Catching Stardust Read Online Free

suite, huh? I’m sure Orion won’t mind paying my credit card bill since he’s the reason I’m here to begin with.
    “That sounds perfect. I’d like a corner suite with a view, please. And one with a whirlpool tub if you have it,” she added quickly. A nice, long soak in a bubbling tub was exactly what she needed while she waited to be teleported back home.
    “Absolutely. I have an executive suite available with a lovely view of the city.”
    She smiled sweetly and laughed inside. Orion would choke when she handed him her bill, but it was his own fault.
    “I’ll need to put a credit card on file for the bill and any incidentals. I’ll also need a little information from you.”
    She pulled her credit card from her wallet. It looked like any other credit card except for the cluster of seven stars in the right-hand corner above the Visa logo.
    Visa really is accepted everywhere. Even Pleiades.
    She swallowed, her throat tight with nervousness as she answered his questions about her address and phone number, giving the information as best as she could remember it. She must have been right because a moment later the concierge slid her credit card and a room key card across the desk.
    She said a quick thank you and wandered off in the direction of the elevators, hoping for as little conversation with him as possible. She had the uncanny ability to say something suspicious almost every time she was on Earth. For some reason, she couldn’t seem to keep her thoughts to herself.
    Maia let herself into her room and dropped her bag on the dresser set against one wall. She immediately went to the phone beside the bed and dialed room service. First food, then kicking Zeus’s ass to bring her home, then a bath to wash off the stink of the city.
    Maia didn’t even glance at the menu. She knew exactly what she wanted. The same thing she always ordered when she stayed on Earth since she couldn’t get it back home where everyone was vegetarian—a big, juicy burger. With cheese and bacon.
    Every time she ate a burger, she couldn’t figure out why the people of Pleiades didn’t just teleport a few cows to their planet so they could eat burgers once in a while. Zeus always said something smarty-pants-ish about the molecular make-up of beef.
    She liked burgers. She didn’t care about their molecules other than how they tasted grilled and smothered in barbeque sauce.
    Speaking of Zeus, it was time for him to answer a few questions. Namely, why the hell had she been sent to Earth. Whatever Orion wanted from her, it couldn’t have been that bad. Now Zeus needed to bring her back so she could deal with whatever it was. She was stronger than Zeus thought. All he had to do was look at her past with Orion and see how many times she’d pushed him away already. There was no reason to think she couldn’t do it again.
    She gazed longingly at the whirlpool tub in the bathroom, but she had absolutely no chance of relaxing until she’d dealt with Zeus. Sighing, she dialed the code for the operator who could put her through to Zeus or her father, Atlas. Either one of them should have some information for her and be able to arrange for her to get home.
    She waited patiently as the phone rang a few times. Odd. The operator usually picked up on the first ring. Finally, on the fourth ring she heard the other end of the line click. She started to speak but was interrupted.
    “Thank you for calling Galactic Communications, your connection to the universe and beyond. We are currently experiencing a problem with the line from Earth. Your call is important to us. The Galactic Tele-technicians are actively trying to rectify the situation as quickly as possible. Please try back again later. Have a stellar day!”
    The phone line went dead.
    ***
    Zander scribbled a few more notes on the paper he’d brought up to his rooftop. After finishing with the Stargazers Club at the park, he couldn’t get the idea of a missing star out of his head. He’d