“I concur, but I can’t find something that feels like me.”
“You know,” I started, rearranging on the couch so my back was against the arm, “you don’t have to pick right now. There’s no deadline for figuring yourself out.”
“Thank you.”
“What are friends for?” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, my eyes widened. I hadn’t had a friend in a very long time, not since Vince, but NAID was most definitely my friend.
Her smile grew blindingly bright, to the point her eyes disappeared into her baggy skin. “We’re friends.”
“We are.”
With another grin, she winked out of the room.
When I grew bored of my reading exercise, I switched to watching a crime procedural, my favorite. The episode played the familiar music and characters, soothing me. I could almost imagine I was in my apartment on a Saturday, binge-watching with Lucy asleep on top of me. Everything was right in the world, then the door opened, and I was back to reality.
Kal strode in, and I tracked his movement to the food dispenser. He grabbed a bowl of fruit and popped a green slice into his mouth.
I watched his throat bob before my gaze traveled down his body. His sleeveless, high-collared shirt clung to his wide chest, allowing me to ogle his strong arms, while his fitted trousers gave me an excellent view of his thick thighs. Two necklaces with red gems swung from his neck, matching earrings hung from his lobes, and silver cuffs decorated his tapered ears. I couldn’t help but wonder about his wings. Did they fold up beneath his shirt or did they disappear between uses?
When my gaze returned to his face, I froze. He was staring at me with a pleased smirk. A flush rushed to my cheeks. I wished I was one of those people who could control their emotions or expressions, but no such luck.
Feet padded over the spongy ground, and the couch dipped. Kal sat next to me, his thigh brushing my arm. The couch, while backless, was wide enough for us to lie side by side. Lucy sat up, stretched, and relocated to Kal’s lap. I rolled my eyes at her traitorous action but stayed focused on my show.
“Now you can’t move,” I teased.
“What?”
“It’s a cultural law on Earth. You can’t move cats when they're on your lap.”
He stroked her back. “That must be inconvenient.”
“Yep,” I said, fighting to keep a straight face. “People are late all the time because of it. Businesses struggle since many workers don’t show up on time because of their cats. It is an epidemic. But it’s the law.”
His lips separated as he studied Lucy. “Cats must be gods among your people.”
“In a way. They definitely think they’re gods. Little house gods.”
After a brief silence, he lowered the bowl toward me and asked, “What are you watching?”
I picked up one of the red berries that curiously tasted like cherry-flavored candy and popped it into my mouth. “A TV show from my planet.”
“Ah, yes. I’m familiar with the concept. I quite likeStar Trek. I have not watched all the sequels yet.”
My mouth fell open. “You watchedStar Trek?”
“I’ve been wanting to learn about your culture and stumbled on it. I find it very interesting.”
Kal pushed the bowl into my arms, and I snagged another berry. “SoStar Trek. Anything else?”
“Not yet. What’s this?”
“It’s a crime procedural.”
“Can I watch with you?” he asked.
“Sure.”
We watched the episode as we demolished the bowl of fruit. It was oddly peaceful. Lucy remained on Kal’s lap, deep asleep, twitching every once in a while. About halfway through, I shifted, back hurting, and moved against Kal. He didn’t react, seemingly engaged in the story, though his tail curled around my wrist, the tuft at the end flicking against the back of my hand. The movement was oddly distracting, yet I didn’t shift from his side.
