Parent-Teacher Conference Ch. 17

The Dance

Our end-of-the-year party was better than last year. Lara had found out shortly after we arrived that she didn't much care for Earth alcohol so she agreed to be the designated driver for us. This meant I could enjoy all the margaritas and tequila shooters I wanted and not have to worry about driving. As usual, there was food, karaoke singing, dancing, and stories shared, overall, just a good time had by all. At one point, a handsome young man asked me to dance. I decided one dance wouldn't hurt so I decided to give it a try. He led me out onto the dance floor and try as I might, I just didn't enjoy the dance. When the song ended, I excused myself and went to the restroom. Lara slipped and said, "You okay Alexis?"

I looked up at her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Bad dancer?" she asked.

"Wrong partner," I said.

Lara smiled as I washed my hands and we went back to the party. The young man was talking with another teacher so I didn't feel so bad about my reaction. I walked to the bar and ordered another drink. Lara and I were watching Mr. Jarvis, the science teacher, begin to sing, "When You Love a Woman," from Journey. As I took a sip from my drink, a man walked up, extended his hand, and asked, "May I have this dance?"

I looked, and looking back at me were light brown eyes, like creamy caramel, black hair, a million watt smile, and the answer to my prayers. I coughed as I choked on my drink and I think I went into a state of shock. I reached over and tapped Lara's arm.

"Lara... Lara, I think I'm having another sighting."

Lara laughed, then turned and looked. She gasped and said, "If you are, then so am I."

I smiled and took his hand, setting my drink on the bar. He led me out on the dance floor, put his hand on the small of my back, and held me close. My heart began to pound in my chest. 'Don't let this be a dream. Please, don't let this be a dream.' I had one hand on his shoulder, and the other holding his hand. I glanced up at Lara and she smiled really big and gave me a thumbs up. I couldn't speak. I was afraid to incase it was dream.

Finally, he whispered, "That was a lovely speech you gave today."

I pulled back and gasped, "You were there!"

He smiled and nodded. "Yes. I wanted to talk to you then but it was too crazy."

"Promotion gets that way," I said smiling.

"Those were lovely roses on your desk," he said.

"You saw those?" I asked.

"I was afraid you'd moved on, and another man held your heart," he said.

"So that's why the card was miss-placed," I said.

"Yeah, sorry about that," he said smiling sheepishly. "I saw some people coming back and I didn't want to get caught so I hid."

"How did you find me tonight?" I asked.

"You had your end-of-year party at the same place last year," he said. "I took a chance that you'd be here again."

"I'm glad you did," I said.

"Me too, but when I saw you dance with that other man, I was crushed. Then I saw you run into the ladies room, and Lara followed you."

"He wasn't who I wanted to dance with," I said smiling.

"Really?" he asked with a wicked grin on his face. "Who did you want to dance with?

"You."

"I've missed you so Alexis."

"I've missed you too, Oliver."

"Oh how I've missed that name, and the how beautiful it sounds on your lips."

We continued to dance until the song finished. Two more slow songs followed, we danced in silence, and it felt as if we were the only two people in the world. Once the music changed to something faster, he escorted me back to the bar. Lara's smile was so big as she said, "Welcome back sir."

'How? When? Why?' I had questions flying though my head but I couldn't seem to get my thoughts straight. I felt myself smiling, sure I was dreaming and hoping I wasn't, when Oliver said, "Maybe we should take this conservation someplace else, more private."

"I know just the place," said Lara gathering our things and leading the way to my car. "Follow me."

Lara drove my car, and I sat in the back seat with Oliver, just staring at him. 'Don't be a dream. Please don't be a dream.' We arrived at the apartment, went inside, and sat on the couch in the living room. My mind was exploding with questions and I couldn't seem to form any of them.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," he said.

I nodded my head but I had lost the power of speech. Try as I might, I just couldn't form any words. My mind was racing faster than an Indy car at the 500. Here was Oliver, sitting on my couch, in my new living room, holding my hand. I was sure I wasn't asleep, but it seemed that I lost the power of basic speech. 'Oh God, don't let me be too drunk.'

"How about some coffee?" Lara asked.

