Chapter 14

14

I huffed as I dropped myself on my usual bench next to the fountain. The birds were in a shouting match while giant puffy clouds passed overhead. When the breeze picked up, it was almost a perfect day. Almost.

All day, I had been looking forward to my chocolate lunch break. I asked for so little. Janet must have pilfered my desk while I was in a meeting with Drew and Orion. Her yellow stickie I.O.U. nearly had me flipping my desk. To make matters worse, the vending machine in the lobby hadn’t been restocked.

“I can’t work in these conditions,” I mumbled.

I had meandered to the lobby, hoping to bump into Dustin, but apparently, he was off doing real work. Having two of my favorite things robbed from me during one lunch break was almost too much to handle. I mentally penned my resignation letter.

Without the sugar coursing through my veins, a nap would be the next best thing. I crossed my arms, bowing my head as I prepared for a quick snooze. Every time I closed my eyes, I imagined the back of Dustin’s head and the way his body pressed against mine while we slept. If I hadn’t been sitting, the tent in my pants would have been visible from the moon base.

My infatuation with him wasn’t strictly physical. Every time I spotted the man, he rushed into danger. I envied how he put his safety on hold for those around him. I’d have to give him my key to the city. He deserved it.

I bet my father, my real father, would be proud of him. I’m not sure he’d feel the same about me. Sent to Earth to be its protector, I spent more time second-guessing myself than saving innocents. If only I could solve the riddle behind this great weakness, then I’d know for sure.

My eyes clenched tight as I forced myself to remember. There were only fragmented images of my life before my ship crashed. I couldn’t see his face as he shoved me into the ship, but I could hear the faint echo of his voice.

“Your greatest weakness will be—” Then, the swoosh of the cockpit door closing, drowning out the rest of his statement. Behind that whir of hydraulics rested the answer to all my problems. If I knew, then I wouldn’t be terrified of?—

Something touched my shoulder, and I bolted upright. I shot off the bench when Dustin grabbed my hand. Just a simple touch of skin, and he calmed my nerves.

“Fancy meeting you here.” He leaned in and gave me a peck on the cheek. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Nuh-uh,” I said. Pulling by the neck, I gave him a proper kiss. If the man was going to scare me to death, it was the least he could do. Everything faded into the background while his tongue danced with mine.

“That’s how every lunch break should start,” he laughed.

It was nearly perfect. “I agree.”

He pulled the flap of his breast pocket open. I squealed at the sound of the plastic wrapper. We were getting closer to perfection. He glanced from his pocket to me. “You’ll have to reach in and get it.”

I wrapped an arm around his shoulders, fingers dipping inside to pull out the chocolate bar. Quickly, tearing the wrapper open, I broke it in half. I dangled it just out of reach of his mouth. He chomped at the air until he grabbed my wrists, gulping it in a single bite.

“If you keep this up, you’ll never get rid of me.”

“All it takes is some chocolate? If I had known that…”

“No. Maybe.” He laughed at my stuttered reply. He made me stop and laugh at myself. Where others called me odd or out of sorts, he didn’t seem to mind. If anything, I think he liked our differences. Yes, even the alien ones.

“I like it when you blush.”

He joined me on the bench, sitting close enough I could rest my hand on his thigh.

“So I was thinking…” he started.

“Don’t hurt yourself.” His jaw dropped. “Sorry. I’ve been told repeating things from Janet isn’t a good idea.”

“She insists she needs to frisk me every time I patrol your floor.”

“You get used to it.” At least she stopped demanding cavity searches. I’m not sure if Arthur would ever get that image out of his head.

“The other night at your place…”

“It was fun. A lot of fun.” I nibbled on a piece of chocolate when I realized he wasn’t making eye contact. “Oh. You don’t want to do it again?”

“No. No. The opposite. I just don’t normally go home with guys like that.”

“You have sex outside?”

He slapped his face. I knew the expression. Somehow, I wasn’t connecting the dots. His hand rested on my thigh as he turned toward me.

“Usually, I only sleep over with guys after I’ve gotten to know them.”

“Oh. That was a hookup?”

His head cocked to the side. Dustin’s eyes went wide. “It’s a hookup if it’s just sex. I don’t do just sex.”

“We can do other things.” I didn’t add that I wanted to do them and then have more sex.

“Good, I’m glad we’re on the same page. I think.” He took my hand. “Because of that, I’d like to ask you out on a real date.”

“Didn’t we do that on the boardwalk?”

“That was more like a hangout. I want a proper date.”

Humans and their weird associations. I let him have the distinction.

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes. Please?”

Dustin’s whole body shook as he laughed. I had no idea what he found funny, but it turned infectious. A moment later, we were both laughing. Him at my seemingly straightforward answer and me at the fact he jiggled when he laughed.

“Have you been on an actual date before?”

If our walk didn’t count due to a technicality, then I pretended drinks with Zaster didn’t happen. “Nope. At least not with somebody I wanted to go on a date with. So let’s just say no.”

“In that case, I’ll try to make it special.”

The walkie-talkie on his belt belted out code in a panic. He pulled it from his belt and pushed the button. “Did you say a 211? Isn’t that code for the copiers broken?”

“Attacking!” the voice squawked.

“I should go save the rookie.” Orion probably had something to do with the machine uprising. “I’ll text you with details?”

He kissed the tip of my nose and then sprinted toward the office. I always enjoyed watching him walk away, but there was something extra special about watching a chubby man run. I’d have to stay on the bench for a few more minutes while I convinced my penis to behave.

What started as a miserable lunch break had quickly turned around. Dustin had been the missing piece of the equation. Everything that had been gnawing away at the back of my mind fell under an avalanche of happy feelings.

I took a nibble of chocolate. “I’m going on a date!”