Candidate (Selected Book 4) (75 page)

I turned to Jaguar. "I need to speak alone with her. Will you and Harp stay with Lotus? Charlotte and I will just be over in the corner." I didn't wait. "Lotus, can you unwrap from her for a moment, please?"

Lotus didn't want to unwrap, and she actually tightened for a moment before reluctantly letting go. And my aliens weren't any better about it. But soon I was able to take Charlotte's arm and lead her away. "How are you doing?" I asked her.

"I don't know," she replied. "You know the Catseye?"

"We've met. She decided I scared her. I'm surprised she's back so soon."

"You didn't like her?"

"I was disappointed she ran away from me. Yes, I guess I liked her. I like Catseye. But how do you feel?"

"I think I like her, but she won't stop touching me. She wraps around me. I've been pulling away, but I don't want to be rude."

"I understand," I said. "You're not a toucher, are you?"

"No."

"Catseye are. How have you been with girlfriends?"

"In private is one thing. But out here, everyone is watching."

"No, everyone is watching me with the Whiteblacks," I said.

She laughed at that. "They're pretty forward, too. Were they biting your ears?"

"A little, yeah." I think I blushed. In fact, I know I did, because Charlotte laughed.

"They're pretty amazing, aren't they?"

"Yeah. A little odd. But let's talk about you. So, first question. Do you like her?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

"So you don't want me to hand you off to someone else?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, Catseye touch. If you can't stand it, then it's a bad fit. I might be able to get her to tone it down, but on this one thing, I think if you want to consider a relationship, you're the one who has to compromise."

"She said I
taste good
."

"They taste through their tentacles," I said. "And don't freak out, but if she was able to taste you, she'll have left little marks."

"Oh my god! I've got tentacle hickies?"

"Probably. I have some on my back. They don't hurt. Okay, do you want to know the good parts of the Catseye?"

"Yes."

"Best hugs on the planet and nearby space. Wookies give good hugs, too, but Catseye hugs are better. They're smart, and they seem to care that you are, too. They can eat our food, which will make things a lot easier. They give amazing foot massages, and they seem to enjoy doing it, although I don't know if Lotus does." I smiled. "They're rich. All the aliens are rich. Assuming this particular Catseye is as nice as the others I know, you would have a good life."

"That's not bad."

"I don't know from personal experience, but I bet the sex is amazing."

"I keep thinking of those tentacles. Oh. Em. Gee."

I laughed. "Yeah, I've thought about that, too. And they are self-lubricating, when they want."

"Oh. Em. Gee," she said again.

"So, if you like Lotus, and you can learn to enjoy the touch, you can't do better. But you would have to be able to not just tolerate the touch, but enjoy it, because she'll be touching you constantly. And not just her, but any other Catseye you call friends. They don't touch business acquaintances the same way, but if she has friends over, for instance, they're going to want to touch."

"All right," she said slowly. "Good foot massages, huh?"

"The best. Want me to get one for you?"

"Sure."

"I might scare her off, Charlotte. She ran from me when I tried to get her to go swimming. Catseye can't swim."

"If she runs..." she looked around the room. "There are other Catseye here."

I followed her gaze. "Those two are mated," I said. "That's Clover and Peony. They're good friends. Let's talk to them first." I grabbed her arm and pulled her over. Then I asked for a hug, but Clover took a half step back and waved a tentacle.

"No way. The Whiteblacks are watching you, and they're possessive."

"Oh. Sorry. Clover, Peony, this is Charlotte. We have about fifteen seconds for you to tell her if Lotus is a nice person."

"We don't know her that well, but she has a good reputation," Clover said.

"I've been dealing with her a little," Peony said. "She's professional and competent."

"That's not a rousing endorsement for someone who wants to be loved."

"Oh. Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Clover said. "If she wants to mate, you'll be loved, Charlotte. And I'm sure she'd treat you well."

I turned to Charlotte. "So, they didn't tell you to run away, but they don't know her well enough to tell you what she's really like."

"I want to give her a chance," Charlotte said.

So I took her arm and led her back. Lotus was ready to reach for her, and Jaguar wanted to take me back, but I said, "Just a minute, Lotus. I'm going to be blunt. Not all humans are comfortable being touched as much as a Catseye likes to touch. It takes time for some of us to warm up. If you want to help Charlotte warm up, I know what you can do."

Lotus looked at me then at Charlotte. "If you tell me I have to go swimming..."

"I'm not going to tell you that," I said. "But you could take her over to one of the chairs and show her what it feels like to receive a Catseye foot massage. If you're as good at that as the other Catseye I know, she'll become putty in your hands."

"She's not rejecting me."

"No," I said. "She's just a little intimidated."

"My tentacles do not frighten her?"

"No. On the contrary."

She looked at Charlotte. "Catseye touch."

"I understand. I just need a little help."

"I understand." She held out one tentacle as if it were a hand.

"Take it gently," I said. "Like a child's hand."

And so Charlotte did, letting herself be drawn away. When I looked later, she had her eyes closed and an expression of deep bliss.

Harp and Jaguar stepped to my sides. "Ours again."

"I never stopped," I replied. "But my duties are not over. Do you understand what I am doing here?"

"You are the diplomat. She signaled you somehow."

"She used my whole name," I said. "Thank you for understanding."

"What happens here is important. Segments take time to form, and a bad segment can be very painful. You help to make good segments."

"Yes." I looked around the room. "And I believe I am about to prevent a bad one. Come."

