Amber Jane

Strangers In The Night

The rain was just beginning to fall when the doorman let Ellie into the apartment building. Nodding briefly to the security guard on duty she hurried to the elevator, just as the doors were about to close. Slipping in at the last second Ellie breathed a sigh of relief and a silent thanks to whoever sent the car to the lobby. She pressed the button for third floor and attempted to balance the bulky portfolio while fumbling inside her purse for the keys. The doors of the elevator opened with a quiet whoosh and Ellie stepped out into a long, tastefully decorated and discreetly dimmed corridor. Her apartment was all the way at the end of the hallway, but the benefit of having a corner spot far outweighed the disadvantage of being far from the exit. Stepping inside the spacious but cozy rooms, Ellie experienced the sensation of peace that always greeted her at home. Leopold, the stray cat she found near the dumpster a few months back, greeted her with his usual cool reserve but allowed himself to be petted. After hanging her coat and verifying that the answering machine was blissfully unaware of any incoming calls, Ellie fed Leopold and attempted to scrounge up a dinner for herself. Shrill ringing of the phone interrupted Leopold's meal and Ellie's tranquil mood. With a sigh she reached for the receiver. "Hello." "Hey, hey, what's up?" Ellie felt the cloak of peacefulness ripping as she recognized the voice of her ex-boyfriend. "Eric, what do you want?" She suddenly felt weary and disgruntled and wished she had resisted the urge to pick up the phone. "Hey, is that any way to greet your boyfriend?" He sounded amused. Ellie fought to conceal her impatience and growing belligerence. "Ex-boyfriend. In case it slipped your mind, we broke up two weeks ago." She took a deep breath and exhaling asked, "What do you want, Eric, I am in the middle of something here." "Hey, I just wanted to say Hello. You are not still mad at me, are you? Come on, I've explained about what happened. You want to go out tomorrow night? We could go to the game and then maybe dinner, and a little tumble of our own." The leering undertones in his voice sent her over the edge. "Eric, listen carefully to what I am about to say because this is very important. I am not mad at you. What you do with your other bimbos is no concern of mine and in fact it stopped concerning me the moment I found out about it and broke up with you. Now, I have something more important to do than stand around talking to a prick like you, so have a nice life and leave me alone." She slammed down the phone in grim satisfaction. Leopold gave her a disgruntled look and went back to his tuna dinner. Ellie smiled ruefully, "Sorry, Leo, but he was a jerk and he deserved to be hung up on." Feeling that she suddenly lost her appetite, Ellie grabbed an apple and went to the guest bedroom that served as her office. It was a spacious corner room with two large windows and two separate desks. Aside from the desks the room was mostly bare, except for the giant bookcase and a soft overstuffed armchair. One of the desks was a work desk, Ellie's designs, pencils, markers and all kinds of other drawing implements were spread out haphazardly all over the place. Chaos that reigned on the work desk was a complete antithesis to the carefully maintained order on the other desk. This was Ellie's getaway place. The second desk housed her computer, a box with half a dozen floppies, a notepad and a vase of flowers that she changed once a week. This was where she wrote her stories. So far the stories have been few and far in between, but Ellie hoped one day to produce a couple of stories good enough to be published. In the meantime this was her place to shut out the hassles of life and immerse herself in the world she created to fit her private designs. The computer was also connected to the Internet. Recently Ellie found herself looking for inspiration in various chat rooms. Most of the commentaries were insipid and self-absorbed, not worth paying any attention to, but a couple of weeks ago Ellie found a chat room that intrigued her. It was a group where people talked about their sexual experiences. It was a moderated group and the jerks were toned down or downright erased by the moderator. The moderator posted a discussion question once every couple of days and everyone in the group was welcome to respond. Then if people wished to talk in private, private chat rooms could be provided without moderator's control. So far Ellie had not joined in the discussions, preferring to be an anonymous

listener, but tonight after the confrontation with Eric, she decided that if the topic was interesting she would join in. She turned on the computer and while she waited for it to connect to the Internet she changed from the work clothes she was still wearing to a soft velvet bathrobe. Fluffing Leopold's pillow, should he decide to join her, she sat down in front of the computer and found the chat room of her choice. Reading the topic she once again wondered where the moderator came up with these. The topic read "Sex with strangers." Ellie saw quite a few responses scrolling down the screen, but she was looking for a particular person. Ellie's login name was Sapphire and she was looking for Quicksilver. She wasn't certain, but she thought that he was male. His answers lacked the reckless intimate details that the other participants seemed to revel in, but he usually gave more insight into his character with his terse yet intense comments. She finally found him toward the bottom of the list. It looked like he just sent the comment in. She settled back and read the following: Sex with a stranger is the ultimate test of just how far one would go to test one's limits of self-awareness. Ellie reread the comment and frowned. It seemed a little too abstract even for him, but his handle was right there, before the statement. Ellie shrugged and decided to reply to the question as well. Then she got a better idea, why not reply to the person himself? She requested a private chat and wrote a short note. Self-awareness is relative and it has no limits. She wanted to add something to that, but sent it before she could change her mind. While she waited for him to accept the private chat invitation, she started reading at random other people's responses that were still appearing at the bottom of the screen. As usual, they ranged from experiences to philosophical diatribes, but the idea was interesting enough to keep Ellie reading until suddenly a triumphant beep from the speakers announced that a private chat has been established. Ellie clicked on the appropriate window and was surprised to see that her hands were trembling. The response from Quicksilver read: How aware are you? Aware enough to test your theory? Ellie bit her lip and tapped her fingertips on the keyboard distractedly. Finally she typed a reply: In another life and with a perfect stranger. A few minutes passed before his reply appeared on the small screen. You are opting for the easy way out by giving me a rhetorical answer. A stranger cannot be perfect, only your perception of him as one need be. If you care to continue this discussion or perhaps even test your theory, come to the Wiltshire Hotel on Churchill and 2nd Avenue in about two hours. Ask for the key to Room 1012 . You may discover limits you never knew existed. Ellie stared at the words on the screen. Surely this is a joke, she thought in confusion. A stranger that she knew nothing about has just invited her to join him in the most expensive hotel in town to ponder the question of self-awareness. She closed her eyes for a moment but when she opened them the invitation was still there, the cursor blinking, mocking her, daring to accept. The thought of accepting sent her into a fit of giggles. No way, she thought, he is crazy if he thinks I'll fall for that. But somewhere deep inside the seed of doubt had been sown and she knew she wouldn't rest until... The next hour and a half were a blur. Ellie took a shower, pulled on a pair of jeans and a button down shirt, checked on the sleeping cat and left before she could change her mind. On the way to the hotel she tried in vain

