My Crazy Hot Interstellar Affair

41. Area Woman Fears Uncertain Future

Sterling shone her thousand-megawatt, Hollywood smile at Lionel through tear-stained lashes. There aren't many people who can manage so many plays of emotion on a face at once, but Sterling could. One of her many actress superpowers. Superpowers needed on earth, not on this godforsaken moon.

"Sorry for the delay, my lady." Lionel offered Sterling his Gripple. Sterling nodded in thanks, took the magical cloth, and daubed her eyes. "Are you not well?"

Warmth flooded outward from Andie's chest at Lionel's kindness and concern for Sterling. Despite a penchant for clown pants and neon, the Zuts were the best people Andie knew, and they deserved a lot better than to hide in a sub-basement in a Hollywood high-rise, forced to work as accountants at an evil tabloid.

"I'm fine now. All will be right now that my family's here." Sterling returned the Gripple. "Lionel, this is Andie."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Andie," Lionel said, his voice as smooth and sweet as caramel syrup.

She rose to greet Lionel but stood too quickly, and despite the magical spacesuit, stars obscured her vision. To stay upright, Andie leaned against the arm of the sofa before extending her hand. He smiled at her but didn't shake. Maybe handshaking wasn't a Zut custom. She should know this.

"The touch of a Master Zut is a powerful thing," Sterling said gravely. "Sometimes people even glimpse the future." Sterling looked at Rachel.

"How wonderful," Rachel said.

But Andie had a completely different reaction. Goosebumps prickled up her arms and neck. The touch of a Master Zut? Glimpsing the future? Andie had never even heard of a Master Zut, so why was she so scared. It made no sense to fear an unknown future when the future was always unknown. She had that weird, niggling feeling you get when you can't remember if you locked the door. Get it together, Andie. You can freak out after we're all back on earth.

"Now you're talking to yourself?" Bad Andie said.

"And how is this any weirder than talking to you?"

"If you don't know the difference, I'm not telling."

"Earth to Andie? Are you going to talk to us, or are you in your accountant's dream world?" Sterling said, grinning. "What do accountants dream about, anyway? Numbers floating in clouds Amortization schedules? Hot IRS agents?"

If Sterling only knew that what went on in Andie's brain was a thousand times weirder than any of those. "Can you be quiet right now? I have enough to deal with."

"More than you even know."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I like the idea of hot accountants. I even have a few romance titles on my 'to be read' shelf. The Stimulus Package. Double Entry. Lack of Internal Controls."

Andie giggled despite herself, causing Sterling to throw one of her decorator-perfect tasseled pillows at her. It hit her in the chest before landing on the floor. "Andie!"

"Agh. I'm not quite myself. Sorry, Lionel. I'm Andie, and it's lovely to meet you," Andie said, shaking the crazy from her brain.

"I heard that," Bad Andie griped.

"You were meant to."

"I am honored," Lionel said, bowing while holding his hand over his heart. "But please sit, Miss Andie." She picked up the pillow Sterling had thrown at her and sat, placing the pillow beside her on the sofa.

"And this is our mom, Rachel," Sterling said.

Rachel smiled in her beatific fashion, leaned forward, and nodded her head, setting her beads tinkling.