" Please, allow me to help," came a voice from behind her.Jeanne Conn turned to the young man standing behind her in line, offering his credit card. S...e noted immediately how handsome he was, his smile genuine and easy."Oh, no I couldn't. I'll just go home and..." Please, I couldn't bear the thoughts of such a lovely lady having to go to all that trouble."Jeanne blushed slightly, but still hesitated."Please. You can repay me when you find your wallet," he continued."Well, I..."She looked back. She guards her secrets with more zeal than a rich man does his strongroom.”“The rebels took her in the raid?” I asked even though I knew the answer to the question. It was obvious what had happened.“Soon enough, her absence will be felt throughout the Queendom,” said Tama. She put her hands behind her back. “We have been using the stock that Tezzi had produced before her kidnapping, but that runs out soon. This will be an economic disaster for Naith.”“And for the reputation for Queen Athirmi.”I. Taking advantage of the next station stop, she reached down, undoing the knot and retying it more securely. As the train moved off she stumbled as she tried to grasp the hoop above her head and felt a reassuring hand on her hip, another guiding her fingers around the handle and closing over them.As she struggled to remove herself from the strangers grip, a hard body pressed tight against her back and hot breath flowed over her neck as he whispered in her ear."Careful there, you don't want to. I had not wasted time removing my shirt when she walked towards me topless. Her fingertips played in the light hair on my chest. I had put down my book and had a playlist of light poppy songs, currently playing a K-pop song from Oh My Girl after transitioning from the Monkees. Running my hands through her hair I asked, “So, do you want to... ?” I left the verb for her to fill in.“I can’t. It’s that time.”“Monthly?”“Yeah.”“I’m sorry.”“Fucking sucks.”“Does it hurt?”“Yeah, not real bad but it.