“There are just a few more things to take care of, but they’ll only take a few minutes.”“What sort of things?” I asked following after Ben w...ho was already making his way up the ramp.“I am linking up my own dimensional storage with this shuttle to increase its capabilities. When I’m done, anyone on the shuttle will be able to access the storage, as will the missile pods. The shuttle will effectively have the firepower of a ship many times its size.”“You can do that? What happens if the shuttle. "Ray," he acknowledged, as he grasped my hand and shook it. 'Melissa has been telling us about you." Only the good parts, I hope," I said. I glanced at Missy, but she seemed fairly calm, not really nervous at all. Maybe, I thought, things will go okay after all."Sit down for a moment, Ray," said Mr. Samuelson. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Melissa, would you like to offer your guest something to drink?"She jumped slightly, caught by surprise, and asked what I would like."Uh, just. "Why?" I asked. "You did it extremely well." It was embarrassing," she confessed. "I couldn't keep a straight face. It was so..." She faltered as realization fell across her face. " ... intimate," she breathed. I was relieved that this was coming spontaneously and no longer felt that I was receiving a practiced performance."Finding a point of intimacy is a key stage in seduction, or turning someone on," I said. "It makes you co-conspirators. You are in it together now." I liked it," Rita. Hauptsache, du hast am Freitag das Geld, sonst..." -- "Sonst?" hatte Lisa tonlos gefragt, und ihr Vermieter hatte schmierig gegrinst: "Sonst müssen wir uns ein paar Alternativen ausdenken, meine Kleine... du wärst nicht die erste, hahaha....!"Das also war der Grund gewesen, warum sie die Wohnung so schnell bekommen hatte. Die Vormieterin, eine junge Afrikanerin, hatte sie angeblitzt, hatte auch versucht, ihr etwas zu sagen, aber Lisa war nicht schlau geworden aus dem Kauderwelsch der hübschen.