Close Liaisons Page 23

  “No, the professor is just the professor. It’s someone else. He’s actually a senior executive in a tech company,” fibbed Mia, trying to stick as close as possible to the truth. “I met him in the park one day, and we’ve been sleeping together –”

  “What?” Her sister was gaping at her in disbelief. “Is he married? Does he have any children?”

  “No, and no. But I know it’s just a temporary fling for him, so I really didn’t want to go into any details with you and the parents . . .”

  As Mia was speaking, a big smile slowly appeared on Marisa’s face. “A fling? Wow. When my baby sis decides to finally lose her virginity, she does it with style! A senior executive no less . . .”

  Mia shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing.

  “What’s his name?”

  “Uh, I’d rather not say,” mumbled Mia. “He’ll be leaving in a couple of weeks, and there’s no point in discussing the whole thing –”

  “Leaving to go where?”

  “Um . . . Dubai.” Mia had no idea why she’d chosen that particular location, but it seemed to fit the story.

  “Dubai? Is he from there originally?” Her sister’s curiosity knew no bounds.

  Mia sighed. “Marisa, listen, there’s really no point in discussing it. He’ll leave, and that’s that.”

  Her sister cocked her head to the side, studying Mia’s face. “And you’re okay with that, baby sis?” she asked quietly. “Your first lover leaving just like that?”

  Mia looked away, trying to hide the moisture in her eyes. “He has to leave, Marisa. There’s no choice. It doesn’t matter if I’m okay with it or not.”

  “Of course, it matters,” said Marisa. “Do you think he cares for you at all? Or are you just a pretty college girl he’s sleeping with while in New York?”

  Mia shrugged. “I don’t know. I think he might care about me a little.”

  “But not enough to stay?”

  “No, he can’t stay,” said Mia. “And it doesn’t matter. We’re not right for each other, anyway. The relationship was doomed from the start.”

  “Why did you start it then?” asked Marisa, eyeing her with bewilderment. “Is he really good-looking? Did he sweep you off your feet or something?”

  Mia nodded. “He’s gorgeous, and he’s smart, and he knows a lot about everything . . .” Those were all true statements. “And he took me out to all kinds of fancy restaurants and Broadway shows –”

  “Wow, Mia,” said Marisa, looking envious for the first time in Mia’s memory, “that sounds like a dream guy.”

  Mia smiled. “And he’s also a great cook, and does laundry –”

  “Oh my God, where did you find this paragon?”

  “I know, right? Mom would have a cow if she heard about this.”

  And the sisters grinned at each other in perfect understanding.

  Then Marisa got serious again. “So why can’t it work out for the two of you? He sounds perfect. Does he have some major character flaw that you can’t stand?”

  “Well, he’s very bossy and autocratic,” admitted Mia, “so I definitely have a problem with that. And where he comes from, they don’t necessarily view, um, women . . . as equals, if you know what I mean?” That was as close to the truth as she could get.

  Marisa’s eyes widened in understanding. “Ohhh, is he one of those Middle Eastern types? With a harem and all . . . who require their women to be veiled from head to toe?”

  Mia shrugged. “Something like that. So it could never really go anywhere. We come from very different worlds.” Mia meant that in the literal sense, but Marisa didn’t need to know that.

  “Wow, baby sis.” Marisa was looking at her with newfound respect. “I have to say, you’ve surprised me. No boring college boys for you . . . oh, no – you’ve gone straight for the big leagues. A sheikh from Dubai, huh?”

  Mia flushed. “He’s not a sheikh, just an executive.”

  “Wow.” Her sister was still looking impressed. “So did he give you any fancy gifts or jewelry?”

  Mia smiled. Her sister was so predictable sometimes. Even though she lived a simple life for the most part, Marisa definitely appreciated the finer things in life – nice hotels, designer clothes, beautiful accessories.

  “He bought me a whole new wardrobe from Saks Fifth Avenue,” admitted Mia. “He really didn’t like my old clothes –”

  “OH MY GOD, FROM SAKS?” Marisa’s shriek was ear-piercing. “Are you serious? You’ve gotta let me borrow something when you come!”

