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“All right. I won’t grill you anymore.” I crossed my heart.
His amused grin transformed his features from handsome to heartthrob. “You know you won’t be able to keep that promise.”
How could I condemn him for a white lie if I’d just told one? We all tell little fibs, don’t we? “I promise I’ll try,” I amended.
He laughed.
“I think I’ll go shower,” I said.
“While you do, maybe I should fix dinner?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
“What would you like?” He opened the cold storage unit and peered inside. “Shrimp scampi with rice, beef stroganoff, chili con carne, spinach quiche, pizza—”
“Pizza? What kind?” It had been months since I’d had a pizza.
“Sausage and pepperoni.”
I wrinkled my nose. “I’m more of a veggie pizza kind of person.” I shrugged. “I don’t care. Surprise me. Just not pizza.” I sashayed out of the kitchen. “I’ll try to be quick.”
“No rush. Take your time. I’ll wait a bit before I pop the food in the flash cooker.”
“Well, in that case, I might linger.” I remembered how good last night’s shower had felt. I was rediscovering simple pleasures like hot water, comfort food, sex.
In the bath, I got a clean pajama top from the cabinet, not bothering with the bottoms. I searched through the vanity for other toiletries I might have missed the first time and found a hair dryer shoved all the way in the back. Yay, I can dry my hair, and it won’t stick up every which way.
Even though I’d be eating soon, I brushed my teeth—something else I’d been unable to do off planet. On Nomoru, they used a fizzy solvent to remove food particles, sugars, and plaque. The Fizz, as we dubbed it, probably cleaned better than a toothbrush, but I preferred our way.
All the comforts of a well-equipped safe house, I thought as I brushed my teeth. I wondered what he would select for dinner. No pizza, I’d said. Funny I could be picky after eating slop on the slave slip and all kinds of unidentifiable food at the palace.
I did prefer veggies to meat on my pizza, but now, any pizza started to sound appetizing. Pizza was the ultimate comfort food, no matter what the topping. Pizza! Yes, I wanted pizza. I’d better tell him before he heats up something else.
I slipped out of the bathroom and padded down the hall.
“A thunderstorm?” He sounded concerned.
I started to speak, but then he said, “That doesn’t change the timing, does it?”
Who is he talking to?
I peeked around the corner. His back turned, he paced in the kitchen. I ducked out of sight into the hall before he spotted me. Slipping into the first bedroom, I cracked the door and cocked an ear. If he happened to glance this way, he wouldn’t see me.
I felt guilty for eavesdropping, but my planet’s future was in jeopardy. He would only tell me so much, and, after tomorrow, he would leave. I needed answers. The president needed answers. And I was in the best position to get them.
* * * *
Maxx
As soon as Jessie left, I checked in with my partner to ensure the operation was a go. For obvious reasons, I couldn’t speak openly around her. There was still so much I couldn’t tell her until it was all over. As it happened, my partner’s translator glitched, so we were forced to speak Terran Universal.
“The thunderstorm shouldn’t affect the plan,” he said. “Hitting late tonight, it will pass by morning. But it’s going to be loud and bright. Expect quite a light show. You’ve never experienced weather like that on Nomoru.”
“I can handle a little storm—as long as the ship lands.”
“It’s already here. Arrived a couple of hours ago. Imana moved up the landing due to the storm. She keeps tabs on the weather, too.”
“No loading until tomorrow though, right?”
