Page 54 of Badass Alien Boss

“The nightclub only operates in the evening, so we’ll have time for sightseeing during the day.”

“As long as we don’t go to any botanical gardens.” Until she had a definitive answer of what she was allergic to, she’d avoid alien flora.

“I don’t think Apogee even has a park. The nightclub is pretty much its main attraction. I’m certain we’ll exhaust things to do long before we leave,” he said.

“Well, then, I’ll just have to exhaust you.”

“You think you can?” A grin spread over his face. “I dare you to try. I have great staying power.”

“Challenge accepted!” She smiled. “What do you feel like doing for dinner tonight?”

“How about our usual?”

“Mama Murtas?”

“Yeah.”

“Sounds good. Eat-in or takeout?”

“I’m leaning toward eating dinner there. We haven’t had very good luck with takeout. The first time we did that we had to eat in the booster, and the next time, our dinner ended up on the floor.”

She laughed. “Eat-in it is. Mama will be thrilled to see us.”

Chapter Nineteen

What a difference a retirement makes.Sometimes Ruyn found it hard to reconcile Defense Minister Murta with Mama Murta. It was as if they were two different people. He’d never met the defense minister in person, but in holograms she’d been a cold, stern, take-no-prisoners woman. A force to be feared, she’d never hesitated to make tough, even brutal decisions.

As a cook and café owner, Mama was nurturing, cheerful, chatty, and always had a ready smile. Even her head covering matched her personality. She’d traded the somber dark-blue worn with her military uniform for gay hues of hot pink, bright orange, and sunny yellow. Today, she and Chaumi wore jaunty yellow-green caps.

Chaumi had no sooner seated them than Mama bustled out of the kitchen. “My two favorite customers!” She beamed from ear to ear.

“I’ll bet you say that to all the customers,” Ruyn joked.

“But I mean it when I say it to you. Did you enjoy the last box dinner?”

He winced. “We didn’t get to eat it.”

“Why? What happened?”

“We had a little excitement.” Michaela gave a quick rundown of the break-in, omitting the Prellim connection.

“That’s terrible! Just terrible!” Mama clucked her tongue. “First the attack on you, Ruynko, now Michaela? I don’t know what’s happening on Luturna. This sort of thing never happened when I was defense minister.” She shook her head. “Thank the gods you weren’t hurt.

“I will cook something very special to make up for it!” She adjusted her cap and straightened her matching apron.

“I’m sure we’ll love it,” Michaela said.

“Everything you cook is amazing. Nobody cooks like you do,” Ruyn said.

“You are too kind,” Mama replied. She motioned to her daughter. “Chaumi, bring my two favorite people some drinks.”

“Right away, Mama.”

“It gladdens me, Ruynko, that you have met your lady, and that my little restaurant has played a small part. You are a different man now. She has healed you. It’s obvious how much joy she brings you. You two were meant to be together. I knew the instant I saw you two together. You protested, but I could see.”

“You were right,” he admitted.

“What was that?” She cocked her head.