to swallow her qualms about the whole venture. It's a respectable establishment she told herself, nothing bad could happen to me there, could it? She felt around on the passenger seat of the car and found the container of "Mace" that she always carried as a precaution. In a few minutes she pulled into the spacious parking lot underneath the Wiltshire hotel. A valet ran up to her and opened the door. She stuffed the "Mace" into her purse and gave the young man her keys. Ellie was assaulted by a panicky jolt once again as she entered the lavish lobby of the hotel. The security guard by the receptionist did little to quiet her nerves and she was on the verge of turning around and heading back home when the receptionist turned to her and asked if she'd like a room. "No, actually, uhhm, I am here to pick up a key to room ..." for a moment Ellie froze and realized that she had forgotten the room number. The receptionist smiled kindly and completed the sentence for her, "Yes, we've been expecting you. The gentleman called and warned us that you will be coming at this time. It's room number 1012. John will lead you to the elevator." Still smiling, the receptionist motioned to a young man in a bellboy uniform and he led the dazed Ellie to the throng of elevators. "You need the 10th floor, ma-am. Have a nice evening." John touched his cap and disappeared behind the closing doors. Ellie watched the doors sliding together and once again experienced an insane urge to run, but it was too late. The elevator started moving up, drawing her inexorably closer to the man she knew only as Quicksilver. Room 1012 was two doors down from the elevator. Ellie stood in front of the room, uncertain whether to knock or open the door with the key. Finally she decided against knocking and slipped the key into the lock. A light push on the door and Ellie found herself in a large living room of a two-room suite. As the door slid closed behind her, she leaned against it to survey her surroundings. The living room was shrouded in dim mystique created by the dancing flames in a beautifully crafted fireplace. Darkness seemed to suffuse the space, deepening as it creeped into corners and doorways. "So, you came." Ellie whirled around and found her breath coming in short gasps as she tried to focus on the figure in the doorway. He was leaning against the doorjamb but the darkness behind him and the position of the fireplace kept him in the shadows, making it impossible for her to see his face. Ellie cleared her throat and asked, "Why did you ask me to come?" "Well, technically, I didn't ask you to come, I simply offered you a test of your theories and judging by your presence here you've accepted." Ellie licked her lips and suddenly decided that it was a bad idea. "Look, uhhm, I am sorry, but I have to leave. This was a stupid thing to do. I shouldn't have come. I..." "Wait, please." He straightened out but made no move toward her. "I know this doesn't mean much, but I am not going to hurt you." He paused for a moment and then continued, "Although I don't expect you to believe this, I've never done anything like this before. If you do go, would you answer a question for me first? I've been waiting for you to join the discussions for a while now, but you've always kept away. Yet, when you finally answered, your answer was directed to me, not to the group. Why is that?" Ellie thought for a moment and responded, "I found your comments to be the most interesting of the group and I saw no need to share my thoughts with anyone except the person I actually wanted to read them." Ellie's eyes adjusted to the dim lighting and she saw the planes of his face. It was still too dark to tell what he really looked like, but at least now she could see where he was looking. He contemplated for a second and then said, "I won't ask you to stay if it will make you feel uncomfortable. This won't work unless both of us are relaxed. And yes, this does require a degree of trust that is difficult to feel for a total stranger, but that is the point, isn't it? I am telling you that you are quite safe here with me, if that's enough, then by all means stay, otherwise you are free to go, I won't hold it against you." Ellie saw him lean his head expectantly to the side and made her decision. "I'll stay." He nodded and then added, as an afterthought, "I would ask that you close your eyes for a moment while I enter the room and dowse the fire. I think it would be better if we remained anonymous." He paused and waited for her to accept his conditions. Ellie felt like she was caught in the middle of a bizarre dream, unable to wake

