Free Cosmic Sex by Karen Kelley Page B

six. We can start there.”
    “Do you have food?”
    The girl had started toward one of the racks but turned back around. Before she could answer, a woman a little older than Sherry joined her. The name on her tag said Manager Aims. Her name wasn’t nearly as nice. Kia had a feeling their names suited their personalities.
    “Will you be paying by credit card or check?” Manager asked.
    Kia didn’t know what “credit card” or “check” meant. Maybe she should’ve stayed in the car. “I don’t know these things you talk about.”
    Manager gave Sherry a knowing look before turning back to Kia. “Do you have any way you could pay your bill? You know, coins?”
    Kia shook her head. She didn’t like the way the woman snickered. It sounded very rude. Females on her planet didn’t treat other females as if they were lesser Nerakians. Every woman was equal except for the Elders and their direct descendents, and of course, healers. Lara was a healer, therefore, highly respected. She didn’t think Manager ranked very high.
    “Maybe you have precious gems?” The older woman laughed outright. “You know, diamonds? Rocks? Stones?”
    Kia straightened to her full height of five foot eight inches. “I have promise stones.” She pulled her pouch from her pocket and opened it. Raising her palm, she dumped the contents into her hand.
    Deep purple, brilliant blue and green stones as big as her thumb flashed under the bright lights. Ten sparkling gems. She had more at home, but these were her favorites. Out of these, she liked best the clear ones with yellow and blue colors hidden deep within.
    Manager choked. “Are those real?”
    “Yes.” Her promise stones were quite dazzling. She’d collected them over the years. They were easy to find on her planet, but you did have to know exactly where to look.
    Sherry turned toward Manager. “That princess from another country is visiting. I saw it on the news last night. I didn’t get a good look but she was tall and had dark hair. I bet it’s her,” she whispered.
    Kia wondered if a sudden illness had stricken Sherry that she could no longer speak in a normal tone.
    “So where are her bodyguards?” Manager asked, her eyes narrowing as she glanced around the store.
    “Didn’t you see that show where the princess escaped... ”
    Manager’s eyes grew round. “... and fell in love with the reporter.”
    They talked as if she weren’t there, and now they stared at her as if she were an alien. Oh, right, she was an alien. A frown furrowed her forehead. But they didn’t know she was from another planet.
    “Uh,” Sherry began. “Where exactly are you from?”
    Kia doubted they would have heard of her planet. She didn’t see the harm in mentioning the name of her home. “I’m from Nerak.”
    The younger woman jumped up and down. “It sounds foreign! I knew you were from another country!”
    The older woman still looked skeptical. “There’s a jewelry store next door. Do you mind if I take one of your... stones in for a quick appraisal? Just so we’ll know how to adjust your bill.”
    Kia didn’t like her attitude, but the younger woman was bobbing her head up and down until Kia thought it might come unhinged. She held out her hand and the woman took one of her clear stones. As soon as she went out the door, Sherry turned back to her.
    “You might want to put them away for safekeeping.”
    Sherry eyed another customer, the woman who came in right before Kia. She seemed interested in their conversation. The woman quickly turned away when she was caught eavesdropping.
    Kia returned her stones to the pouch and tucked them away in her pocket.
    “Why don’t we look at some clothes? I’m sure there won’t be a problem with payment. I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name... ”
    “Kia.”
    Sherry covertly looked around the interior. “No last name,” she whispered. “I understand.”
    Last name. Of course, the woman called Manager had more than one name. On Nerak