Crossroads Rules
Chapter 2


Sid stepped through the portal and gazed upon the loveliness that 
was Sally Caretaker. It was hard to believe that she looked even 
lovelier since his last visit. All thoughts and questions Sid had 
wanted to ask flew from his mind to be replaced by desire for this 
woman. He moved to her like a man possessed.

Sally's smile could have lit the night brighter than a full moon. Her 
translucent green gown hinted at the treasures it contained. It 
captivated him and drew his eyes to seek out glimpses of her 
breasts. Her long legs, spread slightly, formed an arrow that 
pointed to her sex.  

When he reached her, she took his hand. Her body undulated as 
she led him to the bedroom. The grace of her movements 
captivated him. Unable to take his eyes from her, Sid followed 
without being aware that he was even moving. 

Upon reaching the bedroom, Sally released his hand and turned to 
face him so that he would have a perfect view of her unveiling. 
When she went to remove her gown, Sid took her hand and 
requested, "Allow me do that."

Surprised he would want to undress her, she replied, "I would be 
most pleased."

It took a minute for Sid to locate the strap holding up the gown. 
Releasing the knot, the gown slid to the ground. The diaphanous 
material was so smooth that it flowed over her skin and slipped 
though his fingers. There was no way for him to slow its passage to 
the floor, but the effect was more erotic than what he had planned. 
It took his breath away.

Sid stepped back and worshipped her body with his eyes. His 
fingers trembled at the thought of touching her bare skin. For a 
moment, it seemed to him that touching her would be a sacrilege. 
In a whisper, he said, "So beautiful. So perfect."

Once she was standing naked before him, Sally slowly undressed 
Sid. She took her time. She kissed his body as she removed each 
garment. Never had a woman paid such attention to his body. Sid 
discovered that he enjoyed the sensations far more than he would 
have expected. 

When he was naked, she knelt in front of him and took his erection 
in her hands. She had never sucked a man's cock. In Cassandra, it 
was a wasted action since the man would come almost 
immediately and wouldn't be ready for sex for another day. She 
had been told that sex with a man from Earth would be far 
different than any other sexual experience. His last visit 
demonstrated that beyond a shadow of a doubt. She realized that 
Elizabeth Caretaker was correct in saying it required her to learn 
new skills. 

When she took hold of his cock, Sid had wanted to stop her. His 
intention had been to take care of her needs first, but his desire for 
her had become so strong that he could not resist her. Thinking 
about it, he decided that taking the edge off his desire would allow 
him to better take care of her needs. Rather than resist, he relaxed 
so that he could enjoy her attentions.

Sally examined the rigid shaft remembering the advice of 
Elizabeth Caretaker. She slipped his cock into her warm mouth as 
she had practiced upon the dildo. The feel and heat of his cock 
gave her pleasure she hadn't known was possible. The scent of an 
excited man filled her nose awaking a sexual response within her.

For Sid, the unexpected feel of her mouth around his manhood sent 
a bolt of electricity racing along his spine. His world shrunk to that 
part of his body as sensations beyond description flooded through 
his body. She flicked her tongue over the sensitive areas of his 
cock as she sucked. Her right hand stroked the shaft while her left 
hand was busy gently caressing his balls. Legs shaking, he said, 
"I'm going to come."

She looked up at him and kept his cock within her mouth. He held 
his breath, hoping to postpone his orgasm until she pulled off his 
cock. Looking down at her, he saw she was not going to back off. 
With a groan, he came in her mouth.

Elizabeth had told her that the amount of fluid released would be 
small, but that her mouth would be filled with cock. She had been 
warned that it would be hard to keep his fluids in her mouth 
without backing off the cock. Sally followed the advice of the far 
more experienced woman and captured all of his come. Looking 
up at him, she swallowed his seed trying to decide if she liked the 
flavor.

Sid helped her rise her from her knees and pulled her into an 
embrace. He kissed her with desire. The slight taste of his come 
was detectable from her mouth. Gesturing to the bed, he said, "It is 
your turn."

Once she was comfortable on the bed, Sid began his assault upon 
her body. It wasn't an assault of strength or domination, but a 
focused concentrated attention to each and every inch of her skin. 
He took his time. Starting at her forehead, he worked his way 
down to her toes over the course of an hour. When her front had 
been covered, he turned her over and gave attention to her back. 
Light kisses, passionate flicks of his tongue, and little love bites 
rained continuously upon her sensitive skin.
 
