"No."
"No?"
"Let's not waste time. Let's go out on the terrace. I want you to kiss me."
"Best offer I've had all evening." He rose again. "Where's the terrace?"
"Through that door. There's a dining room there that's closed at night. You go through the dining room and out to the terrace."
"Okay."
He took her arm and led her in and out of tables, across the room. They moved swiftly through the quiet, nearly dark dining room, and after that through a pair of window-doors. They were on the terrace then, a flagstoned space with a low wall. It overlooked the scattered lights of World City's topside area and some distance beyond they could see the river, a blue-silver ribbon in the moonlight.
They stopped at the wall. She turned toward him. He looked down at her, at her pale face and deep, dark eyes. He smelled her perfume and he felt her live warmth near him and coming nearer. He saw her eyes close, her lips part just slightly, and each lip glistening, faintly moist....
He was wondering when it would happen. He was wondering when he would be struck.
As he wondered that he suddenly discovered he wasn't on the terrace any more.