Seducing Gerald (2)

Gerald grunted as he lifted the crate of ice from the top of the dispenser and carried it down to the bottom of the stepladder. No one had ever tried placing a layer of ice in the preservation units, but when he suggested it, the kitchen staff agreed that it was worth a try to keep at least some of the produce from spoiling.

There he found Cha'Rolette sitting on the bottom two steps, blocking his route. She had one foot wedged up against the saucier station, revealing a long-toned leg from beneath her skirt.

"Ugh, with the climate controls broken, it is getting way too hot in here, don't you think?" She tugged hard on the collar of her uniform to fan herself, giving him the perfect opportunity to peek down at her bountiful cleavage.

This time her hair glowed so brightly that he nearly had to shield his eyes. It was like a jackhammer pounding into his brain. Every memory was swapped with images of her beauty, every desire replaced with a need to touch her. Every thought was substituted with an idea of how to please her.

But he refused to act on it.

"Here ya go," Gerald offered without looking, holding out a little bag of ice for her. "This should help you cool off."

"Thanks," she grumbled, taking the bag.

Gerald slipped past her and continued on. Two of the pots at the rotisserie station rattled, then Tulda and Kamanie poked their heads up from underneath, wearing the pots like helmets.

They both shook their heads sadly. "That has got to be a huge blow to her womanly pride."

Cha'Rolette threw the bag on the floor.

* * *

Gerald held up a makeshift candle, straining in the dim light to find the right title amid the rows of dusty books.

"There you are, Gerald. I've been looking everywhere," she said sweetly as she floated up to him.

"Dinner is ready, and I want you to sit at my table. I'll introduce you to all of my friends."

In a very ladylike way, she casually reached out and linked arms with him. In a very naughty way, she intentionally pressed his elbow into her bosom to get a reaction out of him.

"Hey, Cha'Rolette, could you place this up on the shelf for me?" he asked pleasantly.

"Sure."

Lifting her hands, she carefully levitated the book up to the top shelf and placed it next to the others. When she turned her attention back to him, he was gone. She looked around and caught a glimpse of him as he sprinted around a corner of the bookshelves and made a break for the door.

"Hey! Come back here!"

Two books were pushed from behind and fell to the floor. Tulda and Kamanie peeked their faces in through the gap.

"Now this is just getting sad. She's practically throwing herself at him."

Cha'Rolette balled her fists, her body nearly shaking with anger. The cleaning robot lying on the floor crumpled, crushed by an invisible hand.

*********

Gerald took a moment to sew up a tear in the bag of the local equivalent of potatoes, before hefting it back over his shoulder and walking across the parking lot.

"Hey Geri!" A sweet voice echoed in his mind.

He dropped his head and turned around as she flew over, a tablet in her hand.

"You're never going to believe this. I just won a pair of tickets to a concert. You've never seen a live Vorda show before. I thought it might be a great chance for you to try something new."

Gerald balled his fists. "By Soeck's Teeth! I can't take this anymore!"

Her eyes widened a little at the outburst.

Gerald scratched his strong jawline. "Look, you little... ahem. Look, Duchess, you're a nice per... well, you're a person, and this is all very flattering, but you really don't need to do this, okay?"

Her eyes darted around. "Doing what? I'm not doing anything. I just thought it would be fun for you."

Gerald slammed the sacks down on the ground. "Stop that, okay? Don't treat me like I'm an idiot."

"Hey, don't get all mad at me, you're the one being difficult here!"

"Why? Because I won't bow down and worship at your feet?"

"YES! It's like there's something wrong with you! Are you broken in the head or something? Can you not see how beautiful I am? Do you not know how wealthy I am?"

"Oh, you are so infuriating." Gerald bit his knuckle to try and calm himself down, but it didn't work. "I'm not broken, okay? It's the whole freaking world that's broken."

"Please."

"I know what you are going to say. Any guy should be ecstatic to be in my position, right? The flirting, the teasing, the invite from someone like you. It all seems too good to be true. But then, later on, real life kicks in, and you realize you can't pay the rent with romance. People have needs, they need to eat; they need to sleep. So then I go to work in some office doing a job I hate, surrounded by people I can't stand for sixty hours a week."

"Pffttt. Don't be silly, you don't even have the education for a desk job," said Cha'Rolette.

"And then every day I look out the window and wonder how I got here, and I realize I'm so unhappy I can barely breathe. But I can't stop. Oh no, if I stop then I'll lose everything. So I keep going, living a life I hate just so I can keep something I never even wanted in the first place."

"I'm a Ssykes. What would I need with your meager salary?"

"...And then what? After twenty-nine years of working myself to death, I'll come home one day to find the locks have been changed, and there's a restraining order nailed to the center of the front door with a big old rusty nail. I'll spend my retirement years digging through trash bins looking for soda cans to recycle. I'll have to live on the street because the courts will garner any wages I make and give them to my ex-wife while she neglects the son I never get to see and wastes her time playing some stupid video game!"

Cha'Rollette crinkled her nose. "What are you talking about?"

Realizing he'd gone too far, Gerald got embarrassed and backed off. Fingering his prayer beads, he took a moment to center himself. "Sorry about that. I don't usually get so upset. My point is, this whole romance thing is a great deal for you. You get everything you've ever wanted out of it. But, for me, it would mean giving up on all my dreams."

She placed her hands on her hips. "What are you talking about? You're a guy. All you want is sex. Your dream is probably to have your own personal harem or something."

He stepped in close, towering over her, but she held her ground.

"And as long as you believe that, you'll never be free."

He spun around and slung the sacks back over his shoulder. "Face it, Duchess. Your whole world is built on the assumption that I'd do anything to sleep with you. It's the foundation of all your power and control. Take that away, and you've got no cards left to play."

She chuckled and flipped her hair back. "Don't be absurd. Every guy wants to sleep with me."

"Not me." Gerald looked over his muscular shoulder. "You've got nothing I want, Ssykes. You can't control me."

Gerald walked away, looking very satisfied with himself.

Cha'Rolette steamed hotter and hotter, the tentacles on her head writhing and shaking about. This indignity was more than she could bear. "No one turns their backs on a Ssykes. You hear me? No one!"

Kamanie and Tulda poked their heads up out of a bush, another reproach on their lips.

Finally her temper snapped and she screamed out loud like a petulant child.

"You stupid idiot!"

Cha'Rolette stomped her foot. The ground shook. The air trembled. An invisible force pierced the clouds overhead and came crashing down, crushing the hovercar behind her flat as a pancake. Birds squawked and took to the skies, fleeing in all directions.

Kamanie and Tulda held their tongues and closed their mouths, looks of terror on their faces. Slowly and silently, they dropped back down into the bushes, praying she didn't notice them.

"Jonarl!" Cha'Rolette ordered. The air beside her bent and warped as the tall and armored bodyguard appeared alongside her. Leaning in, he whispered something into her ear and a wicked smile crossed her lips.

"So, you think you can't be controlled, Dyson? We'll see about that."

Her green hair glowed brightly and she took to the air, flying off towards the girl's dormitories. A few moments later, Ilrica walked out, carrying a crate filled with tablets and crystals.

"What the frakk happened to my skiv!"