Easy to excite and bring to climax, Sally was quickly brought to an 
orgasm. Rather than a quick crescendo, she rode a wave of 
pleasure that lasted throughout the time he worshipped her body. 
When he settled between her legs, the wave of pleasure turned into 
a tidal wave. She lay upon the bed, her entire body quivering in 
time to the mystic beat of an ocean of sexual pleasure. 

After bringing her to heights she did not believe possible, Sid 
backed off and returned to an incremental adoration of her body. 
Rather than relaxing, Sally stayed at a constant level of excitement. 
Sweat soaked the sheets. Fluids seeped from her pussy, coating her 
legs and buttocks. Her excitement announced itself as a pungent 
scent that filled the air. 

After another hour, Sid stopped his caresses and mounted her. 
Changing the speed and strength of his thrusts, he was able to 
postpone his orgasm far longer than he thought possible. The 
changes had the opposite effect upon Sally. The teasing only 
brought her to higher levels of pleasure. Like a giant bass drum 
being struck, huge orgasms beat through her body. Like 
clockwork, one minute apart, her back arched. Muscles tightened 
in a reaction that made her look as if she had been struck by 
lightning. 

When Sid came, a tidal wave washed through him draining all of 
the energy from his body. Her eyes flicked open once and then 
shut as her mind was forced to retreat from the overwhelming 
pleasure it had just experienced. Exhausted beyond description, he 
climbed off her and lay beside her still trembling body. 

Unwilling to sleep, Sid turned to his side to watch the beautiful 
woman recover from the experience. Even after ten minutes, her 
body would tense as if another orgasm was ripping through her 
body. The sight fascinated him and reinforced his belief that she 
was something special. When the tremors would start to subside, 
he would run a hand over her sensitive skin returning it to that 
same excited state.

Unable to fight off his exhaustion, Sid fell asleep with the sleep 
that came after sex well done. It was hours later when he woke to 
find Sally sitting beside him. She was watching him with a dreamy 
look upon her face. Deep in her heart, she knew there was nothing 
she could deny him. Throat dry, he croaked, "You are so 
beautiful."

She ran a finger along his jaw with the tender touch. Even touching 
him brought a thrill to her body. In a soft voice, she said, 
"Restorative please."

A tall thin glass filled with a green fluid appeared on the 
nightstand. The glass itself didn't look to be wider than a test tube, 
although the base was large enough to provide a stable support for 
it. She reached out with a delicate gesture and took it. Handing it to 
Sid, she said, "Drink this. It will help restore your energy."

Smelling the liquid, Sid was puzzled by the odor. He didn't 
recognize it and couldn't even begin to describe it. It was as 
though every scent he had ever smelled was jumbled together. 
Upon taking a sip, an explosion of flavors burst through his mouth 
and energy flooded into his body. He sat up straighter and looked 
at the glass in amazement. The little sip had emptied half the glass. 
He finished the glass with a second sip.

Feeling much better, he smiled at Sally and, in a clear voice, asked, 
"What would I do without you to take care of me?"

"A better question is what I would do without you," replied Sally. 
The pleasure he had given her had overwhelmed her and destroyed 
all ability to resist him. She remained naked because she had to 
remain undressed. Her attempt to dress while he had been asleep 
had triggered sexual responses that nearly overwhelmed her. 
Curious, she said, "I've never taken a man in my mouth before. Did 
I do it right?"

"You were outstanding," answered Sid recalling with pleasure the 
sensations that she had induced in his body. 

"What did you do to me?" she asked. 

"I made love to you in the manner I've always wanted," answered 
Sid. He reached out and brushed the back of his hand along the 
side of her face. Her whole body reacted to his touch. Her nipples 
stuck out, her pussy released a flood of liquid, and her stomach 
rippled. Seeing the sudden change in expression on her face, he 
feared that his hand had been too rough for her delicate skin. 
Concerned, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes. I think just came," she replied unsure exactly what had 
happened to her. It was as though every nerve of her body was 
poised on the edge of ecstasy. Sid smiled at the idea that his 
attentions had left her in that state. He reached out to touch her 
again, but she backed away. Almost pleading, she said, "I don't 
know if I can take more."

"I understand," he said, although in truth he didn't understand. 

Feeling as though she needed to be busy doing something, she 
decided that it was time to undertake some of her other duties. First 
she would bathe and then feed him. Standing, she said, "Robe."

A robe appeared at the foot of the bed. Reaching down, she picked 
it up and held it out for him to step into. With a smile, she said, 
"Let us wash ourselves and then eat."

