Alien Valentine: Cosmic Connections Read online

  ALIEN VALENTINE

  A Cosmic Connections Story

  Starr Huntress

  &

  Sonia Nova

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1 - Maya

  CHAPTER 2 - Kreoz

  CHAPTER 3 - Maya

  CHAPTER 4 - Kreoz

  CHAPTER 5 - Maya

  CHAPTER 6 - Kreoz

  CHAPTER 7 - Maya

  CHAPTER 8 - Kreoz

  CHAPTER 9 - Maya

  CHAPTER 10 - Kreoz

  CHAPTER 11 - Maya

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  ARE YOU A STARR HUNTRESS?

  MORE SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

  ALIEN VALENTINE

  Copyright © 2017 by Sonia Nova

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This book is a work of fiction intended for mature audiences only. Names, characters, places, and events are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Published by Starr Huntress & Sonia Nova

  www.starrhuntress.com

  www.sonianova.com

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  CHAPTER 1

  MAYA

  Valentine’s Day… The day of lovers, gifts, chocolate, and –

  For God’s sake! Maya stopped right in her tracks, staring as yet another guy fell down on one knee before a woman in the park. She’d already seen one man proposing to his girlfriend earlier that day, and she hadn’t expected to see another.

  The city sure was busy this day…

  It was just her luck to have gotten the day off…

  Couples walked all around her in the streets, holding hands and laughing about together. The last touches of snow from the winter had melted away and the city park was starting to green back into life. Birds chirped and the sun shone happily above.

  It was a perfect day for going out and taking some time off from her dreadful office job.

  …If only it wasn’t Valentine’s Day.

  Maya sighed, taking a determined step in the opposite direction from the happy, newly engaged couple as she started walking toward the shopping street – a little detour wouldn’t matter just as long as she got away from the people.

  It wasn’t her first Valentine’s Day alone, and she was sure it wouldn’t be her last. But, as she glanced back once more at the newly engaged couple – unable to stop herself – she couldn’t help but feel more alone than ever.

  Especially knowing that while she hit the city on a shopping spree, all of her friends were on dates or snuggling their beaus under blankets at home.

  She wasn’t upset that she had a day off. She basically lived at her job and although it paid her alright, the only silver lining it had was the possible promotion in the future – and even that one wasn’t guaranteed.

  As it was, she could only take so many angry customers calling in about their computers not working before she wanted to throw the phone out the window.

  No, she wasn’t upset she had the day off. She was upset her day off happened to be Valentine’s.

  Pulling out her phone, she checked it for messages.

  Nothing.

  Not even a greeting from her mother although she’d texted her earlier that day, asking how she was doing.

  Not that she was really surprised.

  Her friends weren’t the only ones spending time with their boyfriends. Her own mother had managed to get luckier than her this Valentine’s and she probably didn’t even notice the message Maya had sent, too busy dining out with the bank manager she’d met online.

  Sliding her phone back into her pocket, Maya was glad to find herself at the shopping street. This was exactly what she needed – distraction.

  Walking into a coffee shop, Maya sucked her bottom lip between her teeth in thought as she considered what to buy.

  She’d treat herself, she decided, ordering a coffee and some chocolate. She was worth it; she just needed to remind herself of it.

  Maybe she would have been better off just being stuck at work for the day.

  She frowned at herself for even thinking so. She most definitely was not better off working that day. Shaking her head, she reminded her inner self that it was better to be alone than at that god forsaken office.

  Leaving the coffee shop, she resigned to the idea of her lonely plans. She’d get home, put on a movie, maybe do some yoga, and try to ignore how happy the rest of the world was.

  Maya sighed, realizing she was starting to sound almost bitter.

  But somehow, not even the fact that she had just put a down payment on a nice house in an almost-decent neighborhood could cheer her up on this day. Nor the possible promotion she’d been fighting to get.

  Lifting her coffee cup to her lips to take a sip, a sudden blast of wind almost knocked it out of her fingers. Her hair flew in front of her eyes, and before she had time to react or even see what was happening, a piece of bright pink paper smacked her right in the face.

  Maya dropped her coffee in surprise, pulling the paper off her face as the wind kept trying to push it against her.

  Stepping away from her spilled coffee, she looked over the flyer.

  ‘Lonely?’ the top of the flyer said.

  Maya scoffed and rolled her eyes, picking up the coffee cup and tossing it into the nearest trash can.

  She began to ball up the flyer when a sudden thought stopped her. She was lonely. And, although she couldn’t understand why, something just felt wrong about throwing the paper away without even giving it a read.

  Sighing, Maya straightened the slip of paper back out and continued to read.

  ‘The stars may be aligned for you! Come to Cosmic Connections and find your true love TODAY!’

