Alien Fusion

by Roger D. Coleman

He found himself alone in the islands of South Pacific in the honeymoon suite. His "intended" canceled at the last minute due to Bruce's parental disapproval. Bruce decided to take the vacation by himself. He had made the reservation and could not get his money back. Besides, he thought to himself, I need a rest from my father's bank—where I work.

Bruce thought of the events leading up to this predicament, when he introduced his betrothed to his parents.

He went into the house, put down his squash racket. Dressed in white trousers with a white corded sweater and threw his strong arm around his mother.

"Hello, Mom."

He hugger her. His mother seemed tall with a good tan.

"Hello darling," cried his mother. "We are about to meet your fiancé. I feel weepy but I've got to be strong. It happens to every parent, sooner or later."

Bruce laughed his deep laugh. "Leslie's in the car. On the way over, I wanted to have you all to myself, just for a minute."

Mother walked into the library where Father waited. Bruce started to tell her about his new job at the bank, tell her about his new apartment, how it had been decorated.

Then she poked him in the ribs playfully, "I can't wait a minute longer. It's really naughty of you to keep me in suspense. I must meet your spouse."

He greeted his father and said, "Very well, you silly old things. All right, I'll get Leslie."

With a high laugh he went out the car. The lovers returned, hand in hand, grinned over a small joke between them, as lovers do. The parents waited by the fireplace in the book study.

"Mother, Father, this is Leslie," Bruce said.

Bruce's father, about to retire from the bank, but still fit, poured them a drink from the mahogany bar in the corner. As he handed them a deep red wine, his father looked Leslie up and down, as fathers will.

"So," he asked, "this is the fellow who's going to take our little Bruce away, is it?"

Everyone smiled. Father's so good with people, thought Bruce as he hugged himself mentally.

"Don't think of it as losing a son," Father grinned. "Think of it as gaining a son."

Mother nudged Bruce, "I think father wants to be alone with Leslie."

When they had gone father poured another glass of vintage Merlot. "Now, young man," he said. "About your job. Does it pay well? Are there good prospects?"

Leslie, through his yellow gapped-tooth grin, responded, "I been a garage mechanic all my life. Employed steady for a month now."

The father, taken aback with the bad grammar, observed Leslie's black greasy fingernails.

"Bruce, with his new job at the bank, I'm sure he's goin' to loan me enough dough to start my own garage."

The father deemed Leslie unworthy of a permanent relationship with Bruce. He went on, later, to tell Bruce if he continued his marriage plans, he couldn't be the new president of the bank.

"He's an ignoramus and totally unacceptable. I won't recommend you for the head of the bank when the board meets next month."

Bruce had to decide if he liked the wealthy life style or continue with Leslie. It became a difficult decision. In the end he elected to go for the high living.

In the honeymoon suite he missed Leslie, but he reasoned he needed a respite, breaking up with Leslie and all. As he entered the hotel balcony MUZAC played softly "Alone."

The suite next door was situated side by side, and both French doors were open. He emerged in a purple velvet smoking jacket, an ivory cigarette holder clamped between his teeth-Gucci slip-ons clad his feet. He seemed taller than his six feet and his blond crew cut stood up.

As he observed the moon, next door the neighbor exited from her adjoining balcony. Only a low trellis separated them. Bruce said, "Good evening."

During their conversation he asked her, "Would you and your husband like to share my champagne?"

"I don't have a husband. I'm a lesbian, my name is Bernadette, but everyone calls me Butch."

Butch was about five feet tall with short dark hair that she parted on the left side. "I'm in the movie business as a writer coordinator."

She explained how she was going to marry Priscilla in San Francisco but at the last minute Prissy decided she would go straight for a while longer. Prissy realized she hadn't yet decided if she wanted a long-term commitment yet.

Bruce explained his situation to Butch. They had a lot in common and over the dimly lit dining room they compared notes. Through out the vacation they snorkeled, swam, danced and grew attracted to each other.

"Why don't we get together in L.A. and simulate a marriage. We could live a life in the way want and appear like a 'normal' couple."

"We could even join a church," Bruce said.

"Yes, we could even join the Eucharistic H'ai Chi congregation," Butch said. "They'll tolerate anything if you cough up enough money."

Bruce's parents were worried when they heard he met Butch. They were pleasantly surprised to find out was an attractive girl. They blessed the union and Bruce became the president of the bank

"Since we look like a straight couple, we could decide to adopt children," Bruce said.

"We'd better start with pets, to get the hang of it."