Lydia And Her Alien Boss (2 page)

“Your friend is going to throw parties while a pregnant woman is staying with her? She’s awfully inconsiderate.”

She wasn’t wrong.

“Jenny doesn’t seem to understand that my priorities have changed. I told her I can’t be around smokers and wouldn’t be drinking, but I’m sure she’ll still have a party at least once a week, and when she isn’t throwing one, she’ll be going to one.”

“I’ll put in a good word for you with the manager. He’s out right now or I’d

introduce you. Scott is a family man though, so I’m sure knowing you’re pregnant will actually help your cause.”

“Thanks.” Lydia smiled. “I guess I should apply a few other places in case it doesn’t work out. Anywhere else you’d recommend?”

Carrie shook her head. “Stay away from the grocery store. You’re supposed to

get two fifteen minute breaks and a half hour lunch if you’re full-time, but they always find a way to call you back from your break or not give you one at all. You might like the library, if they’re hiring. I could see you working around all those books.”

“I’ll check with them.”

Carrie gestured toward her laptop. “Just look up jobs on the city website. You might find something else around town too, like an office job or something. You must be pretty smart to go to college so I’m sure you could find something better than making coffee.”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I’m sure my lack of work history is going to be a problem for most places.”

Carrie smiled and stood. “I’d better get back to work. It was nice meeting you, Lydia.”

“You too, Carrie.”

She sipped at her drink and researched some more jobs, dragging out time as

much as possible. Lydia had no idea how long Jenny’s party would last, but she had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
Wonder if the coffee shop would let me hang out until
closing.
With a sigh Lydia closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Feeling someone’s gaze on her, she looked up and found a mesmerizing pair of silver eyes watching her.

The blue alien was handsome and his assessing gaze said he was used to getting what he wanted. Lydia just wasn’t sure what that was. Surely, it wasn’t a pregnant woman.

A glance at the time told her it was nearing dinner. After gathering her

belongings, she went out to her car. She was torn between going to Jenny’s and making a sandwich or buying something on her way home. The longer she was gone, the less time she’d have to spend at the party.

Settling on a fast food place, even though she knew she needed to eat healthy, she sat down to enjoy a burger and fries. Eating alone had never bothered her before, but now that she was an unwed mother… what man in his right mind would want to date a pregnant woman? Or worse, what if she met someone after her child was born and they couldn’t accept another man’s baby? It wasn’t the first time she’d questioned if she was doing the right thing. Here she was, hunting for a job and struggling to get a roof over her head, when she could have given the baby up for adoption to some loving, stable couple who could give her baby everything.

No, no matter how this child came to be, it was still hers. A part of her. Lydia couldn’t turn her back on her baby, even if it meant struggling and working mediocre jobs just to pay the bills. It was possible she’d never make it back to college, but she hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

Lydia finished her meal and drove back to Jenny’s home only to groan in

frustration when she saw the cars lining the street. The “little” party that Jen had planned seemed to have morphed into something much larger. It was nearing seven o’clock, which meant the party could last a while longer. When her phone rang, she was thankful for the interruption of her chaotic thoughts.

“Hello.”

“Is this Lydia Parker?”

“Yes.”

“Miss Parker, this is Scott Hunter at Espress Yourself. One of my workers told me you’d completed an online application, so I pulled it up. I see that you don’t have any previous experience, but I’d still like to meet with you to discuss the job. When would be a good time?”

“Now?” she suggested rather desperately.

Scott laughed. “I’m in the back office at Espress Yourself right now if you want to come by. If not, I’ll be in tomorrow morning.”

“I don’t have anything going on right now. If you’re sure it’s no trouble, I’d love to meet with you tonight.” She glanced down at her clothes. “I’m not wearing interview worthy clothes though and I can’t go home to change right now.”

“Don’t worry about it. I believe you met Carrie earlier. She’s working the front counter so I’ll tell her to expect you.”

After hanging up, she made a U-turn and drove back to Espress Yourself. She

had to park around the corner as the afterhours crowd had converged on the place.