  Beneath was an address and a cheesy clipart illustration of hearts, cupids, and, for some odd reason, planets – likely for the ‘Cosmic’ part of it.

  Maya rolled her eyes. She wanted to throw the paper away again, to get rid of the offending little thing. Did people actually fall for this shit?

  She could still understand online dating, but traditional matchmaking agencies were just beyond her scope of comprehension. Even less could she understand herself though, when she found herself walking toward the address on the flyer.

  Really, what was she doing? She couldn’t possibly be going to this messed up matchmaking agency? Could she?

  And yet, that’s exactly where her feet took her. Before she even realized it herself, she stood before a tall, sleek building that looked like it had just burst from the ground where it stood.

  Maya stared at the building, her eyes wide open. The glass windows and the metal exterior twisted and reached to the sky like crystals bursting from the ground. The building was modern and imposing, and not at all what she had expected for the part of town she was in.

  What if this was all a scam? Was she really going in? Was she that lonely, that desperate?

  Yes, she thought to herself, closing her eyes for a moment. She was.

  Besides, even if this turned out to be some hoax, it wasn’t like she had anything better to do either. It wasn’t like she had anyone to go home to. Not even her friends could
spare time for her on this day.

  If anything, it could be a kick, something fun to do to keep her mind off her loneliness.

  Maya took a deep breath, collecting herself. Her fingers were still gripping the pink slip of paper in her hands, and despite the strange-looking building rising in front of her – one that didn’t seem to fit into the landscape in the least – she forced herself to walk in.

  The lobby of the building was huge, almost all glass and dark, highly shined metal. The room was almost too sparkly and clean, and Maya suddenly felt uneasy, her stomach flipping a little.

  Had she gone to the wrong place? Was she about to completely embarrass herself?

  Glancing down at the flyer, she turned on her heels, ready to leave this shimmering building behind. Even if the address was the one stated on the cheesy little paper, she didn’t think this was the place for her.

  “Oh! You found one of our fliers!” a woman’s voice suddenly said behind her, making her heart jump into her throat in surprise.

  Maya froze, taking a deep breath before she turned back around toward the lobby.

  “Come on over here, let’s have a talk,” the woman called out, standing up from behind the large high-gloss desk that was at least thirty feet from the doors.

  Shit, too late to run now.

  Maya forced her feet forward, toward the desk.

  “I-I’m not sure if I have the right building, actually,” she admitted as she reached the desk.

  “Can I see your flyer?” the woman asked, smiling almost curtly.

  Her face looked strict, her makeup darker than Maya would wear, and her dark brown hair was slicked back into a tight bun. She looked like every horrifying English teacher Maya had when she was in school. Her deep blue eyes, though, had a spark of something else – and that made her feel even more uneasy.

  Maya slid the paper over the top of the desk without pause.

  “You’re at the right place,” the woman smiled, her strict expression softening a bit. “Are you ready to be matched?”

  “I – ”

  “Follow me.” The woman walked around the desk without waiting for her response and led Maya to a glass door to the right.

  Crap. Guess she was in this now.

  The door opened to an odd room full of large screens at multiple stations. They looked incredibly expensive, incredibly new, just like the building that housed them, and Maya couldn’t help but stare. Was this really a matchmaking agency?

  “These will help you find your perfect match,” the woman said, leading Maya in front of one of the screens.

  “Just flick your wrist left for no.” She showed her the motion as she said it, her thumb up and her hand flat like a paddle, she waived her hand to the left. “And right for yes or to continue to the next questionnaire,” she explained.

  This looked – and sounded – terribly expensive. Maya opened her mouth to ask about the cost, but was cut off.

  “Come out to the front when you’ve finished,” the woman said, walking as she spoke until she left the room, leaving Maya alone in the middle of the strangely modern devices.

  Might as well then.

  Maya stood in front of the screen. It was a curved monitor in almost a full half circle in front of her.

  ‘Female?’ the screen read. Maya lifted her right hand and flicked her wrist to the right.

  The computer accepted her answer and moved on.

  The first few questions were introductory, asking about her age range and body type, if she was single or unattached. Maya answered them all quickly, getting used to the interface faster than she had expected.

  ‘Questionnaire One: Mental Health Assessment,’ the screen read once she was done with the basic questions.

  Maya paused for a moment. What did this have to do with getting a date? She considered, for just a moment, walking out, but decided against it. Maybe she’d learn something new about herself that would make it worth it.

  Hopefully this wasn’t as expensive as it looked…

  The questions ranged from whether she felt sad often, to whether she had trouble sleeping. The next set were stranger, asking if she ever dreamed of a specific man night after night, or whether she’d ever had out of body experiences.

  Maya answered all of the questions as honestly as she could, but couldn’t help but feel a little confused by them.

