Michael fiddled with a straw of grass. He stood alone, dressed up in an old fashioned neo-smoking with tie at the great gate of Seventh City Ghost Town, on the inside of it. He was lazily observed by a guardian woman in the tower who seemed to find him amusing, but apart from that no one seemed to react to his presence here anymore. They didn’t even ask him for the free people pledge half of the time anymore.

‘So, Loverboy, I finally get my date with you tonight!’ Samantha said, emerging from behind him.

He dropped his straw when he saw her. She wore a long red dress that he’d never seen before, jewels, and very subtle make-up. She even had a flower in her hair, that had grown half-long by now and had never looked better. Nothing reminded him of the short-haired non-Wife in factory clothes anymore, and she almost looked like 3D-printed in colour from a poster from a few centuries ago.

‘You already were here?’ He asked.

‘I’ve changed clothes here in the Ghost Town, I’d rather not walk around in the City looking like this. It might attract the wrong men…’

‘Wow, you’re serious about this date thing’ He said shyly.

‘You said I only get one,’ she said, and winked.‘Despite everything you’re still the most dateable guy around here in this hellhole where men are predators by default. The little guy with the chicken is not into girls and your gynophobic friend has only eyes for blue-hair, plus I can’t even have a conversation with him. So this has to be a good night, not? And if I can’t experiment with chemistry with you then at least let me try out some low-voltage electricity. I didn’t do everything to win that eurochess game from a literal genius for nothing…’

She grabbed his arm and felt how he froze.

‘Don’t be afraid of flirty Sam tonight, big boy. I know where we are and who you are, and I will follow the whole Ghost Town relationship guidelines. I’ve also read a lot of ancient clean romance books as documentation, so I’m feeling inspired. But don’t think that we can get to the cliché ending of those stories in just one night.’ Again she winked.

‘What ending?’ He said suspiciously.

‘Sometimes they just kiss, but usually it’s heavily insinuated that they get married and live long and happy ever after. That kind of stuff. Like Eliza’s namesake and that awkward rude Darcy dude. It’s that book that got us all reading old romance books. You do have a weird influence on the world.’

‘Well, it’s the only one that I read myself I think. But romance stories take more time than one date, and we’re not a couple, and we can’t even get married officially, remember.’

She pointed to her right breast, where a little badge with an E was visible, not far from her cleavage.

‘Correction, you can’t get married, roboloverboy, but technically I’m still marriable as an E-woman, like Angela is.’

He shrugged. ‘Nevermind. It’s practically the same thing so we won’t do the ending of your romance book thing, you only get the one date you asked for, and you would get bored of me for longer anyway. So what do you want to do tonight?’

‘I don’t feel like getting harassed by other men and it’s evening already. So I thought that we’d better stay within the bounds of this Ghost Town. Tonight one man per square kilometre is enough for me as long as it’s you. Let’s just start with a drink in the Ghost Town bar. They have an ancient music night there, which is fun. And then we’ll see.’

He felt relieved, in a bar full of people she probably wouldn’t try too many crazy things.

‘Okay, let’s do that.’

She grabbed his arm again and they walked up to the town square, where loud music was indeed blasting from the stereo of the Ghost Town bar. Something from the 20th or 21st Century with a lot of live played instruments and strange effects on the electric guitars, and a high-pitched male voice singing about the end of the world.

‘Ah, culture!’ Samantha said when she led them to a table for two with a small real-flame candle in the middle.

‘Want to drink something? I’ve checked with bluehair beforehand and unlike male society there’s no restriction on what the other sex can order here. So do you want a fruit beer?’

‘Just red hibiscus ice tea to begin with, I’m not getting myself drunk tonight. Maybe I’ll get one beer later.’

She looked disapprovingly. ‘Man, I know you’re very safe for a male, but sometimes you’re so dutifully goody-goody that it’s pathetic.’

‘Sorry, you knew what you’d get with me. No sex, no drugs, no rock’n roll?’

She started laughing. ‘Too late for that already…’ She declared dramatically, pointing at the speakers.

‘What do you mean?’

‘There is definitely rock’n roll here tonight. This kind of ancient music is called rock’n roll.’

‘Ah,’ he said while she left to the bar to get the drinks. An old mystery had been solved, but there would be more challenges to come, and for now he’d just follow her lead.

The song changed into something more piano-based and he saw Samantha talk to Leya’s roommate who was on bar duty, and they were pointing at him. Great, now there certainly would be gossip… He listened to the music a bit until she came back with two red iced teas, wiggling her hips to the music. She was quite beautiful indeed tonight, and made the heads of the regular guests turn too, but that was probably also because she was just an outsider who only did some volunteer work here as a nurse, and no-one had ever seen her like that and she did stand out.