up, yet strangely eager to see it to the end. She nodded and closed her eyes. She felt rather than saw the lights being put out and suddenly something touched her hand. She jumped and drew back but heard his voice very close in front of her, "It's just me. I am going to lead you over to the couch." His hand touched her arm and gently drew her over to the dark shape that turned out to be a couch. She opened her eyes, slowly adjusted to this new level of darkness and saw his dark shape a few feet away from her. He was sitting sideways, leaning on the back of the sofa, facing her. There was something vaguely familiar about his features, but Ellie's wits were too addled to make any connections. "All right," his voice was firm but curiously gentle at the same time, "Let's set some ground rules before we go on. No questions asked, no questions answered, no past, no present, as names we'll use our login names or nothing at all." He stopped and waited for her to add something. When she didn't he asked, "Well, are you ready to test your theory?" Ellie attempted to quell the quivers in her voice and asked, "How do you propose to do that?" He laughed quietly and replied, "We make love, of course." Ellie felt her blood run cold and at the same moment she jumped and backed up a step. He got up with her and reached out to steady her before she could tumble down. "You are crazy." Ellie could hardly hear her whisper above the thudding of her heart. He let go of her arm and asked quietly, "What did you think would happen when you accepted my offer? Did you think we would spend the night pondering the pros and cons of the topic when it could be so easy and so much more pleasurable to test it ourselves? If you never even considered that as a possible outcome, then please, accept my apologies for wounding your sensibilities. As I've said before, you are free to leave at any time." He waited as Ellie considered his words. She thought about the lacy black lingerie that she was wearing, the excitement she felt when she decided to accept the offer, and finally about the stirrings of desire at the thought of fulfilling a forbidden fantasy. He was still waiting for an answer when she looked up and said, "I don't know why I am here. I am a fool for coming and perhaps an even bigger fool for staying, but if I leave, I'll never know, will I?" "No," he replied softly, "you might never know, but, are you sure you want to know?" She looked up and met his unwavering stare. The intensity of the gaze sent shivers down her spine but even as she was trying to calm her shaking hands she saw a decisive flicker in his eyes and whispered, "Yes, I am sure." Still the niggling of fear wouldn't go away. Even as he watched her, she reached into the purse and felt her fingers close around the can of "Mace". She would find a way to keep it near by, just in case. Reassured she withdrew the hand and placed it tentatively on his shoulder. She felt him lean close to her ear and whisper, "You know, tear gas wouldn't be of much use in such close surroundings since we'd both inhale about the same amount. Oh, and before you ask, I knew that you had it because just about every woman today carries one. They are actually quite useless as well as dangerous to someone who has never used them as a weapon before, but if it makes you feel better, you can keep yours under the pillow once we go to bed." The bedroom was completely dark. Ellie stopped in the doorway, uncertain of where the furniture was. Once again she felt his hand on her elbow, guiding her into the room. He stopped and turned her around. Taking her hand he oriented her to the position of the bed and the night stand. "Let's play a game," he suggested quietly. "Pretend that you are in a perfect world where nothing can harm you and no matter what happens, you will feel no regrets." "Are you hypnotizing me?" asked Ellie with a strangled laugh. "Not at all," he sounded amused at her suggestion, "I am simply trying to remove the natural barriers that you've surrounded yourself with. After all, no one in their right mind would have sex with a stranger in the world we live in. If you do it, then it has to be all the way, no holds barred, nothing held back. It's all or nothing, Sapphire, otherwise it's not worth trying." Ellie couldn't tell whether he was serious or not but his fingers were caressing her hand and the touch was driving her to distraction. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. He is right, she thought, if I am going to do this, it might as well be all the way.

He seemed to know when she made the choice and after a moment she felt his fingers leave her hand and undo the first button on her shirt. He slid the shirt off her shoulders before she even had a chance to protest or slow him down. A moment later she heard a rustle of clothing and knew that he was undressing. She knew that she should take off the rest of her clothes, but she was frozen in indecision. She felt the heat from his body as he stepped closer to her and through the sensual haze heard his quiet laughter. "I see you need some help here," his hands were on her waist as he spoke, "allow me to assist you." Deftly he unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down her hips. He took her shoes and socks and in a space of a breath she was left wearing only the lingerie set. Yet he still hasn't touched her in any way that would hint at the intimacy they were about to engage in. Ellie sighed as his hands left her and stepped back, coming up against the bed. "Quicksilver..." Ellie began tentatively, "what now?" "Now we begin." His voice was right behind her and she felt his hand on her arm, pulling her onto the bed. The covers were off and she felt the coolness of the satin sheets under her back as he lowered her onto the pillows. "Close your eyes," he whispered, "feel my touch and let that be your only guide to who I am and what I am doing." Ellie closed her eyes and felt his hands on her shoulders, lifting her higher on the bed. His fingers skimmed her arms and came back to the hollow of her throat. Slowly he traced a path through the valley between her breasts, pulling the bra out of the way. Ellie felt her panties sliding down her legs in the wake of his touch - teasing and arousing, but not yet satisfying. "What do you feel when I touch you?" His softly spoken words floated into her conscience and she trembled as she tried to describe the unfamiliar feelings his touch was exciting. "I feel light and... I feel like I can't breathe, I..." she gasped the last words as she felt his weight on top of her. He pulled her arms above her head and held them captive in one hand. His body held her in place and suddenly she felt a frisson of fear. She realized that she was completely in his power. "What do you feel now?" Ellie hesitated, unwilling to admit that she was afraid, unwilling to give him more power over herself. He felt her hesitation and waited, giving her a chance to find the words to reply. Finally she said, "Afraid. I feel afraid and uncertain." He lowered his head until she felt his cheek touch hers and she could feel him smiling. His fingers were now caressing her wrists which they held captive and the fear slowly dissipated, replaced by heady excitement. He pulled her arms down and wrapped them around his neck. "Hold on, Sapphire," the smile was still in his voice as he shifted his weight and suddenly she felt the unmistakable hardness of his arousal pressing against her. She tensed and panicked, he is too big, it won't work. She released her hold on his neck and pushed on his shoulders, but he was unyielding. "Quicksilver, stop. I can't..." she didn't finish her sentence as his mouth covered hers in an exploring kiss. The irony wasn't lost on her. Here they were on the brink of sexual intimacy and they have not yet kissed. Ellie dissolved under the onslaught of his lips, her mind clouded in the sensual haze. She wondered dimly if his kiss could overpower her in this way, what would lovemaking be like. Through the mist of passion she heard the words he spoke against her lips, "What do you feel now?" "I have no words. I just feel." "Then it's time." Before Ellie had a chance to consider what his words meant, she felt the pressure from his knee on her thighs and in a heartbeat he was inside her. The mixture of surprise and pain assailed her but melted away as she felt him move in a slow, lazy stroke. She gasped at the fullness but raised her hips off the bed to take him in deeper, prolong the feeling of closeness. All too soon, he was pulling back, only to slide back in. Ellie felt the pressure building with each measured stroke but she was impatient for more. She scratched her nails down his back, lifted her knees, and arched against him, but all to no avail. He just laughed and continued the sweet torture. Ellie felt the muscles in his arms tensing and suddenly she knew that it cost him all he had to maintain this composure. Gathering all her strength she squeezed her muscles, almost pushing him over the edge. He groaned in response and sped up, treating her to quick shallow strokes. The change of pace was too much for Ellie and she dissolved in an explosive climax. He tried staying in control until the end, but the

