She suppressed a shiver as the bartender's recollections -- and then his perceptions of<i>her</i>-- tickled her mind. As useful as the trick could sometimes be, she'd always been vaguely uncomfortable riding another being's senses, and never moreso than when those senses were focused her way. But she kept up that sweet smile, and teased him,<span style="color: mediumturquoise">"But what if this other woman of yours, the one with the weird scent, turns up? Are you going to make me mud-wrestle her for your attention?"</span><br/><br/>Yet she found herself actually thinking about going out with this man and, more, seeing where things led. She could blame all the leering men she'd encountered on this rock, and the lust-ridden thoughts they kept directing at her; she could blame her encounter with Vladsti; she could even blame her own boredom, or curiosity. Whatever the explanation, this charged mood was foreign to her.<span style="color: mediumturquoise">"But, sure,"</span>she agreed, before she could reconsider.<span style="color: mediumturquoise">"How long 'til you're done? Do I have enough time to get a shower and maybe a quick catnap first?"</span><div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>