Sid put on the robe, being helped into it by Sally. He thanked her, 
"You take such excellent care of me. I'm the luckiest man in four 
worlds."

She stared at him unable to believe his words. If he was the 
luckiest man in four worlds, then she was the luckiest person in 
four worlds. Never had a woman of Cassandra been blessed with 
such a skilled lover. Softly, she said, "Let us go."

Sally bathed Sid and brought him to another orgasm using another 
trick taught her by Elizabeth Caretaker. She had done so by 
standing behind him and jacking him off with her right hand. 
Throughout the bath, she had tried to keep her distance from him 
out of fear that she would collapse with even the most causal 
touch. The problem was that she had no will left with which to 
resist him. At the first suggestion, she gave in and allowed him to 
wash her body. Each touch of his hand raised echoes of the 
pleasure that she had experienced earlier in bed. By the time he 
had finished washing her, she was nearly exhausted from a dozen 
orgasms and the effort to keep standing.

Over dinner, Sid remembered the questions that he wanted to ask 
of Sally. He slowly chewed a piece of steak as he considered how 
to explain his suspicions that his role in the game was as a sperm 
donor to the women of Cassandra. After taking a sip of his wine, 
Sid said, "While I was at home, I gave a lot of thought to what 
happened last time I was here. I came to the conclusion that I don't 
quite understand the rules of the game. Can you explain them to 
me?"

She had dreaded this conversation ever since she chased him 
through the portal at the end of his last visit to Crossroads. 
Looking over at Sid, Sally put down her fork and pushed away her 
salad. Her appetite had disappeared remembering how Elizabeth 
Caretaker had described the arguments with Gerald upon his 
learning that he had fathered a child. 

She considered his request, realizing that she didn't really know 
how to answer him. There were a few things she knew held true, 
but there were situations that cropped up on occasion that surprised 
the caretakers. She said, "I don't think I can. We don't really know 
all the rules, just little things that work and some that don't work."

"So request a rule book," suggested Sid, recalling what happened 
when he requested a user's manual for the apartment. He had been 
given a very thin volume instructing him to ask his caretaker to 
attend to his needs. When she had requested a user's manual, she 
had received three of them.

"Uh, I don't think there is one," replied Sally surprised by the 
recommendation.

Shrugging his shoulders, Sid said, "You didn't know that there was 
a user's manual, but there was one."

Sally thought about it for a moment and then called out, "Rule 
book please."

Instead of a rulebook, a sheet of paper appeared on the table in 
front of her. Expecting it to say that there was no rulebook, she 
was surprised to discover that it was a list of rulebooks. 

"What is it?"

She announced, "It's a list of rule books."

"A list?"

She read the list aloud, "Rules for Hero Greeters. Rules for 
Caretakers. Rules for Heroes. Rules for Hero Companions. Rules 
for Damsels. Rules for Companion Greeters."

Sid listened to the list with surprise. One item attracted his 
attention and he wondered what a hero companion was. However, 
for the moment he was far more curious about the rules for heroes. 
Excited, he said, "I'd like the rules for heroes."

Smiling, Sally said, "Rules for Heroes, Rules for Caretakers, and 
Rules for Damsels, please."

Three small pamphlets appeared on the table in front of Sally. She 
looked through the stack before handing the appropriate one to Sid. 
She put one down and sat back to read the third. Sid looked at the 
manual and then at the half-eaten steak still on his plate. Pushing 
the manual to the side, he returned to his meal. There was no way 
that he was going to let a perfectly good steak get thrown away. He 
watched as Sally read her pamphlet with great care. 

After finishing his meal, he picked up the pamphlet and started to 
read. The first two rules were quite explicit concerning the role of 
the hero. The hero was required to be ready, willing, and able to 
fulfill the primary and secondary goals of the heroic mission: to 
rescue the damsel from her distress in Chaos and to impregnate her 
upon return to Crossroads. The secondary goal let him know that 
he had been correct in his earlier guess.

There were a few surprises within the rules. A few of them he 
would have broken if he hadn't had this chance to learn about 
them. Looking up, he said, "It says here that I'm not allowed to kill 
a protected species or harm an endangered species."

Sally looked up from her rulebook in surprise. No one had ever 
suggested that there were limits to what a hero could do to the 
source of danger when rescuing a damsel. All that was required of 
the Hero was to behave in a heroic fashion. She asked, "What 
species are protected and which are endangered?"

