Page 12 of Tis the Season for Tentacles
I can’t stop my eyes from straying back to the hunky golden alien who still hasn’t introduced himself to me, even though he’s the one I want to get to know first and foremost. I can’t help but wonder if he’s single and also into humans…
Wait. Christmas in outer space? What the what?
The golden god of a guy sighs loudly. “Sorry, Felix. I’m Najar Mezdel and these fools”—he gestures to everyone else—“are my friends and colleagues. For better or worse.”
Luna smacks him lightly with a tentacle. “You know you love us.”
Najar—even his name is sexy—grumbles something I can’t quite hear.
“You see, Felix,” Luna says, “we’re in a bit of a bind right now because you saw us. We’re not exactly here on Earth legally. We don’t have clearance. This was really supposed to be a quick in-and-out mission to get a few things for our space adventure.”
Sasha pipes up. “We honestly didn’t think there would be any people this far out in such a remote part of the desert. Our initial scan showed the area was clear.”
My brow furrows. “I wasn’t here earlier. I was out searching a different part, a different quadrant, but returned here a little while ago.”
Najar groans. “Neptune’s nads. Itoldyou guys that we shouldn’t have stayed so long.”
“Quite right. In fact, time’s a wasting.” Khephren hurries over to a seat in front of a panel of controls. “I think it would be best for us to ‘get out of Dodge’ as they say and then figure out what to do next.”
“Good call, babe,” Sasha says. “The last thing we need is an Alliance ship following us into outer space.”
Najar sighs again and takes hold of my arm.
With one of his tentacles.
And yes, I do let out an embarrassing noise.
He lets go.
Dammit.
He leads me over to a wall covered in shiny holographic snowflake stickers, where he folds down a hidden seat panel and straps me in gently like I’m a small child before he heads over to a seat next to Luna.
I gasp when a robotic creature reminiscent of a chrome-bodied R2D2 droid fromStar Warsglides past me and beeps. “Buckle up, buttercup,” he says.
“Wha—” I start to say until the ship starts moving. “Aahhh! What’s happening?”
Sasha pulls down another seat next to me and buckles himself in. He grins at me. “Don’t worry, you get used to takeoff and landing after a while.”
For some reason, the question that pops out of my mouth in response to that is, “Are you really married to that pink guy, Khephren?”
Sasha has a wicked gleam in his eyes. “Let me tell you my own tale of alien abduction. Best thing that ever happened to me.”
My jaw nearly hits the floor while he relates the story of his abduction two years ago, and how he became a permanent member of the crew and Khephren’s husband. Who, it turns out, is also the ship’s captain.
As he continues his narrative, eventually the ship’s movement smooths out, and I can barely tell that we’re flying. When he gets to the end, Sasha unbuckles his seat belt and stretches.
“So, that’s how me and Kheph got together. We’ve been enjoying wedded bliss for nearly a year.” He sighs happily. “We’re going to celebrate our first anniversary by visiting a couple of planets with romantic appeal.”
Najar leaves his seat and comes back, a grim look on his handsome face. “I’m afraid you’ll be joining us for this…”
“Adventure!” Luna cries, giving me two thumbs up.
Visiting alien planets and learning about local customs? My brain is already awhirl with what kinds of interesting species I might get to meet.
“That sounds amazing.” After all, I’m between jobs at the moment and trying to figure my life out. Couldn’t really ask for better timing.
Plus, they’re aliens withfreakingtentacles. It’s like the universe plucked one of the fantasies right out of my brain and manifested it for me.
