As Nicholas talked about the rules that governed Serena’s life she felt as if she was under attack. It was true that the rules did give order, but to say that they held back pleasure seemed ridiculous to Serena. Then Nicholas commented on her style of dress, conservative but still wanting to be attractive. Again the reasoning behind the statement appeared incredulous and Serena felt a tinge of annoyance, feeling like Nicholas was trying to manipulate her using some psychological mumbo-jumbo. His flirtatious interaction with the waitress only added weight to Serena’s assessment.<br/><br/>Just when Serena was about to make her excuses and leave Nicholas stated the rules she observed were a major restriction to both her and her husband finding true pleasure. Although seeming a flippant remark it did strike home as being true. Serena pondered on what Nicholas had said. She was sure it was just an elaborate chat up  routine that he had used on countless women and she should dismiss it leave immediately, yet the unhappiness and general feeling of unfulfillment that had haunted Serena during the last few months made her willing to stay, to see if there was any substance to what Nicholas had been saying.<br/><br/>Serena took a sip of her coffee before replying to Nicholas. “Yes, I do adhere to a set of rules, just like everyone. It’s part of living in a society. Without rules there would be anarchy, so living without rules is preposterous. I also have a set of morals that I live by, they determine how I interact with other people, how I choose to dress etc. and yes, these have been molded by my upbringing and my religious teachings. Do they prevent me from experiencing pleasure? Maybe, but what is pleasurable for one person is not so for another. It seems to me it is my morals you want to change in order to achieve happiness, but I’m not sure that ignoring my beliefs would actually achieve that. I’ve seen what happens to people who choose a hedonistic life; drug addicts, alcoholics, gamblers. I’m sure there was pleasure and happiness, to begin with, but it would have been only fleeting compared to the time they spend in misery. It seems to me you might be the Devil, testing my strength against temptation.”<br/><br/>It sounded if Serena was about to disappear from Nicholas’ life but the recent stress in her life had weakened her resolve. She had endured weeks of loneliness and boredom since moving to D.C. and her marriage was also going through a difficult patch. Serena thought for a second. “I’m alone in a city where nobody knows me, no friends, no family...Maybe?...Just for a little while..”. Placing her coffee cup back on its saucer she looked at the table and smiled to herself before looking at Nicholas. “OK satan...What exactly do you have in mind to transform my sad miserable life?”.<br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>