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Me’ell followed my eyes to Vicky and lowered his voice—I was surprised he was capable of such a thing.
“Take good care of her,” he said. “All I did was reveal the beauty that was already there. If you can’t see it, you’re a fool, and you don’t look like a fool to me. She’s gorgeous the way she is. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”
Yes, I thought. I did.
“Thanks again,” I said.
Me’ell stepped outside and I shut the door behind him.
I returned to the front room and joined Vicky.
“That was a lot of fun, huh?” I said.
“He sure can talk,” Vicky said. “I guess it’s part of the job. He did well though.”
“Yeah, he did,” I said.
Vicky smiled at me and looked away again.
“I should sweep the hair up,” she said.
“You go rest,” I said. “I’ll do it.”
She beamed at me and I felt my insides turn to water. I was as surprised I offered to clean up as she was.
“And I’m a little hungry,” she said.
“I’ll cook you something,” I said. “Do you have anything in mind?”
“Actually, I was thinking I would cook this time. Something simple we eat back home.”
“I look forward to it.”
She sang as she got to work in the kitchen. I don’t think I’d ever heard singing in the apartment before. I’d heard screaming and shouting and trying to keep pace with the dance and techno music but never actual singing.
She even had an angelic voice. I let it wash over me as I swept up her hair. I bent down and picked up a single coil and glanced at the kitchen before tucking it in my pocket.
It took a moment for my own actions to register.
Oh, yes.
I was smitten all right.
Badly.
She called it a “quiche.”
We had something similar in our culture but not with these flavors. It was delicious.
Vicky relaxed and really unwound after that meal. She smiled at me in a way she hadn’t ever done before. She picked up the plates to wash them in the sink but I took them from her and did it myself.
The following week went on like that, with us trading shy smiles and her cooking me meals for lunch and me making her breakfast. We usually ordered dinner in and enjoyed a glass of wine together over conversation.
My communicator beeped and I checked the message. It was from Ettana. She messaged me every night, inviting me to a party she knew about. She wanted me to join her.
I always declined.
IS EVERYTHING OKAY? she messaged.