'Coffee? What's coffee?' Oliver smiled and said, "That sounds like a wonderful idea Lara."

Lara walked to the kitchen as Oliver leaned over, took my face into his hands, and softly kissed me on the lips. Suddenly my brain was back in gear and I could talk. "What are you doing here?"

Oliver smiled and said, "Just like the Earth stories you tell your children, a kiss from a prince gets the princess to come out of her trance. And to answer your question, I'm here to see you."

"Me?" I asked unable to hide the surprise in my voice. 'Please don't be a dream. Please don't be a dream!'

"Yes Alexis, you," said Oliver as he kissed me again.

I reached up and touched his face. "I... I-I don't understand why you are here. Your mother said I had to come back because you didn't give me the item she had given you."

Oliver smiled, touched my cheek. "My mother was quite impressed with you. Especially with your strength and courage."

"She was?" I asked.

Lara entered the room and handed each of us a cup of coffee then sat in the chair nearby and asked, "Who was what?"

"I was just telling Alexis that my mother was impressed with her," said Oliver as he took a sip of coffee.

"As she should be," said Lara. "I wish you could have seen her standing there, speaking to your parents with no fear. The way she told your father off. You would have been proud."

"Yes," he said, "I've been told by many about that. Many creatures were impressed with your bravery. No one had ever spoken to my father like that, other than my mother that is."

"I was kinda mad," I said sipping my coffee.

"Mad?" questioned Lara. "I was sure you were going to kill the King."

"Do you know what I had to do just to visit you on the ship?" I asked. "Then I woke up to go for my visit and you were gone. I came unglued!"

"She's not kidding," said Lara sipping her coffee. "I thought she was being murdered."

"I thought you had died," I said quietly.

"Well as you can see, I'm alive and well," he said with a smile extending his arms.

"Yes, I see. You mother told me I wasn't able to see you before I had to leave, not even to tell you goodbye," I said as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"There was a reason for that," said Oliver as he wiped the tear from my cheek.

"And that was?"

"Something we'll discuss later."

"How long did it take you to recover?" I asked.

"I think you'd been gone for about three or four Earth months when I began to wake," he began. "I remember asking for you and for a while, I was being told you were injured too badly to see me. Then I was told you didn't want to see me anymore. I knew that wasn't true, but no one would tell me anything different. It wasn't until I realized Lara wasn't around that I got suspicious. Well, that, and I wasn't being treated by Iman or Rashad. I began do demand answers. Iman had to sneak into my room one night and she told me about how she defended you to my parents, and how you stood there with no fear, and tried to tell them what had happened. It was then I demanded a meeting with my parents. I wanted some answers. My father still insisted that I carry out the mating he wanted me too, but my mother reminded him that it wasn't his call any more."

"Why was that?" I asked. "I was under the impression that since you hadn't given me the gift, and I didn't know what it was, you didn't want me anymore. I mean, I figured I was just an inter-galactic fling. Your Earthling fuck."

"Is that what you thought?" he asked.

"Yeah," I sighed. "I mean, first there was the restaurant. Then you mentioned the fact that you'd had 'sexual relations' with other female creatures. You mentioned the gift once, and then never again. So, when you started to pull away from me when we got close to your world, I figured it was the easiest way for you to end things."

"Well, Alexis," he took my hand and held it gently in his and looked deep into my eyes. "Let me try to explain as best as I can. First off, you were never a, what were your words again?"

"Inter-galactic fling or Earthling fuck," I said.

"You were neither, and I'm sorry you ever felt that way," said Oliver.

"Call it my silly human insecurities."

"Let me clue you into a little secret. I had given you the gift my mother had sent me with, the problem was you didn't know it. When you told my parents I hadn't given you the gift, and that you didn't know what it was, my father thought for sure he got his way and was going to win. Then you did something he didn't expect, something that enraged him worse than your being an Earthling or your standing up to him. You took the gift with you when you came back to Earth."

Now I was confused. "But Oliver, the only things I took with me were what I brought with me... and the picture of us from that night four and a half years ago. I'm sure your mother didn't give you that, unless it was the frame the picture was sitting in, but that looked like it was from Earth."

