Page 1 of Latham
Chapter One
The lights and sounds of the club swirled around Helaine Davies as she sat and stared at the Ardannan man the Intergalactic Dating Agency algorithm had declared was her match. She’d thought the hardest part of the evening was going to be finding the guy in the crowd. Glancing at the small placard in her hand, which bore the symbol of a towering tree, she sighed and tucked it into her glittery purse. Actually they’d pretty much picked each other out of the crowd right away, one of the first couples to do so. She didn’t know why but she’d gone straight to him, the placard warming in her hand the closer she got and sure enough he was her date for the five days.
She had no complaints about the man she’d matched—all the Ardannans appeared to be pretty hot and handsome, or maybe their government had deliberately selected the best for this first iteration of the exercise. Her date, Latham Muirtx, was tall, well over six and a half feet and buff, with a face fit for a trideo star. piercing blue green eyes and thick brown hair she wanted to muss up in the worst way.
So far so good.
Except he acted ill at ease, flinching when the music got too loud, answering her get-to-know-you-questions in monosyllables and not asking her anything in return. Did he not want to be here? She’d heard their government had ordered all eligible males between the ages of twenty and fifty to sign up for this IDA dating experience, as part of a plan to make themselves model Sectors citizens sooner than later. Maybe not everyone on their planets was a fan of the idea.
Well she and this man with social anxiety were a couple for the next five days so Helaine took a deep breath and tried again. “Want to dance?” She gestured at the crowded floor close by. “Looks like fun and the music is really good.”
The expression on his face was as horrified as if she’d suggested committing a crime. “I don’t dance.”
“We could join your friends,” she said desperately. “Who did you come out here with?”
“I’m by myself.” He cleared his throat. “I’m a forest ranger on Ardanna so there’s not a big crew of us and we couldn’t all be spared at the same time.”
Encouraged because that was the most he’d said to her since they met, she said. “I’m an office manager at the University of the Northern Hemisphere. I took a leave of absence once I got the all-expenses paid offer to come here.”
Latham had no reply so she ordered another feelgood from a passing waiter and tried not to feel too depressed. Sure she’d love to dance but this wasn’t an actual club and she couldn’t simply say goodbye to this man and find another. As if I was so experienced at flirting and attracting men to dance with. I wouldn’t have needed the IDA in that case. Desperately she searched the crowded room, hoping to see any of the girls who’d been on the spaceship she arrived here on. They’d had a good time getting to know each other during the short cruise. Unfortunately she didn’t see anyone she recognized and the sight of other couples obviously hitting it off made her sad. She sipped at her new drink and considered how to make this awkward evening work.
“Want to get out of here then?” she asked. “We could find somewhere quieter or maybe stroll down the beach.”
He looked like she’d tossed him a lifeline and got up from his chair hastily. Helaine grabbed his hand, enjoying the skin to skin contact and led the way out of the club into the cool night. The strand was all lit up and other places were open but the beach beckoned. “Let me take my shoes off,” she said, pausing.
He let her lean on him while she slid off the strappy silver sandals and then they left the street and walked to the water’s edge. Latham took a deep breath. “Thanks,” he said, staring out to sea. “The noise and the lights were giving me a migraine.”
“It was crowded.” She walked in the general direction of the sprawling luxury hotel far down the sands and he caught up to her with a few strides. “Do you get migraines often? There’s probably a medical clinic here?—”
“I’ll be fine.” After a pause he added grudgingly, “I don’t take meds of any kind.”
Helaine had questions but held her tongue. Each tiny nugget about himself Latham shared made her want to know more but the man was as skittish as a wild animal. Best not to push it tonight. The beach was illuminated by the huge moon above but it was too dark for her to see any seashells or interesting pieces of sea glass. “I can’t wait to come back tomorrow,” she said. “I was hoping to find a few shells.”
“This place will be full of people,” he predicted. “But sure we can plan to come out here if you want.”
At least he’s trying. A little. Helaine’s night vision was pretty good and she saw lines of pain radiating around his eyes. Maybe he’ll be more sociable in the morning when he’s feeling better.
“Sorry not to be better company,” he said as if reading her thoughts.
“We can catch a tram to the hotel if you’d rather not walk,” she offered.
“The beach is nice—you had a good idea,” he said, offering his hand, which dwarfed hers but she happily clasped his fingers. “I think the fresh sea air will help my headache.”
They strolled all the way to the hotel’s beachside entrance although Latham didn’t make any conversational gambits. Helaine opened her mouth more than once to break the silence and bit her lip. He really wasn’t feeling well and the night was peaceful after all.
Checking in at the front desk took almost no time. Each couple had been given a two bedroom suite and their luggage had already been delivered to the room and put away by the hotel’s robos. Once she walked into the main room of their assigned suite, Helaine took a deep breath and spun in a complete circle, taking in all the details. Plush carpet, framed art, comfortable furniture, a tiny kitchenette…oh yes, she was going to enjoy these five days in luxury to which she was not accustomed. Her entire apartment on Earth would fit into this one room.
The matching part of this ‘date’ wasn’t going so well so far but tomorrow was another day.
“I’m going to turn in,” Latham said, rubbing his forehead. “It was nice to meet you. I enjoyed the walk on the beach.” He hastened toward the bedroom on the right and shut the door.
Helaine pushed away her disappointment at how the evening had gone and went to her room, where the bed was a huge piece of furniture with the best mattress she’d ever been on. Her clothes hardly took up any room in the closet, although she was glad she’d bought a few new things to bring along with her favorites. The bathroom had a top of the line refresher, a shower with multiple pulsating heads and a decadent tub. Finding luxury bath bombs, plus oils and lotions, she locked the door and took a long bath. It’s my vacation whether Latham and I decide we like each other or not.
After the bath, a little dizzy from the feelgoods as she didn’t usually drink, she put on her pretty pink satin boy shorts and camisole, with the flirty lace robe over it and sat in bed reading for a while before she gave up and went to sleep. Her dreams were restless and after one where she was roaming the hotel in her nightclothes, lost and unable to make any doors open, she awoke with her heart racing and stared around the unfamiliar room in a panic before remembering where she was.
Afraid to go back to sleep yet, she climbed out of bed, grabbed her robe and headed for the kitchenette. A middle of the night snack might help her calm her restless mind and then go back to sleep with better dreams. When she walked into the main room, she found the balcony door open and she could make out Latham’s form sitting in one of the chairs outside. Helaine debated for a minute and then decided to get her snack and go outside and join him.
The tiny stasis keeper was packed with goodies and since there was no charge for any of it, she loaded up a plate and grabbed two ice cold fruit drinks to take with her.
