"Slow Dancing With a Stranger" by Sarlim (sarlim@aol.com). Guest review by BluePencil.

Hotel bars are one of the staples of erotic literature. Patronized by strangers both to the locale and to one another, they offer easy anonymity, lowered inhibitions, and a somewhat structured meeting ground for lonely people far from home.

When our narrator enters the bar alone, it is almost inevitable that he will meet someone. Our narrator is in no hurry; it is only after he has found a table, sipped his drink, and started to relax that he pays attention to the people on the dance floor.

Soon enough, his attention has focused on the tall, dark-haired beauty who seems to be accepting only a single dance with each man. But alas, just as he readies himself to ask for the next, her most recent dance partner sits at her table. Discouraged, our hero sadly orders a fresh drink . . .

I shan't continue the rest of the story in such detail. Almost casually, Sarlim maintains the depth of characterization through their meeting, several surprises, some very well-drawn sex, and an unexpected but well-fitting ending.

Though many possible cliches are present - the hotel bar, the mysterious stranger, a possible voyeur - they are handled deftly, a nod to the conventions rather than a reliance on them. Sarlim is one of the best authors currently posting to a.s.s, and this story is a fine example of his work.