Page 17 of The Alien I Fell in Love with on Walpurgis Night

“We did it,” I say.

“We need to talk,” he replies. I’m surprised he doesn’t look happier. “But not like this. Everyone can hear us.” Then he takes my hand and leads me into the bathroom. “Take off your clothes.”

“Excuse me? You said this wasn’t a porn.”

“It’s not. We are only going to take a shower together, not have sex.” When I make no move to remove my clothing he whispers in my ear, “I promise, I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to. But we need running water to muffle our voices. There are sensors everywhere. And it will look ridiculous and suspicious if we aren’t undressed in the shower.”

His deep voice in my ear sends shivers down my entire body and somewhere inside of me I wish he were saying he would touch me everywhere and make love to me while we are in the shower. But still I have enough sense not to just strip.

“Think of the money. I told you I would not do anything that is a lie and that still holds true.”

I meet his sharp green eyes. He looks sincere. For better or worse, I believe him. He takes a step back and begins removing his own black tunic and trousers. I watch out of curiosity. Will the grey paint be everywhere? First his shirt goes over his head revealing a strong grey body. He’s still wearing some silver necklaces that catch the light and makes no move to remove them. I had noticed all the other men were wearing similar necklaces. One of his necklaces reads, ‘Imperial Fleet Reserve Commander Axl Imperial House Zu’ and the other one has a symbol on it I don’t recognize. The game makers really went all out with every detail. Axl removes his trousers. If he feels my hungry gaze on him, he doesn’t acknowledge it. His muscular legs, his thighs, his groin and his penis, everything is grey. He has no body hair, but no doubt costume design must have removed his hair to apply the paint.

His eyes meet mine and I blush.

“Would you like me to disrobe you?”

“No, I can do it,” I say and begin removing my clothing. “I didn’t expect to be naked today.”

“What do you mean?”

“I haven’t shaved or anything.”

“I don’t understand…” he begins, but then decides to abandon whatever he was going to say.

I turn from him as I unfasten my bra and take off my underwear. I try to cover my nipples and my vulva for modesty. “I don’t know how to start the water.”

He simply tells the shower to turn on to its highest temperature and it does.

I feel like a fool it was so simple but then I reflect, When have I ever encountered such rich-people technology that it’s all operated by voice control? “Won’t that be too hot?”

“Not for you,” he replies with a hand on my naked back urging me into the large shower that could fit at least five people.

He’s right the water isn’t that warm. “How did you know the water wouldn’t be warm? Have you played this game before?”

Axl puts his hands on my shoulders in a way that takes my breath away for a second. Then he says in my ear, “This isn’t a game, Georgiana.”

With the sound of water rushing over us I’m not sure I heard him correctly. “What?”

“This isn’t a game. This is all real. I am really an alien. This is really a space station. It all really exists.”

I can’t see anything but the water blurring my eyes. “What are you talking about?”

He turns me to look at him. I’m clutching my breasts trying to keep some modesty.

“This is all very real. If we marry and take those binding tattoos it will be permanent. We will die if we ever have sex with anyone else.”

“But the money? The cabin? I’m so confused. You look human but grey.” I reach up and touch the side of his face. It’s so smooth. No sign of a beard there or any grey paint washing off.

“The money is real. And you can still have it, but the problem is you’ll be legally married and sexually tied to me. There’s no reversal for the binding tattoos unless one of us dies.”

Water is running down our faces. I hear his words but it’s difficult to take in. “Everything you made me memorize. All those people.”

“Real.”

“All of this?”

“Real.”

---