Ivy Blain elbowed the woman in the side as she grabbed the last bag of her favorite chili ranch chips.

The woman, who’d been reaching for the chips, glared at her. “They’re mine.”

“So sorry. I didn’t notice you there.” Ivy dumped the chips into her basket and turned away.

“Give them back.”

“You’ll thank me later,” Ivy said. “You could do with losing a few pounds.” She walked away, grinning to herself. These were her favorite chips; she was not missing out. Sure, they were expensive, having been imported from Enia, but they were worth it. Hands down, they beat the chips that came out of the food replicators.

She checked the contents of her basket. All the essentials were there: chips, dip, champagne, and a bar of her favorite dark chocolate.

There was no queue when Ivy reached the front of the store. She hurried to the counter to pay for her items.

Aho, a gray-skinned Koob, smiled warmly at Ivy as he scanned her items. “It looks like you have an enjoyable evening planned.”

“Same old, same old.”

“Are you dining alone?”

Aho often asked that question. To begin with, his nosiness had irritated Ivy. Now, she realized it was a Koob thing. They enjoyed small talk and making their customers feel appreciated.

“You know me. I don’t like to share.” Ivy kept her private life just that. No one needed to know her business.

Aho smiled again. He packed away her items, and Ivy passed him her charge card. He ran the card through the machine. “Is this your usual card?”

She glanced at the card. “It is.”

“Your credit has been declined.”

“Try it again.” Ivy ran through some sums in her head. There should be enough on the card, although she had ordered those two new purses. The money wouldn’t be taken for a few days. Then there were the shoes. Crap, had she overextended her credit again?

“I’m so sorry, Miss Blain. The card won’t go through the machine.” Aho’s large dark eyes looked sorrowful as if it was his fault the technology had failed and not that Ivy’s expensive habits were to blame.

Ivy lifted her chin and glared at him. “Your machine is broken.”

“If you have money, I can take that. We take all forms of currency here.” Aho handed her back the card.

Ivy glanced behind her and saw a queue had formed. People were taking an interest in the delay. She leaned across the counter. “How about, just this once, you give me a little credit? You know I’m good for the money. I’m one of your best customers.”

“You certainly are.” Aho looked at her bag of expensive purchases. “I can guarantee you investing in a bottle of champagne.”

“Which means I’m invested in your store. There must be a problem with the card. I’ll get it sorted and come back and pay you. I need a couple of days. What do you say, Aho? Do a girl a favor?”

Aho looked from Ivy to the bag. “I don’t usually extend credit.”

“You can make an exception for me.” Ivy forced herself to smile. All she wanted was to put up her feet, get wasted, and forget about the fact this week had been long and frustrating. “I’m not running off with the stuff. You’ll see me again.”

“That’s very true.” Aho nodded. “Give me a moment. I need to check the records.”

Ivy frowned. “What records?”

Aho raised a finger. “I’ll be right back. Why not take a look at my new line of gum? I hear humans are fond of chewing things.”

Ivy sighed as she watched him vanish into the store office. This wasn’t the first time she’d done this, but she’d never asked Aho for credit before. Those records he was checking would show she was already in debt to the store. There’d be no chance of her getting her hands on the champagne and chocolate tonight.

She ignored the stares from other customers that drilled into her back as she waited for Aho and played with the gum display. Let them wait with their cheap, ready meals and loser’s fizzy wine. This wasn’t her fault. The card should have gone through the system. She would get paid soon.

Aho returned a moment later, his expression glum. “I’m so sorry, Miss Blain. It appears we have you on our credit file. Until you pay that, we can’t extend any further credit.”

“It’s a tiny bit extra. You won’t even notice it.” Ivy fluttered her long dark lashes. “Please, Aho. Don’t let me down.”

Aho shuffled his feet. “If I could, I would. I must ensure I balance my books every month. Too much debt and things go wrong. Get what you owe me paid off and your credit is still good.”

“I need these things.” Ivy grabbed the bag and pulled items out, trying to decide which bits were essential.

Aho moved over and helped her. “Do you have any money?” he asked quietly.

“Of course. I have plenty. You know where I work.”

“I know My Single Alien pays well.” Aho ducked his head. Koobs were always trying so hard to please. “I didn’t mean to insult you.”

“You did. Keep your hands out of my bag.” Ivy stared at the purchases in front of her. She needed it all. She didn’t want to put anything back, but she had no money. She’d spent her last change on a new red lipstick that she hadn’t been able to resist.

“Get a move on,” someone called in the queue behind her.

Ivy waved a hand at whoever it was, not caring that they had to wait.

“I won’t shop in here again.” Ivy glared at Aho. “If you don’t let me have these items now, I’ll go elsewhere.”

“I hope that doesn’t happen,” Aho said. “I value your business, but I can’t let you have these items.”

“Not even one small thing on credit? Not even the champagne?”

Aho picked up the bottle. “Sadly, no. If you can find some money, I’d be happy to keep these behind the counter for you. Come back when you can. They’ll be waiting.”

Ivy briefly considered who she could ask for money. There’d be no way her boss, Diadora, would give her an advance on her pay. Ivy might be able to twist a little out of Nell. No, it wasn’t worth the hassle. Nell would want to know what the money was for and would get worried that Ivy wasn’t managing her bills. Nell was such a goody two-shoes.

“Allow me.”

Ivy turned around at the sound of a deep male voice. Karn Ueb stood in front of her. His skin glowed a pale blue, amusement glinting in his dark eyes, the irises red-rimmed.

Ivy’s heart kicked up a gear. “I didn’t know you shopped here.”

Karn nodded. “Are you having problems with your payment card? Mine gets like that sometimes.”

