Lydia And Her Alien Boss (4 page)

Carrie plopped down into the chair across from her. “I see you found my book.

You look…intrigued.”

“Just thinking.”

Carrie smirked. “You’re doing more than that. You’re going to go talk to them, aren’t you?”

Lydia shrugged. “It wouldn’t hurt just to see what they have to say. I’m done with human men, but maybe aliens are different. When I found out about my baby, I gave up on ever finding happiness with a man. But what if I can?”

“I know the perfect one for you.” Carrie smiled even wider and flipped through the book until she landed on a full-page layout of what had to be the most gorgeous man Lydia had ever seen. “He’s Liptu and he’s open to a relationship with a single mom. That would be you.”

Lydia traced the curve of his jaw on the glossy page. “He’s…breathtaking. I have a hard time picturing a man like that having difficulties finding a date.”

“He doesn’t, but he’s done with casual dating and wants the happy relationship his brother found.” Carrie snorted. “Trust me, he was something of a man-whore until that revelation.”

Lydia reverently touched the ad again. “If you know him so well, why don’t you go out with him?”

“Because I’m not his type.” Carrie grinned bigger. “But you totally are.”

“I don’t think I’d have any say in who they paired me with if I applied at the dating agency. It’s not like I can carry this magazine in there and say ‘I want him.’”

“Why not?”

“I’m not window shopping for a puppy, Carrie. Besides, just because he’s

gorgeous doesn’t mean we’ll get along. He looks so well put together and I’m…not. Not to mention he looks rich, and rich men stay away from poor women like me. I wouldn’t be surprised if I had to sign some sort of agreement before I could even go on a date with him, something that says I won’t try to take his money.”

Carrie rolled her eyes. “He’s really down to Earth. He’s not an asshole, and even though he has money and doesn’t mind throwing it around, he’s still just a guy, Lydia.

Like all men, he responds to a warm smile from a woman. The fact you’re genuinely nice would be more important to him than your wallet.”

Lydia chewed on her bottom lip.

“Come on,” Carrie wheedled. “You know you want to go check it out. And even

if you don’t take the magazine with you, even if you aren’t paired with Gryf, it doesn’t mean you won’t find some great guy who will appreciate you and love the baby like his own.”

“I haven’t dated since I found out about the baby. I don’t know if I can trust a guy right now.”

No one knew the story behind her pregnancy, and she had no doubt that once a

potential boyfriend heard the tale, he’d run the other way. It was one thing to accept another man’s child, but…Lydia sighed. Her secret wasn’t exactly small. She
wanted
to trust someone, to fall in love, but what if she couldn’t?

“My break’s over,” Lydia said, and groaned as she rose to her feet. The constant ache in her lower back today was killing her.

She threw her trash away, longingly looking at her unfinished sandwich, and

hurried back out front. There was an endless stream of customers the rest of the day, and by the time her shift ended at three o’clock, she was exhausted. Despite how tired she was, she couldn’t help but think about the magazine in the breakroom. She toyed with the idea of going to the dating agency throughout the afternoon, talking herself into it and then out of it, then into it again.

What was the worst thing that could happen? Men made her nervous now, in an

intimate setting anyway, but maybe going on some dates would be nice. Even if she didn’t meet Mr. Right, she might at least have a nice time. It wouldn’t hurt to get out of the apartment and have a meal with someone.

The decision seemed to be made for her as her car pulled into a parking space in front of the Interstellar Love Agency. Her hands shook a little as she got out of the car and went inside. The woman at the front desk looked a little frosty, like there was a giant stick up her butt, but Lydia smiled just the same.

“I’d like to speak with someone about signing up with the dating agency.” Lydia fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

“I’ll see if Mr. Anderson can meet with you.” The woman picked up the phone

and spoke softly. When she hung up, she pointed toward the elevators. “Go up to the fifth floor. When the doors open, you’ll turn right and it’s the last office on your left.”

“Thank you.”

