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After the Ball is Over con't.

"As long as I'm on the Enterprise, whether I'm in uniform or not, I am under a magnifying glass regarding my behavior, even during a social event."

"Well, no one would blame you if you were seduced by an Orion. Especially one who is not a member of the Enterprise crew. After all, no man can resist an Orion woman. " She pulled herself even closer to him relishing the feel of him as she pressed her stomach against his as they moved around the floor. "I do love dancing like this with you." Closing her eyes she followed his lead wondering what he was thinking as they danced to the music.

Riker held her tightly, allowing himself to fully concentrate on the sway of her body against him as they completed the waltz. His mind was already on getting her as quickly as possible to his quarters without arousing too much attention. As the music stopped, he spun her around a couple of times. Opening her eyes, she reached up to him and kissed him deeply.

"You are nervous." she challenged him.

"Are you an empath now?" he laughed.

"No. Do you enjoy the fact that I cannot read your every emotion?" she replied in turn.

"It is an interesting change from what I'm used to." he replied, glancing around to see who might be watching how he was behaving with the seductress. Several of the junior male officers were standing by the punch bowl eyeing the couple. Riker could imagine the focus of their conversation. Next to the band stand where the orchestra was playing a group of nurses were throwing glares at him. He swallowed hard. Deanna was very popular among the crew. Many of the men either admired him for having snared her or wished they were in his place as her fiancee. The women fell into two camps as well. They either wished Deanna would drop dead so he would be available or they were fiercely loyal to Deanna and on the watch constantly for him to make some slip up with another woman they could run and report to Deanna.

The Orion watched Riker's quick looks around the room. To distract him she reached out and gently pulled his head around to point at her. "Now I want you to play for me." She purred suggestively.

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to play a song for me. I will dance for you."

He studied her for a moment debating whether to leave her side or not. He knew that there were about 150 men in the room, any one of which would love to see him leave for the stage and provide the opportunity for them to introduce themselves to the green skinned beauty. "I don't think that would be such a good idea."

"Go on. I must dance for you before we can leave." She stood before him, her hands on her hips, her head held high.

"You aren't," Will hesitated, "you aren't going to strip are you?"

"Why not? It is considered perfectly acceptable to do so my home planet. The Orion seduction dances are always done in the nude."

Groaning, Will asked, "Please don't."

"Would you be embarrassed?"

"I don't want to have to use a phaser on one of my crew to keep some poor fool away from you."

"You would defend my honor with a phaser?" Her laughter was light and he could tell she was teasing him. Or at least he hoped she was teasing him.

"Ah, are you going to introduce me to your guest, Casanova?" Will turned to see Data dressed Sherlock Holmes, his pipe reeking of strong tobacco. Riker guessed that Data stressed the last word to remind Will of his recent engagement to Counselor Troi.

"Sure Data, this is." Will stopped, then turned to the Orion. "I don't believe you mentioned your name earlier." Riker tried to ignore Data's raised eyebrow when Will revealed he didn't know the woman's name.

"You have no need to know my name. I'm still waiting for my song."

Riker ran his finger over his mustache. "Yes, well, what song?"

"Nightingale." the Orion insisted.

Turning slowly back to face her, Riker replied, "You are going to dance an Orion seduction dance to Nightingale?"

"Yes."

Data reached out and blocked Will's path as the Commander turned toward the stage, "A seduction dance?"

"All in the interests of good planetary relations, Data." Riker insisted before walking over and climbing on the stage leaving Data satisfied with his investigations.

