Terra
Taurex was true to his word—he gave her ten percent of every delinquent invoice she brought in and soon she had enough savings in the bank to make her feel truly secure for the first time in her life.
She went and got her hair professionally styled and bought some makeup that wasn’t from the drugstore and began to feel like a real professional.
She even started looking at cars—though she still wasn’t willing to buy a new one, she could now afford a really nice used one—maybe even a small SUV.
“I’ve been stuck in Florida all my life,” she told him, as they ate lunch in his huge kitchen one day. “I’ve always wanted to see the world, but I could never afford to travel. I was always so jealous of women who could just jet off to Rome or Paris whenever they felt like it.”
“I’ll take you on a tour of the Monstrum Mother Ship, if you’d like some day,” he offered. “It’s orbiting Mars, the fourth planet in your solar system. That’s considerably further than either Rome or Paris.”
“I would love that, actually. Exploring an alien space ship would be such an adventure.”
“You’d have to be careful and stay with me,” he warned. “The Mother Ship holds dangers as well as delights. The Dark Side of the ship, especially, is a place to avoid.”
“I’ll stay away from it…if we ever go.” Terra sighed wistfully at the thought. It seemed like an exotic dream…one that could never truly come true.
That was what she thought, anyway, until one Saturday morning when Taurex called her out of the blue.
“Hi, Boss—is everything all right?” she asked, picking up. “Did that last batch of invoices not go out?”
“No, no, Terra—everything is fine with the business.” His voice was so deep it seemed to vibrate her whole body as she pressed the phone to her ear.
“Then why are you calling me on a Saturday?” She felt her heart flutter as she asked.
For the last few days, she’d been getting the feeling that the big Monstrum wanted to ask her out on a date.
And though she kept telling herself it would be professional suicide to go if he asked, she was inclined to say “yes.”
“Remember how I offered to take you on a tour of the Monstrum Mother Ship?” he asked. “Well, how would you like to go right now?”
“Right now?” Terra’s voice came out in an excited squeak.
“I know it’s short notice, but Commander Rarev, the Monstrum leader, has asked me to come for a meeting with him,” he said. “And I thought, since it’s the weekend—”
“Yes!” Terra exclaimed, cutting him off. “Let me just tell my mom to watch the kids. How long will we be gone?”
“I’ll bring you back by Sunday evening, if that’s all right with you,” he told her.
An overnight stay? Terra bit her lower lip.
“Er…what are the sleeping arrangements going to be?” she asked carefully. She didn’t want him to just assume she was going to sleep with him. Though honestly, dreams of jumping his bones had started to creep into her fantasies more and more often lately.
“We will have separate sleeping accommodations,” he assured her. “I would never take advantage of you, Terra.”
“Oh, of course.” She laughed nervously. “I never thought you would. I was just wondering, that’s all.”
“Of course. So can I come and collect you?”
“Absolutely. What should I pack to wear?” she asked, glad to change the subject from the awkwardness of where they were sleeping.
“The same kind of clothing you wear to the office is fine,” he told her. “I’ll come within the hour.”
“I’ll be ready!” Terra promised.
She hung up and went to find her mom.
“Of course I can watch the babies, for you, Terra,” her mother said, frowning. “But where did you say you were going again?”
“To the Monstrum Mother Ship,” Terra told her.
Her mother got a worried look on her face.
“Oh, honey—that’s so far away! Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Yes,” Terra said firmly. “I’ll be safe with Taurex—he’ll take care of me.”
She felt completely confident in that—the big Monstrum always made her feel safe and protected when she was with him. She had no fear or concern about traveling with him—even all the way to Mars where the Monstrum Mother Ship was orbiting.
“Well I want to meet him before you go,” her mother said stubbornly. “I’ve been hearing about him for weeks now—it’s about time I shook his hand and put a name to a face.”
Terra nibbled her lower lip. She’d been trying to keep her work and home life separate. After her scare with Viktor Orlov stalking her and her kids, she wanted to keep her loved ones close and hidden.
But Taurex was nothing like Orlov. She wasn’t worried about him meeting her mom or her kids. So she nodded.
“Fine—I’m sure he won’t mind.”
“Good—I’ve been wanting to meet this new man of yours,” her mother said.
“Mom! He’s not my man—he’s my boss,” Terra protested.
“Mmm-hmm.” Her mother looked skeptical. “If you say so.”
“I do,” Terra said firmly. Then she went to pack.