Irresistible: A SciFi Alien Mail Order Bride Romance (TerraMates Book 9) Read Free

with my old friend. He had always like been this. Why did I expect him to be different today?
    “Oh.” He looked taken aback. “What do you want to talk about then?”
    “You asked me how I was, and you said you wanted a truthful answer.”
    “Right. So...How are you?”
    “The truth?” I said, knowing I had his attention now. He nodded. “I’m...” I hesitated.
    “What?”
    “I don’t want to tell you,” I confessed. “It’s going to sound ungrateful...like I don’t appreciate what I have.”
    “Just tell me. Come on. Lay it on me. I can take it,” he said, making a come-hither motion with both hands.
    I smiled. Good old Pandenn. I could count on him to understand. I knew that. “I’m bored.”
    The server came at that moment and took his drink order. “Well, that’s not what I was expecting.”
    “I know. It sounds stupid. I have more than enough money. A lovely house. People who take care of my every need…”
    “...hot women who are willing to do just about anything in your bed. I cannot believe she agreed to that position,” he said, getting a far-off look in his eyes again. “Why don’t you get a job? You’re too young to be retired.”
    “I thought of that, but I’m not sure what I would do. Nothing seems right.”
    “Pretend I’m a shrink. Tell me exactly how you feel and I’ll fix you up.”
    Pandenn had done his minor in psychology, and he considered himself an amateur psychologist. I sighed. The server returned and placed a purple drink in front of Pan.
    “I’m not interested in anything. I get bored with my books and my training lately. And...”
    “And?” He was always interested in what was typically left unsaid.
    “I guess I wish I had someone to hang around with at home, in the evening, instead of going out with friends. Not like you coming over and playing holographic games. Just...oh, I don’t know...”
    He thought for a moment and gazed at me appraisingly. “I know what you need. You need a proper woman. A wife!”
    “What?” I started laughing.
    “Jalla is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
    “But you dated her. You love her. I don’t have anyone like that.”
    “Sometimes you have to get married anyway.” He had a smirk on his face.
    I made a dismissive gesture. “You’re just fucking with me. You want to order anything or are you only having a drink?” I picked up my menu. I didn’t know why I tried to talk about meaningful things with Pandenn. He just wasn’t the serious type.
    “No.” He put out his hand, and the tone of his voice made me look up. “I mean it.”
    “Pan, shut up. I’m not going to walk up to a stranger and say, “Hey there, sweetie. You look fine. Let’s get married.”
    “I'm not talking about any stranger. Have you considered a mail-order bride?”
    I stared at him, not bothering to say anything. This guy had lost it. “What are you talking about?”
    “Jal and I just watched a documentary on a company from Earth called TerraMates. They’re very reputable. They monitor everything to make sure both parties are satisfied with the arrangement. You can get divorced after a year if things aren’t working.”
    “Are you shitting me?”
    “I’m not. I swear,” he said, holding up his hands. “Call Jalla right now. She’ll back me up.”
    I shook my head. “You’re crazy. I’m not getting a mail order bride.”
    “Look, consider it, Ven. You’ve never been good at dating or choosing your women. Why not give someone else a shot? If you want company or someone to be there for you, there’s nothing like a wife.”
    “You’re saying that because you have a wife that loves you, buddy. I'm sure there’s a big difference between Jalla and a mail-order bride.”
    “Here’s the thing,” he said, leaning in. “It’s hard to believe, but if they’re telling the truth, they say that only two percent of their marriages end in divorce.”
    I looked at him skeptically. “It sounds impossible.”
    “You’ll