Alien in the Family

be winning. One of them looked over his shoulder, spotted me, grinned, winked, and nudged his buddy. Who also turned around and gave me the grin-wink combo. I felt myself blush.
    Reader sighed. “Focus, girlfriend, focus. We have a goal. Gambling later. Wardrobe now. Flirting with guys not in our expanded circle never.”
    “Okay. So, low neckline why?”
    He laughed. “Because you have a great rack. And this is the best time to show it off. Besides, it’ll make Jeff happy.”
    “It will?”
    “Trust me.”
    As we headed toward the side of the casino that connected to the mall area I felt someone watching me. I looked over my shoulder. There were a lot of people there, but no one really stood out. I looked at the craps table. The two hunks weren’t there any more, so it wasn’t them.
    “I told you to stop flirting with strangers.”
    “I’m not. I felt someone watching me. Us, probably,” I added. After all, of the two of us, the one more likely to get stared at was the former top male model. I looked around again to see if someone was staring at Reader and just including me in the eyeballing. But again, no one stood out.
    “You’ve just got pre-wedding jitters,” Reader said as we got to the escalators that took you out of the casino and to the mall that connected the Mandalay Bay with the Luxor.
    We got off the escalator, and the reason for my feeling we were being watched appeared. “Nice to see you folks again,” Mister Joel Oliver said cheerfully as he snapped a few shots of us.
    I wasn’t quite sure what to do. Reader was. He stopped, still holding onto me, and flashed the cover-boy grin. “Smile, girlfriend.”
    “Why?” I asked as I did as I was told.
    Oliver sighed and lowered the camera. “Because happy, smiling, and clearly posing people aren’t interesting shots.” He gave Reader an impressed look. “I understand why you ‘retired,’ but really, the fashion magazines of the world are missing you.”
    “I’m flattered,” Reader said, still smiling the smile that put everyone else’s to shame. “But leave us alone or I’ll call Security on you. No cameras in the casinos.”
    Oliver shrugged. “We’re not in the casino. Besides, you being here is gonna be great publicity soon. I can see the headlines: Alien Conspiracy Heats Up Vegas.”
    I was glad Reader had a firm grasp on me, because I wanted to tackle this guy to the ground. “You’re high.”
    Oliver shook his head. “Nope. Keep fighting the good fight, though.”
    “What fight would that be?”
    “Protecting the weak and the helpless from the evil from outer space. I mean, that’s your group’s stated mission, isn’t it?”
    I wondered where Chuckie, or my mother, might be and whether I could get them to arrest this man. Then again, I’d had a lot of training in how to treat someone who sounded like a loon. Just talk to him the way most of the people we’d gone to school with talked to Chuckie.
    I laughed. “Dude, you’re crazy. No wonder you work for the world’s worst tabloid. You probably still live with your mother. In her basement.” I nudged Reader. “Let’s leave the conspiracy loon alone with his theories.”
    “Sounds good.” Reader stopped smiling and hailed someone. Someone in a uniform that had Security in big yellow letters on it. “This man’s accosting us, sir, I think to take pictures of your slot machines.”
    The security guard moved in, and Oliver moved on. “Good one,” he called after us. “I’ll see the two of you again. Soon.”
    “Well, that was fun. Maybe this was a bad idea.”
    “Nope. Tim gave us all the intel on that guy before you and Jeff got to the briefing. Reynolds is researching him. He’ll be neutralized or defanged soon, I’m sure.”
    “Neutralized? As in killed?” My voice squeaked.
    “I doubt it. Stop worrying. Let’s shop and get your mind onto relaxing things, like spending Jeff’s money.”
    I decided Reader was right and spent the walk to the shop he’d spotted trying to relax. I did this mostly by window-shopping, which Reader was happy to let me do. We strolled along, looking at all the glittery things that insinuated I should save them from a life of boredom in the shops and take them home to a life of adventure in my closet. Considering what seemed to go on in my closet, maybe I had an obligation to bring the Elves something from Vegas.
    The only time I’d ever shopped in these stores was when I’d been here with Chuckie. Not all of