Page 76 of Sublime Target

It would be her first time ever traveling beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Soon, the Kordolians would be sending a transport to pick her up and ferry her to the event’s location.

To think it was nothing for them to travel between Earth and space, covering vast distances in a short amount of time.

To her, it was a very big deal.

She slipped into a pair of black satin heels decorated with crystal-embellished buckles. A pair of long, thread-through silver earrings with a lustrous Akoya pearl on each end completed her look.

When she’d spoken to him on the holo, the ambassador had told her to dress formally, after all. With flowing white locks and curving black horns, the Cultural Ambassador and former Prince of the Empire, Xalikian Kazharan, certainly struck her as unapologetically Kordolian, but he’d seemed very clued-in on all matters human and Earth-related.

Dress as if you’re going to a black-tie event, he’d told her.

Clarissa had taken it all in her stride. She’d been to many such events in her capacity as Garner’s EA but never as an official invitee. Instead, she’d been there to fetch drinks, take memos, and follow up on business dealings.

Now, she was the guest.

And she’d gone to more effort to dress up than ever before. Her makeup was perfect, her hair was swept into an immaculate updo, and she felt like a trillion bucks.

There was something empowering about being almost a hundred percent certain she would knock Jerik Garul’s socks off.

What the hell am I even doing?

But she was too far gone now for that thought to take hold.

She was committed, and she couldn’t afford to let doubts or fears ruin her conviction.

This felt like a trance, a dream, a complete un-reality she hoped she’d never wake up from.

And she didn’t want to, either.

The very last touch she added was a slick of ruby-red lipstick.

Now, all she had to do was wait.

And so she did, pacing around her apartment, her heels clicking on the polished concrete.

She was tempted to pour herself a shot or five of tequila to calm her frayed nerves, but she didn’t want to turn up there even the slightest bit inebriated.

She told herself that seeing Jerik Garul again would be worth it, that this state of heightened anticipation and nervousness, of feeling so jittery she might almost jump out of her own skin…

All this was normal, right?

And although she’d never wished for anything much in her life—she wasn’t the sort to gamble or buy tickets in the Federation Lottery—a part of her felt this might just be the beginning of something huge.

All she had to do was hold her nerve.

Jerik had already told her what he wanted. She knew what he was all about.

Now, the ball was in her court.

Did she want him and everything he entailed, or did she want to go back to her ordinary, predictable life on Earth?

Deep down, she knew what she wanted, but did she have the guts to go for it?

Bea was probably right, but…

She needed to see him again to make sure.

And maybe…

---