Chapter Twelve
Diesel watched Cam’s expression carefully as he quickly positioned himself in front of Juliana.
Cam snagged the Defender from his belt, just as Diesel expected.
“Don’t, Cam,” he said. “Obviously it doesn’t work on her.”
“It did at first. Step out of the way.”
“No. I don’t want you to shoot her. She remembers what happened as if it was a dream.”
“That’s impossible.”
“You just heard her for yourself.”
“What is going on here?” Juliana asked, her voice wavering and fearful. “That was a dream. Wasn’t it?”
Diesel gave Cam a look that said he’d better behave and turned away. The moment he did, Cam aimed the Defender at Juliana and shot her again.
Her eyes closed. She crumpled like paper, heading straight toward the floor until Diesel caught her and lifted her into his arms.
“I told you not to do that! What is wrong with you?”
“We need to study her and find out how she can remember. She shouldn’t be able to.”
“No. We don’t. She’s not some guinea pig you can experiment on in your basement laboratory.”
His brother frowned. “They were gerbils and none of them were ever hurt in any way.”
“No, Cam. You may not study her. That is my final answer!”
Cam approached, lifting one of her eyelids and looking at her pupil as if he hadn’t heard Diesel’s command. “How else will we find out how she can remember stuff after being shot?”
“I don’t care why.” Diesel yanked her away from Cam, who’d already put a thumb on her chin, trying to look inside her mouth. “Maybe she’s special.”
Cam huffed, crossing his arms in annoyance when Diesel backed out of his reach. “You should care about the security of our species hiding on this planet, O Fearless Leader. Why are you being so difficult?”
Diesel stared down into Juliana’s passive sleeping expression. “I care about her.” He remembered last night. “I’m also involved with her. In fact, I’m falling in love with her.”
Cam’s frown deepened. “You can’t get involved with an earthling.”
“Too late.” Diesel kissed her temple. The sweet scent of her skin warmed him to his bones as he held her. She was the one. The only one for him. He knew it as surely as he was standing here.
“But you have an arranged marriage to fulfill one of these days.”
“No. I don’t. It doesn’t have to be me. Why don’t you fulfill it?”
“I don’t want a wife here on Earth.”
“Perfect. The wife from your arranged marriage can live on Alpha-Prime and you can stay on Earth and fulfill that edict easily, because it’s not going to be me.” He lifted Juliana higher in his arms and kissed her cheek, wondering how long she’d stay asleep this time.
Axel came into the room. “What are you two fighting about?” His eyes landed on Juliana. “Who’s that?”
“Juliana,” Diesel and Cam said. His Security Officer then added, “And the human our eldest brother is stupid over.”
Axel nodded. “Awesome. She’s pretty. Good for you. There is someone here who wants to talk to you.”
Diesel pushed out a long sound of displeasure, remembering the woman from the night before. “It’s not some truck stop customer gushing about the window washer water being perfect, is it?”
Axel squinted. “Uh, no. This is from downstairs.” He eyed Juliana. “Know what I mean?”
“Got it. I’m just a little busy right now.” Diesel tightened his grip on Juliana as if he needed to protect her. “I’m already refereeing a dispute between two graveyard shift employees, threatening to quit.”
Axel eyed Juliana again. “Bummer. And yet still, I need you to meet someone.”
“Who is it?”
“You know the representative from the Royal Caldera Cruise Line ship that came in last night?”
“No. You didn’t mention there was any representative aboard.”
“Oh. Sorry. There was a Royal Caldera Cruise Line representative aboard the most recent…arrival. He came in on last night’s transport. He just told me he needs to meet with you.”
“Now?”
Axel looked at Juliana and then at Cam—who still had his Defender in hand, ready to shoot it again—and finally seemed to figure out what was going on. “Did you shoot Diesel’s human girlfriend with a Defender?”
“He doesn’t need a human girlfriend,” Cam said after a few seconds’ pause.