‘A red hibiscus iced tea for the gentleman. Fits with the dress of the lady. But so does red wine…’

‘You could have taken one for yourself.’

‘Ah, but I’m following your principle of equality, and I’m afraid there’s rule seven also. If you fall for me tonight you won’t be able to blame the alcohol afterwards. By the way, have you ever danced with a girl? Tracy said there’ll be dance music. I had hoped for that.’

He didn’t answer and looked at the dance floor, where indeed some people were dancing already. Dancing was usually seen as very unmanly, except when it was wildly violent shaking on very aggressive music, but this wasn’t really music for headbanging or jumping around. The women were dancing slowly in couples, moving closely to each other.

‘You expect a boy straight from boy school to be able to dance like a woman? Have you been reading too much of those antique romance novels? I was supposed to only ever meet my fiancée and then marry her. No frivolities like dancing that are also very unmanly. And they’re really dancing here, well I mean, quite slow… It looks rather intimate too. You expect me to do that with you?’

‘It’s not that difficult, big boy. Come, finish your drink and I’ll show you. I’ll lead, since no man in this rotten country has ever learned it. Show me that they don’t call you a man of first times for nothing.’

She grabbed his hand when the song stopped and the next one began, and he had no choice but to follow her.

The next song was a bit faster, and the women on the dancefloor had changed their moves. He saw Samantha give a thumbs up to Tracy and then she grabbed him in what was half an embrace and they started to move to the music. It was a very weird experience for him to dance so close to a girl. He felt a weird sensation when she led him into the movements, and smiled at him with honest enjoyment, which had much more effect on him than any of her posed seductive looks had ever had. He remembered that it was only a game, and only a moment, but he chose to trust her for now, and let himself completely go.

After two songs he sat down for a second, and she went to the bar for two fruit beers. Her hair was messed-up now, but she was still beautiful, and he felt a bit conflicted about enjoying this moment so much. ‘Two fruit beers for the gentleman who has been the most unlikely star on a Ghost Town dancefloor ever tonight.’ She said, and there was nothing forced in her smile this time.

‘I only followed your lead and moved along and then I got lost in the moment, and in eh…’

‘Yeah, I know, a year ago no-one female had ever touched you and you hadn’t even spoken to a girl. And now I’m all dolled up and dancing close to you and the theory that you like all girls except for me has been found lacking.’ ‘Well, we are friends, and you know that you’re rather beautiful today. I mean, not too much, but, eh…’ ‘Too much? Can I be too beautiful? What does that even mean.’ He stuttered a bit. ‘I mean, you’re decent. Not showing too much, something like that…’ ‘You..’ She started, but then she changed subjects. ‘Oh, look who we have there. Hi chicken-boy!’

She suddenly waved enthusiastically at Eric who entered the bar with a nervous chick on his shoulder and a box of fresh herbs in his hands. He looked from Michael to Samantha as if he couldn’t believe what he saw and came up to them.

‘What’s going on with you two? Since when are you a couple?’

Michael shrugged. ‘Only one date, just for tonight. She won a game of European chess from Eliza or something like that, I wasn’t paying attention to what they were playing for.’

‘Ah,’ Eric said. ‘Can you just do that? And, eh, is that okay for everyone?’

Samantha grabbed him closer and winked again. ‘Oh yes, we’re consenting adults and I didn’t read and memorise the whole Ghost Town Relationship Guidelines for nothing. And I promised to not make him uncomfortable and I read a bunch of oldschool clean romance to prepare myself. You know, they might say I’m a dangerous flirt and all that but this might be my only quality date with a man ever in this rotten country. Unless you want to go out with me, chicken boy?’

She winked again, and Eric looked away, shyly. ‘No, I’m not into older women, and eh, not interested in women in general, and, eh…’

‘Just joking, little guy, you’re a bit young for me. but you must know what I mean about a shortage of interesting boys.’

‘Don’t worry. Everything is fine, and she’s not being indecent or so, yet.’ Michael said. She pinched him.

‘You!’

‘Yes, me?’‘Oh, boy.’ Eric said. ‘I thought you only had that effect on Eliza. Are you starting a harem of all the girls around you?’

Samantha started giggling while Michael started defending himself. ‘No, I’m too hopeless to get or keep even one girl, let alone more. I mean… The friendship thing is working, but if I’m not forced by Wife School expectations or stupid games with me as the prize no girl will ever want me for even one date. Except for the village temptress here, with her fantasies about one-night stands and hook-ups, but I’m not into that sort of thing.’

