Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador Read Free

Earth?
    “I’ll go to the shuttle,” she said in stilted words.
    “Good. I’m glad you’re willing to see reason. Go pack. You don’t have much time.”
    Charlotte bit her tongue, turned on her heel, and hurried out of her father’s office. She took the elevator to the third floor and nearly ran down the hall toward her bedroom. There was no one for her to say goodbye to. Her snotty, bratty, younger sister wouldn’t care that she was gone. If anything, Charity would probably celebrate. Even the staff was changed out every few years to keep anyone from getting attached to Charlotte. If someone was caught helping her, by morning they were gone. Why her father hadn’t just given her up for adoption, after her mother passed, Charlotte would never understand. The man obviously hated the mere sight of her.
    She had no idea what life on Terran would be like, or what type of mate she would attract. She packed her usual shorts and tanks for comfort, some of her favorite pajamas, a swimsuit, and a handful of dresses. Somehow she managed to cram in two pair of shoes and a small make-up case, which also held two bottles of perfume. Her shower products wouldn’t fit, but she supposed she could just use whatever they had on Terran when she got there. It wasn’t like she was overly attached to her shower gel.
    A glance at the clock showed she didn’t have much time left. Not knowing where her next meal would come from, she hauled her suitcase downstairs and left it by the front door before rushing to the kitchen to pack a snack for the car. Charlotte crammed some cheese and crackers into a sandwich bag and snagged a soda from the fridge.
    When she got back to the front entry, the limo driver was hauling her suitcase out to the waiting car. She followed him down the steps, not even looking back at the place she’d called home all her life. Although she wasn’t entirely certain it had been home ever since her mother had died, more like a place where she slept and ate, existing from one moment to the next but never truly living.
    The trip to the Terran station was long and uneventful. She’d switched off her hearing aids after she realized the driver wasn’t going to try to talk to her. The scenery changed as they neared the station, and her heart thrummed in her chest. This was a new chapter in her life and she could make of it what she wanted. It could either be an exciting new beginning or a dreaded ending to a miserable existence. She chose to believe it would be a new beginning. From what she’d read and seen on TV, the Terrans seemed really nice so she had hope that they would be kind to her, kinder than her own family had been all these years.
    The car came to a stop and she let herself out, turning her hearing aids back on so she would be able to hear anyone who spoke to her. The driver set her suitcase down beside her, then got back in the car and pulled away. She should have felt sad that he hadn’t even made sure she got inside safely, but really, it was just another day. Charlotte gripped the suitcase, extended the handle, and then began wheeling the luggage through the station. She followed the signs to the launch area and paused at the desk.
    “May I help you?” a large Terran asked.
    It was her first time seeing one up close, and she had to crane her neck back to see him. She’d never realized how tall they were! As he smiled at her patiently, she realized she was gawking.
    “My father is Senator Mayweather. He made arrangements for me to be on the next shuttle to Terran Prime.”
    His face was very expressive, and she could tell that her voice surprised him. He took it in stride though and made a few clicks on the tablet in front of him.
    “Of course. Miss Charlotte Mayweather?”
    She nodded.
    “If you’ll leave your luggage here with me, I’ll see that it makes it onto the shuttle safely.” He attached a ticket to it with her name. “We have instructions to give you this to wear in your