Flipping down her sun visor, she checked her hair and put on a little lip gloss to add some color to her otherwise pale face. Her hands trembled a little as she exited the car and walked around the corner to the front door.

Chapter Two

Carrie smiled when she saw her. “I’ll let Scott know you’re here.”

Lydia stood uncertainly at the end of the counter. Scott Hunter had sounded

friendly on the phone. She hoped he would give her good news and hire her. Carrie came out of the back and went behind the counter. Lydia fiddled with the hem of her shirt as she watched the doorway expectantly. A tall, slender man came out and walked toward her.

“Lydia, I’m Scott.” He held out his hand and she shook it. “Why don’t you come into the back and we can discuss the job and your expectations.”

“Thank you.”

She followed him into the back of the shop and sat in the chair across from him.

He folded his hands together and set them on top of his desk and smiled at her. His smile was friendly and set her at ease a little, but she was still nervous. This was her chance to make a life for her baby and she didn’t want to screw it up.

“I appreciate you taking the time to meet me tonight,” she said softly. “I didn’t expect to hear from anyone just yet. Or at all for that matter.”

“Your lack of work experience isn’t a big deal here at Espress Yourself. We’re looking for dedicated people who want to stay with the company long-term. I saw on your application that you’re working on a college degree, so I’m guessing this would be a temporary stop for you.”

She squeezed her hands together. “It will be a while before I can finish my

degree. I have a baby due in five months, so that’s going to change my life a lot. I’m looking for a way to support myself and offer a safe home for my baby.”

“We do offer insurance which I’m going to assume you’ll need. Do you have

questions about the job?” Scott asked.

“Carrie said there was on the job training and a book under the counter if I forget something.”

He nodded. “You’ll also handle the register and you may have to open or close some days, but I won’t ask you to do that right away. At least, not without some help.

To start, I’ll pair you with someone who will help train you, and then when you feel more comfortable, you can be a little more independent.”

“And there are benefits? My parents said they were dropping me from their

insurance.”

“There is health insurance, for a fee. It will be automatically deducted from your check. You’ll be paid every two weeks on a Friday. There’s a lag of one pay period though, so if you start tomorrow, you won’t be paid until the following pay period, which is three Fridays from now.”

Three weeks without a check didn’t sound good, but she supposed that would

happen anywhere. She did have a little money in savings, and if she knew she would have a regular check coming in, maybe she could use that money to get a place of her own. Sleeping on Jenny’s couch was sounding less and less desirable.

“You said if I start tomorrow. Does that mean you’re giving me the job?” she

asked.

“If you want one. We have two barista openings right now and one of those

spots is yours. Can you be here at six in the morning?”

“Of course.”

“You’ll want to bring a lunch with you. There’s a breakroom with a fridge.

Everyone has their own locker so you can store your purse and any other belongings.

I’ll have a timecard ready for you when you get here. After tomorrow, I’ll need you here by 5:30 to learn how to open.”

Wow. That was really early, but if it meant she could afford her own place, then she’d do it.

“I’ll be here.”

“Welcome to the Espress Yourself family, Lydia.” Scott smiled.

“Is there something in particular I should wear?”

“We don’t have a formal uniform, but most of the workers wear a polo with

either khaki or black slacks. Do you have something like that? If not, don’t worry about it the first week.”

“I think I have something that will work for tomorrow. I can pick up some more clothes after work.”

Scott drummed his fingers on the desk. “Not to tell you how to handle your

personal time, but with you being four months pregnant and not having worked before, I can pretty much guarantee you’re going to be too tired after your shift tomorrow. We can discuss your schedule in more detail in the morning. For now, we’ll just take things one day at a time.”

“Thank you, Scott. I really appreciate this opportunity.”

Scott stood. “Any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. If I’m not around, I’m sure Carrie will be happy to help you. She tends to pick up extra hours here and there, so she’s around a lot of the time.”

“I’ll see you bright and early.” Lydia stood. “I promise you won’t be sorry for hiring me.”

