Crazy Seduction(erotica)

While she did that, Henry tidied up the kitchen and did the dishes. Sandy answered the door, and soon they had a squad of Silver Soldiers standing in Sandy’s living room.

“Which room is the General meeting the congresspeople in? The same one I was in?” Henry asked.

“No, it’s a private room. No press or public,” the Sergeant said.

“You were there. Do you remember the entrance door?” he asked, and she nodded. “Come stand before this door and picture the meeting room door in your mind. Focus on it, then touch the door before you like you’re touching the one in Washington.”

She did as he asked, and he touched the back of her hand, launching the spell. He felt it take. “Okay, you go in but leave space next to the General for me.”

He stepped aside as the Sergeant opened the door and gasped in surprise. The meeting room was before her. She entered, and her squad followed her in. They stood in rows behind the General, and she heard the door close. The General was staring back at her in confusion.

“Here’s your team, but where’s the Ass-AAAAAAAHHH!” Congressman Marvin Cressman finished with a scream when Henry suddenly appeared standing next to General Crane.

“Did you just call me an ass?” Henry frowned at the frightened Congressman, who shook his head vigorously.

“Mr. Gable, what are you doing here?” Crane asked in annoyance.

“I’m making a point,” he looked up at the people on the raised dais. “You’ve asked the General to do something that isn’t reasonably possible. The Silver Soldiers are amazingly fast and are fiercely loyal to him, but they cannot move instantly from one place to another as I can. I don’t use it for nefarious purposes, just for day-to-day travel convenience. I’m not giving up my personal freedom just so you can feel a little more comfortable with the illusion of increased control over the world. Life isn’t about control. It’s about being good to one another, making people smile, and showing appreciation to those who deserve it. Take an example from General Crane. He’s about as good a man as I know.” He glanced at the man and saw his face was a little red. Henry shrugged and smiled.

He turned to face the dais. “I have to go take the twins for flying exercises on Eden. Someplace else the Silver Soldiers can’t follow me. Drop the escort assignment and give these great people something actually helpful and purposeful to do!”

“ALAKAZAM ZIMZALABIM!” Henry shouted flamboyantly at the top of this lungs and disappeared.

-=-

Brigadier-General Gordon Crane pinched the bridge of his nose as he slumped just a little in his chair.

Yablonski’s braying laughter quickly cut off with a clang.

“Come on! That was classic,” the Corporal hissed quietly but loud enough to be heard in the otherwise silent room.

“General Crane. Is Mr. Henry Gable of sound mind?” Cressman asked timidly.

“Yes, he is. Considering what I understand he’s endured in his short life, that’s all the more impressive. He’s just… young.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Cressman asserted.

Gordon looked at the man in confusion. “About his being young?”

“No! About what he said!” the Congressman snapped.

Crane sighed. “I’m going to assign these great people something purposeful to do. We’re done chasing Mr. Gable. He’s right. That’s just a fool’s errand.”

Crane stood and nodded to the gaping congresspeople and turned to leave. He saw all of his people standing at attention, saluting him. He smiled and returned their salute.

They really were great people!

Lorelei checked herself in the mirror one more time. She was feeling stupidly nervous about her date with Henry. They were going with the classic dinner and a movie, but it felt like the first time for her. The only experiences she had with dating came after she’d discovered her powers. While she hadn’t used them on her lover Emily until the end of their relationship, she felt like a novice all over again.

She knew Henry was easygoing and not aggressive, so she knew there was no need to feel this way, but she so wanted to make a good impression.

It was time, so she locked up and took the elevator down to the lobby. She crossed to the doors and saw Henry was outside. He seemed to be talking to himself, so she pushed through the doors to come into his field of view.

“AH! Hi Lorelei!”

“Good evening, Henry,” she said with a smile as he seemed a little nervous too.

“You look very lovely tonight!” he said.

She smiled as she admired his dark blue dinner jacket and black slacks. They would match quite well as she was wearing the same colors as they were her favorites, and they calmed her. She was wearing a black winter coat over her outfit.

He guided her across the sidewalk as he looked up at the tower. “It’s a spectacular building!” He looked to the side and smiled. “You have an outdoor pool, too! Oh, with a diving board!”