Gathering every bit of courage she had, Lydia took the elevator to the fifth floor and quickly found Mr. Anderson’s office. Her hand was lifted and ready to knock on the door, but she paused. Should she have gone home to shower and change before coming in? What if they needed to take her picture? Her hair was falling out of its pins, her clothes were wrinkled, and whatever lipstick she’d put on that morning was long gone.

No, she wouldn’t second guess herself now.

She rapped on the door and pushed it open when she heard a voice beckon her

to enter. A balding man sat behind a large desk and he smiled at her warmly. Lydia eased into the spacious office, but she left the door ajar. The man seemed nice enough, but no way was Lydia locking herself in with him. If the door was open, she could make a quick escape if needed.

“Please, have a seat,” Mr. Anderson said. “How may I help you today, Miss…”

“Parker. Lydia Parker. I’ve done some research on your agency, Mr. Anderson,

and after careful consideration, I’ve decided I’d like to sign up to be matched with an alien.” She smoothed a hand over her stomach. “Obviously, it would have to someone who wouldn’t mind raising another man’s child.”

“Being pregnant will limit the number of interested males, but it’s not impossible to find a match for you, Miss Parker. You’ll have to complete a questionnaire and then we’ll input your information into our system. We could have a first date set up for you as early as next week!”

A week? She had hoped for something sooner. Lydia feared if she had too much

time to think about what she was doing, she would change her mind. Maybe she should have brought that catalog after all and shown him the males she’d like to be paired with. It would beat waiting a week.

“What sort of questionnaire?” she asked.

“Well, it’s actually a short psychological exam so that we can pair you with the right male. We’ll input your scores into our system and match you with someone who will compliment you. For instance, we wouldn’t want to pair a very assertive, dominant female with a headstrong male, or they would fight constantly.”

Lydia frowned. “Wouldn’t a strong female need a strong male to keep her

challenged and interested?”

Mr. Anderson looked surprised by her answer.

“I mean, I obviously don’t know anything about the matchmaking business, but I would think a strong woman would eventually tire of a weaker male. Women can feel empowered without having to be in charge all the time. Sometimes it’s nice to have a man take the lead.”

“I never thought of that.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not a strong, dominant female.” She smiled. “I would be quite content to be paired with a strong male, but not too domineering. I do have my limits on what I will tolerate for a long period of time. And forever is a really long time to put up with someone you can’t stand.”

“Have you perhaps met one of our males who might interest you?” he asked.

“No. I’ve spoken to a few at work, but I don’t know that they’ve signed up for your services. We didn’t discuss anything more intimate than their coffee order.” She paused. “Although, a coffee order can actually tell you a lot about a person.”

“You work at a coffee shop?”

“Yes. I just started at Espress Yourself two weeks ago. I don’t think I’m cut out for the job though. I make a lot of mistakes.”

“And what did you do before the coffee shop?”

“I was a full-time student, but when my parents found out about the pregnancy, they kicked me out and left me without funds. I rented a studio apartment and took the first job I could find so that I would be able to provide a home for my baby.”

Mr. Anderson leaned his elbows on his desk. “And is it important to you to

finish your degree? Or would you be content letting your husband make all the money?”

“Well, I would like to finish my degree, but if I did find a husband who could support me, I’d really like to stay home with the baby, at least for the first year. I could maybe take some classes online at home to finish my degree, and then when my baby was a little older, I’d be ready to graduate and find a job.”

“And if you found yourself pregnant again?”

Lydia chewed on her lip. “Before this pregnancy, I’d always thought I’d be one of those career women, climbing the corporate ladder and trying to make a name for myself in my chosen field. But this baby changes things. My goals have shifted. Now, I just want to be the best mother I can be and provide my child with a safe and loving home. If I need to work to help with the bills, then I’ll work. But if my husband wants a large family, I would be all right staying home to take care of the children. I don’t have to work full-time to be fulfilled or feel like I’m pulling my share of the weight.”

“Good answer.” He smiled. “I’m going to walk you to the room down the hall

where the testing takes place. You can move along at your own pace; it isn’t timed or anything. Just answer the questions as truthfully as you can. When you’re finished, come back here and we’ll discuss what’s next.”

