Chapter 3 #2
When the door shut behind him, Gemini took a deep breath, testing her ankle and feeling a twinge of pain as she put weight on it. She hobbled to the laundry receptacle, quickly peeling off her sticky clothes—panties and all—and dropping them down the chute.
Was this how people used to meet each other? Before digital dating had taken over and everyone barely made eye contact in public? Was she the damsel in distress, like in a romance story? It kind of felt like it with Apodis rescuing her like he was a handsome alien prince.
It was certainly more romantic than swiping on apps all day, just to get ghosted by potential dates before they’d even gotten a chance to know her. She’d all but given up, putting all of her energy into her work instead.
And when someone finally had given her a chance, oh, it was worse than being ghosted.
Her stomach still churned anytime she thought of Kenny, her asshole ex who’d become so enamored with a virtual chatbot that he’d all but dumped her, hiding away in his home office all day chatting with his “girlfriend” and jerking off.
The fact that she’d put up with him for as long as she did before kicking him out of their shared apartment said something about her desperation.
But she’d gotten there eventually. If he wanted a person who agreed with everything he said and never pushed back on his bullshit, then he could enjoy fucking his own hand for the rest of his life.
Apodis seemed like a decent guy, but there was really no way of knowing. He’d saved her ass, that was for sure, and at the very least, she was grateful for that.
She limped back to the shower, closing the glass door behind her and scooting the chair up to the control panel, trying to figure out how to turn the thing on.
“GIVE INSTRUCTIONS,” a robotic voice said, startling her for a moment before she regained her composure.
“Uh, turn shower on?”
“TEMPERATURE AND SPRAY SETTING?”
She had to think for a moment.
“100 degrees. And what are the options?”
“PAUSE, FULL BODY SPRAY, FULL BODY SPRAY WITH MASSAGE, FAST MASSAGE, AND SOFT DRENCH SPRAY.”
“Full body spray.”
“THREE… TWO… ONE…”
When the voice finished the countdown, a warm spray hit her, an immediate balm to her aching muscles.
Gemini used what she assumed was soap from a clear bottle, lathering her hair and body up and rinsing thoroughly.
It had a gentle, clean scent, not the refreshing pine she’d smelled on Apodis, and she wondered if he had a special cologne he liked to wear.
After sitting for longer than necessary and enjoying the heated bliss, she told the shower to turn off, her command heeded a moment later.
“GIVE DRY SETTING INSTRUCTIONS,” the robot shower said, and Gemini asked for the options. “LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH SPEED. COOL, LOW, MEDIUM, AND HIGH HEAT.”
“Uh… medium speed, medium heat?” Gemini said, taking a guess, a gust of warm air hitting her a moment later.
The wind whipped her hair, and it wasn’t long before she was completely dry, raking her fingers through her tangled locks as she instructed the shower to turn off. She exited, finding the pile Apodis had left for her and sifting through the clothes.
There was a simple black shirt and gray shorts, made of a cozy material that felt similar to cotton. Both were much too large for her, but at least the shorts had strings she could use to tighten them, and she awkwardly put them on.
The neckline of the shirt slung dangerously low, wider than usual to accommodate his tentacles, she supposed. She still wondered what exactly they were and why only certain Oslieths had them, though the pain relief feature was pretty damn cool.
She adjusted the shirt one more time, chuckling at the vision of herself in the mirror, completely swallowed by the dark fabric. With a final glance, she limped over to the door, pressing the button to exit.
Apodis was in front of her a moment later, his eyes flashing dark blue.
“You shouldn’t be walking. I would have come in and carried you.”
He raked his gaze over her from her head to her toes, then slung his arm around her middle to support her. Zenith was nowhere to be seen as Apodis helped her to another door, letting it whoosh open and escorting her inside.
A massive bed was the focal point of the room, made of a white material that appeared to be hovering above the floor. Plush white pillows and blankets covered the mattress, the headboard butting up against a moulded wall that looked like an ocean, blue with white accents mimicking breaking waves.
There were white pedestals on either side acting as nightstands, lines of glowing light along the single, large window that was covered in gossamer drapes. It was stunning, like some sort of relaxing vacation spot, but Gemini quirked a brow in confusion as Apodis helped her sit on the bed.
“I don’t mind sleeping on the couch,” she said, looking up as he hovered over her.
Under no circumstances was she going to put him out after he’d been so helpful, no matter how tranquil this bedroom was.
“Nonsense. You’re injured, so you should take the bed. It’s quite comfortable.”
It sure was.
On impulse, she took his hand before he could escape, squeezing it lightly.
“I don’t mind sharing if you don’t. I mean, it’s big enough for two people.”
When was the last time she’d shared a bed with someone? A long time, at least since someone had actually spent the night instead of disappearing before the sun arose. Not that one-night stands weren’t fun, but the thought of cozying up in bed with this hot alien was actually kind of… exciting.
Apodis let out a huff, glancing around the room before nodding.
“If you insist. But I really don’t mind—”
She shushed him, her heart thumping hard as she once again was shocked by her own audacity, but Apodis just grinned. She pulled on his arm, adjusting her shirt as the wide collar dipped low and threatened to expose her.
Electricity tingled her nerves as Apodis didn’t take the hint, still awkwardly standing over her.
“Are you going to get in or what?”
He shuffled his feet.
“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Who’s uncomfortable? I’m not.”
She certainly should have been, being half naked in bed with a strange alien male. But all Apodis had done was be helpful and sweet so far. Nothing was going to happen anyway. It was entirely possible to share a bed with an attractive person and keep things platonic.
