"Don't look at me," she hiccuped. "I look awful when I cry."

"You look beautiful, Red. You always look beautiful to me," he told her.

"Shut up! You're going to make me cry again," Nora muttered.

"I would never make you cry, Red," he promised her. "I just want to love you."

"I'm so afraid," she whispered at him.

"Of what?" he gently probed.

"I'm not sure I know how to love, and if I did love you, and you found someone else, I don't think I could bear it, Kyle." Her eyelashes were all spiky from her tears.

"Remember, darling, that I'm your fantasy," he reminded her.

"But it all seems so real to me, Kyle. I don't know how Mr. Nicholas does it, but The Channel has become reality for me," Nora admitted. "If I admit to loving you, you'll get bored with me, and do what Jeff did. You'll look for other women, and leave me."

"I will never leave you as long as you want me, Nora. I swear it!" he said. "I belong to you, Red. I'm yours!"

Before they could pursue the subject further, the telephone rang. Nora picked up the handset. "Hello?"

"This is the concierge, Mrs. Buckley. You have been invited to join another fantasy this evening. You will find the appropriate costumes in your closet. When you're ready just step into the elevator, and push the red button. You can return to your own fantasy by the same means when you wish to return," the faceless voice said.

"I'd like to take Kyle with me," Nora said.

"Of course, Mrs. Buckley. There is a costume for him as well. Enjoy your evening," the concierge said, and hung up.

"Carla's invited me into her fantasy tonight," Nora told him. "You can come too. According to the concierge, appropriate costumes are in the closet." She grinned. The sadness was now gone from her face. "Shall we look?" She got off of the bed and, walking across the room, opened the closet door.

The two costumes had been set on the rod, directly in the center of the closet. For Nora there was a short, ragged-edged black skirt, a red sash, and a low-cut, short-sleeved white blouse. A drawstring bag hung from the hanger with the blouse. Nora pulled the costume out, laid it on the bed, and undoing the bag, dumped its contents in the center of the bed. There were several bangle bracelets, and a pair of large gold hoop earrings. She smiled. Right out of an old Errol Flynn swashbuckler movie. She drew the other costume out, and almost laughed. It consisted of a loincloth, a beautiful gold dog collar studded with pearls and colored gemstones and lined with lamb's wool, and finally a red leather leash.

"Oh, my," Nora said, and she giggled.

"Your friend lacks subtlety," Kyle said, but he was grinning.

"Quick shower," Nora said, "and then off to Pirate World, Mr. Gorgeous."

"You go first," he said.

She cocked her head to one side questioningly.

"If I get in that shower with you, Nora, you know what's going to happen," Kyle said. "I can never get enough of you, Red."

She nodded. "Haven't you had enough this evening?"

"Nope," he told her with a grin.

Nora didn't question him any further. She pinned her long red hair up, and showered alone. When she had finished she came back into the bedroom to dress while he saw to his ablutions. No bra, she thought. Pirate wenches didn't have bras. She pulled the white peasant-style blouse on over her head. The scooped neck was very low-cut, and her tits were practically spilling out of the garment. She took the ragged black skirt and drew it on. It was barely thigh high, but it did cover the places it should cover. Just. A thong was the only kind of underpants she could wear, and she hated thongs. So, no underpants. She picked up the red silk sash and wrapped it about her waist several times, leaving enough of the cloth hanging to give her a dashing look. She slipped the bangles on both of her arms, and affixed the gold hoops into her ears. She was surprised there were no shoes, but The Channel did everything right, so she wasn't concerned.

"Well, that's certainly a come-and-fuck-me-outfit," Kyle growled, coming from the bathroom. Then he grinned. "I like it." He slid his hand beneath her skirt, chuckling.

"Keep away," she warned him, slapping at his big warm hand. Then she sat down at her dressing table and brushed out her hair.

"Put it in a single braid," he said. "It's apt to get rough in your friend's world. You don't need hair in your face obscuring your vision."

"You do it," Nora said. "It'll be easier." She sat quietly as he plaited her hair into a long thick braid, slipping a small elastic band on the end of the hair. "You better hurry and dress, Mr. Gorgeous."

He slipped the loincloth on. It was made of soft, almost leatherlike fabric. The front and back pieces were held together by a thin, delicate chain that lay against his narrow hips. He held out the gold collar to her. "You do this," he said low.

Nora stood up and, standing in front of him, put the collar about his neck. It clicked shut. "Are you comfortable? It isn't too tight, is it?" She snapped the dog chain to the loop on the collar.

