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“Oh.” Caley flushed bright red. “No, you don’t but we do recommend it as, you know, it’s a marriage. All males signing up for this have to take a detailed course on human consent and violating that is grounds for execution under Norratar law. Though, if someone signing up for the service wants a sexless marriage, that is important to tell us in the application so we can match you with the right person.”
“For those of you that don’t know, which I don’t know why you wouldn’t by now unless you’re living under a rock, the Norratar are our new ‘oppressors’.” I put that word in air quotes for my audience. “Not that everyone agrees that the changes they’ve been making have been bad. Free energy? Free water? Anyway, let’s not focus on the politics. Let’s focus on the eggplants. So, are you guys ready to meet my new hubby for a year? Well, at least if I approve of him of course. If I don’t, maybe we can set up my own personal version of the bachelorette with some of the Shek’invitali applicants.”
That was actually a really good idea.
If this really skyrocketed, I was going to have to start my own production company and make my alien bachelorette show.
That is if I could take a break from this so I could take the meds to get rid of this headache.
“I’ve heard you can just go to their homeworld for that,” Caley said. “The Shek’invitali are offering free round trip tickets to female humans who were born on Earth.”
“I am all Earth right now, baby,” I said. “Now when do I get to meet my new hot hunk of burning alien love?”
“You’re such a ham,” she laughed.
“Takes one to know one, am I right, Soul Fam?” I winked at the camera.
“Let me show you to the meeting room,” Caley said. “He’s almost here.”
“Great! I’ll be back in five! See you in the waiting room.” I tapped the button that would put my stream on hold and let out a huge sigh, immediately grabbing the Blamex out of my purse. I grabbed the small tab of medication and popped it in my mouth.
“I thought you said you were going to stop taking those.” Caley frowned at me.
“I can’t get off of them right now.” I put the medication back in my purse. “Apparently you have to slowly wean off of them and it can take years. I tried cold turkey and I threw up and had a serious panic attack. I can’t do that right now. I’m trying to build a career. A panic attack at the wrong moment could ruin everything.”
“That doesn’t sound like a very good work environment if you’re worried about being fired because you have anxiety,” Caley pointed out. “Are you sure you don’t want to be doing something else?”
“Being an actor is everything I ever wanted.” I forced a smile. “Just because some things are hard right now doesn’t mean I should just give it up. It means I gotta keep pushing hard and hustling.”
“I don’t want you putting your job at risk helping me out like this,” Caley said. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah.” I crooked a grin at her. “No risk no reward, right? Besides, what is the worst that can happen? I’m not going to get fired for filming a news reporting style vid of a matchmaking service. Now, let’s go get me those views.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Caley sighed.
[ 2 ]
JESSICA
"Okay, Soul Fam," I crooned, perching on the edge of the plush red armchair in the waiting room. The room was huge but consisted only of the single chair smack dab in the center of it. Given that the ceiling and walls were all glass, the floor was newly laid vinyl, and it was separate from the main house, my guess was it was a repurposed greenhouse. It was separated from the main building out in the massive backyard. "I think we have time for one more question before my hot space elf shows up."
If he ever would.
Even an alien would take a step back if he saw some of the things people were posting about me online. I had a strict filter for my chat room, so there was a limit to the nasty things people could say to my face while streaming, but they sure tried. Just the thought of human women dating alien men sent the conservative ‘women are property’ incel population into a tailspin. It seemed like they had come out in force to my channel today.
My moderator was dealing with some of them but still, it was a lot.
I didn't let the negative thought drift into the visible spectrum of my face and mar what I knew was still a perfect smile. I'd practiced the expression enough in the mirror for hours while I meditated on how good being famous would feel, imagining the warm love I'd feel wash over me as people screamed my name as I walked down the red carpet. In that period of my life where I practiced my smile and imagined I could change my reality through sheer willpower, I never thought of the other experiences, like long hours on set trying to get the takes. The awkward moments where I was working on memorizing my lines and someone would interrupt me, wanting to make a connection with me all while I wanted peace and quiet to connect with my character.
I never imagined I would be waking up at 3 am to make it to a location shoot with enough time for hair and makeup. I never dreamed of picking up my phone and seeing thousands of comments saying that if I didn't kill myself, they would do it for me.
It was the little things like that I didn't expect.
I expected more love than hate.
Or at least I expected the hate to bother me less.
It was the physical threats that got to me the most, because it played into the direct, real fear that I and most every other woman had, that men would hurt us. That men would hate us simply for existing.
