Ava & Hakea

Part 2 - Unexpected

Ava hastily yanked her favorite hoodie over her head before leaving her car. The pink hoodie was warm when she was confronted with the icy wind in her face. She held her purse close as she raced up the driveway to Hakea's house.

It was a large modern home located on the outskirts of Brisbane in a posh yautja settlement. His home was the outlier in its design, looking more human than yautja. She stared in awe at its massive size as she approached the front door. The home had been built on a scale that would be comfortable for his species.

Compared to the rest of his quiet neighborhood, the other homes were rounder in shape and had curves.

Hakea's house was angular, with large windows and a white and light wooden exterior that looked stunning. The only thing yautja about it was a holographic screen by the front door. It lit up, glowing a pale blue, when she reached the front door. She stood on her toes to reach the doorbell and waited. Looking up at his home, Ava felt anxiety coursing through her body.

Hakea was no ordinary yautja... Or maybe he was some criminal after all!

Finally, the massive door swung open to reveal Hakea. He wore a pair of black joggers that hung haphazardly on his hips and a plain black shirt. The male smiled down at her as she fought to keep her wits about. Her brain short-circuited as he waved her in.

"Ava, it's a pleasure to see you again." Hakea greeted with a purr as he led her to a large living room.

"G'day, Hakea." Ava returned the greeting, following behind the two-hundred-and-thirteen-centimeter-tall yautja.

Her eyes roamed, taking in the spacious hallway full of art and plants. When they reached the living room, her eyes grew wide as saucers. Spanning the back wall were huge windows that let in a lot of sunlight, and the ocean glittered beautifully in the distance. The room itself was spacious and roomy, and the furniture was tailored to a yautja. He favored light and neutral colors with organic materials, making the space feel very light and airy. More plants dotted the space, giving it some much-needed life.

Off to the side was a huge human-style kitchen with a massive island that seated six. He had the huge double fridge and appliances she had seen in rich people's homes on TV and online. The alien man even had a pot filler above a pretty red La Cornue oven! His double oven was the one bold color in his white and marble kitchen.

Crickey, what luxury!

Ava felt more out of place as he motioned for her to sit while he walked to the kitchen.

"Would you like something to drink?" He asked, eyeing her from across the room. "I have juice, carbonated sodas, tea, and coffee."

She decided on some hot tea, getting up to sit at the island while he readied a kettle. The woman had to climb the bars built into the legs of the chair to sit on it. While she waited, Ava removed her hoodie and set it on the chair next to her. She fidgeted with her shirt while Hakea poured boiling water over a tea bag in a human-sized mug—another strange thing.

"Is that your favorite gym?"

She was confused for a few seconds, at least until he pointed at her shirt. Ava had packed one of her comfy gym shirts for her early morning workout earlier that day. It was a soft pastel pink with the logo of the gym she favored. The logo was a simple silvery circle surrounding a type letter P.

"Yeah, I like to keep active. They're the only gym that doesn't have creeps," she explained, adding a soft snort. "Do you go there to work out?"

Hakea set the steaming mug before her and leaned on the bench. His eyes glittered briefly, his mandibles lifting in a smirk.