Chapter 45
X-TRA TEA EXCLUSIVE!
X-tra Tea’s Amanda Jones Spends a Morning With Cora Keaton-Ahlon
We’re sitting down with Cora Keaton-Ahlon for an exclusive interview, talking Ibar chosen mates, becoming a style sensation, Bion’s biggest rock star, Venastea’s most notorious mobster, and leaving Earth behind for love.
Cora’s infamous husband, Yiri Ahlon, owns a gorgeous estate in Covara, but that’s not where I was invited to meet with Venastea’s most mysterious Earth expat.
Instead, I’m delivered to a stunning private lagoon teeming with rosy cekets which Mrs. Keaton-Ahlon assures me are only the “grannies and the kids” this early in the day.
She seems perfectly comfortable dangling her feet off the edge of a sundeck, one of the charming features of her husband’s vintage cruiser, or what we displaced Earthlings call a flying saucer.
That’s right, friends. Cora calls a flying saucer her home, and with its mid-century modern interior, cozy living quarters, and bungalow-esque kitchen, I can see why she loves it.
“We take it wherever we need to when Yiri’s working or we want to go into Covara,” she says, kicking her feet slowly in the crystal blue water of the lagoon as a pink striped ceket swims close enough to touch.
“We bring it back here almost every day, and I get to wake up to this.” Her gesture encompasses the brilliant daylight of a cloudless sky, the sparkling waters, and a horseshoe (if you’ll excuse the Earth term) of rose-quartz beach, dappled by shading palms and tropical foliage on all sides not facing the sea.
Even by Eissoi’s extremely high standards, it’s an unparalleled paradise.
“And you don’t mind the neighbors?” I ask this as another ceket swims up and bumps her foot with its snout before moving on.
Cora’s laugh is a joyful sound as she fondly stretches her toes out to touch the creature when it circles back to her.
Meanwhile, her cat—a common household pet on Earth—named Mr. Darcy zips around the lagoon, chasing after the smaller cekets in a floating saucer meant to hold refreshments and other items while you swim.
To an Earthling eye, the device looks like a miniature flying saucer, with an extraordinarily adorable pilot.
The cekets don’t seem to view him as prey, either.
Some of them ignore the cat, and others seem to be playing a careful game of tag with him.
“They’re very gentle with us,” Cora says, “but I was terrified at first. Yiri has spent years with them, gaining their trust and love. We think of sharks on Earth as mindless terrors, but cekets aren’t sharks, no matter how similar they appear.
I never swam with sharks back home, but I have come to recognize a lot of intelligence and emotion in these animals.
Maybe I misjudged sharks, too, but I didn’t have anyone like Yiri to introduce me to them. ”
“You’d be hard pressed to find someone else with that kind of connection to cekets here as well,” I say. “Even with the barriers that prevent them from coming too near popular beaches, there are attacks every summer here in Eissoi.”
“I certainly don’t recommend jumping in the water with them to most people,” she agrees. “But I’m glad I get to see a softer side of them.”
“Some might say you get to see a softer side of another dangerous creature here on Venastea.”
Her smile is loving as she thinks of her husband. “Sometimes. But Yiri is who he is. He’s very authentic.”
“What you see is what you get?”
“Yes. He never pretended to be Prince Charming, and I appreciate that about him. On Earth, the dating scene is cutthroat, isn’t it?
You never know when someone’s being genuine or just saying what they think you want to hear to get you into bed.
Yiri’s not like that. And he’s not like a lot of daernir males, either.
He doesn’t treat me like I belong on a shelf. We’re equal partners in our marriage.”
“Do you think you could have found a relationship as fulfilling on Earth?”
“Some people do,” she said. “Not me. I always felt out of place on Earth. I was estranged from my parents, and I moved a lot, following jobs. I didn’t have many friends or boyfriends.
Nothing seemed to work out for me there.
I used to think there was something wrong with me, but now I know it wasn’t meant to be. My life was waiting for me here.”
“Your life and your mate? Do you believe Ibar chose you and Mr. Ahlon for each other?”
“I do believe it. Before I came here, I thought Yiri was just a rich guy saying all the right things to get a wife. But being with him is so intense. I don’t mean because of who he is.
It’s more than that. It’s this connection that draws us back to each other again and again.
Every time I learn something new about his life here, I’m surprised by how well I fit. I never fit anywhere before.”
“You’re doing more than fitting in. You’ve quickly become a fashion icon. Were you an influencer on Earth, too?”
“No!” She laughs. “It’s hilarious to me that my style is so popular here, because it’s completely lifted.
Anyone from Earth knows I’m wearing all the styles of the forties and fifties.
My stylist, Esti, does an incredible job of recreating everything I bring her, and it all has her unique spin, but you’ve probably noticed some pretty famous dresses that I’ve worn to events. ”
“I have! You were spotted in a gorgeous pink gown a few weeks ago that echoed Marilyn’s diamonds number, but I think my favorite thing you’ve worn was the absolutely incredible Jessica Rabbit gown you made your debut in.”
Cora laughs, smiling brightly. “Yes! I felt so sexy. And Yiri loved it. He loves most vintage style. That’s my inspiration.”
“He’s not the only one who appreciates the vintage look. Rumor has it you encountered the Qhev’in Kon on BMM, where you shared your winged eyeliner technique and started a trend before you even arrived in Bion 8KV.”
She waves her hand, still smiling. “Qhev started the trend. All I did was send him the tutorial I used to learn it.”
“Is it true you’ve become friends with the Rockstar?”
“Yes. He’s a good friend. Another very genuine male.”
“A lot of females envy you. Do you think he’ll ever settle down?”
“You’d have to ask him that. When we met on BMM, he made it clear he wasn’t looking for love, and I’ve seen nothing to make me think otherwise, but you never know.”
“It’s been a pleasure talking with you, Cora. I can’t wait to see what new trends you bring to Eissoi and the rest of Bion 8KV.”
THE END.