“You should be careful on that ankle,” he said, dropping her hand and walking to the other side of the bed, hesitating for just a moment before getting in. “I relieved some of your pain and inflammation, but you’re still injured. You should walk on it as little as possible.”
“So are you going to carry me around everywhere?” she asked, slipping under the covers and lying on her side facing him.
She propped herself up on her elbow as Apodis did the same, staring at her with iridescent eyes.
“I can if that’s what you would like.”
Gemini bit her lip, a shy smile curling her mouth.
“Your home is really nice,” she said, changing the subject.
Everything was absolutely immaculate, and yet cozy at the same time. Maybe it was the lack of screens, no hypervid as far as she had seen, only adding to the peaceful serenity of the cabin.
Apodis raised a brow.
“Oh? What did you expect?”
“I don’t know…” she said, trailing off with a shrug.
He leaned in close with a wide grin.
“You assume that because we choose not to engage with your galactic government that we must be primitive.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But that’s what you were thinking, was it not?”
That may have been what she was thinking, but she wasn’t about to admit that.
“I know nothing about your species, so I had no idea what to expect. I don’t even know what you eat… or why you have those tentacles.”
Apodis’ cheeks flushed, rippling like his skin cells were changing one by one until his whole face was a deep maroon. Had she said something wrong again?
“Well, Oslieth cuisine isn’t so unique. We like sweet foods a lot, and bitter as well. We mainly eat synthesized meat, and I do a lot of foraging now that I live out here. I tried to start a garden, but I am a bit clueless about keeping up with the tasks.”
A garden? Gemini scratched her horticultural itch with the expansive greenhouses at NovaFlora, but space was at a premium in NeuroPlex Prime, and the dream of a personal garden was far out of reach.
But Apodis certainly had the space, didn’t he?
She was excited to see his land in the light of day, but for now, she had another question on her mind.
“What about the tentacles? I noticed that not all members of your species have those…”
Apodis cleared his throat, glancing around the room like he was uncomfortable. Was it rude to ask someone about their extra appendages?
“They are my mating tentacles. I have them because I’m an alpha.”
Gemini felt a jolt of electricity race through her, the thought of mating making all sorts of naughty visions dance around in her head.
But alpha? That sounded like some hyper-masculine douchebag bullshit she’d hear back home, though she kept her mind open. Apodis didn’t seem like those guys in the slightest.
“What does that mean?”
“It is a secondary biological designation. Alphas are typically more dominant and aggressive and often have protection or leadership roles.”
“You don’t seem very aggressive.”
“We learn to control our impulses.”
Gemini let out a deep breath, the thought of the alien lying in bed with her losing control more titillating than it should have been.
What the hell was wrong with her? Had she forgotten every iota of self-preservation she’d learned from living as a woman in a megacity?
Still, her curiosity continued to get the better of her.
“And what is the purpose of these biological designations?”
“They are an evolutionary response to ensure survival, maintain genetic diversity, and regulate social harmony.”
Social harmony? There wasn’t much of that happening here, alone in the woods.
“Interesting…” she said, trying to imagine Apodis as the alpha male.
He certainly seemed intelligent… and protective, she supposed. He’d taken a stranger into his home because she’d been injured, had carried her through the woods and tended to her sprained ankle. Honestly, he was more her type than those hyper-masculine assholes anyway, soft-spoken and kind.
And very, very handsome.
“What is so annoying about your coworkers that you had to escape them in the middle of the night?”
Gemini chuckled at the change of subject, raking a hand through her messy—but clean—hair. How much to tell him?
“Well, they hooked up as soon as we landed on Thitis 4X. And they’re… not subtle about it.”
“Hooked up?”
Oh, that confused look on his face was too cute, making butterflies flutter in her stomach. Butterflies she desperately tried to ignore as she explained the Earth lingo.
“They’re having sex. In the tent right next to mine. Every night.”
Apodis’ eyes widened, and he nodded slowly.
“Oh. I see.”
She laughed again, biting her lip and rolling onto her back.
“It’s fine. I shouldn’t have wandered off like I did. But I guess I can try to find my way back tomorrow.”
Going back to camp was the absolute last thing she wanted to do, especially after making a fool of herself by getting lost and injured. And the thought of never seeing Apodis again may have made her chest heavy, a peculiar feeling for someone who was a total stranger.
“Yes, of course,” Apodis said, though his voice was low. Was he sad too? “I can help you get back tomorrow if that is your wish. But you really need to rest your ankle.”
Shit. Hopefully she’d be healthy in time to see the vitellus bloom, the thought of missing the very thing she had come here for souring her stomach. One of the others could technically collect the spores for her, but it was her project, and she wanted to see it through.
“Thank you. For all your help. I don’t know what I would have done if you and Zenith hadn’t been there.”
“I’m sure you would have been fine,” Apodis said, turning onto his back as well and focusing his gaze on the ceiling.
Yeah, she wasn’t so certain about that, but she kept quiet.
Apodis clapped, and the lights were extinguished, the room darkening in an instant.
Anticipation crept through her nerves, as if she expected him to pounce on her or something.
Like she wanted him to pounce on her. She held her breath, but as the seconds ticked by, she realized he really was keeping his tentacles to himself, and the thought was only a tiny bit disappointing.
“Goodnight, Gemini,” Apodis’ voice rang out through the darkness, and an unbidden smile beamed from her face.
“Goodnight, Apodis.”