Just say yes by Denise Sparrowhawk

She heard the question. The words were clear, the meaning quite plain. It didn’t seem to be a trick question. She hesitated, wondering. What if he didn’t really mean it? What if he was just being polite. People did that. Asked things because they felt they ought, not because they really wanted to. Or what if he wasn’t really who he seemed? He seemed nice, polite, interested. What if it was all just a front, a cover for a darker, less polite, dangerous person? Someone interested for the wrong reason. What if she said no? Would the darker person she himself or would he just walk away? Would she regret it? Was it really worth the risk? It would be so much safer to simply say no: to walk away from him. Inside her head one thought fought its way to the top, pushing aside all the doubts, all the “what ifs?”. A quiet thought. Just say yes, it said.