Axel snapped his fingers. “Oh, right. I forgot you volunteered to be Diesel’s mother while Mom is away RVing with Dad.”
Cam frowned and Diesel figured there was a fight brewing. He said, “Enough. Settle down, the two of you. Axel, tell the representative I’m unable to meet with him right now or today at all. Ask if Monday morning at ten will work. Also, step into the conference room and tell the two employees there that I’ve been called away. I’ll talk to them on Monday.”
“Sure thing.” He shaped his fingers and thumbs like guns and pointed them at Cam, making a soft, “Pew, pew,” noise, blowing on the tips of his index fingers as if they were still smoking after he was done.
Cam did not look amused as Axel left the office.
“How long was the Defender set for, Cam? And keep in mind that if you’re about to tell me the maximum of thirty minutes, I don’t know that I’ll be able to keep from grabbing it out of your hand and beating you with it.”
Cam looked down at the dial. “It wasn’t the maximum. It was only set for ten minutes. Are you happy?”
“No. I’m far from happy.” Diesel looked at the clock on his wall. I don’t think she’s been here for ten minutes yet.”
“Yes, she has. Ten minutes and forty seconds since you both came in. We can still put her back in your truck and—”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no? She will remember getting here—”
“And what? Falling asleep in my truck yet again upon arriving in our parking lot? Don’t you think she might eventually wonder why she pulls into this truck stop and immediately becomes unconscious?”
“I don’t care. The humans can make up whatever story helps them understand their circumstances.”
Juliana’s eyes fluttered and he felt her muscles tense. She was waking up.
Cam lifted his Defender.
“Do. Not. Even.” Diesel walked to the small sofa in his office and seated himself there with Juliana on his lap. “Leave us. Now.”
Cam opened his mouth to argue, but Diesel gave him a brotherly death stare to ensure he understood his passion in this matter. “Now,” he repeated.
His brother huffed, but turned and left his office, slamming the door hard enough that it rattled in the frame. He didn’t care if Cam was mad. He’d crossed the line.
Diesel twisted and sat Juliana up beside him on the sofa. Her head lolled on his shoulder. Diesel brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes, running his palm along her cheek. She was so soft. So beautiful. So perfect.
“Have I mentioned that I’m really glad you’re here, Juliana?” He leaned closer to brush his mouth over hers. She responded to his kiss, surprisingly enough.
“I had planned to fall madly in love with you,” he whispered, breaking the kiss only long enough to tell her how he felt. He wanted to try out loud the words he’d been thinking, wondering if she’d remember and hoping she felt the same way about him. “The truth is, I’m already madly in love with you.”
“What?” she asked in a soft voice.
He repeated what he’d said, adding, “Are you ready for a further tour of the township of Alienn?”
She glanced around his office cautiously. She looked as sleep rumpled and tempting as she had this morning at the kitchen island. He didn’t know how he’d ever live without her in his life. He was certain he didn’t want to attempt it.
“How did I get in here?”
“We walked in. Don’t you remember?”
Diesel had never been more certain of anything in his life beyond wanting command of this facility. He’d wanted to be in charge and he enjoyed his role as Fearless Leader. He also wanted Juliana to be his forever. She warmed him all the way to his bones whenever they were together.
Juliana put her palm on his chest. “Even after only one night together, you’ve already fallen madly in love with me?”
“Yes. Exactly.” I want to make you mine forever. Then we can take a real tour, or better yet, a honeymoon.
She lifted her head from his shoulder and stared deeply into his eyes, her soft, sleepy gaze filling him with an emotion he hadn’t ever felt before. His soul melted when she was nearby. He already had fallen in love with her, would always love her. He couldn’t imagine spending another day without her permanently by his side.
Her gaze never wavered. “I’ve decided that I’ll fall madly in love with you, too.”
“Perfect.” He lowered his head, kissing her softly and thoroughly.
