DARK SEDUCTION

by

A. L. Ritchardson

© copyright January 2003 Amanda Ritchardson

Cover art by Jenny Dixon, © copyright January 2004

New Concepts Publishing

5202 Humphreys Rd.

Lake Park, GA 31636

www.newconceptspublishing.com

I

The soft crunch of tire treads on gravel heralded our arrival as we pulled into an empty space at the end of the parking lot. I looked out at the shadowed beach grass in front of us and sat for a long moment after the hum of the car engine had been killed. My top teeth slid over my bottom lip in an expression that might have vacillated somewhere between dread and excitement. Beside me in the driver’s seat, my friend Tina was waiting expectantly, and her expression held its usual cheer and optimism.

"Ready?" she asked enthusiastically.

"As I’ll ever be," I said to irritate her, though I did it with a smirk.

With a deep exhale, I tugged at the metal handle and stepped out. The door made a heavy thud as I closed it behind me, and the white rocks beneath my feet poked at the bottoms of my sandals as I walked around to the back of the car. I had decided that I had better go for something casual that I didn’t mind getting sandy, and a low-necked white shirt and black Capri pants seemed like just the ticket. The top layer of my hair was tied up so that it would not slap me around in the wind, and a dab of perfume gave me a refreshing bit of class. Tina was wearing a similar level of casual with her long denim skirt and airtight black top, and her large looped earrings swung and glittered as she walked around to the passenger side.

I watched her bouncing gait and pearly smile, and, once again, I envied her disposition. I had never felt very comfortable at these sorts of things, and it was a real push for me to keep my momentum after the long workday. She, however, lived for sociability, and she looked more vibrant than ever. Of course, I was now irrevocably committed, so I might as well try to go with the flow. After all, I had been whining all week about how stressed out I was, so it was probably good for me to get out. Besides, I tried to console myself, at least tonight I wasn’t going to have another solitary dinner in front of the television.

We continued walking towards the sound of voices and music. Judging by the assembly of cars, most people had already arrived, and the event appeared to be in full swing. This howl-at-the-moon party was of much to-do, and Tina had been relentless in nagging me all week to go with her.

"Come on," she had said, "I don’t want to go by myself. Please."

By the billionth plea, I finally caved in. Now, here we were crossing a small, overgrown boardwalk over the dunes, making our way through the sand towards a bunch of noisy people. See what she gets me into.

"Oh come on," she said suddenly, reading my expression if not my very thoughts. "It will be fun. You know you’re going to have a great time."

She looped her arm around mine, and she smiled as she looked at me and said this. Tina had a way of stating this sort of thing so confidently that there was no room for doubt, and I almost found myself daring to hope. I smiled despite myself.

"You’re probably right," I conceded at last, trying to let her upbeat nature seep into mine.

"I am right," she declared happily with a quick squeeze of my arm. She quickened her pace so that I wouldn’t have time to second-guess myself.

The bulk of people were crowded around the pavilion and grills, and I scanned the many faces as we approached. I knew that I did not know most of the people here to begin with, but it had apparently attracted dozens of others who weren’t even on the invite. The head-count must now be close to a hundred, and my heart sank a little as I saw this. Tina’s arm disappeared from mine as she strode out in front of me, and my blood became tinged with the first strain of worry. She, of course, shot right into the center of things, and it was all that I could do to keep up with her as we threaded our way through the crowd. My eyes were locked on her back as we went.

The music was emanating from somewhere off near the tables, and the aroma of charcoal and a general ode de cookout pervaded the air. The swirling gray smoke stung at my eyes and made them water, but I didn’t dare blink. A few people gave us a little wave at our passing, but it was directed at Tina more than at me. Nevertheless, I politely reciprocated, even as Tina led the charge.

We had probably gone about fifty feet, and I was still continuing my pursuing power walk behind my friend when a large boisterous man with a beer in one hand suddenly backed up. "You better believe it," was the last remark to his friends before he took this blind step backwards, and it was followed by a surprised, "Uh," as he collided with me. I had seen it coming, but the close quarters between cliques of people had made it impossible to avoid, and he was a large enough fellow that he nearly sent me toppling. Fortunately, I proved just agile enough to remain on my feet, and the noxious spill of his drink missed me by half an inch.

Despite my considerable irritation, the man gave me an off-handed apology and merely returned to his conversation as if nothing had happened. I, however, was left with greater consequences--not only in the jolt I had taken, but also in the loss I had incurred. As I looked back up, I discovered that he had cut me off from Tina. My face betrayed my dismay as I realized that she was now completely out of sight.

"Oh no," I grumbled to myself.

I had known that it was just a matter of time before I lost her in the crowd, but I certainly had not expected it to happen so soon. We had only been there all of ten minutes. You’d have thought this was choreographed.

In vain, I peered at the unfamiliar figures around me. They seemed to have simply absorbed her into the mass, and I had no idea which way she had gone. I spun around in place for a moment and even jumped up and down a few times to try to spot her, but it was no use. She was gone, and I was on my own.

Feeling exposed and pathetic standing there by myself in a sea of people with no one to talk to, I looked around for a different line of action. Seeing an opening at the food table, I darted over that way in hopes of at least presenting the appearance of being entertained. After much bumping and pushing and sidestepping, I managed to reach this little oasis with a sigh of relief. I spent the next hour hidden away there.

At first, I just nibbled lazily at the potato chips, simply content to be preoccupied with something. It seemed a decent enough guise, but eventually I looked around me at the nearby people in quest of a friendly face. It disheartened me that there wasn’t one, and, to boot, they all seemed to have their backs turned to me. Since there still was no opening to start a conversation, I grabbed a hamburger and a drink for myself and began walking around while I ate.

By the time I had succeeded in reaching the periphery of the group, my meal was half-finished. I enjoyed the remainder of it there, trying to chew slowly in order to make it last. When the last morsel was swallowed, however, I looked around me again with frustration. I still hadn’t found Tina, and now I was right back where I had started. With a loud exhalation, I turned to look out at the open ocean, now like liquid charcoal in the darkness. The vacant beach looked very inviting.

I looked over my shoulder at the group in hesitation, but no one was paying the least attention to my existence, so why not? With a last sip of my drink, I tossed my cup in the garbage and abandoned the social site for the allure of a more peaceful place. I walked a ways down the beach by myself, the sand sinking softly under my feet and the breaking of the waves calling me onward like a Siren’s song. When I was about a hundred feet away from the crowd of people, I finally could take a deep breath. This was much better.

I stopped and stood looking out over the water, and my muscles loosened up from the strain they had been under. A cool breeze was wafting in off of the waves, and the sound of the moving water helped drown out some of the raucous noises of the revelers. As I stared casually out at the dark line of the horizon, my eyes slipped upwards towards the clear evening sky. The moon was not really quite full, but it stood out brilliantly against the speckled black. Gazing up at it, I allowed my mind to drift a little, perhaps into faraway galaxies.

"Beautiful," came a masculine voice behind me, calling me back to myself.

The sand had muffled his approach, and I was startled by the sudden voice cutting through the night air. It was very close, and I spun around quickly to face its owner.

Standing calmly before me was the most gorgeous man I had ever laid eyes on. He was lean and muscular with dark hair and sharp dark eyes. He was probably in his late twenties, and he had a clean tan complexion. His features were very handsome, and he was one of those men who could not fail to appeal. I could not prevent a little flutter in my chest as my eyes first met his, and there was an instant sexual attraction.

"You scared me," I said, trying to regain control of myself. "Yes it is," I added, turning back to the moon and agreeing with his initial comment.

"I meant you," he complimented without missing a beat.

I blushed deeply. "Oh...." I said, and then was unable to come up with anything further.

I did not know what to say to such a suave and unexpected compliment from a stranger. No one had ever delivered such a line to me before, and I was left looking at the ground, stumbling for a grasp on words. I heard him laugh and looked up to discover a smile that indicated that he was amused at having disarmed me so. Something about him almost seemed surreal and simultaneously bothered and attracted me on some level.

"I’m Dominick," he said, extending a hand towards me.

"Laura," I responded, slowly returning introductions and placing my hand within his. It was firm and warm as it wrapped around mine.

"It’s a pleasure," he said very seriously.

His hand lingered a little longer than I would have expected. I felt vulnerable and blushed a little more.

"Likewise," I answered back embarrassedly.

At last, he let go and stood back. For a long moment, he remained quiet with his face lifted to survey the sky. I did not remove my eyes from him while he did this, and, after a long breath, he turned back to me.

"Why over here all alone?" he asked.

My brain started to search for an answer, but it halted in mid-process.

"Why are you?" I countered.

It just popped out of my mouth before I thought about it, and I was a little stunned at myself for having been so bold. He smiled more broadly, however, and seemed pleased with the response.

"Ah, but I am not over here alone," he returned. "I came over to you, and now you are with me."

"Well," I said, stalling for a second, "I am not here alone either, then."

Why did I say that? It was so flirtatious and so unlike me. I don’t know why I had suddenly grown so very brave in this tête-à-tête. Again, this answer seemed to amuse him immensely, and his pearly teeth flashed briefly from between his lips.

"Very well then," he continued, "since neither of us have wandered off by ourselves, then it would hardly be antisocial of us to walk farther along the beach. Would you care to?"

I was absolutely flabbergasted. Where had this guy come from? He obviously didn’t do anything halfway, and his audacity had a primal sort of allure. I was very interested, and yet I was a little wary. He seemed all right, but for all I knew he could be some kind of a creep. I should not let his good looks dupe me into doing something stupid. I gave a cautious glance back over to the crowd.

"Ah," he said understandingly, seeing my hesitation, "young women need to be so careful these days. How sad. I tell you what, how about if I keep you well within sight of your friends?"

His face remained bright as he awaited my response, and I gave him a long and studying look before deciding.

"All right," I agreed at last, feeling a little more at ease.

He offered his arm to me, and I slowly took it as we began to walk along the water’s edge. To my surprise, I did not feel the anxiety and awkwardness that I had expected. Instead, this small touch of arm to arm only seemed to deepen the spell, and I actually felt very comfortable with him.

As we settled into our pace, I expected him to carry on in his initial fluid and talkative manner. To my surprise, however, he attempted no conversation at all as we walked along, and body language alone carried a powerful communication between us across this chasm of silence. Putting any other feelings aside, I found the situation even more bizarre, and I could not help but stare at him suspiciously and confusedly as we meandered along. At last, I’m sure he must have felt rather like an insect under a magnifying glass, and he broke the quiet as he turned to look at me.

"What?" he asked, searching my furrowed brow. His tone was not defensive, but simply curious.

Though I could not meet his eye directly, I continued to stare at his countenance with an interrogating squint.

"You’re very strange," I answered rather impetuously.

"Oh?" he said, though he did not appear surprised.

"Do you usually come up to total strangers on the beach and escort them on silent walks? Don’t you think that’s a little odd?"

"No," he answered succinctly with a smile. "You do?"

"Yes!" I answered back with widened eyes, feeling more of the gumption he had already aroused in me. "This is the strangest encounter I’ve ever had with a man."

His hand leapt to his heart, and his face was one of feigned shock. He was obviously making fun of me, but his humorous attitude charmed and calmed me more than anything.

"Heavens!" he gasped. "An encounter? Is that what we’re having? I can see why you’d be upset."

"Hey!" I barked defensively, though giggling.

He laughed, but his voice assumed a more serious tone. "I saw you by yourself, I wanted your company, and I acted. How is that so strange?"

I gave him a long, quizzical look. What planet was he from?

"You know," I said, "most people work their way up to this sort of thing."

"Then they miss great opportunities," he responded grandiosely. "I simply know my own mind and have the courage to take the direct route. Is that such a fault?"

"I didn’t say it was a fault," I added quietly with a little more rouge in my cheeks.

He gave a cute little bow with his head.

"And no, I don’t," he added after a quiet pause.

"Don’t what?" I asked, not following.

"I don’t usually take strangers on long, moonlit walks. The situation just happened to present itself, and it was too good to pass up."

I returned a small, abashed smile and nodded gently to the sand. In just these few moments of conversation, I had the distinct impression that he was pulling at my strings, loosening some and creating tension in others. He was bringing out the well-hidden feistiness in me, and he drew me in even as I felt a certain fear in the pull.

Speechless, I took a moment to listen to the night breeze. As I did, I realized that all was very quiet, and I stopped in my tracks. Peering behind us, I saw that we had reached the extremity of my comfort zone from the party, and I gave him a look that communicated my wish to turn back. My arm still around his, we coordinated a simple U-turn and continued at the same pace in the opposite direction.

"It seems I only have you to myself for a few more minutes," he said with a deep breath. "Tell me about yourself."

I laughed out loud. "What exactly do you want to know?"

I waited expectantly for him to inquire after my occupation, or my family, or any of the other basic topics in such a case. My brief experience with Dominick should have better prepared me, however. This man did not do anything in the usual manner.

"Sugar or salt?" he interrogated seriously.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, addled by this vague and unexpected question.

"People generally have a preference between sweet and salty foods," he explained. "Which are you?"

"Oh," I said with a chuckle, "sugar. I’m definitely the sweet-tooth."

He nodded without saying a word.

"That’s it?" I guffawed. "That tells you all about me?"

"It is exactly as I expected," he answered with a grin. "Besides, I can figure out the rest for myself."

"Oh really?" I challenged incredulously.

"You demand proof?" he asked.

"Yes."

He stopped and turned to look me right in the eye. The moon was sparkling brilliantly in his own--two little cycles of light at the top and left of each eye--and I fidgeted under his piercing gaze.

"Music affects you deeply," he began slowly, though confidently. "You get too caught up in the unimportant things in life, but you feel a powerful connection with nature. You have a sense of humor but often hold back. Your world is that of the mind, and you are not very comfortable with your body. You live alone." He paused for a moment, and one corner of his mouth went up. "You could do incredible things if you just stepped out into the world and stopped worrying all of the time."

His eyes had been searching my face during the entire time that he said all of this, and I’m sure he noticed that my breath had caught in my throat. I could not look straight at him, and I squirmed agitatedly as I listened to all of this. I felt rather penetrated and embarrassed. How did he know?

"Okay," I said, trying to redirect his attention away from me, "I’m impressed. You got all of that out of sugar?"

"No," he said, leaning forward.

An instinct to back up was countered by one that lured me in, and the result left me standing motionless as he brought his mouth close to my ear. His voice dropped to a low, seductive whisper.

"I just pay attention," he said softly.

"Huh," I said, the sound coming out more as a puff of air than a real product of my vocal cords.

He backed up and smiled a moment before resuming our walk.

"So, what are you?" I asked in return.

"Not telling," he responded with a smirk.

"No fair!"

He simply laughed, and I followed quietly at his side. We were closing the distance to the rest of the group, and now and then a high-pitched laugh was carried our way upon the wind. Dominick was looking dead ahead at the people, and his eyes appeared to be picking out certain figures, though I wasn’t sure how he could see anything in the pale light. After a long moment, he turned to me again and gave me a long examining glance as if in the process of making a decision.

"I believe my group has merged with the party at large," he said. "Allow me to introduce you to my friends?"

This was unexpected. I wasn’t entirely sure whether I actually wanted to be introduced or not--an uncertainty that must have shown on my face.

"I think they’d really like you," he added, trying to sway me. "You could speak with them and learn that I am quite safe and sane. Perhaps then we could better get to know one another?"

I was still a bit stunned and hesitated to answer. However, I was intrigued by the last possibility, and my curiosity was aroused. Perhaps I could finally find Tina again and bring her along as backup.

"Okay," I agreed.

He nodded happily at my response.

"Ow-ow-owwwwoooooo," sounded a cacophony of howls from the party.

The collective voices rang against the waves, and the noise was terribly eerie over the water. I jumped as I heard a single, echoing voice beside me.

"Owwwwwooooooo!" Dominick answered back in a loud call.

I laughed, but he turned to me.

"Come on," he coaxed. "This is the main event, after all."

"No thanks," I refused. It was too silly; I was embarrassed.

"Come on," he persuaded again. His hand came up to the middle of my back even as his mouth drew closer to my ear. "You should learn to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures," he added with a seductive undertone.

Again, my face turned red. I rolled my eyes and bit at my lip.

"All right," I conceded grudgingly.

I inhaled a lung-full and let out a long howl. As I did so, Dominick’s lower timbre joined in next to me, and then the crowd echoed us from a distance. When my breath ran out, I let my voice die and looked over at him. He was smiling victoriously.

"Much better," he said with satisfaction, proffering his arm to me again. We continued back to the pavilion.

As we arrived back into the fold, a figure popped out of the rest of the crowd. It was Tina, bursting forth from the group like a jack in the box, and the enlivened expression on her face told me that she had spotted me too. She ran quickly towards me.

"Hey, where have you been? There’s some people you have to meet," she insisted enthusiastically.

Before I could respond, she grabbed my hand in hers and dragged me along a weaving path through the crowd. I let go of Dominick’s arm, and turned to silently mouth him an apology. He smiled understandingly, and followed separately behind me. After a circuitous twenty feet, we stopped in front of a little cluster of people, and Tina announced my arrival.

"Here she is!" she exclaimed, having apparently discussed me before.

She turned to me.

"Laura, this is Marcy and Brad," she introduced, pointing to a couple.

I looked them over. They could have been carbon copies of one another. Both were blonde, clear-skinned, and bright-eyed--like something out of a moisturizer commercial. He had on a white T-shirt and blue jeans, and his hair was gelled up kind of in spikes. She was wearing a mini Jean skirt and a low-cut top that her large bust was apparently trying to climb out of.

"How you doing?" Brad greeted casually as his girlfriend gave a flashing smile.

Next to them stood an average fellow with bronze-colored hair. Tina directed my attention towards him with a tone that indicated that he was her primary area of interest.

"And here’s David," she introduced.

A wink served as his only response, and he gave me a not-so-subtle look-over from head to foot. Though he was not at all bad looking, I did not like this, and I cringed a little under the probing glare. I knew that Tina was not usually a good judge of character when it came to men, however, so this did not entirely surprise me.

"And over here," she concluded with a slight drop of her voice, "is Angelique."

This last figure was a tall, slim woman with straight, bleached-blonde hair. She gave me a languid wave. Apparently she did not entirely resemble her namesake. Although her features were individually very beautiful, her sour face was one that any other female could instinctively read: bitch. Tina was quick to move along from this one.

"Who’s your new friend?" she asked with her usual upbeat curiosity.

I had almost forgotten about my mysterious new acquaintance.

"Oh," I said, turning with a display of my hand, "this is...."

I was prevented from finishing by a sudden interjection by Angelique.

"Dominick!" she rejoiced loudly as he stepped up from behind me. "Wherever have you been?"

She walked over and swung her arm around his waist. It was an intimate gesture--too familiar for a friend--and my face visibly fell as I watched it. It figured that she would be his girlfriend. Isn’t that always the way?

I reminded myself that I should not care and dragged my features up as best as I could. Fortunately, it seemed that only Tina had caught my initial reaction. After a studying side-glance at me, she squinted slightly at Angelique, who was still standing barnacled to Dominick’s side. It was obvious that she had taken an instant dislike to the woman as well.

"It’s very nice to meet you Dominick," Tina put in enthusiastically while extending a hand. "It seems my friend has beaten me to the pleasure."

I smiled, knowing that Tina had said this for my benefit. Despite any faults, she was, after all, a good friend. Dominick answered her courteously and then turned to face me again, apparently oblivious to the mixed signals he was sending.

"We have no need of a special errand then," he said to me very happily. "These are the very friends I wanted you to meet."

Having figured out as much, I answered with a nod. At least Tina had already checked them out, and I could be glad that I could use her as a reference source later on.

Tina and I spent the rest of the evening in conversation with these new acquaintances. In the end, I decided that I really liked Brad and Marcy. They were actually very cordial and laid-back. I had misjudged them based on their cookie-cutter looks, and I learned that they were actually very genuine. I tried to give David the benefit of the doubt, thinking perhaps that he was just overly flirty, but otherwise okay. I still could not figure out Dominick, though. He did not participate very much in the conversation, and he still presented something of an enigma. Although Angelique was making every attempt to advertise her affection towards him, he did not particularly return any of it. I could not be sure what their relationship was, but I was growing sleepy and disinclined to ponder it. I was just about to voice a goodbye when I was preempted by Dominick speaking up.

"Why don’t we invite these two to our society meeting next week?" he asked, looking around at his friends for signs of agreement.

Angelique appeared surprised, but the other three vociferously agreed.

"What’s this?" Tina asked curiously.

"A secret society," David put in with a grin. "Very exclusive."

"We’d love to have you join us," Dominick said to me. "We meet next Friday night, seven o’clock, at the old convention center downtown. You know it?"

"Yes," I said, wondering exactly what I was getting into.

"Good," he said. "I look forward to seeing you there."

I turned to see Tina nodding excitedly.

"Okay then," I agreed. "Well, goodnight then."

I began walking away, and Tina put in her parting remarks behind me before catching up. She still looked energetic and fresh as she bounced up to my side.

"Isn’t this great?" she asked rhetorically. "A secret society!"

I simply nodded, still astounded by how quickly it had all happened and unable to remove Dominick’s image from my mind’s eye.

A week’s routine served to fill the interim and return me to a sense of normalcy. The night of midnight madness seemed like a distant hallucination, and I almost doubted that anything had happened at all. However, Friday approached quickly, and I found myself preparing to go to this clandestine meeting. Tina and I took separate cars and met up out in the parking lot of the convention center.

"I can’t wait to see this," she exclaimed as we approached the door together.

"Me neither," I agreed, although feeling much more hesitancy. I just hoped this wouldn’t turn out to be some pyramid-scheme meeting or something like that. I couldn’t stand those things.

Passing through the door, we entered a room filled with rows and rows of chairs facing a podium towering at the front. Most of them were filled, but we saw two empty aisle seats in the second-to-last row. A brunette woman was already speaking at the microphone, and we slipped into our chairs as quietly as we could. It appeared that she was still doing her introduction, so we had not missed much.

"For our long-standing members, it’s always wonderful to see old friends," she said. "To the uninitiated out there, we’re glad to have you with us and we bid you welcome."

I got the distinct impression that she looked directly at Tina and me when she stated the last part, and I squirmed slightly in my seat.

"Now," she continued, "let’s jump right in and clear some of the business. Frank, I believe you can take it from here?" This last sentence was stated off-handedly with her head turned away from the microphone to face a short robust man off to the side. "Frank is our acting treasurer this year," she resumed to the audience, "and he’s going to take you through some of the figures from last quarter and our projected budget for this year."

"Thank you," Frank said as he took over behind the podium. "Now, as you all know...."

I peered around the room trying to pick out any of the people we had met at the party last week. There were about thirty heads popping out of the tops of the chairs around me, but so far, I could not spot the ones I was looking for. Tina was engaged in the same quest. Her curly red hair was tied up in a messy bun on the back of her head, and her slender face stuck out as her head swiveled from side to side in a sweeping inspection.

I settled back into my chair. What was this club supposed to be anyhow? In hindsight, of course, I felt very foolish for not having asked more about it before coming tonight. However, here I was, and I would just have to wait for answers. I returned my attention to the speaker and tried to put myself in a receptive mood.

"So, all in all, it looks like we’re in very good shape for this year," the speaker, dubbed Frank, concluded as I caught the very last lines of his speech.

There was quiet applause around the room, and I made sure to join in, feeling a little bad that I hadn’t listened to anything he had said. Of course, the finances were of no concern to me, so I had not really missed anything important. He gave a little bow of his head before stepping down and allowing the original speaker to resume her position.

"All right, now that we’ve got that out of the way," she announced happily, "we’ll get to something of more interest to everyone. As you all know, our retreat is one of the biggest occasions of the year, and it is indeed that time again. Dominick back there is going to pass out directions to this one while I go over some of our past trips."

At the sound of Dominick’s name, my ears immediately pricked up. The man sitting in the chair directly behind me stirred, and I was startled to discover that it had been Dominick sitting unnoticed behind me all along. I froze.

The seats were spaced rather closely together, and I could feel his breath hit my hair as he leaned forward to get out of his chair. He began walking along down his own row handing out pamphlets of paper, and then he came back over to the aisle. I looked up into his face as he walked over to the side of my chair.

"Hello," he said in a smooth, long tone. "Pleased to see you again. Welcome to the Lycanthropic Society."

"Hi," I answered before asking dumbly, "Lycanthropic Society?"

"Oh yes," he said, "a society that dares to be different in every possible way. I think you will fit in quite nicely."

He slid out one of the papers from the cluster in his left hand and passed it to me. I reached my own up to receive it, and there was a moment when our fingers brushed together before he let go.

