Page 5 of The Mentor
I stopped walking and stared at him. “And yet you’ve taken up such brutal sports?”
Archer laughed. “Brutal sports are the best ones.”
“I don’t think I would like that,” I said with a polite smile and started moving again. “Where’s the fun in seeing someone getting hurt?”
“Each to his own,” Archer said. “What are the biggest sports in the Motherlands?
I thought about it. “I think that would be dancing, swimming, tennis, and maybe running – although badminton is also very popular.”
“So no contact sports at all?”
“Sure, we also have soccer for the people who like to be a little rough.”
“Excellent, we can have the kids play soccer then.”
“I suppose we could.” I smiled and tilted my head. “Archer, this may be a silly question, but if you could go to the Motherlands for a day, what would you do?”
The corners of his mouth lifted in a boyish grin. “That’s easy! I would kiss a pretty woman.”
Heat spread in my body from the way he looked at me with what I could only describe as hunger. For someone who had no experience with men behaving in a sexually aggressive way, I was unsure how to react. I had met plenty of men in my life, but none of them had flirted with me. Not even the Nmen that I had met. Boulder, Khan, and Magni hadn’t shown any sign of attraction to me.
Act cool!I told myself and searched for a funny response, but the one that my brain delivered made my toes curl. “Why limit yourself to one?”Shoot!Even I could hear howvelvety my voice sounded as if I was flirting back with him; and from the way his eyes expanded and his smile grew, Archer hadn’t missed it.
“If I only had one day, I think one woman would be enough as long as I could kiss hera whole lot,” he joked and pointed to my hand. “Sorry to change the subject, but I’m curious about your skin color. It’s just that I’ve never seen a woman like you.”
“What? A dark-skinned woman?”
“Yes. I’ve met Christina and Pearl but they both have white skin. Yours is like milk chocolate. Is that normal in the Motherlands?”
“There is nonormalin the Motherlands,” I said, happy that we had moved to a safer topic than kissing. “You have to understand that after the Toxic War, we were down to only one point five billion people left in the world and a ratio of one man for every twenty-six women. It was impossible to continue with the traditional partnerships between men and women, and the new norm became insemination from a sperm bank.” I paused and looked at him with a serious expression. “We don’t have countries and borders like they did in the old days, and we would never discriminate over something as insignificant as race. That’s why the sperm donors are anonymous and all babies born are considered precious. Most are mixed race, like me.”
“What about your mom – you do know your mom, right?”
“Yes, I know her,” I said with a small smile. “But she doesn’t look African-American like me, so I guess it was my father who delivered those genes, and him I have to thank for my big booty.” I laughed when his eyes traveled down to that area of my body and quickly shot back up to my eyes.
As if to underline that he hadn’t been checking out my behind, Archer changed the subject. “Tell me what it’s like growing up in the Motherlands.”
“Well, the ratio between men and women has improved a lot. We now have one man per fourteen women, so it’s more common to see men joining family units – which is a good thing, because growing up with other children and adults gives a sense of belonging to a family, you know?”
“Wow.” Archer whistled low. “One man in a unit with fourteen women, that would be like having my own harem.”
I laughed. “I suppose, but probably not as exciting as you would think since there aren’t many naturephiles left.”
“What the hell is a naturephile?” he asked.
“People who enjoy sex with humans.”
Archer stopped abruptly and literally gaped at me, so I hurried to explain. “I think you would agree that sex-bots are a wonderful invention; much more hygienic and uncomplicated.”
“Are you saying that people in the Motherlands don’t have sex?”
“Oh, no, of course not. Sex is considered a stress reliever and highly prioritized because of the balance it brings into your life. I don’t know anyone whodoesn’thave sex,” I assured him. “We just don’t have it with other people.”
“Why the hell not?” Archer looked almost angry now. Clearly, he didn’t understand so I hurried to point out the obvious. “Can you imagine the amounts of bacteria you would get into your mouth by exchanging saliva with someone in a kiss?” I scrunched up my face. “And don’t even get me started on the other places naturephiles are willing to put their mouths.”
“You’re all prudes,” he said in an incredulous tone and crossed his arms. “Men and women are born to have sex with each other. It’s the natural order of things, and I promise you one thing, Kya Janae, I would be more than delighted to exchange saliva with you.”
There it was again, the heat spreading in my body, making my neck and cheeks flame. I should be disgusted, but instead the idea that this man wanted me enough to do something that strange excited me.
