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I looked down at my official Orkarian uniform, completely confused. “I don’t have any pockets, Vanessa,” I said, waiting for her clarification.
Vanessa sighed, shaking her head as she giggled slightly. “It was just an expression. It means that you have a few tools and tricks that might help us win the case.”
“Say no more,” I said, pointing my finger in the air for emphasis. “I will get the job done for you and for the Neegts.”
We made our way down the hall to where Lyle stood outside the conference room, gesturing for us to go inside. “I’ll make the introductions first, then we’ll ask the Neegts to make an official statement and petition that we can use to submit for approval by the judge.” As we filed in, we took seats opposite Mrs. and Mrs. Neegt around the enormous table, with Vanessa sitting next to me.
Unable to control my attraction to her any longer, I leaned over and nestled my nose in the crook of her neck. “You smell amazing,” I said.
“Stop!” Vanessa hissed, yet underneath her serious tone she had a hint of a smile on her face.
The Neegts gave us a look of confusion but thankfully were too polite to ask what was going on.
I quickly and professionally composed myself, clearing my throat as I straightened up in my seat. “Let’s begin, shall we?”
Vanessa nodded and we got down to business. Even though I was still distracted by Vanessa’s presence, I managed to focus on the task at hand and made sure to keep our conversation respectful and relevant. As we talked through the details of the case, I couldn’t help but sneak in compliments here and there, making sure not to raise any eyebrows with the Neegts. Every time I wrapped up an argument or suggested a course of action that could benefit them, Vanessa would blush slightly, giving me an encouraging nod or smile to press on.
By the end of the meeting, Mrs. Neegt tearfully thanked us for our support while her husband beamed with pride at how far they had come in such a short amount of time. We wished them luck as they left the office before heading back down the hall ourselves, although this time Vanessa walked ahead while I trailed behind her, admiring her graceful movements from behind.
We soon arrived at Vanessa’s cubicle where she sat down behind her desk while I stood nearby, slightly intimidated by all the bookshelves filled with legal texts lining the walls. She began typing away quickly on her computer as if she had known exactly what she was doing all along. It was incredible watching how easily she adopted such skills and handled complex cases like this one so effortlessly.
“So,” she said looking up from her monitor. “We’re officially filed, and I have no doubt that we’ll win the case. Great job!”
“Can I be so bold as to suggest a celebration?” I asked, the look on my face hopeful and yearning. “Isn’t it customary to celebrate victories such as this one?”
“If we celebrated every case we filed, we’d be partying all the time,” Vanessa said in amusement. She tilted her head and looked at me closely before speaking. “But perhaps an intermediate celebratory dinner is in order.”
“Great!” I slammed my fist down on her desk in a gesture of Orkarian celebration in spite of myself.
Her thin coworker, Mark, jumped.
“Easy,” she giggled, closing her laptop and reaching for her coat and purse. “It’s not a honeymoon!”
But it could be, I thought, smiling on the inside and the outside. Things were going great, and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next between us.
Chapter 9
Vanessa
Zorak took me to the seafood place a few blocks from the office. The space bass was supposed to be out of this world, but I hadn’t been able to secure a reservation.
“This place is really hard to get into,” I mentioned, trying not to sound as impressed as I really was.
“I’m a Galactic diplomat,” he gave me a teasing smile. “I find that usually helps me get what I want.”
He gave his name to the hostess, and we were seated without waiting. He ordered two glasses of a sparkling blue wine from the far side of Rylax when the waitress appeared.
“Of course, sir,” she fawned over him. “I’ll get that right away.”
“I’ll get that right away,” I mimicked once the hostess had left.
Zorak let out a peal of pleased laughter. “Jealous, my little human?”
I scoffed.
“It’s okay.” He reached across the table and held both my hands in one of his. “I like that you’re jealous. It shows you do care about me. Though I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. We’re mated. It’d be impossible for me to take an interest in another woman.”
The waitress quickly returned with our drinks.
