He seemed proud of himself, and she didn't like it. He was smug. "I hope everything is up to your standards," he said, waving a hand. "We try to keep it looking nice."
She wanted to ask him if he'd ever been to Earth because if he had, he wouldn't even ask that question. Rao would know that this was far better than nice.
She instead gave him a nod and sighed. She crossed her arms, giving him a smile. "It's perfect, thank you."
He gave her a smile in return. "With that, would you like to join me for dinner tonight?"
Lexi took his question in, wondering if she could just eat in her room. She really just wanted to be alone and take everything in, but she figured that it wasn't polite to refuse his hospitality.
She gave him a nod. "Sure, does this count as our first date then?"
Rao paused for a second before he gave her a nod. "If you like, it does. But it doesn't have to either."
Maybe getting the first date out of the way would be a clever idea for them. Get to know each other on day one. She gave him a nod. "All right, sure. We can count it as our first date."
He seemed to beam at that, and his eyes brightened. "Great. I will call on you at eight o'clock this evening then." He took a step back toward the door. "Until then, make yourself comfortable and enjoy the view." Rao excused himself, shutting the doors as he left.
She took a deep breath and allowed herself to relax. She was here, and everything seemed to be going smoothly.
Even if things didn't work out with Rao, she still was having this vacation and time away from Earth.
She threw herself onto the bed, trying out the mattress. She sank into it, feeling like she was lying on a cloud. She had to admit when she left, she might miss this. Maybe as a parting gift, she could ask for the mattress. It would be something to remember him by.
Lexi pulled herself up and walked into the bathroom, taking in the clean, sleek look. She would love a bubble bath or to stand under the shower. It had four heads, which hit you at every angle. She could tell he was really making every effort to impress her.
She left the bathroom and opened the doors to the terrace. The breeze and the soft noise of the outside took her breath away. She could just stand there and enjoy the scenery. It was undoubtedly her favorite part of everything so far.
The soft knock on her door made her turn. She frowned, not expecting anyone. She hurried to the door and opened it to a petite woman, probably a few years younger than she was. She had long blond hair pulled back into a bun and was wearing a simple blue dress with an apron. She gave her a bright smile.
"Hello, my name is Trull. I'm here to drop this off." She waved the bag she was holding, which held an outfit, she supposed. "And offer any assistance in getting ready for your dinner date this evening."
Lexi felt a sudden comfort from Trull, almost like she'd known her for a while. It was the sort of comfort she felt from her close friends. She pulled the door open, allowing Trull to step in. "I don't think I'll need much help. It would be nice to know how to work the clothes." She pointed at the bag. "That is, I'm guessing, one of the AI pieces."
Trull gave her a sweet smile, shaking her head. "This is just a nice dress that I figured might be your type, comfortable and flowy enough to wear. The AI outfits sometimes aren't human's favorite clothing."
Trull unzipped the bag revealing a flowy, black dress with a layer of lace over the top. She loved it. Trull clearly had good taste.
"That's beautiful," Lexi said, taking it in. "Far fancier than anything I would have picked out for myself."
Trull blushed. "Would you like any help getting ready?"
She nodded, needing to do something with her hair now that she saw what she would be wearing. Trull pulled the dress out, laying it flat on the bed. She admired it, loving the detailed lace and the shimmering fabric underneath.
Lexi seated herself in front of the vanity where Trull brushed her hair. She smiled. "You have really nice hair."
"Thank you," she said, giving her a smile. She suddenly wondered what they used for cleaning. "You guys do have conditioner, right?"
Trull laughed, nodding. "We do. We are a lot like Earth. We just have a higher level of taste, if you want to call it that."
Lexi tried to envision a planet like Earth but didn't see it. She couldn't see past all the differences. "You guys must have some things that we don't and vice versa."
Trull nodded. "We do. Just like any other planet has things that another doesn't. For instance, you have ice water."
She tilted her head. "Ice water?"
"Yes, ponds of ice water, and you skate on it."
It clicked. "You mean ice skating." She chuckled. "You guys don't?"