Escort Anissa

Yes, you’d better all leave. Krystal’s staying for another pint, but the other two are leaving. You decide to go as well.

Abigail’s walking home. Anissa’s heading back to the school to pick up her car. You decide to accompany Anissa.

Anissa initially appears hesitant to accept your escort. She doesn’t object. She just walks slightly apart from you, her gaze drifting along the streets. A couple of attempts at conversation from your part fall into silence. About halfway to school, you feel compelled to ask.

“Have I said anything to offend you?”

That draws her gaze back to you. Her hazel eyes are clouded. There’s a quirk of a smile on her lips.

“Non, it’s just…” You can see her wrestling with ideas, caught between wanting to utter them and fearful of a response. “Back there, in the pub, you’re so dismissive of beliefs you don’t agree with. You’re not a religious man. I fear what you think of my belief.”

“If you truly believe, then you shouldn’t care what I think.” She’s flinches at that statement. Her eyes widen. Her breath stutters. “Look, I’m not going to tell you what to believe or not believe. I think that’s for you and you alone. I just want you to question it. Question your beliefs. Always question your beliefs. There are rituals and beliefs in the Catholic Church that stem back a thousand years. Some of them are no longer practical, but you cling to them anyway.”

“Like what?”

What can you say? “Celibacy.”

She blushes. Very cute. “Celibacy is to keep our body pure for God.”

“Really? You know there’s been surveys that suggest most Catholic priests are not celibate. They just hide it.”

“You back to talking about scandals in the church.”

“You looked them up?”

“Non.”

“Look them up, then we can talk. And think about it. There are priests hiding that they’re having consensual sex with adults, male and female. Now, I don’t see anything wrong with an adult having consensual sex with another adult, male or female. But while the priests are hiding that, they’re obscuring those who are hiding sex with non-consenting, non-adults, and that I see as wrong.”

{if AnissaDream > 0}

“But sex is for marriage,” Anissa insists. Although the way she says it, suggests she’s trying to convince herself more than you.

“Have you ever tried it?”

“Non. I’m pure.”

“Then how can you say? Sex is the most wonderful thing between two consenting adults. Don’t knock it before you’ve tried it.”

Anissa looks perplexed, flushed with embarrassment, or is it something else, something more primal? The way she keeps glancing at you. The way she quickly turns away as soon as she notices you looking. Growing redder until you reach the school and her car.

{else}

Anissa’s reaction to that last statement is pure fear. You walk the rest of the way to the school in silence. You can’t think of anything to say. Until she gets to the car.

{endif}

It takes several turns of the key before her Renault splutters to a start. You stand and watch, listening to the engine’s reticence.

“Are you sure your car’s ok?” you ask through the rolled down window.

“Je ne sais quoi. But I have it booked into the garage next week. We’ll see what they say.”

The car lurches forward and away. And you head back home.