trembling of her muscles and the pleasure he saw on her face were no match for him as he too came with a shout. The room was strangely quiet as both of them regained their senses. Ellie was the first to stir. Gingerly, she straightened her leg along his frame and felt the pull of muscles, unused to this type of activity. "Quicksilver?" Ellie heard the tremor in her voice. Suddenly she was very unsure of herself. What would happen now? He lifted his head slightly and caressed her cheek with his own. Ellie felt the worries slip away as he caressed her and closed her eyes again in contentment. She felt him pull out of her and dimly realized that he had been well prepared for the encounter as he had provided the protection that she forgot about. She squeezed his shoulder in a silent thanks and heard his soft chuckle that seemed to say "Don't mention it." She felt the bed give way as he first left and then came back to join her under the covers. Eyes still closed in the blissful aftermath of the experience, Ellie felt his hand caressing her face, fingers skating over her slightly parted lips. "Ellie, open your eyes." The shock of hearing her name held her immobile for a moment but then her eyes flew open and she stared at the face inches above her own. "Ellie, do you know who I am?" His voice was gentle, intended to dispel the blow delivered with his last comment. "I am not sure," she stammered, realizing for the first time that the features she's been glimpsing in the dark were vaguely familiar. Slowly his features came into focus but recognition still eluded her. She shook her head in distress, "I am sorry. I can't ..." "Shhh, it's all right," he dropped a gentle kiss on her forehead, "my name is David. I work on the third floor. I helped you with the library project, remember?" The memory of the event brought with it a hazy picture of a man. Looking up Ellie finally recognized the same tender smile on the face above her. "Yes," she breathed, "yes, I remember you. You are the programmer from the development lab. You helped me set up the database for the library archives. I can't believe I forgot, I..." David smiled and placed a finger on her lips to stay the apologies he knew were about to follow. "Don't worry about it. You know who I am now, that's enough." He pushed the hair off her forehead and dropped another light kiss on the bridge of her nose. "Now that you know, are you disappointed or perhaps angry?" Ellie raised her hand to his face and traced a line from his temple to his jaw and back up again. "I don't know how to feel." She struggled to find the right words. "Why did you do all this?" She gestured at the room with her free hand. David shrugged and smiled ruefully, "I am not sure. I couldn't approach you directly and then by sheer chance I stumbled on you in that chat room. You gave your full name in your profile and it sort of took on a life of its own after that." Ellie smiled tremulously up at him and asked, "So, what do we do now?" "Now, we begin... Ellie, would you go out with me?" Her delighted laughter and a warm hug gave him all the answers he needed.

The Debt
The street was deserted, just as Cass expected. Closing her jacket tightly and sidestepping the puddles left after the storm she hurried along the empty street toward her destination. It was well past midnight and drizzling on a thoroughly miserable November night. The few trees that still retained their leaves held them close to the ground, bowing to the ripping wind and cold sleets of rain. Even the moon was just a sliver of light, hiding in the folds of the dark and patchy sky. The light in the small convenience store shone like a beacon

among lifeless houses, a welcome sight in the wake of the passing storm. She ducked under the awning just as a slight figure separated itself from the wall and launched at her. "Thank God you are here!" Cass barely retained her balance as she strove to separate herself from the wet and shaking girl now clinging to her. "Yes, I am here. What did you expect? You call me in the middle of the night, you are hysterical, and you want me to meet you in this godforsaken dump. Are you all right? What happened? And why are you here in the first place? You are blocks from your dorm." The girl looked up at her friend and gave her a weepy smile, saying again, "You came." Cass sighed with defeat. "I can't be mad at you. I think I'll just wait for you to regain your senses and calm down before I get an explanation. Come on, lets get out of this weather." Half an hour later both were safely ensconced in Cass' warm living room, sipping hot chocolate. "All right, Lina, spill it. What did you do this time?" The younger girl flinched at her friend's words but she knew that once she related her trouble the words would only get worse. "Cass, it wasn't my fault, really." She chanced a glance at her friend's face and the raised eyebrows didn't leave any room for doubt of her friend's thoughts. The mocking tone confirmed it. "No, of course not. Let me guess, you were kidnapped, no, wait... you were drugged, better yet, you were under the influence of a mind control device." Cass sighed and folded her hands in front of her as if in prayer, "Lina, just tell me what happened, I promise I'll try to help if I can." That is after I yell at you, she added silently. The younger girl seemed to consider her options for a moment. She looked almost ready to cry and finally the words came tumbling out. "Cass, I was at a party. With Steve." She raised a conciliatory hand, palm forward as if to stem the tide of rebuke, and hastened to add, "I know you don't like him and you are right, I should have listened to you." The hard look in her friend's eyes forced her back to the story. "There was a lot of drinking and..." Lina seemed to shrink further into the couch. Her voice was barely audible when she went on. "The punch was spiked. I didn't realize what was happening until it was too late." She shuddered and continued, "Cass, we were playing cards. For money," she added a shade lower. "I... I lost a lot but I kept playing, hoping to get it back. No one was taking the bets seriously, but then at the end I was the one with the largest losses. The party broke up into playing groups by then and most of the people left, but Steve was still there. He insisted that the stakes were real and that I had to pay the bank." She stopped and glanced at her friend. Cass was sitting forward in her chair, her palms pressed to her temples. Silence hung over them for a few minutes; finally Cass looked up and asked, "All right, how much is it?" Lina was shaking her head even before Cass finished her question. "You don't understand." She looked utterly miserable. "It's not possible to repay." "Come on Lina, what is it? One, two hundred? It can't be that bad. Whom do you owe it to anyway?" "Steve and some of his buddies. And Cass, it's much worse than that," she stammered and added almost in a whisper, "About fifty times worse." "Good Lord!" Cass sucked in her breath. "You lost over five thousand dollars?!" Lina was nodding unhappily. "A little over fifty three hundred, in fact." She looked up and finally burst into tears. Cass could withstand anything her friend pulled but her tears. She jumped off the chair and sat down on the couch hugging the crying girl. "Hush, Lina. Don't cry, we'll figure something out. Did you try talking to them? Explaining that you didn't have that kind of money?" All the anger at her friend's foolishness was gone, replaced by the hated feeling of helplessness and loss of control. Lina sniffled onto her friend's shoulder and raised her tearstained face. "There is something else," she stammered. Cass groaned inwardly. Lina continued, "I mean a good something... I guess. Steve and his buddies were talking about this man while we played. When I told them I

