Page 20 of Close Encounters of the Hot Kind

"First date? You slut!" Tessa's grin stretches wider. "How was it?"

"Let's just say he's very... attentive."

"Define attentive."

The coffee suddenly becomes fascinating. "He went down on me."

"Wait, he went down on you and didn't demand reciprocation?" Tess asks. "I thought billionaires were supposed to be greedy."

My laughter dies in my throat. The words stick there, thick and heavy. How do I even begin to explain?

"There's something strange about him." I trace the rim of my coffee mug. "I think he might be from another planet."

"Oh yeah." Tessa nods sagely. "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus."

"I'm thinking maybe somewhere further away than Mars."

Tessa's laugh rings out, but falters when she sees my face. Her smile drops, replaced by a concerned frown.

"Aileen?"

"You're not joking." Tessa leans closer, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"His face... it flickered. Like a TV with bad reception." The words tumble out. "For just a second, he looked different. Scales. Golden eyes."

"In the limo?"

"And the way he talks. He called my phone a 'long-distance communication device.' Who says that?"

"Maybe English isn't his first language?"

"He brought me flour instead of flowers. Like, actual bags of flour." My hands shake as I set down my coffee. "And he keeps saying stuff about 'your Earth customs' and 'fascinating human traditions.'"

"Could be a quirky rich guy thing."

"No, Tess. It's more than that."

Tessa's warm hand covers mine. Her eyes meet mine with that look she gives when she thinks I'm being dramatic about something. "Girl, I've seen all kinds of weird stuff mid-orgasm. Are you sure you didn't just hallucinate it?"

"I wasn't hallucinating." The memory burns crystal clear. "His whole face changed."

"Okay, okay." She drums her fingers on the table. "Maybe we should put him to some kind of test?"

My phone chirps with an incoming text.

"That's probably your alien boyfriend." Tessa winks. "You should check it."

My fingers tremble as I open the text. The flutter in my chest has nothing to do with caffeine.

"Hello gorgeous. What are you doing right now?"

"Well?" Tessa stretches across the table, trying to peek at my screen. "Is it him?"

"Yeah." The smile spreads across my face.

"What's he saying? Show me!"

I turn the phone so she can see. Tessa bounces in her seat. "Text him back! Don't leave him hanging."

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