Chapter 5
Sharon retreated to her bedroom and a change of clothes. She wanted to explore the house, but the need to avoid Liken overrode her curiosity. She would be here for weeks. Right now, she concentrated on getting herself together. From his point of view, she was sure it seemed simple. He could have sex with her for the next three weeks. At the end of that time, he could go back, get pledged to her, then come back home. The next day, he could go to work just as before she’d entered his life. He wouldn’t be leaving his home, his friends, his job, or his life.
If he could stay on Earth, she might consider pledging with him. She knew it wasn’t possible, though. Shimerian men visited Earth frequently, but couldn’t remain more than three weeks at a time. Their bodies couldn’t adjust. If they remained longer, they began to grow ill. Within a week after the onset of illness, they risked death if they didn’t return to their own atmosphere. A lot of them came to Earth for a vacation, but no one stayed.
Another problem was their dominating ways and old world attitudes. Shimerian males were fiercely competitive. Given the lack of females, it was understandable. They were extremely dominant, too. Even Liken, who seemed gentle and patient a lot of the time, seemed to think subduing her sexually was the answer to any challenge from her. It might be exciting, but it was annoying, too. He was bigger and stronger, more sexually experienced. Any physical altercation could have only one result. She was too vulnerable to his attractions to think otherwise.
The thing that bothered her the most was the Shimerian viewpoint on love. To Shimerian males, love was not an important issue. Pledge relationships were based on sexual compatibility and mutual respect, even friendship.
She knew that she couldn’t stay with Liken without falling in love with him. She couldn’t be intimate with him day after day, living with him, talking to him, without fallingfor himalong the way. That knowledge deep inside herself was one of the reasons he scared her so badly.
If she could just accept what was happening as a good time, “interplanetary nookie” as she had joked with Kate, then it might be different. But, something inside her responded to him emotionally. She didn’t like it. She had been right when she laid eyes on him. He was a heartbreaker. Sitting on the bed, lost in her thoughts, she almost didn’t hear him when the door slid open and he stuck his head in the doorway.
“Sharon, we are due to meet with my brother for midmeal. Are you ready to go?” He took in the turmoil on her face and wisely kept his tone neutral.
She could sit on the bed all day brooding, but it wasn’t going to solve anything. She stood up and walked toward him. “Sure. Let’s go.” Following on his heels, she followed him through the house and out the sliding front door. When they got outside, she stopped in wonder.
“It’s beautiful here,” she said in surpriseas the beauty of her surroundings struck her.She had been asleep the night before when he brought her in. Looking around, she saw a row of dwellings, side by side in the pink glow of the day. Again, the bricklike material was glowing like the office buildings the night before. Most were boxlike in shape, without windows.
However, the facades of the dwellings had wonderful carvings decorating them. They depicted landscapes of lush vegetation. The glow seemed to make them more alive, more beautiful.
Most of the dwellings had plants growing around the buildings. The large leaves were a light yellow, but with flowers of red and delicate pink. There were black walkways leading to the entrance of each building. She would have expected grass yards around the walkways, but instead there was a lush carpeting of some blanketing foliage. It had tiny pink flowers in contrast to the creamy white of the dense leaves. It was strange, but also strangely beautiful.
Liken smiled, pleased with her appreciation of his home. “Thank you,sherree. It is like this always. The temperature rarely varies. We do not have the seasons here as you have on Earth.”
He began to walk with her along the black central walkway between the two rows of dwellings. He took her hand in his, but she pulled it back after only a few seconds and pointed out a nearby plant. He did not reach for her hand again. As they walked, she asked questions about the different plants and dwelling carvings. He answered her questions easily, although he did shrug with laughing ignorance when she asked for the names of some of the flowers.
They passed several couples strolling hand in hand, most of them Shimerian males with Earth females. The couples were distantly friendly, calling out greetings as they passed. She could tell that they knew Liken and by their admiring glances could tell that he was well liked. He avoided lengthy introductions by keeping them moving, responding in a friendly manner that didn’t encourage further conversation.
When they were alone again, she continued to pepper him with eager questions. As they talked, she lost some of her guardedness and began to relax with him. When Liken casually took her hand in his this time, she merely smiled and kept talking.
He was surprised at the simple pleasure he took in her company. Her enthusiasm and curiosity were a delight. She had a bright, inquisitive mind. As he answered her questions, he found himself charmed.
Sharon had a sudden thought. “Where are we going? I mean, I know you said lunch with your brother, but are we eating at his house? Does he live near here?” Tilting her head up at him, her hand still trustingly in his, she asked, “Do we have to go through a portal?” Her enthusiasm waned a little. She wasn’t eager to travel through another portal.
He shook his head. “This city is called Glowen’da. We live close to the city center. There is a public eatery there where we will meet my brother. He lives in Karten’sha. It is a quick trip through the western portal. Knowing your love for portals, I asked him to meet us here today.” His gaze was teasing.
She smiled in relief. “I know portals are commonplace here, but I’d like to get used to them gradually if you don’t mind. Walking into that blackness feels like stepping off a cliff and hoping there’s something to catch you below. You probably don’t think twice about it anymore, but it’s a little eerie to me.”
Tugging her hand, he pulled her close and gave her a hug. “I know there is a lot of change for you,sherree. Just remember that I am here at your side.” Giving her one last squeeze, he released her and pointed toward a group of buildings a couple of blocks away. “There is the eatery. It is calledJerlanks.”
The building looked much like the surrounding office buildings. Much larger than private dwellings, each building had a carving on the outside that effectively demonstrated its function.Jerlanks had a large carving of people eating and drinking, some heads tossed back with laughter, like a large party was occurring within its walls.
Walking faster now, they reached the building in very little time. As they entered through the archway, Sharon saw a large dining area filled with square tables. Looking around the room, she was struck by the large number of males present. There were about ten women, all with male companions.The women were all wearing thin outfits similar to hers.The rest of the tables, maybe twenty-five or thirty, were crowded three or four to a table with men.
As she and Liken paused to scan the room, a noticeable hush descended. Feeling as if every eye in the room was on them, she hoped Liken located his brother fast. She was extremely conscious of male eyes lingering on the prominent thrust of her nipples beneath the blouse. As a man stood at one of the back tables and motioned to them, she followed Liken in relief.Conversation again resumed around themas they threaded their way through the tables.