Wanted: Handsome Alien Abductor (10 page)

They spent the day playing in the surf and sunbathing. For lunch they had hamburgers at a nearby cafe, and for dinner tried one of the five star restaurants. Amber hadn't thought about bringing other clothes, but Ryja did, carrying them in a large gym bag.

She was slightly tanned, but more sunburned when they returned. In spite of the pain from her sensitive skin, she felt wonderful. It had been a memorable date. Ryja had not disappointed when he disrobed, revealing his muscular build in a pair of turquoise swim trunks. Every female, old and young, ogled him wherever they walked. And who could blame them?

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Ryja woke her early for a date he'd planned at Vail, Colorado. Amber was excited. She'd never been to Vail, and had not been skiing since college. Ryja told her they didn't ski in the same way as Earthlings, but they participated in a similar sport using one board. Amber showed him the basics and was shocked when he was able to keep up with her on the intermediate skill level slopes but a short time later.

By the afternoon, she was tired but exhilarated, and ready for the lodge room Ryja had reserved. It was large, with a separate living room and bedroom. The decor was rustic, even sporting two large antler chandeliers in each room. The soft, sink-in leather furniture was a joy to relax on. They ordered dinner in, and Amber went with Ryja's choice of steak and potatoes. She was starving and a juicy steak would hit the spot.

Ryja made a fire and they sat on the lamb's wool rug in front of the stone fireplace drinking mugs of hot chocolate piled high with marshmallows. Their conversation revolved around the slopes and the beauty of nature. For the first time they didn't discuss history, which was a nice change. Their evening ended with kisses as hot as the drink.

Amber covered a yawn, but Ryja saw her. He drew her up and they were soon settled in the bed. Cuddling beneath the fluffy down comforter, she barely felt Ryja pull her into his arms.

The next day was quiet and Amber needed that. She had a lot to think about. Ryja was busy in the recording room, while she stayed in the library most of the day. Try as she might, her thoughts kept slipping to her relationship with Ryja.

She had questioned herself after the first few dates, because she ached for Ryja's touch. Now, she realized it was a good thing. It gave her time to get to know him. If the chemistry and her emotions kept heading where it seemed to be going, then getting familiar with all aspects of her alien friend was a must.

Amber realized it was getting harder and harder to keep to her standards. She had wanted to pull Ryja down onto the lamb's rug by the fireplace in Vail. But, she also knew when gazing into his eyes, he was on fire for her. That he desired her as much as she did him. Waiting, sometimes, could be a good thing too.

The fifth date was as exciting and romantic as every date they'd been on so far. Amber could not get over how well her alien companion was doing in planning out dates. They beamed down near the port of Seattle. She stared with interest at the thriving metropolis and wished for a second they could explore it. But she knew Ryja had something else in mind. They boarded a beautiful yacht, spending the time before sunset watching the boats and the city disappear behind them as they headed to sea.

The sunset was amazing. Heavy dark orange clouds hung over the ship, fading to yellow near the horizon. Amber didn't remember ever seeing a more lovely one. When the last rays of sun sunk below the darkened horizon, they sat down for dinner. Small tables with white tablecloths and soft candlelight made for a very romantic atmosphere. Lobster was the main course, and Amber enjoyed every bite of their gourmet meal.

A four man band began to play golden oldies and they danced after their food settled. Amber was surprised at Ryja's skills. Although they only danced slow, holding each other in close dance embraces, he moved with grace. Not once did he step on her toes. They kissed beneath the sky filled with stars. If they had been alone, Amber wondered if she could have resisted the fire that ran along her nerves. She wanted him so bad. Ryja's muscular arms and lust filled eyes told the same story for him.

Somewhere in the middle of her longing for Ryja and a dance, he drew her closer, kissing her softly. She sighed. The kiss continued, never becoming demanding. It was gentle, fitting the romantic mood, and Amber melded into his arms. The music stopped as the musicians took a break, and they sat on padded benches set along the side of the boat.

