Tejara sat cross-legged on the floor, her knee bouncing rapidly, shaking her whole body with it. The dark red wine in the cup in her hand sloshed around, spilling onto the floor and even the leg of her nice, white pants but she didn’t notice it, as she was staring intensely at the door. Finally, it slid open.
Her eyes dropped to the floor immediately and she set down her wine, watching the pale and delicate bare feet step over the threshold. The woman wore a single layer skirt that only reached her knees. Tejara gulped when she spun to slide the door shut behind her and her skirt lifted a little, showing some thigh.
Her ridiculously long, wide sleeves and the ends of the thin lace shawl wrapped around her shoulders came into Tejara’s view as she lowered her hands. She moved gracefully across the room to stand in front of Tejara, with each step a clear and beautiful ringing sound could be heard. It was then that Tejara noticed the thin white strings around her ankles, connected to little silver bells at her heels.
The woman stopped in front of Tejara and spoke, her voice soft and almost melodic, “I’m dreadfully sorry to have kept you waiting, my lord. But will you truly not look at me?” she coaxed, a tinge of sadness in her tone.
Tejara finally let her eyes travel up. The woman’s waist tie was loose and her top half open, cleavage spilling out, and her long loose black hair further framed her pale chest, emphasizing it even more. Tejara tried not to let her eyes linger and, at last, she looked her in the eye.
Mei’nin’sa’s eyes widened, “Te-”
Tejara stood up quickly and covered Mei’nin’sa’s mouth with her left hand and brought the pointer finger of her right hand to her lips, silently shushing her. In a quick, low voice Tejara said, “Don’t talk too loud. If the matron finds me here again, she’ll kick me out for good. Just treat me like any other client.” Tejara sank back down to the floor, gently tugging Mei’nin’sa down with her.
The second Tejara took her hand from Mei’nin’sa’s mouth, Mei’nin’sa snaked her arms around Tejara’s left arm and pressed her chest into Tejara’s bicep. A warm blush seemed to creep all the way from where Mei’nin’sa touched her to her ears. Mei’nin’sa leaned in, her lips almost brushing the shell of Tejara’s ear and said, “I couldn’t possibly treat such a strong, handsome hero as any other client.”
Tejara’s blush got brighter and she grabbed her wine cup, downing the whole thing in one gulp. When the warm wine settled in her stomach she had the nerve to ask, “Sing me a song?”
“Of course!” Mei’nin’sa squinted as she beamed at Tejara, an unrestrained smile she would never show a client, “what do you want to hear?”
Tejara smiled back at her with a look of adoration, longing, and indulgence, “whatever you want to sing.”
Mei’nin’sa looked up in thought then stood and began to sway. After a moment of silence she began to croon the opening song from an opera about a star that fell in love with a mortal man and fell from the heavens to be with him.
Tejara’s nervousness dissipated and she happily lost herself in Mei’nin’sa’s private performance.
