laugh, nor did they correct her.
“Oh my God, when were you planning on explaining this to me? Or were you just going to let me find out on my own, most likely embarrassing myself in the process?”
“We most certainly did discuss this with you, on the way home from the spaceport.” Loban looked from her to the other two with obvious confusion.
“You most certainly have not made your position in this society clear to me!” she declared, crossing her arms around her middle while struggling to breathe normally.
“Swaya, please don’t get so upset. I truly thought you understood that we are leaders of our people.” Garfor lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the lake with Rork and Loban keeping pace.
He set her down on the blanket spread out on the sand. She wrapped a towel around herself as the men knelt next to her. Garfor handed her a container of fruit juice from the basket they’d brought with them. Megan took a couple of deep swallows as her mind raced. She remembered the formality Garfor had used when introducing himself, and the behavior of the waitress and security personnel on Earth. In the car, Rork had talked about how they settled disputes and were protectors, and Loban had discussed how they owned the land. They hadn’t referred to themselves with titles, but many times had referred to ‘our people’. How had she missed the implication of them using that term?
“We’re from different worlds. Stuff that’s normal, regular to you, is completely foreign to me and vice versa. If we can’t communicate effectively, it’ll never work between us.” Megan looked pointedly at each of them. She had no idea how women on this planet behaved, but she wasn’t a shrinking violet. This was an issue of utmost importance and it needed to be addressed.
“You’re absolutely right,” Loban agreed. “When you told us about your democratic society last night during dinner, we should have been specific about how ours differs.”
“It’s going to take time for us to learn fully about each other,” Rork stated.
“I know it is, but I think we need to make an effort to hit the high points. I’ve tried my best to explain how I’m struggling to come to terms with the intensity of my feelings for the three of you, and the morality of my actions.”
“Yes you have, and in turn, we’ve been doing our very best to share our emotions with you.” Garfor took her hand. “Swaya, being in a relationship is a new experience for us. We’re going to make mistakes along the way.”
“God knows so will I, but hiding things from each other is never going to end well. If it’s customary for you to host people when you get home, you should have just told me.”
“We made a decision based on what we felt was best for our situation,” said Rork.
“But I’m one fourth of the ‘our’, Rork. If an issue affects all of us, don’t you think it’s reasonable that I’m involved in the process of dealing with it?”
“Megan, the desire, the need to take care of and protect our swaya, is a fundamental part of who we are. Because of your honesty, we realized having the gala four days ago would have been uncomfortable for you.”
“Meeting an entire community is still pretty daunting today,” she admitted. “Since we’re breaking with tradition, what reason did you give for delaying the party?
“The truth,” Rork answered.
Heat infused her cheeks as she stared at the three men. “Which is what? That you brought home an alien trollop and have been shacked up, fucking her, for four days?”
“With great pride, we let a few people know we have been blessed to find our swaya, and wanted to keep you all to ourselves for a little while.” Garfor spoke slowly, with a definite edge of warning in his tone.
“Sounds to me as if you’re doing your very best to take the decision you told me I had the power to make, the one about my future, right out of my hands.”
“That wasn’t our intent,”
“Oh my God, when were you planning on explaining this to me? Or were you just going to let me find out on my own, most likely embarrassing myself in the process?”
“We most certainly did discuss this with you, on the way home from the spaceport.” Loban looked from her to the other two with obvious confusion.
“You most certainly have not made your position in this society clear to me!” she declared, crossing her arms around her middle while struggling to breathe normally.
“Swaya, please don’t get so upset. I truly thought you understood that we are leaders of our people.” Garfor lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the lake with Rork and Loban keeping pace.
He set her down on the blanket spread out on the sand. She wrapped a towel around herself as the men knelt next to her. Garfor handed her a container of fruit juice from the basket they’d brought with them. Megan took a couple of deep swallows as her mind raced. She remembered the formality Garfor had used when introducing himself, and the behavior of the waitress and security personnel on Earth. In the car, Rork had talked about how they settled disputes and were protectors, and Loban had discussed how they owned the land. They hadn’t referred to themselves with titles, but many times had referred to ‘our people’. How had she missed the implication of them using that term?
“We’re from different worlds. Stuff that’s normal, regular to you, is completely foreign to me and vice versa. If we can’t communicate effectively, it’ll never work between us.” Megan looked pointedly at each of them. She had no idea how women on this planet behaved, but she wasn’t a shrinking violet. This was an issue of utmost importance and it needed to be addressed.
“You’re absolutely right,” Loban agreed. “When you told us about your democratic society last night during dinner, we should have been specific about how ours differs.”
“It’s going to take time for us to learn fully about each other,” Rork stated.
“I know it is, but I think we need to make an effort to hit the high points. I’ve tried my best to explain how I’m struggling to come to terms with the intensity of my feelings for the three of you, and the morality of my actions.”
“Yes you have, and in turn, we’ve been doing our very best to share our emotions with you.” Garfor took her hand. “Swaya, being in a relationship is a new experience for us. We’re going to make mistakes along the way.”
“God knows so will I, but hiding things from each other is never going to end well. If it’s customary for you to host people when you get home, you should have just told me.”
“We made a decision based on what we felt was best for our situation,” said Rork.
“But I’m one fourth of the ‘our’, Rork. If an issue affects all of us, don’t you think it’s reasonable that I’m involved in the process of dealing with it?”
“Megan, the desire, the need to take care of and protect our swaya, is a fundamental part of who we are. Because of your honesty, we realized having the gala four days ago would have been uncomfortable for you.”
“Meeting an entire community is still pretty daunting today,” she admitted. “Since we’re breaking with tradition, what reason did you give for delaying the party?
“The truth,” Rork answered.
Heat infused her cheeks as she stared at the three men. “Which is what? That you brought home an alien trollop and have been shacked up, fucking her, for four days?”
“With great pride, we let a few people know we have been blessed to find our swaya, and wanted to keep you all to ourselves for a little while.” Garfor spoke slowly, with a definite edge of warning in his tone.
“Sounds to me as if you’re doing your very best to take the decision you told me I had the power to make, the one about my future, right out of my hands.”
“That wasn’t our intent,”
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