Data noticed the woman's eyes twinkling with delight as Riker picked up the trombone and began to signal the beat for the song by snapping his fingers. As the low melodious notes began to fill the room, the Orion began to sway to the music. Her arms outstretched, she began to lean to the left and then to the right. She stretched her neck backwards, leaning as far back as she could without losing her balance. From his position on the stage Will realized that he had the perfect vantage point to fully appreciate the cleavage that the Orion was showing. Raising herself upright the woman began to thrust her hips out and in as the seduction part of the dance began. Riker watched as she reached upward with her hands and then pulled herself inward finally crouching in a ball, then reaching out repeatedly. She was good. She was very good. He was having an very difficult time concentrating on playing the trombone, but then he knew that was her intention. One leg kicked out, then the other. She placed a hand on each breast and began to run her slowly move her hands in a circle. All the time the dance lasted her eyes never turned from Will Riker. Not a soul in the room had any doubt that this dance was for Riker alone. Her hands moved down her body, caressing each curve as a lover would. Taking her fingers she began to pull her slit skirt down her long legs. Riker missed a note, prompting a grin of triumph on her lips. Underneath the skirt she still wore a pair of very small panties, made of green lace to match the color of her skin so that the effect was to heighten the illusion that she wore nothing. As the music increased in tempo, the Orion twisted around and around, whirling herself ever faster until as the music reached its climax, so did her dance. No sooner had she collapsed on the floor, than Riker was off the stage and by her side. Taking her hand gently, he pulled her upright. Bending down he picked up the skirt, handing it to her.

"So Commander, did you enjoy my dance?"

"Do you need to ask?" He responded in a low voice that cracked slightly.

"Yes I do. And I need an answer."

Riker took her by the shoulders and roughly pulled her close to him kissing her hard. "Yes, I enjoyed the dance, but I don't enjoy the way every man in this room is eyeing you."

"Don't worry so much about all the other men. I chose you. I'm not leaving with any other man."

Sighing heavily, Riker studied the petite woman beside him. "Would you leave with me?"

"Anytime you are ready." To prove her point she began walking across the lounge toward the exit.

Following her Riker confessed, "The dance made me ready ten minutes ago." Still surveying the room as if he expected to find an army of suitors descending on the Orion, Riker caught Crusher's smile. "Are you sure you've had enough fun for one night?"

Stopping in midstride, the Orion deliberately leaned back against Riker's chest. Her hands caught his and wrapped them around her waist so that he held her in an embrace from behind. Then looking over her shoulder she flirted, "My night hasn't even begun, Commander and neither has yours." She dropped his hand and started to walk off again.

"Wait!" he called out.

"Yes?"

Riker caught up with the Orion and placed his arm around her shoulder. Cupping his hand under her chin, he directed her lips to his and kissed her slowly and tenderly. "Tell, me, was it worth all the trouble you went to in order to kiss me in public and leave with my arm around you?"

"Definitely. Come along Commander. Tonight is a night that you will remember for a very long time and I have a few tricks for you that will be a real treat, trust me." Riker felt the stares of crew as he made his way out of the lounge with the Orion already teasing him by playing with his chest hair. "You are going to ruin my reputation you know." he whispered to her.

"Just the opposite, Riker, I'm going to establish it for good."

Geordi poked Data in the side, "Look there he goes! Can you believe that? With the Orion woman! How can he do that to poor Deanna?"

Data watched the woman beside Commander Riker. "But Geordi, Commander Riker usually leaves a social event with Deanna Troi. Why do you say poor Deanna?"

"Because Riker is cheating on Troi." LaForge replied in disgust. "e;Deanna Troi is down on the station having some operation done. I heard her and Doctor Crusher discussing it the other day in sick bay."

"You are mistaken, Geordi. Deanna Troi's costume was that of an Orion. She just left with Commander Riker."

"What makes you say that?"

"I compared the vocal patterns of the Orion woman with that of Deanna Troi's when I introduced myself to her. There is no doubt, the Orion woman was Deanna Troi in costume."

"Some costume." LaForge replied.

"Actually there was very little of it." Data objected.

"Exactly."

Guinan, the ten-forward hostess took the stage to request nominations for Best Costume for the evening. Data turned to Geordi, "Should we?"

Geordi thought back to the rules and regulations regarding appropriate behaviour between officers at a social event. Usually the Commander and the Counselor acted like they hardly knew each other at these functions. "No, Data. We shouldn't." Geordi warned realizing the couple's motivation for the deception.

"Agreed." Data replied, making a mental note to check the vocal patterns of all females that Commander Riker was seen flirting with in the future and already beginning to review his data files to discover if any of the other women the Commander had been linked in the past could have been Deanna Troi in costume. His findings were inconclusive.

The End

Copyright 1997 by Zlanna.

I only do this for the pleasure of Imzadi fans. If you enjoyed the story or if you have suggestions, please send your comments to Zlanna@AOL.com.