couldn't pay they started getting really angry, but then Steve mentioned that man again and something about a trade-off. They finally agreed that they'll forget the debt if I..." She drew a deep breath and blurted out, "If I slept with him." Cass reeled back. "You can't be serious! You are ..." "I know, I know, but I didn't tell them anything. Even Steve doesn't know. I told them I'd give them my decision by noon tomorrow. Either the money or..." Cass frowned. "It doesn't make sense. Why would they forego that amount of money for someone else's night of fun?" She looked at Lina closely and saw that the girl was fidgeting nervously, her hands pleating the tassels on the pillow in her lap. "Lina, you are not telling me everything. Come on, I need to know what we are up against." "Well, this man... apparently they owe him for something but he won't take money as payment, so they want to use this as a repayment." She paused and continued a shade quieter, "the money really doesn't mean much to them. Two of them push dope on campus, this is nothing compared to what they make in a couple of good days." "So," Cass said slowly, still reeling from the shock, "this was all done for the benefit of their debt to this guy. To lure you into losing enough money to cooperate. What the hell did he do for them? And why you anyway?" "Steve." "Ah, I knew we would get to that SOB sooner or later. So, he told them about you and..." Lina was nodding again. Cass leaned back on the couch and closed her eyes, willing herself to wake up and discover that all of this was just one bad dream. She was almost five years older than her friend and had gotten in her share of scrapes in the past, but nothing like this. She opened her eyes to find Lina staring at her lap, misery clear on her pale face. She forced herself to get a grip and said, "All right. Let's review our options. Lina, are you listening?" Lina looked up, tears once again clouding her beautiful green eyes. "Stop crying." Cass gentled her voice. "We'll figure something out." After an hour of debate and consideration they were not a step closer to the solution. Even combining their meager resources wouldn't give them the needed amount. Risking non-payment was too dangerous. The decision was not a choice at all, it was simply take it or leave it. Cass got up to make more hot chocolate. When she came back she saw that Lina dozed off on the couch. Sighing she took a blanket off her bed and covered the girl. She needed time to think and Lina needed to sleep it off. Questions still remained. Who was this man? What sort of a debt was worth that kind of money? And most importantly, what to do about Lina? Cass took her hot chocolate and walked over to stand by the window. She turned off the lights plunging the room into darkness and simultaneously flooding it with shadows. Sighing again, she looked out at the forbidding outlines of the city. Her apartment was on the fifteenth floor and the dark city spread its domain before her windows. She sat down on the windowsill, hugging her knees and pressing one cheek against the coolness of the glass. The rain picked up again and was now pattering softly against her window. With the exception of an occasional bright window the neighborhood slept. Her building was the tallest for miles, very conspicuous among the lower apartment complexes and private houses. She liked the singularity of it, the uniqueness of her home. Looking at the silent houses she wondered again what she would say to Lina when the girl woke up. The solution was staring her right in the face but she needed more facts and a stiff drink before accepting it as the only way out. Cass swallowed the last of her hot chocolate and leaned back against the wall. Lina was a virgin and she had to remain that way. At nineteen she still hadn't met the man she wanted to share herself with. Cass respected that and in some ways envied her friend's firm stand. It amazed her at times that while being so steadfast on some issues Lina could be that helpless and naive in others. The evening's debacle being an extreme but powerful example. Finally Cass drifted off to sleep only to wake up barely two hours later to the shrill buzzing of her alarm. She scrambled to shut it off and resetting it for ten a.m. dropped onto her bed, exhausted and sleepy. She woke up again a few minutes before ten and went back to the living room to check on Lina. "Good morning." Cass forced herself to sound cheerful even though her thoughts were still anything but that.

