He kissed her softly on the nose, and she closed her eyes instinctively.  When she opened them, she had the peculiar sensation of elevation.  Several bright lights of different colors – spotlights – shined down on her, and she could see nothing past them.  He was standing next to her, holding her hand and looking into the nothingness, a regal air about him.   An eerie silence drenched the air…. Cheri was lost and bewildered.  Shocked, she looked down to see they were standing on a glass platform, and sensed they were several feet above the ground.  She also noticed her clothes had changed – what was once a glamorous gypsy outfit was now a luminous gown in delicious shades of lavender, amethyst and violet.  Off the shoulders and cut low in the back, its satiny sheen brought out the highlights in her hair and skin, and for a moment she wished she had a mirror handy.

      “Bow low to your Queen”, he intoned, dramatically.

      The delirious cheers of the crowd rose from below, so hearty it almost lifted them up from the platform.  The crowds were tenfold, at least based on their fanfare.  Her ears rang and she squinted against the harsh lights.  Before she could comprehend what was going on, he spun her around to him and leaned in close.  “Baby…”, he whispered, his lips so close her hers they brushed against them when he spoke, “let’s put on a good show for my fans, eh?”.  Running his fingers through her hair, he dipped her so low she teetered on one foot, and the crowd went ballistic.  After looking her over lasciviously for a moment, he showered kisses over her neck and bosom, zealous and sweet… all her fear and confusion dissipated.  Damn, he was a great kisser – those soft, full lips didn’t go to waste.  By the time he brought Cheri up for air, her head was spinning, but she loved every second of it.  He made her feel incredible, buoyant and effervescent.  The crowds settled into a rather labored chant, and the platform began to descend.  She spread her stance a little to brace herself as it lowered to the floor, still clutching his hand.

      The crowd was much the same as it was before, but now there were many more guests… their costumes a garish ocean of gold thread, multicolored velvet and sequined fantasy.  Laughter and conversation surrounded them, barely muffled against the clinking of glassware and bottles.  There might have been music as well, but she wasn’t paying attention… she could only look at him, feel his arms wrapped around her and allow herself to melt away.  He lifted her up a few inches off the ground and spun her, effortlessly, guiding her and caressing her with his hands.  The satin skirts of her gown floated behind her, and a swelling tickle grew in her stomach, lurching into her limbs and making her laugh out loud. 

      “You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”, he asked, looking deeply into her eyes after he brought her down to earth.

      She felt a flush of embarrassment creep over her body.  “Yes.”.

      He cocked his head to the side, still taking her in at his leisure.  “Would you like a glass of wine?”.

Without waiting for a response, he reached around and produced a golden goblet from behind his back.  She took it from him and brought it to her lips - liquid jewels, swirling and bubbling on her tongue.  As she savored the last drop, her eyes felt heavy and her body buzzed with a warm, cozy sense of receptiveness to everything around her.  Turning to face him, she found herself – and him back in his boudoir.  This time it was filled with red, purple and gold candles, their tiny flames highlighting every crevice on his leather pants and giving their skin a warm burnished glow.      

      “Surprise!”, he said flirtatiously, nuzzling her cheek.  “I’m so happy that you’re having a great time, but the fun’s not over.  Now I want you to do something for me.  Don’t worry, you’ll like it.”.  He took both of her hands in his and kissed them lightly, then placed them on his shoulders.  “I want to teach you how to enjoy giving to others.  It can be a wonderful experience.  Let me show you.”.

      When Cheri drank the wine, she could barely feel her fingertips, but with every soft kiss he had infused them with a dexterity and sensitivity that she never realized she could have.  Gingerly, she rubbed and squeezed his shoulders, sneaking in a few deep tissue knuckle massages and such… and he was eating it up like candy.  When she felt a bit more comfortable, she reached up to his ear and tickled it with her tongue, then was shocked by her brazen actions.  What made her decide to do that?  It wasn’t like her at all to make a move like that, but he seemed to be receptive to it.

      “Oh, damnnnnn….”, he said, almost purring.  “Oh, this almost feels too good.  Mmmmmmm”.  He was really,  really into it.  Cheri watched him, his eyes rolling back into his head in a ballad of submission and passion.  She envied him and all the pleasure he was feeling… but then the tables turned.

“Mmm, hey… hey… c’mere.”, he whispered.  She kneaded his shoulders for a few seconds more, then moved to stand in front of him, but he gently took her by the arm and twirled her around so that she was inches from his face.  “Did you like doing that?  You did, didn’t you?”. 

      “It was nice…”, she murmured, not yet comfortable with admitting how aroused she was just by touching him, by smelling the smooth hot patch of skin on the back of his neck, under his hairline. 

      His eyes canvased her body, stopping at her breasts and taking their time, then moving on down.  So…” he asked, “do you know how to swim?”.