Page 24 of Whisked Away By the Alien

“The men. No one ever questioned my work there before, but I’m a woman, so they assume I’m the cause of the discrepancy.”

“They’re going to fire you,” Mom the doomsayer adds.

“They’re not going to fire me. But arguing with my boss would make me look guilty even though I’m the one who discovered the problem.”

I shrug as if the prospect of losing my job is no big deal, but the truth is I’m worried. Not many businesses hire women. Not because so few women have received an education, but because most men have been raised to believe women aren’t smart. Without a job, I won’t be able to pay my rent, which means I’ll have to move back here. While that’s not the end of the world, it sure feels like it. Living in my parents’ home, under their rules… Not. Going. To. Happen.

“You should go back in to work tomorrow and make them listen to you,” Mom pushes.

“When they realize they need my help to figure this out, they’ll call me back in. Until then, paid vacation!”

“You’re too cocky, Golda. No guy likes a cocky woman. Right, Stenikov?”

Tell me she did not ask him that.

“If you return on your day off and offer to help, they won’t think you’ve done anything wrong.”

“Ihaven’tdone anything wrong.”

“What if they think you have? This is what you should tell your boss—”

“Why don’t we eat?” I cut her off. I don’t need to be told what to say or do. I’m a grown woman, capable of handling my own affairs.

Affairs. Damn, my lower half heats again and this time I’m afraid to look at Sten, like he’ll know I’m thinking about him.

“Good idea, sweetie. Let’s eat,” Dad says to keep this from turning into an argument. “I’m starved. We don’t need any fighting tonight. Especially with a guest in our home.”

“Don’t worry, Sten, if fighting breaks out, I’ll protect you,” I joke.

“Protecting is my job, not yours. I will not allow any harm to come to you.” Stenikov’s face goes from relaxed and smiling to very serious. He’s upset, though I’m not sure why.

“Relax, Sten. We only fight with words around here. That and a healthy dose of guilt now and then.”

“Guilt?”

“I’ll explain that another day. Too much culture shock at once isn’t good for anyone. My point is, you’re here to learn, not protect.”

“Golda, it’s not polite to tell a man his business,” Mom reprimands.

“I wasn’t telling him what to do. And since when do you want me staying silent? The Coalition is gone. You’re the one who taught me to stand up for myself. That women and men are equals.”

“Yes, we’re equals, but you’ll never catch a man if you don’t learn to be a little submissive and ladylike. Right, Stenikov?”

Kill. Me. Now.

Sten’s horns twist at the top as he raises a brow. He may be confused, but he’s blessedly quiet despite my mother’s attempts to insert him into our little head-butting session.

“We’re not having this discussion,” I say through clenched teeth. “Dad’s right. We have a guest.”

“Stenikov’s been here two days. He’s practically one of the family.” Mom dons a killer smile as she looks at me and tilts her head toward Sten.

She’s playing match-maker, only this time she’s targeted an unsuspecting guy who’s never encountered Hurricane Gertrude in her element. This is Passover with Aaron Rubinstein all over again.Thatwas an unmitigated disaster. The guy was ten years older than me, socially awkward, and smelled. And not in a good way like Sten.

“I know what you’re doing, Mom. Stop.Now.”

“One day, you’ll wake up all alone and realize your youth passed you by and it’s too late to live your dreams.”

“My dreams or yours?”

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