Lydia And Her Alien Boss (3 page)

“Carrie said you had a friend who was throwing a party tonight. I thought you might like back-up when you get your things,” Wylen said.

“If it isn’t an imposition.”

“Not at all. Let me go ahead and get you set up with a room, and then you won’t have to worry about it when we come back. Since you’re by yourself, do you want something near the office? There’s someone on staff twenty-four hours if you ever need anything, and the police drive by at least once or twice a night to make sure everyone feels safe. It keeps most of the troublemakers away.”

“Near the office would be great.”

Wylen smiled at her again and stepped back behind the counter, nudging the

other man out of the way. He tapped away on the keyboard, then grabbed a plastic keycard, inserting it into a machine before handing it to her.

“I put you in 103, that way you aren’t right on top of the office, but you’re close enough.”

“Thank you,” Lydia said, taking the card from him and tucking it into her

pocket.

“Did you want to unload the things from your car now?” he asked.

“I don’t want to keep you too long.”

Wylen waved away her concern. “No worries. Why don’t you pull up in front of

your room and I’ll help you carry things inside?”

Lydia nodded and palmed her keys. Outside, she got into her car and pulled it over in front of room 103. She really didn’t have much in the car right now so it only took one trip to get her things into the room. When they were finished, Lydia made sure the door shut all the way before following Wylen over to his large SUV. He helped her into the passenger’s seat before sliding behind the wheel on the driver’s side.

Lydia gave him the address and he nodded.

“I know exactly where that is. I have a friend who owns several of the duplexes over there, and your friend’s just happens to be one of them. If she gives you any trouble, I’ll have a way to settle the issue. All it would take is one phone call to her landlord and she’d be out of a home if she doesn’t cooperate.”

“I don’t want to threaten her. I just want my things, and I’m sure I’ll be able to get them without any problems. I just don’t have fond memories of parties.”

Wylen reached over and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll help you in whatever capacity you need. If you want me to wait in the car, I will. If you want me to go inside with you, then that’s what I’ll do.”

“I think I’d like it if you went in with me, if the party is still going on. Drunk men don’t make sound decisions.”

Wylen laughed. “No, they certainly don’t. But then, I’ve found human males

don’t make good decisions even when they aren’t drunk.”

They pulled up to Jenny’s place and there were still cars parked everywhere.

Wylen walked with her to the door and she knocked, but no one answered. After knocking twice more, she pushed open the door. Music blared from the docking station on the kitchen counter and bodies were crammed into the small space. Lydia saw her bags in the corner and she pointed them out to Wylen. As they pushed through the crowd, she saw Jenny stepping into her bedroom with some guy Lydia had never seen before.

Wylen had all but one bag in his arms and she quickly moved to pick up the

remaining tote. Wylen cut a swathe through the crowd with Lydia on his heels. She stuck close, hoping no one stopped her along the way. They stepped outside and she firmly closed the door, leaving the party on the other side. She felt the tension ease from her body as she neared Wylen’s SUV and she was thankful she hadn’t had a

confrontation over picking up her things. She’d send Jenny a text after she was safely tucked away in her motel room.

“Your friend actually expected you to sleep during all that?” he asked, as he cranked the engine. “Carrie was right. She’s very inconsiderate, especially of a woman in your condition.”

“I was supposed to sleep on the couch so getting any rest tonight would have

been impossible. I’d have ended up paying for a motel room somewhere just so I could sleep.”

“You can have the room as long as you need it. Carrie mentioned that you

applied for a job at the coffee shop. How did that go?”

Lydia smiled. “I start tomorrow.”

“Why don’t you stay at the motel for a week or two, get your first paycheck and then you can search for an apartment. I know staying at a motel isn’t ideal, but it will save you from having to buy furniture right away. I have plenty of rooms available so it’s no hardship to have you there.”

“I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” Lydia said. “I still don’t understand why you’d help me.”

