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“You’ve admitted you find my physical form pleasing. That is enough for now.”
Her gaze ran over his chest and her cheeks flushed. “I have to ask, why are you almost naked?”
“To show you I am a capable mate.”
Kendra swallowed loudly and tore her gaze from his exposed skin. “It’s a bit soon to be talking about that.”
He nodded. “I appreciate that you have made an effort to look pleasing for me tonight, although that gloss on your lips will easily smudge. I have simply done the same for you. Made the most of my pleasing traits.”
Kendra ran her hands over her hair before clasping them in her lap. “I, erm, well, I see that. A ‘thank you’ seems wrong, somehow. This is supposed to be a date. People normally wear clothes on dates.”
“We do not date on my planet, but I understand your sentiment. It is a way to assess the suitability of a future mate.”
Kendra huffed out a breath. “You don’t need to make it sound so clinical but, essentially, yes. That’s the whole idea of dating. We find out if we’re compatible and have similar interests. We also learn about future aspirations. For example, I might see my future living on another planet with a dozen children. You might want to stay on Prodigy and not have any children. If that’s the case, then there’s no point in continuing to see each other.”
“My family demands many offspring. My brother was just bragging that he has made his mate pregnant with quads.”
“Holy cow! Four babies in one womb. Your women must be something else.”
“They are sturdy and excellent breeders. My brother and his mate are also well-matched genetically. There is significant diversity between them, which means a strong chance of successful multiple births.”
“Women occasionally carry more than one child on Earth, but it’s tricky and risky to both the babies and the mother to be.”
“It is because you take little care of who you choose to father your children.”
Kendra’s eyes tightened for a second before she shrugged. “You could have a point. I’ve made a few inappropriate matches in my time. I wasn’t always thinking with a level head or a sober one. Maybe the way you do it on Tenkcet isn’t such a bad thing. At least you know what you’re getting into and won’t have any surprises.”
“That is correct.” Faron’s appreciation for Kendra grew. She could see the logic in the way they did things on his planet. She was not always led by her emotional state. That was promising.
“However, that way of doing things does exclude a small thing called love.”
Faron shook his head. “Love is weakness.”
Her eyebrows rose. “Love can be amazing, but I know what you mean. It can lead to stupid decisions based on how you’re feeling. I’ve not always had my head screwed on right when it came to finding love with others.”
“You have had inappropriate lovers?”
“No! Well, one or two. But I was young and learning how this whole love business works. Are you telling me you’ve never dated someone and regretted it?”
“I’ve already said we do not date. Our matches are made for us.”
Kendra pursed her lips. “You get no say in who will be your partner for the rest of your life?”
“That is correct.”
“What if you don’t like each other?”
Faron shrugged. “We will be an appropriate match. Love does not come into the equation.”
“So, you spend the rest of your life with someone who might make your skin crawl?”
Faron grunted. “They will not do that if they are my genetic equal or even my better. Some Tolongs are advantageously matched. You are privileged to join with someone genetically superior to you. You would not question whether you like them. That would be foolish.”
Kendra let out a sigh. “Love makes fools of us all.”
“I do not understand your meaning. Why pursue something that makes you dumb?”
Kendra chuckled as she picked up the menu and studied it. “That’s an excellent question. I’ve asked myself that several times. Love is best avoided.”
