Charlotte and the Alien Ambassador Read Free Page A

hair.”
    She accepted the blue ribbon from him and eyed it uncertainly. It had been a long time since she’d worn ribbons in her hair, but she shrugged and tied it in a bow on top of her head. On the plus side, it held her hair back from her face. The downside was that she looked like she was twelve. Hell, she wasn’t even sure a twelve year old would be seen like this.
    The Terran male gave her instructions for boarding the shuttle and she followed them to the letter. Once she was safely on board and seated near the aisle -- because her father had been too cheap to even get her a window seat -- she closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. She’d never been on an airplane before, much less a space shuttle.
    A few other women filed onto the shuttle as well as three Terran males. When the captain boarded, he stopped and addressed everyone, explaining what to expect and how long it would take for them to arrive. Before he ducked into the cockpit, Charlotte raised her hand.
    “If there’s no one else sitting in this row, may I move to the window seat?”
    He smiled. “Of course. You’ll be able to see us break through the atmosphere, but shortly after, we’ll deploy the masks that will put you to sleep for the rest of the journey. When you wake, we’ll be on Terran Prime.”
    “Thank you.”
    Charlotte got up and slid over to the window seat before refastening her seatbelt. The takeoff was a little bumpier than she’d expected and she had to try to pop her ears several times, but as they broke through the atmosphere and rocketed up into the stars, she was mesmerized by the beauty before her.

Chapter Three
     
    What felt like minutes later Charlotte opened her eyes to see people standing in the aisle of the shuttle. She removed her mask and stood on unsteady legs, then followed everyone out into the sunlight. She had no idea what day or time it was here on this strange world, or how she was going to recognize the Terran male who was supposed to house her until she could make other arrangements.
    As she stepped down onto the tarmac, the suns nearly blinded her. It was noisy, but it just sounded like a constant hum in her ears. Someone touched her arm and she jumped, jerking her gaze in that direction. A large Terran male stood beside her, dressed strangely compared to the other males in the area. His loose clothing was a silvery white that matched the few silver strands in his hair.
    She couldn’t hear him over the humming in her ears, not even after she reached up and raised the volume on her hearing aids. He frowned as he studied the devices in her ears and asked her a question again. This time she concentrated on his lips, but she still couldn’t understand. He wasn’t speaking English.
    “I can’t understand you,” she said in her sing-songy voice.
    He looked surprised at her words, or perhaps her tone, and ushered her into the station where they gathered her luggage. He then took her to another building nearby. A man in a white lab coat came out and she wondered if he was a doctor. The new male smiled at her, setting her fears at ease a little.
    “Are you Charlotte Mayweather?” the male asked.
    She nodded. “Why can I understand you and not anyone else?”
    “I, along with quite a few other males on this planet, have learned your Earth English. However, to make sure you can understand everyone around you, I’m going to implant you with a translator. I’ll also implant you with a sensor that will allow you to make purchases on our world. When you select a mate, he will pay for whatever you buy between now and then. Once your mating is approved, you’ll be added to his accounts everywhere in Terran Prime.”
    “Thank you for explaining how everything works. I’ve been a little lost.”
    He frowned. “May I ask a personal question?”
    She nodded.
    “Your voice is different from anyone else I’ve encountered from Earth. Are you from a special region?”
    “I’m deaf.” She pointed to