Imagine this.

A young woman, with short dark hair in a bob-cut, riding a blue bicycle. She is riding by Hagley Park, on a long straight stretch of road. An over-cast day, autumn. About eleven AM. Warm coloured leaves drift down in the slight breeze.

Above her, about ceiling height, there glides a golden dragon. The dragon is a standard-shaped dragon. Large wings, scales, spines down her neck and back. Long neck, long tail. Crocodilian-horse-like head with large green eyes. She slides silently along above the bike, head bent down so that the green eyes stare into the young woman's face.

"I can't see where I am going!" 

The woman brakes. "I wish you wouldn't do that! It is so annoying!"

"Sorry."

The dragon had also stopped, now hung suspended in the air.

There was a minor car crash across the road. Somewhere a woman screamed, and a crowd gathered at a distance. The pair took no notice.

I'm going to be late. I'm meant to meet Jill at eleven-fifteen.

"I'll give you a lift."

The woman sighed. "What's wrong?"

"It's Robert."

"Robert? What about him?"

"Can I eat him?"

"I don't think he would enjoy that."

The dragon opened her mouth wide, exposing a double row of razor white teeth. "I'd enjoy it. Very much."

"Why do you want to eat Robert?"

"He's a pig."

"Well, you knew that. We warned you."

"Do you know what he said to me?"

"Surprise me."

"He said I was a real slut. He told his mates to come see me any time for a good lay."

"I thought that you'd been popular."

"But I thought that those guys loved me! I thought that Robert loved me best! It's not fair!" Huge steamy tears rolled down the dragon's muzzle.

"Must you? I'm getting wet!"

"Sorry." The dragon moved her head aside.

"We told you. There are double standards on Earth. Promiscuous women tend to get in trouble. Men do what they want. Even now, when we are meant to have equality."

The dragon shuddered. "Well, I want to eat him. It'll make me feel better."

"You are having problems with emotions again, aren't you?" the woman said kindly. She put the bike down, approached the dragon's head with arms opened wide, gave the huge muzzle a long hug.

There was a noise like a huge startled gasp from across the road, a murmuring hum filled the background. Blue and red flashing lights as a police car appeared. Lots of cars stopped on either side of the road. 

The strange couple paid no heed.

"I thought that I could handle this," the dragon sobbed. 

"You've spent two years as a human woman. Emotions figure pretty big with us. We spend a whole lifetime learning how to cope with them. You were bound to be affected more. You've done really well."

"He's with another woman!" the dragon wailed.

"I know, I know. He's no good."

"I want to hurt him! I want him to suffer!" the dragon snarled.

"No, no, no.Please don't."

"Why not?"

"He'll give you indigestion."

"Ha, that's actually funny," the dragon smiled, but to the horrified on-lookers, a smile and a snarl looked pretty much the same.

"Now, get lost. I've got to meet Jill."

"See you at dinner." The dragon floated up like a huge golden balloon, and disappeared.

The woman remounted the bike, about to head off, but was stopped by two police officers.

"A word, please?"

"Yes?"

"Could you, er," the young man blushed. "Could you explain what just happened here?"

"Oh." She looked at all the cars and people. "Was there an accident?"

"No, we want to know about the dragon."

"Um...dragon? What dragon?"

"You were seen talking to a dragon."

"I was talking to my flatmate. She's having problems with her boy-friend. That's a guy that deserves to be arrested! Pity there weren't laws about breaking a woman's heart."

"Um..."

"It's not against the law to talk to my flat mate, is there? I'm really late, can I go?"

"Um...no... I guess you can."

It is later. About five thirty. The young woman opens the door, parks the bike in the hall. She dumps her bag into her bedroom, stumps into the lounge.

A beautiful blonde was draped gracefully along the old couch. Her hair was not just blonde. It was gold, sleek and smooth. Unnatural. Her skin was white gold, with no blemish. Her eyes were green. Her body was a film producer's dream. Somehow, she wasn't quite real. Until you got used to her.

Susan had been flatting with the beautiful blonde creature for two years now. 

The dragon had been a bit of a shock. At first.

But two years of living with the alien dragon-woman seemed quite ordinary now.

Sometimes Susan wondered if they had been drugged, or hypnotized into accepting the strange situation. But she and Lynn, the other flattie, couldn't care less. They'd both had worse flatmates over the years.

The dragon-woman claimed to be studying the human race. For what end, neither knew. If she wanted to study an unemployed student drop-out and a supermarket check-out chick, who were they to argue? After all, aliens never abducted world leaders or anyone that important, did they?

It was certainly flattering. Entertaining at times. 

Maybe the White House was full of dragons too? Maybe they were everywhere? And everyone kept them secret, like we do?

"Did Lynn phone? She's working late."

"No. But Robert came round."

"Oh? I thought you were finished with him?"

"He had a fight with that other woman. " One of those milky gold hands curled a strand of gold hair. "He came back to me."

Susan made a face. The promiscuous nature of the dragon-woman was one thing she disliked.

"I suppose you went to bed?" And to herself, 'please don't go into details.' Susan did not like Robert coming around, he was creepy. He was chauvinistic and snobby, thought himself superior, made sure that Lynn and Susan knew that he'd come from a better family, a better school, a better area. Pity that didn't come with better manners.

"Of course." The blonde smiled, showing rows of white, crocodile teeth.

"So you love him again?" Susan started going through the cupboard, picking out food for dinner.

"Of course. Frantically. Hopelessly. Forever in love."

"Good. Emotions are dangerous. You were getting too extreme. I'm glad he's safe."

"Oh, he's safe. He is very safe. He has learnt his lesson."

Susan suddenly stopped what she was doing. She felt chilled. "What?"

"One could say, he is a part of me forever." The blonde patted her perfectly flat, smooth tummy. "He will never leave me again."