"You must come along on our retreat," he demanded persuasively. "It is the most exhilarating occasion of the year."

I did not know how to respond, and I looked at him in the transfixed stare of a bovine. To make matters more awkward, he did not appear in any rush to move along, and he continued to hold me on the spot with a most intense gaze. Tina was looking over at him too, however, and, as her eye caught his, he appeared to suddenly become aware of the other people in the room. He lifted his attention from me for a moment.

"And you too," he said, handing her the directions as well.

Tina was all smiles as she leaned forward and reached across me to take the offered paper.

"We’d love to," she answered for us both.

I instantly cranked my head around to glare at her, irritated at her for having spoken for me. After dispensing this scolding, I slowly returned my gaze to Dominick. He was looking at me with one eyebrow cocked up.

"Sure," I agreed in confirmation, feeling no room for negation now.

"Good," he said with genuine pleasure.

He gave a little nod and continued along the rows in his unhurried fashion. As soon as he was out of earshot, I turned on Tina.

"Why the hell did you do that?" I questioned angrily.

"Oh please," she said in defense, "you know you want to go."

She gave my shoulder a nudge with her own, and her manner made my anger dissipate. Besides, she was right. After allowing a cautionary second to pass, she spoke again.

"What was that?" she questioned exuberantly, nodding towards Dominick. "You must come along," she repeated in his cadence. "What did you two do on the beach last time?"

I pinched my lips together in a look of disapproval. "He was just," I answered slowly, "being friendly."

"Oh, friendly is good," Tina answered with a knowing snicker.

I looked ahead at Dominick handing out the papers. He was now engaged in conversation with someone seated six rows ahead of me. All I could see was a mass of blonde hair hovering above the seat back, but that was quite enough for me to identify who it was. I gave a brief point with my hands.

"He’s already got a girlfriend," I said to Tina.

She looked ahead and scowled.

"I’m not sure what’s with those two," she admitted. "I don’t think he really likes her all that much. Besides, he’s obviously attracted to you."

I gave a wan smile, feeling a little comforted, though by no means completely assured. We both looked down at the papers in our hands. As I examined mine, I discovered that it was an intricate map with a column of writing down one side, and it took me a minute to distinguish what I was looking at.

"North Carolina?" I asked out loud in disbelief.

Tina shrugged, and I returned my attention to the speaker up front.

"So," the female behind the podium continued, "I certainly hope nobody is disappointed with this year’s selection. It should be a lot of fun, and I know everyone in this room knows how to let out their wild side!"

There was a soft chuckle around the room, although I couldn’t figure out why this was funny.

It appeared that this was the end of the talking for the evening. Everyone got up and began milling around socializing, and, before I knew it, Tina abandoned me to go introduce herself to people. I was left looking rather lonely, but the woman who had been leading the whole meeting spotted me and came over.

"Hello, I’m Monica," she introduced with a forceful handshake. "What do you think so far? A little overwhelming?"

I nodded and tried to think very quickly of something to say. I couldn’t figure out anything good.

"Just a little," I said, using a large smile as cover.

She responded with a small smile of her own. "We don’t get too many new recruits, but my brother was quite forceful in recommending you."

"Your brother?" I asked, addled.

"Dominick," she clarified.

My face must have betrayed my shock, and the family resemblance instantly became apparent as she appeared entertained at my discomfiture.

"I’m glad you could join us," she said warmly. "I have faith in my brother’s judgment."

"Thank you," I answered, unable to uncover any further response.

She gave a single nod and then looked around at her company.

"I’ll see you around," she said lightly with a cock of her head and parting touch of my arm.

With that, she turned and walked away to make her hostess rounds with the rest of the company. My eyes followed her for a moment until I overcame the moment’s inertia, but then I abandoned her figure and my thoughts to peer around me. I caught Tina’s eye through the crowd, and she gave me a frantic little wave to call me over. I went over to her, and she commenced introducing me to all of the new people she had just met.

Summoning my best people skills, such as they were, I threw myself into idle chitchat for the next hour. Everyone I spoke to was very polite, though perhaps a bit eccentric, and I found that the evening passed reasonably well. I eventually began to tire of the socializing, however, and I was ready to go home.

"Tina, I’m going to get going now," I said. "It’s getting late."

She gave me an off-handed goodbye and returned to making friends. That was Tina for you! I shot in a nice-meeting-you to the group before turning to leave. As I got to the door, I saw Dominick standing right next to the frame, leaning against the wall with his arms casually crossed and looking at me.

"Going so soon?" he asked.

I averted my eyes a little. "Yes."

His face looked truly disappointed. "I await our next meeting," he said in a low and serious voice.

I nodded and slipped by with a short "bye" and left.

As I walked out, I thought I could feel his eyes still following me, and I didn’t know whether to smile, blush, or shiver.

I was happy to reach my car, and even happier when I finally walked through the door of my apartment. Dropping my keys in the tray, I was quick to get cleaned up and pop on clean pajamas. I dragged myself over to the bed and plopped down lazily with a satisfied sigh. Curling up beneath the covers, I dozed off slowly into the night’s sleep, my mind still pondering all that I had seen and heard that evening, not the least of which was the most interesting variable: Dominick.

II

Time passed speedily by, and the routine of work soon encroached and re-enveloped my life, blocking everything else out. Before I knew it, the end of the month had arrived, and the balmy nights declared that it was indeed summertime. We were leaving for North Carolina in the morning, and I was on the phone with Tina trying to coordinate our plans.

The society had rented some cabins way up in the mountains for us, and supposedly all activities and meals were paid for--most generous of them. We just had to get ourselves there. Tina and I had decided that we would go together in my car and would split the driving.

After going over the directions and what we were packing and wearing, we were winding down the conversation. With the phone cradled against my shoulder, I was still throwing articles into my suitcase while I spoke to her.

"So, are you excited?" she asked perkily.

"Yes," I answered.

"You don’t sound very excited," she responded.

"Compared to you, nobody sounds excited," I retorted.

She laughed. "I know why you’re excited," she teased. "You’re just going for him."

"I am not," I retorted defensively even though this was dead on.

I saw Dominick standing before me in my mind’s eye. There was something so hungry, so intense, so predatory about the way he looked at me. It turned me on in a way I’d never felt before even as I found it infinitely unsettling.

"Well, if you say so," she added knowingly. "You know, David told me that they’re going to initiate the new members towards the end of the retreat. I hope we make it in."

"Oh?" I asked curiously. "What’s involved in the initiation?"

"It’s a secret," she whispered softly and then laughed. "I don’t know; he wouldn’t tell me."

"This society is a little too secretive, if you ask me," I answered suspiciously.

"Oh loosen up!" she countered. "This will be good for you. We’re just going to have to de-stress you this week."

She had me there. "Agreed," I said happily. So I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early?"

"Oh yes," she reported jubilantly, "I’ll be the one wired on espresso."

I laughed. "I’ll see you then. Good night."

"Good night," she echoed.

We hung up, and I finished my packing. All the while, I kept telling myself one thing: just relax and have fun.

However little I might have sounded excited, my lack of sleep proved it. I barely got a wink all night, and I awoke to the irritating chirp of the bedside alarm clock. I fumbled it off as quickly as possible, the squawking of it going straight to my spine. Swinging my legs over the edge, I forced myself up and got moving.

A bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice were all that I could get down in the morning, and I was left with plenty of time to get dressed and ready at my leisurely pace. I made sure my suitcase was at the door so that I did not forget it, and I went through a mental checklist one more time. As usual, I could not think of anything I’d missed, but I would probably remember something once we were an hour along on the road.

Even though we were taking my car, Tina had opted to drive her car over and leave it at my place. I was farther in the right direction, and this would save me from backtracking. I had just finished tying my shoes when I heard a car pull up outside. Time was of the essence, so I did not make her come up to the door. Grabbing up my luggage, I walked out and locked my apartment behind me. She was just pulling her bag out of the trunk when I got down to the parking lot.

"Good morning!" I greeted, forcing more cheer into my voice than was my usual demeanor.

"Good morning," she returned. "You’re in a good mood."

"Somebody told me to loosen up," I retorted playfully.

A pale dawn light still lingered in the air like mist, and it gave everything softer lines than usual. The sky looked clear, and I was happy that we would not be making the trip in bad weather. All reports bode well for the journey, and I was relieved not to have to be the poor flatlander trying to navigate the mountain curves in a torrential rain.

We walked over to my car and stuffed our bags out of the way in the trunk.

"I’ll take the first shift," I offered.

Tina agreed and slipped into the passenger seat. I started up the car and we got underway.

All car trips are pretty similar. For the first few hours, the radio served as decent enough entertainment, and I did not particularly notice the passage of time. When our stomachs began to grumble, we stopped at a fast food place for lunch. Like so many travelers do, we actually went inside to buy the takeout because we wanted to stand up and to use the bathroom. Then, we ended up taking it out of the restaurant and eating it in the parked car because it was easier to consume when we weren’t moving. There were several other people munching away at their burgers and fries in the parked cars around us, and I could not fail to realize the irony.

It was a good place to switch drivers, and Tina took over the next leg of the trip. For my part, I used the opportunity to take a nap, and I appropriated the upper strap of the seatbelt as a hammock for my head as I swiftly drifted off. It was not the most comfortable of snoozes, but then no car nap is.

Hours later, when I awoke from this contorted doze, I realized we were no longer moving. I blinked my eyes to awaken myself and slowly opened them wide to glance out the window. I tried to figure out where we were, but a closer image in the glass suddenly made me change focus and startled me. I thought I saw Dominick’s reflection on the inside, and I turned with a start. Only Tina sat next to me.

"My turn again?" I asked groggily as I yawned and straightened my stiff neck.

"Yes," she said tiredly, "but lets get out and have a stretch first. My legs are killing me."

We were parked in one of those generic rest stops, all of which look identical. Stepping out, we started a looped path around the parking lot to work out our cramped legs. When we were done, we reluctantly returned to the car and resumed our journey. Feeling better revived, however, I was more inclined to be a talkative traveling companion for her.

"So, what do you think they’ll have in store for us?" I asked chattily after I had merged back onto the highway.

"Something good," she said surely. "I’ve heard they’re pretty wild when they want to be."

"I wonder how the others are getting there," I mused, my eyes still fixed on the road. "We might actually end up passing some of them on the highway." When I said it, I realized I was only wondering about one in particular.

"Well, most of the people I talked to were driving, but a few were going to fly there," she answered.

Sometimes I thought Tina was omniscient; no matter what I ever talked about, she seemed to be on the in and know more than I did.

"Which ones were flying?" I asked as casually as I could.

"Dominick is already there," she answered in response to my true question.

"How do you know?"

"He told me," she answered succinctly.

I was truly surprised. "You talked to him?"

"I talk to everybody," she answered matter-of-factly.

"And?" I dug.

"And he left a couple of days ago so he could help set up and make sure everything was all ready for the retreat. So, he’s already there and waiting for you."

I did not particularly like her having the upper hand in all of this, and I could not help but use her own tactics against her.

"What about David?" I asked with a hint in my voice.

It was my turn to enjoy a got-you, and hers to give a confessing smile. The rest of our conversation was more trivial.

Having passed the halfway mark of our journey, we at least felt as though we were making progress as we travailed the miles and miles of desolate roadside. The radio helped to further pass the time, and we were bombarded with a gamut of country songs--the kind that abound in that part of the country, particularly on its highways. Pretty soon the two of us were interjecting "beer," "bar," or "baby," in time with the tunes, and I could actually tolerate some of the sappy songs I never before could stand. We traded off driving one more time, and Tina was behind the wheel as we finally reached the town we were looking for just as the gray tones of evening were tingeing the air.

The town was a pretty little arrangement of stores and restaurants. It was remarkably busy for its diminutive size, and it appeared very charming in its way. All of the sights, however, presented a bit of sensory overload, and we had some trouble picking out the signs we needed. The directions were good, however, and I was able to navigate us through without too much difficulty.

We passed outside of town and traveled several miles along an empty road. The ups and downs and winding curves through the mountainous region left me feeling rather sick, and Tina looked like she was white-knuckling it around some of the turns. As I stared at the trees alongside of us, I finally spotted the opening we wanted, and we turned onto a dirt road through the thick foliage.

"Now, continue one mile until we come to a fork in the road, then turn left," I said in monotone as I read from the paper.

The car shook against the rough surface, and I alternated between fearing for my teeth and mourning over my car’s alignment. For some time, the road led upwards in a gradual, general way while dipping up and down in small waves. Eventually, however, we reached said fork.

"Take the left," I repeated again as a reminder.

This appeared to be the final stretch, for the incline grew ever steeper. Looking up through the tree line, I could just make out a few shadowed buildings. Tina pulled to a stop, and my mouth dropped as we peered at the road ahead--it appeared to veer straight up!

"There’s no way," I said to Tina, shaking my head with my mouth still agape.

"They made it up," she said, pointing to the cars up on the side of the mountain. She did not sound very sure either, however.

She slowly pressed down on the accelerator, and we began to climb upwards. Although it was probably nowhere near the angle I thought, it felt like we were going straight up ninety degrees. My weight shifted to increase against the back of the seat. I was terrified and clenched the side door handle and pinned myself securely with my feet against the floor. Visions of my poor car flipping over backwards terrorized me. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, just waiting for it. The attempt seemed to last forever, and I could hear Tina breathing. Finally, however, the car leveled out and stopped.

My eyelids still pressed tightly together, a sharp knock at my window made me jump. I peeled them open and looked out to see Dominick standing there. I blinked to make sure that he was not just a figment of my imagination, but he still remained. With a shaking hand, I pulled the lock up, and he opened my door for me.

"You okay there?" he asked with a wide smile.

He offered a hand and helped me out of the car. I felt shaky and used him to steady myself. Tina looked like she was in a similar condition as she got out of the driver’s seat. She tried to laugh it off, but her quivering voice betrayed her.

"Woo, what a ride!" she exclaimed. "Next time--your car, you do it."

She walked slowly away. I turned back around to discover that I still had Dominick’s hand in mine.

"Oh," I said, looking down and releasing my grip, "sorry."

"It’s quite an incline, I know," he said.

I looked back at the steep and winding dirt path that by some divine protection we had been able to navigate unscathed. I let out a long breath to try to calm myself, and, now that I was back on level ground, I felt much better. We were parked on a flat area at the top of the drive, and the half-a-dozen other cars and trucks there indicated that this was going to serve as the parking lot.

"Hello again," called a female voice.

Monica appeared out of a break in the trees and gave us a hardy wave as she walked over to us. Tina, who had only trotted a few feet away to regain her breath, came back over to me.

"Did you have any problem finding the place?" Monica asked when she had finally arrived to join us.

"No," I said, "the directions you gave us were just fine. Thank you."

"Good," she answered in short response. "If you want to grab your bags, I can show you around."

"Sure," Tina and I answered in unison.

I popped open the trunk, and each of us bent to pull out our luggage.

"Ladies," Dominick said by way of offer behind us.

He held out both hands to take our bags from us, and we thanked him as we relinquished them. It was refreshing to see chivalry still alive and kicking, and Tina shot me an approving little smile as we followed Monica up a footpath through the trees.

We had to walk a good two hundred feet uphill before the land leveled out again. Once it did, however, the trees finally thinned out and the view opened up so that we could finally see where we would be staying for the week. Ascending above us, there were about a dozen little cabins spread out between the bushy green trees in man-made steppes up the mountain. Towards the middle loomed a larger wooden structure with a long porch spotted with mismatched rocking chairs, and it was to this that Monica directed a finger.

"The main building up in the middle there," Monica explained, "is where we’ll meet as a group. Now, we’ve put you two in cabin six--that’s the one over towards the right on the first level. I think you’re going to like it. We’ve got a really nice location here. If you look down through the trees there, you can even see the lake."

We followed her gaze down the mountain and could just see a pool of silvery water through the leaves.

"Wow," we both responded.

"So ladies," Monica concluded, "welcome. Here are your keys."

We both reached out a hand, and she dropped a silver key into each palm.

"We’ll be eating in about an hour in the main house," she added. "The boys are just firing up some steaks now, and we have plenty of food. Hope you’re hungry."

Tina and I returned an affirmative nod, although we were probably equally surprised. Steaks? The retreat was looking even better. Dominick silently handed us back our bags and gave a brief parting nod before following his sister up the hill to the main house. They seemed to be in deep conversation as they went.

"Well," I said sarcastically, "we wanted to stretch our legs. Let’s go hike up to our cabin."

Fortunately, the climb up to cabin number six was not quite as exhausting as it had at first appeared. We made it up all right, and Tina ran exuberantly up the steps and across the small porch to unlock the door first. I followed her in at her heals, and we were both pleased at what we found. It was relatively clean and free of insects, and it had a cozy feel to it. A tiny living room area merged directly into the open kitchen, and then a hall budded off into two bedrooms. The couch in the living room could have slept another person, so all together the place might have held five people, although it would have been a tight fit. For the two of us, it was just perfect.

"This is great!" Tina exclaimed as she looked around.

We walked down the short, dark hall and picked out our bedrooms, which were mirror images of one another. I took the one on the right, which was a proper little country bedroom, complete with quilt and embroidered whatnots on the walls. I dropped my luggage down on the bed and walked back out to the porch. Tina continued to dart around like a happy little bee switching all of the lights on and off and poking into every cupboard. I sucked in a long, clean breath of air.

"Woo!" I let out with a whoop that surprised myself as well as my friend. "Smell that mountain air."

Tina came out and stood beside me on the porch.

"My goodness!" she exclaimed. "Is this my friend? You can’t be my friend. Oh no, my friend is never energetic."

"Hey, I’m on vacation," I retorted. "I know how to have fun."

"I know that," she responded with a warm smile while throwing one arm across my shoulders. "That’s why we’re friends, but for a while it seems like you forgot that."

I smiled, and we both looked out at the view. It was nothing but enormous green trees, silvery bits of mountain rock, and the peaceful pool of water down below. There wasn’t a piece of garbage in sight; no car alarms going off; no smog to smell. I felt instantly better. After a moment, I inhaled another cool lungful and let it out slowly.

"Well," I said, "What do you say we go get some grub?"

"Yes," she agreed whole-heartedly, giving my arm an approving pat.

When we were ready, we carefully made our way across to the staircase running up to the main house. I say staircase, but it was little more than some wooden logs spaced out erratically one above another in the dirt up the hillside. Hiking up served as our exercise for the day, and our bottoms quickly forgot the fatigue of sitting in the car. The sound had an odd way of bouncing off of the mountain and through the trees, but, even over the crunch of our own footfalls, we could still discern voices from above us. As we crawled over the final lip, an expanse of lush grass opened up, and we saw the main building with a cluster of people cluttered around the side of it on the left. We made our way directly towards them.

"Hi!" they all shouted merrily as they saw us approaching. The vocal greeting was accompanied by a flutter of waving hands, and we were touched at receiving such a warm and friendly greeting from strangers.

We each returned hellos of our own when we reached respectable speaking distance. The smell of grilled meat met our nostrils as we walked into the group, and everyone seemed to be anxiously awaiting the final culinary preparations. A little clique on the outskirts opened up to include us, and we filled in the empty space offered. They gave us an odd sort of look for a minute, however, and it contrasted with the initial welcome in a way that made me uncomfortable.

"New, huh?" an unfamiliar man asked, although he sounded pretty sure that this was the case.

"Yes," I answered for both of us.

I could not really decipher his expression, nor figure why he and the others continued to stare. Tina likewise appeared to be at a loss, but it fortunately did not last long. Another speaker was kind enough to save us and put us back at our ease.

"Well, it’s nice to meet you," he said very warmly. "I’m Gary."

Tina and I shook his hand each in turn. That seemed to break the ice.

"Jill," another woman introduced with a shake.

"Bob," said another, stepping forward.

"Ryan."

"Sue."

I greeted them all and tried very hard to make a mental name tag for each one. I doubted that I would be able to successfully recall all of their names later, though. There were just too many to absorb that quickly, and it wasn’t my strong suit anyway.

After the introductions, everyone put in their best effort in cordial attempts to get a conversation rolling. I, for my part, thought I did reasonably well under the circumstances, and a small chitchat began. After a few minutes, however, when comments on scenery, weather, and travel were exhausted, we were left with a stagnant silence again. Everyone just sort of eyed his or her feet, and I searched very hard for something to say.

"Smells good," I put in at last, turning in the direction of the rising smoke.

"Oh yes," Jill agreed, nodding.

"It should be done pretty soon," added Ryan with a sly smile. "No one here likes theirs well-done."

A soft chuckle and agreeing nods came forth from the others, and I tried to give a small laugh too in order to be sociable. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tina give a small shrug as well.

"All right, all right!" an unseen male voice from over at the grill pit suddenly hollered. The whole swarming mix of voices died down to a whisper. "If you children can behave yourselves, dinner is now ready. Everything is laid out on the table inside, so come and get it."

A jolly cheer was sent up from the group, and the amorphous clump of people began to funnel into a straight line as everyone passed through the doorway. The group we had been speaking with shuffled quickly into the fold, and we hurried to hop into our own places towards the back of the line and followed the pack into the house.

The smells were even better on the inside, and my eyes widened as I looked at the meal set out before me. There was a single long table in the center of the room, and everything was buffet style. Everyone took their turns at filling their plates and moved out the front door back outside to eat.

When I got to the head of the table, I separated a paper plate from the tightly packed stack and got what silverware I needed. As the line continued to inch along, I selected out what I wanted. By the time I got to the other end, I had a small steak, a baked potato, and a cob of corn. It was an overestimate of my stomach size, but everything looked too good to pass up. As I looked around, however, I discovered that my plate was surprisingly demure compared to some of the others.

Passing through the door to the porch, I looked around to see that all of the chairs were taken. I found a tolerably comfortable seat at the corner of the porch, however, and I settled there to dine. As I dug in, I reassured myself of my good fortune in coming along, and any doubts began to drift away as my stomach was filled.

When I was done, I threw out my plate and returned to my seat to casually watch the company. As everyone finished up, they were sinking both deeper into conversation and deeper into their chairs. Some patted their tummies contentedly, others told jokes and laughed merrily with one another, and still others appeared to be recounting old times and catching up. This looked pretty normal, I thought to myself, and I decided that they were an all right bunch.

As the shadows stretched around the curves and brought the darkness and the stars, the crowd began to split off here and there to head for their cabins. Those who were not quite ready for the night to end returned inside to talk or to pick at whatever scraps were left, but the voices began to dissipate in every direction as I sat quietly and unnoticed at the end of the porch. Tina was off on a walk with David--who was now showing definite signs of being interested in her--and probably wouldn’t be back for hours. Left to my own, I decided to turn in early.

There were no electric bulbs to light my way, so I had to watch my step as I passed back along the mountainside and returned to our cabin. As I went, I realized that I felt a little strange. It took me a minute to figure out why. It was the absolute silence. I had noted the lack of sound before--no traffic, no radios, no static--but now, in the blackness, it seemed so enveloping. The stillness of it was so thick that it almost felt as if I could reach out and touch it with my bare fingertips. It made me feel foreign and out of place, and I gave a smile as I thought of what wondrous good it would do me. Better than any spa or health club!

III

Having hit the sack early, I had my night’s rest and was awake fairly early the next morning. As I staggered out of the unfamiliar bed and cleared my eyes, my first thought was that I had better check on Tina to make sure that she had gotten in all right. I had no sooner walked into the hall, however, than a soft snoring from the adjacent room immediately assured me that she had. Continuing down the hall, I went, from habit, into the kitchen, but then, of course, realized that it was completely empty.

With a slap of my forehead, I redirected my steps to the front porch and stepped out to survey the new day. A creamy mist was settled around the trees, and the dewdrops glittered in the pale morning sun like so many sequins sprinkled over the leaves and earth. This whole world possessed a hollow sort of quiet, like a soundless echo off the monstrous peeks on the horizon. I inhaled the scent of pine and soil with a satisfied sigh and could almost feel it working on my nerves already. Now fully awake, I looked around more clearly, but I could not see another soul stirring and supposed they weren’t up yet.

"Well," I thought to myself, not daring to interrupt the peace with a sacrilegious word, "I might as well go to the main house and see if anyone is there yet."

Turning slowly back to the door--loath to lose sight of the marvelous view--I walked back inside and returned to my room. There I began to get dressed and moving, though it was in the most unhurried manner I had ever adopted. When I was done, I allowed one more admiring glance from the porch step before striding off towards the stairs. Although my first instinct was to lock the door behind me, I realized it was quite unnecessary here, and I treated myself to the unusual sensation of simply walking away from the unfortified house.

