Prologue
<^> <^> <^>
Smokin’ Hog Saloon, Cooter County in Old Coot, Arkansas
“Come one, come all,” the announcer said, his lips caressing the microphone. “Karaoke night starts right now. We’ll begin our entertainment with three young lads with a heartfelt message for all the ladies here tonight. Take it away, boys.”
Cam Grey entered the Smokin’ Hog Saloon, a few miles down the road from the Big Bang Truck Stop on Route 88, just in time to hear that tonight’s karaoke performances were about to begin. Perfect. He headed for the back of the rustic place, skirting the eating tables with simple wooden tops and chairs to match, and passed through the large doorway into the lounge. There were two pool tables on the left. He might avail himself of a game or two, if the karaoke performances were sucky.
He found his favorite karaoke viewing seat empty and walked to a low sofa beneath a large picture window on one wall. Through the window, Cam could see Maxwell the Martian hanging off the flying saucer-shaped Alienn, Arkansas water tower in the distance. Perfect line of sight to Alienn and also for his communication needs.
He wasn’t too far from home, but he might as well be a hundred miles away—this was earthling territory and out of greater Alienn, just over the city limits line and into Cooter County.
Cellular signals worked well here, but more importantly, Cam’s communicator was still in range of Alienn’s closed system. The earthling karaoke bar and grill was as far as he could go without being out of reach of the lower level of the Big Bang Truck Stop. That would be hard to explain.
Diesel—well, all of his brothers, really—had to practically make a federal case out of leaving the area to go “out of town” for any reason. Out of town really meant out of communication range of their underground galactic way station.
The Smokin’ Hog Saloon offered a slice of earthling entertainment without the need to announce to the township of Alienn where he was going or what he was doing. His brothers would likely be shocked to find out he spent time here, but he loved it. The karaoke, and the privacy.
Thursday night was ladies’ night, though men were allowed to sing, too. He enjoyed seeing drunken earthlings get up the nerve to sing popular tunes in front of the typically raucous crowd.
A difficult memory traipsed across his mind, a recollection of the fool he’d been over a human woman he’d met in this very bar. While that story had ended poorly, and had given him a new attitude and a tough shell where love was concerned, Cam kept coming back because he wanted to prove to himself—and others—that the search for true love and happily ever after was a useless endeavor.
He didn’t need it. He didn’t want it. He could live his life perfectly well all alone.
Cam had gotten right back up on the horse of life and found he liked the singular view. Since that one romantic disaster, his relationships were short, enjoyable and never repeated with the same girl. After two years of riding this particular steed, his outlook hadn’t changed much. Well, maybe a little.
Diesel had fallen in love with an “out of town” earthling. Cam had tried to warn his brother it wasn’t a good idea. He told him to hurry and get the human out of his system. Diesel hadn’t listened, of course, but that affair had turned out surprisingly well despite Cam’s warnings that love with an earthling was a bad idea.
As it turned out, Diesel’s new love interest wasn’t all human, so Cam felt justified in his continued judgment that Alphas and earthlings shouldn’t fall in love or co-mingle with the idea of permanence or any such foolishness.
Short-term affairs with no strings attached from the get-go were a completely different matter.
The Smokin’ Hog was a bit quiet for ladies’ night, but it was early. Perhaps more folks would show up as the night progressed. Cam searched the vicinity for the waitress to order a drink, motioning her over when she looked in his direction. The waitress quickly brought his beverage of choice. He sipped his beer and settled in to watch the show.
The small stage held a microphone attached to a stand, complete with an old-fashioned cord snaking off toward the karaoke machine. Totally old school.
The first act of the evening was three drunken college boys singing You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, not the first time he’d seen that particular performance, or likely the last. None of the trio looked like Tom Cruise or a Top Gun candidate, but they were entertaining.
Next up was a shrunken dude—who had to be a hundred and eight if he was a day—singing I’m Too Sexy. He was most assuredly not. The highlight of his set had to be when he ripped his shirt open at the end of his dubious performance. An old tattoo across his chest in droopy, once-black block letters clearly revealed his tribute to MOM. Awesome.
Finally, the ladies began to take the stage. One woman belted out a not terrible solo of I Will Survive, and a flashy, raucous trio laughed and sang their way through a version of Walk Like an Egyptian. They managed to lure everyone in the karaoke bar area—except Cam—into trying to mimic the girls on stage and walk like an Egyptian. Some managed much better than others. Mostly, it was comical to watch.
He noticed a pool table was open. Sometimes by now he was ready for a game because the music was either unmemorable or really terrible. Tonight, he ignored the open pool table, settled in and waited.
The bartender called out the name of the next singer. Ria.
It was an interesting name. Ria. He liked it.
Cam took a sip of his beer as the participant crossed the room to the stage. He heard wolf whistles and catcalls before looking up to see an utterly enchanting female.
Ria was tall, dark-haired and slender, but had lovely curves in all the right places. Notably, several strands of her hair were streaked with rebellious bold blue. He really liked that.
She grinned at him as she passed his table on her way to the stage. He lifted his beer glass in salute. She lifted her purple martini glass in his direction. Once on stage, she put her drink on a table next to the karaoke machine, grabbed the microphone off the stand and put in her selection.
The first notes of music poured from the karaoke machine and Cam was transfixed. She stared at him and only him. It was as if they were the only two people in the room.
She sang a beautiful and soulful rendition of Need You Tonight. He was immediately smitten. Every note, every crescendo only served to enamor him further. “…cause I’m not sleeping,” she sang. He didn’t think he’d be sleeping tonight either. He hadn’t felt like this in…well, a couple of years. Even the memory of his disastrous previous relationship with another earthling didn’t sway him from wanting this stunning female.
The woman named Ria, singing directly to him and no one else, touched Cam on a level no one else had ever reached. He couldn’t take his gaze off her. He considered inviting her to join him for a drink. As she continued singing, he revised his plan. He wanted to invite her to his home. He had the next few days off. Perhaps he’d bend his personal rule and invite her to stay longer than a single night.
If she was willing, they could spend the entire weekend together…not sleeping.