Chapter 4
~Jives~
I continued to work for what seemed to be hours each day. I guess that was my way of coping with everything. I mean, hearing about Remi becoming a father did hit home, even though I honestly had no desire to ever have a child. It’s probably because of how I used to take care of him, like he was my own kid, and the fact that he’s now moved forward and was now his own person, does shock me quite a bit. It makes me wonder what will happen now.
What did I do now? I mean, it’s not like I had much. I have my job, and that’s what kept me going. I went out to the various sites each day, checking with Vrishna to ensure that everyone was doing what they should be doing. The men were happy, and the president seemed to trust me. I was doing so well. I had control over everything in my life.
So why wasn’t I happy? Was it because of the fact that I knew deep down, I was hurting on the inside? That I was suffering because of the loneliness? Maybe. I did wonder what Tracey was doing, but I didn’t have time to call her due to work. I’d been quite busy with that, which was a nice little distraction.
One night, I finished with work early. I looked at the clock, realizing that I had more than enough time to call her. I did so, waiting a couple of rings before I heard her voice. It sounded muffled, like she was crying.
“You okay there, Tracey?” I asked.
“Yeah. I’m surprised you actually called me,” she said.
“I’ve been busy. I’m terribly sorry it took so long, though. I do feel bad about that,” I told her. I really did feel bad. I mean, I definitely didn’t want her to think I disliked her. Most humans did annoy me, but there was something I really liked about her, and I did like spending time with her.
“I understand. Listen, can we maybe just… go out and talk? I want to go see the sights. I mean, I know you’re always busy with rebuilding the city, but I know that your group just finished the restaurant on the Rivera that I like, and I think we both need a break,” she said.
I paused. I wanted to do this. I mean, it’s not like I did much else besides work on the alien situations that we had. I then spoke, my voice excited.
“I’d love that. Do you want me to come pick you up?”
“Sure,” she replied.
I clicked the phone off, looking at the holographic schedule. I penciled her in. I felt excited, almost elated really, and I knew that it probably would make her happy as well.
That night, I drove over to her home, the address she had texted to me, and when I got there, I knocked. She walked out, dressed in a gorgeous black dress that accented her figure, her hair in another gorgeous up do. I had to admit, she was quite stunning when I saw her like this.
“You look great,” I said.
“Thanks. Now, I don’t want this to be a date or anything. I just… really need a friend right now. If that makes sense,” she said.
I understood. “I do as well. I may not be a great friend, but I hope I can at least be one that will help you,” I said to her.
“I think that you will. I’ve got a lot on my mind,” she told me.
“I do as well,” I replied.
The two of us walked over to my hovercar. She stepped in, buckling up.
“This I actually the first time I’ve been in one of these,” she told me.
“Very interesting,” I told her.
“Yeah. I never really had the money to afford one. It’s why I had that jalopy in the driveway. I don’t really have that much cash,” she told me.
“That’s totally fine. It’s on me tonight. I want to treat you,” I told her.
She blushed. I couldn’t help but find that kind of cute.
“Thanks.”
“Not a problem. After all, you helped me that one night, and I can tell something is the matter,” I said.
“Is it that obvious?”
“It is, Tracey,” I told her bluntly. I’m not one to sugarcoat something like that.
“Yeah. There is a lot wrong. I’ll tell you over dinner, though,” she replied.
The two of us were soon on our way to the restaurant. She was quiet, almost vulnerable in a sense. I wanted to protect her. I did have that power, but it seemed like she was even afraid of telling me.
When we got there, I asked for the waiter to give us the most private seating. That way, we could talk about what was eating away at her. When the waiter finally sat us, we both looked at one another.
“Let’s order first,” she said.
“Yes, let’s,” I told her.
She ordered some sort of food that sounded quite foreign, but I guess it was delicious. I ordered another foreign dish after looking up the ingredients on my device. The waiter then left, bringing us two glasses and a bottle of wine.
“You didn’t have to get an entire bottle, you know,” she said.
“On the contrary, I think we both needed this,” I told her.
She smiled, taking a sip. Both of us just sat there, looking into one another’s eyes, not saying anything. Finally, I spoke.
“So, what’s happening? I promise I won’t be upset with you. I want to help you, in any way that I can,” I told her.
She took a deep breath, and that’s when I saw it. Tears. I’d never experienced the situation of another human crying. I mean, I’d seen it in countless videos, but I’d never witnessed it for myself. But here she was, bawling her eyes out, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for her. She then spoke, and I noticed that her voice was shaky with fear.
“It’s just… I have a lot to cover, and a lot of emotions. I’m scared to show vulnerability. I mean, you’re really the only friend that I have, but you’re also an alien. I don’t want to scare you away,” she said.
“You can’t scare me. I swear,” I told her.
She looked into my eyes, and I tried my best to show her that she could trust me. I looked at her, and she looked back at me. Finally, she spoke.
“Okay. So, it’s a culmination of a lot of things. But I guess we’ll start at the beginning,” she told me.
“Okay,” I said.
The tenseness of the moment seemed to be driving her slightly mad, but I wanted to reassure her that it would be all right. That’s what I wanted to do, to reassure her, to protect her, and to help her in any way that I could.