As I climbed the last few steps to the main house, I looked up to discover someone sitting peacefully in a rocking chair on the front porch. The image was extraordinarily picturesque and deserving of at least the front of a postcard, and I almost wished that I had a camera with me.

As I drew closer, my face lit in surprise as I discerned whose figure it was that sat so serenely: it was Dominick! He sat stationary, apparently just enjoying the morning, and a cup of steaming coffee was clasped in one hand. As I drew closer, I noticed that his eyes were fixed on me, even over the rim of his cup as he lifted it to his lips for a sip.

"Good morning," I greeted quietly as I stepped up on the porch.

He only gave a warm smile and a nod in response.

I looked past him through the window and saw a spare breakfast setting on the table inside. Glancing at Dominick, I noticed an empty plate next to his chair, and I decided to go help myself. The hinges to the screen door creaked as I pushed it gently open and strode inside, and each footstep gave a little thump against the wood floor. As I reached the table, I was surprised to find that there was only a single plate sitting there, and on it sat a short stack of pancakes and a scrambled egg. They were still hot, as was the cup of coffee next to it, and wisps of steam soared upwards in little puffs. I felt a little uncertain, but I caught a glimpse of Dominick through the window, and he was nodding affirmatively.

"Huh," I said out loud with a simultaneous shrug of shoulders and eyebrows.

I picked up the plate, coffee, and a fork and carried them out with me. When I got back outside, Dominick dragged a chair across the planks with one long tug and settled it facing sidewise on the porch. He then brought his own around to face it and retook his seat without a word. I looked at his face, but only the slightest hint of a smile was there, and I accepted the seat he had prepared for me. Leaning back cautiously to find the chair’s balancing point, I dared a glance back up at Dominick. He appeared to have settled into staring at me.

"What?" I asked, fidgeting.

"Nothing at all," he answered smoothly.

I looked around me and then down at the plate that I now had resting on my lap. "Were you expecting me?" I asked dubiously.

Dominick gave a short shrug of his shoulders. "You left us so early last night," he responded, "I figured you would likewise rise early."

I nodded my head and took the first fluffy bite. So he had made me breakfast? A buttery flavor seeped into my tongue, and I savored it for a moment. Then, with a deep swallow, I looked back across at Dominick.

"What about you?" I said, trying to sound and feel relaxed. "Are you usually an early riser?"

His eyes still searched mine. "I don’t need much sleep," he said with the slightest touch of innuendo in his voice.

"Oh," I said, shoving a larger mouthful in so that I wouldn’t have to say anything further. I chewed it uncomfortably.

His gaze lightened up and returned to the scenery around us, and it was like a tensed muscle finally letting go. I almost breathed a sigh of relief, and I let my glance follow his. Down below us, a man--Ryan was it?--was just waking up. He stood out on the front porch in nothing but his boxers, and his arms were stretched out behind his head in a big yawning stretch. At last, I swallowed.

"Are Tina and I the only new people here?" I asked curiously.

Dominick brought his dark eyes back around to mine, but his entire demeanor had lightened considerably.

"Actually, no," he answered, interrupting himself with a gulp of coffee. "There are three others. This is the most we’ve ever had." His voice dropped lower. "Must be something in the air."

He turned his face away from me again and scanned the ground below. As I looked at his profile, I suddenly felt that same confused mix of attraction and uncertainty that he had produced in me before. I wondered: who was he really? He seemed kind of slippery--hard to get to know--and yet maybe he really was the persona he set right out there. I couldn’t be sure. He was just so strange, and yet he was so…so. So what? The word "enticing" came to mind, and I surprised myself with a sudden and unbidden thought: I wanted him.

"How’s your stamina?" he asked.

He had turned towards me again and resumed his studying glare. I visibly jumped and blushed, and I wondered if he had read my mind. Had I been swallowing at that moment, I would have choked.

"Excuse me?" I asked, flustered.

"You’ll need all of your energy," he added innocently, although I was sure he had intended his initial question to be just as it was. "It’s going to be a full week."

"Oh, yes," I stammered.

I threw another bite in my mouth and hastened to finish up the rest of my meal in silence. I was both very relieved and somehow disappointed when I saw some of the other company straggling in, and, when enough had appeared so that I could politely slip away, I took the first opportunity to retreat to my cabin.

"I’ll see you," Dominick said as I got up.

I gave an awkward nod and a little smile in answer.

After disposing of my dishes, I trotted down the mountain and then veered left towards my cabin. Fumbling for keys I neither had nor needed, I was slow in opening the door. When I finally just turned the knob, I walked in to see Tina already dressed and standing in the living room. She almost appeared to be waiting for me.

"Morning," I said as I closed the door behind me.

"Good morning," she said quietly.

With a quick turn on her heal, she slipped aloofly back down the hall and into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. I looked after her for a moment to see if she was coming back, but, when it became apparent that she was going to be a while, I shrugged my shoulders and plopped down in one of the armchairs.

"Something in the air indeed," I said out loud to the furniture.

When everyone was ready for action, the day commenced in earnest. The group kicked things off with a hike around the top of our mountain--an activity that literally left me breathless. There was a winding little pathway up to the peek, and we followed its convolutions as far as it went.

I was all right for the first half of the hike, but the altitude closer to the top made the air so thin that I was left lagging behind with a light head. As the crest came in sight, the people ahead of me slowed to a dead stop. I looked up from plucking a green little inchworm from my sleeve and a tangle of webs from my hair to see that the trail came to a sharp end at a threshold of foliage. Either no one had ever bothered to cut higher, or the path had simply become overgrown over time.

Oh good, I thought to myself, now we can go back.

"Hey," one of the men shouted, "we can get up this way!"

Oh no. I cringed as I looked at what he was pointing at, for it was nothing but a sheer little slide of underbrush trickling off the ledge above. This, apparently, was his great route of discovery, and the others enthusiastically began scurrying up behind him. I was not quite so gung-ho, but I made a tremendous effort to be a good sport.

Attempting to follow the crowd, I approached this organic ramp and tested it with a tentative step. It was covered with leaf litter, which immediately began to slide under my feet. I really did not feel like pulling a spread eagle with my nose in the dirt, so I peered around for something to hold onto. Fortunately, I was at the tail end, so I wasn’t holding anyone else up with this delay, but I did not want to get left behind either. A few little saplings on either side appeared to be the best railing I was going to get, so I clenched each hand around a bent little trunk. Simultaneously pulling my way up and scurrying my feet over the avalanching ramp, I managed to awkwardly ascend.

When I reached the top of this little ledge three sweaty and grueling seconds later, I planted a foot on leveler ground and released my strangler grip on the poor trees. Unfortunately, my newfound balance proved premature, for the soft ground beneath me crumbled away between the mesh of plant roots, and I was sent staggering. Intent on not going for a slide back down again, I pitched my body forward with a very unladylike expletive and landed on one elbow with a twist. Momentarily stunned, I lay where I fell, panting sorely against the soil.

"Need help?" came Dominick’s voice from a few feet in front of me.

Oh no. My only consolation would have been that no one had witnessed this fiasco, but now it seemed that this hope too was dashed to the ground.

"You’re a little late," I answered embarrassedly as I looked at my red hands and dirty elbow.

He took two steps forward and held out his hand to me. After a moment’s hesitation, I took it, and he effortlessly pulled me to my feet. Avoiding his eye, I looked down at myself and swatted clean the front of my clothes. When I was done, I at last looked at him.

"Thanks."

"No problem," he answered with nonchalance.

Without another word, Dominick turned from me and sprung lightly away towards the summit. My face was flushed, but I straightened my back with a little growl. I can do this, I pep talked to myself. I pushed my legs into motion and puffed my way up the rest of the way.

As the trees thinned out a little, I caught sight of everyone standing in a cluster. I tried to rejoin them without notice, and my eyes followed theirs to see what had caught their attention. My jaw nearly dropped as I beheld the view. As I looked over the lumpy horizon, I felt like I was standing on top of the world. The sensation was like vertigo, only pleasant, and I marveled at this foreign land within the clouds. It made the whole hike worthwhile, and I forgot my aches and discomfort.

As I gazed out before me, tree after tree seemed to oscillate up and down along nature’s curves all the way to the ends of the earth. The land sent vibrations into my chest, and I was lost in the feeling along with my companions. All together, I felt an overwhelming sense of connectedness, and I wondered why people couldn’t feel like this all of the time.

I did not want to leave this breathtaking spot, especially after the effort it had taken to reach it. However, after admiring the perspective for a considerable time, the group had had its fill. An individual exhale appeared to trigger motion in the whole, as if everyone had suddenly been re-immersed in time. The sounds of crunching leaves and soft murmurs brought the immediate back into focus, and one by one people broke off and started down the long path back. I gave a last look around, and, in so doing, caught the sight of Dominick lingering behind. As if sensing my gaze upon him, he turned and looked directly at me. After a moment’s pause, he gave a little smile and winked. I cocked my head as if to question him and turned quietly away.

They say that he who is last shall be first, and I proved this so in a practical sense. Having been the very last to arrive at the top, I was now in a position to start back down at the head of the party. I took advantage of the opportunity and started half walking and half sliding from tree to tree, more like a human bumper car than an agile hiker. Not wanting to have a repeat incident of my tumble and perhaps needing to prove to myself that I wasn’t a klutz, I redoubled my efforts at taking careful steps. Fortunately, descending proved immensely easier, and, when we reached the dreaded slide, I successfully skied down on the flats of my feet.

Having regained the pathway, it was a simple matter of winding through the trees round the mountain. I popped my ears to clear the changing pressure as we went, and I made it safely to the cabins once again. It was a very warm day, and our aerobic excursion had only served to raise the temperature. I personally felt a bit icky, so I immediately darted over to my cabin to change into shorts for the remainder of the day. The rest of the company fanned out in different directions, but the bulk headed for the main house to relax in the shade until lunchtime.

The quality of hospitality had not declined overnight, and, by the time noon rolled around, there was an enticing buffet of sandwiches and salad set out upon the table of the main house. We re-filled our stomachs greedily, and none were left unsatisfied. When we were done, Monica was quick to get us back upon our feet, and we piled into our cars to drive off in pursuit of further exploration.

After travailing the death-defying roadway down from our own cabins, we headed out to explore the array of waterfalls the area had to offer. It took a good hour to reach the first one, but, of course, they came in batches around the water sources, so we sort of reached them all at once. One by one, we saw everything from trickles that you could drive under to raging founts down the sheer rock-face, and each one had something different to offer the admirer. It was truly spectacular.

A few of the falls had pathways down to the ground pools, and the group was quick to go for these, though where they got their energy I do not know. We began the long descent on the dirt trail through the trees, and I could hear the raging water even though I was unable to see it through the thick foliage. Half an hour later, we were still making our way down, and I still could only see the single line of heads in front of me. Slippery steps proved hazardous, and I trod carefully, guarding against a fatal spill. What seemed like an eternity later, we finally made it to the bottom, however, and I again learned that the sight proved well worth the attempt. Even the most stoic could not fail to be impressed by the raw, awesome power of nature at its finest, and we enjoyed the view and the cool water spray for a good hour.

After a large group photo in front of the falls, Monica persisted in taking a series of candid photos of us in the observation area. This action, of course, produced vociferous objections from the females, either because of their appearance or unintended expressions. The men appeared completely oblivious. At last, we were ready to move on.

On our re-ascent, I burned up what energy reserves I had, and I was more than relieved to get back into the car. A loud "whew" seemed to sum it up, and I said what we say to ourselves so many times: I’m glad I did it once, but I’m never doing that again!

As Tina had declared, I was now in charge of driving back up to the cabins. Fatigue filled the space where fear might have had a stronghold, and, when we got to the incline, I just gunned it. Fortunately, the angle was more bearable in the driver’s seat, and I managed to bring my car safely to the top once again.

We had stopped for dinner while we were in town, and it was already dark by the time we reached the cabins. Although the rest of the company appeared remarkably fresh and lively, I was exhausted. My thoughts were turned towards my plump pillow sitting one final hike away. An offer from behind me, however, changed my mind.

"We’re going to watch a movie in my cabin a little later," Monica said, striding up to my side. "Would you like to join us?"

The offer surprised me. "Sure," I said, feeling it was smart to accept. I looked down at my sweaty clothes. "Do I have time for a shower?"

"Certainly," she said. "Just come on over when you’re done."

"Sounds good," I answered.

She started to walk away, but caught herself in mid-step. "Oh," she added, "I should tell you it’s a horror movie. I hope you don’t scare easily."

I smiled. "I don’t," I assured her.

Had I had the strength, I would have run back to my cabin. As it was, I put on what speed I was capable of--which wasn’t much--afraid that they would start without me if I dallied too long. Throwing off my clothes and leaping into the shower, I was quick to get cleaned up. While one hand was lathering my hair, the other was washing my body, and little by little the gray water ran clean.

Once I had divested myself of the mountain grime, I slipped comfortably into some clean, fresh-smelling clothes and tied my hair away from my face. I permitted my swollen feet the liberation of sandals, and, in record time, I walked out feeling refreshed and started on my way over to Monica’s cabin.

My muscles felt a post-mortem ache as I pushed my tortured body up yet another incline, but, fortunately, the air was cool now that the sun had gone down, and I had begun to adapt to the altitude. At last, cabin number one loomed in sight, and I made the final push towards this haven. Even before I reached the door, I could hear voices inside.

The clunk of my heavy feet against the wooden steps had probably alerted them to my arrival, but I hesitated before giving a loud rap on the door. I knew who would be on the other side, but I was not sure what I was going to say. My knuckles had no sooner made contact than Monica quickly opened it and gave me a pleasant greeting.

"Come on in," she invited with a wave after shutting the door behind me.

Entering behind her, I walked slowly into the living room and looked to see who was there to join us tonight. Seeing David, Brad, Marcy, Dominick, and another couple I did not know, I gave a brief smile and extended a general little wave hello. Everyone was in chairs except Dominick, who was seated on the couch, and they each raised a hand in return.

"Sit down," Monica invited as she walked to the kitchen to grab a bowl of popcorn from the counter.

There was one empty chair left at the closest end of the sofa, and I mentally debated between this one and the empty seat next to Dominick. He had one arm draped over the back of the couch, and he wore a relaxed expression that lured me towards him. My weight had already shifted forward to my toes.

I only hesitated for a matter of milliseconds, but it was enough for the decision to be stolen from me. Whoosh! The sound of a flush interrupted, and I watched with dismay as Angelique came up behind me from the bathroom down the hall. She ignored me completely and trotted gingerly over and appropriated the spot at Dominick’s side. I visibly frowned and stood rather sulkily for a moment before quickly seizing the open chair so that I did not have to be right next to her. I cursed myself for the missed opportunity, but, at the same time, felt that the pressure was now off.

Monica returned and crouched down beneath the television with a black videocassette in one hand. She popped the movie into the VCR and then came to the couch, where she sat down as an unwitting buffer between Angelique and myself.

"Popcorn?" she offered, passing the bowl to me before any of the others.

"Thank you," I said as I took a fluffy handful.

Although I really had no reason to think so, I got the distinct impression that there was more behind this nicety than the obvious. I felt a little more at ease, and I munched quietly as the video flickered to life. At least I got to sit down.

The film was a run-of-the-mill, low-budget thing, and not exceedingly scary by my standards. Forty minutes into it, however, Angelique was behaving as if she was frightened half to death. She had cast off her shoes and had her feet up next to her on the sofa. This tucked her into a position that made her lean towards Dominick, and she had systematically managed to wind her arm around his.

I had noticed this from the very beginning, and I have to admit that I could not refrain from giving them the occasional unseen dirty look. I kept trying to tell myself to pay attention to the movie, but the sight of her with him grated on me something terrible, and I was constantly distracted. I forced my eyes back to the screen.

It was the most clichéd thing I’d ever seen. The buxom main actress was running away from the killer on wobbly stilettos. They were in the middle of the woods, and I was just waiting for the inevitable.

"Ohhhoooo," Angelique squealed with her eyes peeping out between her fingers.

"Uh," I said in disgust, more at Angelique’s over-dramatization than at the poor flick. It came out too loud, and I regretted it immediately.

"What?" asked Dominick.

I turned to see that he was facing me, and Angelique had remarkably recovered herself enough to give me a threatening glare. I was a little embarrassed, having not intended to draw attention to myself, but I thought quickly. I gave a critical point at the television.

"You know she’s going to twist her ankle and fall," I said. It seemed like a good cover, and I decided to go with it all the way. "She’ll flail around on the ground for a while, and then she’ll finally get up with a torn sleeve and one bosom hanging out."

I was not stating anything that had not been observed a thousand times before, but it was the quickest thing I could think of and, of course, what really did make the film so unbearably unoriginal. It proved successful enough, and Angelique removed her daggers from me while the others paid little attention at all. Dominick, however, did not remove his attention from me.

"I wouldn’t be too hard on her," he said with a mischievous smirk. "Anyone can take a fall in the woods."

I colored slightly. "That’s not the point," I retorted.

He smiled, and, with a small twinkle in his eyes, he let me off the hook.

"You prefer to see stronger women?" he asked, picking up on what I was saying and obviously knowing the answer.

"Don’t you?" I popped out nervously before thinking to whom I was speaking.

A broad smile broke on his face. "Oh yes," he said quietly.

It suddenly seemed very quiet in the room, and I answered with a blush. I turned back to the screen, feeling his gaze linger on my cheek for a long moment before he did the same.

When the movie was over, I was beyond tired. I bade everyone goodnight and made my way back to my cabin by the light of the fireflies. Before reaching the door, I was greeted by Tina sitting quietly on the porch in her pajamas.

"Hey," she called, "where have you been?"

"Watching a movie," I answered sleepily with a yawn.

"Uh!" she yelled back. "And you didn’t invite me?"

"I’m sorry," I said. "I sort of had a last-minute invitation myself."

"Well, what was it?" she asked, cooling down.

"A tragedy," I joked with a smile. "Trust me, you didn’t miss a thing."

She didn’t answer anything back, and I was surprised to see her continue to sit out on the porch by herself. I guessed that the relaxing atmosphere was calming her down. It had a remarkable power in that way. I passed through the door and headed down the hall, barely getting myself ready for bed before swiftly passing out.

IV

The next morning, I was happy to discover that we were going to spend the day down by the lake below us. Everyone decked themselves out in their swimsuits and towels and trekked down through the woods to the water. The day was clear and hot, and a swim appeared to be a very nice diversion. I was grateful for a cool, clean activity and the chance to get a nice tan; and, truth be known, I had been tempted to go since the first moment I had seen the pool winking up at me.

Reaching the water’s edge, we judged that the boat ramp appeared to be the best spot to enter. Casting my towel off over a low tree branch, I walked over to it and trod slowly down its rough concrete surface into the water. As I got to the edge, a few territorial little fish, hardly the size of potato chips, commenced bumping into my calves. Hardly the terrifying attack these piranhas had no doubt intended, it was nevertheless rather tickling and annoying, so I hastened to push off into the open water.

It was a refreshing swim--calm, deep, and clear. I wasn’t used to such a large body of freshwater, and I just could not get over it. Saltwater was so much more buoyant, and you could really feel the difference in the workout you got treading water. It was fairly chilly, but the warm air made it bearable, and I followed a cluster of people who swam out a great distance. Looking out at the mountains all around, it felt like we were in a giant soup bowl in the earth.

Rising up on land once again, I laid out my towel as a chaise and stretched out on it for a little sunbathing. The sun was giving a nice steady heat, not in those fluctuating waves it sometimes emanates in the summertime, and I dozed lightly as I lay there. The whole time, I kept marveling to myself: How on earth did I end up here?

How did I manage to get here with these people? It suddenly seemed like such a great accomplishment to have come out of my little reclusive lifestyle all the way out in the woods with a bunch of strangers, and it just blew my mind. It was so unlike me to go for this sort of thing, and yet it was exactly what I wanted. In an odd way, it really made me feel like I was a part of something.

As I pondered thus, I toasted both sides of my body and was pleasantly dried in no time. When I judged my tan to be complete and crossing the line into a burn, I decided to head for the shade. I looked around to see some people still in the water, some out in the sun like I had been, and a few sitting under the trees. None appeared to be close to heading back, so I decided to return by myself. I was ready to change into some real clothes again, and my tongue was crying out for something to drink.

It took a while for me to meander my way back up the slope, but my legs felt as though the muscles were finally growing stronger. Reaching my cabin, I went in and changed quickly into fresh clothes. Throwing the last button through its hole as I went, I strolled out the front door and headed for the main house in search of something to quench my thirst.

As I mounted the last step and closed the distance to the house, I was surprised to see Dominick sitting in his rocking chair out on the porch. I had never judged him to be the reading sort, but he had a book propped in one hand, and he appeared to be genuinely engrossed in it. Even as I stepped onto the porch, he did not look up. After a second’s pause, I opted to pass him by and go directly into the house. After satiating myself with a glass of water, however, I worked up my courage and passed back out to him. Everyone else was still down by the lake, so there wasn’t a soul in sight.

Trying to appear nonchalant, I approached Dominick where he sat rocking and curiously tried to glance over at the cover of what he was reading. Perhaps it would shed some light on his personality, I thought. With a shock, my eyes finally deciphered the title, and I made the unlikely discovery that it was a book on the power of music. I stood motionless diagonally in front of him.

"Interesting choice," I said casually, referring to the book.

With one smooth motion, he finally looked up from the page and met my eyes. Lowering the book to the floor, he let it go and gave me a very sensual glance.

"It’s amazing what rhythmic stimulation can do to the body," he said seriously.

My cheeks colored under the effects of this innuendo, and he gave a pleased smile. All bravery leaked out through my toes, and I looked around for an escape.

"Well," I finally blurted stumblingly, "I’ll leave you to your reading."

I had just turned to step away when he suddenly threw his arms around my waist. He pulled me down onto his lap and retained me with his arms still wrapped around me. I was stunned and sat there stiffly, but he squeezed me back against him and began to rock us both in the chair--back and forth, back and forth… I didn’t know what to do.

"Look," I said after a moment, "I thought you and Angelique...."

"Shush," he said into my ear. "You need to learn to relax."

I shivered so hard that he surely must have felt it, but he did not appear to pay any mind. He gave me a little shake trying to get me to relinquish my stiff posture and lean into him. When I could no longer hold my neck forward, I cautiously allowed my head to rest against his shoulder. His warm pressure was all around me, and the hand that had started out upon my forearm slid slowly down to my thigh even as the other still clasped me around my stomach. I watched the one upon my leg very closely to make sure that it would crawl no farther.

He continued to rock me upon his lap, and I found the situation filled with tension on so many levels. My back pressed into him on our way back, and his body pressed up into the back of my thighs as we rocked forward. The result was very rhythmic and suggestive. He nuzzled his face closer to mine, and I could hear him take a long, savoring breath.

"You smell so good," he said with a satisfied inhale.

I pressed my palms against the arms of the chair and forced myself up. He did not restrain me, but he let his hands take their time in slipping off of my body. He smiled calmly at me as I turned around to face him, and he maintained that unflinching gaze that I had come to think of as his trademark. I found myself strangely turned on, and I was torn for a moment as to what I should do.

"What do you want?" I demanded of him.

His grin grew deeper and more seductive.

"You know what I want. You want it too, you’re just afraid."

I squirmed with embarrassment as my feelings divided against themselves. At last, I beat a hasty retreat, and, with a turn on my heel, stepped off the porch and walked away. I could feel his eyes on my back as I went, and I couldn’t breathe until I had walked down the path far enough to shield myself from his stare.

Unfortunately, as my luck would have it, I became the victim of my own bad timing. I had no sooner achieved such liberty from him than I beheld Angelique ascending up the stairs towards me. It was not a welcome sight.

"Oh no," I said quietly under my breath.

Her eyes were fixed on the ground as she went, and she only noticed my presence as we came directly upon one another. She glared at me suspiciously over her shoulder and gave a sniff as we passed, but then she stopped just behind me. She spun around.

"I think it’s time we had a little talk," she said testily.

I halted and turned slowly around to face her. I hated confrontation, and I knew by her belligerent tone that she had nothing good to say. With a deep breath, I managed to shift my eyes up to meet hers. Unfortunately, she was higher up on the incline, so she was literally looking down on me--a position I found immensely unpleasant.

"Yes?" I asked quietly, crossing my arms as I prepared to listen.

"We need to set a few things straight," she prefaced again. "I’ve seen the way you’ve been looking at Dominick."

I broke eye contact a little, but tried to force myself to confront her.

"I’ve let it go until now because you’re new and don’t know any better," she continued solemnly, "but you need to get one thing straight from now on: He is mine."

