Taking A Ni

[Gar]

Ni withdrew her hand and exclaimed in a tone of both horror and pity, "You can't have sex?!" There was a grim pause of silence as this information sunk in, then she blinked in confusion. "But--if you can't...then why would you show interest in me? Why would you bring me on a date?" Ni put her hands in her lap and stared forward, her breath catching in her throat at a sudden revelation which she now uttered aloud. "Oh...this was about work," she says dejectedly, "You were following a lead...you wanted to make sure I wasn't a terrorist." She fiddled with the hem of her dress, suddenly feeling very small. "Your commitment to your planet is admirable..." she said dryly, avoiding his eyes.