Surprise Baby for the Alien Warrior

Chapter 1

Rei

The buzzing neon lights of the Topside Bar and Gentlemen’s Club sign welcome me, as they do every evening. I can’t help but think that if Lemmi kept those things turned off during the day, he might save enough money to pay for repairs in the women’s bathrooms. More likely he’d pocket those savings for himself, so fuck him. I’ll keep that to myself.

I open the door to find the lingering patrons from the lunch crowd, too drunk to go back to work. New girls without enough clout to work the lucrative shifts and moms with kids in school are the unfortunate ones dancing for their lives right now. It’s nothing but broke losers drooling on tables as far as the eye can see. The guy mixing drinks behind the bar will end up going home with more tips than all of the dancers combined.

I’d say it’s a living, but it’s really not. I barely make ends meet. But what else is someone like me supposed to do? Never knew my father, my mother abandoned me the moment a man with a decent paycheck looked twice at her. I did what I had to do to survive, and frankly, I think I did a damn good job.

I’m alive, aren’t I? 

“Hey, Rei,” Janey says as she walks towards me. She’s in her street clothes, having clocked out for the day, but her makeup is still the bright, over-exaggerated, and glittery mess we use on the stage. It does nothing to hide the bags under her eyes. She’s always rushing out of here to pick up her three kids from school.  

At twenty-nine, she isn’t that much older than me. She’s also doing this alone, I know. Somehow, girls like us just make it work. 

“Don’t tell me,” I say, nodding toward the stage. A bleach-blond new girl is bouncing around, trying desperately to catch the attention of anyone with a little cash to spare. But what I’m referring to is the little number she’s wearing.

Janey smiles and shakes her head. “Yep. New costumes today.” She lights up a cigarette and takes a very long drag. “Mandatory.”

“Lemmi sure is one piece of work.” The new costumes aren’t just more revealing and cheaper looking than the last ones. They’re also gaudy as hell to look at, bright orange and covered in feathers. “Are we dancers or birds in a zoo?”

Janey laughs like she hasn’t had a reason to in years. “Take it easy, Rei.”

As if any of us ever could. I nod to her as she leaves and make my way down the Sneak Preview Aisle. It’s a little name for the long walk we take from the front door to the dressing room. We pass by just about every patron doing so, and they get a little preview of who’s about to take the stage.

It’s also where we get to start taking catcalls and harassment before even clocking in.

“Whoa, there, baby, hello.” A human man whistles as I walk past. This place has cheap drink specials, so even humans can afford to blow their paychecks. Unfortunately, they also feel more entitled to our bodies since they’re ‘one of us’ and act out. “What’s the rush? Why don’t you sit down and have a drink?”

I’m in frumpy pants and a sweater. Not exactly showing off the goods. He must be a regular who just knows I’m a dancer.

“Not off the clock,” I say to him without breaking my stride. Even while I’m working, though, I’m not here to supply what I know this guy is demanding. 

He doesn’t like this. The man darts his hand out and grabs me by the wrist. I quickly scan the room for Lemmi or a bouncer and come up empty. Of course, they’re not here. The time between the lunch and dinner shifts is a dangerous one indeed.

“I’m talking to you, baby girl. So why don’t you behave yourself, and come have a –?”

“Let go of my sister.”

My eyes go wide at the sudden large presence at my side. I look to my left and find a Kaleidian man staring down the man accosting me. 

“S-sister?” the human man asks. His confusion is understandable, but he’s probably questioning his level of sobriety as he looks between a human girl and this enormous scaley blue alien, trying to piece together how those genetics work. 

Enormous indeed. This man is tall, and incredibly muscular. I’m shocked the human guy hasn’t pissed his pants already. We don’t get a lot of Kaleidians in here, but I can’t help but think the job might be a little easier if we did.

His long hair is pulled back in a knot, and his eyes are boring down at my harasser as if he was a useless insect crawling on his lunch. I don’t think I could have chosen a better rescuer if I tried, even if his methods are a bit silly.

The biology puzzle seems to break the human guy’s brain as he lets go of my wrist and starts to walk away, muttering to himself. “Sister?”

