s e d u c t i o n

"I'm going to seduce a man."

Beth couldn't believe she'd uttered the words out loud. She could feel the heat suffuse her cheeks as thoughts about the plan that had been brewing for weeks now swirled through her mind. It had started out as a joke and turned into a massive, very detailed mission that would be carried out by the end of the week.

Hopefully, she'd have the nerve to go through with it.

"You're what," Sheridan asked, almost shooting soda through her nose. Grabbing a napking out of the bin, she patted her mouth dry.

Beth leaned over the table, grabbing napkins to help her friend. "I'm sorry," Beth said as she patted wildly, even with Sheridan's protests to back off.

"I'm fine Beth, stop!"

Pulling her hands back, Beth plopped back onto her seat. "I'm so sorry, Sheridan."

"It's not your fault. Really." Sheridan smiled, trying to calm the obviously jittery woman seated across from her. "Now, what was that you said," she asked, pushing her soda far away.

"I'm going to seduce a man."

Sheridan nodded, watching Beth's wide eyes and ruddy cheeks. "Well... I mean... That's nice." That's nice. What was she thinking, saying something as flippant as 'that's nice'. She needed to keep her head screwed on so she could talk Beth out of this. "What I meant was, are you crazy?"

"Hey, keep your voice down," Beth hissed back. "I don't want anyone to know. I wasn't even going to tell you, but I had to tell someone and I couldn't tell my mom and I couldn't tell Luis, so you were it." Beth hoped to God Sheridan didn't notice how she'd convinently left Hank's name out of that list.

"What about Hank? You two tell each other everything."

Well, so much for that. Shrugging, Beth looked over Sheridan's shoulder as nonchalantly as she could. "Oh, you know. Hank wouldn't care. He'd think I was being stupid, or silly, or crazy, like you just mentioned."

Sheridan thought her words over, shifting on the cushioned bench she had taken when coming in to wait for Luis. She guessed there could be some merit to what Beth had just told her, but a more innate part of Sheridan knew that wasn't the case.

Beth and Hank were best friends, from what she'd witnessed. They shared hugs, laughs, tears, and so much more. Secrets between the two were probably nothing new, which made Beth's choice not to share this one with Hank even more interesting.

"It's not Hank, is it?" The question was out before Sheridan had even given it good thought. But now that it hung in the air, it sounded more correct. If she was going to seduce someone, she wouldn't tell them about. At least, not until they were so lust crazy that they had no thought ability left. Which would be a good reason for Beth to keep it from Hank. Plus, she didn't think telling your best buddy that you planned to wrestle them naked was good for any friendship.

Beth could only sit, damning herself for not being able to keep her mission a secret. She hoped to God... Oh, forget that! Her face was probably already as red as a cherry. Mortified, she slid over to leave but was promptly stopped by Sheridan's body pushing her back into the wall.

"What are you doing," Beth managed to sputter.

"You can't leave, now. You have to tell me everything!"

"Everything? There's nothing. Nothing! Nothing to tell. I have to go, Sheridan."

Shaking her head, Sheridan tried to keep her smile from falling off her face. "Oh, no you don't. You are going to seduce Hank Bennett."

"Keep your voice down," Beth hissed. Darting her eyes around for anyone that would have overheard, she turned her attention back to Sheridan. "No comment."

Lowering her voice to a whisper, Sheridan continued. "Oh, that's rich Beth. No comment? You sound totally guilty. You are going to seduce, Hank, aren't you? Come on, you can tell me."

"Like you need any ideas with your busy love-life," Beth countered.

Sheridan could feel her own blush growing, but bit her lip to keep it in check. "No, I don't need ideas, but I want to know. When'd you come up with this? Why? How are you going to do it? Come on Beth, specifics."

"I don't have specifics," Beth lied quickly. Too quickly.

"Liar. You said it like you'd already planned exactly how you want to..."

"Okay, okay, let's not get graffic," the other woman shouted. She opened her mouth, but no words flowed out.

"Beth!"

"Okay! I don't know when I came up with it. I mean, I know, but it was just kind of a joke between me and some friends and then it turned into this thought in my head that wouldn't go away and before I knew it, I had a plan."

Correction. A mission, one that would be carried out.

"Yeah. So, what's the plan?"

Beth smirked. "If I told you that, I'd have to kill you."

"Ooh, sounds fun. I wonder what Hank will think about this."

"He won't have time to think. He'll be so bowled over by me that he won't have a choice. Yeah, that's exactly how its going to happen."

Sheridan thought it over. Though she had some reservations about friends taking their relationship that extra step, she knew that Beth and Hank could probably pull it off.

"You two are meant to be," Sheridan told Beth, sharing in her friend's excitement. "He won't know what hit him."

"Really," Beth asked, still unsure about the whole thing. "Because... I don't want to mess us up."

Taking Beth's hands in her own, Sheridan looked her friend in the eye. "You won't mess anything up. Hank should be exstatic that he's getting such a great gift in a woman like you."

Beth chewed on her lip, a nervous habit she had picked up from god only knows where. "Because, if it doesn't work and he ends up hating me..."

"Oh, Beth. He won't hate you. At the very worst, he won't want to...you know. But after I'm done with you, no man will be able to say no to you."

"Ah..." Beth shifted uncomfortably on her seat. "I don't need help, Sheridan. But, hey, thanks anyway."

"No way," Sheridan shook her head. "I am going to help you all the way through this."

Raising an eyebrow, Beth yanked her hands free of Sheridan's grasp. "I hope not," she told the other woman in a jealous tone.

The two looked at each other and broke out in laughter.

"Okay, not all the way, but I'll get you to the door. Hank won't know what hit him. Trust me."

Beth chewed her lip in decison. "I guess," she finally spoke. "But you have to promise..."

"To keep this a secret," Sheridan finished. "I do. Now, when can we get together? We have a lot of things to do before this seduction goes down."

Beth rolled her eyes as Sheridan went on and on about the things they needed to accomplish. She only prayed that this wouldn't affect her relationship with Hank negatively. All forces willing, her seduction would go as planned.

Her seduction of Hank Bennett.