Alien in the Family

else. He’s been to C.I.A. headquarters a lot. Every time, he’s charming to the women, nice to the men who aren’t his peers, and pissed off with me and anyone who technically has a higher rank than he does.”
    “So?”
    “So, he could have landed any woman there. He’s got a lot more charm than me, and every woman I work with and around thinks he’s great-looking and would give their right arm for a shot at going out with him.”
    “Are you telling me I should be worried?”
    He laughed. “Not about his eye wandering, no. He really is a very focused individual. I’ve seen his ‘everything’s great, no worries’ act. It’s just that, an act. But because he’s focused and you’re the one he’s focused on, he’s going to be putting that energy into making you happy.”
    “Is that bad?” I was wondering where Chuckie was going with this.
    “No.” He sounded exasperated. “But he’s only known you a year. I have half our lives’ experience. I can say without a doubt that it would take you quite a while to adjust to my lifestyle. Could you? Sure, because I know the things to do to make you feel right about it—we come from very similar backgrounds—and I’m fairly unostentatious. Martini is too. However, he grew up with a father who showered his wife with everything and lived on a huge estate. He comes from royalty, for God’s sake, and even though he didn’t know it, clearly Alfred’s imitated that lifestyle as much as he could within Earth-American standards.”
    “I guess.”
    Chuckie made another sound of exasperation. “The clothes you’ve been in, as an example—how comfortable are you in them?”
    I thought about it. “Well, I like that Jeff thinks they’re really sexy.”
    “And I saw your expression when you looked at the price tags. You were ready to cut a vein open. You look sexy in a concert T-shirt, Kitty. You just woke up and were sleeping in your dress and a man’s jacket, you have total bed hair, and you’re still sexy.”
    “Gee, um, thanks.” I started to get up to brush my hair, but he pulled me back down.
    “I’ve seen it. For years. We lived next door in the dorms, remember? Hell, even when you joined the sorority and moved in there, you looked like this half the time when I came by.”
    “Yeah, I always liked to look my best. Fine, point made. And, yeah, I love these clothes, but I wouldn’t want an entire wardrobe of them.”
    “Right. You love them because they’re a special indulgence. He may be an empath, but unless you set the stage right away for how you want to live, long-term, he’s going to err on the side of extravagance, and that’s going to cause major marital issues for the two of you down the road.”
    “Why are you telling me this?”
    He shook his head. “Because I love you, idiot. You chose him over me, fine, I’m a big boy, have to learn to deal, but, hey, I’m still around should he screw up. Of course, he chose you over ruling an entire solar system. Let’s be real—first the guy saves you at the last moment from a raving sociopath by running over a hundred miles and turning himself into the Hulk, and next he passes up total galaxy domination for you. There is no way I can ever up his ante, and he’s not even doing it in competition with me—he’s doing it because he loves you so much.”
    “Sometimes I think he thinks he’s competing with you.”
    “He’s jealous as hell, yeah. Can’t blame him, really. Even the gay guys drool over you.”
    “James doesn’t drool.”
    “Right. Put it this way: I can understand why Martini and Gower wonder about the two of you.”
    “Humph.”
    “Play coy; it’s cute, and doesn’t fool me.” He hugged me. “I love you, okay? Yeah, romantically, but also as a friend. And that’s all I’m getting, the friend part. So, as your friend, instead of letting you make a mistake that could cause that ‘mating for life’ idea to seem passé, I’m giving you the talk your parents can’t, because they have no experience like this, and the one your other friends won’t because they aren’t aware it’s an issue.”
    I hugged him back. “Okay, fine. And thanks. I’ll make sure to get the ground rules on extravagance set early, okay?”
    Chuckie kissed my forehead. “Good.” He let me go. “Now go get changed, and please, God, brush your hair. I promised Reader I’d get you over to him once you were up and functioning.”
    “I thought you said I looked sexy like