"Says here that mermaids, mermen, dragons, trolls, pixies, 
brownies, and hippogriffs are protected. Unicorns, fairies, will-o-
the-wisps, and sphinxes are endangered."

"Ah, that explains a lot. That is why no hero has been able to go on 
a mission to rescue a damsel from a dragon," said Sally. In the 
past, the heroes planning on rescuing a Damsel from a dragon had 
left with the full intention of killing the dragon. Of course, it 
followed that the portal wouldn't open for a person who meant to 
break a rule.

Sid went back to studying the pamphlet. After a reading for a 
while, he reached the part of the manual that addressed bringing a 
companion with him from Earth. He said, "It says that I can bring a 
companion to Chaos."

The idea that he could bring a companion with him bothered Sally. 
She didn't want to deal with two men and definitely didn't want 
another woman competing with her for his attention. She asked, 
"What does it say about the companion?"

"They have to come from Earth and must serve as my caretaker 
while in Chaos. They have to do the cooking, cleaning, and most 
of the carrying. They can't participate directly in the rescue of the 
Damsel. That is the job of the hero," answered Sid. He wondered if 
that allowed the companion to hold the horses while he rescued the 
Damsel. He decided the companion was allowed to provide an 
indirect support.

"What about sex?"

"It appears that the only one I can have sex with in Chaos is a 
companion," answered Sid after an untimely pause. That was 
another rule that he would have broken without knowing it 
assuming the opportunity arose. He read that part of the pamphlet a 
second time before he added, "I can't have sex with the companion 
while in Crossroads. It seems kind of strange to me that I can have 
sex with the companion in Chaos and Earth, but can't in 
Crossroads."

Smiling at the restrictions, Sally replied, "It's not confusing to me 
at all."

Realizing that she was feeling a little possessive, Sid said, "Don't 
worry. There isn't an Earth women who can compare with you."

Pleased at the compliment, Sally flipped through her pamphlet 
searching for any information concerning hero companions. She 
found a few rules and read them. Looking up at Sid, she said, "It 
appears that I have to take care of a companion's basic food, 
clothing, and rest needs. At least I'm not required to have sex with 
them."

She read on and then exclaimed, "Oh, it does say that having sex 
with a Hero Companion is my choice and not the companion's 
choice."

"What does that mean?"

Deciding that there weren't any real downsides associated with him 
bringing a companion from Earth, Sally shrugged and put the 
subject behind her. In an off-handed manner, she said, "I guess I 
would have to read the rules for companions to determine that."

Sid thought about Cynthia and wondered if she would be willing to 
live with those rules for a chance to learn how to be a lady from 
Sally. He seriously doubted she would be interested, but he'd ask 
for the Rules for Hero Companions before going back to Earth. He 
asked, "Is there anything else?"

"Just that having a companion is your choice and that I'm not 
allowed to voice an objection," answered Sally. She flipped the 
pamphlet back to the page she had been reading earlier. She had 
just finished reading the part about how she was supposed to 
explain the rules to the hero. It was a little late for that.

Sid thought about it and decided that bringing a Hero Companion 
would be a topic for later discussion. He went back to studying the 
pamphlet. After a reading through the next section, he returned to 
the one about companions. Reading it a second time, he realized 
that what wasn't included in the rules was just as important as what 
was included. There was nothing in it about the gender of the 
companion. 

After a while, Sally looked up and realized she had been a little 
derelict in her duties. Sid had finished his meal and his wine. She 
looked over at him and saw that he was reading the pamphlet a 
second time. At least he hadn't noticed she hadn't been paying 
attention to him. She said, "Two coffees please."

The coffees appeared on the table, one in front of each of them. 
Her statement broke Sid's concentration. Looking up, he spotted 
the coffee and said, "Thank you. You always seem to anticipate my 
needs."

"You're welcome," she replied with a smile. In many ways, she 
was lucky he requested so little from her. She heard stories of other 
heroes who were much more demanding. 

"You're still naked," observed Sid with a smile. He could sit there 
and look at her all day.

"I couldn't put on my clothes earlier," said Sally with a blush. "I 
came just holding them against my body."

"Really?" asked Sid.

"Yes," she answered looking down at the table. Her blush covered 
more than her face and endeared her to him even more.

The next day, Sid stood next to Sally as she laid out the missions 
that were available for him to take. She pointed to an area on a 
map of Chaos and said, "In this town, there is a Damsel who has 
been kidnapped. The kidnapper believes that another man will pay 
her ransom and he may be right."

