly for that reason, only I’m not like a Mylos, I am a Mylos. My mother is a bride from a world different than many you’ve seen before.”
“It’s pretty,” Kelly said. “I have a mermaid doll with hair the same color and her tail is also green but darker and the scales are just pretend.”
“That sounds like a really cool doll.”
“It is,” she agreed, nodding emphatically.
“It’s just a silly doll,” the boy scoffed. “It’s not cool like my Mylos saucer.”
This gave me an idea and I straightened up.
“He likes playing with Mylos shuttles and action figures?” I asked the mother and she nodded, smiling. “He does.”
“I would love to send them both the newest that is about to come out, if I may. I’m the executive producer of Playtime Fleet, the new educational children’s TV show that is about to begin production.”
“Please let him, Mama! I want a new saucer!” the young male wheedled.
“You don’t have to do that,” the father said, glancing at his son.
“It’s my pleasure. In fact, we are looking to cast children in the show. If it’s something you think you and the children would be interested in, you can let me know by mailing the address that will be on the card in the box containing the toys.”
“Oh!” the woman said, looking ecstatic. “Kelly was in the local Nutcracker back home in Minnesota. Everyone said she was a natural on the stage.”
The man gave a wry chuckle and held his hand out for me to shake. “I’m Jason Paulson, and you’ve met my wife Beth and our children Kelly and Luke.” I took his hand, shaking it. His grip was firm, but not harsh, a friendly gesture from a confident man. Releasing me, he reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. “I always carry a few spare business cards,” he said wryly. “Just in case someone needs to know how to get in touch with me.”
“It was one time, Jason!” his wife said, looking indignant. “And I thought I’d hit the shopping cart corral next to my space, not that man’s car behind me. If I’d have known, I would have told you when I came inside to pick you up.” She turned to me. “I had to go get him as his car’s battery died and he’d stopped to pick up milk on the way home from work.”
I decided the better part of valor was to say nothing, so that’s what I did.
“Here you go,” Jason said, handing me a slightly worse for wear business card with his name, place of work, and phone number on it.
“Thank you. I will be in touch once I return to the Fleet in a few days.”
We reached the ground floor and the elevator doors opened, the bright light of the sunny day outside enticing guests to come out and explore.
“Is that why you’re here?” Jason asked me as I walked to the exit leading to the shopping plaza. “The TV show, I mean.”
“Not this time. I’m here to attend a wedding, and my mate and I had to come straight here after visiting her father in the hospital, so we are quite without clothes. Fortunately, the wedding is beach smart casual, so I am able to get something suitable for us to wear both tonight and tomorrow for the wedding.”
“Oh!” Beth exclaimed. “We were just on our way to get Luke a new pair of water shoes as he lost one somehow. Would you like any help picking out clothes for your wife?”
I started to reassure her that I would be fine, then thought better of it. She would probably have a better idea on fit than I would. “If it is no trouble. She is taking a bath and I’d hoped to bring her something fresh to wear.”
“Oh, well, then we best get you sorted straight away!” Beth exclaimed and her husband nodded.
And so I found myself with unexpected new friends, helping me complete Mission: Possible Clothing.