36. Chapter 36
Watching my father and Ghan-Zahr talk swelled my chest with love for the two men. From where I stood, it looked like they liked each other, which was a bittersweet realization. The only other man I had dated whom my father had even remotely liked had been Trevor. I think deep down, my dad would have loved nothing more for me than to be a stay-at-home mom like mine had been. Something he and Trevor had in common.
I introduced my family to the other Vandruks and the women who had come to mean so much to me in such a short period of time while we waited for the white set of double doors to open. Behind them, I was sure, was the President, his wife, and his entourage, getting ready for a first meeting with the aliens.
"Rachel, so good to see you"." Evvie's voice made me turn around to face her cameraman. She was the only reporter I could see. Good for her. This would make her famous. Strangely, I didn't feel any envy or the stirring of competition. I was honestly happy for her.
"Hi, Evvie, congrats on your exclusive."
She beamed. "Doesn't get any better than this."
A week ago, I would have agreed with her. "Trust me, there's a whole universe out there. That changes everything."
She missed my point, but not a beat. "That's what I want to talk to you about. I would love to sit down with you for an exclusive. How it felt being abducted, what is Vandruk like, what are the"—she grinned and winked—"Vandruks like?"
I wouldn't have said I liked Evvie, but she was, in a strange way, growing on me. And now that—my heart paused, and I pushed burning tears back—it seemed as if I would have to say goodbye to Ghan-Zahr; I needed to think about a different future. I was reasonably sure that money would come my way if I wanted it to, and I would need it since I had no idea what I would do next. Returning to be a reporter just didn't sit right with me at the moment. Like it or not, I didn't have any savings; I couldn't ask my parents. I needed to make money to figure out what to do next.
"Let's talk about that in a few days," I promised with a heavy knot in my stomach.
She beamed. "I'll call you"," she said over her shoulder, already on her way to talk to Jenna, most likely making her the same offer.
"You're not coming back with us?" Amber tilted her head, looking at me uncomprehending.
"It's… complicated." I tried to evade.
"Try me. I'm great at uncomplicating things."
I wasn't a spiteful person. Otherwise, I would have pointed out that she was alone with Dzar-Ghan, and no family was rallying around her, making her decision to go back an easy one.
I simply said, "My family."
That took the wind out of her sails as she followed my gaze to where my family was talking to Ghan-Zahr.
"Seems they like him."
"Doesn't matter. I can't leave them," I retorted in a forlorn voice.
Amber shrugged. "Take them with us. The more the merrier."
I nearly choked as disbelieving laughter bubbled up in my throat. "What?"
"Take them with you," Amber repeated.
"I can't… they have their lives here…" I hedged.
"You love them enough to leave Vandruk, right?" Amber was relentless.
I nodded.
She shrugged. "So have you asked them?"
"There are six of them. Six people who I have to ask to uproot their entire lives for me." I protested.
"He's worth a try."
I followed her gaze to Ghan-Zahr, looking so out of place here in his suit and yet so right. I swallowed the seedling of hope back down, cursing Amber for making it rise in the first place. It was an impossible suggestion—an impossible favor to ask. Besides, once again, what would happen if Ghan-Zahr and I didn't work out? Then it wouldn't be just me stuck on Vandruk.
What if it does ? My traitorous heart whispered. After a dramatic pause, it added, you have so many indications that it will work out and none that it won't. Yet, you're ruling it out .
I shook my head to clear it. There was no way I could ask that of my family. My parents were in their fifties. My dad had high blood pressure, and my mom's sugar was higher than it should be. Soon, they would need more medical attention. How could I take them to a primitive world without pacemakers, blood sugar tests, or even blood pressure devices? What if one of them got an infected tooth or an appendicitis? My mom had a gallbladder attack a couple of years ago; they took her gallbladder out; what would happen on Vandruk? No, this just wasn't feasible.
Without fanfare, the doors opened, and an older man in a butler's livre invited us in. "The President and First Lady are ready for you."
I glided over to where my family and Ghan-Zahr stood, forgetting about our love drama for a blissful few moments as the excitement of meeting the President took over. Who would have ever thought that I, Rachel James, would meet him?
Oh, I had dreamed about it, of course. What reporter wouldn't? This was different, though.
We entered in groups, and Dzur-Khan and Amber led, walking straight for the President and his wife, who were standing in the middle of a large dining room. The center had been kept intentionally clear for this occasion, while tables were situated closer to the walls.
Ghan-Zahr took my sweaty hand in his large and gave me a reassuring squeeze as we made our way forward. Easy, Rachel, easy, he's just a man, just a man , I tried to tell myself but failed.
"It's very nice to meet you, Miss James"." I felt like I had been transported in time. One moment, we had been walking toward the President, and in the next, he was shaking my hand. No, not just shaking, he held mine in his and placed his other hand on top. My heart thudded against my ribcage.
"Th-thank you, sir"," I replied. Some part of my brain decided to still function, and I heard myself say, "This is Khadahr Ghan-Zahr."
"The man who kidnapped you?" The First Lady raised one of her manicured eyebrows.
"The very same, ma'am," Ghan-Zahr replied with a crooked grin before I had a chance. "I'm very honored to meet you"." He slightly bowed his head, making me marvel at his manners. Then I remembered that he was something like a king himself. Did people bow to him? Sweat poured down my back. This was too much. Without my reporter facade, I felt naked in the face of these powerful men.
As if sensing my unease, Ghan-Zahr's palm moved toward my lower back, resting there, grounding me.
The President didn't seem to have any intentions of letting go of my hand, which, in a strange way, brought some of my strength back. I carefully slipped out of his grip to introduce my family. Then we moved to our assigned table.
Dzar-Ghan sat on the First Lady's left side, with Jenna next to him, while Ghan-Zahr sat on the President's right side, and I was in between Ghan-Zahr and Dzur-Khan. Amber sat, of course, next to him. Five more khadahrs made out our table while our families sat around others. I noticed Jenna's family and mine animatedly chatting with each other and was glad for it. I felt a bit out of place and would have loved to spend more time with them, but I understood that the President wanted to talk to the Vandruks, not our families.
Evvie moved in between tables, followed by her cameraman, taking pictures but keeping discreetly in the background. Secret Service agents stood against the walls with serious expressions on their faces. Their hands folded in front of them. They seemed to look at everything at once.
A slight commotion broke out when Jenna spilled her wine, but it was quickly taken care of. Otherwise, the dinner went unremarkably easy. With Evvie about, our conversation with the President was more superficial than anything. He inquired about the Vandruk world, the climate, and customs and asked about how the women were doing and their roles in their new world.