Bagels

Bagel sandwich. Then coffee, pills and a kiss. All said, it was an inexpensive breakfast. The potato bagel was lightly toasted for a delicate crunch and the turkey sausage offset the sharpness of the cheese and slight sweet of the eggs.

It was easy to distract herself from her plan for the day. She didn't want to leave him. She wanted to stay and build a life together. But she didn't belong here. Not in Denver, not technically on earth.

The ship would be there at noon. There would be no more bagel sandwiches. No eggs, no turkey sausage, no cheddar... And no him. There were men on her planet, sure. But he wouldn't be there and that was the problem.

Reconnaissance had been her objective. Not falling in love. Of course, no one had said that she was forbidden to fall for a native. The pills she took every morning helped her adjust to the much cooler planet and their almost tepid creatures.

According to their first wave of research scientists, the females of the planet ran cooler than their male counterparts. The pills had helped her climatise to her environment. But she still found herself very cold most of the time.

When they'd first met, she told herself that she only desired his warmth. Then, it was his strength. But soon she found herself craving his company and later, craving his caress.