Chapter Text
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"You're bored with me."
"Of course not. Did I seem bored?"
"Not exactly." She had to smile. They were on the floor of her living area, clothes strewn around them. They rarely made it to the bed. She remembered his request and stopped smiling. "So why do you want something, someone else?"
"I don't want "someone else"; I want you . . . on the holodeck. Your technology fascinates me. Not as much as you do, of course." His fingers trailed lightly down the dip of her waist. He smiled.
"Oh, of course not," she said dryly, but she found herself smiling again. And responding to his touch. She denied him access to most of the ship's systems, strictly limited the time they spent together. The last mostly because, after two months, she felt almost addicted to him. But it was hard to deny him anything in the little time they were together.
"All right, I'll go to the holodeck with you," she said. "I suppose it's going to be your program?"
"Absolutely," he said, his voice becoming muffled as he moved to kiss her neck.
Three days later she entered the holodeck at 20:00 hours. The program was running. She found herself in a house. It was clearly based on something from Earth, perhaps 19th century, but she thought that it had been altered somewhat. Perhaps there were Devoran touches.
She walked through a hall and into a large room. Kashyk was wearing some rather elegant but comfortable clothing which she hadn't seen before. He handed her a glass of champagne.
"Good evening," he said. She felt herself start as their fingers touched during the transfer of the glass.
"Nice, Kashyk," she said, looking about the room. The ceiling was perhaps five meters high. Tall glass doors overlooked a stone terrace and a lawn. It was early evening in summer, the sky just beginning to darken. "Nice."
"Go upstairs," he said. "You need to change. The room above this one."
She walked up the stairs and entered the room. It also faced out over the lawn. There was a very large bed with white bedclothes. He followed her.
"So you are interested in beds," she said.
"I'll try anything once," he joked. "But get dressed."
A woman in something plain and dark entered from another door. She was carrying a garment, which she lay on the bed. She did Janeway's hair and helped her dress. Kashyk leant against the door frame, watching and sipping champagne.
Janeway was surprised at the gentility of his program.
When the maid was finished, her hair was softly waved and formal and away from her face, and her dress was black velvet. They went downstairs.
He refilled their glasses. The French doors were open; the air was cooling, and smelled of grass and night. She longed to touch him again. Usually they were so impatient; the luxury of this was delightful. But frustrating.
Kashyk moved around the room, turning on the lights. The colors of the room looked warmer. She looked out at the dusky sky. And saw something else-- light glinting on a champagne glass, on blond hair. Someone was standing just outside.
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Who is it? Choose your pleasure:
Dancing and . . . Choose "Visitor: Dandy" (Chapter 2)
Dinner and . . . Choose "Visitor: Tasty" (Chapter 3)
Trust and . . . Choose "Visitor: Toady" (Chapter 4)