Episode 4: First Kiss

Prologue

"Oh, God." Simon drew a deep, labored breath. "I can't take any more of this." He covered his ears and started to walk off, but he couldn't leave me alone. He came back into Inara's shuttle and sat down on the stool.

"Remember, River," Inara said, running a brush through my hair, "you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I know."

"And if he tries to do anything you don't want to do, you can always say no."

"What do you mean if he tries something?" Simon said, sitting up and leaning forward.

Inara glared at him. Simon put up his hands, sat back down with a sigh.

I cocked my head at the mirrored image of me. Pretty. Red lips. Bouncy hair. A normal girl. For a second, I forgot it wasn't me. Maybe never could be.

Inara laid a soft red sash over my shoulders. "River Tam, I think you put me to shame."

I smiled and ran my hand over the sash, as it ran from my neck down over the slight curves of my chest and the inward swoop of my waist.

Curves that showed in the orange silk sari Inara had dressed me in. Other men had liked this dress, I could hear them murmur as I ran my fingers over the fabric, strange sounds.

Simon came over, yanked it off me, snapped me out of my little trance. "Does she have to look so..."

"Pretty?" Inara said.

"Not pretty," he said. He turned to me, gave me that puppy-eyed look. "River, you know you're pretty, right? I just mean... Does she have to look so..."

"Whorish?" Mal said, stepping into Inara's shuttle.

Simon frowned, admitted, "Yeah, yeah, that's what I mean."

"Everyone out of here," Inara said, snatching the sash back from Simon and putting it back over my shoulder. "It's bad enough you agreed to this without her consent, Mal."

"We asked her opinion," Mal said.

"After the fact," Inara said. "But since she agreed, the least we can do is make sure she enjoys herself." She smiled at me. "It's not every day a woman has her first date."

Simon gulped. "What do you mean enjoy herself?"

I ran my