“I don’t know what you know about my world, but I lost my mate when she was

pregnant with our child. Someone poisoned our women and she died in unbearable pain. I had to watch her suffer as she drew her last breath. If I can ease the burden of another pregnant woman, then I’ll do what I can.”

Lydia lightly touched his arm. “I’m sorry for your loss, Wylen. And thank you again for helping me.”

He nodded and didn’t say much the rest of the way back to the motel. When they pulled to a stop in front of her room, he turned off the SUV and began gathering her things. She let him carrying everything inside, then bid him goodnight before closing the door. She really needed to go buy something to wear for work this week, but first she wanted to get some of her things put away. If she was going to stay here for a week, there wasn’t any reason to live out of boxes and suitcases. It only took a half hour to get her clothes put away and her few pairs of shoes set out. When she was finished, she freshened up in the bathroom then picked up her keys and purse and headed out once more.

She hated shopping, especially at night, but she didn’t want to stick out

tomorrow and not have anything appropriate to wear. As she made her way through the large store, fatigue settled in and every step felt labored. She tried on several pairs of pants before she found the right size. Stocking up on five polo shirts and five pairs of pants, she made sure she found shoes that would look stylish yet be comfortable and purchased two packages of socks to go with them. By the time she checked out, she was ready to drop.

Lydia yawned the entire way back to the motel. She struggled to get all of the sacks out of the car on the first try and jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Wylen said. “I was heading home and saw you. I

thought I’d help carry this stuff inside for you.”

“Thank you.”

Lydia stepped back and let him carry the sacks to the door. It took her a few tries with the keycard to get the door open, but once she pushed it wide and stepped inside, she kicked off her shoes and sighed in relief.

“If you need anything else tonight, don’t hesitate to call the front desk,” Wylen said.

“I will.” Lydia smiled. “I think I’m done for the night. I’ll probably just fall asleep watching TV.”

“Goodnight, Lydia,” Wylen said, backing out of the room.

“Night.”

She made sure the chain was pulled across the top of the door before getting her pajamas out of the dresser. With another yawn, she changed her clothes, washed her face, brushed her teeth, and then fell into bed. Lydia didn’t even process what was on TV as her eyes slid shut and she fell asleep.

Chapter Three

Lydia swiped her bangs out of her eyes as she punched the customer’s order into the register. Blenders were buzzing on the counter behind her and the three industrial sized coffee makers were perking next to them. The burst of steam coming from the machine in the corner made her eye twitch. Two weeks. Two
long
weeks of being a barista at Espress Yourself and she was ready to throw in the towel, except she desperately needed a paycheck.

There had been just enough money in her account to pay for a studio apartment and furniture. She’d had a little extra cash for groceries and gas. As much as she hated her job, she needed the nine dollars an hour that it paid. It wasn’t that Espress Yourself was a bad place to work, but she sucked at being a barista. When she brewed the coffee, something always went wrong and it came out more like sludge or would be too light and have grounds floating in it. And no matter how many times she made a mocha latte with caramel drizzle, she always put in not enough mocha and too much caramel.

“That will be seven dollars and forty-two cents,” she told the customer with a forced smile.

“How about I give you ten and you keep the change.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Thank you. My team will appreciate the tip.”

He leaned his elbows on the counter. “Why don’t you give me your number and

let me take you out to dinner?”

And there it was. It wasn’t the first time she’d been hit on since taking this job and she doubted it would be the last. If it weren’t for the fact her rapidly growing breasts kept pushing the limits of her work shirts, maybe she could go a day without some asshole thinking she needed a date.

“Thank you, but we aren’t allowed to date the customers.” She smiled to soften the blow.

He reached out and stroked the hand she’d braced on the counter. “No one

would have to know but us.”

“Exactly. I would know that I was breaking company policy. You don’t want me

to get fired do you?” And it was time for the grand finale. She took a step back, away from the register, and ran a hand over her rounding stomach. “I need a paycheck to take care of my baby.”

His eyes bugged out and he backed up. “Yeah, uh…you’re right. You definitely

shouldn’t break the rules.”