I didn’t like how she separated the last three words in the tone of an ultimatum.

I raised one eyebrow, trying to control myself and summon the gumption to deliver a cold counterattack. I couldn’t stand this woman.

"Then why are we having this conversation?" I asked icily.

Her cheeks colored three shades, and her pupils narrowed to two tiny points. The black temper that had been churning beneath the surface broke forth with full fury.

"Listen you little tramp," she yelled, "I’ve worked too hard getting in good with his father. I won’t stand for your interference, so you better save your flirting for someone else. Get in my way again, and I’ll kill you."

She stomped off before I had the opportunity to retort, and I watched her all the way up as she went. My blood boiled under her foul words, and I felt like slapping her pompous little mouth. How dare she talk to me that way! He was the one coming after me.

I thought about this for a moment and tried to settle myself as I walked back to my cabin. In the comfort of my own room I managed a smile and shook my head. I wasn’t stupid; I realized what was going on. He was free game, and she was worried.

The next day--and for the rest of the week for that matter--I did not see much of Angelique or of Dominick. Everyone rose bright and early in the morning, and, with much yawning and rubbing of eyes, we began a day packed from dawn to dusk with activity. White-water rafting was on tab, and the whole crew arrived at one of the local advertised outfitters with plenty of day still ahead.

As we got out of our cars, a good old cowboy type fellow was there to greet us, no doubt seeing dollar signs as he surveyed our large party. Half the group wandered away a distance so as to escape any interaction with him, but I found him rather entertaining and put in an ear. He chattered away happily as he gave out all of the gear, and in no time at all I had learned his entire life story. After about a half-dozen yarns about bootlegging and whatnot, I decided that listening to him was half the fun of the trip right there, whether he was lying or not. When he started asking questions about our group, however, the others seemed to get antsy, and they tried their best to hurry him up.

When we were ready, we left the gregarious owner behind and pushed off into the frigid mountain water. My feet went instantly numb as the burning cold seeped up my calves like frosty vines wrapping round the bones. My shoes slipped on the smooth, flat river rocks, and I think I held onto the boat for balance more than I actually propelled it forward. By teamwork, however, we did eventually move the boat a sufficient distance; and, as soon as we were afloat, my group popped quickly into the boat to get their toes back in the dry sunshine. I cringed as I thought of being sprayed and possibly dumped into the freezing liquid.

Planting my bottom on the firm rubber at the side of the boat, I did my part in taking up one of the plastic paddles. With much effort, my fellow crew and I got our motions synchronized, and we were soon pushing ourselves forward with the artificial flippers. Moving out into the deeper water, we began our way down the tumultuous river.

As the water began to churn more violently, changing into that bubbly opaque for which it is so aptly named, everyone listened all the more closely to instructions. The dips and bobs and weaves of the boat sent an icy slap across my face with increasing frequency, and we tried our best not to collide with the projecting rocks and occasional branches that seemed to rise out of nowhere from the seething cauldron. Woops of adventurous joy echoed in front of and behind us over the rumbling roar and echoed off the rock, and, as I glanced up and down the line, it seemed like we were in some kind of lurching aquatic caravan.

Although I spent the first leg of the journey attempting to clutch the boat with one white fist even as the other hand worked the oar, I began to get used to and then get into the whole adventure as we went along. As we were tossed along the river, changing speeds with each new push, I sort of let go and went with it. Once I did, it just seemed like one long amusement ride. Pretty soon I was screaming for another waterfall, obsessed with finding a newer, bigger one to shoot over.

By the end, even I joined the collective whine of disappointment as we reached the conclusion of our trip. As we pulled our rafts back ashore with gelatinous arms, I reflected with pride that I had made it. I hadn’t been dumped out of the boat even once, and I had a hardy chuckle at the poor drenched people behind us who had completely pitched over. I didn’t even mind that I was soaking wet from the spray and splashing; the cold didn’t feel so bad anymore.

As we loaded back into our cars to leave, all lips were in motion jabbering about what we had done. It was the unwavering opinion that the river trip had been an enormous success, and no one could stop talking about it even after we got back to our cabins. It wasn’t until after the showers and the dry clothes that the chatter died down, and then only because no one could move a muscle, let alone speak anymore. None slept unwell that night.

The following day, I awoke to find, regrettably, that my arms were still stiff and sore from the previous day’s escapades. By the time I had finished breakfast with the others up at the main house, however, I began to loosen up, and I was soothed by the good spirits that had come to rest in my chest. Although I had, of course, seen Dominick in passing the previous day, I had not spoken to him, and I half wondered what he was up to. As for Tina, she never seemed to be around, and I presumed she must be always with David. So, for the first time, I was left without my usual companions and cast into the group at large. Fortunately, our perilous float, as it were, had placed my fellow boatmen and I on friendlier terms, so we just sort of mutually came together again for our next challenge--this time, something I had never heard of before.

There was apparently a zip-line course nearby that was supposed to be really great fun. The uniqueness and daring of the activity appealed, of course, to my companions, and it was considered imperative that we go. The concept of nearby, I had learned, was rather relative, so we were rushed along to get going early. It seemed like some of us were still swallowing the last bites of breakfast even as the tires spewed up the dusty gravel in one long trail down the mountainside.

It took us a fairly long time and more than one wrong turn to find the pretty little place where the course was located, and the property itself was large enough to require some minutes driving time. We went directly to a large farmhouse-type lodge, and Monica left us standing outside while she took care of arranging everything with the people inside. When she was done, she returned to us and led us around the back of the house where the whole group was met by a couple of guides. I was feeling more daring and curious than usual, so I went ahead and strode up closer to the front of the group.

The morning was still so fresh that the air was moist and the grass dewy, and the clouds still held a hint of dull silver. All around us was nothing but soft rolling hills and massive old trees anchored in the ground, and it made me feel both peaceful and excited at the same time. Keeping pace with our guides, we were led across a wide, open green pasture. In the distance, other visitors were sauntering along on horseback in serenity.

Around me, all that could be heard were the soft footfalls of my companions, but the wind blew, and I heard the far-off snorts of the agitated horses as they beheld our group walking across their turf. Their riders gave their heads an insistent jerk, however, and the animals settled and moved on. Winding over a hill out of sight, we made our way to a little shack at the edge of the trees.

Our guides went through all of the equipment, just as the man at the whitewater place had done, and assured us of the immense tonnage each piece could withstand. I followed along as they led us through the steps for putting on each piece, and, when I was done, stood there feeling like a mess of straps and hooks and knots and metal. A quick check by one of the guides, however, insured that everything was in fact in place, and we were now ready for the event at hand.

We approached the first zip-line wire of the course, and my eyes followed it as it continued off the hillside and disappeared through the trees. I felt a nervous flutter in my chest as I thought about the height, but, more than that, I felt sincerely excited about doing something new. The lead guide hooked himself to the wire, took a running start, then slid off over the void and disappeared through the bushy branches. A minute later, the loud call of his voice signaled his assistant that he had reached the invisible tree-house beyond and was ready for the rest of us to come on over.

"All right, how about you?" the other guide asked, motioning for me to go next.

I washed aside the who-me look and tried to appear brave as I stepped forward.

"Make sure you get a running start," she instructed, "or you won’t reach the other side, and we’ll have to go get you."

I nodded to assure her I understood, and she selected one of the dangling pieces of equipment from my waist and pulled it up to latch it securely in place on the wire. I took a deep breath.

"Okay," she said.

I took off running at full speed down the hillside, moving to my toes as the ground began to sink below me. I gave a final shove off, and my feet continued to kick in a running pattern even as they no longer struck the ground below. The straps around my legs and across my butt tightened, and there was a momentary sensation of weightlessness before the wire above my head stopped sinking and went taught. I sped along at what felt like a hundred miles an hour, and I barely noticed the wee distant earth below me as I focused on the awaiting tree-house and the extended hand of the guide ahead of me. The wind sped past my face, and the deafening whir of the wire filled my ears. My feet hit the wooden edge of the house with a thud as I made contact.

The guide pulled me in and hooked me securely to the middle of the house before calling for the next person. My heart pounded and my jaw and eyes stood agape. Suddenly my lips formed into a huge smile. That was the most exhilarating experience of my life! I fell in love with it instantly.

The others were slowly sent across to join us, and, throughout the day, we worked our way through the forest canopy, line-by-line and house-by-house. The greatest challenge, I learned, was keeping yourself from getting spun around backwards on the wire, but I soon got better at avoiding this. Equipped with harness and helmet, I discovered a fantastic new sport in rolling along a wire at high speed seventy feet above the forest floor, and I did not want to let it go.

If the society was renowned for daring to be different, it certainly was living up to its reputation. I could not remember the last time I felt so alive, and I found myself actually looking forward to whatever came next. It was like being in on a great inside secret, and, as the days passed, I began to take pride in being a part of it all. Like Tina, I hoped that I would be initiated as a full member.

V

When the end of the week finally came, there was much chatter, and everyone seemed to be even more hyper than usual. There was a general sense of expectancy in the air, and, though no one would tell me exactly what it was, it was apparent that the climax of the week was scheduled for this evening. It was just a matter of waiting and seeing.

As if to drive everyone crazy by toying with our impatience, Monica did not occupy us with any planned activity, but instead declared a free day. We were left to our own devices, though given strict instructions to be back at the main house by eleven that night. I thought this was terribly late, and I too was unsure of what to do with myself during the interim.

Tina and many of the others went down to the lake to relax. Though I had enjoyed myself doing that earlier in the week, it did not particularly appeal to me today. I preferred to make the most of the visit and do something that I hadn’t already done, so I instead joined several people on a trip into town.

My initial impression of the area had been that it was charming, and I was not too disappointed upon closer inspection. In the beginning, as we first got there, I basically trailed behind some of the others as they visited the souvenir shops that were present in abundance. I tried to interest myself in the T-shirts and hats and glasses, etc., but having no intention of making a purchase sucked some of the fun out of it. So, I soon departed from the group to make my own way about town, and I found this independent move more rewarding.

I examined some of the more unique stores, and poked at objects I had never seen before or that I could not even identify. Flashy price tags with big numbers hung on each one, however, so I was dissuaded from any real temptation, and I instead regarded the places more as museums than shops. When I grew bored of that, I grabbed some lunch at one of the local places and then took a small walking tour. The Chamber of Commerce provided a detailed and colorful map of town that anyone could follow, and I generally learned more about this small little haven than was really necessary. Being a diminutive place, I could only squander so many hours there, however, and it didn’t take long before I was back in my car heading for the hills.

By the time I was out of my car at the cabins again, a glance at my watch told me that it was late afternoon. I was still left with a long time before tonight’s big event, so, after much thought, I decided to go for a little walk to kill the time. Rather than start from the cabins as I had on our original hike, however, I began from where I was parked and moved in the opposite direction.

Unable to decide whether to ascend or descend the mountain, I opted to move rather side-like. I found this to be a much more relaxed walk, albeit that one leg rapidly grew more fatigued than the other. Though alone, I felt by no means lonely, and I decided that I was becoming accustomed to the laid-back atmosphere.

I had hoped to see some wildlife on my walk--a bird, a deer, even a squirrel for Pete’s sake--but not a single creature was seen or heard to stir on all the mountainside. I stepped as lightly as I could--not one of those people trudging along the nature trail talking at full volume, whining about how there are no animals to be seen--and I did not think that I had made any noise. However, except for my own disturbing presence, I could find no other explanation for why there wasn’t a thing in sight.

Disappointed, I meandered back the way I had come, happy to work my other leg on the incline and make it even. Passing my car on the way, I continued my exercise, though I decided to remain close to our cabin area. When my feet and the recreation of the thing were exhausted, I headed up to the main house to sit in the shade. There was no one there, and I settled into one of a pair of leather armchairs tucked against the far wall.

At the beginning of the week, I might have considered such unoccupied pastime a grand waste of time, but I had now unwound enough so that I was content to sit and relax here. It was nice to be away from the sun and buzzing insects, and the smell of the cool wood was soothing. After a few minutes, I settled back comfortably and gently closed my eyes.

Listening quietly, I could just barely hear the echoes of the people down by the lake. Somewhere near the far shore, a boat motor made a gentle hum. Closer than that, I could hear male hollers and higher-pitched female laughs that fit logically in time with the sounds of splashes and cannonballs. These reverberations sounded as though they rose from the very depths of the earth, and I reflected again that it seemed like I was on top of the world.

"Mind if I join you?"

It was a male voice, and no distant one at that. The clarity and proximity of it startled me, and I opened my eyes to find Dominick standing before me with his hand already on the back of the other chair. One of his dark eyebrows was lifted in silent repetition of his question, and I was once again surprised by his knack for showing up at the right time, though it somewhat bothered me that he might be watching my every move. Without waiting any longer for my response, he took a seat and appeared to settle comfortably in it almost instantly. I continued to watch him, feeling rather at a loss.

"Don’t look so worried," he said calmly as he wove his fingers together across his stomach. "I don’t bite."

I smiled despite myself and snapped out of it a bit, although I still had trouble finding a response for him. God he was gorgeous!

"Did I look worried?" I asked quietly after the befuddled pause.

"Terribly," he answered with a grin. "But I bet I can relax you."

I almost flinched as he reached his hand towards my knee, but I allowed it to make contact. He slid it slowly down the back of my calf, his eyes undistracted from mine, and I sat up straighter in my seat as if bracing myself. When he got to my ankle, however, he surprised me. Pulling up on the back of it, he brought my foot up in the air and slowly undid my shoe and slipped it off. Laying my foot bare upon his knee, he began to massage it, all the while with a barely concealed smirk that twitched at the corners of his lips. Realizing what he was doing, I finally released the breath I had been holding.

"So tense," he said after a moment, shooting me a glance from under his lowered brow.

I returned an uncomfortable smile but gave no remark.

As he continued rubbing, I tried hard to relax, nervous that he would feel that I was nervous, and, after a while, I actually did begin to feel the muscles slowly slackening. It was a gradual, but steady process, and Dominick appeared quite determined in the act. Slowly but surely, the relaxation moved up my ankle, crawled along my leg, and continued upward in my body.

"You know," he said in a deep flirtatious tone, "they say that if you apply pressure to a certain spot of the sole, you can stimulate every nerve in the entire body."

I sucked in a short breath and held it. I think he had found that spot. As he moved his thumb within the arch, I realized that it was no longer just my foot that felt the press of his fingers. My skin suddenly seemed exposed and sensitive to his touch, and I sunk lower into my chair. I allowed the foot upon the floor to slide over next to his, and I permitted a slight shiver. There were so many things I could have said at that moment, but I declined every word, allowing the touch to carry any communication. Again the thought occurred to me, more insistent, more aggressive than any my mind had conceived or dared before: I wanted him.

Bang! The sound of the screen door slamming made me jump, and I ripped my foot away with a quick jerk that left his hands poised in motion. I could not have felt more embarrassed if I’d been caught mid-coitus, and I turned away my reddened face.

With my countenance shielded by a curtain of hair at my cheek, I heard more than saw what was happening. It was just one of the guys from the lake, probably coming in for a beer, and his flip-flopped feet patted through the room with a gait in between a walk and a jog. He didn’t even look our way, but darted to the back, grabbed whatever he wanted and ran right out again, oblivious to the disruption he had caused. As the door bounced shut, I remained frozen for a moment, only slowly raising my hand to tuck the hair behind my ear. All arousal was now crushed by the guilty blush and the embarrassment that stood keen like fear in my heart. I looked over at Dominick and saw that he was smiling devilishly.

"I better go," I said, dropping my eyes in a flustered hurry.

I sprung up and thrust my foot in my shoe, crushing the heel down with a stomp, and started hobbling away in retreat. Dominick’s voice followed me to the door.

"Always running away," he said, rising slowly to his own feet. "Maybe someday someone will catch you."

I did not acknowledge the comment, but made my way out as quickly as possible, wondering exactly why I felt so conflicted. I did not slacken my speed nor fix my shoe until I was securely within my own domicile, and only then, after many breaths, could I admit my own impish smile.

The night fell fast on the mountainside, and I soon found myself up in the main house again, this time with the full party. The main room had been cleared of furniture, and all that remained were the bare wood panels and the clutter of dusty knickknacks on the mantel. Everyone sat on the bare floor, and I picked out a spot at the back next to Tina and tried to find a position for my legs that wouldn’t put them to sleep. Monica was standing at the front of the room like a camp counselor with instructions.

"In accordance with the founding principles of this, the fifth Chapter of the North American Lycanthropic Society," she announced, "we will now perform the annual ceremony of what has become affectionately termed The Massacre of the Fairies."

I smiled at the seriousness with which the speaker was convening the ceremony, but I was still a little disturbed. Massacre of the Fairies? Could this be the initiation?

"Now, for you newcomers and anyone else who may have forgotten," she continued, "the rules are as follows: When the clock strikes midnight, you will have ten minutes to take to the woods before the wolf comes after you. Our wolf this year will be Dominick here, so you better watch out."

She pointed to Dominick as she said this, and he gave a little bow to the group. As I watched him, his eyes narrowed and stroked over each and every face as if he really were a wolf sizing up his prey. He had a hungry look. When his gaze fell on me, he lit into a broad smile that made me jump and blush, though with a tingle.

David was sitting next to Tina, and he leaned over confidentially to whisper to us both. "It’s basically like an elaborate game of hide-and-go-seek for grownups," he informed with a snicker, his tone undermining the seriousness of Monica’s solemn proclamation.

Tina and I nodded and smiled, happy to have it brought down to earth for us. It seemed foolish, but at least now it sounded more benign.

"All right," Monica proceeded at the front, "we don’t have much time. I’ve got camouflage body paint for anyone who wants it. So start stripping, and I’ll pass it around."

"Stripping?" I exclaimed questioningly out loud.

My heart stopped with the shock, and my face went numb. Tina’s face betrayed similar anxiety, though her eyes squinted in disbelief even as mine bulged. Everyone was standing up, and, to my horrified sight, the people around us began removing pants, tops, underwear, and all.

"You’ve got to be kidding me!" I protested to the unresponsive air around me.

For the first time, I was able to identify the other newcomers as they stood out with the same expressions on their faces. Monica, who had been directing this whole affair, strode up to us completely bare from head to toe. She had a bag in her hand, the only cloth in contact with her skin.

"Don’t look so scared," she said, laughing. "You can wear these if you don’t want to go all the way your first time."

My mouth remained agape as, out of the bag, she pulled a bikini with fatigue print and tossed it to me. Similar apparel was distributed to the women and men around me, and, when at last the horror if not the shock was dispelled from our faces, she disappeared back the way she had come. Overcoming the initial surprise, I looked up to see the door open to the bathroom down the hall and sent my feet into instant action. I moved quickly to be the first to claim this private space, and I closed and locked the door securely behind me when I reached it.

"How the hell did I get myself into this?" I asked, whining at my reflection.

I had been with these people all week, had done a lot of things I had never dreamed of doing, and I just could not feel the bravado to refuse. I could not find the will or words to say that simple two-letter negative. Somehow, perhaps ridiculously, it appeared rude for me not to participate, like it would disappoint them in some way. Despite my reluctance, I knew I would end up going along with this.

There was a tap at the door.

"Just a minute," I called out.

I quickly tore off what I was wearing and squeezed into the suit, which was little more than dental floss. A parting look in the mirror assured me that I wasn’t going out naked, although I certainly felt that way. Using my removed clothing as a shield, I exited hesitantly. Another girl walked past me, and I modestly made my way back out to the group.

By the time I got up the courage to stride out into the midst of everyone, the majority had succeeded in discarding their clothing and painting themselves green and brown. As I went, I tried to keep my eyes up at head level so as to avoid all of those body parts, but it was just too hard. No matter which direction I looked, someone’s anatomy was peeping back at me. Seeing a vacant spot in the corner, I shot quickly over to it and turned my back to the room as I placed my clothes down there. As I straightened up, I heard Dominick’s voice behind me.

"Paint?" he offered.

"Sure, I...." I was cut off as I turned around and caught sight of him.

He was completely nude save for the thin layer of gray paint over his skin and a silver pelt on his back. This fur cloak was crowned with a hideous canine head that sat atop and framed his face. My eyes had already slid down over him before I could stop myself, and the rouge shot through my cheeks.

"Oh…I…um," I stuttered as I reached out for the jar of paint with averted eyes.

He laughed heartily at my embarrassment, but handed it to me. The base tone of his voice resonated against something in my chest.

"Here," he added, "This is for you."

I tried to look at him while maintaining a level glance. As usual, he was obviously enjoying my discomfort. In his hands, he held out a garland crown, the type you might indeed see wreathing a sylvan fairy’s brow. My heart was pounding as he stepped so close I could feel the heat radiating off of his body. He set the wreath gently down on the top of my head and allowed himself to run his fingers down through my hair as he released it.

"Be my queen tonight?" he whispered, his voice tinged by the most tender tone I’d ever heard him use.

I did not know how to answer, but merely remained stunned with my jaw dropped in a gape. He took a step back.

"Better hurry," he said, the corners of his mouth barely twitching upwards, "I’ll be coming for you soon."

My cheeks burned more brilliantly. He turned from me and receded back into the room. I raised one tentative hand to inquisitively touch the crown upon my head, and then I hastened to apply the cold muddy paint to my body. Inch by inch, fresh pink skin was replaced with the colors of bark and moss until I looked like I myself had sprung from the soil.

"It’s almost time everybody. Get ready," Monica’s voice boomed over the milling voices.

The room fell instantly quiet, and all was a deathly silence as anticipation made the air grow thick and humid. I stood ready, waiting for the signal that I was supposed to begin running. All other thoughts were hushed as I waited for that single moment to tip us into the future. Suddenly, the hollow chime of the old clock on the mantel striking out the witching hour seemed to bounce off the beams and reverberate through the entire room. I jumped.

Pandemonium broke loose. Whoops and screams flew out from people on every side, and a stampede seemed to explode through the crowd. The door was shoved open with a thud, and a couple dozen naked tree people catapulted out into the night air. I was slow to react, but at last I got my feet moving and followed close at their heels, though with different zeal. As I did so, I saw Dominick out of the corner of my eye. He was leaning against the wall with his head slightly downcast. As I passed through the door, his intense dark eyes fixed on me under the shadow of his brows. I shot him a small smile as I went.

I ran as quickly as I could while still being careful not to trip or stub my toe on one of the stones that jutted out here and there from the mossy green. Fortunately, the moon was nearly full, and the sky was clear. The light was of that cold silver-white typical of such a night, and I could see fairly well. I could smell the vegetation as if the aroma were rising out of the pores of the forest floor. The crisp, humid air tickled the skin of my belly and gave me an odd sense of jubilation. I felt truly liberated, and the excitement was beginning to take hold of me.

When I deemed I had run far enough, I veered left towards an especially thick patch of trees. I ran up behind them and quieted my breath so that I could listen. There was incredible, penetrating silence except for the palpitations of my own heart. Several minutes passed. Then, suddenly, I heard it: a long, eerie howl pierced the moist night air. The sound made me shiver, and I knew that it was Dominick and, more importantly, that he was coming for me.

Silence reigned for a long time as I counted off the seconds with my pulse. One, two, three, four… A twig snapped loudly off to my right in front of me. Could he have found me that quickly? I pressed my stomach against the trunk of the tree and tried to peer around into the dark. The bark was scratchy against me, but it stimulated an odd sort of shiver down my back. I could not see anything ahead of me.

I nearly stopped my breath as I strained to listen. Breathing. A long moment of dumb incomprehension passed before I realized that the source of the respiration was not in front, but directly behind me. I turned my head sideways with the sudden awareness, and Dominick’s low, rumbling laughter broke the air. It came up closer towards my spine, but I did not turn around to look. I felt the air pressure altered at my back, and then his voice seeped into my ear from just inches away.

"I found you," he dragged out slowly in a whispering taunt.

My body had grown warmer, and my breath had quickened, but I did not spin to face him. His hand ran gently through my hair, and his hot, bare skin closed the distance to press against me. I could feel the greasy paint slide between us. His weight pressed me against the jagged armor of the tree, but his right hand slid around my stomach and rocked me back into him as he caressed my neck.

I closed my eyes as he kissed his way down. He put his hands on my shoulders and ran them down to each hand. Winding his fingers between mine, he raised my hands above my head and then pressed them up against the wood in front of me in the position of an arrestee. He left them there to continue feeling down my inner arms, and I did not attempt to move them. When he got to my ribs, he pushed the bikini top out of his way as he ran his hands over my breasts. I let out a sigh. His mouth still fluttered from under my ear to the curve of my shoulder, and it felt as though my body had exploded with a chemical release. I had never been so turned on in my life.

