Chapter 10

Chapter

Ten

Ruune

O livia’s phone slipped from her hand as she stared at me, but I darted one hand out to catch it before it clattered to her desk.

She took the phone, still looking at me as if I was a two-headed googlebeast. “How did you get here so fast?”

“Your friend told me I should take a carriage.”

Olivia glanced at her phone screen and then at me. “You got here in a matter of seconds in a carriage?” She gave her head a small shake. “What kind of carriage? Did you bring some special Valorian rocket carriage with you?”

There was a lot about Earth that I’d found confusing, but this conversation was currently the most baffling thing I’d experienced. “We do not have rocket carriages on Valoria. Caroline told me that it is considered romantic to take a ride in a horse and carriage.”

She stood and walked around her desk. “You came here to discuss ground rules in a horse and carriage?”

I tilted my head at her. “Ground rules? What are ground rules?”

She exhaled loudly. “Caroline didn’t mention ground rules?”

She held up her phone, and I read the screen with her messages to her friend. I shook my head. “I left her in the hotel a while ago to find a horse and carriage.”

“Now it makes sense,” she said more to herself than to me. “She meant he was already on his way.” She slipped her device into her dress’s pocket and peered up at me. “Sorry about that. For a second there I was convinced Valorians had Superman speed or rocket-propulsion vehicles, and no one had told me.”

“I am sorry to disappoint you.”

She laughed. “I’m not disappointed. I’m actually glad you can’t fly around at supersonic speeds. That would be a lot.”

I took a moment to take in the place where Olivia worked. Walking through the store to this level had taken me past areas decorated like toy workshops and snowy vistas complete with snow people and giant icicles. This department, however, was not festooned like the rest of the store.

Caroline had given me directions to the Fifth Avenue Club and explained the job she had done with Olivia until very recently, but it still confused me. “So, this is where you tell people what they should buy?”

Olivia grinned. “Kind of. I help them find items that are most flattering and work well for their wardrobe.”

“Caroline said you are the best at it.”

Her cheeks mottled pink. “Caroline has to say that. She’s my best friend.”

“Is that a rule?” I was learning much about humans, but one thing I’d discovered is that their words could not always be taken literally. “Is that one of those ground rules you wanted to discuss?”

Caroline’s gaze dropped then it landed on the brown paper cup in my hand. “Did you go to Blue Bottle?” She touched her stomach. “I don't think I can stomach coffee yet."

I held out the cup to her. "It is not coffee. I don't understand why humans enjoy that bitter beverage anyway."

"Oh, I take mine with lots of flavored syrups and whipped cream. It's more dessert than coffee at that point."

"This is a Valorian cure for drinking too much Cressidian gin. Trust me, it'll help."

She wrinkled her nose but took the cup. “Sounds delicious.”

I watched as she took a reluctant sip, grimacing before she swallowed and then grinning. “Usually hangover cures are foul, but this one is sweet and bubbly.”

“Do you feel better?” I asked as she drained the rest of the cup.

“I actually do.” She drew in a deep breath. “Thanks for bringing it to me.”

I bowed my head. “You are very welcome.”

“Were you serious about coming here in a horse and carriage?”

I swept one arm wide. “I was, and it is waiting downstairs.”

“We’re going on a carriage ride now ?”

“Caroline said you should be able to take your lunch break around now.”

She glanced at a clock on the wall. “Wow. Time flies when you’re regretting all your life choices. I guess now is as good a time as any to go over the ground rules.” She held up a finger. “Ground rule number one, though. Let me know when you’re coming to see me.”

“Doesn’t that ruin the surprise?”

“I’m not big on surprises.”

“Rule number one,” I said, as we started to walk toward the moving staircase I’d ridden to her floor, “no surprises.”

Olivia stepped onto the top of the descending metal stairs, and I stepped on the one right behind her. “Maybe I should write these down.” She pulled out her device and typed No surprises .

“Is it common to have these ‘ground rules’ on Earth?” I asked as we passed a few people going up some moving stairs, and they tried not to stare at me but failed.

“A lot of things here have rules, and I probably would be better off if I followed more rules.”

“I don’t often follow rules.”

She flicked her gaze at me. “How’s that working for you, big guy?”

Her words made me shift uncomfortably. I guessed flaunting Valorian customs had not always worked out well. If it had, I wouldn’t have spent half my life running from planet to planet. “Maybe rules are not such a bad idea.”