  Mia laughed. “Of course! Whatever you want, it’s yours.”

  “Oh crap, never mind,” said Marisa, “I just realized that soon I won’t be able to borrow anything from anyone – especially from my tiny baby sister. In a couple of months, I’ll be a total cow.”

  “Oh please,” said Mia, laughing at the image of her svelte sister looking even remotely cow-like, “you’ll look like one of those actresses in Hollywood – all normal, just with a cute little baby bump.”

  Marisa shuddered. “I certainly hope so. But I have to say, so far, pregnancy is nothing like what I’d imagined.”

  Mia looked at her sympathetically. “That sucks. Hang in there, okay? It’s just a few more months, and then you’ll have a beautiful child . . .”

  Marisa beamed at her. “That’s true. And you too, baby sis, hang in there, okay? Call me if you ever want to talk about Mr. Gorgeous again. And I promise I won’t say anything to the parents. You’re right – they would worry unnecessarily. This type of stuff is best left for talks with your sister.”

  Mia smiled and said, “That’s what I thought. I love you. Say hello to Connor for me, okay?”

  “Will do,” said Marisa, and disconnected with one final wave.

  Relieved, Mia stared at the blank computer screen. She had lied to her family, but at least she’d managed to prevent them from freaking out completely. In a way, the conversation with Marisa had been therapeutic. Although she couldn’t tell her sister the whole truth, she’d been able to share enough details to make herself feel much better about the situation. Marisa’s nonjudgmental, sympathetic ear had been exactly what she’d needed at this point.

  Now she had to finish editing the paper – and then she will have completed everything she’d set out to do for the day.

  Chapter 22

  Now that she was done with studying, Mia had no idea what to do with herself. Waking up on Thursday morning, she submitted her papers online and decided to go for a walk in Central Park. Korum again left early in the morning, before she had woken up, so she was on her own for the day. She texted Jessie, but her roommate had her Calculus exam in the afternoon and was frantically cramming. Mia wished there was someone else she could hang out with, just to avoid being alone with her thoughts, but most other students were too busy packing for the summer or still in the middle of finals.

  The middle of May was usually a “hit-or-miss” weather in New York. This year, it seemed like summer had started early, and the temperature that day was a balmy seventy-five degrees. Mia gladly put on one of her new spring dresses, a simple blue cotton sheath, and a pair of cream-colored sandals that managed to be both comfortable and stylish. And then she headed out to join the hordes of New Yorkers and tourists that came out to enjoy Central Park.

  It was hard to believe that only a month ago Mia had been walking here by herself, with no real knowledge of the Ks, thinking about nothing more than her Sociology paper. She hadn’t met Korum yet, and had no idea what a drastic turn her life would take in the next few minutes. What would have happened if she hadn’t sat down on that bench that day? Would she even now be packing to go home on Saturday?

  As though her feet had a mind of their own, Mia found herself heading toward Bow Bridge, the place of her first close encounter. Unlike the last time, the little bridge was teeming with people today, all seeking to take photos of the picturesque view. Mia found herself a spot on a bench next to a young couple and settled in
to read the latest bestselling thriller – something she only had time to do when school wasn’t in session.

  After a half hour, the couple left, and Mia got the entire bench to herself. Before she could enjoy it for long, however, she heard her name being called. Startled, she looked up and saw a young woman, dressed in a pair of ripped jeans and a white sleeveless shirt, approaching the bench. Her short sandy hair was tousled, like a boy’s, and her arms were sleekly muscled. It was Leslie, the girl she’d met that one time with John – one of the Resistance fighters.

  “Hey Mia,” she said, “do you mind if I join you for a minute?” Without waiting for a response, she sat down on Mia’s bench.

  “Sure, be my guest,” said Mia, somewhat rudely. Leslie was not her favorite person, and she really didn’t feel like being tasked with something else right now. As far as Mia was concerned, she had carried out her mission, and all she wanted was to be left alone.