His hands continued to slide and feel my chest. It was the most erotic experience I had ever had, and I could almost have come to fulfillment with that alone. He continued moving, however, and his hand now slid down over my belly and under the small triangle of cloth that still kept me decent. He rubbed gently here as I let escape the sounds of my pleasure. Having barely teased out my desire, he slid his hands around to my hips.

He clenched tight his fists around the side straps of my suit, and he began to slowly kiss his way down the runway of my backbone. He pulled the cloth down my legs as he lowered to his knees, and I felt the heat clash with cold as he freed me to the cool night air. His caress followed down to my hip, and I peered upwards into the dark branches above me questioningly as I lost myself in the moment. I could not conceive of how alive and sensitive my skin had become, every nerve. His mouth moved down and around to my buttock.

"Ow!" I screeched under the sharp, horrific pain that suddenly clamped into my left cheek.

It sliced through body and spirit alike, and the moment was irrevocably shattered. Dominick was already back on his feet, and I reached a hand round to the throbbing spot. It was warm and wet; I was bleeding.

"You bit me!" I accused in utter shock. I stared at the darkened spot again as if to assure myself of the fact. "You son of a bitch, you bit me! Why the hell did you do that?"

He did not answer, or else I did not hear him if he did. I felt so completely stunned and humiliated. I dropped to grab my suit bottom off the ground and pulled it up with a hurried jerk. As I straightened up, Dominick shot in and pinned me against the tree.

"Shshsh," he commanded with his finger against my lips. "Don’t tell anyone. I’ll explain later."

He let his finger drop and slid his hands down my collar. Pinching the cloth, he gently rearranged my top to cover my breasts, which were still half-exposed. Doing this, he gave me a quick kiss on my lips, spun around, and took off running through the woods. He disappeared into the darkness.

I remained for several minutes unable to move. I was understandably upset, and I alternated between gaping in astonishment and letting loose a few tears. I didn’t understand what he had done, and despite myself I felt a little ashamed. What was I thinking, getting it on with this guy out in the middle of the woods like an animal?

Recomposing myself as best I could, I hobbled back to the house. As I got to the door, the sound of voices alerted me that there were a few other people already in there. I hesitated a moment before turning the knob and walking in.

"So, he got you too," one of the men said, commiserating.

I paled, but fortunately it was concealed under the paint.

"I have to get this paint off of me," I said by way of excuse.

I turned and started walking towards the bathroom.

"Oh honey," a female voice called out behind me, "you better look out; you’re bleeding."

I glanced round and tried to look at the wound as if it were news to me.

"Oh yeah," I said, "I fell down."

I walked to the bathroom and closed the door.

Looking into the mirror, I startled myself with the odd image reflected. My hands were shaking as I reached them up to remove the crown. My lip shook as I removed it, and I leaned against the sink with my head bowed as I tried to gather my feelings. Slowly, I took up the bar of soap and began to wash my face. I was dismayed to find that it took three washings to get it all off. Damn it! It was the last thing I needed at that moment. Twisting to look at my wound, I saw the clear teeth marks in red.

"Jesus!" I cussed with one hand at my temple.

I decided that I had best go take a shower and get some disinfectant on it right away. Before opening the door, I looked from the mirror to the sink one last time. I hesitated only a moment before tossing the damnable crown into the waist basket.

Exiting the bathroom, I discovered that the number of people inside had doubled. They were expressing sympathy for one another over the loss of the game, but their voices were loud and jubilant nonetheless. I slipped out unnoticed. As I traversed the distance to my cabin, I grew nervous that I would run into someone along the way. All the sound emanated from the house behind me, however, and I reached my door without incident. I was quick to lock the door behind me, and I walked directly to the bathroom to clean myself up. As if that could wash away the sin I felt.

When I had succeeded in divesting myself of my painted layers and had stopped all bleeding with a bandage, I went into the living room to wait up for Tina. She would be a good one to talk to about what had happened. I knew she would keep it a secret, and she would understand how upset I was. I hoped she would get back soon.

I was still mulling over the situation again and again in my head. It was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong! What was I thinking? I realized that not a single thought had arisen to stop me. Where was inhibition? Where was modesty? What was happening to me? I couldn’t believe how this guy had gotten into my head. Stupid!

My self-chastisement kept me awake and alert for a long time. When Tina still wasn’t back yet, however, I decided not to wait up for her any longer. I was angry with her for not being there when I needed her, but I knew she wasn’t psychic. The party sounded as if it was still in full swing, so I knew she could be out with them for hours. I tried to console myself as best as possible, and I tucked myself into bed with the knowledge that it would probably be a very bad night.

My expectations of a disruptive night were unfortunately not disappointed, though not by the cause I had anticipated. It seemed that my body had decided to act out my state of mind, or else the shock to my nerves had been more than I realized. Whatever the case, I found that it was my body that would not be still, and the muscles of my limbs began to flinch with periodic spasms. Just as I’d start to drift off to sleep, I felt a sort of sinking sensation. Then my whole body jerked, and I came jolting back awake.

While this did not cause me particular worry at the onset, its persistence throughout the night began to give me more than a little irritation and great cause for concern. I had never experienced seizures before, and I became frightened that I was having some sort of allergic reaction. My mind probed for an explanation, and I thought back through the day. Something I ate? No, I had not eaten anything unusual. Something I touched? With the tenacity of conviction, I suddenly realized that I had come into contact with any number of different plants out in the forest, any of which could have disagreed with me. That must be it.

I calmed myself as best I could, relying on the probability that it was nothing serious. I suffered silently as so many do, from one ailment or another, propped up in the shadowy corner of my bed waiting for dawn. I tried to free my mind from worry, but it was a futile battle. Drifting in and out, I made it through the night with my heart focused on escaping in the morning. I just hoped that Tina would be ready to go.

VI

When I awoke, I was surprised to find that the sun was shining brightly. I had finally managed to fall asleep sometime in the early hours of the morning, and I had unfortunately overslept. Barely had my eyelids parted then I immediately bounced up and ran to Tina’s room, spurred by a sense of urgency that I had bottled up as long as I could. My heart sank as my eyes turned the corner.

Damn it! Inside her room, the bed was already neatly made, and the clock on the bedside informed me that it was almost eleven. She had already gone out, and I would now have to wait until she got back. Of all the luck! I could neither leave as I had intended nor even have the solace of confiding my troubles in my friend. This agitated me more and only served to make the situation seem all the worse.

I trod back to my room and got dressed, upset beyond belief that I would now be stuck here longer. I worried that I would run into Dominick again, and I did not feel up to that uncomfortable confrontation. He hadn’t come after me last night, thank goodness, but I knew that he would surely seek me today. I consoled myself with one doubtful hope: maybe I could find Tina and get out of here before he found me.

Of course, to do that, I would have to leave the security of the cabin. While I did not relish the thought of facing the world right at that moment, I decided the venture was worth it if it got me on the road that much sooner. As I forced myself out the door, however, my hope was instantly dashed.

Dominick was sitting quietly on the edge of the porch, and he jumped to his feet as I came out. He was now clean and clothed, and I wondered how long he had been waiting there--it looked like several hours at least. My face crunched up and dropped when I saw him, but I quickly drew it taut into icy stone.

"I need to explain," he started.

"No explanation necessary," I grumbled angrily, stepping off the porch and walking away at a determined pace.

"Yes there is," he said, sounding genuinely worried, though his voice maintained its confidence. "You don’t understand."

"Oh, I understand," I snapped back. "I understand that you’re some kind of pervert!"

This comment apparently had much more of an effect on him than I had anticipated, and I was shocked to hear him stop dead in his tracks behind me. Not wanting surprise to be construed as weakness, however, I continued stomping away at full momentum. I did not dare turn to see his facial expression, but I imagined it to be something like being stung.

I marched on and practically ran up the steps to the main house, relieved to hear no feet behind me. I was buttressed by the hope for an expeditious exit, but I was again let down as I looked around at the nearly vacant building. Monica was the only one there. She was seated at the table, perusing some papers in front of her.

"Have you seen Tina?" I asked without any kind of greeting.

She looked up in surprise, either because of the question or because of the tone in which it was asked.

"No," she said. "Is something wrong?"

"Yes," I answered distractedly, my eyes already scanning down the mountainside in search of her, "I’m leaving as soon as I can find her."

"Well, I’ll certainly send her your way if I see her, but I’m sorry to hear you want to leave so soon," she assured in a smooth voice.

Still wrapped in my thoughts, I barely paid attention to her words, and I ignored her rather rudely.

"You really should let Dominick explain," she said out of nowhere, instantly recapturing my attention. I jerked my head around to face her. "It’s really not safe for you to go away uninformed."

Even as my cheeks blossomed, I turned on her with a scowl. It was not what she had said, but the implication behind it. "You know what he did?"

"Of course," she responded as if it were obvious. "My brother and I are very close." She punctuated the remark with a light smirk.

I colored more boldly with embarrassment and vexation. I felt as if I were the butt of an enormous practical joke, and I would have done anything to teleport away from such a terrible state. Finding my teeth too tightly clenched to speak, I threw open the door with a bang and stormed out of the building without another word. With those dark family eyes that seemed to bore into my skin, Monica watched me as I went.

With muffled rage, I thundered down the mountain like a miniature avalanche. When the vice in my throat had sufficiently loosened, I began hollering Tina’s name with growing desperation, clenching to that teetering hope that she would come into sight at any second. As I drew closer to the water’s edge, the lapse of time between my calls and the returning echoes shortened, and I soon could not hear anything over the last syllable of my own voice bouncing back at me. I looked to left and right along the tree-lined shore, but not a single soul was to be seen, let alone the one I was looking for. She obviously hadn’t gone to spend the day at the lake, and I gave a short swing of my fist to express my frustration.

My emotions fueled my re-ascent, and I was back up to the cabin grounds in less than fifteen minutes--considerably fast for the distance and rough terrain between the two points. Making a circle around the perimeter, I continued in my quest. I looked carefully all over the area, but she was nowhere to be found; and, to my dismay, when I got to the parking area, I discovered that there were a couple of cars missing. She must have gone out for the day.

Though I knew it wasn’t really her fault, I was furious at her for trapping me in this position. What I most needed at that moment was to make my retreat, and she was the only thing standing in my way. I mentally spat some very unfriendly curses at her.

It was a long and terrible day. When evening fell and Tina still hadn’t returned, I was so restless I thought I’d go insane. I avoided getting anything to eat because I didn’t want to face anyone, and I paced madly around the cabin waiting for her. As it grew late, I finally abandoned my hope of leaving and could not stand being cooped up any longer.

By this time, the cabin had grown quite stuffy, and I was feeling unbelievably hot. I had obviously worked my nerves into a fine mess, and I was suspicious that I might even have a fever. I didn’t think I could take too much more. Looking at the lake below, I suddenly felt an irresistible temptation for a moonlit swim and, after some self-debate, decided that it was a good idea. Why not? I was stuck here anyhow, so I might as well make the most of it. Besides, I certainly wasn’t going to get any sleep like this.

Walking to my bedroom, I was swift in getting changed and picking up my towel. A glance at the clock told me that it was only half past ten, but I did not want to risk missing Tina if she came back. After a moment’s thought, I grabbed a pen from my purse and took the paper on which our directions to the cabin had been printed. I scrawled a quick note upon the back of it and left it on Tina’s pillow where she’d be sure to find it.

"Should have thought of that last night," I counseled out loud to myself as I closed the cabin door behind me.

Out on the porch, the air was clear and refreshing. I stared down through the darkened branches below and stepped off towards the lake. The cluttered ground made snaps and crunches beneath my unsure footsteps as I went, but a faint sound came to my ear over my own noise and arrested my attention before I had gone five paces. It was an unexpected sound, one that could not be mistaken, and I felt an irresistible curiosity drawing me towards it. It emanated from two cabins away from mine. I followed it. The noise, though still relatively soft, grew louder as I drew closer until at last I came to the side window. It was the undeniable sound of sexual activity, and, with just enough of an open slit in the curtain, I was able to see inside.

The players were apparently engaged in an upright position, and they were going at it rather hard. From my angle I could only see one of the faces, but it was enough to lead me to my own conclusions. My heart fell as I beheld it to be Angelique’s, and I was stung with an emotion I did not expect. I averted my eyes from the tangle of sweaty flesh framed in the open window by shifting them down to my feet. I tried to swat away the feelings that had arisen within me.

Their grand finale almost made me jump, and I looked at them again in spite of myself. This time, however, her partner had leaned forward, and I had a very clear view of his face. My eyes widened with astonishment as I beheld whose profile it was. It was David!

"Whoa-ho!" I uttered silently to myself as if in conversation with Angelique. "This is a dangerous game you’re playing, my dear."

I did not care to see more. Feeling something that I did not want to admit was relief, I turned away. With a swish of my head to banish the image from my mind, I continued what I had started, hiking down to the water in the dark. Despite the round moon’s mask of cloud, I was able to navigate through the trees reasonably well.

When I attained my goal, the sight of the glassy surface beneath the stars effectively subdued me, and I forgot all else I had seen. I took a deep breath and tried to exhale all of the stress for a moment. It seemed like such an odd thing that I should ever want to leave this place.

As I looked around the lake at the empty, silent woods, an unbidden idea implanted itself in my mind. Should I? I smiled at the thought. I searched the trees with more scrutiny, but, after confirming that I was alone, I decided to go for it. Skittishly removing my suit, I hastened into the water for a skinny dip.

"Hoo," I exhaled again as the chill entered my pores and I swam away on my back even as my mind swam with many thoughts.

I thought about all that had happened to me in such a short time; I thought about the miles and miles between here and home, and how strange it was that I should have arrived here; I thought about myself, about how much I had changed--it seemed like I was hardly the same person I had been a week or even a day ago. Odd, isn’t it, how life can take so many hairpin turns?

I paddled out a hundred feet from shore, my eyes still fixed on the hazy glitter up high in the night sky. Those little points of light seemed to make everything seem insignificant, and I felt marvelously soothed by their influence. The only sound in all the world was that of the cheery crickets, and they were hardly a whisper on the wind.

As I held my gaze, a small, puffy cloud ambled across the view, and it made me shiver as though it had blocked the sun. The cold water had worked its way quickly into my skin, and I needed to psyche myself up for getting out into the cool breeze. Lazily stretching one arm before the other, I headed back to the shore to get out.

Closing in on the leafy edge, my toes found the silted bottom and brought all weight off of my moving arms. I was just about to rise out of the water--the tickling surface already receding down my collar to my bust--when a dark figure emerged from the tree line, a shadow amidst shadows. I almost screamed, but the figure came forward into what little starlight there was for identification.

"Dominick," I said with surprise.

His face was serious, and he did not return the greeting. I watched him closely as he silently stooped towards the ground. He picked up my suit and towel from where I had laid them and dangled them tauntingly from his fingers.

"You have two choices," he said solemnly. "You can either listen to what I have to say, or you can walk up here and take your clothes back from me. Either choice is fine with me."

The cold suddenly seemed to creep more deeply inside of me. I gave him a dirty look but remained where I was in the water.

"Go ahead," I challenged sassily, "explain why you were a pain in the ass."

He smiled at the pun, but nodded his head in admittance.

"It wasn’t what you think," he said. "That was the initiation."

"Oh sure it was," I answered with a temper.

"It was," he said. His voice remained even and serious.

"Biting me was an initiation?"

"Yes".

"Then why was I the only one bitten?" I challenged.

"You were the only one initiated," he retorted without batting an eye.

I was sure he was trying to be smart with me.

"I don’t believe you," I said bitingly.

That little scale of courage inside each of us was sea sawing in my breast, but I forced myself up out of the water. With my back held haughtily straight, I tried to keep my chin up as I walked directly towards him. His eyes gave me an approving once-over as I closed the distance and snatched my towel from his hand. The cold kept the blood out of my cheeks.

"Believe what you want," he said softly, now looking me in the eye again. "It’s the truth."

I wrapped the towel around me in a huff and scurried away, making my way back up the mountain. As I went, I chanced a glance behind me only to see a naked Dominick diving into the water. I did not stare long, continuing quickly on my way, but I heard him holler loudly after me.

"Made you look!"

I retorted with a peevish growl to myself. Infuriating!

When I regained my cabin, I meant to go straight to bed. I was smoldering too much to do so, however, and I continued to aggravate myself with thoughts of Dominick. My own flip-flopping beneath the sheets only incited me more, so, after some few attempts, I got up, threw my jacket over my pajamas and slipped on my shoes.

A walk is generally the prescribed regimen for such a disturbed psyche, and I was ready to embrace anything that might provide relief. Stepping out onto the porch, I discovered that the temperature had dropped quite drastically in just a couple of hours, but I decided to defy the air and go my way. The brilliant moon had finally emerged from its veil, so now all the land was bathed in its cool, metallic light, and I could see clearly where I walked. The air was peaceful and silent, and I marked the lack of snores coming from the cabins--a sound that had occasionally punctuated previous evenings. With a shrug of my shoulders, I stepped off and began to move off to my right.

I had not taken more than six paces when a strange sensation made me stop in my tracks. With a listening ear, I felt the hairs on my neck stand up in alert, and I was suddenly struck with the distinct impression that I was, at that moment, being watched. My eyes scanned around me with the rest of my head lagging just behind in a careful search.

At first, I did not discern anything unusual around me--just the leaves and branches and stones that littered the area. As I peered more carefully into the gloom, however, a dark patch caught my eye. Lying quietly low in the foliage just ten feet away from me appeared the shadowed shape of a large animal, and the glowing orbs of its eyes were locked on mine with the eerie incandescent glare of the predator. I froze.

The hairs on my body prickled with the adrenaline, and my heart now pounded beneath my ribs. The animal did not appear in the least disturbed, but I did not want to do anything to change that. I watched it for a long, unflinching moment before I cautiously attempted a single step back. One--the word sounded in my mind’s ear like a thunder strike and my breath caught in anticipation.

There was still no reaction save for the shifting of its eyes. All right, I thought, stay cool; you can do this. I dared another step, then another, and continued reversing the path I had just traversed. At last, after what seemed like an eternity, I brought my first and then my second foot up upon the porch. The boards creaked loudly beneath me. With security just a bound away, panic at last struck me. I bolted for the door, threw it open, and slammed it safely shut behind me.

Thank god! Once I had calmed my lungs and pulse, I fortified myself enough to glance through the small curtained window of the country door. There was nothing there. Whatever it was had disappeared. I put my hand to my chest and slowly sank down into a seat. Was I losing my mind?

When I had recovered, I stood and checked again. Still nothing. I reassured myself twice that the door was locked, and then I slowly walked back to my room. Crawling into bed, I brought the covers securely over me despite the heat, regressing to that sense of childhood safety to be had in this thin cover. I remained on alert, peering into all corners, until my eyes slid shut of their own accord.

The next morning, I managed to get up early despite my fatigue. Getting out of bed, I got dressed right away and then turned my attention to getting my luggage all ready to go. When I was done, I walked around the corner to Tina’s room to get her up and moving, not wanting to waste another second in getting out of there. I was already calling out her name as I turned the corner, but, as I peered through the doorframe to her room, my voice caught in my throat, and I froze solid as I beheld what was inside: The bed remained made and undisturbed, my note still sat unmoved where I had left it upon the pillow, and no sign of my friend was to be seen.

"Oh my god!" I said out loud to the empty room.

In terror for my friend, I put on speed never before had and ran out the door. I sprinted all the way over the wooden steps and up the slope to the main house in a matter of milliseconds. I burst through the door and into the room like a madwoman and spun my head around to find who was there. Dominick, Monica, and a few others were inside eating breakfast at the table, and their peaceful meal was interrupted as all heads flew up simultaneously to face me as I entered.

"Tina is missing!" I announced, trembling from head to foot.

A look of surprise molded every face as they looked at me, though theirs did not possess the frantic quality that mine no doubt did. Eyes shifted from one to the other in silent communication, and it was a long moment before anyone said anything. The only noise was that of my own panting.

"For how long?" one of the men finally asked me, breaking the tension.

It was a simple question, but my brain seemed to grow suddenly lethargic, and I had to push it out of its inertia. I thought hard for a long minute, casting my mind carefully back. A feeling of guilt crept over me as I realized the true answer.

"Two nights," I said. "I haven’t seen her since our run through the woods."

Monica and Dominick stood up with conviction.

"Where’s David?" Monica asked in a tone that showed she was springing into action.

David was called in and questioned, but he claimed that he hadn’t seen her since I had. None of the others seemed to know anything either, and it was determined that Tina must have gotten lost in the woods. We started a search party to go look for her, and Dominick tried to assure me that we would find her.

Despite such promises and comforting remarks, I continued to cry the whole time--not only out of fear for my friend, but also out of the absolute guilt I felt for having been so stupid as not to have caught that she was missing earlier. I didn’t tell anyone the horrible responsibility I felt, but it pressed on me at every instance. All feelings and previous incidents paled under this overriding concern. I went to town and called into work to explain what was happening so that I could take off the extra time during the search.

It only took us half a day to check our own mountain from stem to peek, and we spent the rest of it fanning out into the surrounding woods. The following day was used combing the shoreline of the lake in search of her, but still with no result. Those who could stay did, and we pushed farther in every direction, even working through the night. They had to force me to stop and eat, and I only slept out of sheer exhaustion. Where was my friend?

When three days had passed without any sign of her, I began to wonder what I should do. Everyone had gone except for Monica and Dominick, and it seemed like we had left no stone unturned. All sorts of doubts arose in my mind.

"What if she got home somehow?" I asked with more hope than I felt.

Monica sat across from me, looking confident to encourage me.

"Go home," she ordered sympathetically. "We’ve never permanently misplaced anybody yet. Dominick and I will stay and keep looking. She probably sprained her ankle and was taken to the hospital and sent home long ago. We’ll find her."

I tried to feel better, but I just couldn’t be as sure as she was.

That drive home alone was the worst trip I ever made. I felt as though I were abandoning my friend for the second time. I had to make a stopover at a hotel on the way, but, early the next day, I was back on the road again, and I made it home around midday.

I gasped when I discovered Tina’s car sitting in the parking lot, but I tried to reason with myself. After all, if she was injured, she might not have been able to pick up her car. The car didn’t mean anything. She could still have gotten home. I’d find her sitting there with her leg in a brace, probably telling me a tale of how someone had forgotten to give me her message. That had to be it.

I only got out of the car long enough to make a pit stop at home, and then I headed straight back out towards Tina’s place. I arrived at her apartment twenty minutes later, and I was practically out of my seat before the car was in park. I ran to the door and knocked frantically. My heart was in my throat as I waited impatiently for any sound or answer. After an agonizing moment, I realized that there wasn’t going to be one. I hadn’t really expected that there would be.

"Tina, where are you?" I asked tearfully of her door, but it gave no answer.

The days slid slowly by, and still my soul was left burdened. The waiting was excruciating, and I was left to do it in ignorant silence. Not a single word had come to me about Tina since I had returned home, not even the comfort of an update. For the first time, I began to lose hope, and the thought of what might have befallen her haunted my dreams: Had she gotten lost and starved? Was she attacked by some wild animal, or, worse yet, by some lunatic? Did she drown? Was she even dead, or just being held captive by circumstance or by someone? The not knowing was the very worst of it.

The dreadful images of each of these scenarios stalked my sleep one night as I sank heavily into slumber, exhausted by worry. I was lost in their horrors and dead to the world when a sharp sound woke me up. Ring, ring! I picked up the phone while simultaneously glancing at the clock. It was three in the morning.

"Hello?" I greeted groggily.

"We found her!" exclaimed Dominick’s voice at the other end of the line.

I bolted upright in bed as I heard those blessed words. I had played this moment out in my head a thousand times, but nothing could have prepared me for the miraculous feeling it gave me now that it was really happening.

"What? Where? Is she okay?" I asked excitedly, now fully awake.

He laughed joyfully. "She’s going to be just fine," he comforted. "She was in the hospital a few towns away. They didn’t know her name; she was just admitted as a Jane Doe."

"What happened to her?" I asked warily.

"She just had a bit of a scare," he answered elusively.

"Was she attacked or something?" I asked as my mind darted over the worst possibilities.

"No, no," he assured. "Nobody has laid a finger on her. She just…Well, things just got a little out of hand. But there’s no permanent damage, and they’ll send her right home as soon as she has recovered her nerves. She’ll be fine."

"Thank goodness," I said to myself as much as to him.

He gave a soft laugh, feeding vicariously off of my relief, but the sound came across a little distorted over the long distance. As the goodness in his voice sunk in with me, it occurred to me for the first time how much he had been doing for my friend--how much effort he had put into finding her--and how much he had been doing it for me. I almost felt a little ashamed of myself for the judgments I had made of him.