  After a personality assessment, listing her likes and dislikes – some of which she had no idea what the words even meant – the questionnaire finally came to its last part.

  ‘Questionnaire Five: Travel’ was exactly what it sounded like. It asked her simple things, like if she’d ever traveled far from home, or if she had ever tried to learn a new language. Maya answered honestly, relieved that the questions had taken a turn for the more ordinary.

  ‘Testing complete, collect your results,’ the monitor read, a comforting floral background behind the words.

  Maya sighed, glad to be done with the questionnaire, but more than a little confused by it all still. How much did monitors like this even cost? Why would a matchmaking service pour all of their money into some strange hi-tech product like this when the building was obviously so empty?

  “I’ve finished,” Maya said, stepping out of the room to the main lobby.

  The woman behind the desk glanced up at her for a moment, a strangely cheerful expression on her face, before grabbing a tablet off the workspace and clicking on the screen.

  “Let me look over your results really quick.” The woman smiled up at her, scrolling through her information on the screen.

  Maya blushed a little at how much information about her was now available to this strange woman. What did the answers even matter? Would she get to see how she scored against other people?

  “Would you like to meet your match today? There is, in fact, a perfect match for you!” The woman’s blue eyes shone with excitement as she set down the tablet and smiled over at Maya.

  “Today?” Maya repeated back, her eyes rounding in surprise. She had never thought she would be paired up so quickly.

  “Yes, today,” the woman smiled. “Your answers were very clear on who your perfect match is.”

  Holy shit… A sudden tingle of nervousness entered her at the thought of meeting someone. She hadn’t planned for a date in the least.

  Was she ready for this?

  “H-How much does all this cost?” she asked.

  “Nothing, honey,” the woman smiled brightly at her. “Our service is completely free of charge.”

  Free?! Maya stared at the woman now, shocked. Her eyes were likely as round as plates and she wouldn’t be surprised if she now saw her reflection and found her mouth to be hanging open. How did they run an operation like this for free?

  “I – ” She didn’t know what to say. She had been matched to someone? To a man this agency believed to be her perfect match?

  And she could meet him today? On Valentine’s Day out of all days?

  Could she really do this? Was she ready for this?

  Looking down at herself, she evaluated her options. She was dressed well enough, in a pair of jeans, her cutest ribboned shirt, and some black, knee-high boots.

  Clothes weren’t the only thing that mattered though. Was she really ready to meet someone who could be her ‘perfect match’?

  The couple getting engaged in the park came across her mind again, as did all of her friends with their happy relationships, and her own mother dining out with the banker she’d met.

  It was Valentine’s Day for crying out loud, and now she actually had the chance to not spend it alone – the chance to put herself out there and possibly meet the man of her dreams.

  “Alright,” Maya said, not letting herself falter any more. She would be a fool not to take this deal. “I’d like to meet him now.”

  “Excellent!” the woman exclaimed, standing up from behind the desk and starting to walk back toward the testing room. “If you’ll please just follow me…”

&nbsp
; She walked past the testing room, and Maya followed on her heel. The woman was extremely quick on her feet, and despite the fact that Maya was a couple inches taller than her, she was having trouble keeping up.

  They walked through a set of paired doors into a corridor, entering deeper into the building. The building’s halls were just as beautiful and modern as the front of the building, and Maya started to feel like she was going through a funhouse, her reflection following her on both sides.

  Why was her mystery man already here though?

  Wasn’t the agency like… supposed to call the guy, tell him a match had been found for him, and then organize a meeting between the two of them? Instead of taking her deeper inside the building…

  “Here we are,” the woman said suddenly, stopping so abruptly in that Maya almost ran into her.

  The doors they had stopped at looked like fire exit doors, nothing spectacular. Maya frowned, already accustomed to the extravagance of the building they were in.

  Where were they going?

  The woman pushed a button to the side of the doors, opening them. A strong wind swept in at that moment and bright daylight engulfed them, blinding Maya for a moment. When her eyes focused again, she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

  Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened at the large metallic structure before them.

  Was that… Was that a spaceship? A freaking UFO?

  Fear and surprise prickled up and down her spine at the sight. What the hell?

  “Come on, honey,” the woman said, beginning to lead her out of the building and into the courtyard where the massive spaceship stood.

  Suddenly, all of the technology, the modern building that seemed to pop up out of nowhere, the strange questions she had answered – all of it – made a whole lot more sense.

  “I’m really sorry to do this to you,” the woman said, and Maya’s gaze snapped back to her. “But I’ve got quotas to meet and the management breathing down my neck. So unless you’ve got five hundred grand lying around for the non-compliance lawsuit we’ll hit you with, I'd jump in right now. A contract is a contract.”