I led them across the room. Dana was backed into a corner, a Luxan and a Hobble hemming her in. We got halfway there, and I said, "I'm going to have to be physically forward here. You'll need to give me up just before we arrive."

"You are going to drive the Luxan and Hobble off?"

"I'm going to wedge between them and pull the human from the corner. Will you engage the Luxan and Hobble while I talk to the human?"

"We will help you."

"Thank you."

And so that's what we did. I actually slipped my hands between the Luxan and Hobble and pushed aside. "Good evening, Ladies." They didn't want to let me in, but everyone knew who I was, so when they looked down, they parted slightly. "Hello, Dana."

"Andromeda Hayes," she said. "You have been freed from your pillar."

"I need to speak with you, Dana." I grabbed her wrist and pulled her right out of the corner. The Luxan and Hobble tried to stop me, but she ducked underneath them. And then Jaguar and Harp were both there, blocking the Luxan and Hobble, and I was able to pull Dana to safety. I wrapped her arm in mine. "Were you as scared as you looked?"

"They're fighting over me," she said. "I was talking to the Luxan, and she seemed nice. But then the Hobble came over."

"Brave Hobble," I said. "I wouldn't want to piss off a Luxan. Did you like either of them?"

"The Luxan kept stepping closer. I kept backing up. That's how we ended in the corner."

"Do you like her?"

"Yeah, but she stood so close, and she's so big."

"Do you want me to give you back to her and chase the Hobble away?"

She looked over her shoulder. "Can you get her to give me just a little more room?"

"I can try, but frankly, probably not. Can you handle it? Maybe it would be easier if you sat, but she's going to want to be close. Maybe you want to dance."

"There's no music."

"I can fix that."

"Yeah, I might like to dance."

"She's going to want to touch you. They aren't as grabby as some of the species, but her body language is pretty possessive already." I shook my head. "I don't know what the Hobble was thinking. So, can you take it?"

"Sure, I guess. I kind of like her. But she said there would be challenges. I thought if we were willing there weren't challenges."

"She needs them, and you have to do your best. You know you'll lose, so it's as good as being willing. But she needs to catch you, and she needs to believe either you were trying to catch her or you were trying to get away. Can you do that?"

"I can do that," she said. "She wouldn't hurt me, would she?"

"Gentle as a lamb."

"All right. Yes. I want to give her a chance. If I have to do it with anyone, she seems nice. Smart. I liked the things she said before the Hobble showed up."

"Excellent. Come on." I steered over to Clover and Peony. I didn't bother with introductions. "Dana likes the Luxan. I need you to help me get rid of the Hobble. You know, before the Luxan decides to handle it herself."

"Right," said Clover. "Come on, Peony. I know how much you love Hobbles."

"Hobbles. Why did it have to be Hobbles?'

We approached the group. Both the Luxan and Hobble looked annoyed. Jaguar and Harp climbed several points in the way they were handling things. I stepped between the two Whiteblack, pulling Dana behind me, then put a hand on the Luxan. In the meantime, Clover and Peony surrounded the Hobble.

"There's someone we want you to meet," Clover said.

And then they just didn't take "no" for an answer and led her away. The other three aliens watched this, and then the Luxan stood straighter. I turned to her.

"I am Andromeda." I held out my hand, and she clasped for a moment. "We haven't met."

"I am Jules Star Cluster," she replied. She glanced past me for a minute, then returned her gaze to me.

"I am pleased to meet you, Jules Star Cluster. I am going to be blunt. You are Luxan. I believe you can handle a blunt human." She inclined her head. "Dana likes you. Do you like her?"

"I do."

"But you're scaring her a little. You're a big Luxan, and she's an average size female human. You're a lot bigger than she is, and a little intimidating."

"I can't become smaller."

"No, but you could be a little sensitive to it. You kept crowding her, backing her into the corner. That's a very defensive position, and then when the Hobble arrived, she couldn't escape."

"Oh," she said. "Oh. Dana, I am sorry."

"She knows you weren't trying to scare her. She wants to give you a chance. I suggested you sit instead of stand. She doesn't mind if you're close. She just doesn't want you to loom over her. You could also dance with her."

"I will loom if we dance."

"She'll close her eyes, and you will hold her. I will put music on in a few minutes."

She offered a Luxan smile, which was actually a little similar to a human smile.

"She is a little nervous about the challenges, but understands they are necessary for you," I added. I accessed the visor, checked Dana's record, and saw she was assigned to Bay. "Dana, don't worry about the Challenges. I'll take care of you."

"If you're sure."

"I'm sure," I said. "Now. Did you see how blunt I was with the Luxan?"

"Yes."

"She isn't looming over you to intimidate you. But she's not human. She's going to make mistakes a human might not. It's your job to tell her. She would rather you tell her you don't like something than to pull away. You're going to need to be that brave. I promise, she won't hurt you for it."

She looked hesitant. I skimmed her bio and turned back to the Luxan. "She's been hurt before. It's going to take her time to learn you won't hurt her."

"I couldn't!"

"Well, she sees your size. She needs to learn. If she is backing from you, give her a little space and remind her you are her protection. She'll learn."

She nodded. "Dana, would you like to sit for a while? May I hold your hand?"

Dana looked at the big woman, then nodded slowly and held out her hand.

As soon as they walked way, Jaguar and Harp moved to my sides.

"Just a moment," I said. I held up a hand. Then I used the visor to compose a quick draft. "Move Dana Willis to someone else. She needs a delicate touch to deal with the Luxan and the challenges."