"Morning? Oh, God, what time is it? Noon ..." "Noon is still two hours away. Listen Lina, I've come up with something but I need some answers first or it won't work." "What? What have you come up with?" "Patience." Cass smiled. "Tell me, does this man know who you are? I mean does he know whom to expect?" "I don't know." Lina frowned. "Why? I suppose Steve may have told him... You are thinking of sending someone in my place? But that wouldn't work, I mean, no one in their right mind would..." Suddenly a flash of insight seared through her still sleepy mind. "No! Oh, no, are you out of your mind? I'd never let you ..." Cass splayed her palms out in front of her in supplication and pressed on, "Be reasonable, Lina, we have no other choice. You cannot possibly sacrifice your virginity for this whereas I..." "Whereas you what? How can you even suggest this?" "Lina." Cass' quiet voice overrode her friend's indignation. "Lina, listen to me. Unlike you, I am not a virgin and I am also not in a relationship right now. I am a free person to do and act as I wish. Don't think of this in terms of sacrifices, but even if you do, you must admit that for me it's less of a sacrifice than for you." Lina was silent, staring hopefully at her friend; bewilderment and gratitude clear on her pale face. Finally she whispered, "You would do this for me? I don't deserve you. I'll never forgive myself for my stupidity and for not listening to you about Steve. I... " "Lina, stop it." Cass' sharp voice stemmed the tide of recriminations. "We all make mistakes. I can help and I will. Don't make me out to be a saint over this. I know you would do the same for me if the circumstances were reversed. Don't fret over it anymore." All business now, she added, "It's time to call that weasel Steve. See if you can maneuver him into not telling the guy what you look like or we'll be in trouble." Half an hour later the meeting was arranged. Lina, or rather Cass, was to go to the address Steve gave them and meet the man there at ten o'clock that evening. She was to spend the night and the debt would be paid. Cass was careful to record the conversation on tape of her answering machine just in case Steve decided to renege on it later. There was one problem though. Steve had already told the guy that the girl had long light auburn hair and green eyes. Lina was on the verge of crying again when she told Cass, but Cass only shook her head and told her not to worry. In the next few hours they bought a light auburn longhair wig to cover Cass' short chestnut haircut and a pack of colored eye lenses. They also visited a shoe store and bought a pair of high-heeled boots to make up for their difference in height. Since they weren't sure what else Steve may have told the guy they decided to do as much as possible to make Cass look like Lina. Finally after eating a quick dinner Cass tried on the whole outfit. Staring at her reflection she decided that she couldn't possibly be the pale-faced stranger in the mirror. She did look more like Lina now, except she was still slightly shorter but in the dark it wouldn't be possible to tell. She had a wide brimmed hat left over from a Halloween a few years back and she pulled the hat on now, hiding her face in its shadows. "Cass, you look great." Lina smiled, her smile a bit pained, but sincere. Finally after a few more hours of strained anticipation it was time to go. It would take Cass at least fifteen minutes to walk to the apartment complex where she was to meet the man. Cass sighed as she picked up the umbrella and turned to hug Lina. "Listen, don't worry about me, okay? I'll be fine." She smiled, the smile looking out of place on her strained face. "I'll be fine," she said again, trying to convince herself as much as Lina. "Just think of this as a blind date that will end in a one night stand." A ghost of a smile appeared on Lina's face and Cass smiled in response. Finally they hugged good-bye and Cass stepped out into the night. The rain was light but steady and the new shoes forced her to walk slower than usual. As she passed the familiar houses she forcibly blocked out the fears that kept interfering. In the end she gave in and felt the flood of tension engulf her as all the thoughts of what could happen swamped her conscience making her feel lightheaded and slightly nauseous. The desire to turn back grew exponentially with each step and Cass felt fear literally clog her throat as she found herself in front of the apartment complex. Drawing a deep breath she walked up to the designated building and pressed the doorbell. The soft buzz of the lock answered almost immediately and she found herself climbing the stairs to the third floor. The door to his apartment was ajar and

she saw soft light streaming through the crevices around the door. Before she even touched the door it slid open and she came face to face with him. All the way to the apartment Cass tried to picture him, but she knew nothing of him except his gender and thus she gave up. Now as she looked at him she realized that nothing she could have imagined would have prepared her for him. He was dressed entirely in black and the first impression she had of him was that of a large sated cat toying with his next victim. He was tall, almost a foot taller than she was even in heels. Powerfully built, but slim at the same time, no bulging muscles. His hair was dark brown, almost chestnut like Cass' natural color. She couldn't tell what color his eyes were because his face was in the shadow, but they had to be dark, for now they appeared an almost bluish black in the soft darkness of the hallway. Cass felt his eyes run down the length of her body and back up to meet her gaze. He drew the door further ajar and stepped aside to let her pass. She walked into the apartment and stopped uncertain of where to go next. Neither has yet spoken, but finally he broke the silence. "Lina, right?" Cass nodded mutely, still throwing worried glances around the apartment. He cocked his head to the side in question and then laughed. The sound was so unexpected that Cass jumped, dropping her purse. "I am sorry," he managed, still laughing, "I didn't mean to startle you. You are expecting perhaps your friend Steve? There is no one else here, we are alone. After all, you are my gift and I don't like to share what's mine." She should have felt relived, but for some reason that didn't allay her fears noticeably. She did force herself to stop staring and clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. "Please, come in." He gestured toward the spacious living room. "May I take your jacket? Your hat too, although I must admit it looks quite good on you." Cass handed him her jacket and took the hat off carefully, still uncertain of how well the wig sat on her. She watched as he hung her things and found herself admiring his lithe movements. He turned back to her and saw her staring at him. "So, what does your thorough assessment tell you about me?" There was a hint of smile in his voice and she felt relief at his light mood. "You are different." "Different from what you expected or different from your friend Steve and his buddies." "Steve is not my friend and I don't even know his buddies." She caught herself in time and added hastily, "I mean I met them at the party, but I don't know them." "Ah, yes, the party." He gestured for her to sit down and sat across from her on the other couch. "Tell me, how does a young lady lose over five thousand dollars in a card game? For that matter, why are you involved with scum like Steve?" His voice was bland but Cass saw distaste in his eyes when he mentioned Steve's name. "I am not involved with him!" She almost jumped off the couch in indignation, too late remembering that the real Lina is supposed to be dating Steve. His raised eyebrows and the unspoken question in his eyes brought her down to earth in a jolt. She did jump off the couch then. "Please, why don't we just get it over with? I didn't come her to socialize with you." He looked up at her and then said quietly, "Sit down. As I said, you are my gift, my property so to speak, at least for tonight," he saw her stiffen but continued unruffled, "thus if I choose to spend the entire night talking to you, that's what we will do. Now, would you like some wine?" Cass sat down and nodded mutely, still angry at his words. He went to the kitchen and she heard the gentle tinkling of glasses. Get a grip, she thought in despair, God forbid he finds out the truth. Being left alone for a few minutes gave her a chance to compose her thoughts and by the time he returned with two glasses of sparkling wine she was ready to face him again. "I trust you have nothing against white wine." She shook her head and took the glass from him. The wine was quite good and as the cool liquid trickled down her throat she felt herself relax further. "Where were we? Ah, yes, I was asking you about your gambling." He leaned back on his couch and looked at her expectantly.

