Page 10 of Kailirex

Loris took the few steps over to his desk, returning with two Mylos data pads. He quickly tapped on their screens and handed us each one.

“There you are. Now, what can I get you? Coffee? Tea? “

Eric and I quickly settled for a matcha latte and bear claw apiece and Loris hurried to the back to get them for us.

“Wow, these are some seriously in depth questions,” Eric murmured. “I have a good feeling about this, as those dating sites never asked most of these.”

“Perfect matches, remember? And they’ve not made a mistake yet.”

“That we know of,” he quipped, winking so I knew he was kidding.

After what seemed forever, and another latte later, Eric finished his questionnaire. I finished right behind him but still had the job application part to fill out. Loris, however, took Eric’s data pad and returned with not one, but two cotton swabs. “Xeranos processes the questionnaire as you answer it, so I might as well run your DNA samples now. The job application is extra, after all.”

I smiled happily, obediently opening my mouth so he could take a cheek swab.

Eric laughed. “Look at you. I finished first, but you are going ahead of me with your sample.”

“Ladies first,” I reminded him as Loris sealed my sample up before opening the container with Eric’s inside.

“Uh huh,” he quipped as soon as Loris was finished with him, already walking away to process them with the machine in the back. “If you see a lady, you let me know.”

I gasped, placing a hand over my heart. “You did not just say that!”

“I did, but you might wanna finish your forms,” he jibed.

I quickly flipped him the bird, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. He was right. I wanted all the answers right now to whether we were getting matched and if I was about to land a dream job or have to go to school to make my TV show dreams come true.

Bells began to ring and Loris hurried over to the console. “Oh my!”

“Congratulations!” a voice said from around us. “You’re both a match!”

“See! I told you!” Eric crowed, standing up and punching the air. “My lucky shirt did it again!”

My heart began thundering in my chest. We’d done it. We’d both gotten matched to Mylos warriors!

“Sis, you okay?” Eric’s concerned face came into my field of view.

“Yeah. Just sort of hit me, ya know? It’s become real.”

“Uh huh. So, you gonna finish that application or what?”

“Before she does, I’ll let Xeranos explain who you’re matched to. One is, as you would say, a VIP,” Loris interjected.

I knew Xeranos was their sentient AI and wow, did it feel slightly unreal to know we were talking to him, and that we’d been matched. No, not unreal, I mentally corrected myself. Hyper-real. Yes, that was it.

“Okay,” Eric replied. “So who are our hubbies?”

“In a crazy coincidence that can only be fate, Stella is mated to Kailirex, our Public Relations officer who happens to be the chief executive for -”

“Playtime Fleet,” I blurted out, having scoured the internet for every scrap of information about the show I could find once I knew they’d not contain mentions of dead kidnap victims. Thank heavens, they’d quickly located both of them safe and sound as well as one of the kidnappers.

“For real? That is wild!” Eric turned to look at me. “You are so getting that job! Hurry up and finish that so they can make it official.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t work like that,” I protested.

“Luckkkyyyyy shirt!” he sang, tugging at the front of it.

“Eric,” Xeranos continued, “You are mated to Lieutenant Piloris, who is in charge of the Fleet’s entire housing arrangements.”

“Does that include guest quarters?” he asked, his eyes glittering with excitement.

“It does,” Loris confirmed.

“And mates are permitted to start businesses?”

“They are,” Xeranos replied.

“Like a motel?”

Loris beamed. “I am certain that the Commander and your mate would love to discuss such a proposition!”

“How are you going to get the capital for that?” I asked him, shaking my head at his nonsense as I filled in the resume part of the application.

“Oh, the Fleet covers all expenses should a business be approved.”

I looked up and stared at Loris, not sure I’d heard him correctly. Eric was looking at him open mouthed. “Seriously?” he finally managed to croak, sitting back down with a thump.

“Seriously,” Xeranos answered, sounding smug.