Lydia followed him down the hall and sat at one of three computers along the

wall inside of what had to be the smallest office in the building. Mr. Anderson showed her how the program worked and then left her to answer the questions. Lydia had no idea how long she had sat there, but finally she was finished and she returned to Mr.

Anderson’s office. A large, blue male was sprawled in the chair in front of Mr.

Anderson’s desk and she tried to duck back into the hall unnoticed.

“Miss Parker, are you finished already?” Mr. Anderson asked.

Lydia took a step into the room and froze as the blue male turned toward her. It was the male from the catalog, the one Carrie had called Gryf! Good God, but he was even better looking in person. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth as she tried to form a coherent sentence.

“Miss Parker?” Mr. Anderson prodded.

“Y-yes. I’m finished,” she stammered.

The blue alien stood and came toward her. He held out his hand. “I’m Gryf.”

“Lydia Parker,” she said as she clasped his hand. She instinctively leaned into his touch, the instant spark of desire not what she’d expected.

“Are you here seeking a match, Lydia?” Gryf asked.

“Yes.” She smoothed a hand over her slightly rounded belly. “I was told that

some might not mind the fact I’m pregnant.”

“A baby is always a blessing,” Gryf said, an easy smile on his full, kissable lips.

“Gryf, you know I have to see if her test results match with your profile,” Mr.

Anderson said. “You can’t flirt with a woman just because she’s in my office. You know it doesn’t work that way.”

Gryf arched a brow and turned to face Mr. Anderson. “You’re here and have a

job with the agency because my people, and others who have come to this planet, have tasked you with a job. However, never mistake that we can just as easily take it away. If I wish to know Miss Parker better, then I will.”

Mr. Anderson flushed a deep red and settled back in his chair.

Lydia stared up at Gryf, not quite sure what to say or do. She’d never been faced with a male like him before, and she doubted she’d ever find another like him.

Something told her that he was one of a kind, and the way her body responded to him was definitely different from anything she’d experienced before.

“Miss Parker, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me this

evening?” Gryf asked. “Do you like Italian food? My brother discovered this really great place in town.”

“I don’t have anything overly dressy to wear.”

He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “I’m sure anything you decide to wear will be enchanting.”

Warmth flooded her cheeks and she swayed a little closer to him. The tang of his cologne teased her nose and made her want to burrow into him. The intensity of his silver gaze made her knees weak and her heart race.

“I’d love to have dinner with you,” she said softly.

Gryf looked over at Mr. Anderson. “I believe our business is concluded for the day. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to walk Miss Parker to her car.”

Gryf placed Lydia’s hand in the crook of his arm and led her out to the elevators.

The feel of his palm against her lower back made awareness zing through her, zipping along her nerve endings and making her tingle in the best of ways.

“Maybe you should call me Lydia,” she said softly. “We’re going on a date, after all.”

“Lydia. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

Her cheeks warmed at his compliment. As the elevator went down to the lobby,

she leaned against him a little, wanting to feel his strength. A ding signaled they’d reached the first floor and Gryf escorted her off the elevator and out into the lobby.

When they reached the sidewalk out front, she pointed toward her little car and Gryf walked her over.

Lydia unlocked the door and pulled it open, but she was reluctant to actually get in the car and drive away. She wanted to spend more time with Gryf, and she knew she’d have a chance later, but she wanted more time now. Gryf reached out slowly and caressed her cheek. A sigh escaped her lips as she leaned into his touch.

“Give me your address and I’ll pick you up in two hours. Will that give you

enough time to get ready?”

“Could we make it three?” she asked. “I could probably use a nap after working since five-thirty this morning.”

He frowned. “If you’re tired, we could always go out another night. You need

your rest.”

His thoughtfulness touched her and she smiled. “I’ll be fine, Gryf. I’d like to go out with you tonight, if you still want to. Although, I have another early start tomorrow so it would probably be best if I didn’t stay out too late. Maybe picked me up at seven and get me home by nine?”