I turn to my brand new ‘brother’ with an expression of disbelief. “Well, that was certainly a creative way to resolve that situation.” It’s charming, in fact, and I can’t help but smile at him. Any other guy would’ve seen a chance to play the dashing hero and referred to me as his girlfriend. Maybe even try to sell it by grabbing me around the waist or stealing a kiss. It’s an easy play, direct from one scumbag to another.

“Yes, well, it seemed like the right thing to do. And drunk men are easy to manipulate.” The man crosses his arms and nods at his own logic. “Are you alright?” 

My heart flutters in spite of myself. It’s not every day someone asks me that question in earnest. “I’m fine. I don’t think he had the grip strength to even open a bottle on his own. So, are you a new bouncer?” 

He’s certainly not a regular. I’d recognize that chiseled jaw anywhere. And Kaelidians normally make enough cash from working as soldiers or mercenaries to patronize the more discerning establishments. No, we only get wage slaves trying to forget their woes or men who want to take advantage of the truly desperate women in here.

The fact that he helped me and didn’t immediately demand something in return is unusual, to say the least.

“Ah, no. I’m visiting Glimner for work, and my contact told me to meet him here.”

So, a mercenary then. His blue eyes trail across my face, studying me strangely. I’m used to being ogled and mentally undressed by patrons, but this feels… different. In spite of his seven-foot tall, muscular frame, something in his eyes seems soft. Like he's trying to figure me out.

“But you work here?” he asks, sounding almost disappointed.

“Well, women don’t normally walk in here unless they have to,” I say with a laugh. “I’m a dancer. I’ll be on stage if you want to watch me. We like to give it our all up there, since watered-down drinks don’t really bring in the cash.” And for some reason, despite a lifetime of telling me not to get attached to anyone, I really hope he does stay and watch. “I’m Rei, by the way.”

“Rei,” he repeats as if I’ve just told him some long-held secret. “My name is Jocari.”

“Well, Jocari, thank you again.” I emphasize my gratitude by placing a hand on his arm. When I do, there’s a palpable shift in his demeanor. It’s nothing too drastic, but his mouth opens slightly like he has something more to say. His eyes widen, and he holds up his hand as if he wants to take mine but thinks better of it. He did just watch another guy do that to me, after all.

“You are most welcome,” he says and slowly turns to take his seat again. He’s in the V.I.P. booth. His contact is probably from the local crime syndicate or someone with ill-gotten wealth then. Can’t blame him. A job is a job, and don’t I know that better than most?

I walk back to the dressing room where I type in my pin to clock in. I’m right on time despite the interruption, which is five minutes late according to Lemmi. If he can break from an alcohol-fueled fugue state long enough to lecture me about it, I’ll be shocked.

Waiting for me at the dressing station I share with Janey is the brand new costume lying over the chair. I sigh and pick it up. At least it’s actually in my size this time. There’s a note taped to the mirror.

Rei, use the pink lipstick. It looks better with this disaster. - Janey

I remove the note with a soft smile. Maybe in another life, she and I could have been friends instead of just station mates. We’re not competing for tips, so we may as well help each other out. There’s not much either of us can do to really look out for each other, but small gestures like this are still within our power. It’s a tiny nugget of solidarity in a universe trying its best to eat us up and spit us out in the gutter.

After styling up my long black hair, I take her advice and put on the soft pink instead of the bright red I’ve gotten used to. I can’t help but think how much better it looks with my green eyes. 

For some reason, part of me hopes Jocari thinks so, too. Which is strange. I don’t normally care what the men out there actually think of me, beyond how many tips it can move from their pocket to my waistband. 

Even the occasional man who asks me on a date afterward is usually only good for a free dinner and one night of fun before going back to being a stranger. But Jocari…

I stare in the mirror a moment, wishing it was his blue eyes staring back at me. 

After a moment, I snap back to reality and pull on the gaudiest one-piece costume I’ve ever worn in my life. Dancing on stage with so little breast support is going to suck, but I’ll make it work.

Somehow, I always do.