It's too much

“Honestly, Mr. P, it's too much.” Alison's doe eyes meet my gaze uncertainly; I can see how a 'good girl' like her would be confused at the way she reacted to reading those books. “Some of the scenes aren't that different from what I told you about my earliest sexual fantasies, or for that matter what we did last night, but to live in a world where that kind of thing is accepted ... I just don't know.” I nod silently and watch as Alison turns her attention to setting the table. Clearly, this is something that is going to require a little time.

“Dr. Lark would say those books are a blatant example of misogyny, especially the parts where even as the captured women are being abused, they realize that that is what they've been missing in their former lives.”

“It's hard to argue that.” I think Alison is a little surprised at my easy agreement with her Women's Studies prospective, but I wait for the rest of what she thinks. Remember, I saw her up in her room just hours ago jilling herself furiously while reading about some Imperial debutant being defiled by space pirates, off-world barbarians or even members of their own political elite.

We eat the lentils with rice and some green beans at the kitchen table in silence for the first few minutes, but when Alison is ready, she tries again to answer my question.

“You asked earlier about how that pornography made me feel?” I set down my fork and listen attentively.

“I got excited, Mr. P, but not in a good way.” Alison's face flushes and her eyes drop to the plate of half-eaten food, “All day today I imagined what it would be like to be tied up in chains and sold off into sexual slavery. It made me feel ... icky”

This is not working out like I expected. I thought she'd be into fantasizing about beautiful ladies chained by dangerous men, and clearly, she is almost there, but not quite. The last thing I want to do is push Alison out of what she is comfortable with.

“Listen, Alison, I think we should take this slow.” I can see the confusion on her face as she tries to guess what I'm going to say. “How about we stick to one of those silly Harlequin heroines.”

Alison gives a shrug of her bare shoulders, but her smile is one of relief. “You're the best, Mr. P.” She gently touches my hand with hers. “With this pandemic it's not like I'm going anywhere. It's pretty much like you have me locked up in a high tower; you can come put me in chains some other time.”

We finish eating together in a comfortable silence, she is clearly thinking about something, but I let her be. It is not until we are almost done with the dishes that she is ready to share. Her face takes on a teasing grin and I know she has something good to announce.

“I've decided which of the lovely young heroines you're going to get to bed this weekend.” She is once again the sexy young woman I am used to, “You know, from the three Harlequins you gave me?”

“Oh?” I run through the three different heroines and their stories quickly in my mind, she really can't go wrong. “Which one?”