“But it was more than avoiding physically having a child. You see, with genetic manipulation, they were able to make perfect children. They could specify what they wanted, and then they got it. There were no guarantees
when they had children the old-
fashioned way. In response, men realized that they were unable to pass on their genes to the next generation. So they developed the ability to emit a sex hormone to make the female of his choice have sex with him, and that established a life bond that led
to children.”
She chuckled. “It works amazingly well.”
“It’s a survival instinct. Men adapted because they were desperate, and one of the side effects was that until the woman they bonded with conceived, they had to ejaculate at regular intervals. It was the way they ensured that conception would happen.”
“So what happened? How did all the women die off?”
“The women tried to find a way to inhibit the sex hormone so it would no longer affect them. Long story short, it made them unable to conceive females. By the time we figured out the cause, it was too late. The last female died one hundred years ago.”
“Why didn’t they make more in the labs?”
“They tried. None of the females made it beyond the third month
of
gestation. There’s something in the genetics that got messed up when women were no longer able to conceive females. Their eggs were damaged as well. The men are trying to undo the damage.”
“Wow,” she whispered and snuggled against him. “So now you guys have to go to other planets to find women.”
He pulled her into his embrace and stroked her cheek. “There’s talk about bringing some to our world, but there’s a debate about the ethics involved. Some say Earth
and
Alaris
aren’t ready for alien contact, especially not with the intention of giving up some of its women to help repopulate our world. Right now, they’re still looking for a medical cure. Some of the men seek out other worlds, choosing to blend into the new world as if they were born there. Some stay behind. I chose to come here.”
“Well, even if we met through unconventional means, it’s nice having you here.”
He rolled onto his side so he could face her. In the faint moonlight pouring through the blinds, he made out the soft curls that rested against her face and the slight smile on her lips. She looked at him with a sparkle in her eyes. She was full of life and vitality. On his world, there was the underlying sense of resignation in the air, even if the men sought a way out of the hole they found themselves in.
His world was dying. Less children were born each year, and any attempts for producing females had been in vain. Unless they brought women to them, the men would eventually give up the fight or depart for another world. But as it was, things didn’t look hopeful. He hadn’t realized how bleak things had been until he came here.
He didn’t know why women on his planet suddenly decided they didn’t want to bear children anymore, but their role had been a crucial one. Maybe the men had taken it for granted. He wouldn’t. A woman was a most lovely creature. Soft and beautiful and sweet. Caitlyn fit well next to him, and their bodies were fully compatible, making them one complete unit when they came together.
Maybe he had a lot to learn about Earth and women and controlling his body’s more demanding functions, but he wouldn’t take this gift for gra
nted. His wife was a gift.
Star
Systems Unlimited couldn’t have selected a better one for him, and he felt a sense of excitement in being a part of creating a new life with her. He’d only heard of pregnancies and births, but he was going to get a chance to witness both firsthand instead of reading about them.
“I’m glad the agency sent me to you,” he whispered, noting her yawn and heavy eyelids.
She wiggled closer so he wrapped her in a hug and kissed the top of her head. She smelled nice. He couldn’t place the fragrance but knew that every time he smelled anything like it, he’d think of her. She drifted off to sleep. He, however, remained awake for a good hour, content to experience holding
a flesh and blood woman in his arms.
***
Caitlyn wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and released her breath. Lunch hour had been unusually busy that day, and she was glad for a reason to sit and rest her feet. Since there was only one person in the diner—and that man was reading a newspaper and sipping his coffee—she figured it was a good time to grab a bite to eat.
“Hey Jack,” she called out to h
er boss who was in the kitchen
, “c
an you fry me up one of your cheeseburgers?”
“Did you pay for it?” he asked, glancing her way from the dishes he was washing in the sink.
“You’re all heart, you know that?”
“I’m here to stay in business, Mrs. West.”
She grinned and said, “Then consider my lunch a wedding gift.”
He scowled playfully at her. “Deal. But you better tell me next time before you get hitched.”
“Yeah, well, how else am I supposed to keep you on your toes?”
He let out a loud sigh.
“I want Sandy’s lunch on the same tab,” she added when she saw her friend coming out of the restroom.
“You’re pushing it,” he warned.
“Oh for real. You can’t spare a $5 plate? I could demand you chip in for china, a blender or some other standard wedding gift.”
He grimaced. “Pass. Fine. But this is the only meal I’m letting you and Sandy have on my dime.”
She smirked. “Since you sign our paychecks, aren’t all the meals we eat here technically on your dime?”
“Ha ha.”
Sandy grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her away from the window separating the kitchen from the rest of the diner. “Spill it. I’ve been waiting all morning to find out what happened with that guy from last night. Did you really marry him?”
Caitlyn glanced at Jack who was already placing their hamburgers on the range. She motioned for Sandy to follow her to the
seats lining the
counter and sat next to her. After a moment of trying to determine how to pro
ceed, she said, “Yes,
I did. But I didn’t realize it until after we had sex.”
“What?” Sandy shrieked.
The man at the booth at the other end of the diner looked up from his paper and focused his gaze on them.
“Shh…” Caitlyn warned her friend. She smiled at the man. “Don’t mind Sandy. She’s naturally high strung.”
The man shrugged and turned back to his paper.
Turning her attention back to her friend, Caitlyn said, “If I tell you what happened, you have to promise not to tell anyone.”
“Why?” Sandy asked, her eyes wide. “Is it awful?”
“No, but there are some things about him that are better left secret.”