"So what's the matter?" asked Sid confused as to why she was 
bringing this to his attention. Since someone was willing to pay her 
ransom, she wasn't really in trouble. According to the rules he had 
read in the Rules for Damsels, she couldn't be considered a Damsel 
in Distress. He joked, "It sounds like she is a Damsel in 
Discomfort."

"I know that this adventure sounds petty. After all, it is a pretty 
common scenario and, since someone is willing to pay her ransom, 
we normally wouldn't consider her to be a damsel in distress. But 
this adventure is a special case. While investigating it, I found that 
the man holding her has killed past hostages even after the ransom 
has been paid." 

"Just how dangerous is this guy?" asked Sid. That little piece of 
information changed things significantly. She was facing near-
certain death and her situation now fit the definition of being in 
distress.

"In terms of fighting skills, he's pretty mediocre. However, he's a 
sneaky one and won't meet you straight on," answered Sally. 

"How much time does she have?" asked Sid.

"At least two months," answered Sally. She pointed to the map and 
explained, "She is being held here and the man who will pay the 
ransom is all the way over here. It'll take at least a month for the 
ransom demand to arrive and then a month for the money to be 
returned. He won't kill her until he gets the money and slips away. 
At that point, her value as a hostage will vanish and so will she."

Sid thought about it for a minute. It sounded as if it could be a 
difficult mission, but one well within his abilities. He said, "Okay. 
That's one of the adventures. What about the second one?"

Sally shook her head as she turned her attention to the second 
adventure. In a light voice, she said, "There is still the Damsel who 
is being held against her will. I told you about this adventure last 
time."

It took him a minute to recall the details. A man was holding her 
until she would agree to marry him. He asked, "Has anything 
changed since then?"

"Well, there was a little incident a little while ago," answered Sally 
hoping he wouldn't pursue this one.

Her evasion sparked his interest when she wouldn't meet his eye. 
He asked, "So what happened?"

Looking away, Sally tried to find a good way to phrase her answer. 
Unable to find one, she blurted, "A hero was killed trying to rescue 
her."

"Really? Tell me more," prompted Sid getting very interested in 
this particular adventure.

Sighing, Sally replied, "The hero showed up and announced in 
public that the man was holding the Damsel against her will. 
Things escalated until there was a public duel. The man holding 
the Damsel is probably the best knife thrower in Chaos. Before the 
Hero had a chance to close in with his sword, there was a knife 
sticking out his throat."

"A knife?" asked Sid. His first thought was that when a man with a 
knife met a man with a sword, then the man with the sword 
automatically won the fight. He was surprised to learn that it 
wasn't always the case.

"Yes, a knife," answered Sally.

"There's a third adventure?" asked Sid wanting to know all of the 
missions before getting too many of the details about any single 
one of them. So far, both missions she presented were of interest.

Relaxing, Sally answered, "Yes, the third adventure. Although 
slavery isn't widespread on Chaos, it does exist. A slaver has 
captured one of the Damsels. She's on her way to a large plantation 
to work the field."

Life long loss of freedom fit the criteria for distress. Bristling at the 
idea that a human being had been kidnapped into slavery, Sid sat 
up and asked, "She's been taken into slavery?"

"Yes, slavery. There are a lot of people in that particular region 
who support it since their crops are labor intensive. You'll be 
pursued upon taking her by almost every one of the neighbors. 
They'll want to recover her since an escaped slave sets a bad 
example for the rest of the slaves." Sally stood back and watched 
as Sid thought about what she had told him. It was her hope he 
would take this adventure. Of the three, it was actually the safest.

"Which one of the three adventures do you want me to take?"

"The last one," answered Sally. One look at his face and she knew 
what his next question would be. Anticipating it, she said, "It's the 
safest."

"Which of the three Damsels is in the greatest danger?"

Sally looked down at the floor as though studying the pattern of the 
carpeting. Not looking at him, she answered, "The second Damsel. 
The man holding her is getting impatient as a result of the fact that 
his actions have become public knowledge. He'll get rid of her if 
she doesn't agree to marry him. He'll probably maim or kill her. I 
estimate that she only has two or three days left."

"Since he's already killed one Hero, I assume you consider this to 
be the most dangerous of the adventures."

"Of course it is."

Sid paced the room thinking over everything that Sally had told 
him. Personally, he wanted to rescue the Damsel from slavery, but 
she wasn't the Damsel who needed him the most. The second 
adventure involved a highly trained knife fighter. That was the 
most danger kind of opponent that he could face. 