The romantic atmosphere was not broken, but less intense than when they'd been wrapped in each other's arms. They talked about the yacht, and the endless beauty of the sea and star lit night. Ryja told her about other journeys he'd made on other oceans. Later, they walked back arm in arm to the beam up spot. Amber was content and looked forward to their next outing.

In fact, she was so impressed with Ryja's choices for date night, that she faced each coming day with anticipation. What would he do next? He had questioned her for quite a while the day before their third date. What kind of activities did she like to do? So she had been very pleased when he had announced they were going hiking for their sixth date.

Not every woman, and certainly none she knew, would enjoy hiking for a day time date. But she had always been a tomboy, and walking in the woods was something she loved to do. When the hiking day arrived, they outfitted themselves in shorts and t-shirts, with athletic shoes. All made by the replicator computer of course. Ryja carried a woven picnic basket and Amber wondered if it contained snacks provided by Mica.

She was slightly disappointed when they landed in a heavily wooded park. She had hoped a mountain hike was on the itinerary. But as they walked and chatted through the winding trails, Amber decided the park was a nice choice. It was a pleasant temperature and the woods were filled with bird song.

After they walked a few miles, they ran across an open area with picnic tables. Ryja opened the basket and pulled out a red checkered tablecloth, spreading it over the wood. As she helped place the items on the table, Amber's mouth watered.

The food was in clear plastic containers. There was fried chicken cooked to a crispy golden brown, corn on the cob, potato salad, chips, and cookies for dessert. A plastic half-gallon of sweet iced tea completed the menu.

"How did Mica know what to fix for a picnic?” She bit into a crispy chicken leg. It was as good as her grandma's when she was alive.

"He did his research too.” Ryja took a large bite of breast. “I'm getting him to add this recipe to our galactic collection."

She chuckled. Amber was hungry after their walk, and ate a little of everything.

They spent an hour talking and sipping tea before packing up. The walk back was slower and they never stopped discussing interesting topics. The conversation ranged from dinosaurs to cave people, to the importance of protecting forested areas such as the park. It was rare Amber found someone who loved history as much as she did, and knew this date would stay in her memory forever.

Ryja watched Amber as she got ready for bed. He could tell she was tired and didn't even attempt to cover a big yawn. At first he had not liked the pajamas she wore every night. Although the computer made her several changes, they all looked similar except for differing colors. A loose fitting tank top and matching bottoms that reached to her ankles. The outfit covered everything up.

But then he noticed how her braless breasts bounced beneath the soft material and her nipples beaded in the cool room. Maybe not as bad as he first thought. Amber loved that he told the computer to turn the air cooler at night, never realizing how it affected her body in the thin fabric. He grinned. He loved observing her when she was unfettered by worry or moral codes.

He was glad Amber also liked the way he kept the room to induce sleep. The computer turned the walls black, including the ceiling. The view overhead though, was sprinkled with stars from
Arrak's
constellations. The exact sight he would see outside his bedroom window if he were home.

Sometimes they didn't go to sleep immediately. They would sit in the comfortable bedroom chairs and talk about the day's events. A few times they sat propped up against the soft headboard, chatting about history or his jumps through time. Amber never seemed to tire of hearing about the different ones he'd been on.

It was during one of these late night chats when he realized how much he really liked Amber's pajamas. She looked innocent, more vulnerable. Her hair would be draped down her back, her eyes brilliant as they discussed her favorite topic.

He wanted to take her in his arms, cuddle and kiss her gently. Sex never entered his mind at these times, well almost never. It was as if he were watching a younger Amber, who was excited about history and life.

It hit him that he knew a lot about her already. He knew she loved to eat lobster, but not crab, and that she appreciated fine dining at a restaurant. She enjoyed sharing a beautiful sunset with him. Amber loved all things historical, was fascinated by his space travel and other planets.

