Three old hags stood around the cauldron. I was stirring, the other two were watching the odiferous concoction.

"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn, and cauldron bubble," we said in unison. The third old witch, which looked more than a little like Deanna Troi, grabbed a handful of slimy stuff, and dropped it into the cauldron, saying, "Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf, witches' mummy, maw and gulf; of the ravin'd salt-sea shark, root of hemlock digg'd i' the dark, liver of blaspheming Jew, gall of goat, and slips of yew; silver'd in the moon's eclipse, nose of Turk and Tartar's lips, finger of birth-strangled babe ditch-deliver'd by a drab, make the gruel thick and slab: add thereto a tiger's chaudron, for the ingredients of our cauldron. "

I thought the dress rehearsal was going quite well so far. Unfortunately, an emergency had come up and I'd missed the usual go-round with everyone else. My witch-sisters and Hecate, queen of the witches, had graciously stayed late to wait for me.

Bringing my thoughts back to what was going on around me, I stirred the liquid some more, as we all chanted again.

"Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble."

Ensign Robin Leffler, trying her hand at acting for the first time, and taking the role of the second witch, replied, "Cool it with a baboon's blood, then the charm is firm and good."

I looked toward the corner of the room where the witch "Hecate," played by Alyssa Ogawa, was supposed to appear now. Instead a gust of wind blew through the holodeck and whipped around us like icy spectral fingers. By the moonlight, I could see a mist forming in the corner.

A shape was forming in the mist now. Swirling, coalescing. The vague outline of a humanoid form was discernible. It solidified into Alyssa -- only she was butt naked.

I gasped, and looked over at Deanna. The counselor had a shit-eating grin on her face. Robin Leffler was just as bad, putting a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. "What?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"You can thank me later, Beverly," Deanna whispered, then together with Robin, beat a hasty retreat through the holodeck doors, leaving me alone with my naked nurse.

Out of the mist walked Alyssa. Petite and gorgeous, her hair, black as a raven's wing flowing down her snowy white back. She padded forward on bare feet and when she smiled it was one of pure lust, seduction and promises. "I am yours," her husky voice intoned. "I exist to bring pleasure to those who would summon me."

"What the hell?"

She was closer now and coming closer still. She had bedroom eyes. Chocolatey and hooded, they were bedroom eyes to the extreme.

"Alyssa," I hissed. "This is definitely NOT part of the script."

"So."

"I think you need to put some clothes on. Or I need to leave."

She grinned. "You don't sound like you do. What do you really want, Beverly?" Her hands were brushing against my hooded robe, finding the belt that held it closed, and slowly working the knot loose.

She had to be a demon, bewitching me, because all I could think about was how I'd like to comb her fingers through her hair, or run my fingertips across her garnet-red lips, or...kiss her. "You're getting married in two days, Alyssa."

"Then let's not waste any more time." She had the robe opened and was slipping it across and down my back. I was naked but for a pair of black lace panties.

"We," I stared to say, then cleared my throat. "We agreed to stop this." As a matter of fact, we'd ended our relationship when Alyssa had told me how serious she was getting about Lt. Powell. I had felt sorrow at the loss of such a wonderful lover, but I'd known from the beginning that it was only temporary. I'd hugged her and told her I was happy for her, and that had been the end of it. Or so I'd thought.

"Counselor Troi was going to throw me a bachlorette party. I told her I wanted this instead, and she helped set it up." Alyssa leaned forward on tiptoes and licked my lips, slowly and thoroughly.

All my resistance faded in that instant. I lay back on the dirt-covered cavern floor, dragging Alyssa with me. I felt drugged -- hot, so hot, like I was on fire, only from the inside out.

Everything was happening so fast. Quick hot flashes, images, cascaded through my mind, even as Alyssa's lips descended toward mine. Feverishly, I ran her hands over the Asian woman's shoulders. I traced their outline as Alyssa bestowed little kisses down my neck, toward my breasts.

I wasn't sure of anything any more, except that I was overcome with a desire so strong and potent, it consumed me as nothing had ever done before. I was erotically aware of every place Alyssa touched me, every spot she kissed. I was so aroused by the time Alyssa's mouth skimmed over my damp sex, I arched my back off the hard earth and came instantly.

Before my orgasm had completely faded, Alyssa had straddled me, in the classic sixty-nine position. I wasted no time in returning the favor. We were both wild in our lovemaking, giving everything and holding nothing back. It was too much and not nearly enough. My fingers digging into Alyssa's thighs, legs spread as wide as I could get them, I met her lick for lick. Faster and harder, I screamed out my pleasure as it washed over me from head to toe, more powerful than a tidal wave and sweeter than honey. Seconds later, a loud moan escaped Alyssa as her body stiffened and contracted around my dripping wet fingers.

Our passion spent for the moment, we stretched out on the floor in front of the dying fire, wrapped in each other's arms.

Alyssa turned her head and kissed me tenderly. "Thank you," she said, her voice choked with emotion.

I smiled. "You're welcome. But promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Well, the play is tomorrow evening, right?"

"Right." She was wondering where this was going.

"Well, could you please wear your clothes this time?"

She laughed, a musical, titillating thing, and hugged me close to her. We stayed that way for hours, just luxuriating in the company of one another. That was what I was going to miss the most.