” Don’t just stand there, fetch me ice you worthless thing!”The hand maiden came back a few moments later with a bowl, but then dropped the bowl... revealed a sharp dagger she was carrying underneath the bowl and stabbed Gretel in the throat and came closer with a smile as she looked in Gretel’s pain filled eyes.” Worthless? I don’t think so. I am going to collect 60,000 credits for your head. You know I heard what Harkun said to you as well, and I checked your bounty on GalNet!”The handmaiden. It was cruelly beautiful. Don’t suppose you want the gasp and grown detail. It can be a bore. There were lots of both. Stangely enough she did not plead anymore. She seemed resigned to simply enduring. The best thing she did was with her head. She’d fling it back and forth and look up to the ceiling as fearful of watching what she was doing. Then, in adsolute fascination, she’d lean forward and try and and look at her breasts to see what the damage was. Only once did she watch my arm and follow. I didn't say that, of course. What I did say was 'I'd love to have seen you in your school uniform, I'll bet you looked so sexy.' Laura gave me a mock-disapproving look. 'What is it about you men and school uniforms? You'll never know, I wouldn't be able to get into my old uniform now, even if I had it.'Wine finished, Laura announced she had a busy day tomorrow. We shared a lingering kiss and she was gone, back to her cocoon. I watched from the back door as the lights in her flat went on and. We go back upstairs and the usual dinnertime buzz is starting but I'm in another place. It's almost excruciating to say and do what I've been saying and doing for years. I want to talk to AJ. I want to be with AJ. I want to touch AJ. Finally there's a moment where we're alone in the kitchen. "AJ we have to talk about all this."He comes up to me and says "sure mom but I'd rather kiss you". His lips are on me and I'm sparked by his tongue but I pull back."AJ please, I want to kiss you too but.