side of his nose. “You’re in thebest hands with this one. Have no fear. No worries. Gollee will see you truly enjoy your first visit to this ol’ Earth.”
Afra was startled, not only by the Italian’s remark but also by the underlying nuances which were exceedingly sensual.
“You bet,” Gollee responded, grinning with an anticipation that Afra sensed was as sensual as Luciano’s. “Best way ever devised by the kindly gods to relieve the pressures to which man,” and it didn’t take much Talent for Afra to guess that Gollee made regular use of that relief, “. . . is exposed. What with one thing and another, Afra’s had a tense and pressured day. Don’t you worry, Afra. I know just the place.”
“And you will need to eat properly to enjoy yourself to the fullest,” Luciano said, rubbing his hands together briskly. He extended one toward Afra politely in reassurance. “I will make sure that your energy level is sufficient to sustain you.”
In order to mask his agitation, Afra hastily bent over the appetizer platter, pretending to concentrate on his next selection. He certainly couldn’t let Gollee see how much the innuendoes had disturbed him. He knew that Terran customs concerning sexual relations were considerably more relaxed than Capella’s, but to discuss such a topic over a meal, a meal which was going to be designed to stimulate and support the activity, was a shock. Yet both Gollee and Luciano seemed to consider it the normal conclusion to a stressful day.
“And I have a very special wine . . .”
“We’re underage,” Afra protested feebly.
“Of course, I know,” and Luciano spread his arms in a gesture of complete understanding. “We have a very good stock of grape juice.” And he cocked a wink at Gollee, who grinned broadly back at him.
When the “grape juice” was presented—in ordinary water glasses—Afra realized that it was unlike any fruit juice he had ever tasted, filling his mouth with a rich tartness and expanding in the most pleasant way to the back of his throat and into his stomach. But as he had also nevertasted wine, he was unaware of what had actually been served.
Gradually, as the meal progressed and he and Gollee ate through the various delicious portions presented to them, he noticed that he was visibly relaxing. And, where at first the thought of losing his virginity had troubled his conscience, he began to see that if both Gollee, who was his age, and Luciano, who was quite mature, considered a visit to a pleasure house an appropriate part of the day’s conviviality, he ought not—out of courtesy—object to his host’s plans for him. Then, too, Reidinger had assigned Gollee as his guide, and Gollee had mentioned that he often did escort visitors. Surely it would be churlish of Afra to affect prudery. Afra flushed suddenly at the memory of Reidinger’s ’pathed comment. Surely. . . . He put that thought sternly from him. Perhaps it would be the better part of discretion to relieve his tensions here on Earth so that he could return to Callisto with no lingering stress.
So, when the meal was finished and the last glass of grape juice drained, Afra had no compunctions about falling in with the next item on Gollee’s hospitable and helpful agenda. When Afra’s guide led him to a large, well-maintained building in a discreetly park-like suburb, he was no longer the least bit apprehensive. The ambience of the interior was welcoming and Gollee was greeted warmly, Afra as well. He didn’t even cavil when asked to undergo the obligatory physical scan and permit a blood sample to be taken from his earlobe. He didn’t even blush when required to place his ID disk in the processing slot so that his last anti-fertility jab could be noted. But then, Gollee was chatting away with the proprietor during these preliminaries, so Afra could hardly protest a routine which was not at all intrusive, but mutually protective.
The choosing of a partner was also
Afra was startled, not only by the Italian’s remark but also by the underlying nuances which were exceedingly sensual.
“You bet,” Gollee responded, grinning with an anticipation that Afra sensed was as sensual as Luciano’s. “Best way ever devised by the kindly gods to relieve the pressures to which man,” and it didn’t take much Talent for Afra to guess that Gollee made regular use of that relief, “. . . is exposed. What with one thing and another, Afra’s had a tense and pressured day. Don’t you worry, Afra. I know just the place.”
“And you will need to eat properly to enjoy yourself to the fullest,” Luciano said, rubbing his hands together briskly. He extended one toward Afra politely in reassurance. “I will make sure that your energy level is sufficient to sustain you.”
In order to mask his agitation, Afra hastily bent over the appetizer platter, pretending to concentrate on his next selection. He certainly couldn’t let Gollee see how much the innuendoes had disturbed him. He knew that Terran customs concerning sexual relations were considerably more relaxed than Capella’s, but to discuss such a topic over a meal, a meal which was going to be designed to stimulate and support the activity, was a shock. Yet both Gollee and Luciano seemed to consider it the normal conclusion to a stressful day.
“And I have a very special wine . . .”
“We’re underage,” Afra protested feebly.
“Of course, I know,” and Luciano spread his arms in a gesture of complete understanding. “We have a very good stock of grape juice.” And he cocked a wink at Gollee, who grinned broadly back at him.
When the “grape juice” was presented—in ordinary water glasses—Afra realized that it was unlike any fruit juice he had ever tasted, filling his mouth with a rich tartness and expanding in the most pleasant way to the back of his throat and into his stomach. But as he had also nevertasted wine, he was unaware of what had actually been served.
Gradually, as the meal progressed and he and Gollee ate through the various delicious portions presented to them, he noticed that he was visibly relaxing. And, where at first the thought of losing his virginity had troubled his conscience, he began to see that if both Gollee, who was his age, and Luciano, who was quite mature, considered a visit to a pleasure house an appropriate part of the day’s conviviality, he ought not—out of courtesy—object to his host’s plans for him. Then, too, Reidinger had assigned Gollee as his guide, and Gollee had mentioned that he often did escort visitors. Surely it would be churlish of Afra to affect prudery. Afra flushed suddenly at the memory of Reidinger’s ’pathed comment. Surely. . . . He put that thought sternly from him. Perhaps it would be the better part of discretion to relieve his tensions here on Earth so that he could return to Callisto with no lingering stress.
So, when the meal was finished and the last glass of grape juice drained, Afra had no compunctions about falling in with the next item on Gollee’s hospitable and helpful agenda. When Afra’s guide led him to a large, well-maintained building in a discreetly park-like suburb, he was no longer the least bit apprehensive. The ambience of the interior was welcoming and Gollee was greeted warmly, Afra as well. He didn’t even cavil when asked to undergo the obligatory physical scan and permit a blood sample to be taken from his earlobe. He didn’t even blush when required to place his ID disk in the processing slot so that his last anti-fertility jab could be noted. But then, Gollee was chatting away with the proprietor during these preliminaries, so Afra could hardly protest a routine which was not at all intrusive, but mutually protective.
The choosing of a partner was also
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