I’ve broken the seal on my feelings without thinking and offered what I shouldn’t have. But I can’t help it. “You had a rough race. The alien males did not respect you as you deserved. I just wanted to offer in case you might need or want something.”
She leans against the door frame and smiles at me. I can’t help but steal a glance at her before jerking my eyes away to scan the hallways.
“You’re the one that tackled the big Ginarigon earlier.”
I nod.
“Quite the talent.”
“It’s my job.”
“You’ve said that. What do you think I need?”
I rack my memories of the human holoshows for an answer. “Most—”Don’t say human female— “Women like comfort foods like ice cream or chocolate cake.”
She laughs softly at this. “Okay. Whatever they’ve got, I guess.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I rasp as I bow. “Please close and lock your door. I will return in a moment. Please confirm a guest visually or with the AI before opening your door.
“Yeah.”
I wait for her door to shut and the sound of the latches to confirm she’s safe. Then, I head toward the lunch hall. Music thumps through the open double doors of the mingle celebration from the other end. A few males talk just inside the lunch hall. They give me dirty looks when I survey them.
I walk up to the counter and display my guard’s pass on my wristband to the woman taking orders. “Whatever you’ve got for dessert. My client could’ve had a much better day. She needs a pick-me-up.”
She looks at me, points at me like she’s remembering something, then nods. “Okay. I gotcha. Just wait one minute.”
She walks into the kitchen, speaks with the workers, and returns moments later with a large tray filled with plates. She lifts each pearlescent cover, tells me what it is, then covers it again.
I covertly sniff the air for any scents I don’t approve of but find nothing. I collect the tray, thank her, and walk back toward her room.
I hope this helps.The tray in my hands has everything from truffles to cheesecake, scoops of ice cream, and more types of cookies than I recognize. In the middle is a carafe of hot water with a mug and an assortment of powdered drink options.
It feels good, invigorating, to be bringing Zariah things to make her feel better. But as I near her room, not far from the mingle celebration, I get called out. The Ginarigons, three of them, walk toward me, meeting me halfway to her door.
“You caused a lot of trouble today, interfering in the race.” The largest of the three says, the one I recently kicked out of the lunch hall. “How are we supposed to find mates if you get in the way?”
I walk around them at a distance, sensing a pending fight. “We can finish this in a minute. Let me care for the woman youterrifiedtoday.”
The big one snickers to the others. “Guess she is weaker than we thought. This should be easy.”
I grit my teeth as I continue to her door. Stopping in the hallway so she can clearly see it’s me outside, I wait, keeping my periphery trained on the three Ginarigons.
A lock clunks and the door eases open.
I walk toward her, easing the tray into her hands.
“Wow. Heavy.” She laughs. “Won’t you come in and help me eat all of this?”
I shake my head and intentionally rasp my reply. “Guards are not permitted in women’s quarters unless there is an emergency.”
“Aw, alright. Well, thank you,” she says, backing up.
“I will close the door for you. And I will be back in the morning to escort you to your events. You may request me at any time between now and then.”
She thanks me again. I just hope she hasn’t seen the Ginarigons.
When her door is shut, I stalk toward them, studying their subtler movements, looking for signs of weaknesses.
