MIRANDA

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" Standing in the hallway on the third floor, I cross my arms as Captain Cole avoids my gaze.

"Miranda. Please don't make this more difficult than it needs to be."

"Difficult? Who's being difficult? I just want to make sure I heard you correctly. You want me to give a tour of the ship to a member of the Schovali race?"

Cole scratches his head. "Is that really so bad? You're the one who wanted to be involved in this process."

He can't be fucking serious. This is rich. Here I am again being diminished. "Oh, please give me a little bit more respect than that. I want to be involved in the treaty signing. I'm an engineer, Cole. I'm not a damn hostess."

Cole's eyes narrow. "Miranda, it's not up to me who attends the treaty signing."

This is news to me. I search his face, looking for evidence of a lie, but knowing I won't find any. There's a reason Cole got to where he is. He's adept at manipulating people to get what he wants.

It's one of the reasons I admire him. It's also one of the reasons he drives me nuts.

"So, who decides who attends the signing?"

Cole leans in. "He does."

I blink. "He? Who's he?"

"The Schovali man you'll be giving the tour to." He glances down at his watch. "Listen we need to get moving. He's already waiting."

"He's here?"

"Yes, and if you want to be part of the signing so badly, then this is your opportunity to get there."

I can think of a few other ways to get there, blackmailing being at the top of my list. The Ghengors are back and not only does no one on the ship know, but Cole has been keeping this secret from them. Cole picks up on my thoughts.

"And if you're going to mention what you illegally overheard, please bear in mind, that the Schovalis have asked us to keep it a secret in order to avoid a panic."

"People have a right to know, Cole."

"And in due time, they will find out." His voice drops so low I have to lean in to hear him. "But right now, if you announce that the Ghengors are back, it could start a riot, and it could demolish our business relationship with the Schovalis.

I'm annoyed that he has a point.

"Miranda, you're one of the hardest working people I know. You chose this profession because you want to help people. You want to advance civilization. I understand that you feel taken advantage of, and I apologize for that, but we need to look at the bigger picture."

The bigger picture. I'm just a cog in a machine, one wheel that rotates, turning in circles to keep things moving. I hate how well Cole knows me. If I destroyed the possibility of humans formulating a relationship with the Schovalis, I'd never forgive myself.

Not to mention that it would probably destroy any future chance of a career in space.

I can only imagine the history books. "Americans almost befriended aliens until Miranda Chase destroyed it all." Cole is right. For once maybe I need to put my ego behind me. It's just a simple tour.

I can smile for an hour and put on some charm if it means getting to be at the treaty singing. History is in the process of happening, and I want to be on the right side of it.

"Fine. I'll keep the 'g-word' to myself."

"Great. Now why don't you go change and meet me on the meeting deck in twenty."

I'm dressed in my usual clothes, jeans and a top. "What's wrong with my outfit?"

Cole hesitates. "The Schovalis are...traditional."

"Traditional? Oh, you mean they're sexist?"

"Miranda—"

"Fine. I'll dress like a lady. But I'm going to get invited to that treaty signing."

He nods. "I'm sure you will. And maybe wear a dress."

A dress. Captain Cole knows the only dress I have is the one we were required to bring for our fancy events, which only happens once or twice a year. Men wear tuxedos and women wear...this.

It's a floor length evening gown that sparkles in the mirror. My ankle is much better, but there's no way in hell I'm wearing heels. Not if I have to be on my feet for an hour. I slide into a pair of tennis shoes but pause as I approach the door.

My favorite pendant is on the nightstand. I slip it on, twirling the charm in my fingers. The photograph of my mom is inside, the last one I took of her. She was the person who encouraged me to pursue my dream of working in space, and it's her advice that drives me.

People will try to stop you from pursuing your goals, but let it make you work even harder.

I wish I could tell her that for once, people aren't the problem. Aliens are.

***

The meeting deck is located on the northern part of the ship, and it's where other ships can dock and connect to ours. There are no windows so I can't see his ship, but I know from photos it's massive. Mitchell glares at me as I step off the lift. "You're late."

"And you're here. Why are you here?"

He rolls his eyes and pauses when he catches sight of my sneaker poking out from under my dress. "Really? You couldn't have even worn heels?"

"Sprained ankle, remember?"

"You're walking fine," Mitchell grunts.

I feign a limp. "No, I'm actually in a lot of pain."

"You're so—"

"Awesome? Motivated? Charming?"

"And this is Miranda Chase"

I spin around at the sound of Cole's voice. The Schovali man is standing behind him. He's taller than I expected, his skin a dark purple. He has a sharp jawline and excellent posture. I've studied a lot about the Schovali race, and he's definitely one of the more attractive men I've seen.

In a weird way, he reminds of a young George Clooney, or maybe I'm just in love with Clooney, who knows? His eyes land on me, and his gaze is intense but interested. A purple George Clooney indeed.

Compared to me, he's practically wearing pajamas and it dawns on me how ridiculous I look. His green eyes land on me. Are they glowing or am I imagining that?

"Miranda Chase," Cole starts, "This is—"

"Draek." The Schovali male lifts his chin into the air and peers down at me. Traditional, my ass. He's looking at me like a piece of meat.