He came to a sudden decision, namely that it wasn't necessary for 
him to decide which adventure to take at that particular moment. 
Turning to Sally, he said, "I need some time to think about it."

Taking him by the hand, Sally led him out of the mission room and 
into the living room. Once there, she pointed to the couch and said, 
"There is something else on your mind. Would you like to tell me 
about it?"

Accepting that this was as good of a time as any to discuss the 
matter of Cynthia, Sid took a seat and patted the space next to him. 
Sally joined him on the couch and curled against him. She emitted 
a contented purr as he held her to him. It was hard to say which of 
the two was more satisfied by the situation.

Sid had watched her glide across the room and take her seat. Once 
again, he amazed at the grace with which she moved. Unbidden, 
the words tumbled out of his mouth, "You are so graceful."

"Thank you."

"I guess that is where my little story should start," said Sid.

"What? I'm graceful?"

Nodding, Sid started telling his story. "Back on Earth, I'm in 
college. One day in my literature class, the topic of the ideal 
woman came up. I made a mistake and described you to the class."

Surprised that he considered describing her to be a mistake, she 
pulled back and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

"Several things. You set a standard of beauty so high that the 
women in my class are unable to match it. It made more than one 
of them upset, particularly when every man in the class admitted 
he desired a woman like yourself."

She sat up and turned to look at him, thinking he was teasing her in 
some strange fashion. The expression on his face let her know he 
was speaking the truth. Shocked at the description of Earth women, 
she said, "Surely that can't be true."

"Oh, it is true enough. The majority of women on my planet move 
like cows, dress in fashions that are designed to be unattractive, 
and talk like sailors. None of the women in my class could even 
hope to compare with you on your worst day and their best," 
answered Sid.  

"My goodness." Sally was stunned at his description of the women 
on Earth. She wondered how the men of Earth could even be 
interested in such women. She asked, "So what happened?"

"One day a woman in my class came to me and said she would like 
to learn how to be more like you."

Sally smiled at the announcement and returned to her comfortable 
position of lying against Sid. So one of the women decided to learn 
how to act like a woman and approached Sid to find out how. She 
could understand that. She asked, "So what did you do?"

"I set her up with an old friend of my Uncle Gerald. She will teach 
the young lady etiquette," answered Sid. 

"To learn manners?" asked Sally surprised that one had to take 
lessons for that. 

"Yes, I sent her to learn how to act and behave in a proper fashion. 
Mrs. Wilson will teach her to act and move with social grace."

"I take it that Mrs. Wilson knows how to dress and move like a 
lady," observed Sally.

"Yes, but she is in her eighties and is the last of her kind," 
countered Sid. He swallowed heavily and then added, "It will 
probably be up to me to teach her how to dress and to work on her 
self confidence."

"Probably?" 

Smiling as he realized that he had a perfect way of broaching the 
real subject, he said, "Unless you would like to be the one to do 
that."

The suggestion surprised Sally. Sitting up, she turned to look at 
him and said, "You are saying that I could teach her how to be like 
me."

"I can think of no one better," he answered with a smile.

Her mind raced as she considered the suggestion. Rather than 
making a decision immediately, she said, "Two Cognacs, please."

Two snifters containing Cognac appeared on the table. Sally leaned 
forward and picked up one of the snifters. She handed it to him 
with a smile and said, "I'll have to think about it. For now, let us 
enjoy a drink and each other's company."

"Thank you," said Sid as he accepted the Cognac from her. He 
watched as she leaned forward and took the second snifter from the 
table. He shifted so that she could lean against his chest while 
allowing both of them to enjoy their drinks. He held her with his 
left arm, his forearm resting just under her breasts. He sighed and 
said, "This is so nice."

"Yes, it is."

Sid enjoyed the time spent sitting together. At another time, he 
would have wanted to escalate it into sex, but this was better in a 
different way. He asked, "Do you know what is missing?"

"What?"

"A fire in a fireplace and soft music playing in the background," 
answered Sid. 

"That sounds romantic," said Sally. She mentally went through the 
steps required to make the suggested modifications to the room. 
Once she had figured out how to do that, she tried to figure out 
how she could return to the control room without disrupting the 
atmosphere of closeness that had descended upon them.

Feeling the subtle increase in tension through her body, Sid said, 
"Not now. For now, I just want to lie here with the most beautiful 
woman on four planets in my arms."

'The most beautiful woman on four planets.' She liked the sound of 
that and nestled against him. She took a sip of her Cognac and 
cooed her pleasure.