"Dominick," I hesitated, "thank you."

"You’re welcome," he said happily.

I hung up before either of us could say anything more.

By the weekend, I got news that Tina was back at home. I went over right away and drove her car over to return it, thinking I could get a cab back to my apartment. It was the least that I could do, I figured. I gave a knock on her door and was relieved to find my friend unmarred at the other side.

"Oh Tina, I’m so glad you’re all right!" I exclaimed as I grabbed her in a big hug.

She hugged me back.

"I’m all right," she said.

She invited me inside, and we sat down next to one another on the sofa. When we had settled in comfortably, I finally asked the question that had tortured me for so long.

"What happened?" I asked her. "Dominick was vague on the phone."

Her eyes misted a little, and she suddenly looked so fragile--not the cheerful woman I had always known. Her expression made me regret opening my mouth, and yet she had always been able to confide in me before. Whatever it was, I’d be there for her.

"Can you talk about it?" I questioned carefully.

She started to cry, and I was quick to throw my arms around her.

"He said he wanted to show me something, and I...." Her tears cut her off.

"Who?" I asked. "David?" If that jerk had done anything to her, I’d kill him.

She didn’t answer, but instead inhaled a deep breath. Sitting back and drying her cheeks with the back of her hand, she appeared to resume the quiet demeanor with which she had originally greeted me.

"They told me I shouldn’t say anything," she stated meekly with a final sniffle.

I wondered who the "they" were, but assumed she meant the doctors. I didn’t want to strain her nerves, so I didn’t press.

"Tina, I am so sorry," I said, unburdening my own soul. "I was just so caught up in everything that was going on, I didn’t even realize. I should have looked for you sooner; I should have done something; I should have...."

The guilty expression on my face finished the apology that had come pouring so quickly from my lips, and I was left silent. Tina appeared to draw strength from such a prostration of my conscience, and a smile even touched the corners of her mouth.

"You have nothing to be sorry about," she said with a delightful raise of her eyebrows that said that I should have known better. "Hey, I’m the one who got us to go on that trip."

I smiled with relief.

We began a quiet little chat about other things, and an hour passed quietly by. When she started to look a little tired, I decided it was time to leave, and I quickly wrapped things up. I offered for her to come stay with me for a while, but her refusal came strong and clear.

"I think I’m going to go stay with my mom for a while," she said.

"Do you want me to drive you there?" I offered.

"No, no. You know she’s not that far away. Stop worrying."

If the words themselves had not been comforting enough, the familiar tone in which they were delivered certainly was. I was assured now that she would make a full recovery; she would be okay. As we walked to the door, I gave her a parting hug.

"Now, if you need anything," I repeated, looking her in the eye, "anything at all, you just call me. Please don’t hesitate."

She gave me a small smile and nodded acceptingly. I knew that she probably wouldn’t take me up on the offer, but I at least wanted to make it nonetheless. With another reassuring squeeze, I pushed open the door and stepped out. Her thin hand on my arm detained me, however, and I looked at her to see that a grim countenance had suddenly seized her like a bad memory.

"Don’t trust those people," she cautioned in a strangely ominous tone.

"Who?" I asked with worry and surprise, but she was already closing the door.

VII

With Tina now safely home, I returned to work, my vacation now thoroughly over. Though I was now much relieved, I was still impressed by how fast the strain of it all had left me, and I entered the office with more pep than usual. My step was light as I passed the chorus of chirping and beeping telephones from the surrounding honeycomb of cubicles.

By the time I reached my desk, I had managed to calm myself down into a work mode, and I started to chip away at the pile of papers that had built up in my absence. It was just after 8:00 a.m. when I began, and I fell into a sort of zone. I did not break my concentration or look up until I was done.

When the last form was filled out in asinine triplicate, I let out a sigh of satisfaction and rolled my neck back to work out the kink. It made a soft crackling in my head as I did so, but I could feel the muscles and tendons stretching out. For the first time, I allowed my mind to wander, and, with my hands crossed atop my head, my thoughts drifted irrepressibly towards fresh mountain air and sunshine. I basked in the fancy memory for several minutes before reluctantly returning my attention to stale office air and fluorescent lighting.

Looking down at the huge pile that I had managed to go through, I realized that it must be pretty late. I had been sorting it all pretty quickly, but it was a week’s worth of build-up and not easily caught up. There were no windows close enough for me to confirm this, but I guessed that it was time to go home, maybe even a little overtime. I looked at the clock: 12:00. Must have had a power outage.

I stared dumbly at the digital display for a long moment before it occurred to me that the numbers were not blinking.

"It can’t possibly be twelve," I proclaimed out loud. "It must be off."

I picked up the small time-teller, as if that would somehow bring everything into focus. How had I managed to zone out like that? I started to get out of my chair.

"Hey, how was the trip?" came the inquisitive little voice of one of my coworkers.

I turned to see Rebecca popping in to say hello. She was dressed in her usual prim and proper business suit, and she retained that calm sort of cheeriness that had become her defining quality. I stared and blinked at her for a minute without answering, my mouth sluggishly lagging behind my brain or perhaps vice versa.

"Oh, yes…my trip…it was just fine, thanks. Ya, we really packed a lot in. All that hiking and high altitude will sure do you in. It was good to get away, though."

I looked around for a moment before asking the question that was really itching at me.

"Say," I said, trying to sound as carefree about it as possible, "do you know what time it is?"

She gave me a strange look that reflected that I was acting oddly, but then glanced down at the clock still in my hand.

"It’s noon," she said. "I came to see if you wanted to go to lunch."

My eyes must have visibly widened. I slowly relinquished the clock back to its spot upon my desk. Only noon? It was only lunchtime? I looked at the pile of completed work with pleasant surprise. Amazing--what had come over me? I guessed the retreat had done me some good.

"Sure, I’d love to," I said pleasantly, returning my attention to her. "I’m famished."

Weeks passed, and I began to distance myself from the odd little trip, though I couldn’t really shake it from my mind. Tina continued to sound better and better each time I talked to her on the phone, and she had already moved back into her apartment. As for myself, I found that everything tasted and smelled better than ever, and I seemed to have more energy than usual. My first day back at the grindstone had not been just a quirk, and I was continuing to get my work done with time to spare everyday. Life was good!

During this time, I found that Dominick was more and more constantly on my mind, and I discovered that, contrary to our chaotic and negative endnote, my thoughts of him were quite pleasant. I hadn’t seen him since North Carolina nor spoken with him since his phone call, but I began to dream of him every night. I accomplished there what I had not in life:

By the moon’s glow, he stole into my bedroom through the window, his bare body loping towards me, perspiration giving his skin a silver sheen. I waited patiently for him on the bed, my eyes intently following his every move. Drawing closer, he lifted the covers at the foot of the bed and slid under them towards me. As his face rose up between my breasts to face mine, I saw that it was crowned with that massive canine head, and both sets of eyes stared at me hungrily. His face moved methodically around just inches from mine as he inhaled deeply through his nostrils. He was on all fours with one fist on either side of my head, and each knee beside mine. A hand reached down and took mine in his. Lifting it to his face, he straightened out my fingers and licked the palm. His tongue was hot and wet against the skin. He drew back his mouth, and I remained transfixed even as he carried my timid hand down over the skin of his heart, his ribs, his waist…

"You will change," he said, his eyes glaring at me. "Do not be afraid of the body."

He forced my hand down lower, but I had no sooner made contact with the protrusion of flesh than he let it go. In one swift move, he ripped off my panties, shoved my gown up to my armpits, and grabbed my hips. I gasped as he gently thrust his body into mine. My body came alive, receptive to his every move.

No words were spoken and no time was wasted as his pelvis flew back and forth with the unrestrained ferocity of an animal. It was basic, bestial sex. The liquid pleasure of the growing tide made my body move with his, but his hands clamped down more firmly until I could feel his fingerprints around my waist.

I could no longer move my hips under the restraint, and the slippery feeling of his motion within me was even more acute. He moved his thumbs just around my hipbones and pushed into my belly from each side. I cried out. I was almost there.

His strokes grew shorter and more forceful. My whole body rocked against the bed under his impact, and my hair clung to my pink and sweaty face. He gave one more deep and prolonged thrust as his body muscles clenched tight. A flower of pleasure blossomed out from the bud of my womb, and I groaned.

It was so real that I awoke with a throbbing between my legs and an emptiness in my chest. But when his image dissolved from my eyes, there was no one there. There never was.

As the nights passed, I found that my dreams were growing even more vivid, and I was feeling more and more restless. I was having trouble sleeping, and, though I did not usually get headaches, I suddenly seemed to have them all of the time. The pain shot quickly down my spine like an electric current, and I often stretched agitatedly trying to release the pressure. I couldn’t find any relief.

My friends at work suggested that it was just the stress creeping back over me.

"There’s no vacation a job can’t undo," they assured with a laugh.

I nodded, but I really didn’t think that was it. I just couldn’t figure out what was wrong, especially since up until then I had felt so good. And yet, it was getting progressively worse.

When it could no longer be ignored, I finally decided to go to the doctor, thinking that it was perhaps tied in with the allergic reaction I had had before. On a bright afternoon, I found myself impatiently sitting in a pastel waiting room, filling out the usual gamut of paperwork while the people around me coughed or sneezed or fidgeted anxiously. Hunched over the clipboard, I checked off all of the proper boxes with a quick stroke of the pen.

"Heart condition?"

"No."

"Emphysema?"

"No."

"Asthma?"

"No."

"Pregnant?"

"No."

Etc., etc., ad infinitum.

When I had finally completed and signed everything, I turned the voluminous questionnaire back in to the crusty nurse behind the desk and retook my seat--nothing to do now but wait. Beside me was a collage of colorful magazines on the table, so I picked one up and began to peruse it with as much interest as I could muster. I turned to the first page. Oh my, the Yanomamo Indians--now there’s a must read! Oh, and look, this must be my lucky day--a blue-butted baboon. Let us not forget the timbre wolf, the spider monkey, and the much-neglected fungi…

By the time I had finished the last one, I had read more magazines than I ever cared to in a lifetime and had learned about some things that were better left a mystery. At long last, my name was called, and I finally got in to see the man himself. The nurse led me to one of the small, neutral rooms at the back and had me sit on the strip of butcher paper up on the table.

Five minutes later, my doctor came in to see me. He, of course, had the relaxed and unhurried expression of a daisy. After listening to my description of all of my symptoms, he began the usual check-up. He began with my heart.

"Hmmm," he said, "heart beat is a little fast. You nervous?"

"Not particularly," I answered.

Paying no mind, he continued the examination. He shined his light in my eyes and ears, he knocked my knees, he listened to my lungs, etc. When he was all done, I awaited his diagnosis with anticipation.

"Well," he said, "people can develop allergies at any time. It sounds to me like you’re just experiencing migraines, though, or cluster headaches when the pain is behind the eye or jaw. I wouldn’t worry about it too much, especially since you said it didn’t start until you came under stress."

I frowned. "So what do I do about it?" I asked, disappointed by the answer and the realization that I wasn’t going to be given a miracle panacea.

"Take aspirin," he suggested with a small shrug of his white coat.

I nodded despondently and wondered silently why I had to pay fifty bucks for that advice--perhaps to cover magazine costs. Thus concluded the medical route.

Two nights later, I found myself following the doctor’s orders for the fourth time. Returning to my apartment after a grueling day, I had to shoot straight to the kitchen for the painkillers. My head hurt so bad that my eyes watered, and I had to concentrate hard through the throb just to fill a glass with water. With a toss of my hand, I threw a couple of pills to the back of my throat, resisted a gag, and gulped them down with a large sip. I prayed for quick digestion.

After taking a few more swallows to insure that the pills had completed their journey, I splashed out the rest of the glass in the sink and set it down on the counter. Impatiently anticipating the medicine’s effect, I began pacing my apartment, clasping and unclasping my hands. The knuckles emitted horrible cracks as I did this, and a similar sound came from my shoulders as I rolled them back trying to alleviate some of the discomfort.

"Uhhh," I groaned achingly to the unsympathetic wallboards.

Stupid doctor, I thought to myself, what does he know? I probably have a tumor. That’s what it is--some horrible patch in my brain that’s killing me. Take an aspirin. Ha! I’d like to see him take an aspirin when he’s in this much pain. Oh no, I don’t think so. No, he’d be raiding the morphine!

"It’s so freaking hot in here!" I complained loudly, moving from thought to word again.

I stumbled to the window and opened it up to let in the fresh air. Outside, the night was bright and clear, but, even as the entering breeze cooled my skin, the moonlight burned at my eyes as it hit my face. I stepped backwards into the room as a cramp pinched my stomach and doubled me over onto the floor. It felt like a drill bit was screwing into my intestines, and I screamed fiercely and started to cry. Through the pain, fear set in; something was wrong.

My eye caught the telephone sitting up on the nightstand. I was unable to straighten up, even to get to my feet, so I had to crawl towards it. Very slowly, I shuffled on hands and knees across the floor towards help. It seemed so far away. I can make it, I tried to tell myself. I tried to reach for it, but a vice in my abdomen was crunching me into a tighter ball on the floor. I screamed at an even higher pitch.

"Help!" I yelled out in plea to my neighbors. "Please help!" I repeated through tears of pain as the tightness grew worse.

The hurt began to fan out in spines down my legs and arms, and, as I looked at my lonely apartment, the image of my death rose starkly before my mind’s eye. I envisioned the people in the nearby apartments all sitting in front of their televisions, each relying on the other one to call the police or glancing uncertainly towards my door, trying to decide if it was just a prank. I did not want to die alone.

A terrible grinding noise of bone on bone filled my ears, and I felt my shoulders shift with a sharp, stabbing pinch. I shrieked.

"Owwww," I wailed through my hysterical tears. I yelled more loudly, my voice cracking into that awful scratching screech at the end. "Oh god, someone please help me!"

My vertebrae popped in a domino pattern up my back until it got to my head. I heard a sharp crack in my skull, and suddenly blood came trickling from my nose and pooled on the floor. A light flashed in my head, and I was blinded for several minutes.

At last, the pain disappeared, and my senses opened up again, but I was not myself. As I looked around, I realized that I was no longer in my apartment, but out in the woods, running through the trees. I could feel the cold moist soil beneath my feet, and dewy leaves reached out and slapped my naked body as I darted through the foliage. Without knowing exactly why, I put on more speed and worked my legs as fast as they would go. I realized that I was searching for something, and I felt a terrible violence in my breast.

An animal burst from the trees ahead of me--a slender-necked doe bounding away wildly over rock and root. It was what I was looking for, and I chased all the faster. I gained on it. Now I could hear its quick breaths and pounding heart, and I could smell it: fur, sweat, fear. I drew closer until I was near enough, and then I pounced. Something warm and flat hit my front teeth several times, and there was a whir of thrashing legs. My jaw clamped painfully tight, and it took me a moment to realize that it was locked around the writhing animal’s neck. Its blood was boiling hot. I released it, and it lay limp upon the ground, still twitching occasionally.

There was a noise from behind me. From among the bushes and trees, dark forms began to emerge and surround me. I could not see them well until one stepped forth toward me. It was a bristling black wolf with keen, searching eyes, and it was looking directly at me.

I turned and ran, but a crackling through the brush behind me warned that it was in pursuit. I was not fast enough. It jumped on top of me and would not let me go. I could feel the dark fur pressed against me, the enormous weight on my back, the dreadful suspense.

"Ah!" I screamed in a panic as I awoke alone in my bed.

My hand went to my heart to subdue its ferocious beating, and I looked around dizzily. I was tucked under the covers of my bed just as I was every morning, and everything appeared to be in its place. The morning sun made everything appear bright and safe, and the cold shadow of the night slipped slowly away.

"Just another dream," I said out loud to comfort myself.

Disentangling myself from the sheets around me, I allowed a deep sigh before getting up. Though I tried to dispel the image from my head, my spirit was slow in warming back to reality. I stared for some minutes at the familiar environment until I again felt it as well as saw it, and only then did I get moving.

Standing to my feet, I gave a glance around, searching for a trigger to sway me in one direction or the other. Sliding my tongue against the roof of my mouth, I discovered a nasty taste, so I went first to the bathroom to brush my teeth. A little extra paste cleared it well, and, when I was done, I meandered slowly into my closet to get dressed.

Half an hour later, I was sitting comfortably at my breakfast, trying hard to eat something even though I wasn’t really hungry. I only managed to swallow a few cereal flakes, but it was enough to clear any residual grogginess from my head. Feeling more perked up, I went to the mirror to address my knotted hair and make myself presentable for the day.

My eyes remained fixed on the mirror image as I began to brush it, stroking the hairbrush rapidly around my head. As I continued with this engrained routine, my mind began to wander hither and thither over the plans of the day, and it was only by a sharp pull that my attention was reoriented to what I was doing.

"Ow!" I yelped aloud.

Just behind my right ear the brush snagged a snarl. I scratched and picked at the tail end with the bristles, but was unsuccessful. Finally, I just reached up with my hand. Pinching the knot between two fingers, I was surprised to hear a dry crinkling sound. I mouthed another silent "Ow" as I tore it out along with several hairs. The sight of a single brown leaf in my hand surprised me.

"Where in the world?" I asked of my reflection before looking at my pillow in interrogation. It held no clues.

A knock at the door arrested my attention.

"Just a minute!" I called to the unknown visitor.

I dropped the debris into the wastebasket and hurriedly threw my hair into a ponytail. Walking over to the door, I paused to peer through the peephole. I was surprised to behold Dominick waiting patiently on the other side, and I looked twice just to make sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. I waited for a moment with my hand laid flat upon the side of the frame. Then, with a deep breath to brace myself, I swung the door open.

Dominick’s face lit when he saw me, and, before saying a word, he quickly brought his hand out from behind his back. He held it outstretched towards me with a large bouquet.

"Forgive me," he said in a low and gentle tone.

I looked down to discover that the red arrangement in his hand was not, in fact, of roses, or even of flowers for that matter. Instead, at the end of each long green stem perched a large and perfect strawberry--that most romantic of fruits. It was most unusual.

"Sweet," he added as a one-word explanation, punctuated by one raised eyebrow.

I started to smile despite myself, but caught it with a quick purse of my lips.

"I can’t figure you out," I confessed with a shake of my head, temporarily ignoring the offering. "At first, I thought you were some kind of a womanizer. But then, what you did for my friend...."

I did not finish the sentence but examined him with a quizzical look on my face to show that I was at a loss. He gave an understanding smile.

"This is the real world," he said seriously. "People don’t fit into nice little categories."

I nodded in agreement. "Well, you certainly don’t," I conceded.

He smiled broadly and lifted his hand a little higher to encourage my acceptance. "Just trust your instincts," he said.

I looked down at the hand that was still outstretched and finally reached for the peace offering. Before I could touch them, he pulled them back by way of teasing, and I at last allowed the smile to break loose upon my face. Dominick laughed right out loud and permitted me to take them from him. He leaned in towards me and cocked up his eyebrows.

"I take it I am forgiven then?" he asked confidently.

I mused to myself. The answer was, of course, "yes," but he deserved a little teasing himself. With a sigh of infinite exasperation, I answered.

"Well," I said, "it’s a start."

The grin that impressed itself upon his face declared that he saw right through me, but he seemed tickled by this nonetheless. He planted a light kiss upon my cheek.

"I’d like to see you," he requested.

I thought for a moment before answering. "I’d like that too."

"Dinner tomorrow night?"

My mind ran over my schedule for the week. "How about night after?" I asked hopefully.

"Going to keep me waiting, huh?" he responded with a pout. "Very well. Just don’t make me wait too long; I’m not a patient man."

I nodded, pondering as usual what he was hinting behind all of his words.

"Pick you up at six?"

"That sounds great," I answered warmly.

He lifted one hand to my shoulder and stepped in closer. I felt the satin touch of his lips against mine as he surprised me with a long, lingering kiss goodbye, and, for the first time, I felt a stirring in my heart as well as the rest of me. I wondered if he felt the same thing.

With his caress still lingering upon my face, he parted from me. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he left, and I watched him all the way. Only as his car pulled out of sight did my eyes at last cease their pursuit, and I touched my fingers to the impression upon my lips and slowly reached for the doorknob.

"You there!"

The call physically startled me, and it broke my mood considerably. I had just turned to step back inside when this decidedly higher-pitched voice screeched out for me. I recognized it as that of my landlord, a feisty old woman who I had made it a point never to upset, and I wondered despondently what she could possibly want.

"You there," she called out again, having never remembered my name. "I need to talk to you."

I reluctantly turned around, but I tried to greet her as cheerily as I could, hoping beyond hope that this would just prove a routine maintenance matter.

"Hello Mrs. McKenzie," I said cordially. "Won’t you come in?"

VIII

Two evenings later, I kept my date with Dominick, and so re-began my contact with him. I had a good time, and, when he asked me out again, I was intrigued enough to accept. In such manner, one date ended up multiplying into many, and we continued to see each other sporadically over the next several weeks.

Though we did all of the prescribed things that one does in normal dating, there was nothing ordinary about it at all. Dominick remained a complete mystery to me, and the intensity that lay just behind his innuendo could be rather daunting at times. And yet, his appeal countered all impulses to flee and held me a captive audience. It was what one might call positive stress, and it only seemed to be growing with the familiarity.

One night, during the fickle days between summer and fall, I sat at a table across from Dominick, absorbed in my own little portion of space. We were seated out in the courtyard of one of the local restaurants, overhung by stars on an evening that was clear and cool. I sat in anticipation as my nose savored the terrific aromas that wafted from out of the kitchen and from neighboring plates. The waiter had taken our orders, and we now waited in suspense for the cure to our appetites, left to the entertainment of each other’s company.

I looked across at Dominick and saw that he was quietly watching me. His gaze made me feel like I couldn’t catch my breath, but it was a peaceful sort of exhilaration, so I had let him continue for some minutes undisturbed. On the glossy surface of his dark eyes, I could just make out the light speck that was my reflection, and I wondered if he was seeing his own in my paler gaze. Although it had been his habit to fall into such prolonged periods of observation, I still found it strange and discomforting in an odd sort of way.

"I can see you’re going to be nothing but trouble," I said to him at last, surprising myself a little with the statement.

He appeared amused.

"Maybe you should get into a little more trouble," he answered. "You might like it."

I nodded bashfully. After a long pause, I heard him draw in a large breath.

"I know I can come across a bit rough sometimes," he said almost apologetically, "but you should know that I can also be very gentle."

His voice softened and deepened on the last two words in a way that made me shiver, and I emitted a fine blush. He appeared gratified by the response.

"I’ve been dreaming of you, you know?" he said after a long silence.

I smiled and looked him in the eye again. "Oh?"

"You have worked your way into my head," he added, throwing up his hands.

I shifted in my seat. "And what am I doing in these dreams?" I asked flirtatiously.

He leaned forward a little closer and hushed his voice. "Fantastic things."

"Fantastic you say?" I asked dramatically. "Care to elaborate?"

He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"Tell me about your dreams first," he challenged with a smirk.

I blushed, and wondered if this was just a chatting request or if he guessed more than he was letting on. I couldn’t be sure.

"Well," I admitted hesitantly, "I’ve been dreaming about you too."

I didn’t know whether I should say more, and I paused to see if he would accept this short reply. His mouth shaped into a satisfied smile as he leaned forward with his chin resting on his knuckles.

"And was I a good lover?" he asked knowingly.

I jumped, and my cheeks flushed with deeper crimson. How did he know? A little imp inside me leapt to my lips.

"Fantastic," I said smartly.

We both laughed.

The waiter prevented any further flirtatious sparring as he set the bountiful plates down in front of us. Steam puffed up in delicate strands between us and made the candlelight appear to grow hazy and dance. Each of us took up the cold silverware in our hands, and, in silence, we began to avariciously attack our meals. All the while, our eyes never left one another. It was absolutely delicious.

As the evening wound down, Dominick walked me gentlemanly to my door, just as he had every night I had gone out with him. He had not been especially talkative on the ride home, and he still spoke not a word as I slid my key into the lock. As the bolt clicked open with a snap, I turned to face him.

"Thank you," I said, "I had a good...."

I was cut off as Dominick suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me into him. He wound his hands around me, pressed his body tightly against mine, and captured my mouth in a kiss, hushing all words. My hands were up with the initial surprise, but I brought them down around his broad shoulders as we stumbled backwards.

My back pressed up against the wall, and his hands came down to rest on my hips. Tongue and lips pushed for union, and his scent filled my lungs as his warm skin brushed against mine. My heart was racing. At last, his lips released me, and his nose pushed into my hair. He kissed at the curve of my ear.

