Four hours later, I’m staring at Taniz over the rim of an enormous fishbowl cocktail glass. The Crux has galaxy projectors beaming stars all over the deep blue walls and all the cocktails are named after constellations. The guy who runs it, Biek, collects UFO memorabilia, so the inside of the bar is eccentric, to say the least.
Taniz raises her voice over the sound of David Bowie’s Space Oddity. “Everyone has that bad luck day when everything goes wrong. Today is your day, Maria. Hopefully it means you won’t have another one like this for seven years. Or is that breaking a mirror? Anyway, I’ve got you an interview with my friend at this coffee place tomorrow. You just have to pretend to be an expert barista.”
I slurp the neon-colored cocktail. “Fingers crossed. I can’t believe Shane broke up with me like that. For Lidia!”
Taniz widens her eyes. “Well, that’s a slice of karma that’s gonna bite him on the butt. Can you imagine living with her? She’s going to micromanage him so hard that his bathroom visits will all be scheduled. He won’t be able to poop in peace without an alert telling him he’s taking too long.”
I laugh. “You reckon?”
“Yeah. She once told me that she sets a timer so she never sits down for longer than ten minutes. Now that will be fun when they’re watching a movie. Do you want another cocktail?”
I stare down at the fishbowl. “I should probably stop.”
“No way. You’re not nearly drunk enough. Anyway, Biek said the next one is on the house if we act as test subjects for his newest concoction. It’s called The Triangulum.” She hiccups, stands and weaves her way to the bar.
At the end of the evening, I vaguely remember Taniz telling me to drink lots of water while we dance to a cheesy old 70s song called I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper. Then I’m in a taxi, fumbling with my keys at the door, looking around to see if Calli has come back, then finally stripping off my clothes and getting into bed.
The awful events of the day wash over me and I want to cry. Instead I fall into a deep sleep.
There’s a rustle at the end of the bed.
My head hurts as I force my eyes open. It’s still dark but the pre-dawn light is starting to illuminate my bedroom.
An enormous, muscular man is standing at the end of my bed. His skin is purple and his eyes are a strange, tawny shade.
I close my eyes. I’m dreaming.
I open them again. He’s still there.
Purple guy looks down at me with an unreadable expression. His eyebrows are thick and black, while his jawline and cheekbones look like they’ve been carved by a sculptor. I can’t work out the color of his hair. My head is fuzzy. I blink hard three times. He’s still there.
Oh shit.
I sit up, my heart beating in my ears. I swallow a couple of times so my voice doesn’t shake.
“Who the hell are you?”