Ryja knew she loved animals. That she was interested in foreign cultures whether on Earth or somewhere in the galaxy. He'd caught her more than once reading books from other planets. Sometimes he would sit with her, explaining the thinking of another species. This led to some lively discussions.

He knew she'd loved each date they had gone on so far, and thought she would enjoy the future ones as well. Ryja had spent some time finding out what she liked to do so he could plan the dates. Why take her hiking if it wasn't something she liked or wanted to try? Luckily, he liked the activities scheduled for the dates too.

While he had never been on a yacht, he had been boating on other craft on several planets. There were several things he'd never experienced but looked forward to trying.

Although he knew Amber well in some ways, Ryja realized he did not know much about her personal life. She had told him she was a teacher, but he didn't know where, or if she even liked it. He didn't know if she had any siblings. Were her parents alive? Did she come from a large family? Most importantly, would anyone miss her if she disappeared off Earth?

Ryja was startled by the revelation his mind showed him. Amber may be the one. If so, it could complicate matters if she had family she was close to. Would she even want to go with him, if the time came and he asked her to?

Staring at her slumbering form, he knew he was falling in love with Amber, or at least was on the precipice. He crawled into bed and snuggled her onto his chest. Was he ready for this? Still a bit unsure, Ryja determined to question Amber on matters that would be important for him to know in reaching a decision.

The next day Ryja had set up a movie date at a theater in a small town. It'd taken a lot of research to find what he was seeking, but finally he found an old style movie house. He hoped the inside would meet their expectations. While he found photos of the outside, the interior remained a mystery.

Amber had talked about the charm of a bygone era during one of their earlier discussions, including the loss of such theaters to modern ones. “Movies” on
Arrak
were a totally different experience. You could sit alone or with a group of people while being in the center of a holographic presentation. You could choose to watch the movie, or be a character in the story. It was way more advanced than the latest 3 D movies Earthlings had at the present time.

He had set up the movie theater on the ship for Amber, copying some elements of Earthlings home theaters. The holographic experience was expensive and would take up too much room on this ship to be worth the effort. Besides, he usually preferred reading or studying recordings from the Galactic Library. Ryja had decided on a home theater right after he spent the first morning with Amber, realizing how much her species loved movies.

Only recently had he discovered he enjoyed the 2 D experience if he watched them with her. He also found he liked Earth movies. Their subject was often vastly different from
Arrak.

Amber had loved his home theater, which made him relish it even more. He was looking forward to the full theater encounter. They dressed casually and although Amber knew they were going to a movie, she had no idea it was going to be old style, or he hoped so.

They beamed down outside a quaint town that sat in a valley. Looking down, it could have been lifted from a photograph or a post card. There was only one main street with small shops on either side, and one church with a white steeple. The fields spreading out from it were lush green, the trees heavy with foliage.

"It's so beautiful.” Amber said softly.

"It is.” They held hands as they walked down the slope onto a side street filled with charming older homes on each side. Then they came to main street, and walked down it peering in the windows. People waved and they waved back.

"It's like Mayberry."

Ryja didn't know what she meant, but he didn't want to break her excited mood. He'd ask her later. When they reached the theater, she gripped his arm.

"Oh, Ryja. I haven't seen one of these since I was little."

The only movie playing was a romantic comedy and they entered through the bright red double doors.

"Can you believe that, only one movie,” Amber giggled. Smiling, she said, “I would have chosen the movie anyway."

The front area was rather small, with one long counter where candy was displayed, while behind it were several drink dispensers. There was also movie popcorn, which he had been looking forward to trying. It smelled delicious. After getting a big bucket of the popcorn and drinks they headed toward the theater. There were red double doors, replicating the outside set.

It was dark inside, lit only by wall sconces set along the walls. Thankfully, the modern convenience of plastic tube lighting had been added along the stairs. They sat in the back, in thickly padded red chairs worn thin in areas with wear.

"Still comfy.” Amber held the popcorn between them and they started eating.