We stopped for breakfast on the way back to our quarters, and while he showered and got changed into his uniform, I decided it was time to quit messing around. The mate matching test would sort this thing out between the two of us once and for all. I’d take it, all would be revealed, and we’d go get freaky in the sheets, get married here aboard the ship, and go on our honeymoon somewhere. Yes, as soon as he left for work, I was going to get changed into something smart casual so as not to look completely unprofessional, and take myself right on down to the Human Resource office. Or up or sideways, whichever way it was here. I wasn’t worried about finding it, thanks to Xero’s navigational assistance protocols.
I was going to go straight there before my nerves got the better of me, sign that contract, and take that damned test. I wasn’t going to tell him I was going, even, better to just get it over and done with and let him deal with the surprise. After all, if we'd never met and I’d taken the test, he’d have been surprised to meet me. It was practically a tradition that the Mylos be surprised by discovering who their mate was, and who was I to poop on his parade? No, I’d let my signing up be a surprise so he wouldn’t have a clue that I’d made my mind up to do it, so our matching would come from out of left field as far as possible.
Kit came out of his bedroom, all sexy in his Mylos uniform of form fitting heavy leather trousers, boots, and no shirt. It was a far cry from what I’d seen him in before, as he usually wore the standard human academia attire of chinos, a button down shirt, and a sports jacket paired with either brown or black Chelsea boots.
Sure, I’d seen Mylos on TV and aboard ship dressed this way, but this was only the second time I’d gotten a look at Kit like this, the first time being at Bratty Dogs. Second time, if I counted that shirtless hula session.
“Just wow. I can’t get over you in those pants,” I told him. I chuckled. “It’s a good thing you didn’t wear that to classes, as you’d have had so many student stalkers you’d have had to have your own bodyguard.
He huffed. “You’re being ridiculous.”
I laughed once more. Oh, soon enough, he’d discover that I was far from joking. He was the hottest damned guy I’d ever seen, and that was before I’d seen him like this. Thankfully, I was sitting down on the sofa, talking to him while half turned to face him behind me, so he couldn’t see my arousal. Yep, definitely best to get that pesky test out of the way because while it had been hard to disguise my interest before he was ready, it was going to be nigh impossible now.
“We still on for lunch?” he asked me.
“Yeah, sure. Um, here or at Bratty Dogs?”
”How about the burger place next to it? Jim’s Jammy Burgers.”
Jam on burgers? I wrinkled my brows. Surely not.
“Why do they call it that?” I asked cautiously.
Kit laughed. “It’s not got grape jelly on the burgers! He uses various chutneys. His mate works in ship maintenance. I met him two days ago when he showed up to change out some air scrubber filters in the conference room as we were leaving. He told me to try the pork and rhubarb chutney one.”
“That does sound intriguing," I admitted. “Okay, I’ll meet you there.”
“I’ll message you when I’m free for lunch then.” He edged his way towards the door.
“Sounds good,” I replied, watching him leave, my mind already playing a reel of future such interactions, involving me either going with him, hand in hand to show the universe we were together, or kissing him good-bye and later kissing him hello.
I waited a minute or two before hurrying over to my suitcase. I had business to do to make sure that happened, and I wasn’t wasting a second I didn’t have to. I’d waited damn well long enough.
18
KITTINIR
Carl had been here four days now and had begun acting cagey. I knew he must have made his mind up about taking the contract, and most likely he was acting this way as he wanted to broach the subject regarding our living arrangements. No doubt he had the idea that I was attached to the furnishings in my quarters, which I really wasn’t, well, except for the couch. It was an exceedingly comfortable one, and I didn’t see the need to get rid of it to make room for his, as there was room enough for two if we rearranged things. The sticking point was probably his kitchen table, a Formica and chrome affair that had been his great-grandmother’s and which he’d inherited from his beloved Meemaw. I was ready to concede I’d been foolish to think we could get rid of having a table and use the space for a study. We could simply add a desk to our bedrooms and put up some shelves to hold the texts we used for work, with the low bookcases he’d bring lining the walls of the living room and dining area.
I wanted to tell him all this, that he needn’t worry, so it was okay to go sign the contract and arrange for his belongings to be shipped, barring the chance that he would get matched and end up living elsewhere. I wouldn’t though, as Carl was a male who needed to mull things over and broach sensitive to him subjects. He liked to have what he wanted to say formulated within his mind and not have to scramble for the words. That was fine, I knew this about him and was content to let him ready himself for the conversation. In the meantime, I’d gone ahead and ordered the bar stools for the counter, choosing a retro set that would coordinate with the chrome and Formica set he would be contributing. I’d also started slowly moving my things out of the second bedroom while he was showering, so that once he laid his cards on the table, he’d find an empty room he could go into and decide where he wanted things placed before they arrived.
That’s not to say things were strained between us. When he wasn’t thinking about the topic, he was quite his usual affable self. He’d charmed my coworkers yesterday afternoon when he was allowed to come see what we were doing. He’d even made some excellent suggestions as to what to include for the humans who’d be taking extension courses on the Dragonii colony worlds. As a result, a few agricultural colleges were now also being consulted so that those human colonists who would be farming would have a hand up in understanding how to read grain moisture and such things using familiar ways.
He’d taken to packing my lunches and us going out for our evening meal, which was a nice change of pace. Last night we took the shuttle to one of our sister ships and enjoyed some excellent Italian food. Tonight, though, we were at the bowling alley. I’d halfway thought he’d forget about that; I should have known better. Now that we were here, I wondered if this nod to how things were back at the college was how he intended to broach the subject of his career move. So far, nothing, but then he was pretty busy correcting my hold of the ball and my stance, swing, and everything else. I might be good at hula and an expert marksman with a stunner or a blaster, and extremely proficient in swordsmanship, not to mention daggers, but this? I was beginning to believe it was hopeless.
“Okay, let’s take a break and order some nachos,” he suggested after we finished our first game. “Let’s sit at the counter, and you can just relax without watching literally everyone else hit all those pins,” he suggested, lips twitching in amusement.
“Fine. I hope they have loaded ones as I’m hungry.”
“If not, they do pizza and burgers.”
We left our lane and made our way over to the snack bar counter.
“Oh, hey, the cutie who helped me find you that first day is working,” Carl said.
I felt a wave of what felt an awful lot like jealousy surge through me until I saw the young male he was talking about.
“Hi, remember me? In the elevator a few days ago?” Carl was already greeting him.