Olivia smiled warmly at me. “I’m not the best at following rules myself, but if we’re going to sell this fake boyfriend girlfriend thing, we need to make sure we’re on the same page.”

“Page?” Were these rules in a book?

“It means that we agree on what we can and can’t do while we’re pretending to date.”

She stepped off the moving staircase, and I followed as she walked swiftly through the ground floor of the busy store. The cacophony of scents was stronger as we passed all the glass cases staffed with attractive women smiling brightly. It was louder, too, as people hurried in from the street through spinning doors.

I rushed ahead of Olivia, stopping the rotating door so she could step inside. Several people in the segments of the door bumped the glass wall or waved their arms at me.

“It’s okay.” Olivia pulled my arm away from the door. “I can go through without it being held for me.”

I watched her deftly step into one of the partitions and walk around then I sidestepped the angry people exiting in front of me and followed her through to the other side.

She stood staring at the horse and carriage parked in front of the entrance. “You weren’t kidding.”

“Would this be a funny joke?”

“For some people,” she said, as I helped her into the carriage, then climbed in after her, trying not to look as out of my element as I felt. The horse in front of us snorted and stomped, sending a puff of steam into the chilly air. I eyed it warily as the driver clicked his tongue, and we lurched forward.

The clip-clop of hooves on pavement was almost drowned out by the honking of cars and the chatter of pedestrians. I couldn't help but startle as vehicles whizzed by, far too close for comfort. I was certain that hoverpods were safer than this.

Olivia twisted to face me. “So, we’ve already established rule number one—no surprises, although this one isn’t bad. I’ve never ridden down Fifth Avenue in a carriage.”

“It does not seem entirely safe.”

"Don't worry," she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "This is perfectly normal in New York."

I wasn't entirely convinced, but I tried to relax. Then I noticed the people on the sidewalk doing double-takes as we passed. Some even pulled out their communication devices to snap images, which reminded me that we were trying to convince the world that we were together. “What would we do in a carriage if we were not pretending?”

She slid her gaze to me. “Nothing the rules would allow.”

This amused me. “Then I believe I need to know the rest of the rules.”

Olivia pulled the thick blanket up higher and tucked it under her arms. “No PDA unless it’s cleared beforehand.”

I was familiar with many military acronyms, but not this one. “PDA?”

“Public displays of affection. You know, holding hands, cuddling, kissing.”

“None of that is allowed?” I didn’t want to point out that we’d already done most of the things she’d listed.

“Maybe hand holding is okay without asking, but not fingers interlaced.”

I held up my own hand, curious what she meant.

She pressed her smaller hand to mine and then slid her fingers between mine. “This is interlaced fingers.”

The warmth of her hand and the softness of her skin sent pulses up my arm. “And this is against the rules?”

She pulled her hand back, glancing at her own palm as if it had been burned. “We should just discuss it ahead of time.”

“Like you discussed kissing me last night?”

Color rushed to her cheeks. “That was me making rash decisions, which is what the ground rules are meant to prevent.”

It struck me that she was very serious, so I schooled my face and nodded. “Understood. I will ask before I attempt any PVAs.”

“PDAs.” Her mouth quivered in an obvious attempt not to laugh.

I smiled at her, loving the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed or even tried not to laugh.

She pointed a finger at me. “And no smoldering looks. It’s not playing fair.”

“Smoldering looks?” I was genuinely surprised, but then again, I’d gotten so used to charming females that it was second nature. I wasn’t sure if I could turn it off if I tried, but I stopped smiling immediately and sat back. “Okay, no smoldering looks.”

“That’s better.”

As the horse clopped his way into a green space, I turned to face her again. “I have a few rules of my own.”

Her eyes popped wide, but she nodded. “Lay it on me.” Before I could ask her how I could lay my rules, she shook her head. “It means tell me.”

I wondered why humans said so many things that meant other things, but I suspected that was a larger conversation. “My first rule is no headlocks.”

“No what?”

“Females on Haraffa engage in sparring as a mating ritual. If that is something done here, I would like to stipulate no headlocks.”

Olivia’s gaze was unblinking. “You don’t have to worry about that with me. I have never put any guy in a headlock. Any other rules?”

The carriage swayed gently as we continued past bare trees and the sounds of the city became muffled. I tucked the blanket around her and shook my head. “No more rules.”

She sighed. “Maybe this was a mistake.”