Page 8 of Her Alien Spy

“A really bad one might. But I’ve never been bad at anything in my life.”

“Except Scrabble.”

“Maybe I’m just lulling you into a false sense of security,” he said, taking a gulp of his drink.

“Maybe.”

The silence between them during the next little while felt like a chasm that he’d fall straight into if he dared trying to cross it. Heknew Julia. She needed time and space and that was why he’d brought her here to tell her this particular news. It was less likely they’d be interrupted here, and she could ask him any question she wanted.

“Is Andethor your real name?”

He nodded. “That part’s also real. I have aliases I go by, when I’m undercover.” One of which she’d learn, unfortunately, if she agreed to this ridiculous idea.

“It must be a weird life. Being around people but not really able to just be,” she said after a while.

“It is. That’s part of why I like being on Asterion Station. Other than my family, my band, and my coworkers, this is the only place where anyone knows me and what I really am. It’s the only place I travel to where I can just relax and not have to think through which layers of me are the right ones to share. That’s probably why I spend so much time at Xarek’s place when I’m not hanging out with my band.”

She nodded, and he continued.

“I like my job. I like knowing I’m keeping my people safe. But it does make friendships and other relationships difficult. I can’treally confide in most people, because who knows who they’ll talk to, right?”

“But you assume I won’t talk?”

“I know you wouldn’t talk, Jules. You’re one of the most straightforward, loyal people I’ve ever met. We talked before about your time in the military, how you took pride in that because you were doing something meaningful. I think you understand what I do better than most.”

He watched as she looked around, clearly deep in thought. She was either thinking he was being earnest or that he was really good at flattery, he suspected. And he was good at flattery and bullshitting, as the humans liked to say. And he’d spent so much time flirting with her, he wouldn’t blame her for thinking the same thing.

“So you’re going to ask for my help with something spy-related?”

He gave a brief nod.

“Can we hold that thought for a little bit?”

“A very little bit. I have to leave tomorrow at seven. But you can take until then if you want to,” he added, already trying tofigure out who the hell he’d ask. The only other sensible one here would be Maggie, and Xarek would kill him. So that was a definite no.

“It won’t take that long. I’ll be back in a bit,” Julia said, rising from her seat. He nodded, watching as she hit the button for the door and walked out of his ship.

Chapter Five

Either he was full of shit, or he was completely earnest and wasn’t entirely who she’d thought he was. Luckily, there was a fairly easy way to find out.

As she made her way through the station, Julia ran through what he’d said. What had been real, what hadn’t, who he really was. Parts of it rang true. But she wasn’t sure, at the moment, if that was because she wanted to believe him or not.

She wasn’t doing that again. Believing the best from someone just because it was what she wanted to believe.

A few minutes after leaving Andethor’s ship, she stood outside of Maggie and Xarek’s quarters in the area where a lot of the diplomats seemed to have congregated. When she hit the buzzer, it only took a few seconds for the doors to swing open, and Maggie greeted her with a smile.

“Julia! We were just about to sit down to dinner. Join us! I wasn’t sure I’d see you today.”

Julia chuckled. “I actually just ate, and this won’t take long. Can I talk to you and Xarek for a minute?”

Maggie nodded, squeezing her in one of her typical quick, warm hugs as she guided her into their quarters. Xarek was sitting on one of the plush, comfortable sofas, and he stood when they walked in.

“Hey, Xarek,” she said in greeting, and the taciturn Altarian nodded in return. They all sat as Maggie explained that Julia said she had something to talk to them about.

Xarek put down the tablet he’d been reading, giving her his total attention. Julia could see why Maggie had fallen for him. So serious, so quiet, but you never got the feeling that Xarek was giving you anything other than his total attention, even when you were just asking him what kind of drink he wanted.

“Okay. Thank you. This won’t take long, and then I’ll let you two get to your dinner,” she said with a laugh, and Maggie waved it off. “So… I just left Andethor’s ship.”

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