Forever by Pati Nagle Read Free Book Online Page B

all the potentials before us out in public, and way too tense for chatting about the weather. I could feel Lomen’s presence, like a sphere of warmth radiating from him. I wanted to stay close to that, to bask in it.
    We strolled across campus, passing other students, teachers, staff. I kept noticing couples; mostly boy-girl, but there was one flamboyant pair of girls marching defiantly arm in arm along campus.
    Good for them.
    By the time we crossed Central Avenue and headed into the student ghetto, my feelings had settled down a lot. I was still on edge, and hyper-aware of Lomen, but I was no longer on the verge of meltdown from emotional overload.
    We walked past the first couple of blocks of restaurants and stores, and into the residential area shaded by old elm trees. I led him to my apartment, unlocked the door, and invited him in with a gesture. He gave a small nod and a smile, and went in, looking around the front room.
    A tiny kitchen and a bathroom separated this from my bedroom. It was nothing fancy, but it was in an older building, single-story, with hardwood floors, which I liked. I had dreams of setting it up with classy, streamlined, modern furnishings, but for now the décor was student yard-sale.
    “Want something to drink?” I offered. “Glass of water?”
    “Yes, thank you.”
    “Have a seat.”
    I waved him toward the furniture—a futon couch and a couple of weather-beaten armchairs—and went to the kitchen. My hands shook a little as I put ice into two glasses for us. I filled them with filtered water, reminding myself to breathe slowly.
    Lomen had chosen one of the chairs. He was sitting in it cross-legged, gazing over his shoulder out the front window. The trees outside cast dappled light over the little rectangle of lawn shared by all the apartments in the unit.
    I set the glasses down on the coffee table, moved my laptop to the table I used for a desk, and sat on the futon. Lomen picked up his glass and drank deeply. I watched his throat move as he swallowed, then closed my eyes. If we were going to talk, I had to avoid getting distracted by his body.
    “Yes, we should talk,” he said.
    I reached for my own glass and took a swig, then kept it in my hands. The ice chill kept me focused.
    “I have a question,” Lomen added. “I understand the memory of fear that you showed me, but is such hatred common among humans?”
    I looked at him. “Don’t you watch the news?”
    “On TV? No. I am not very up to date, I fear.”
    “I thought you were fascinated by humans.”
    He gave me a sidelong grin that shot straight to my groin. I took another swig of ice water.
    “I am,” he said, “but until this past year I have not had much to do with humans for several centuries.”
    Jeez.
    “Um, yeah. It’s a big issue for us right now—gay rights. One of the major things our culture is debating. There’s a lot of hate.”
    “I see. Then I understand your caution.”
    “My turn.” I took a deep breath. “Are you gay?”
    He met my gaze. “That description is...limiting, I believe.”
    “You’re bi?”
    He leaned back in his chair, gazing into the distance with a soft smile. “In the course of a long life, one has many opportunities to experiment. There are not many that I have declined.”
    Oh.
    “My general inclination is to have one partner at a time, if that makes a difference.”
    I nodded. One at a time was good for me.
    We fell silent. I stared at my glass. Was I really hoping for a relationship with this...alien being? More and more, I was realizing that’s what he was.
    I felt his gaze. He was waiting for me to make a move.
    That was nice. My looks often attracted the alpha type. Not that I objected to alphas, except that I hadn’t had much luck with them. They never seemed to want what I wanted.
    On the other hand, I couldn’t really call Lomen a beta. He was neither. Or both. He defied classification.
    I glanced at him. He was watching me, a slight smile of amusement on his