Take My Breath Away

Ch.2: Suspicious Minds

Of course, I did not meet Miia right away. Joining the Interspecies Exchange Program was much like joining the CIA- it was the toughest of background checks. The program was so strict that you could not be a partner if you had a felony. During those months, Liz kept me company, a coy smile on her face as I spoke about how excited I was.

Then the renovations came. I happily stayed at a hotel in East Tawas as construction workers tore down walls and made flooring. After a month, as the beginning of May dawned, I arrived home, deeply impressed. The house now had a wraparound deck made from fresh bamboo, and the ceilings were far bigger. I was deeply amused.

"How did you know?"

Liz chuckled, winking at me. We sat on the porch. It was the night before my houseguest arrived. I had breakfast prepared and had invited Liz to join. It was the pragmatic choice. I was nervous, and it was only the calm before the storm.

I would soon find out that nervous was not felt by just me.

As the alarm clock struck 7:30 the following morning, the sounds of the theme of Top Gun: Maverick rang from my phone. I grabbed my phone and shut it off, rolling out of bed.

Two hours later, the kitchen and dining room were a beautiful variety of smells. Bacon crisped in one pan. In another, Eggs sizzed with butter and pepper. Toast toasted. The table, which was circular and crafted from oak, already had containers of tea and iced coffee decked out. The glasses and silverware were already there too. I smiled, closing my eyes for a moment. I could imagine her now, having received a profile a few days prior about Miia from Liz.

She was twenty-six feet tall on her tail. She was quite the romantic, which made sense considering that lamias were seductive ones. She was also extremely excited about this, having jumped for joy when she heard she was leaving the regional facility in Harrisville.

I blushed when I had heard the news. I was quite the cuddle loving person, and this gave me the opportunity to potentially do it a lot. As I thought on this, a gentle but professional knock came from the door.

"One second!" I called, having moved the food to the table during my inner thoughts. I took a second to look myself over and strided to the door, opening it.

Liz stood there with a big smile, holding a backpack. Behind her was the one and only Miia. Her flowing red hair on display. There was something more pressing afoot, however, as I witnessed the deep nervous smile Miia wore. I said nothing, but only gestured them in. As Miia slithered in, I could only smile, reaching for a hand and squeezing it gently. Miia smiled down at me. "Thank you, David" she said softly, before joining Miss Smith at the table.

I chuckled some, joining. She was already delving out the dishes.

During the meal, the atmosphere was warm. I could not help but get the feeling though that Miia wanted to talk once Liz had left. Liz did have urgency to leave- Tio had fallen and hurt her back a few days prior, and she was going to help her with a shower.

"Which one's Tio?" Miia asked after finishing a bite of bacon.

"The really tall one" I smiled. Miia regarded me, then smiled, quietly helping dry the dishes after Liz left. There was a deeply quiet silence.

"So" she said, clearing her throat. "Let's see the house."