Touched by an Alien

whining.
    “You want to see Jeff before we go?” Reader asked quietly.
    “Um, yes but no.”
    He nodded. “Thought something was different between you and Christopher.”
    “God, is it printed on my forehead or something?”
    “No, but I think we’ll deal with it when we’re at the war zone.”
    So that’s what we were calling it. Well, it was going to be accurate. In more ways than one. “Okay, so, who’s going first through the gate?”
    “Me, you follow behind, they’ll tell you when to go.” He put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. “It’ll all work out.”
    “Oh, good. I was worried.”
    He grinned his awesome, cover-boy grin. “If I say it, it’s so.”
    “Thank God you’re coming along then.”

CHAPTER 38
    WE LOADED INTO THE CARS . Christopher got into the front with Reader; I assumed Martini was in the back. I hoped he was sleeping, but probably not with a bunch of adrenaline in him.
    I got into the driver’s seat of our car. This was a nice SUV. Like their clothing, the A-Cs went top-drawer in their vehicles. Lincoln Navigator, top of the line, with, as far as I could tell, a lot of alien extras added on. At least, I didn’t think Navigators came with buttons for Invisibility Cloak or Laser Shield. I was amazed that the clock was normal and also amazed that it said it was only two in the afternoon. Plenty of daylight left for us to die in. Goody.
    “Nice of you guys to buy American,” I said as Lorraine took shotgun and Claudia climbed into the middle seat.
    “Government contracts, you have to love ‘em,” Lorraine said with a grin. The doors slammed. “Okay, give. What happened between you and Christopher?”
    “Nothing.”
    “And you said we couldn’t lie.” Claudia laughed. “You two were standing a lot closer; he’s all upset but differently than before.”
    “Jeff’s out of it for one minute and there’s Christopher, right after his girl.” Lorraine was finding this funny. I doubted Martini was going to share the mirth.
    “I don’t think it was like that.” Well, it was like that, but different. “The implanted memories are affecting us. They made Jeff think I was hating him. I guess they made Christopher think I was interested.”
    “And you being interested probably helped,” Lorraine said dryly. Reader’s carload pulled up to the gate.
    “I’m not. Well, I wasn’t.” Before he’d kissed me. Now there was a part of me that really wanted to know what it would have been like to make violent love the way it had seemed we were going to. The A-Cs standing at the gate motioned, and Reader’s car started through. It was icky to watch—like a slow fade as the car moved. I chose to study the instrument panel.
    “So, who’s the better kisser?” Claudia asked.
    I had to think about it. “They’re both amazingly good. But edge to Jeff.” Possibly more than just an edge. I’d only been kissed by Christopher in one way. But Martini had kissed me in ways I didn’t think were possible. He’d done a lot of things I didn’t think were possible. All of them great.
    “Have you gone all the way with Christopher? I know you did with Jeff, don’t try to lie.” Claudia was giggling.
    “Um, no. We stopped well short of that.” Just barely, but still, we’d stopped.
    “What’s it like with Jeff?” Lorraine didn’t sound as though she was asking scientifically.
    I could lie, but why? “I’ve never been with anyone as great in bed. Ever.”
    “Mental connection too?” Claudia asked, sounding shocked.
    “Um, no, not like you mean. I don’t think humans connect the way you seem to, at least rarely. Besides, I don’t have a lot of mental going on when it’s good, other than please, God, do that again or don’t stop what you’re doing ’cause I’m gonna go over the edge.” I wanted to be in bed with Martini right now more than anything.
    They both cracked up. “I can’t believe Jeff’s that great. Who would’ve guessed?” Claudia was laughing so hard I thought she’d stop breathing.
    “What was Christopher like?” Lorraine asked as she wound down. Reader’s car was through, and we had A-Cs motioning us through just as if we were an airplane about to dock.
    I tried to think about how to answer that. “Overpowering.”
    “Ooooh, sounds hot.” Lorraine looked over her shoulder. “I told you he’d be like that. And I called Jeff right, too.”
    It was just like being with Amy and Sheila. “You don’t seem all that