"I want you," he said breathily.

I could feel myself warming. My hand felt for the door.

A sudden laugh pierced the air as a boisterous couple stumbled down the hall to a neighboring apartment, apparently after a night of carousing. As Dominick turned his head to look, I took the opportunity. I gave his cheek a quick peck and slipped away through the door. Before closing it to him, I gave him an apologetic little smile.

After this awkward escape, a few days passed without my being able to face Dominick. I sat up late one night alternating between chastisement for not having done what I wanted with him and compliment for not having given in. The restlessness had started again--the feverish ache in my joints, the feeling that I was running all night, the erotic dreams--and I was hot.

My conscience may have warned me to stay away from Dominick, but my body burned and screamed out for him, and, more than anything, I wanted him there with me. I wanted his scent, his lips, his body, his heart. My blood boiled more furiously. I had to have him.

The sound of the phone screamed out in the silence, and I instinctively knew it was the object of my desire. It was he who knew my every move, he who read the thoughts of my mind, he who wanted me too. I lifted the receiver from its place.

"Dominick?" I answered, so certain it was he.

I was not disappointed. His voice filled my ear over the line.

"I hope I didn’t...." he began.

"You didn’t," I said, anticipating the question.

"I can’t sleep," he said. "All I can think about is you."

I did not let him say more. My pulse was up, and I was just about ready to jump anything that moved. I had never felt like this before, and I knew it could no longer be contained.

"Come over," I invited anxiously.

"Coming," he assured.

There was an instant click as he hastily hung up, and I envisioned him sprinting to his car.

I waited impatiently. The sexual energy and tension grew inside until I thought it would rip me apart. It was like I was in heat or something, and, though I should have been ashamed, I felt nothing to impede that overwhelming desire.

The fever reached its pitch when I heard his car pull in outside, and I did not even give him time to knock at the door. His hand was poised frozen in mid-air when I threw it open. He was beautiful.

"Make love to me," I demanded, warranting no other greeting.

He did not say a word, but grabbed me around my waist and picked me up into the air. I wound my legs around him, and his foot slammed the door shut behind us as he carried me forward, around the corner to the bedroom. We alternated between kissing and divesting each other of clothing until at last we were liberated from it all, stripped naked before one another.

Dominick stretched out over me on the bed, slipping his hands into every crevice even as mine explored his body. His lips and tongue moved down my collar, to each breast, and then down to my navel. He continued to my inner thigh, then along off of my knee. Controlling himself, he looked me in the face.

"What do you like?" he asked excitedly.

He seemed to need no instruction, and, thinking it easier to direct him as he went along, I merely answered by grabbing the back of his neck and kissing him again. His hands went to my hips, and he unexpectedly pushed me to turn me over. My heart beat even more violently as I got on all fours and he positioned himself behind me. I had never done this before.

His hands were still on my hips, and I felt the probe of his finger before he pushed his hard organ into place. I yelped as he slid it in inch-by-inch and my muscle tightened to a close fit around him. My whole body ached for him. His pelvis began to rhythmically move in and out, and the bumping sent me rocking on the heels of my hands. It felt so good. His hands swept around underneath me and reached for the breasts that dangled from me. The circular motion of his fingers around the nipples made the hairs on my body stand up.

The tempo doubled in speed, and I felt myself climbing towards the peek faster than ever. He seemed to control my body, to bend it to his will. Though his motions were tender and skilled, it was violent in its way, and my nerves and feelings were alive in so many ways that I felt like I was high. The feeling was growing more localized and acute, and I knew that I was close. Dominick shifted his hands. One went to my left hip to hold my body to him, and the other began to rub up and down my thigh with the quickening motion.

"Yes," I said, hitting a higher level with this new stimulation.

He continued, and I was now only waiting for that crack and release inside me that would finally set free the pleasure stored there.

"Uhhhhh," I let escape my lips as I finally came. The pulsing in my pelvis was exquisite.

Dominick continued to move in and out, and it only served to elicit sharp moans from me as each new thrust hit the exposed orgasm. Although I did not think he was done, he suddenly stopped. I groaned as he removed his body from mine, and I rolled over to look up at him. Although both of us were now drenched in sweat, he still looked vibrant.

He leaned over me and kissed my lips, his hands still running over my skin. I bent my legs and opened them around him. With one hand on my right thigh, he pulled himself into me again. I was so sensitive now that I came again as he pushed in. The sheets around us were soaked through, and every part of our anatomy slipped around with the lather. Still, he kept a steady rhythm with me, and I now felt a gentle rub at the front that started building me up again nicely.

A second explosion seemed impossible, and it took a long time for me to approach it. Dominick appeared indefatigable, however, and he nurtured the feeling with unwavering attention. My muscles felt weak, as though they would give out at any moment. It seemed like we had been at it all night, and I could neither imagine going on nor stopping now. Did he run marathons in his spare time?

His pace grew so rapid that my body was practically vibrating with it, and the bed springs groaned beneath us. My fists clutched at wads of sweaty sheet, and my face was already contracted into the ecstatic grimace that only passion could produce or ever hope to understand. Just as he tensed and released his own fulfillment, my whole body burst into throbbing. I could have died in that moment.

I held him as he lay on top of me, and his arms wrapped around me and held me tight for several minutes. At last, he kissed my cheeks and lips and carefully rolled off. He put his arm around me as I snuggled up against him, and I got what cuddling I could out of him before his eyes slid shut.

Here and there I could feel twitches inside like the pitiful little sparks still alive after a raging fire. As my metabolism calmed, my mind concentrated on these with fascination and on the warm body that now lay slumbering next to me. It was only slowly that I allowed the mellowness to carry me away into my own sleep, but I drifted quietly off to the steady rise and fall of his chest.

One eye timorously opened before the other. Though the curtains were closed, the sun was high and bright enough to pierce through the fabric and fill the room. It was undoubtedly morning.

Looking beside me, I cannot describe the wonderful feeling I had when I found Dominick still lying there. Everything had been so perfect that I had never thought it would last into the sunlit hours, and I was sure I would awaken to an empty bed. His warmth and presence were like the continuation of a dream, and it just felt right. His weight shifted at my side.

"Good morning," I greeted, running my hand across his forehead to clear a bang.

"Morning," he returned lazily as he slowly propped himself up on one elbow.

He leaned in and kissed my lips, and I returned a quiet smile.

"You were incredible," I complimented both with sincerity and because I knew it was the ultimate boost to masculine pride.

"So were you," he returned, setting his warm hand atop my hip. "Just like in my dreams, only better."

I kissed him again, and he slid his hand along my side and then back to my hip. I allowed myself a long moment just studying the features of his face before I spoke again.

"So what do we do now?" I finally asked.

He lifted his hand and stroked it gently through my hair.

"Well," he said slowly, "I think now we get dressed, we go out, and we have a nice breakfast together. What do you think?"

I smiled. "Sounds good," I agreed.

Dominick made his way to the shower, and I went into the closet to get dressed. As I put on my clothes, I smiled widely to myself and felt a great pleasure in my heart to hear the sound of someone else at home. The noise of the running water and of Dominick’s soft, happy hum could be heard in every room, and that alone was almost like company in itself. Not for the first time, I wondered what it would be like to have someone there with me all of the time.

With a squeak, the water stopped, and all was quiet for a moment. At last, Dominick strode out. I had expected him to be wearing a towel around his waist, but, of course, I should have known better. He came out completely nude, and I had to smile to myself as I watched him casually saunter over to his clothes. He began putting them on. When he was done, he stood up and walked over to me where I waited at the door, and we made our way out in pursuit of sustenance.

After a short search, we decided to eat at one of the local waffle houses. The place was relatively empty, and we settled into a booth by the window. The sun was slanting in through the glass, and it warmed us as we sat in its glow. Dominick appeared anxious to please, and he ordered several selections off of the menu, which we then shared in mix-and-match.

His eyes never left mine, and we enjoyed a considerate little breakfast together. I could not remove the grin from my face as I looked at him, nor could I shake the sensation that he might evaporate at any moment. Yet there he remained, returning my smiles and occasionally playing affectionately with the fingers of my hand.

When we were all done hours later, we returned to my apartment, and it was with much sorrow that I saw Dominick off. Both of us stood outside beside his car, and he already had the door open, like a string around his finger to remember his purpose. He lingered there with me at the driver’s side. Though he had been a very happy man all morning, he now seemed very sad.

"There’s something I need to tell you," he said with a levity I had never heard from him before. "There’s really no good way to tell you this, and I’m afraid it might upset you."

He looked at me as if for some sign that I could handle whatever it was.

"What?" I asked worriedly.

He opened and closed his mouth several times as if starting to speak and then losing the words or the courage. I was surprised to see such a loss of his boldness, and the foreboding in me deepened considerably. At last he answered, though I got the impression that it was not what he had originally intended to say.

"I’m going away for a few weeks," he said.

I was too shocked to be crushed or anything else, and he continued quickly as if trying to beat me to some pass.

"My sister and I have to go over the books and meet with some of the other society chapters, and then we are driving up to my father’s place for a couple of weeks," he explained.

"Oh," I finally said, unsure of how to interpret this.

He seemed loath to sadden me, and his face lit for a fleeting moment.

"You could come with us," he quickly added in a hopeful tone.

My own face lightened for a second as well, but it fell just as quickly.

"I can’t take that kind of time off of work," I answered regrettably.

Dominick nodded understandingly. "Then I’ll call you every night," he promised.

I tried to look happy, and he gave me a kiss on the cheek before hopping in the car and pulling away.

When he was gone, I had to fight between optimism and realism with doubtful tears starting to well up with the latter. "I’ll call you," was the kiss of death for a relationship, especially after a one-night stand, and this long departure seemed so sudden. Had I been an idiot? Had I been just another woman victimized by male charm and promises he never really made? I wasn’t sure, but the doubt was terrible. Oh please, Dominick, don’t show me that it was all a mistake.

I wallowed in what-ifs all day, and by nightfall I had given myself a whopping headache. I hadn’t even given Dominick a chance yet, and I was already making myself sick over him. It was ridiculous.

I had been sitting at the end of the bed for some time, and my body had grown stiff in the waiting. The night was waxing late, and yet I still wasn’t sleepy. Perhaps I was too distraught to be tired.

With an achy groan, I stood up and put my hands on my hips for a stretching twist in each direction. No sooner had I done this than I felt very dizzy, and I wobbled precariously on my feet. I must have gotten up too quickly. Afraid of falling, I immediately sunk down to my knees on the floor in hopes of grounding the motion.

"Ahhh," I complained through clenched teeth as my hand went to the back of my neck.

My skin was burning up, and everything hurt. I moved my jaw from side to side to alleviate the pressure in my head, but there was a pop as it dislocated. I yelped, and the terror of impending pain suddenly set in. I tried to reach for the telephone, but it was too late.

An excruciating series of snaps went through my limbs as the ligaments broke free. I screamed at the top of my lungs as the pain grew fiercer, and I watched through teary eyes as my fingers gnarled into the palms of my hands in front of me. All of the digits disappeared into my shaking hands, and a thick fur began to creep along my arms. My forearms wound around until the inside bend of my elbow faced front even as the wrists bent in the opposite direction. A salty flavor stung my tongue, and blood trickled off my lip as my teeth cut the gums. A cramp seized my ankle, and I watched in horror as my foot tensed into a tight point, the toes pulled out flat, and the heel crunched backwards into the calf and disappeared.

Even as I shook with horror and pain, I was too scared to scream. My nose began to bleed as the bridge stretched out before my eyes and joined with my jaw as it shifted out in front. I felt a terrible itch as bristling strands of hair sprung from my pores, and a rushing sound like seawater filled my ears as they shifted up along the sides of my face. A cord at my back was tightening.

"No!" I screeched as my neck snapped back towards my spine.

There was a horrible crack, and the pain was more than I could handle.

"Ow! Ow!" I continued screaming until the dreadful sound filled my mind and I could no longer see. "Owwwwooooooo!"

Screech, screech, screech! I rolled over on my pillow and threw one arm out to silence the nuisance alarm clock. One bloodshot eye told me that it was already 10:00 a.m. I remembered setting it for 9:00, and I was surprised that I could have slept through that racket for an hour.

"Man was I out cold!" I spoke out loud to the empty room.

The phone’s ring blended in, and it took several bashes at the snooze button before I realized that it was a separate sound. I sat up and fumbled for it, placing it at my ear on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" I greeted, trying hard to filter the sleep from my voice.

"You didn’t think I’d call, did you?" came Dominick’s voice at the other end.

I immediately perked up.

"I wasn’t sure," I admitted, "but I enjoy being pleasantly surprised."

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

I was surprised by the question. "Sure. Why?"

There was a long silence before he answered, "Just something in your voice."

I hadn’t thought that my voice had given any implications, and I found it curious that he should say so.

"No," I said, "I just overslept; that’s all."

Another pause followed, and then he added very assuredly, "You were dreaming again."

He said it in the gentle tones that he would have used in bed with me, looking over at my face upon the pillow and stroking his fingers through my hair. I was again taken aback, but then I was getting used to Dominick’s surprises, as paradoxical as that might sound.

"How did you know?" I asked.

There was a soft chuckle. "I know you better than you know yourself," he said.

"It wasn’t about you, though," I said, thinking to fool him into believing I dreamt of someone else.

He did not go for it, though. "Your dreams last night were violent," he said.

Now I was really suspicious. "Now how did you know that?" I asked again in the voice of an interrogator.

"I told you," he answered quietly. "I know you. So tell me about it."

I mumbled for a moment, a little embarrassed to tell him about some twisted dream about running naked through the woods. That had to be Freudian.

"I don’t really remember," I lied. "I just recall that I was out hunting, but I didn’t have a gun or anything."

"I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you," Dominick said, redirecting the conversation.

"That’s okay," I answered slowly. "I’m just glad you called."

"Of course," he replied.

We continued chatting for a long while afterwards, and I was hesitant to hang up with him in the end. I was now assured that he would hold to his promise to call me, however, and that freed me from any doubts I had had before. I sat in bed the entire time I talked with him, and, when I finally let go of the phone, I was ready to get cleaned up and dressed. Time to get moving.

I pushed myself to my feet and threw on some clothes. When I was done, I wandered into the kitchen to get something to eat, though I really didn’t feel like anything. Peering into the refrigerator with that vacant stare usually reserved for men, I was surprised to discover that there was nothing there save for a few condiments tucked into the shelves of the door. I usually was good about keeping stocked up, so this annoyed me no end.

"You’re slipping," I scolded out loud to the cold, empty air.

All right, I guess I needed to go shopping.

Adding those few extra primps that distinguish a woman’s going-out ensemble from her at-home presentation, I grabbed my purse and wrote out a quick grocery list. It hardly seemed necessary considering that I needed absolutely everything, but it did force me to decide on what meals I wished to cook for the week. Starting with milk and ending with bread, I stroked off the last item on the bottom, tucked the paper in my purse, and sent the pen clicking down upon the countertop. Though I was not terribly hungry, I was in a hurry to get the errand over with, irritated that I had to do it in the first place. My conversation with Dominick had put me in more of a day-dreamy mood, and this brought me jolting back to the mundane.

I walked out the door and shoved the key in its slot behind me. No sooner had the click of the deadbolt sounded in the door than I realized and regretted the timing. At that very moment, the landlady was on her way up. A glance her way assured me that she had already spotted me, and there was now no escaping.

"Not again," I grumbled to the door and to myself.

Her tightly permed hair didn’t move a millimeter even as the rest of her jiggled slightly as she ascended step by step. The scowl inset in her face declared that she was on the warpath, and I braced myself as I understood that I was in the kill zone.

"Good, I finally caught you," she called out as she came up the rest of the way to me. She had a way of intoning the word "good" that made it sound more like "it’s about time."

"Yes you did," I answered, trying to filter out the negative from my voice as best as I could. Man, and this day had started on such a good note!

"I want to talk to you," she continued in her edgy voice.

I waited and watched as she began wagging her finger at me accusatorily.

"I’ve been hearing that dog of yours up there again. Now, I already warned you once: No pets allowed. I want it gone by the end of the week, or you go with it."

We had been through this conversation before, and I had trouble keeping my temper with her. I took in an exasperated breath to try to calm myself before opening my mouth again. I tried to coat my words with some syrup, be it ever so artificial.

"I keep trying to tell you, Mrs. McKenzie, I don’t have a dog. Maybe a rat has gotten into the walls or you’re hearing something outside," I suggested.

She obviously did not like this at all, and her face crinkled even more deeply.

"I know what I heard," she insisted obstinately through her gritted teeth. "Now get rid of it."

She stomped off in a huff, and I rolled my eyes as she went. Senile old prune, I thought nastily to myself. I can’t get rid of what I don’t have.

I continued venting all the way to the market.

IX

The weeks passed, and Dominick stuck to his promise. He called me everyday, and I grew to feel that we were forming a real relationship. The time’s passage was agonizingly slow without him with me, however, and I don’t know how I made it through. I survived it somehow, though, and we finally crawled down to the very last week of our separation.

I was already waiting by the phone when he called, and I picked it up on the first ring.

"Clear your calendar," Dominick blurted out right away.

I stumbled momentarily over the lack of greeting and over the very unexpected order.

"Why?" I asked after mutely moving my mouth for several seconds.

"Because I want to see you again, and because, like it or not, you’re still a member of the Lycanthropic Society."

He said it seriously, but it came across as funny somehow, and I had to stifle the urge to laugh.

"All right," I agreed hesitantly. "What exactly am I planning for?"

"Next week some of the gang is heading to the springs for the long weekend--do a little cave diving, a little swimming, that sort of thing. And...." He stretched out the last word and left it hanging like a hook in front of my nose.

I bit. "And?" I prompted.

"And maybe you and I can sneak off and do a little something else," he finished.

My cheeks warmed, and I smiled to myself. "Hmmm," I sounded teasingly. "I don’t know; sounds like you just want to use me for my body."

He laughed and dropped his voice seductively. "No, I want to use your body for you."

"Oooo!" I said with a giggle. "Good answer."

"So you’ll come, right?"

"Definitely," I answered happily. "You driving?"

There was a momentary pause at the other end of the line, followed by a muffled sound before his voice came back to me.

"No," he responded quietly, much to my surprise. "You’ll have to meet me there."

"Oh," I answered, frowning at the phone.

"Please don’t look so disappointed," he said, as if he could actually see me. "I’ll make it up to you."

"You better," I retorted. "I’m no longer a patient woman."

He laughed, and we said our good-byes.

As I hung up, I looked across the room at the mirror on the wall, and was surprised by what I saw. I almost didn’t recognize myself. There was a shiny smile on my face, seeming as natural as though I had never had any other expression. My cheeks looked rosy, and the eyes that peered into mine were as bright as the glass that reflected them. More than this, however, was my body.

Walking closer, I twisted and turned in the usual manner to examine myself, and I was very pleased by what I saw. I had firmed up quite a bit. I had always been reasonably thin, though by no means a skinny girl, but now I almost looked like an athlete. Instead of the demure figure with the pale complexion there was a hard body with a golden tan. I liked it. A point of my toe revealed a tightly shaped calf muscle, and I smiled even more broadly to myself. No wonder I’m attracting the men these days.

I walked happily to my closet to choose something to wear for the weekend.

A week later, I was racing towards a house I had never visited before, carried along by my desire to see Dominick again. Although I had sometimes warned myself not to get too wrapped up in my feelings for him--such a strange, wild fellow like that would only end up breaking my heart--I could not help feeling his pull upon my soul. Had any more feeling burst inside my chest, I could have flown the rest of the way to him. My head, my lungs, my mouth--everything was tinged with him. I could not wait.

I turned down a side street and began scanning the pepper of houses on each side.

"2135," I said out loud to remind myself of the address I was searching for.

There it was. I turned into the drive of a very large home set far back on the lot. It was white with hunter green trim, and it looked very pretty. Although it was by no means out in the boonies, it had a sort of rural feel to it, and the lush green lawn made it a picturesque location. There were already three cars in the driveway, so I had to park closest to the street. I stepped out and walked up to the front of the house. As I approached the door, I double-checked the address before reaching for the bell and pushing the button.

A series of chimes sung on the other side of the door, and I waited patiently for whoever might greet me. When the symphony of the bell died, however, no other sound was heard inside, and, again, I looked down at the piece of paper with the address.

"2135," I assured aloud. "It’s the right address."

I waited another second and then pressed the button again. The same little tune was played out, but there was no answer. I began to worry that I had misunderstood the date, but then I had been so careful to write everything down. This had to be right. I stood and fidgeted for a moment before taking a step closer.

There was an echoing sort of thud underneath my knuckles as I rapped the door with a quick knock-knock, but still no one stirred within. A window stood off to one side over a small garden, so I tiptoed over the plants and cupped my hands round my face against the glass. I could not make out too much of the interior, but I certainly couldn’t see any movement. Maybe they were around back?

It did not feel entirely proper to be sneaking around the back of the house of someone I did not know, but then I had driven so far for this. My heart pounded as I walked around the side, and I knew I was going to feel very upset if no one was there. Just as I was bracing myself, a laugh came to my ear, however, and I released a pent-up exhale. I turned the corner to discover half-a-dozen people lounging around at a little buffet table, looking very well settled.

"Hello," I started to greet merrily. The word stuck in my throat as I saw the scene more clearly:

Some of the guests were lying back in chaises off to the side, but most sat at the glass table. I recognized everyone from the retreat, by faces if not by names, and this would have put me at ease. What caught my eye, however, were the figures in one of the chairs that sat sideways to me. They were those of Dominick and Angelique.

Dominick was really the one seated in the chair, but it was the dreadful sight of Angelique draped across his lap that disturbed me so. She had her slithering arms wrapped all around him, and she was just batting her little eyes and flashing those capped teeth with all her might. What was worse was that Dominick was letting this go on. I felt a sort of crushing sensation in my chest, and I almost wanted to cry. The sight made me too angry, however, so I gritted my teeth and tried to look composed. I would not give Angelique the satisfaction of knowing she had upset me for even a second.

"Hello," I repeated more smoothly as I forced myself to continue walking towards them, "I was afraid I was at the wrong place for a moment."

"No, no," said one woman as she stood up.

She was obviously the hostess on this occasion, and, as I beheld her face, I struggled hard for her name. I became embarrassed as I realized that I could not remember it.

"I’m so sorry," she continued. "Didn’t you see the note on the door?"

"No," I answered with bewilderment as I extended my hand to her.

She bypassed it and instead reached her arms toward me and gave me a quick hug along with one of those off-the-cheek kisses. I accepted this awkwardly and tried to return it, flattered by the greeting.

"I didn’t see any note on the door," I repeated.

"Oh dear, I better go check," she said, removing her hands from my arms and walking off around the house. "I don’t want anyone to miss us."

I turned to the rest of the company as she left and gave them an uncomfortable smile. Apparently just noticing me, Dominick finally stood up and disentangled himself from Angelique. He came towards me with his face all jubilant, acting unaware of the disturbance he had caused.

"At last," he said happily.

He leaned in to kiss my lips, but I quickly gave him my cheek. He hesitated a moment before accepting it in substitution, and it lingered light as a cobweb upon my skin.

"Yes," I said with a biting undertone, "at long last."

"You’re angry?" he asked with concern.

I was surprised to have him ask me that point-blank in front of everyone, but I still shot him daggers.

"Just tired from the long drive, I guess," I answered smolderingly.

"Well, then sit right down and relax," came another male voice to my left. It was David’s, and he had risen out of his own seat to offer it to me. Both hands were extended towards the top of the chair in displayed offering, and he awaited me with a smile.

It was one of those moments when you have to act quickly on a trivial issue, even when there are greater unspoken matters riding silently in the background. My first instinct was to refuse. I did not like David at all. He had the face of an angel and the mannerisms of a filthy little devil. I harbored my suspicions, and I still remembered what I had seen with him and Angelique.

"With Angelique," I repeated thoughtfully to myself.

I eyed Dominick for a second, and then was sure I should go through with the sudden cunning idea that had come to me. I could get back at both of them at once.

"Oh, why thank you!" I said with the broadest smile I possessed. "Aren’t you the considerate gentleman?"

David seemed infinitely pleased with this unexpectedly boisterous response, and his face veritably glowed. Dominick’s, on the other hand, appeared to lose most of its color. I took the seat and continued to smile flirtatiously at David, encouraged by the reaction I was getting.

Before anyone could say anything more, the hostess returned to us from around the corner.

"My note must have blown off," she announced. "I’ve left another one for any more latecomers. Sorry about that."

