“Their types?”
“Krinar-like,” Amy explained, weaving through the crowds on the sidewalk. “Tall, gorgeous . . . like supermodels.”
“That doesn’t mean anything—”
“Look, let’s just try this and see,” Amy interrupted, stopping in front of the brown door. Turning toward Jay, she said, “Ready?”
“No,” he said glumly, but Amy was already knocking on the door.
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then the door quietly opened, revealing a narrow hallway.
“Okay, here we go,” Amy whispered to Jay, and stepped inside.
Jay followed her in without another word.
As they walked silently through the hallway, Amy could feel her heartbeat picking up. Was it possible she would actually get to see them in person? The invaders she’d only seen on TV?
The hallway ended in front of another door—this one metallic gray in color. It was locked, so Amy knocked again, not knowing what else to do.
Then she waited.
And waited.
And waited.
“I don’t think they’re going to let us in,” Jay whispered after a minute. “Maybe we should leave.”
“Not yet,” Amy whispered back. She didn’t want to admit it, but now that they were here, she was starting to get nervous as well. The full enormity of what they were doing was beginning to dawn on her. If this was indeed the x-club she’d heard about, then on the other side of that door, there were beings from another planet—from an ancient civilization that had supposedly seeded life on Earth.
Her heart was now throbbing in her throat.
Gathering her courage, she knocked again and called out, “Hello?”
Jay gulped audibly next to her, his face turning pale.
“Hello?” Amy called out again, louder this time. Nervous or not, she wasn’t leaving until she gave this her best shot.
“Amy, let’s go—”
The door quietly slid open.
A man stood there, his tall, broad-shouldered frame taking up most of the doorway. In the low light, all Amy could see of his face were high cheekbones and a jaw that looked like it had been carved from granite. His eyes glittered darkly underneath thick eyebrows, and his clothes were pale, almost white.
Stunned, Amy stared at him. Could it be . . . ? Could he be . . . ?
The man smiled, his teeth flashing white in his bronzed face. “Welcome,” he said softly, and stepped aside, motioning for them to come in.
Chapter 3
Her heart beating furiously in her chest, Amy stepped through the doorway, with Jay following on her heels.
Inside, the room was large, dimly lit, and completely empty. No furniture and no people—except the man who opened the door for them. He stood there calmly, watching them with his dark gaze.
The door behind them slid shut.
Amy surreptitiously wiped her sweaty palms on the front of her dress, hoping the man didn’t notice her nervous gesture.
“Hi there,” Jay said, stepping forward to stand next to Amy. To her surprise, her friend’s voice was steady, and there was a flirtatious smile on his face. “We heard there’s a party here. Is that true?”