7. Aileen
CHAPTER 7
AILEEN
" T essa!" I wrap my arms around her. The coffee shop buzzes with the lunch crowd around us.
"Girl, where have you been hiding? Two weeks without a peep!"
"The pizza place has been crazy busy." I slide into the booth across from her. "Plus... other things."
"Spill." Tessa leans forward, her green eyes sparkling. "I heard through the grapevine some fancy car's been spotted outside Papa Marella's."
The ceramic mug warms my hands as I try to hide my smile. "Maybe."
"Don't maybe me. Details. Now."
"His name is Charles. He's... well, he's a billionaire."
"Shut up!" Tessa's squeal draws looks from nearby tables. "Like, actual billions?"
"Yeah. Real estate developer." I take a sip of coffee. "He took me to Alinea."
"The impossible-to-get-into Alinea? Okay, now I need to know everything."
"We might have... ended up fooling around in his limo."
"First date? You slut!" Tessa's grin stretches wider. "How was it?"
"Let's just say he's very... attentive."
"Define attentive."
The coffee suddenly becomes fascinating. "He went down on me."
"Wait, he went down on you and didn't demand reciprocation?" Tess asks. "I thought billionaires were supposed to be greedy."
My laughter dies in my throat. The words stick there, thick and heavy. How do I even begin to explain?
"There's something strange about him." I trace the rim of my coffee mug. "I think he might be from another planet."
"Oh yeah." Tessa nods sagely. "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus."
"I'm thinking maybe somewhere further away than Mars."
Tessa's laugh rings out, but falters when she sees my face. Her smile drops, replaced by a concerned frown.
"Aileen?"
"You're not joking." Tessa leans closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.
"His face... it flickered. Like a TV with bad reception." The words tumble out. "For just a second, he looked different. Scales. Golden eyes."
"In the limo?"
"And the way he talks. He called my phone a 'long-distance communication device.' Who says that?"
"Maybe English isn't his first language?"
"He brought me flour instead of flowers. Like, actual bags of flour." My hands shake as I set down my coffee. "And he keeps saying stuff about 'your Earth customs' and 'fascinating human traditions.'"
"Could be a quirky rich guy thing."
"No, Tess. It's more than that."
Tessa's warm hand covers mine. Her eyes meet mine with that look she gives when she thinks I'm being dramatic about something. "Girl, I've seen all kinds of weird stuff mid-orgasm. Are you sure you didn't just hallucinate it?"
"I wasn't hallucinating." The memory burns crystal clear. "His whole face changed."
"Okay, okay." She drums her fingers on the table. "Maybe we should put him to some kind of test?"
My phone chirps with an incoming text.
"That's probably your alien boyfriend." Tessa winks. "You should check it."
My fingers tremble as I open the text. The flutter in my chest has nothing to do with caffeine.
"Hello gorgeous. What are you doing right now?"
"Well?" Tessa stretches across the table, trying to peek at my screen. "Is it him?"
"Yeah." The smile spreads across my face.
"What's he saying? Show me!"
I turn the phone so she can see. Tessa bounces in her seat. "Text him back! Don't leave him hanging."
My thumbs hover over the keys. "Just having coffee with a friend at the Starbucks off the loop."
"Perfect. Casual but specific." Tessa nods in approval.
The reply comes instantly. "Enjoy your coffee, delicious one. I am sending you a gift."
"No, you don't have to—" I type back quickly.
"Enjoy." Just one word.
A whirring sound draws my attention to the window. A sleek black drone hovers outside, a metallic box clutched in its mechanical arms.
The drone's metallic sheen catches the sunlight in ways no delivery drone should. My hands shake as I step outside to retrieve the package.
"Please enjoy your gift," the drone chirps in a voice too musical for Earth tech. The box drops into my palm with perfect precision.
Back inside, Tessa bounces in her seat like a kid on Christmas morning. "Open it!"
The box feels warm against my skin. Not room temperature warm, but alive warm. The surface ripples under my fingers as I search for a seam or opening.
"How do you even?—"
The box dissolves, revealing a delicate crystal flower that catches the light in impossible ways. Rainbow fractals dance across our faces.
