Page 13

Chapter Thirteen

Amara

Wow. I didn’t think seeing Roth’kar in tight jeans and a form-fitting shirt would make me quite so hot to trot, but here we are. All the way home, I resist the urge to glance over at him, because I know it makes him nervous when I’m not always looking at the road.

“What do you think of going out tonight?” I ask as I pull into the parking garage. “Having a date night?”

Roth’kar cocks his head as he unbuckles his seatbelt. “Date… night?” He squints the way he always does when his translator is working.

“Like we go out together to a restaurant, have a nice dinner, and it’s all very romantic.

” I swoon as I get out of the car. “There’s a pretty nice place downtown that I like, but I don’t go there much.

” I don’t really have anyone to go with.

Occasionally, Kendall and I have stopped by for drinks after work, but I always spied on others on dates with envy.

“Romantic,” Roth’kar repeats as we get into the elevator, carrying bags of clothes with us. “I’m not sure how to do this. The translator is supplying me images of candles and red flowers.”

I laugh. “Roses, probably. It’s a tradition to sprinkle rose petals around when you’re trying to seduce someone.”

Roth’kar furrows his brow. “You decapitate flowers and spread around their remains to show love?”

“Uh, I guess you could say that. But the candles are about the lighting. You want the right kind of lighting when you’re… you know.”

“I do not know.”

“When you’re going to have sex,” I say in a quieter voice. “Enough to see by, but not bright. Sexy lighting.”

“Sexy… lighting.” Roth’kar appears even more perplexed now. “But it is a fire hazard.”

I giggle as we exit the elevator and head down the hall to my apartment. “I guess you’re right. It’s about the mood.”

He ponders this as we step inside. “So a ‘mood’ is important during intercourse?”

The word intercourse nearly busts me up, but I hold my laugh inside because I don’t want to embarrass him.

“Yes. You want to think sexy thoughts, not ‘the light is too bright’ thoughts.”

He nods, understanding, then picks up his bags and heads to his room. I realize he doesn’t have a closet or a dresser in there, and I kick past me for not thinking to get him one.

“Do you… do you want to put them in my room?” I call after him, and Roth’kar pauses. “I can free up some drawers for you. And closet space.”

He pivots, shooting me a surprised look.

“If it’s not an imposition,” he says carefully. “I don’t want to encroach on your?—”

“Oh, shush.” I cross the distance between us and snatch the clothing bag from his hand. “Come on. We’ll get you set up.”

I made sure we bought him plenty of underwear and socks, too, so I free up two drawers for him—one for his pants and one for the unmentionables. The shirts I hang up in the closet next to mine.

“Is this okay?” I ask him, gesturing at the shirts.

Roth’kar appears perplexed by my question. “Why wouldn’t it be? Now they won’t get damaged or wrinkled.”

“Well, you’ll have to come into my room to get them, and…”

He arches an eyebrow when I don’t finish my sentence. Roth’kar takes a step toward me, then another step, until we’re almost chest to chest. Then he scoops up one of my hands with his lower arm and twines our fingers together.

“Yes, I will. And your room smells like you, which is a scent I very much enjoy.”

Wow. Roth’kar has really opened up to me the last few days, and I’m more than grateful. I’m starting to see the real him inside, and that real him is surprisingly flirty and romantic.

“Well, we’d better get dressed if we want to get dinner,” I say, pecking him on the cheek before I start rifling through the closet. He nods, chooses a shirt and a pair of pants, and then departs the room so I can change.

When I’m finally made up and ready, we head out together. Luckily, it’s only a single bus trip to get downtown, and I made sure to call ahead for a reservation. We’re running a little late, so we jog together down the street to the stop, arriving just before the bus rolls up.

We don’t talk much on the way, sitting with our hands linked, my head resting on Roth’kar’s shoulder. I pull the wire when we reach our stop, and we hop off the bus together.

Roth’kar’s lips part in surprise as he takes in our new surroundings. Here, the buildings are huge and tall, jutting up into the sky so far they block out the setting sun.

“The restaurant is up there,” I say, pointing at the top of a skyscraper. “You can look out the windows over the whole city.”

Roth’kar’s eyes get even bigger as he cranes his neck back to see.

“Come on.” I loop my hand around his arm. “Let’s eat.”

We step into the lobby, then take the elevator up to the very top floor.

