His face turns white. “I asked her to make a coffee and she dropped the cup. Well, the cup flipped out of her hands and smashed on the floor. It was the weirdest thing…”
I snap my head round. Maria’s face is flushed. “Is this true, Maria? I will happily snap his arm off if you desire it.”
Maria shakes her head. “T’zak no. We don’t do things like that here. Please, let him down.”
I place the man back down on the floor. “As you wish.”
Maria’s tone is pleading. “Jimmy, I am so sorry. This is my, um…cousin from overseas. They do things differently in his country.”
Jimmy looks dazed but he nods his head. “What are they putting in the water in his country? Biggest darn guy I’ve ever seen.”
“Um. Yes. Our family is all quite tall. C’mon, T’zak I think my interview is over.” She reaches for my arm and guides me out of the room.
“Does this mean you have the job?’ I enquire.
She shakes her head. “I’m pretty sure that between me smashing the cup and you lifting the manager off the floor it’s safe to say it’s a no.”
“I apologize, Maria. My instincts to protect you took over. I hope there was not an observer close by.” I hold the door open for her as we walk out onto the street.
She exhales. “I hope so too. Maybe we’ll run through some more stuff at home to get you up to speed. It’s only your first day.”
I shake my head. “ We count from the day of arrival, so yesterday was my first day. Today is the second day. Tomorrow is the third day.”
“What? That’s not fair!” Her eyebrows draw together.
“It is the way it’s always been done. The Council is not flexible on timing.” I want to reach for her hand, feeling the desire to touch her now she is close to me again.
“Right, we are doing some intensive study when we get home. This is life or death, T’zak.” She squares her shoulders. Again I am struck by her courage and empathy. Not all humans would rise to this challenge in the way Maria has.
Once we are back at her house, Maria spends hours with me practicing scenarios we could encounter. She impresses on me the need for softer reactions, explaining how battle mode is not appropriate in everyday life.
After nine hours, including correct eating and drinking lessons, I take our plates to the kitchen. When I return, she has fallen asleep on the couch. The poster of her missing beast is on the table. It gives me an idea.
My Hedian night vision gives me an advantage once darkness falls. I jog the streets around the small town, my breathing steady. I tune into my intuitive side, looking into the recent past for signs of animal distress. I am drawn to the North of her neighborhood, to an area where there are large buildings and fewer houses.
A small cry alerts me and I stop before one of the large buildings. The cry comes again and I put my ear to the door of the building. I shoulder the door and it breaks apart easily. Maria’s small beast is perched on the top of some boxes which are labeled ‘Barry’s Best Beef’. I walk slowly forward and the tiny beast nuzzles at my outstretched hand. I place her under my shirt to stay warm and jog home.
I walk into the living room and kneel next to Maria, placing the beast beside her. She opens her eyes and sits up.
“Callie! You found her!” Her voice is bright.
I smile. “She was in a large building on some food crates. She must have been trapped.”
The beast makes a throaty sound and bumps her head against Maria’s and then mine. She is covered in very soft, stripy fur, a little like the Magnorian flowers which are used to line babies' cradles on Hedian.
Maria feeds Callie and walks back into the living room to sit beside me on the couch. She reaches for my hand.
“T’zak, you’ve given me the best news I’ve had all week. Thank you.” Her eyes are soft.
I squeeze her little hand in mine. “You are welcome. I enjoy making you happy.”
She stares into my eyes and I reach my fingers out to trace the outline of her jaw. Her floral scent is so delicate that I cannot resist leaning in closer.
She reaches her hand up to stroke my hair and it lights a fire inside me. I press my lips down on her soft mouth and she lets out a moan. My tongues explore the inside of her mouth and she gasps.
“Wait a second there. Humans only have one tongue.” Her eyes are round and shocked.
“My DNA is a mix of human and Hedian. We have some mutations, what you call “quirks”. My human tongue sits on top of my Hedian tongue, so it is unnoticeable. Do you not like it?” I hope she is not repulsed by my differences.
“I’m actually delighted…no, I definitely do like it. Kiss me again.” She closes her eyes and I am delighted to fulfill her request.