  “Look,” said Leslie, her tone far friendlier than before, “I know we got off on the wrong foot. I just wanted to say thanks for what you did, and to give you something from John.” She held out a small oval object that looked vaguely like a garage opener or an automatic car key.

  “What is it?” asked Mia warily, not taking it from her.

  “It’s a weapon,” said Leslie, “a weapon that you can use to protect yourself in case Korum figures out what happened before we have a chance to neutralize him.”

  “Neutralize him?”

  Leslie sighed. “As per your request, we’ll try to capture him alive, so he can be deported back to Krina. It’s not going to be easy, but we’ll do our best.”

  Mia swallowed. “What . . . um, when are you going to do it?”

  “We can’t do it before the shields are down, and the attack on the K Centers is underway. He might be able to warn them, or get reinforcements, if we try to take him now, so we can’t risk it. It’ll have to be almost simultaneous. He’s not the only one. There are other Ks who are outside their Centers right now. As soon as they learn of the attack on their colonies – and they’ll learn it almost immediately – they will join in the fight. But they’re not in some remote areas – they are in our cities, near our government centers. If they realize that we’ve broken the treaty, they will attack us – and many civilian lives will be lost before we would be able to stop them. So we need to plan everything very carefully, or else it’s going to turn into a bloodbath.”

  This was bad, thought Mia. Really bad. She hadn’t thought of that aspect – other Ks who, like Korum, were living among humans for whatever reason. Strong, fast, and armed with K technology, even one individual could inflict a tremendous amount of damage on the human population. She tried to imagine Korum fighting to protect his kind, and shuddered at the thought. Just that one brief glimpse of his rage in the club had been frightening. She had no doubt that he could be truly brutal if the occasion called for it.

  Turning her attention back to the little object, Mia asked, “So what is this weapon supposed to do?”

  “It dissolves molecular bonds, breaking down everything in its path,” said Leslie. “Essentially, it’ll turn whatever you want into dust. It’s a simple miniature version of the big weapon we intend to use to make the Ks surrender.”

  Aghast, Mia stared at the small, harmless-looking device in Leslie’s palm. “So it could turn a person to dust?”

  Leslie nodded. “It’ll work on whatever is in its path. The nanomachines it releases work for a period of only about thirty seconds before they become inactive, but that time is usually enough to completely dissolve a person. You don’t even need to worry about shooting him in the chest or whatever – if the nanos get on any part of his body, he’s toast.”

  Mia nearly gagged at the thought. “What? No! I could never do something like this!” she exclaimed in horror. “I can’t use it on him –”

  “You can, and you will,” said Leslie, “if your life is at stake. I have no idea if he’ll make the connection between what’s happening in the K Centers and you – but he’s supposed to be some kind of a genius, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he did.” Running her hand through her short hair in a frustrated motion, Leslie added, “And it’s best if you do it quickly, before he has a chance to react. Just point and shoot, no thinking . . . do you understand me? They’re fast, Mia, really fast.”

  Mia shook her head. “I won’t do it. I can’t –”

  Leslie shrugged. “That’s your call. If you’d rather die, then so be it – it’s none of my business. John asked me to give it to you, and here it is. You can take it and not use it, if that’s what you want. But at least you won’t be completely helpless when all this shit goes down.” She put the device on Mia’s lap. “If you want to use it, just feel for the little indentation on the side – if you press firmly there, it’s going to go off. Just be sure to point the rounded end toward him –”

  Mia shook her head again. “I won’t use it,” she said with firm conviction.

  Leslie looked at her with something resembling pity. “You idiot,” she said softly, “you’ve fallen for the monster, haven’t you?”

  Mia looked away. “That’s none of your business,” she said quietly, examining her fingernails. “I did what needed to be done. He’ll leave, and that’s all there is to it.”