He snatched his receipt from Lydia’s hand and beat a hasty retreat to the end of the counter to wait for his drink. With a sigh of resignation, she stepped back up to the register and smiled at the next customer. Being female, she couldn’t help but admire his partially exposed chest and strong forearms. she really had a thing for arms.

He cleared his throat and Lydia blushed, realizing she’d been caught staring.

“What can I get for you?” she asked.

He smiled an easy smile and her gaze caressed his green skin. He was definitely a Kilion, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was a Liptu behind him. Aliens had been part of her reality for a while now, but she still had to adjust to seeing them doing something as ordinary as ordering coffee.

“I’ll take a large coffee. Black.”

Lydia nodded and rang it up, gave him the total, and hoped he wouldn’t tell her boss she’d been checking him out. She accepted his credit card, swiped it, then handed it back along with his receipt.

“I’ll get your coffee for you,” she said, turning her back toward him and heading over to the coffee machine. She paused after she picked up a large cup and looked over her shoulder. “Dark roast or medium?”

“Dark.”

Lydia filled the cup, popped a plastic lid on it, and carried it back over to the sexy alien. Truth be told, she had yet to see an alien who wasn’t sexy. They looked like rainbow colored GQ models, in her opinion. She’d be willing to bet there were ripped abs under that shirt. God, she hoped she wasn’t drooling.

She handed him the cup and smiled at the alien behind him, startling

momentarily at the woman and child with him. She’d heard the aliens were here seeking mates, and had even looked up the Interstellar Love Agency that specialized in matching human females with alien males—out of curiosity, of course—but she’d never seen any of the local aliens out with their families.

The little boy was adorable and she addressed him first. “And what can I get for you?”

His cheeks flushed and he glued himself to his mother’s leg. Too precious!

The woman smiled at her. “Our son will have a hot chocolate and a blueberry

muffin, and I’d like a small skinny, decaf, caramel Frappuccino.”

The alien with her pulled out his wallet. “I’ll just take a black coffee. Medium roast.”

“Size?” Lydia asked.

“Large. I’m going to need all the caffeine I can get to keep up with these two.”

Lydia smiled and finished ringing up the order, gave him his total, then swiped his card. She filled out the cups, asking for names, and then got the alien his coffee. And so it went, one order after another for the rest of the morning. By the time eleven rolled around, her feet were aching and her back felt like it might snap in half at any moment.

She clocked out and got her lunch out of the staff refrigerator in the break room.

She nearly groaned in relief as she sank into the hard, plastic chair. Anything was better than standing. Even though she was starving, she ate her lunch slowly. She’d learned the hard way that scarfing down her food resulted in heartburn and sometimes an upset stomach. This pregnancy did not agree with her! Lydia felt a little flutter in her stomach and she smoothed a hand over her baby bump. Twenty weeks until she’d get to hold her baby. Twenty weeks of backaches, foot aches, swollen ankles, and weird cravings—ketchup on mashed potatoes? Or even better…ketchup, mustard, relish, onions, slaw, and BBQ baked beans on hot dogs—and so much more. At least the

nausea had lessened. Certain smells still got to her, but she was no longer throwing up all day every day.

A magazine on the table caught her attention and she pulled it closer. No, not a magazine…was this a catalog for the dating agency? A stunning orange alien graced the cover and she flipped it open. Aliens of all colors and descriptions were shown inside, along with what they were seeking in a mate. A few even said they were open to marrying someone who already had children, which made Lydia pause.

Her baby moved again and she rubbed her belly. When she’d discovered she was

pregnant, and had tracked it back to the night of the frat party, her friend, Lauren, had talked her into attending, she determined that she was finished with men. But what if alien men were different from human men? What if they weren’t pretentious assholes who only thought of themselves? Her gaze scanned the booklet again. If she went to the dating agency and was paired with one of these men, would they really accept her in her pregnant state? Was it possible she could still give her child a father, and give herself someone who might actually care about her, someone who wanted to walk beside her instead of dragging her along behind on a leash?