"I'm on to you, darling," he said at last.

I turned to look at him. "How so?"

Freddie dabbed delicately at his lips with his napkin. "I know what you're doing. Don't think I don't see it."

We were sitting across from each other in the kitchen, as the dining room seemed just a bit too pretentious for our purposes. Both of us had just finished a lovely breakfast, if a fast one. Freddie seemed to be in a hurry- perhaps because he was due at the studio and the boys were waiting for him. It also meant we more or less ate in silence, which never became too awkward thanks to the constant hum of the radio. I'd like to think Freddie enjoyed my cooking, considering how much he had to eventually put up with it.

I sipped my tea. "That's as may be, I still don't know what you're hinting at."

"You're a very clever girl, making me breakfast and all."

"Must one be clever, to make breakfast?"

"It's the intent behind it. Making yourself useful and thus indispensable to me."

I pretended to pout. "I was hungry. And anyway, it was the least I could do to thank you for being so kind last night."

"True, I was very nice," Freddie agreed. "One of my best qualities, I think."

I rolled my eyes. "Yup. Right up there with your modesty."

"I might have been nicer to you, though," he said. "I just found your story a little hard to swallow. Still do, in fact. But I could have been a little more understanding. It's not every day I run into a madwoman."

The gleam returned, and the corners of his mouth twitched. I could not let that swipe go unrecognized.

"That's okay. It's not every day I run into a fellow with such high illusions of grandeur."

"I believe it's 'delusions,' actually, is the better word to use there."

Usually, being corrected this much made me bristle, but somehow when he did it, I could handle it better. "I speak my own language, man- and there's nothing you can do about it." I raised my cup of tea and grinned. "Cheers."

"True, I can't help it if you're uninformed," he yawned luxuriously. "But, yes, cheers."

Back chat, back chat, flashed through my head. I made a mental note: Always has to have the last word. And to myself I added, Challenge accepted.

I got up and picked up our plates to put them in the sink. "I'll wash these in a minute."

Freddie slid his chair back noisily. "So, has your head cleared enough so you can find your way back to- um, whatever planet you've descended from?" he asked.

I sighed. "It would take a lot more than that to send me home."

"How do you mean?"

"Excuse me a moment," I said, then rushed up the stairs to the green bedroom. I pulled a few things out of my backpack, and came back down. I was flirting with screwing with the future, but hey, hadn't I already done that?

Freddie's hands were on his hips. I asked, "I don't want to hold you up, do you have someplace you need to be?"

"My driver should be here in about five minutes, so I've got time," he said.

"Okay. See this?" I showed him the Relic. " This is my only means of communication with folks back where I come from."

"What is it?"

"It's a phone."

"This is a phone?" Freddie took it in his hands, inspected it. Wow, I said to myself. If he thinks that's impressive, it's a good thing I haven't shown him my Android.

"Only problem is, it only works when this," I pulled my tracker out from under my shirt, which still pulsed bright red, "turns blue, or whenever I'm in range. And I still don't get exactly what that means. Except that I'm not in range right now, which is awful, but it's out of my hands.

"To top it off, I have no funds whatsoever except those packed into this friendly plastic card, which is absolutely useless here. So I'm kind of in a pickle."

Freddie was now looking at me as if he was waiting for some kind of punchline. When none came, and he realized I was serious, he took a deep breath. "And I thought I was only kidding about you being from another planet."

"I'm not. But let's just say, I'm- not from around here."

"Could you explain what that means, exactly?"

I shook my head. "Again, it's complicated. I don't understand it myself."

"So far the only thing I've understood is that you haven't any money. I'd be happy to help there-"

"Freddie, no. I'm not asking you for money. The only thing I'd even think to ask is..." I trailed off. Ask what? What was I crashing into here? Shut up, Julia- or Eve, or whoever the heck I am!

He stood waiting. "Go on."

I looked up at him. "Um, alright. Here goes. I know this is a LOT to ask. I have no right to- to request this of you. But the only person I know here is you. And this is the only place I am anywhere near familiar with. So..."

Freddie filled in the blanks for me. "You're wanting to stay here?" He said evenly.

My hands were shaking; I hid them quickly behind my back. God, this sounded so bad. "I-I wouldn't take up much room. You wouldn't have to deal with me very long anyhow. If necessary I could just stay up in that green bedroom the whole time and you wouldn't have to see me, I'd be quiet as a mouse-"

"I wouldn't dream of locking you up like that, darling," he chuckled. "Again, you must think I'm some sort of ogre."

"Oh, no. I just don't want you to think I'm some kind of freeloader." Without realizing it, I went into Donald Trump mode. "If you let me stay, I'll earn my keep. Believe me. Whatever you need done, I'll do it. I'll be so good. That, I can tell you."

Freddie looked me up and down, decided I was for real (I guess). Because he said at last, "How about this: a favor a day. You can stay, certainly. You seem an honest girl. I'll give you a chance. For every day you hang around, you owe me a favor. I won't ask you to do anything impossible. Errands, petty household chores, things like that. How's that for a deal?"

He put out his hand, which I almost seized before I remembered the guy to whom I was talking. "Wait. One small wrinkle."

He groaned half-facetiously. "Good Lord. What is it?"

I hesitated, the words sticking in my throat. Finally I forced them out, quietly: "No sexual favors, please."

Freddie's brows shot up. "A rather pretentious wrinkle, that!"

"I know, I know. It's stupid. I'm sorry. I just want the air cleared on that." And that's it, I added privately. I mean, look at me. What would he want to mess with me for? "Is that okay?"

He glanced down at the floor, his smile now a tad uncomfortable. "No problem, Evie. A shame, certainly, but that won't be a problem."

"Good," I said. "Then we have a deal."

We shook hands.

"Congratulations, darling. You are now an honorary member of the family," he announced.

There was a knock at the door. "Are you ready, sir?"

"There's my chauffeur now. Quick," Freddie said before calling at the front door, "Coming!" He rushed back into the kitchen, banged around a few seconds, then hurried back. A key dangled between the fingers of one hand.

"Here's the key to the flat," he said. "Don't lose it, that's my spare. And here," he continued, slapping an indefinite amount of money into my palm, "is your cue to go shopping."

I stared at him. "Shopping? No way! I may not be here that long, you don't have to-"

"Eve, it's the middle of summer and you're standing there in a black turtleneck. Go get something more suitable. All you have to do is find a cab, and point wherever you want to go, and Boom! You're off. There should be enough there for you to get whatever you need."

My head was spinning; all I could do right then was nod numbly. "Yes, sir."

"And for heaven's sake, don't call me sir. I'll be back this evening. Try not to get yourself into trouble." Freddie patted my cheek and turned swiftly for the door.

Abruptly I recalled my manners. "I don't know how to thank you for all this, Freddie," I gasped.

He glanced back, and smiled his warmest smile yet. "Well," he said, "let's just say you're lucky you've got such big eyes."

And without another word, he disappeared.

I was now all alone in the flat, if you didn't count the two cats dozing on the sofa and the one STILL staring up at me. I had to sit down for a moment and recalibrate.

"Did he just say I've got big eyes?" I asked aloud. "They're not that big. He's just being nice. But that's not important right now."

I started putting together a plan for the day. I'd throw my clothes into the washer and clean myself up, get dressed again, then head for - a place to find clothes. Sounded simple enough, except I didn't know where to start.

A light switched on in my brain. What was that place where Freddie had worked, pre-Queen? Some kind of indoor market type thing-

"Oh yes!" I exclaimed. "Kensington Market. Sounds good to me."

With renewed confidence, I went back upstairs.