She frowned and fiddled with the apron in her lap. “This doesn’t sound good.”
“I know, but it is. I swear.”
She bit her lower lip and asked, “There’s nothing wrong with him? He didn’t hurt you, did
he?”
Caitlyn laughed. “No. It’s nothing like that.” The memory of his hands and lips on her body made her flush with desire. There was absolutely no pain involved in the things that had transpired betwe
en them.
Sandy took a deep breath and nodded. “Alright. I agree to keep whatever you say a secret. Now, what’s up?”
“His name is Chris West, and he is an alien from another planet who went to some place out there in outer space called Star Systems something-or-other, and they brought him here to be my husband. On his world, as soon as you go through the bonding ceremony, you’re married. So I left here single and came back a married woman.”
Sandy gave her
a blank stare for a good ten
seconds before she rolled her eyes. “If this is your idea of a joke, it’s a really lame one.”
“This isn’t a joke. I’m serious.”
“I don’t know. I mean, an alien from another planet who came to Earth to get a wife? It’s a lot to take in.”
“I know. Believe me, I was the first one to doubt him. But then when I got home and checked my accounts with my credit cards and bank, they had me down as Caitlyn West.”
“No way,” Sandy said.
“Way.” Caitlyn ran behind the counter so she could grab her purse.
By the time she returned to the chair, Jack came out
with their food. He plopped the plates
on the counter in front of them and said, “Congratulations on your wedding.” Then he went outside to smoke.
Sandy gave her a startled look.
“He signed my paycheck, remember. He knows I’m married,” Caitlyn explained as she sat down. She opened her purse and took out her wallet. “You were with me up until the time I left with Chris. You know I wasn’t married at that point.”
“Uh…I guess.”
Caitlyn handed her the wallet.
Sandy held it but bit her lower lip. “What exactly am I looking for?”
“My driver’s license, credit cards, library card… They all have my new last name on them. When would I have had time to make these changes?”
“I don’t make it a habit of looking in your wallet, so for all I know, this could have been done a month ago.” Even as Sandy said it, she opened th
e wallet to look at its
contents.
“You’re my best friend. Why would I get married and not tell you?”
“Okay, y
ou have a point. You wouldn’t.”
“So? Do you believe me?” Caitlyn motioned to the wallet before she picked up the cheeseburger and took a bite.
Sandy sorted through a credit card and voter’s registration card. “Alright. I believe it. No one would take the trouble to change the name on the voter’s card until it got near the time to vote.”
Caitlyn swallowed. “Exactly. Those pe
ople at the Stars
thingy are thorough.”
Sandy returned Caitlyn’s cards to the wallet and slipped the wallet back into her purse. She zipped it up and went to grab two cups and poured coffee into them while Caitlyn continued eating. Once Sandy was done with the coffee, she started to eat her french fries.
“Are you going to say anything?” Caitlyn asked as she opened a packet of sugar to put into her coffee.
“What’s there to say? You left this restaurant a single woman, had sex with a guy—an alien—in you
r car
, and suddenly you’re married. That kind of thing happens all the time to a whole bunch of women.”
She shot her friend an amused look. “Very funny.”
Sandy wiped her hands on her apron and reached for the bottle of ketchup. “So, is this a good thing?”
“I think so. He seems like a really nice guy.”
“For your sake, I hope he is.” She unscrewed the top and poured
ketchup to the side of her fries.
“You want some?” She pointed
to the ketchup.
“Sure.” She stirred her coffee and set the spoon down on the saucer. “I’ll have to bring him in so you can meet him.”
“I really hope he’s legit. I mean, what if you found out he had a wife and six kids out in some place like Kentucky?”
Caitlyn laughed. “Oh come on. That’s definitely not the case.”
“What if he went to the space agency thing, requested a wife, got Kentucky girl, had the half-dozen kids, couldn’t take it anymore, went back to the space thing, and then ended up here with you?”
“You are really stretching.”
She sighed. “I hope he does right by you. If he doesn’t, I’ll get Andy to beat him up and send him back to his home world.”
“No. I’d rather you didn’t.”
“Why not?”
Caitlyn rolled her eyes. “You really need to ask?”
Sandy laughed. “Oh, come on. That was a long time ago. How old were we?”
“That’s not the point, and you know it. I don’t think he ever forgave Randy for marrying me.”
“That’s ridiculous. He was one of the groomsmen at your wedding. He was totally cool with it.”
“As cool as an ice cube.” Caitlyn picked up her cheeseburger.
Sandy sighed and dabbed her frenc
h fry in the ketchup. “Okay, s
o he never got over the fact that you chose Randy over him.”
“And sent Randy to the emergency room with a broken nose when I did.”
“Yeah, but Randy got him good. Andy got a nice shiner.”
Caitlyn grinned at the memory. “Randy could always hold his own.” She took a bite of the hamburger and looked at her friend in surprise. After she swallowed the food, she said, “I can’t believe it. Jack added extra cheese and pickles.”
“Well, it is your wedding gift. He probably figured he’d go all out.”
“I should get married more often.”
“I’m sure your new husband what’s-his-name would like to hear that.”
“His name is Chris, and you know I was kidding.” She gave her friend a smile. “I think this is going to be a good marriage. He’s nothing like Randy, but he is so sweet. That’s not to say that Randy wasn’t sweet because he was, but Chris is different. He’s shy and quiet and uncertain about what he’s doing. Of course, that could be because he came from another planet and has to adjust to everything. I’m sure if I was on a new world, I’d be the same way too.”