"Her"

Miss B III

You really won't sleep with her, will you?

I shake my head. "No. No I won't."

Intriguing. I always wondered what you would do if someone offered themselves up to you on a silver platter. If your high ideals were a joke. If you would take what you could get for a freebie-

"Nothing's free. I weighed the risks and realized that having a relationship is untenable. Simply impossible. Even if you leave out the fact that she has children, which she screams at if they so much as speak, her obsession with animal print clothing, and the fact that half of her mouth is rotten, there would still be the problem of her not ever having been tested for V.D. Ever. I kept on hearing reports on HIV in random places. On the radio, in "The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency I bought Friday, on the internet. And don't forget the dream I had about her."

Tell me about it.

"Well, I dreamed I was sleeping with her, as in giving her a very thorough fingering, and I couldn't help but feel thoroughly disgusted. I was using a blue surgical glove to get her off, for chrissakes. And when I lost my glove, I couldn't finish her off. How can I be with someone I don't even really want to sleep with?"

Do you really feel that way? Or are you just afraid you'll catch something?

"You remember that story I read a long time ago? About a fictionalized version of the goddess Hel in the book series 'Everworld'? Do you remember how one of the characters was caught between lust and disgust when he saw the goddess for what she really was?"

You think you're experiencing something similar. Fascinated by her flaws, and reviled at them at the same time.

"Um-hmm. That's where I'm at right now. But I won't be here for long. I'm just going to let the whole thing play out and see what happens. Eventually she'll get frustrated that she can't have me in bed, and she'll lose her temper."

Why don't you just call her and end everything? There's no need in having her fall for you anymore than she already has.

"You do make a very good point. Nothing good will come of prolonging this. I think it would be good if I just let her know that a relationship with me is simply impossible."

Of course, you run the risk of making her want you more.

"I know. But I refuse to hurt her by stringing her along."

It's a good thing you haven't promised her anything. And you were upfront about that.

"Yes. I think I'll call her right now."

Be careful. Love turns to hatred overnight for some people.

"Perhaps. That's the risk I'll have to take."