Page 40 of Alien Rescue

“If that thing can drive up here, why didn’t we use it to get down yesterday?” She was tired and out of sorts and didn’t want to be trapped in the close confines of the shuttle. Its boxy shape reminded her of a coffin. Or a large suitcase. She moved her foot faster at that thought.

He stared at her tapping foot, then her hands on her middle. “Running down the building is more fun.” He grunted and the door to the shuttle opened and the motorcycle disappeared.

“I’m going to kill him so much,” she muttered.

He stepped inside the shuttle, making a snorting noise. “A puny human cannot kill a Zyrgin warrior.”

Rose stared at his retreating back and then followed him into the shuttle. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but riding that motorbike thing had been exhilarating. She sagged down onto the hard bench, as close to the door of the shuttle as she could manage.

“In my whole life, I’ve never smelled as foul a place as this area of New York.”

She’d thought the filter of the gadget the doctor had put on her would filter out smells, as well, but Zanr had told her smell was a necessary sense and though the gadget filtered the air, it allowed the breather to still smell his environment. She had to remind him to filter out the smell every time they went out.

“I have to agree. Even mud slugs are not as foul,” he said.

“Mud slugs?” She shrugged off her jacket. It was comfortably warm inside the shuttle, and she was so tired of walking through water and waiting for Morgan, who was probably making her wait out of spite. She just wanted to relax. Zanr shrugged off his jacket, and Rose tried to look at him without looking as if she wanted to fall on that perfect body. Now that she was used to his green-and-gold color, she could see how well built he was.

“They live in the mud on the home planet and have a foul smell. Zyrgins have been known to pass out from the smell.” He cocked his head. “Citizens, not warriors. And some citizens like Larz would not pass out.”

“Sounds disgusting.” Rose rolled her sore shoulders. “Wait, who is Larz?”

“He is my friend.”

“I see. I’m going to get clean and then I’d love some food from your wall thingie.” The boots and gadget had kept her dry and insulated from the filth around her, but she still felt dirty.

He came over to her and pulled off the thing the doctor had given them, and that Zanr had taken off yesterday and put on her shoulder this morning. His hand was big and warm on her skin. She wore a sleeveless, tight-fitting top, and she was suddenly aware of how low-cut the bodice was. These last few days were the safest she’d felt since she’d been eight yours old. He’s the enemy, the invader, the bad guy who wants to grab your planet, she chanted inside her mind. But an irritating voice kept saying, He keeps you safe. He’s one hundred percent focused on you and thinks you’re perfect.

“I brought some clean clothes for you.” Zanr opened a compartment and took out a frilly dress. “I set the heat higher for you—you will not be cold.” He held it out.

Rose took the dress from him, battling not to laugh. Who knew she’d find the idea of wearing such a hideous dress amusing? She went to the bathroom and took a nice, long, hot shower. She emerged from the shower stall clean and feeling much better. Hoping no one she knew ever saw her in this monstrosity, she put on the dress. The sleeves were so puffed out, it came to the top of her head. Her body appeared to have no shape with the many frills flouncing on the dress.

“How do I wash the uniform?”

He turned to look at her, and though his skin wasn’t pliable enough to show emotion like a human’s, she could see his eyes lit up. “You are beautiful.”

“Thank you, so how do I wash the uniform?”

“Unlike human clothes, it is self-cleaning.”

Her kind of clothes. Still she rolled her eyes at his dig at humans and hung the uniform over the shower cubicle.

They had dinner and watched an episode of The Space Ranger, and Rose fell asleep in the middle of it.

Once again she woke on the floor of the shuttle, covered with a silver blanket. Some of the frills dug into her skin. She sat up and saw Zanr at the controls again, doing who knows what.

Without a word, she went to the tiny bathroom, wondering if she dared leave the door open. She showered, and wrapping a towel around her, grabbed the uniform and sniffed it. It certainly smelled clean. She wouldn’t mind a closet full of self-cleaning clothes. Self-cleaning clothes without any frills, bows, or beads, she wordlessly corrected herself. God help her if that alien discovered sequins.

They went back to the bar, and Rose settled down on the uncomfortable bar stool with a sigh. The barman kept giving her suspicious looks but didn’t say anything. Someone came and sat next to her. Rose hid her excitement and nodded at Morgan. He looked her up and down and sneered. “Don’t you own any more of those frilly dresses?”

She’d forgotten he saw her in one of them. “Several.” She smiled at the thought of the dresses Zanr bought for her. At the admiration shining in those unholy eyes when he saw her in them.

Morgan snorted his disbelief. “So where’s your trucker?”

Rose resisted the urge to look behind her, to see if Zanr had noticed Morgan joining her. That alien missed nothing. “I ditched him once I got here. And never mind him. What happened to our building?”

He lifted his hand, and the barman nodded and placed a glass with amber fluid in front of him. She noticed he didn’t ask if she wanted another drink. Zanr would have seen to her needs first. That thought set off other ideas and she felt her cheeks heat, and her nerve endings tingled.

“You don’t know?” Morgan said.

---