  “You stupid girl,” said Leslie in a contemptuous tone, “you’re nothing to him – less than nothing. He’ll crush you like a bug if you’re anywhere in the vicinity when we attack. Just because he likes to fuck you doesn’t mean he’ll have mercy on you if he learns what you’ve done. He’s slept with hundreds of women just like you – thousands, probably – and you’re nothing special –”

  “You don’t know anything!” interrupted Mia, feeling each word like a stab in the heart. “You’ve never even met him –”

  Leslie’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t need to meet him to know exactly what he’s like – what all of them are like, Mia. They have no regard for us, for human life. We’re just an experiment to them, something they’ve created. As far as they’re concerned, we’re their creatures – theirs to do with as they please. And if it pleases them, they will get rid of us and take over our planet for their own use. And you’re a fool if you think he’s somehow different. He’s as bad as they come – he’s the one who led them here . . .”

  Leslie was right. Mia knew all of that with the rational part of her mind, but her stupid heart refused to get with the program. The knowledge that he would be gone from her life in a few short days was strangely painful, and the thought that he might be harmed in the process made her stomach twist with fear. And yet Leslie was right – he probably would not hesitate to kill her if he learned that her actions had threatened the Ks’ agenda here on Earth.

  She didn’t want to die, but she didn’t think she could kill him, not even in self-defense.

  Taking a deep breath, Mia asked, “When is it happening? How long until the attack takes place?”

  Leslie hesitated, apparently wondering if Mia was still trustworthy.

  “Leslie,” Mia said wearily, “I know what would happen if he found out I was helping you. I won’t warn him. I can’t, not without losing my life in the process. I have no regrets about what I’ve done. Just because I can’t kill someone I’ve been intimate with for the past month doesn’t mean I would betray our cause. I just want to know how much longer I have –”

  “Until tomorrow,” said Leslie. “You have until tomorrow. My advice is to disappear in the morning – get away as far as you can. Don’t pack, don’t do anything to raise his suspicions. Just leave. One way or another, everything will be over by this weekend.”

  * * *

  That evening, Korum came home late, closer to nine o’clock.

  Mia found herself pacing back and forth in the living room starting at five o’clock, unable to sit still or relax in anticipation of what was to come. If Leslie had told her the truth, this would be her last night together with Korum . . . and maybe the last
night she was alive. To maximize her chances of survival, she decided to follow Leslie’s advice about leaving first thing in the morning. Korum would likely be gone from the apartment by then, and she would have a chance to escape – maybe taking the subway to one of the boroughs. The dissolver, as she’d decided to call it, was sitting in her purse, safe and sound. She had no intention of using it on Korum, but it was still good to know that she had something she could defend herself with, in case all hell did break loose on Friday.

  Just to keep herself busy, she went through her closet and tried on a few of her new dresses. Her wardrobe was so large now that many of her clothes still had tags on them, and she had no idea what she owned. Everything fit her perfectly, of course; the shoppers from Saks had done their job. After an hour of trying on one outfit after another, Mia settled on a simple grey sleeveless dress, made of some cotton-silk blend, that hugged her upper body and flared gently from the waist down to her knees. Despite the conservative color and cut, it looked stylish and sexy – as did most of what Mia wore now. To go with the dress, Mia decided to apply some makeup, putting on one coat of mascara and a light dusting of powder. She had no idea why it was suddenly so important to look good tonight, since she didn’t normally obsess over such things, but she wanted to appear particularly attractive to Korum this evening. Finishing the outfit with a pair of strappy black heels, Mia resumed her impatient pacing.

  He had given her a phone number where he could be reached in case she needed him, but Mia had never used it before. As eight o’clock rolled by, however, she seriously contemplated calling him to find out his whereabouts. But that would be so far out of character for her that he might wonder – and she didn’t want to chance his getting suspicious.

  Finally, the door opened at a quarter to nine. He came in, dressed in a simple pair of blue jeans and a black T-shirt. It didn’t matter what he wore, of course; he would have looked stunning in rags. At the sight of her standing there, a wide dimpled smile appeared on his beautiful face, lighting his features and making those amber eyes crinkle at the corners. And then a familiar golden glow lit his gaze.