She grinned at his enthusiasm. She hadn’t used the pool as it reminded her of a certain man who missed it by six feet.

Henry’s eyes went back up. “Which floor are you on?”

“I’m in the penthouse,” she answered.

“Ooo! Like me,” he teased.

“Yes, the difference between the fortieth and the ninth floors is negligible,” she agreed, and he chuckled.

“So, your view is good too?” he asked with a smile.

“South-westerly, so I can see the Hudson. That makes me happy. I overlook the pool, too,” she admitted with a sigh.

He barked a laugh at her look of false dismay. “I somehow doubt the noise from the pool is much of an issue for you,” Henry said, opening the back door of the SUV Camila told him he could use, complete with a driver.

She slid along the bench, and Henry got in as well. He gave out the address of the restaurant.

“I’ve never eaten there. Is it any good?” she asked.

“I hope so. I picked it because of its proximity to the theatre. The website pictures made it look nice,” Henry admitted.

“We’ll roll the dice then,” she sighed.

He looked at her seriously. “You want to go to a casino instead of the movie?”

She blinked at him. “What? No! I meant-” She caught the twinkle in his eye and gave him the evil eye. “You’re a wicked man, Mr. Gable.”

He laughed, and she smiled.

When they arrived, he assisted her out, and Henry gave the driver instructions to pick them up at the same spot in three hours.

As the SUV pulled away, Lorelei gave herself a little shake as the artificial men gave her chills. Henry caught this and nodded. “It takes a while to get used to them. On my first day at VRL, I was introduced to a large group of them, and they made me want to crawl out of my skin. Now, I just see them as tools. There is no thought or emotion there. There is no one there.”

“It’s still new to me. I saw one melt during Skyfall. He hopped out of the car to open the door. Got two steps into the green mist and fell over. Moments later, it was melting,” she recalled.

“That must have been frightening,” he said with sympathy.

She nodded then looked at him. “Not as frightening as some of the things you went through that night.”

He just nodded and didn’t offer anything else, so she let that go. She realized he might not want to talk about it and kicked herself internally.

“It’s okay. There are just nicer things to focus on,” he said as he watched the expressions flitting by on her face.

“I’m sorry-”

“Hey! It’s water under the bridge. Something I believe you know something about,” he said with a smile.

She caught his play on words and nodded with a big smile.

“How about that Hudson!” he exclaimed, and she giggled. “Seriously, can you talk with rivers?” he asked quietly.

She looked around and saw they were alone. “Not verbally, but I do connect with them mentally. The Hudson is overwhelming. So powerful and bold. It gives me energy and heals me, too.”

They entered the restaurant, and Henry gave his name for their reservations. They were led to a table for two overlooking the street. They had privacy, but sharing a glance, they decided to bookmark their previous discussion point.

The waiter dropped off some menus, and they were alone again.

Henry reached across the table and caught Lorelei’s hand. “What you’ve been doing is so incredibly important and is saving so many lives. I just want to personally thank you. You’re my hero.”

Lorelei was frozen. She made a few attempts to speak, then sipped at her water and made another try. “It isn’t just me. Raymond’s words are beautiful and guide the music. Siobhan is key for distributing them as well.”

Henry smiled and nodded. “Their contributions are highly valued, but without you, the message wouldn’t be accepted in the hearts of the people.”

She smiled shyly and nodded. “Thank you.”

They ordered from the lite menu as both had butterflies in their stomachs, and besides, they planned on getting popcorn at the movie.

“It’s a little weird seeing movies after Skyfall as some were shot just before, and now those actors are gone,” Lorelei remarked.

“Has it become a drinking game?” Henry asked.

“What?” she asked in surprise.

“I read somewhere that it was a sign that people have come to terms with a tragedy when they incorporate it into a drinking game,” Henry explained.

“That can’t be true!” Lorelei gasped in shock.

Henry shrugged. “People sometimes need to do outrageous things to prove to themselves that they survived and can move on.”

Seeking to change the topic, Henry told Lorelei about the Silver Soldiers, their mission to watch him, and his visit to the congresspeople to tell them to back off, politely, of course.