"Holy shit." Tessa's mouth hangs open. "That's not from Kay Jewelers."
"No kidding." The crystal feels both solid and fluid, like water frozen in mid-motion. "I've never seen anything like it."
"Maybe you weren't hallucinating after all." Tessa reaches out to touch it but pulls back. "Does it... hum?"
The subtle vibration travels up my arm. A text notification chimes:
"The crystal responds to your biorhythms. I hope it pleases you."
"Biorhythms?" Tessa peers at my phone. "Girl, your boyfriend is definitely not from around here."
The crystal pulses in time with my heartbeat, sending waves of warmth through my palm.
The crystal's warmth spreads up my arm as I set it carefully on the table. "Now, let's not be hasty. It could just be some rich guy thing..."
Tessa's perfectly groomed eyebrow arches so high it nearly disappears into her hairline.
My shoulders slump. The weight of everything - the flickering face, the strange tech, the otherworldly gift - crashes down. "Who am I kidding? He's definitely not from planet Earth."
Tessa's glare could melt steel. She leans forward, jabbing her finger at me. "Girl, I got just two words for ya: Who Cares?"
"What do you mean 'who cares'? He's literally not human!"
"And I repeat: Who. Cares?" Tessa ticks off points on her fingers. "He swept you off your feet. Took you to the most exclusive restaurant in Chicago. Showed you exactly how talented his tongue is. And now?" She gestures at the crystal. "He's taken buying flowers to a whole new level. Like, intergalactic level."
"But—"
"No buts. If you don't snap this guy up, alien or not, give me his number." She winks. "I wouldn't mind a crystal flower of my own."
"You're being awfully cavalier about a possible alien on Earth."
Tessa shrugs, stirring her coffee. "The government admitted UFOs are real like last year. Why should that rattle the foundations of my existence?" She takes a sip. "Besides, if a guy is treating my BFF like a queen, what does it matter if he's from another planet?"
I open my mouth to argue, but nothing comes out. The crystal pulses warmly in my palm, matching the flutter in my chest.
Damn it. Tessa logic strikes again.
"Fine. You're right. The alien thing isn't a deal breaker." I fidget with the crystal flower. "But he needs to come clean about it."
"Totally. I mean, you already know he's not human. But like, what else don't you know?" Tessa leans forward. "Does he have tentacles? A prehensile tail?"
"Can we focus? I need ideas on how to get him to admit it."
"Okay, okay." Tessa taps her chin. "We could set up one of those alien detection kits. You know, the ones they sell on late night TV."
"Be serious."
"What about taking him to a sci-fi movie? See how he reacts?"
I roll my eyes. "Yeah, because aliens totally watch Star Wars for accuracy."
"Ooh! Get him drunk! People always spill their secrets when they're wasted."
"Do aliens even get drunk? And where would I get alien booze?"
"Fair point." Tessa drums her fingers on the table. "You could always just ask him straight up."
"Right. 'Hey Charles, quick question - are you from outer space?' That'll go over well."
A wicked grin spreads across Tessa's face. "You know, you could always blow him. I bet his disguise doesn't cover his whole body."
My face burns as I drop my head into my hands. "Oh my god."
"What? I'm just saying - get him worked up enough, something's bound to slip."
"I hate you so much right now."
"Only because I'm right." Tessa winks and takes a smug sip of her coffee.
My phone buzzes again. Another text from Charles.
"Are you free this weekend?"
The familiar weekend rush at Papa Marella's flashes through my mind. "Can't. Restaurant's packed on weekends. Not off until Monday."
"What time do you finish Sunday?"
"Around eight at night."
"I will pick you up then. Plan for an overnight trip."
The phone slips in my sweaty grip. "Where?" My fingers shake so hard I have to retype three times. "You don't have to take me anywhere special."
"It's a surprise and you deserve special things."
The phone dangles from my numb fingers. My mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.
Tessa snatches the phone, her eyes scanning the screen. A giggle bubbles up from her throat. "Girl! Maybe he's taking you to his home planet?"
"Not helping, Tess."
But my heart races at the thought. An overnight trip. With him. Somewhere special.
Somewhere that might not be on any Earth map.