Cass took another sip of wine and met his gaze. "I don't gamble. The punch at the party was spiked and I was buzzed, thus the losses. Besides I didn't think the bets counted until Steve told me that they did." He must have sensed the loathing in her voice when she spoke about Steve because he leaned forward and said, "You know, it's funny, but you seem to hold Steve in dislike. Yet, he told me that you were his girlfriend. Strange contradiction, don't you think?" Cass bit her lip, castigating herself for her transparent nature, but replied easily enough. "It's true, I was his girlfriend, but after yesterday that no longer applies. I don't wish to see him again and I'll straighten him out about our relationship as soon as I see him again." "Funny that you should say that. He said he might drop by to say hello, and in fact I expect him any minute now." He rose nonchalantly and took a step toward her. Cass gasped and jumped up, the wine sloshing over the rim of the glass and onto the front of her blouse. She felt her face drain of color and stared at him nonplussed. "I thought there is more here than meets the eye." His quiet voice brought her back to reality. He took the glass out of her nerveless fingers and set it on the coffee table. Gently he pressed her back down onto the sofa and sat down, turning sideways so that he could face her. "Forgive me for obviously scaring you, but I detest being lied to." He raised her chin on his fingers and leaning toward her asked, "All right, the truth, what is going on here?" Cass could still feel herself trembling. She drew a deep breath and whispered, "Nothing. What do you mean?" He leaned back and she saw by the hard set of his mouth that he was furious. "Let me tell you what I mean. I think that you are a hooker, someone that the real Lina hired to replace her for tonight." Her outraged gasp stopped him short of whatever else he was going to say. "How dare you?!" She jumped up and actually stomped her foot. "I will not sit here and have you insult me. You..." He was on his feet in an instant, gripping her shoulders. His voice was deceptively mild when he asked, "How dare I? You are lying to me, actually mixing truth and lies, and you are not very good at it. I want to know who you are and why you are here instead of Steve's actual girlfriend. Either you tell me the truth or I will call Steve and invite him over, for that matter, I'll invite his buddies as well, who knows, they might wish to have some fun too." Cass stared at him. All of a sudden she felt deflated, completely drained. It was supposed to be easy; unpleasant but easy and now she made a complete mess of things. Silently she asked Lina's forgiveness and out loud requested, "Let me go," after a brief hesitation she added, "I'll tell you the truth." He released her and she rolled her shoulders to get the feeling back to the part where his fingers left her numb. Both lowered themselves back on the couch and she began her explanation. "You are right, I am not Lina," he was about to speak at that, but she pressed her palm to his chest, her eyes begging him to wait, "please, just give me a chance to explain." He leaned back and motioned for her to continue. "My name is Cass and I am Lina's best friend. She was dating Steve, on and off, but she didn't know about his involvement with..." she stopped, uncertain if he knew about the drugs. He filled in the blank, "Drugs, dope, etc. Go on." She sighed and continued, "Lina went with him to a party last night and what I told you about the party is true. She can't drink hard liquor, she gets drunk immediately, but she drank the punch and she didn't really know what was going on until she sobered up and by then she was out a lot of money. Steve and his buddies pressured her into either paying up or sleeping with you. She came to me late last night, asking for help, but even between the two of us we still didn't have enough money to pay off the debt, so it really wasn't a choice at all." She raised her eyes to his and waited for his reaction. He didn't say anything at first. Cass began to worry at his continued silence and finally asked, "Do you belive me?" He spoke slowly and deliberately, choosing his words with care. "Yes, actually, I do believe you. But I think there is more to this than you are telling me. Your story doesn't explain why she isn't here paying off the debt? Why you?" Cass realized there was no hope for it. "Lina... Lina is a virgin." She saw him start in disbelief. "Surely you don't expect me to believe that?" "Please," Cass implored, "I am telling you the truth. There is no reason for me to lie anymore, I've already told you the one thing that I should have guarded as a secret. Lina is a virgin by her own choosing. She is a

beautiful girl, but she hasn't yet found anyone to share herself with. She is my best friend, I couldn't just sit by and watch her give this gift to someone she didn't know for something as stupid as a card game debt." She saw that he still wasn't convinced and added, "Lina is younger than I am and I've always found myself watching out for her, so that's why I am here and not she. That's the truth," she finished on a deep sigh. For a few minutes neither one of them said anything. Finally he spoke: "I am assuming that you may be wearing some things that are not usually part of your appearance. If that is the case I want you to go to my bedroom and do whatever it is that you need to do to appear as yourself. We'll continue this when you come back." He started to rise but her hand on his arm stopped him. "Wait," the worry was etched in her fine eyes, "please, will you tell Steve about this? I... I'll do anything you would have had Lina do, just don't tell those men about it. Lina can't pay the debt." No emotion reflected on his features. Cass pressed on, "Please, let me repay it for her. I'll do anything, just tell me what you want." He got up and turned back to look at Cass. "I just did," he said softly. He picked up the glasses and walked into the kitchen without a backward glance. Cass sighed, took her purse and walked to the room he pointed out as his bedroom. Closing the door after her, she flicked on the light and looked around. A large bed stood along the right wall dominating the room. Bay windows hung with cheerful curtains occupied most of the wall opposite the door. A couple of chairs along with two night tables and a beautiful landscape over the bed completed the furnishings and gave the room an airy and cheerful atmosphere. Cass looked around for a mirror but ended up using the dark window to judge her reflection. Soon she disposed of the wig and the lenses and managed to brush her hair out to its usual shape. Finally she was ready to go back out. She opened the door to find him standing there. "That didn't take long." He took in her new appearance and nodded. "Somehow all that red hair looked out of place on you, but the green eyes were nice, although the chocolate brown suits you better." He motioned toward the room and asked, "What do you think?" "It's very open and very neat." "You sound surprised." "Not too many people I know keep their rooms clean, especially men." She turned to him and added, "but no, I am not really surprised. Somehow I expected you to be different." "Well, I'll take that as a compliment." He walked into the room and pulled the door shut behind him. Cass watched him finger the wig abandoned on a chair and once again she felt uncertain about what she was going to do. She cleared her throat and asked softly, "Are we going to stay here?" He turned to her, "Would you have preferred the couch?" She shook her head and took an uncertain step toward him. He remained motionless, waiting for her to come to him. When she was just a foot away he placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her to the window and taking his place behind her. Cass felt the heat of his body, although he wasn't touching her, except for her shoulders where his palms rested lightly, his thumbs caressing the base of her neck. Suddenly his hands left her and she turned around in time to see him walk over to the light switch and flick it off, plunging the room into darkness. She turned back to the window when he rejoined her. "May I ask you a question?" Her voice was soft and diffident, uncertain of his reaction. "Go ahead." "How do you know Steve and his buddies? I mean, what did you do for them that they owe you a favor?" He was silent for a moment before replying with a question of his own. "What do you think I did?" Cass found herself in a quandary. On one hand she had an idea, but on the other hand, she didn't wish to offend him if she were wrong. "I don't know," she replied honestly. Turning around to face him she continued, "I had an idea when Lina first told me about this, but now I am not so sure." "What did you think?" Cass shook her head. "No, I won't tell you, I have no wish to offend you." "Or, perhaps you are afraid that your guess may prove right?" She looked up at him, wondering if he perhaps guessed that she thought he was somehow involved with the drugs. Finally she turned back to the window, unwilling to risk showing him what she thought. His window