When the doors open, we’re greeted by the hum of restaurant noise—people talking and laughing, waiters stacking plates, and a gentle music playing.

A woman glances up from the host stand as we approach, and her brows jump when she notices Roth’kar.

“Oh, hello!” She claps her hands together. “A Karthinian!”

Now it’s our turn to be surprised.

“You know what he is?” I ask.

“Yes! Oh my gosh, it’s so cool to meet you in person.” The hostess is focused solely on Roth’kar, as if I’m not even there. She shyly extends a hand to him, and he pauses for a moment before he takes it and shakes.

“What deal are we making now?” he whispers to himself.

“I’ve been fascinated with aliens ever since the Frahma landed,” the hostess barrels on. “I’ve read about Karthinians before but never seen one in real life!”

I tighten my hold on Roth’kar’s arm as she finally releases his hand, but she’s still going.

“Well, let me tell you, the food here is a lot better here than those kath bars you guys have.”

Roth’kar’s antennae hop to attention. “You know kath ?”

She nods vigorously as she gathers up two menus. “It’s made from insect protein. Very smart, actually. We Earthlings could learn something from you about sustainable farming and effective food distribution.”

The hair on the back of my neck prickles while the hostess gazes at Roth’kar with adoring eyes. What is that about insect protein? How come she knows something about him I don’t?

I want to say hey, back off, he’s mine , but that would be ridiculous.

Still, a nugget of fury seethes under the surface of my skin as the hostess finally does her job and leads us into the restaurant, toward a table for two.

There’s already a candle lit, and she gives each of us a menu before pulling out Roth’kar’s chair, then gestures for him to sit there.

She does not pull out my chair.

“Thanks,” I say in a clipped voice as the hostess opens her mouth once more to speak to Roth’kar. She seems to realize for the first time that I’m present, and with a bob of her head, quickly heads back to the host stand.

Roth’kar is holding the menu but watching my face as we’re left alone. I try to school my expression into a smile now that we’re seated and ready to eat, but my cheeks feel hot and my hands are clenched.

“Amara?” His brows lower in concern. “Was I… not supposed to speak with that woman?”

I don’t even know what to make of his question. “Huh? What?”

“Well… it seems to have upset you. Is this an element of Earth culture I don’t know? Should I not speak to other women?”

Oh, that’s the last thing I want him to think. Now I feel like a major asshole for being possessive.

“No, no, not at all.” I reach across to take his hand. “You can talk to anyone you like.”

“That’s good, because I would have had to confess that I talked to a woman the other day who made me a cooked brown tube in a bread bun. I did not ask for it, but she charged me five bucks .”

I stare at him. “Cooked brown tube?”

“It tasted good.” He hums thoughtfully. “It was dry, though.”

Before I can go down the hole of wondering what sort of food he ate the other day, apparently given to him by a stranger, I shake my head.

“Wait, Roth’kar. What happened with the hostess, it was just… me being a brat.” His antennae perk up, showing he’s listening. “I thought she was hitting on you, and I didn’t like the idea of someone hitting on you.”

“She did not strike me,” he says, puzzled.

“Flirting.”

Roth’kar’s translator works, then he nods. “I see.”

“And I guess I feel a little, I don’t know. Jealous, maybe? I don’t want to share you with anyone else.”

A faint smile tugs at his lips. “You felt jealous?”

“Well, she knew about the insect thing! I didn’t know that. You eat insects?”

He chuckles. “Yes, the Karthinians eat insects, because they are easy to raise and then turn into kath .”

“See?” I sigh. “She knew more about you than I do. And that makes me feel like a bad wife.”

“You are anything but. In the short time I’ve been here, you have been a marvelous wife.” He tilts his head. “It makes me happy that you felt protective of me.”

We’re interrupted by the waiter, who delivers our water and asks for drink orders.

Roth’kar has no idea what the menu means, so I order for both of us, gambling on what I think he might like.

He’s not big into sweets but also doesn’t enjoy bitter flavors.

So I got him a Pisco Sour, thinking he would enjoy the texture of the foam.

We talk over the menu options, and I explain them as best I can, but Roth’kar has no idea about pork loin in cherry sauce— or what a cherry even is—which leaves it up to me. I order a few small plates so we can share and try out as many foods as possible, trying not to think too hard on the bill.

Tonight is about us, and enjoying ourselves, and hopefully… other things. Later.

Sexy lighting sounds nice right now.