‘I object, that’s a false accusation. I said that it would be an ancient clean romance fiction date. Don’t insinuate things like that. You’re the wrong boy for hit and run one-night-stands,’

She turned to Eric. ‘plus I need to be able to look him in the eyes again on the morning after. He’s right about the friendship thing, and he’s valuable.’

‘And Eliza is really okay with this?’ Eric asked, clearly unsure and a bit confused.

‘Why not?’ said Michael.

‘Eliza the man-hater has no say here tonight. She lost the game, and I won the boy, even if just for one night. If she wants Loverboy she’ll have to make some moves herself, because someone here isn’t going to do anything, not in a million years.’ She patted his head.

‘She only wants me as a friend. A girl like her isn’t interested in me like that. Completely out of my league.’

Samantha wanted to say something, but then suddenly paused before she finally said ‘can we not talk nonsense about other girls now? You’re mine tonight, remember, for a romantic date that I earned! Mentioning the competition all the time spoils the fun.’

‘There is no competition, there is nothing going on at all even. But if you insist I will try not to mention other girls tonight.’

‘Yeah, whatever. You know what I mean. Hello, Little Roc!’

She bent down to pat the little chicken that was sitting by his foot now, but it ran away.

‘Why is everyone afraid of me? I’m just a lonely woman looking for love.’

Eric picked Little Roc up.

‘She’s just afraid of all people except for me. And there’s too much noise here. I’m just here to bring Tracy some herbs, and then I’ll take him home. Say bye to Samantha and Michael, Little Roc!’

The chick didn’t say much even with that encouragement, and so he disappeared to the kitchen with his herbs.

After Eric left they danced to a few more songs, until Michael felt that he was becoming too sweaty, and then they went out for a walk into the Ghost Town in the twilight. They walked through the village centre where sunlight-powered street lanterns were giving their light here and there, but otherwise it was dark.

‘Come, let’s take the gardens and fields,’ she said, grabbing his arm again.

‘Sure, where to?’ He said.

He didn’t really know his way here but it was clear she did. ‘Have you seen the honeysuckle arc already? They say it’s beautiful by night.’

‘No, I haven’t seen much of the agricultural area yet.’

‘Let’s walk there then. Nothing more romantic than a walk in the moonlight.’

The fields were open and there were no clouds when they arrived at the honeysuckle arc. An ancient-looking lantern shone a yellow light on a bench under a gigantic pergola that was overgrown with yellow-flowering honeysuckle vines. The flowers gave a sweet enchanting smell to the night, and attracted all kinds of pollinators, mostly big colourful hawkmoths, but there were also a few bats hunting for moths in the light of the lantern.

‘Come on, let me at least hold your hand now, Loverboy. I’m not going to seduce you or ask your hand in marriage, but if we’re going to have our clean romance scene, we need at least that. You can’t say that I’m asking for too much. It’s a pity that we don’t have any ferris wheel or tunnel of love here in this country, not?’

‘Again, what exactly have you been reading recently?’

Michael asked when she took his hand without waiting for his response and looked deep into his eyes.

‘Stories where a boy and a girl kissed at the end and were happy, and then got married. They might have had another concept of marriage though, one that was closer to those Love Ceremonies of the local outlaws here I think.’

‘I don’t know, I’ve read other things about that era. Things could go seriously wrong too with romance. Anyway, let’s look at those flowers and enjoy the early autumn breeze and not spoil your moment by talking too much. It is a beautiful night.’

The night was beautiful indeed. They walked on through the vegetable fields in silence, under the stars and a small crescent moon, until Michael suddenly stopped and turned to her.

‘So, if you’re the romance expert here now; what do actual couples do on dates? I’ve been wondering about that when I was with Megan. Everything I found was contradicting. I mean, even being seen with a girl is supposed to be indecent in this country. Just sitting in the park together was frowned upon. What were we supposed to do?’

Samantha frowned. ‘You’re both so innocent, it’s too cute. But yeah, hanging out and eating and drinking and fun stuff is enough in the stories from other times. And then holding hands and kissing, stuff like that. In some stories they end up in bed too. You know that’s what most Nation fiancés do with their girl when they get her to leave Wife School for a date, not?’

‘But how? All my life I’ve been told that that was the worst sin possible, in church and such…’

‘Oh, my dear boy, you still can’t read between the rules at all.’

‘The rules make some sense, why break them?’

She let go of his hand and looked into his eyes.

‘But tell me, I can’t believe that it was out of fear of hell or something silly like that that you didn’t even kiss Megan. Come on, she’s a hottie and she really liked you. I know that if I were into girls I’d be all over her. It’s clear that you two were into each other somehow. Why didn’t you even try to kiss her?’

