In the peace and quiet of the luxury hotel suite (the hotel screwed up the reservation, thus giving Claire an whopping upgrade as compensation), she lolled in the bed while Aarien amused herself with all things Earth. She marveled at all gadgetry the phone, TV, radio, computers but Aarien noted that on her home planet of Edev such communication devices are far more advanced. The Edevian commander especially loved the hotel, an historical structure dating back the 1920's. Claire explained the decor very Art Deco and that they were only staying the weekend.
"My original plans," she explained to Aarien, "were to come here for the weekend. Go shopping, do some site-seeing, just hang out. After Sunday it's back home to pack up my stuff and move on."
This morning over contential breakfast (Aarien fell in love with French roast coffee and chocolate croissants) Claire explained reasons behind her "running away from home." She told the lovely Edevian all about her struggles with her parents, her reawakening in college, the short-circuited career plans, and of course the forced engagement to Van Allen. She told Aarien that her parents ran the show, so to speak, and that she had no say-so in any of the wedding plans. Claire literally cried in her coffee when she explained why her folks nixed Pansie as maid of honor, and the resultant decision to call off the wedding.
"If I hadn't found that crystal," said Claire, "I guess I'd be arguing with my mother over this and that wedding plan. Everything I wanted, they said 'NO'. I couldn't choose my own gown, cake, music, anything. I guess that crystal must've given me the courage to say 'I want out', and I did walk away from a life that was not of my choosing."
Aarien, while not totally understanding Earth ways, sympathized with Claire. Never on Edev were such independent, free-thinking women held back because they were different. Heck, on her planet ALL women are free and gay. And that is what Aarien told Claire when explaining life on Edev.
"If you were on my planet, then you wouldn't have to put up with such nonsense." She poured another cup of coffee her fourth! looked at Claire with loving eyes, then continued. "On Edev, all the power rests with the women. We have a queen, a parliament, much like the one in the 'UK' as you described. We don't have a regular army but keep a militia just in case..."
She stopped for a few moments, her mind traveling back to a tragic period in her life. Claire thought she saw tears well in the alien's eyes. Gently resting her hand in Aarien's, Claire said, "Go on, tell me. Darelia said your lover died. What happened?"
Aarien, gathering her thoughts, forced back tears as she further explained gender roles on Edev.
"As I said, Edev is ruled by women. Men serve in a completely subservient capacity. They are lackeys, 'gophers', domestics, secondary workers. Now I supposed you have, after last night's coupling, safely guessed that Edevian women are all...what is the Earth word?"
"Lesbians," replied Claire. "Named after Lesbos, that's an island in Greece, another Earth nation. Lesbos was the home of Sappho, an ancient Greek poet who was also homosexual. It is said she threw herself off a cliff after her lover died."
"Oh, how sad," commented Aarienm flicking a stray strand of gleaming blonde hair out of her face. "Well, getting back to life on my planet. The women are all, as you say, lesbians. But we don't have relations as you do on Earth. There is no physical contact, not much direct stimulation. We...umm...'do it' mentally. Oh, we do the kissing and similar physical contact, but there is no invasiveness. Like when I coupled with you. Did you notice the light coming from my body?"
Claire, with delicious delight, nodded, remembering how that light seemed to engulf her, causing her body to go into intensive, total orgasm.
"Well," said Aarien, "that's one of our sexual responses. But there is so much more I can teach you. There is the Mental Orgasmic Burst, what we did last night. And there is the Instant Ecstasy Blast, which I will show you later today, that is if you want to..."
Claire's eyes lit up like a Roman candle. So much to learn from this woman, and she partially owed it all to her parents. Well, if Mama and Daddy hadn't browbeaten her so after she told them she wanted Pansie as her maid of honor, then she wouldn't have taken that walk. She wouldn't have decided to go home instead of sitting through another argument over the guest list. And she wouldn't have found that crystal.
Hey, she forgot to ask Aarien about the crystal, and other pertinent facts about Edev. If the planet is so populous, the woman are all gay, and the men in subservient positions, then HOW is reproduction accomplished? Test tube? Claire asked just that.
To which Aarien laughed uproarious, a deep throaty sound that set Claire on fire.
"Oh, my darling Claire. Let me explain it this way: Edevian men are NOT allowed to touch us. No way! And yes, we have babies, and it's done via 'test tube'. The men are required to donate their seed once a month. The seed is implanted into the woman. Pregnancy on Edev is pretty much the same as with Earth women. Nine of your Earth months."
Then, "Imyn's Crystal is my most prized possession. Almost every Edevian woman has one. It's named for our chief deity, and it has the power to induce profound sexual fantasies resulting in immediate orgasm. It also acts as a source of empowerment to those who feel...umm...depressed or troubled."
"Like," said Claire, "how I felt when I picked up the thing. I really believe handling that crystal gave me the courage to stand up to my folks, call off the wedding, and give myself a fresh start."
And so it did.
°°°°°°
Claire never pressed Aarien about the dead lover, believing it was best not to bring up the subject again. But she wanted to know, especially since Darelia told her that Aarien had been a deep pit of despair ever since the tragedy.
They Aarien and her lover must've been that close, thought Claire, or else Aarien wouldn't have grieved so.
Early this morning, Darelia, upon visiting the ladies in the hotel, and bringing her commander changes of clothes and "earth money", promised to tell Claire what happened. But she cautioned Claire to ask Aarien first. After all, the lovely Edevian commander has to bring her mourning to a close, and finding a new love in Claire could be just the thing Aarien needed to begin life anew.
So, thought Claire, here we are, two women from vastly different worlds, each searching for something feared long lost. Well, I've been trying to get up the courage to free myself from my parents' narrowness, their bigotry, their total control over my life. I almost married a man I didn't love, threw away a promising law career, forced to surpress all that newfound independence and openmindedness.
And Aarien, a woman from a matriarchal planet, recently losing a cherished lover and going through unimaginable grief. She said she and her crew were seeking out new energy resources, but their ship got blown off course. She told me that she was really seeking something else, that she had this weird feeling something wonderful was about to happen. Well, she found me, and I found her. Now the real test comes: What will happen once my parents or Van discovers I'm downtown, spending time with a lesbian alien?
°°°°°°
Therefore, while waiting on word from the bank, Van hired Derek Ballard, a private detective renown for getting instant and confidential results via shady methods.
Armed with a complete description of Claire and her car, the detective assured Van that Claire would be found.
"If she's still in town," said Ballard, a tall, handsome dark-haired man in his late thirties, "then finding her will be a snap. I assume when and if I find her..."
Van Allen, sweeping his chubby hand through his thinning hair, said rather impatiently, "Just let me know where she is, that's all. Do not approach her as she might take off. Take pictures, ask her friends if they've seen her...Oh!"
Suddenly remembering an important piece to the puzzle, Van suggested as he hastily scribbled a phone number and address, "Here's where you can start looking. Her name is Pansie...I can't remember her last name. She's one of Claire's friends from high school. She's also quite prominent in the gay community. Press her for details and don't take 'No' for an answer."
Van ripped off the sheet from the memo pad and handed it to Ballard. He then said before the detective left, "Oh, Mr. Ballard. If Pansie should give you a hard time, report to me immediately. I have ways of dealing with HER kind!"
To be continued...Go To Chapter 5
Copyright©2004 by Pepper Shriver* (PRP)
*My pen name :-)