He stumbled just a bit with the card, the price of four beers in two hours, but eventually found the security lock. The light clicked green and he whipped back around. She hadn’t moved a muscle.

All at once, it spilled from his lips, forcibly, almost against his will. He leaned toward her ear, and whispered, fast and close, expelling his mind into her ear.

“Vous êtes bel et si j’ai eu l’hasard pour toucher votre peau, je tout ferais dans mon pouvoir pour faire vous vous sentez que vous êtes beau.”

He backed away. She was sparkling.

“What did you say?”

“If I tell you, we’ll both be in a lot of trouble.”

“What did you say?”

“This is your last chance. Don’t ask again.”

She leaned forward so the space between them was inperceptable.

“What did you say?”

“To parahrase, I said you are incredibly beautiful, and if I had the chance to touch you, I would make you feel every bit of your beauty.”

She staggered and grinned.

“If you had the chance?”

The door shut hard behind them.