opened to a small park and she watched the darkened rows of flowerbeds that surrounded a little fountain in the center of the oasis. His quiet voice brought her back to reality. "I had the misfortune of saving Pete's life. He is one of Steve's buddies. Apparently his life was worth something to them because they tried to reward me. As you know I refused money, but they were set on repaying me, thus this whole charade with your friend." Cass started to turn around to face him again, but his hands stayed her movements and kept her where she was. He stepped closer and she felt him against the length of her body. "Your friend would have been safe with me. I wouldn't have taken her to bed, a virgin or not. Nor would I have told Steve about it. Truth be told I would have been grateful to have the damned debt out of the way, for I wish to have nothing further to do with either him or his friends." He halted, waiting for her reaction. Cass was breathless. She tried to turn around again and this time his hands didn't hold her back. "You lied to me! You..." "Lied to you? Me? I think, you have that backwards, my dear. I wasn't the one pretending to be someone else. I have simply allowed you to believe that I am who you thought I was, nothing more, nothing less. You on the other hand... well, no matter now. The charade is over, now that all the cards are on the table, the rules have changed." He watched Cass get a hold of herself and shrug his hands off herself. She walked the length of the room, still furious at herself and at him. Finally she turned to face him and asked, "So, what happens now?" "Now you can get undressed and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." With those words he turned and stepped out of the room, leaving Cass bewildered, mouth agape, in the middle of his bedroom. The words were out of Cass' mouth before he had a chance to close the door behind him. "Why don't you want to sleep with me?" She was instantly mortified and shocked at herself. She actually clamped her hand over her mouth as if to stop more shocking thoughts from spilling out. He turned around, pure astonishment clear on his handsome face. He took in her flushed face, trembling lips, and eyes pooling over with tears and in three steps he was across the room, holding her in his arms. "You silly fool," he whispered gently, "the last thing you should be worried about is my desire to seduce you. You are very attractive, but the circumstances under which you came to be here would stand in the way if anything were to happen." He raised her blushing face from his chest and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Mutual enjoyment cannot be coerced or ordered or given out of obligation. I would never put someone through that." Cass was still flustered over her comment, but she managed to look at him when she said, "I am sorry. I don't know what came over me. I mean, I didn't mean to ask you that. I just..." He cut her off. "I know, you were just confused and your thoughts gained control of your mouth." His thumbs caressed her cheeks as he held her face in his palms. "Don't worry about it. Just get some sleep, all right?" Cass lowered her head and nodded against his chest. His lips touched her forehead again lightly and then he was out of the room, gently shutting the door. Cass stumbled over to the bed and started to get undressed. Without realizing it, she took everything off, so used she was to sleeping naked at home. His bed was very large and she soon found herself curled up among the numerous covers and pillows. Exhaustion, both mental and physical, tugged at her, but still sleep wouldn't come. Finally she fell into fitful sleep but woke up barely half an hour later from a nightmare. Unwilling to go back to sleep she wrapped one of the covers around herself and crept out of the room to the kitchen. Her feet ground to a halt in the living room. The couch was folded out and he was asleep on the makeshift bed. Cass felt her breath catch in her throat as she watched him. He was naked, the light cover slipped down to his thighs during the night. He was sleeping on his back, one arm over his head, the other out to the side. Dark locks of hair fell on his forehead and he was frowning in his sleep. Cass knew she should turn right around and go back to her room, yet she stood there, mesmerized by the statuesque aura about him. He sighed deeply in his sleep and suddenly his eyes flicked open. He scanned her figure slowly and finally asked in a voice groggy from sleep, "Do you want some company?"

As if from afar, Cass saw herself nodding, saw him get up, take her hand and lead her back to his bedroom. Once there, she snapped out of her daze and pulled back slightly, "I... I don't ..." He touched his finger to her lips. "Shhh, just sleep, nothing else." He got in bed and closed his eyes until the bed gave way and he felt her sliding in next to him. Turning sideways he put his arms around her and to his astonishment didn't encounter any cloth separating them. Cass stiffened when his arms tensed around her, but his hands stayed firmly in the middle of her back, not straying anywhere. Cass began to relax when he spoke for the last time that evening. "Cass, I'd like to see you again." Cass suddenly felt lightheaded, but found that she was smiling. "I'd like that. There is only one problem." She laughed softly. "I don't know your name." She felt him laughing quietly against her hair and then he replied, "Michael. My name is Michael." Kissing his throat lightly, she whispered, "Good night, Michael." "Good night, Cass."