At least until there was a quiet knock at his office door, breaking their kiss and sending the level of his ire into the sky. They were busy falling madly in love with one another. Interruptions were more than bothersome. He’d always considered himself even tempered, but the mad love of one beautiful earthling had opened up a wide range of passionate emotions.
“What!” he shouted at the door.
Axel opened the door cautiously and slowly, grinning when he noticed Juliana was awake. “Really sorry to intrude, Bro, but the…uh…you know, the representative from the…uh…travel line?”
“Yes, I remember. I suggested meeting on Monday instead of today.” Diesel also remembered his typical Sundays and how unbelievably busy they were. He was always utterly alone, but rarely got any work in his office completed, which was why he’d wanted to take last night and today off and stay away.
Diesel wanted to show Juliana his office and then his home. They’d spent the night in his childhood home, so she hadn’t even seen his house yet. It was on a cul-de-sac, but his home was centered on two lots, giving him lots of space in front.
He wanted to show her everything that was important in his life. He wanted to discover if she would relish the simple pleasures he enjoyed. Like his screened-in back porch with the tranquil view of a pond and the wall of trees beyond the water’s far edge, leading to a vast, dense forest.
If he’d wanted privacy he could have taken her immediately to his home, but often his life was not his own. He had lots of surprise chores because he was part of a large family. He’d never noticed before because he’d never had a girlfriend before. An unreasonable goofy feeling swelled as he thought the word “girlfriend.”
Not that the interruption level in his ordinary life would be lower at his place or his parents’ house, but at least when he wasn’t at the truck stop, Cam wouldn’t be racing around shooting his Defender off every five seconds and making Diesel’s love life more complicated.
Axel glanced at Juliana and said, “The representative can’t meet tomorrow at ten. As a matter of fact, he’d like to meet with you right now.”
“Too bad. I’m busy right now. Why don’t you represent me this time? Take him and show him whatever he wants to see. You’ll have fun.”
Axel’s hands went up in a conciliatory gesture. “If I could, I would. Trust me, I already tried that, but he’s rather insistent that it needs to be you and he wants to meet,” Axel looked down at his watch, “well, about five minutes ago.” His brother’s sheepish grin told Diesel that at least Axel was on his side with regard to Juliana. He also wouldn’t have interrupted or called him here without cause.
Diesel stood and left a very quiet Juliana seated on his sofa. She didn’t quite seem awake yet. That might help later on with the doozy of an explanation he’d have to render. They’d driven here and then somehow she’d made it into his office without remembering how she got there.
“What is this guy’s problem anyway? Nothing is scheduled on the books for a meeting today. He can reshape his request to my schedule. And today, especially now, is not a good time for me.”
Before Axel could say another word, a man in the rather unusual Royal Caldera Cruise Line uniform—definitely constructed from fabric not of this world—pushed Axel aside and marched into Diesel’s office, looking rather perturbed. There were rules about those below coming up without an invitation. Diesel was about to inform this man he’d broken all of them.
“My problem, O Fearless Leader, is that I’m not a representative for the Royal Caldera Cruise Line. I’m an inspector for Royal Caldera. I’m here to conduct a surprise examination of the premises, including all of the facilities.”
Juliana asked in a very confused voice, “You have cruise lines coming here to the truck stop? Like big boats? How odd.”
Juliana stood up and her attention immediately focused on the unusual material of the man’s uniform. It was made of a popular Alpha-Prime manufactured display fabric. The back of his suit jacket could show a live television broadcast or emergency information in the event of an accident.
The outer part of the uniform could also be programmed, like it was now, to display images like a 3-D kaleidoscope of swirling shapes morphing into small dots, breaking apart and blowing around his jacket like the screen saver display on a computer.
Juliana’s eyes fixed on the inspector’s jacket. “What kind of material is that?”
The inspector frowned. “Alpha-Prime standard spacecraft uniform fabric. Why?”
Juliana’s eyes narrowed. “What is Alpha-Prime?”