I offer him my hand and turn on a wide smile. "Nice to meet you, Draek. I'm so happy to be able to give you a tour of our premises today."

Draek glares at my hand as if I've just flicked him off. He keeps his hands behind his back and avoids meeting my gaze. Okay then. He's a dick. This should be fun.

Draek turns to Cole. "Leave us."

Whoa, okay then. Mitchell's expression is satisfying. I'm suddenly above him in the pecking order. Agreeing to this was definitely a good idea.

Mitchell opens his mouth to say something, but Cole shoots him a glare. "Enjoy your tour." He gives Draek a small bow which I find odd. "Miranda." His tone implies that I need to keep my shit together.

My smile is sarcastic. "Gentlemen."

Mitchell and Cole share a skeptical look, and it takes everything inside me not to laugh. They're probably freaking out right now. The idea that a Schovali man wanted me to give him a tour instead of them is amusing. Not only that, but by being here alone, I'm representing all of humanity to the Schovali race with zero supervision.

As Mitchell and Cole walk away, Draek studies me speculatively. "Is this your normal human attire?"

"Not exactly. Why? You like it?"

He shakes his head. "It's too sparkly. But it hugs your hips well."

Okay. That's a fucking weird thing to say, but the Schovali race aren't known for their social skills. If anything, they're known for their honesty and directness. At least he didn't say "big" hips.

"All right, if you'll follow me, we can get started. I was thinking I could show you where people work first, and then I could show you the communal living space first. It will give you a good idea of how we work as a society."

His expression is stoic and nonresponsive. What is he thinking? I continue when he stays silent.

"And then I can show you where the treaty signing will take place. That's so exciting." He doesn't catch my drift. Fuck it. "Is it true you're the person who decides who gets to attend?"

"No."

I fucking knew it. Cole was lying!

"You're not the person who decides who attends the ceremony?"

"No, I am."

Huh? His expression still hasn't shifted and is still unreadable. Seriously, what is he thinking? And his tone is flat, hard to read. There's something familiar about his voice though, and I can't pinpoint it.

"You are the person who decides who attends?"

"Yes."

Jesus Christ, this is like pulling teeth. "So, why did you say no?"

"Because I do not want to tour those places."

I press my lips together. "Where would you like to tour then?"

"The breeding rooms."

"Excuse me?"

His eyes travel down my body. "The rooms where the humans mate."

Do the Schovalis have some type of fetish I missed in the textbooks? I scratch my head. "Those are private spaces, so unfortunately we can't go there."

"Let me see your room."

I cross my arms to cover my cleavage and narrow my eyes at him. "No."

"You dare say no to me?"

I laugh at his response.

Draek's eyes widen, and it's the first readable sign he's given me. He looks annoyed, and I'm happy about it. Draek is more than just rude. He's inappropriate—and I get that there's cultural differences but come on.

"Are you joking?"

"I do not joke."

"Well, you're quite funny, you should know." My sarcasm goes right over his head. The Schovalis' directness makes them incapable of catching subtle hints like that. It's not in their culture.

"So we can see your bedroom?"

"No Draek. I'm your tour guide, so I decide where we go."

He blinks, the vertical motion disorienting, but I don't notice it as much as the how the green color suddenly glows. This time I'm sure I'm not imagining it. The green is glowing like sea moss sparkling in moonlight. "I have offended you."

It's a statement, not a question. "Yes."

"That is not my intention Miranda Chase."

I can tell he's genuine, so I offer him my hand. "All right, let's get a restart, shall we?"

He stares at my palm and cocks his head.

"You shake my hand. It's like a pact," I state.

"Handshakes are a sign of respect in your culture," Draek says slowly, looking at my hand.

"Yeah." When he doesn't shake my hand, I lower it.

"I cannot shake your hand, Miranda Chase."

This is starting to piss me off. "Because you don't respect me?"

"As I also do not lie, all I can say is that I do not have respect for you in the way you would like. I respect you as a human woman, but our race sees women as on a tier below us, human or not."

And there's my answer. There's no way in hell this man is going to invite me to the treaty signing.

"You know what? I think this was a mistake. I think I can find you a different tour guide."

"But I want you to be my tour guide Miranda Chase."

My sigh is endless. "Why do you want me to give you a tour, Draek?"

"You are Miranda Chase. Head engineer. Skilled and intelligent. The top of your field."

My shoulders relax. "Well you could have started with that." I take a breath and with it, I take a risk. "Okay, I'll give you a tour. But no private rooms...and I want to be invited to the treaty signing."

He doesn't even hesitate. "Agreed."

"A-agreed?" I stutter. "As in yes? I can come to the treaty signing?"

"That is what I said, Miranda Chase."

My laugh is more out of shock than anything. Well that was easier than I expected. "You have yourself a deal." I almost offer him my hand but catch myself. He doesn't have to respect me, but hey as long as I'm invited, I'm in. "Oh, and one thing."

"Yes, Miranda Chase?"

"It's just Miranda, okay?" I smile.

His green eyes glow again. "Okay, Miranda."