"It fits perfectly," he told her, and pulled her against him. His mouth seared hers in a hot kiss, his tongue pushing into her mouth to tease her tongue. When he let her go he said softly, "Remember that I love you, Red, whatever you may think about it."

They walked to the elevator, and when the doors opened up, they stepped in together. The chain from his collar hung loosely in her hand. They pressed the button, and the elevator doors closed. When they opened a few seconds later and they stepped out, they found themselves in a large cave. But the cave's opening was directly ahead of them, and beyond it were a beach and the blue sea. They stepped out into a moonlit night. A long boat was just being pulled up onto the sand, and there were figures climbing out of it.

"Nora!" Carla's voice was calling to her, and a figure broke away from the group and ran toward her. She was dressed in tight black shorts, a white peasant's blouse, and a bright gold sash encircling a very tiny un-Carla-like waist. There was a red bandanna on her head, beneath which a tangle of black curls poured forth. There was a dagger at her waist, and gold hoops danced from her ears. She enveloped Nora in a bear hug. "I've been scared you were lost forever," she said, hugging her best friend. "I mean, you look so fragile and frail in the nursing home, Nora."

"I heard you earlier," Nora said. "When you told me not to wear my boys out."

"You heard me?" Carla squealed.

"In my head. Softly," Nora explained. "Now tell me what's going on."

"I will, but let's go to the Mermaid for a drink." She turned. "All of you go back to the ship. Except Caleb Snow. I've got business, and Morgan's vessel is in the harbor. The last time you met up with his crew, it cost me a fortune to get the governor to let you out after the fight between you. Good thing the governor is open to a bribe."

"Aww, Captain," one of the men began to whine.

Carla's hand went to her waist, and she pulled a small coiled whip off of her sash. Flicking it out, she smiled. "Are you looking for a taste of my whip, Hawkins?"

"No, Captain," the man said, moving back. "We're going!"

"Swim for it," Carla commanded her men. "Caleb and I will need the boat to get back." And she laughed as her men, grumbling, waded back into the sea. "You can never be soft with them," Carla said, turning back to Nora. "Now, to the Mermaid!"

The inn was directly on the beach. They walked past the palm trees, reaching the Mermaid quickly. As they entered, Carla was greeted by many there. She grinned and waved, calling out to those men she knew. The landlord hurried up to her.

"Captain Raven, 'tis good to see you again! Let me show you to a table!" He began to push a path for them through the crowd. "Here's a nice one by the hearth," he said, glaring at the people who were already sitting there. Seeing Carla, they quickly vacated the space. "What will it be, Captain? Grog? Rum?"

"Rum, four of 'em," Carla said, and the landlord scurried away. Carla turned and looked at Kyle. "My, my, Nora, isn't he nice?" She stood in front of him, and slowly slid her hands up his oiled chest.

"This is Kyle," Nora said dryly.

"I want him," Carla said. "Just for a few minutes." She drew her dagger from her sash, and slipping the point carefully into one of the delicate gold links, she snapped the chain on one side of his loincloth. The loincloth dropped away. "I didn't cut you, did I?" she asked sweetly as she began to fondle his penis, cupping his balls in her palm.

"No," he replied. His eyes never left hers. "Your companion doesn't look too pleased, however, Captain."

Carla turned away for a moment. "This is Caleb Snow, my first mate, Nora. You can play with him if you like while I play with your Kyle." She turned back again to Kyle. "I like it from behind," she said wickedly. "In my cunny, not my arse." She pressed herself against him, murmuring as he opened her shorts and pulled them down.

"Do you?" he drawled, his hand sliding between her legs, and grinned at the heat she was already generating there.

Caleb Snow sat down at the table, pulling Nora into his lap. His hand plunged down into her blouse. He fondled her roughly. "You've got nice tits, lass," he said. He was a huge man. He had dwarfed them all, including Kyle, who she knew stood two inches over six feet. His bare chest was like a barrel, and his arms were muscled and brawny. He had auburn hair and a short auburn beard. His eyes were very blue. Pushing her back, he pulled her blouse open, and began to suck on her breasts as he held her firmly. His other hand moved beneath her skirt to finger her clit.

"You're a bold man," Nora said. The mouth on her nipple was tugging hard. The finger beneath her skirt was beginning to send ripples of excited lust through her body. Carla certainly had a fine fantasy lover. She could feel herself getting creamy.