Scott ushered her out of the office. “There will be some forms to fill out in the morning, but we’ll get those out of the way and then start walking you through the basics. I’ll be here for another hour if you think of anything you forgot to ask.”

Lydia told him bye, waved to Carrie, and went back out to her car. If Scott was right about her being too tired tomorrow, then she’d need to shop tonight. On the bright side, that kept her out of Jenny’s house a little while longer. Not that there was any hope of the party ending before midnight. She definitely needed to start apartment shopping tomorrow. Maybe even tonight, if she could find some websites for local places. She’d heard about a site that supposedly listed apartments from across the U.S., but she wasn’t sure they’d have any listed from their small town.

She was about to back out of her parking space when someone tapped on the

passenger window. Lydia startled, but her heart rate slowed after she saw it was Carrie.

She rolled down the window and peered out.

“Did I forget something?” Lydia asked.

“I made a call. I know you said you had a place to stay, but your friend didn’t seem like the considerate type. Anyway, I know the guy who owns the Cherry Tree Motel here in town, and he’s offered to put you up for a few nights until you can figure out something else.”

“Carrie, I…”

Carrie held up a hand. “He said things are slow right now and there was plenty of space. He even offered to meet you at your friend’s house to help get your things. His name is Wylen, and he’s an alien. I swear you can trust him with your life.”

“An alien owns the motel?”

Carrie smiled. “Aliens own several businesses around town. I wouldn’t send you off with just anyone. I trust Wylen with my life. He’s a good guy and he just wants to help.”

Lydia chewed on her bottom lip. It would solve her problem temporarily. She

had to admit that she wasn’t looking forward to staying with Jenny if it meant never ending parties all the time. It wasn’t like she could go into the bedroom and shut the party out, since she was sleeping on the living room couch.

“All right. I’ll meet with him.”

“He said he’d wait for you at the motel. Just go to the front office and ask for him, and the two of you can ride together to get your things. I should warn you, he’s a Chiron so he’s purple with blue hair. Really, he’s more of a violet shade with aqua hair and eyes. He’s rather striking.”

Lydia smiled. “Are you trying to set me up?”

“Well, you could certainly do worse.”

“One thing at a time, Carrie. I just got a job and I still need a place to stay. Maybe after a few weeks I can think about finding a boyfriend. Not that it’s going to be easy with the little one on the way. It’s going to take a special man to raise someone else’s child like it’s his own.”

“I’m sure your Mr. Right is out there, and probably a lot closer than you think.

But I won’t push the dating thing. Now, get out of here so you can get settled for the night.”

“Night, Carrie. And thank you.”

Lydia rolled up her window and backed out of the space. Pointing her car in the direction of the motel, she anxiously drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Was she doing the right thing? It didn’t feel right taking charity from a stranger, but she was feeling rather desperate.

She didn’t understand why the alien would want to help her. It wasn’t like

they’d ever met. Had Carrie not mentioned the pregnancy, would Wylen still be helping her? She’d heard that aliens were very protective of woman and children, and with her being pregnant, she supposed they would feel doubly protective of her. Still…

She pulled to a stop in front of the Cherry Tree Motel, claiming a space in front of the office. Lydia grabbed her purse and went inside, the bell tinkling over the door. A man stood behind the counter, a bored expression on his rather plain face. When his gaze clashed with hers, his eyes lit up. Either he was excited to have a customer, or…

she’d rather not think of the “or.”

“I’m here to see Wylen,” Lydia said as she approached the counter. “I believe he’s expecting me.”

“Can I tell him who’s here?” the man asked, his enthusiasm dimmed.

“Lydia.”

He nodded and stepped through a door into the back part of the office. A

moment later, a large alien came through the door, having to duck to pass under the doorframe. He had a ready smile as he came to stand beside her. Carrie had called him striking, and she wasn’t wrong, but breathtaking might have been a better word. Lydia wasn’t sure she could form words if she needed to, with her mouth now dry and her heart racing out of control.