“There’s no problem.” Ivy stared up at him, and her jaw clenched. Was he laughing at her? “I have everything under control.”

“As you always do. I’m happy to assist.” Karn’s long, slender arm moved past her shoulder, a payment card extended in his hand.

Ivy stepped to the side, uncomfortable at his closeness and the speed of her heart.

Forkas were unreservedly attractive. Karn made glowing blue skin look great. Forkas’ perfect skin shifted color depending on their mood, and they had a fluid way of walking. Ivy had always been captivated by them, particularly Karn. They’d been on several dates, but she’d always held back, never shifting past third base, no matter how hard he’d tried or how charming he was. Ivy knew not to trust him. Forkas were dangerous. Scrap that. Men were dangerous.

“Why do you want to help me?” Ivy asked.

“I can never resist helping a lady in distress.” Karn waved the card in the air. “Are you in distress?”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.” Ivy pushed her dark hair off her face, refusing to look at the growing queue.

“Then if it is nothing, you won’t mind me assisting.” Karn gave Aho the card. “Run my card through your machine. There’s plenty of credit on there.”

Aho glanced at Ivy, who reluctantly nodded. Accepting help from anyone didn’t come easily to her.

Karn took his card back from Aho. “Anytime you have need of my services, you know where I am.”

Ivy opened her mouth. She didn’t. They’d always had dates in public places. Karn had never shown her where he lived. She’d also never taken him back to her place and liked to keep it a sanctuary for herself and Prince Charming, her secret roommate.

She repacked her bag quickly and brushed away Aho’s offer to help.

Karn placed his own items down. Ivy noticed he also had a bottle of champagne. He had great taste in alcohol. Whenever they’d been out, he’d always ordered expensive wine. This alien knew how to spend money almost as fast as she did.

“Are you sharing that with someone special?” Ivy nodded at the champagne.

“I might if you’re nice to me.”

Ivy gestured to her own bottle. “I buy my own champagne.”

Karn smiled. “I like that. You’re sure of yourself. Confident. Those are attractive qualities to possess.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that when I update my dating profile.” Ivy winced. That was a problem she needed to deal with. One drunken mistake she regretted.

“It should be no problem finding a date given the work you do.”

“Are you on the My Single Alien database?”

“I don’t recall.” Karn collected his items from Aho and headed toward the door, keeping pace with Ivy as she strode away.

For the first time in a long time, Ivy felt uncertain around a guy. Usually, they didn’t bother her. She took advantage when she needed and enjoyed the company of one now and again. Mainly, she couldn’t be bothered with them. Relationships were complicated, and she didn’t want to deal with that ever again.

Ivy stopped walking along the frozen food section. “Was there something you needed?”

Karn turned and looked at her, amusement still lingering in his gaze. “Might I accompany you to your room? We can share that bottle of champagne I bought you.”

“You’ve got your own.”

His dark eyes glowed red for the briefest of seconds. “You see, we have more things in common than you realize.”

“I’m busy.”

Karn’s smile turned smug as if he could tell she was lying. “Perhaps you can thank me later.”

“What for?”

“Buying you dinner.” He grinned before walking out of the store.

Ivy stared after him. Forkas dressed like space superheroes. Karn was no exception. His suit was tailor-made out of some sort of breathable form-fitting fabric. He looked like an evil version of Spiderman. It should look ridiculous, but it made Ivy want to peel him out of that suit with her teeth. If the muscles were half as good as she’d fantasized, Karn was one hot alien package.

Forkas were leanly muscular, but not always as tall as Karn. He was gorgeous. She only realized she was staring at him when he turned and gave her a finger wave.

Annoyed she’d been caught staring, Ivy stamped to the store exit. She was about to leave when she heard an annoyingly familiar laugh and ducked behind a display of portable air purifiers.

Her colleagues, Vegas Munro, Heather Roberts, Nell Saunders, and Avril Anwell, hurried into the store. They were laughing and joking with each other. Their cloying friendship looked so annoying.

Ivy kept them in view but made sure they didn’t see her. They were so smug and happy. Vegas and Heather were recently shacked up with aliens. Not that they should be, but somehow, they’d gotten around Diadora’s rules about dating and were happily in love with their aliens.

They were such a disgusting clique. Ivy could imagine all their conversations revolved around their alien lovers and how to set up Avril and Nell as soon as possible. Before long, they’d be popping out alien babies for everyone to coo over. She wrinkled her nose at the thought. Their office would smell of baby talc and dirty nappies before long. It gave her another reason to avoid visiting the office and stay in the studio she used for photo shoots.

Ivy watched them smiling and joking as they inspected the candy display. She knew never to trust a smile; it always hid something. Whenever somebody was nice, it meant they wanted to get something out of her. She’d learned that the hard way.

When Ivy was certain they were focused on the display of candy, she snuck out of the store and hurried away.

“Ivy, wait up.”

She ignored Nell’s call, pretending she hadn’t heard. Ivy didn’t want to explain herself to them. They were her work colleagues, and she tolerated them but didn’t consider them friends. They were annoyances she had to put up with. Ivy knew what they called her behind her back: Poison Ivy. Tragically unoriginal, but accurate. If anyone crossed her, she always got her revenge.

Ivy only relaxed when she saw the door to her apartment. She waved her hand over the access panel, and the door slid open.

She placed her bag down and leaned against the wall, taking a deep breath and relaxing as she took in the familiar surroundings of her living room. The green and cream colors soothed her angst.

“Prince Charming, I’m home. You won’t believe the day I’ve had.” She kicked off her shoes and padded across the room, smiling as she opened her bedroom door. All she needed was her little sanctuary and her prince to welcome her.

It was how she liked it. No one else was welcome. Not ever.