Page 28 of Pulled By the Tail
“Qualified to have an opinion, yeah. I heard,” she followed. “What can we do about the citizenship application?”
“Well, immigration to Corra is very generous. Most aliens are sponsored for citizenship through their employers or marriage to a Corravian citizen. Are you a citizen?” He directed the question to Talen.
“Um, yes.” Purchasing property was the fastest way to get citizenship and Quil and Talen put both their names on the deed. Corra was a planet rich in natural resources but poor in its number of inhabitants. The planet’s local population had never recovered after an environmental disaster two generations ago and the government did everything to attract immigrants. When Talmar fell into civil war, a significant amount of people fled to Corra.
“If you marry Ms. Phillips, her citizenship can no longer be challenged,” the lawyer said.
“I don’t—” She rubbed the bridge of her nose. It was curiously flat, not as wide as his own nose. How could she breathe with that tiny thing? “How about a tourist visa? Or something short-term?”
“An employer can sponsor you.”
“I don’t have a job at the moment,” she said.
“I suggest you find one. Corra is ripe with opportunity for the enterprising soul,” he said, sounding just like a tourist brochure.
“Yeah, pass. I’m not sure I want to stay.” Another rub to the bridge of her nose. “Are you qualified to send a strongly worded letter to the matchmaking agency?”
With a strongly worded letter sent, Quil and Fiona departed for a getaway to the nearest city, and Talen took her to a Talmar café for lunch. “After we eat, Bright gave me a list for the general store. Do you need anything?”
She nodded. “A few things, yeah. What’s good here?”
“Everything is good here. Have you had Tal food before?” The owner was a remarkable chef but also had a notoriously prickly disposition. Talen had once found a sauce to be too salty, said as much, and she tossed him out of the café on his ear.
“Yes, on Earth. It was probably Terranized.” She scrunched up her nose, which he found endearing. “Earthified? Not authentic is what I’m trying to say.” She opened the menu. “This is going to sound ignorant, but are there foods a human should avoid?”
“Other than small variations in taste receptors, most sentient lifeforms are able to consume the same food without ill effect,” he said, pulling the clinical passage from a corner of his memory. The Navy required certain education modules of all enlisted sailors. Apparently, more of it stuck than he realized.
“I see someone took Comparative Biology.”
“Alien Nookie 101,” he confirmed, using the sailor’s slang name for the course.
She laughed and for a moment, unhindered glee transformed her. Yesterday, she had appeared worn and tired. In the morning, lack of sleep and stress hung about her. Nothing about her appearance had struck him as particularly attractive until that moment of laughter when she became riveting. Her eyes flashed green and he wanted to hear more of the melodious sound.
Georgia selected a grilled poultry dish served over a bed of rice. He ordered the same, only spicy, with a basket of warm bread and two sweet yogurt-based drinks. The sweetness helped with the heat, if Georgia found the dish too spicy. When their meals arrived, the trivial conversation went to the wayside. She took a cautious first bite and nodded, taking the next bite with relish, which pleased him.
“What’s yours like? Is it hot?”
He shook his head, a gesture he had seen many humans use. “You would not like it. Too spicy.”
“You don’t know what I like,” she said, spearing a piece of meat on her fork. She popped it into her mouth before he could protest. “It’s not so bad. A little warm.” Then her eyes went wide, and she frantically reached for the drink.
He huffed with amusement. The delicate column of her throat as she took a long swallow caught his attention, causing him to avert his eyes. His admiration was inappropriate and unwanted.
“A little spicy,” she admitted.
He pushed the breadbasket toward her. “Bread helps as well. What are your plans? Will you return to Earth?”
“With what money?” She tore off a piece of bread, consuming it bit by bit. “I just spent the last six months traveling. I really can’t stomach the idea of more time on a ship. Can you imagine spending an entire year of your life like that?”
“I can and have.” She gave him a questioning look. “I served in the IU Navy, then ran cargo until Quil got the estate,” he explained.
“I thought you might be military,” she said. “Anyway, I don’t have the money for a ticket home.”
“Can your family assist?”
“No family. My mom passed away a long time ago and my dad ditched us.”
“That sounds lonely. My family is small, but they mean everything to me,” he said with sincerity. “What are your plans?”
