Disclaimer: They're not mine and I'm making no $$$ off of this, the usual blah, blah, blah.

This just kind of came to me, so I figured I'd put it out here for better or worse. Let me know what you think!

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With only an hour to prepare before meeting with her client, Inara contemplated the gowns in her wardrobe. "What should I wear?" she thought, and after a couple of minutes, picked out one he'd admired her in before. It was a deep purple, overlaid with black lace, and a scalloped neckline that showed just the right amount of décolletage.

Putting the gown aside for the time, she sat down at her vanity. “Should I put my hair up or leave it down?” After a moment, she decided that up would be better. In the past she’d noticed how his eyes would follow the graceful line of her neck when she wore it that way.

Once it was piled gloriously on top of her head, with a few tendrils tickling her shoulders, she began to apply her makeup. “Hmm...sultry or exotic?” She smiled at her reflection. He’d like sultry better. She lined her eyes, blushed her cheeks, powdered her nose, and glossed her lips. That was it…perfect.

She slipped on the dress, and tightened the satin ribbons that laced up the front. She walked over to her jewelry chest, and finished her ensemble with a pair of amethyst and jet earrings, and a matching necklace. “Oh yes,” she thought as she regarded her reflection, “this is exactly what he’ll like.”

Her reverie was interrupted by a knock on the shuttle door. Before she could answer, Mal stuck his head in the door and waggled his eyebrows at her, “Hey ‘Nara, you sure look pretty. Got a big night of whorin’ ahead of ya?”

A look of horror crept across her face as she began to realize…she hadn’t dressed for her client at all, she’d dressed for…him!

Mal ducked as a small jade figurine went flying past his head. “Hey!” he exclaimed, “What did I do?”

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