Oliver shook his head and said, "Haven't you forgotten something?"

I looked at Lara who was smiling so big she was practically beaming, "You mean, Lara?"

Oliver smiled and said, "I know it's weird, but I wanted to make sure you were fully protected at all times. Lara's father was one of my best guardians, and I'm sure my father had a hand in his death. My mother knew of my father's plans, so she suggested that I take Lara with me, and if I had found the female I wanted to share my life with, and make my life partner, I had to keep her protected at all times. She made Lara swear an oath to protect the female that I wanted to share my life with, but not tell her. So, you see, I had given you my gift when you were well enough to bathe. I sent her to you with the sole purpose of protecting you."

"I don't understand."

"Lara was the gift," said Oliver. "Or should I say, her services as your personal guardian."

"I really did volunteer for the job," said Lara smiling.

"I gave her to you to keep you safe. In fact, I was going to tell you before we arrived, but then you were kidnapped and well, you know what happened next. And, by the way, great job on the message. I can't believe Fleck didn't catch that."

"Yeah, me neither," I said.

"It just shows how wonderfully smart to you are too," he said.

"Alexis," Lara said. "When Oliver called me in that day, while you were being treating by Iman and Rashad for the item in your body, he gave a chance to back out and break my oath without punishment. But I had never seen him so happy before, and I knew then, he'd found his life-mate."

Iman's words flashed in my memory. 'I think he has found...' but she wouldn't explain any further. "And when you accepted her services, you accepted my gift," said Oliver.

"But that means..."

My brain froze. Lara was the gift. He'd given me the gift of her services. She had been my guardian, but she also became my friend. Oliver slipped of the couch, knelt before me on one knee, taking my left hand in his.

"That means, Alexis Perry, I wish to share my life with you, and you alone. To use the words of your world, Alexis Perry, will you become my princess and agree to marry me?"

My eyes welled with tears. Oliver reached into the pocket of his pants, and produced a small black box. Inside was a beautiful ring. It was silver looking with a beautiful white stone in the center. I heard Lara gasp, as I said, "Yes."

Oliver slipped the ring on my finger and I threw my arms around him weeping. He picked me up and spun me around. Then he kissed me gently on the mouth, looked deep in my eyes, and said, "I love you, Alexis Perry."

"I love you too, Oliver Stone," I said.

He released me and I showed Lara the ring. "It's beautiful."

"It's platinum and diamond," said Oliver. "The jeweler said it was the best, and I wanted nothing less for my princess."

I was overwhelmed and sat back on the couch. Oliver sat next to me and took my hand. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head and said, "Nothing. Except, why did it take you so long? I left your world 11 months ago."

Oliver sighed and said, "Two reasons. The first was I had to fully recover from all my injuries, which took longer than it should have because they didn't have Iman in charge of my care and recovery."

"That makes sense," I said.

"The other reason was a bit more tragic. My father died."

"What?" questioned Lara.

"Oh Oliver!" I cried. "How did it happen?"

"I promise I'll explain on our way back. Just know that I had to stay and help my mother. Which leads me to my next question Alexis. I must return soon and prepare to be King, are you willing to come back to my world and become our queen?"

"Yes," I said without hesitation. "Oliver, I may have had the best year of teaching any teacher could ask for. I had great students, got to teach material I had only dreamed of teaching, and even got asked to speak at their promotion ceremony. The only problem was, I didn't have you to share it with. If I had to choose between years of teaching the subjects I wanted or you, you'd win every time."

Oliver hugged me tightly and said, "Oh Alexis, I knew you were the one. We must prepare to leave immediately."

"Wait," I said. "I can't just resign from my job. Oliver, what are the odds we'll ever come back here?"

"We'll never be able to return here my love unless Earth joins the galactic federation, and I don't see that happening anytime soon," explained Oliver.

"Lara, do you want to stay here?" I asked.

"I am your sworn guardian Alexis Perry, I go where you go," she said.

I smiled and asked, "What about that guy you went out with?"

"Him?" she said laughing. "He was just for sex."

We all laughed and I said, "Then I need to contact my friends for one last favor."