He was rather taken aback by how she broke her own rule of not talking about other girls, and almost stuttered.

‘I was serious about her but I just wasn’t ready. I’m still not ready. I know it’s stupid. But it’s true. And I didn’t want to use her. All that Men want One Thing stuff just repulsed me. But you’re right, I could have done better. When I finally kissed her everything was long over, and it was a kiss to end things. But she’s better off free now. The one thing better than me as a husband is no husband at all in The Nation… It was part of our original pact that I’d set her free without marriage if possible, the only thing that I actually promised her was friendship. It’s just that we were expected to marry and there was no way out. We had fun, but we wouldn’t have chosen to actually marry each other if we weren’t forced I think. But who wouldn’t love her? She is incredible indeed,’ he said dreamily.

‘Okay, back to not talking about other girls.’ Samantha said, a bit agitated.

‘By the way, how are you getting home safely? The woman house is a long walk from the Ghost Town, it's not very safe in between for a woman in these clothes alone.’

‘Don’t stress out, my dear gentleman, I’m staying here tonight. There’s a guestroom that I can use. Wanna stay too? The bed is almost big enough for two people…’ She said, winking.

‘Eh, no thanks. Wow, and I can’t believe that this is your first seduction attempt tonight. I really am impressed with you.’ He said.

‘You dense idiot. That wasn’t a seduction attempt. It was a joke.’

‘Ah.’

‘But it’s time to put on something warmer before we go further. You have a nice suit, but this dress is getting a bit cold.’

‘Oh, it’s still a decent one. You didn’t overdo it with the cleavage and such.’ He said. ‘Oh, you idiot. Come, let’s go to the guesthouse. It’s the same room where you’ve been staying already with your ex and Eliza by the way.

Ten minutes later they arrived in the guestroom.

‘Ah, finally some more privacy,’ she said.

‘And I’m thirsty. Wanna have a drink from the hyper-iso?’

She took out two beers.

‘Ah, why not. I could use some hydration too.’

They sat next to each other on the bed, drinking their beer in silence for a few minutes when she got up to get a sweater out of a backpack that seemed to have been thrown in a corner.

‘Ah, time to dress even more decently. Although this is the perfect moment… Me and you and a bedroom…’

She looked at her sweater, and them at a little mirror that lay on a chair.

‘You remember that you complimented me on not having too much cleavage, weird boy? Maybe it’s time to change that. Did you notice this dress has buttons all the way down? I know deep down you like to see more of me.’

‘Sam, what are you doing?’ He said, but she was already unbuttoning the top of her dress, and then the rest, all the way down. He cursed and looked angrily at the empty glass of beer on the chair next to them.

*

Jenny was on her way to close off the workshop centre, when she suddenly saw a light, and heard an alarm in the communication room. She knew what that meant: someone was seeking contact, but there was no-one to answer them. She ran to the transmitter and looked at a paper that Eliza had made with the steps before she tuned in to the right frequency, and turned on voice transmission.

‘Hello, Hello, Seventh City Ghost Town?’ A tired voice said.

‘Seventh City Ghost Town here, this is Jenny speaking.’ She answered.

‘Ah, finally, sister. Everything is ready here for the repatriation of our sister. We’re coming to get her tonight.’

Jenny let out a little curse. ‘Was that today?’

‘Oh, yes, didn’t you get the nota, sister?’

‘No. But everything will be ready if you tell me what we need.’

‘We have the coordinates from your signal, but we will need an illuminated landing strip of 5 by 30 metres. Tell our lost sister to be ready.’

‘Yes, sister.’ She said automatically. There was something about their language that you easily picked up.

‘I’ll warn everyone, and Iell send our Ghost Town leader to talk to you more.’ Jenny said, and she ran to the house of lady Martha.

She knocked on the door, panting and out of breath. Ruth opened the door.

‘Hey Jenny, why the haste?’

‘I need Martha. They’re coming tonight. The Hévans. And we need to make a landing strip, and they want to talk to her.’

The sleepy head of Lady Martha appeared next to that of her partner.

‘Huh, what? Now? How didn’t I know that?’

‘No-one knew. It seems something has gone wrong with communicating the date. But if I understood them well they will be here in five hours or less. We need a landing strip with light of 5 by 30 meter, illuminated.’

‘Oh dear… Is Eliza here today?’ Lady Martha asked.

‘Probably not. Usually she isn’t here at night. But they said Michael was on a date tonight, wouldn’t she be the boy’s date?’

‘Hmm, probably. That would make sense. Let’s go to the communication room, and then go find her. And someone needs to alert our visitor’

Jenny nodded. This would be a long night…