Page 39 of Loved By the Alien King
“I’m pretty sure those are things you wish someone would get foryou, so no thanks.”
He chuckled, a real, not made-for-TV one that warmed my heart and instantly attracted the attention of several frantic crewmembers. “I’m really glad you’re okay.”
“Me too. Thanks, Pete.”
When he turned to take his place at the front of the stage, I glanced over at Maxx, who was watching us with his usual you-get-too-close-you-die vibes, but also with a touch of softness for Pete.
That was Pete’s way, I guess, like a cocky, overzealous weed that rooted its way into your heart without you even realizing it. Before you know it, you’ve been mind-controlled into liking him.
“He sure makes it hard not to like him, doesn’t he?” Bling asked, as if reading my mind.
“Yeah,” I said, locked inside Maxx’s loving tractor-beam-like stare. “And Pete too.”
Bling snorted a laugh. “That’s who I was talking about.”
Pete pumped his hands in the air. “Are we ready?”
“Let’s do one more interruption just for shits and giggles,” a male crewmember called.
“Behold, the king of sarcasm has spoken,” Pete shouted, his voice carrying effortlessly over sand, sea, and sky. “But fear not, your wish for shits and giggles has been heard by the god ofAlien Love Island. Shitting and giggling will commence in…”
“Three, two, one,” someone else yelled. “And action!”
Pete spun around to gaze at all of us contestants, his godlike TV bravado and energy on full display, despite being fired.
I couldn’t help but grin at him.
“It is now time to see who will leave and who will stay,” he said dramatically, bouncing up onto the balls of his feet and close to dancing. “The Escape Room Warm Fuzzies are safe from elimination—”
“The what now?” Miekil leaned forward in his seat and drilled a dark and lethal hole into Pete with the power of his glare.
“The Escape Room Warm Fuzzies,” Pete repeated like this was common knowledge. “You have to admit it’s an unforgettable name, and we didn’t have time to think of anything else.”
“I won’t ever be admitting that,” Miekil told him.
Bling leaned past me to smile at him and also to reveal a lot of her triple cleavage. “Thereweresome warm fuzzies, though, weren’t there?”
Boob trance activated. Miekil went silent after that and melted into yet another puddle of drool.
Bling sat back in her seat with a satisfied little butt wiggle.
“Okay, well, anyway, the Breakout Dungeon Fiery Booms are on the chopping block. Who will it be, ladies and gentlemen? Who will be packing their bags, and who will be staying to find out about this massive,bulgingsurprise I have for all of you?” Pete gazed directly into the nearest hovering camera drone. “Can you feel that? The anticipation? Is it killing you like it’s killing me? Huh, baby? You feel that, don’t you?”
I snorted into the back of my hand, my eyes stinging.
He came closer to the camera and pressed his lips to it.
“Welp, I’m pregnant,” one of the off-stage crewmembers announced in a whisper.
That only made me laugh harder even though I, too, might be pregnant. Tears streaked down my face, the happy, semi-hopeful kind rather than my usual. Who knew that reality show therapy was the best kind of therapy?
Pete winked into the camera. “Put your clothes back on, and let’s see who’s going home.”
The big holographic screen floated up from the stage already calculating numbers by the Fiery Booms’ names.
“It’s so nice not to have to worry about going home, isn’t it?” Bling whispered.
I nodded. It felt like I’d been here so long, I almost couldn’t imagine going back to my old life, for a number of reasons.
