A Dinner in the Bath

"Madam Floriana, you can't be serious." One of the women said.

"Of course I'm serious. How could I let such a delectable morsel get away from me." Floriana was soon by my side and before I could stop her, she wrapped herself around my arm and was pulling me out of the alley.

"Madam you could get in trouble. What about your client for tonight?" The other woman said.

"If the two of you handle him together, he'll get over it." They didn't look like they agreed but didn't have any reply.

After we took a few steps I pulled to a stop. "I'm sorry, I'm in no condition to be keeping anyone company." I said.

"Nonsense, you're the perfect company for me." She said.

"You saw where I just came from right? I think it best if I head home to bathe." I said.

"The... gentlemans right. We should be on our way." One of the women said covering her nose with her sleeve.

Floriana gave a sweet smile, ignored them, and continued to pull me down the street back the way they had come. Before long she was pulling me into the alley behind the Jagged Tankard. She spoke a few words with the man guarding the door and we went up the backstairs. I soon found myself back in her room.

"Take off your clothes." She said.

That statement brought me out of my slight stupor and I started to realize my willingness to follow her hadn't been completely of my own accord.

"I think it best if I head out. I'm not really fond of being taken somewhere against my will." I said.

"Your spirit is too strong for me to make you do anything against your will." She didn't completely deny the accusation of influencing me though.

Before I could answer, two large men carried in a wooden tub and a young woman brought in a tray of food. As I started to make my way to the door, Floriana placed her hand on my chest and an arm around my back. I would have to physically remove her in front of her people to get away. Not wanting to cause myself trouble I stood there.

After they left she let go of me and waved her hands over the tub. It was filled with water and under another spell, it was heated to the point that steam rose from the surface. She looked at me with a smile and motioned for me to get in. I stood there with my arms crossed.

"I can tell you're suspicious of me but your heart isn't really in it. Don't worry I don't intend you any harm." I wondered if her phrasing had a hidden meaning.

"I'm sorry this is just too inappropriate for me." I started towards the door.

"How old are you?" She asked.

I stopped with my hand on the door. This was such a weird situation. Who takes a man they met once back to their room and draw them a bath right after they crawled out of the sewer? The only thing that was stopping me from leaving, which was also the reason that I let her lead me here, was the mark on my forehead. 'A wicked gift she just gave, try not to waste it.' Is what that entity said about the kiss on my forehead.

"18." I said.

"Are you sure? Your spirit says you're much older." She said.

"I was born in the fall 18 years ago." I looked her right in her eyes as I said that. It wasn't a lie.

Her mischievous smile deepened. "How about we have a nice little chat as you take a bath?"

This world didn't have the saying, 'curiosity killed the cat.' They said, 'the bird that checks every hole finds the snake.' Damn it. I took off my armor and clothes and entered the tub. She picked up my belongings and headed to the door, stopping as I coughed and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll have them cleaned while you wash." After handing them to the young woman waiting outside the door, she brought the tray of food over and set it on a small table within arms reach. She took a grape and placed it in my mouth before she began to disrobe.

"Wait, what are you doing?" I started to get out of the tub and realized I was naked. It was foolish to get shy at this point but I hadn't expected this, which was a little naive of me.

"After holding your arm for so long, some of your smell rubbed off on me. I'm going to need a bath myself and it's big enough for two." I averted my eyes from her nakedness. Her hand on my back motioned me forward and I gave her as much room as possible behind me.

"You can scoot back a bit. I'll wash your back." In silence she slowly moved a rag across my back, occasionally stopping to feed me from the tray of food. What type of porn set up had I let myself get into?

Her attention to my cleanliness soon moved to my front. As she leaned forward to scrub my chest, her breast pressed against my back. I had been trying to keep my erection down but it was increasingly becoming a losing battle.

"Are you really that weary of me?" She asked.

"You can't tell me I don't have any reason for it. Everything about our relationship is suspicious." I said.

"Oh we have a relationship now." She said with a slight laugh. I only groaned in reply.

"You're right of course. Anyone should be suspicious. The question is why are you so willing to go along with all of it?" She said.

I couldn't tell her the real reason. My soul had been stolen and lived on another planet before dying. After that I was blessed by who I was sure was the Court of Masks. One of those blessings linked us for what I hoped would be my benefit towards saving this world from disaster. Even in a world of magic that might be a little too much for someone to take in.

"I know you're not ready to share your reasons yet, and that's okay. Truth be told, I don't fully trust you either." She said.

"Do you bring all men you don't trust into your bath?" I said.

"Sometimes. It can be very beneficial to understanding someone." She said. I remembered that the last time I was here she said she could get a better understanding of my soul if we were intimate together.

"In the reading I did the other day, the first three were meant for you. A bit of a guide towards a question you might have had." Her reading did point towards my three blessings at a time when I was ready to accept them as truth.

"The last part of the reading was for me. It gave me insight into my own life and how you are related to it." She continued.

"And how am I related to your life?" I asked.

"Like I said, I'm not sure I fully trust you. I'm hoping that our interactions can lead to a better understanding." Her hand was moving down my chest. I grabbed it before it could get to its destination.

"I don't think this is the best way to gain my trust." I said.

"Oh this isn't just about trust. I thoroughly enjoy mixing pleasure with business." She said.

'This is not one of my best decisions.' I thought as I let go of her hand.

---

"Well that was a little disappointing." Floriana said from her bed. I was starting to pull on my pants and came to a complete stop, my eyes went wide. For someone that was trying to gain my trust that may be a little brutal.

"Oh sorry, that's not what I meant. Our physical interaction was amazing, one of the best I ever had." She sat up and leaned her body against me as she kissed my lips.

"I told you last time that this would allow me to get a better read on your soul. It was one of the, but not an important reason." She added when she saw my face. "That I pursued this course of action. But in the end I had to give up and just enjoy your vigor after it became obvious that I wouldn't be able to glean anything new."

"I'm sorry to hear that." I said through a tight mouth.

"I still might be able to help you. You're on a Union quest to clear out the sewers, correct?" I nodded to her. "Do you have a map?" I pulled the map out for her.

Her eyes scanned the parchment before she placed her finger on the place where one of the markers was.

"If you haven't gone here yet, I recommend you head there next." She indicated the marker that was closest to the Union. I had actually missed seeing it this morning until after I was already too far away.

"Could you tell me what I'll find there?" I asked.

"I can't. With the connection our souls just had, I can see that you will have a fateful encounter if you go here. Whether it is good or bad I don't know." She said.

"I was planning to go there next anyway. I'll be especially careful now. Thank you." I didn't know if I'd be saying that after going there tomorrow but it wouldn't hurt to be courteous. Then an awkward question entered my mind.

"I don't suppose.. I have to.." I began.

"Haha. Don't worry about that. I told you I'm trying to gain your trust. Now if you hadn't been able to please me, then I'd make you pay."