The last was directed at me, and I answered with a shrug and, "No problem."

She retook her seat and looked over everyone in turn with a small smile that seemed to say that she was pleased with her company. Dominick settled back into his chair as well, and Angelique wasted no time in redirecting herself to his lap.

I tried to withhold the scowl from my face as I looked at her. However, as I peered at her devious little eyes, I couldn’t refrain from wondering if the wind had had a little help in note removal. She was really starting to push her luck with my temper.

I returned my attention to David, who was looking me over too obviously.

"Could I impose upon you for a drink," I requested flirtatiously. "It’s just so terribly hot." I pulled at my blouse dramatically, fanning my chest.

"Of course," he answered with an equal tone of voice.

He walked over to the pitcher on the table and poured me a glass of iced tea. The cubes bobbed and tinkled lightly against the walls of the glass as he brought it over to me, but he did not appear too concerned about spilling.

"Thank you so much," I answered as I received it from him.

I ran my fingers along the cold, sweaty glass and glanced over at Dominick. He looked decidedly unsettled. Angelique, however, would not betray her feelings so easily, and she merely portrayed a countenance that was a little more sour than usual. She was a veteran, and she had apparently just caught on.

"How about you darling?" she asked of Dominick, practically petting him. "Can I get you anything?"

"No," he answered quietly.

I continued chatting cheerily with David, and Angelique upped her intensity in fawning over Dominick. Whether the rest of the company took much notice or not, I cannot say, but we were not fifteen minutes into our tête-à-tête when Dominick’s face finally betrayed realization. He had been staring quite intensely at David and me for some time when he suddenly shifted his gaze to Angelique and then back to me. A knowing smile broke onto his face, and I returned a slight one to confirm his suspicions and let him in on his punishment.

With subterfuge now thrown to the wolves, there was no longer a need for our pawns, and they now seemed only a nuisance to us both. Our hostess seemed to become suddenly aware of the time, however, and she unwittingly provided me with an easy escape from the situation I had put myself in.

"I better get these dishes cleaned up and put dinner on," she announced.

"I’ll help you with that," I eagerly volunteered.

It seemed like such wonderful timing and thoughtfulness on my part, but it came with some very unforeseen and unfortunate problems. Angelique, it seems, did not want the confrontation to end, and she put in her help right behind me. I tried to conceal my frown.

We three ladies took the dishes off the table and headed into the house towards the kitchen. Our hostess was fast on her feet, and she was already heading back outside by the time Angelique and I got ours into the sink. I quickly set my stack of plates in the water and turned to escape the company of my enemy, but she was too fast. Stubbornly insisting upon duking this out, she stopped me with one bony hand on my arm.

"So you think you’re good enough to go up against me," she challenged snappily.

My face grew warm, but it only made my mind and tongue sharper.

"That wasn’t for your benefit," I retorted with equal bite, "and it certainly wasn’t for your lover’s."

A look of dumb incomprehension passed across her face, and I think perhaps the slut was uncertain of which man of the company I was talking about.

"What?" she asked dully.

I gloated at having gained control of the argument by deviating from the track that she had envisioned.

"Oh," I said sardonically, "I’m sorry. I thought you were sleeping with David now."

She visibly jumped, but her eyes quickly narrowed as she glared at me. You could almost see her brain seething with hostility, and the blood produced a blotchy pattern beneath her taut facial skin.

"You should be very careful," she threatened in a low, rumbling voice. "You don’t want to see me angry."

"I shouldn’t think I’d be able to tell the difference," I responded coolly without missing a beat.

Her teeth actually made a snapping sound as she clenched them, but she attempted no other word. Instead, she turned upon one heal and retreated back out the door, all the while with one vein pulsing in her temple. I watched all the way as she went, unable to believe my eyes.

When she was out of sight, I finally relaxed my guard. My hands shook a little with the release of tension, but I suddenly felt bolstered by a quiet inner strength. Even as I tried to feel happy about my victory, however, something told me to beware. Angelique was not one to roll over quietly, and I knew there would most likely be future repercussions.

Once I was calm and composed again, I moved to go back outside and continue helping. Before I had reached the door, however, my hostess returned inside with the last remains of lunch, and I redirected myself to the kitchen to assist her in cleaning up. The extra food was all bagged, the last dish was put away, and everything was done in no time. When we were finished, she declined any further help and drove me back outside so that she could start cooking supper.

Stepping out the back door, I looked around at the large lawn in back of the house. There was a shady tree at the far end, but otherwise it was just green grass. A rectangle of smooth stone was underfoot just outside the door, and it served as an open deck area. My foot only made a light tap as it came down.

It was quite late in the afternoon, and the sky was just beginning to become speckled with twilight. A sliver of moon was seen to peek palely through the cloud line, despite the fact that the sun had not yet made its exit. The warmth of the day now declining, the cicadas had hushed their chorus, and the only sounds were the voices of the company.

As I returned to the table, I sat down and looked over the rest of the guests. I was surprised to see Dominick and David standing off by themselves. It looked like they were just finishing a hushed conversation, and, whatever had been their topic, neither one appeared very happy. When they were done speaking, Dominick walked back towards the table with his eyes fixed upon the ground, and David remained where he was with his back turned to the house. Five minutes passed before he rejoined the rest of the company at the table, and, by then, the general mood of the party was much more somber than it had been originally.

Settling comfortably into my seat, I assumed more of an observer’s role, and I remained quiet for the rest of the day. The others carried on a peaceful discourse until the sun went down, and, though my eyes often drifted over to Dominick, I refrained from making any further relational plays.

When darkness fell, the biting insects came out in full force, and we were all forced to retreat inside. As we filtered through the door, we discovered that the timing was actually quite good as our hostess had just pulled the poultry out of the oven. We were able to adjourn directly to the dining room to eat.

We continued our casual socializing around the table as we passed the serving dishes around and dug in. The meal was most pleasant, and our hostess was generous in supplying anything and everything we might want. Afterwards, we all sat around talking over the emptied plates for some time, mellowed by the gentle atmosphere that such dining produces.

As it grew late, the guests grew tired, and the conversation began to fade. They took their leave one by one and headed off to their rooms to relax. My hostess, whose name, I finally remembered, was Victoria, offered to show me to my own room, and I gratefully accepted.

I followed Victoria up the stairs and down a long hallway. She led me to a door on the left at the far end and opened it with an inviting arm. I walked into the lovely room and set my suitcase down on the floor beside me before turning around to face her again.

"If you need anything," she said, "just give me a holler. I think you’ll find this room very comfortable."

"Thank you," I answered with a grateful smile.

"Goodnight," she said.

"Goodnight."

She closed the door as she went, and I was left alone to survey my place for the weekend. I was not disappointed by what I saw. The room was bright and open, and it had its own bathroom with shower. It really gave me a space of my own for the visit, and it made me feel very comfortable and at home.

I picked up my suitcase from the floor and brought it over to a chair on the far side of the bed. Popping it open there, I looked inside and pulled out what articles I needed.

I had just changed into my nightgown and was ready to climb into bed when I heard a knock on the door. My hand in limbo upon the covers, I released them and walked cautiously over towards the sound. Looking down at my apparel, I attempted to conceal my body behind the door as I opened it until I could see who it was. Pulling it slowly thus, I looked out to discover my tall, dark seducer standing on the other side.

"Dominick," I said without any particular inflection.

He seemed to be trying to maintain a very serious expression even though a smirk was threatening to spill over onto his lips. I could not be certain of his mood, and he seemed surprisingly slow to speak. With one hand clutched around its edge, he pushed the door open all the way and entered uninvited. There was only a muffled click as he closed it gently behind him.

"You were trying to make me jealous today," he accused.

"Was I?" I asked innocently as I crossed my arms.

"You know you were."

I cocked my head slightly to one side. "And did it work?" I added sassily.

The corners of his mouth twitched, though out of amusement or vexation I could not be sure. "Like a charm, I’m afraid."

My hands flew to my hips as I finally let loose with a well-earned vent. "Well you deserved it," I retorted angrily, remembering how I had come upon him. "Why do you let her hang all over you like that?"

The ball now irrevocably rolling, he answered smartly. "Maybe I was trying to make you jealous," he said with an emphasis on each pronoun.

I almost stomped. "Then do it with anyone but that woman!" I snapped heatedly.

He had no idea how much I hated her. I’m sure the look on my face, however, was beginning to give him a hint.

"Okay then," he answered seriously, "I’ll hold her, you punch her."

His expression stayed constant as he said it, and, though I fought the smile, I ended up laughing out loud despite myself. Try as I might, I couldn’t really be all that furious with him, and, absurd as his offer was, I liked that he had said it. My temper cooled a bit, and, to help it along, he came forward to wrap his arms around me.

"You bastard. That’s not fair!" I said testily as he pulled me to his chest.

He did not listen, but barraged my lips with kisses until I succumbed and returned them. Not wanting to let him slip too easily off the hook, however, I stopped him for a moment with one finger poked at his chest.

"I’m still mad at you," I warned.

He seemed undaunted. "I’ll fix that," he responded, swooping me back and dropping me down onto the bed.

I laughed and threw my arms up around him as he crawled towards me, and, by the time he was done, I had more than forgiven him.

When I woke up the next morning, I discovered the imprint of a body next to me instead of Dominick. He had apparently slipped off during the night. I had been sleeping on my stomach, and I reached one hand over to touch the impression he had left beside me in the bed, as if that gesture could somehow reclaim something. As I did this, my eye caught something sitting on the pillow. I pushed up on my hands and slid into a sitting position to examine it. A note and a large velvet box rested there beside me.

I went for the note first. It was very short, and scrawled neatly in Dominick’s tight, concise cursive: "A small gift--wear it at night, and your dreams will always be of me."

I felt my face glow, and I lifted one hand to my cheek as the other went for the box. I opened it slowly. Staring up at me rested an unusual silver necklace. For one fleeting moment, I was a little disappointed that it was not gold, but, as I lifted it gently into the air, I realized what an exquisite piece it was. Instead of a normal chain, there were long, large links of silver hooked together in unusual twists. Dangling from the center was a small silver heart, half smooth and shiny and half etched in a darker shade. I had never seen anything like it, and it held my fascination.

Bouncing to my feet, I ran over to the mirror to put it on. Through my sparkling eyes, I watched it by reflection as my hands brought it up to my collar. It looked perfect, but, although it had seemed very light in my hand, it felt quite substantial around my neck.

I debated with myself for a moment. On the one hand, it was my beautiful new gift from Dominick, and I wanted to wear it right away. On the other, however, I knew that we were going diving today, and I didn’t dare risk losing it. Reluctantly, I delayed my wishes and laid it gently back in its case. I tucked the whole thing gingerly into my suitcase before getting dressed.

After a nice breakfast downstairs, the whole group and I went out to spend the day at one of the area’s natural springs. I had never actually been to one, and my only expectations were from the tiny little pictures they put on bottled-water labels. Even these were not disappointed, however, and the water was cool and crystal clear like a liquid sapphire.

Upon our initial arrival, everyone dumped off their stuff at a picnic bench and headed for the water. Some of the party had talked about nothing but cave diving all through our morning meal, and they now went off to pursue this interest. I preferred to remain at the surface, however, and I found it refreshing enough where I was. As I swam pleasantly up above, I half hoped they’d lose Angelique in the darkness below, but, of course, I didn’t seem to have that kind of luck.

I sucked in a deep breath of air and floated around on my back like an inflatable raft. Up above, the sky was a perfectly clean blue, and the sun was radiant--the perfect day for this sort of thing. Along the shore, a few of the others, including our hostess, were either tanning themselves or getting a running start for a cannonball.

Although I had not known them long, I felt a strange sort of connection with these people as I looked at them. I realized that it had been the same with all of Dominick’s friends. As I watched them, I wondered to myself what they would think if they knew Dominick and I were lovers. I wasn’t sure why we had been loving in secret, but it did contain an odd sort of excitement. Who would have thought that I, of all people, would end up with such a guy? But then, I didn’t feel like myself any more. I was someone else--someone sexier, someone stronger, someone…well… better. I liked it.

Something tickled me from below and startled me out of my introspection. A cascade of bubbles suddenly came seething up from beneath me, and I jerked myself upright to greet their source. I was excited as I expected Dominick to pop up, and I was sure it was he until the diver finally arose and pulled off his mask. It was David. My face must have visibly fallen in disappointment as I beheld him, but he only showed the faintest sign of having noticed.

"Hello from below," he said.

I tried to regain control of my facial muscles so that I could at least appear respectfully pleasant.

"Hi there," I greeted in return. "How is it down there?"

"Wonderful," he said. "Want to take a look?"

I didn’t like the way he said it, and I wished he would leave.

"No thanks," I said. "Not for me."

"Come on," he coaxed. "You look like a girl who knows how to have fun. I’ll stay right with you."

Oh that’s comforting, I thought sarcastically to myself.

"No thank you," I said again. "Actually, I was just about to get out--water logged."

I began swimming towards the shore even as I said it.

"Suit yourself," he said seriously.

He pulled his mask back over his eyes and sank beneath the surface. I continued paddling my way back, relieved to be rid of his company even as I kept anticipating a hand around my ankle at any moment. Was he watching me from below? The thought chilled my skin.

As I got out of the water, I finally allowed myself a shiver as I threw a towel around my waist. I had not really intended to get out quite so soon, but there certainly was no appeal in it now. I now regretted more than ever my flirting with David on that first day, and I worried that it had encouraged too much. If only he knew that I was already taken.

As these thoughts weighed heavily upon my mind, I stood on the shore where I had first gotten out. Looking around, however, I was enticed by the pleasant environment, and I decided that I’d go for a quiet walk by myself. Perhaps the fresh air would re-calm my nerves.

The area surrounding the springs was beautiful in its own right. It looked very much like a state park, with an assortment of trees providing a relief of shade while still allowing the sunshine to break through with glimpses of the blue sky. I trod softly upon the fallen leaves and branches as I wove my way around this and that trunk, not trying to think anything through for once, but rather trying not to think of anything at all.

In such a state, I easily wandered away a greater distance than I had intended. It took me a while to get back, and, by the time I had, the divers had already returned from their adventure, and the grill had been fired up for our little cookout. Almost everyone gave me a friendly little wave when they saw me return, and I no longer felt like a stranger amongst them.

My growling stomach sent me first to the grill.

"Hot-dog or hamburger?" the man serving as master chef asked me as I approached him. It was an age-old choice.

"Hmmm," I said, weighing my taste buds. "I’ll go with a hot-dog."

"Coming right up," he said happily, his voice followed by a gamut of sizzling.

I had thought it only polite to chat with him as he worked, but the heat of the charcoal stifled all conversation, and he did not seem inclined to talk for long. As I waited, I turned away from him and looked around searchingly for Dominick, wondering where he was. I hadn’t seen him since he had gone down into the depths with the others, and I didn’t see him now.

"Here you go," the man said behind me.

"Thanks," I answered, taking the offered plate.

I took a few bites and then began to walk around in quest of Dominick as I finished it up. He could not have just disappeared. We weren’t even that large a party, so it seemed rather stupid that I should have lost him. For a moment, I half worried that he had been left behind in the caves. In that case, however, surely one of the other divers would have noticed he was missing. Who had he buddied up with? I wasn’t sure.

Fifteen minutes later, I had scoured the entire shoreline, and still with no sign of him. Most of the crowd was gathered around the grill and eating in earnest now, and I was just about to ask them if they had seen him when I heard a distant whistle. I looked in the direction from which it had come, and I was both relieved and surprised to see Dominick. He was sitting at a slightly concealed picnic table at the other side of the clearing. I thought that it was odd that he should be there all by himself, but the tone of his whistle seemed to say that he was in good enough spirits, and he was waving for me to come over. I crossed the clearing.

"There you are," I said when I had come into earshot. "I’ve been looking all over for you. I was starting to think you had drowned or something."

He did not say anything in response, but merely appeared to be pensively waiting for me. Too disarmed by his unusual behavior to be even mildly irritated, I walked around to where he sat at the far side of the table. Instead of the bench seat, I sat down on the top, above and next to him, and waited patiently for any reaction on his part. He looked up into my face.

"You’re really beautiful; you know that?" he said sweetly.

I smiled at the unexpected compliment. "Thank you."

He nodded, but still continued to look at me with the same expression of fascination and admiration for a long moment. I felt my heart pound as it warmed, but otherwise gave no response. I wondered what had come over him.

Suddenly, his eyes deepened and narrowed, and I watched him in suspense to see what new surprise he held in store for me. He glanced behind me, then back up with a very mischievous look. I looked behind me as well, but I saw nothing save our friends way over at the grills, still engrossed in a feeding frenzy. The party was half obscured by a tree between them and us.

"What?" I asked.

"Come here," he said.

His hand grabbed up mine, and he brought it to his lips as he brought me to my feet in an awkward stance between the bench and table. Letting go of my fingers, he then brought his hands down the sides of my legs and slid them up under my towel. My eyes widened as he grabbed the bottom of my swimsuit.

"Are you crazy?" I said, giving his hidden hand a slap. "There are people."

"Come on," he coaxed, pulling the suit down and off despite my objections.

It fell to the ground, and the towel wrapped around me was now the only clothing covering me from the navel down. It felt drafty.

"Now I know you’re nuts. There’s no way...."

"You want it," he continued. "You know you do. No one is going to see. Come on. Right here, right now. It will be the best sex you’ve ever had in your life."

He had my temperature up, and I had to admit the temptation was there. Still, I was just too embarrassed. This was just too wild!

"Dominick, I...." I began in protest again, but his finger went up to my lips to shush me.

His lips pressed against my bare stomach, and his hands tugged forward at my hips. I could hear my breath coming out more strongly now, and I shot a wary glance behind me. The crowd was pretty far away, and they really didn’t seem to be paying much attention to us. I looked at Dominick again, and he was smiling desirously. What the hell!

I clumsily got one knee on each side of him on the bench while holding the knot of my towel at my waist. My mouth was no sooner within reach than our lips were locked together. We’d just look like we were making out, I thought. As I wrapped my arms around his tan shoulders, I felt the hot skin beneath the sun.

He shifted under me as he pushed his wet trunks out of the way beneath me. He then brought his hands to my hips to maneuver me and lower me slowly down around him. I bit my lip to keep from making any noise as everything found its place. I began to ride him, and the wind caught up my hair and sent it fluttering past my shoulder.

"Feel it," Dominick said breathily without breaking the rhythm. "Right out here in the open. Feel the sun warming your shoulders, the breeze chilling your skin. Feel me here inside you."

His hand ran over every spot as he said it, and the sound of his voice made the feelings more acute. I knew what he was doing: seeping his voice into my head to talk me there more quickly. I suddenly felt as if I were getting sucked into his mad world.

His swim trunks were crinkled and wet between my thighs, and the cement seat was grating against my knees. My towel was fanned out about my waist like a limp umbrella, and, as we continued in the act, I suddenly felt a pressure release at my navel as the knot came loose. I gasped, but Dominick caught it just before it fell and tucked the edges beneath him. My front was now completely exposed, and the back dipped to just below my tailbone.

Our movements quickened to a barebacked gallop, and I shot an anxious glance behind me to see if anyone was looking. Everyone appeared to remain oblivious. Dominick’s finger against my cheek directed my eyes back to him.

"Me," he said. "Just me."

The feeling was growing inside. The knowledge that someone might catch us at any moment made it erotic, and I experienced sensations I had never had before. Dominick’s hands slid up from my navel to my breasts, and I suddenly felt him push the cloth up to reveal them.

"Dominick, don’t," I objected half-heartedly.

He kissed at the nipples, and I felt my body climb to a plateau I had never conceived possible. It was going to be the most powerful climax I had ever had yet. I looked around at the open sky above us. I no longer cared if anyone saw us.

Our dance surged towards the finale, and I had to muffle the tremendous moan with my mouth against his shoulder. A few more thrusts milked out the dying flutters as I remained with my cheek against his. He kissed the side of my head until I rocked back to give him my lips, and I could still feel his arms around my back.

"Dominick, I…."

A loud laugh behind us made me jump and stripped the words from my tongue. I looked around to see who it was. It had nothing to do with us, but we had already pushed our luck quite enough, I thought. I removed myself from him and hastened to regain all of my clothes in the proper spots. Dominick helped me arrange a little, and then he fixed himself and stood up with me.

I looked him over to make sure he was presentable. He still looked flushed, as surely I must have too. We should not face everyone again quite yet.

"Let’s walk together a little," I insisted, grabbing his hand.

Being in a mood to give me whatever I wanted, he agreed without hesitation. I led the way to the tree line, and together we walked slowly away from the group. As we went, Dominick continued to act tenderly towards me: rubbing my back, putting his arm around me, kissing my cheek. I liked the attention, and it saved me from feeling dirty after what we had just done.

When I deemed that we both looked like cool customers again, we finally returned to our fellow picnickers. Dominick and I were still hand in hand as we came out into the clearing, but, out of reflex, we both let go when we got within sight of the others. No one showed the slightest sign of having been aware of our actions or absence, but, when we reached the tables, we separated and headed in different directions. He went over to the few people around the grill, and I went towards Victoria, who was sitting quietly in the shade. We fell into our various conversations without a problem.

I was really beginning to like Victoria, and I had a nice little chat with her. She was a pretty little thing, and her voice was sweet. She was one of those women who is cute, not sexy, and her smooth, delicate features could have let her pass as a young girl. She had made it very clear from the start that I was most welcome, and she continued to be nothing but pleasant to me. I thought it a great generosity on her part to allow me, a stranger, into her home so hospitably, and I told her as such.

"Nonsense," she said, "you’re a fellow member. You’re practically family."

"Thank you," I answered, very touched.

I thought for a moment for what else to say.

"So how long have you been a member of the society?" I finally asked after the pause.

"Oh my," she said, "forever and a day! Of course, we haven’t always been in the same Chapter, but my family has been in the society at large for generations. Both my parents were, so that’s how I became so."

"I didn’t realize it went back that far," I said in surprise. "I guess I just assumed everyone was recruited like I was. Are there a lot of society families like that?"

"Oh, not many," she answered. "Such families used to die off rather quickly. There are really just a handful now, and, of course, Dominick’s family line is the oldest."

My face must have betrayed my shock.

"You didn’t know that? Why did you think he and Monica are so well respected? Their father currently heads the organization, and eventually Dominick will inherit the position from him."

I was still too surprised to respond for a moment.

"I knew everybody seemed to talk about his father a lot, but I had no idea," I got out at last.

"Oh yes," she said matter-of-factly.

"And what of his mother?" I asked curiously. I had never heard anyone speak of her, and I suddenly wondered what kind of woman she was.

"Catherine passed away ten years ago," she answered. Her eyes took on the glossy look of fond memories. "You would have liked her; everybody did. She was so sweet. And clever! You’d have to be to keep up with that family. Things haven’t been the same without her."

Her voice fell sad on this last note, but she instantly made it happy again. As I marveled at all that she had just told me, she continued to carry the conversation forward on her own. Before I knew it, a very different subject was being discussed, and I was still speaking with her when I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. It was Dominick’s. My spirits lifted as he threw his arm around me, but he just as quickly pulled Victoria under the other one to make it look casual.

"Ladies," he said by way of greeting to us both. He turned specifically to Victoria. "Tory, the natives are getting restless, and Angelique declares that she is just about ready to melt."

He said it in a familiar voice, and I got the impression that they had been friends for a very long time. She gave an answering pat against his chest.

"We certainly can’t have that," she said, apparently catching his drift. "I’ve got just the thing to calm and cool. I picked up some fresh watermelon the other day. It’s in the car. If you two will just give me a hand?"

We each gave an agreeing nod. She rummaged through her bag for a moment before pulling out her car keys with a jingle. She led the way with Dominick and I trailing after her.

The heat beating down upon the parking lot was even more intense, and the air swirled and hazed over the concrete. We did not say a word as we went, and the only noise was the clop-clop of our flip-flops against our heels. Victoria was still in front of us, and Dominick kept his hand on my back as we walked. As I looked at him, I had to fight the urge to just grab him and hug him right there.

"What are you thinking about?" he finally asked, piercing me with his own dark eyes.

It was a low and gentle tone that he used, almost a whisper, and it did funny things to my chest. I shook my head as if to say never-mind. He let it drop, and Victoria did not appear to notice.

We reached the car, and our hostess opened the trunk. Inside, three green hulks were brooding in a shadowed ice chest, the frosty cubes having now melted down to slosh around the bottom.

"Here you go," she said, taking the first one out and handing it to Dominick.

She handed me the second one, and my muscles tightened under the weight. Victoria grabbed on to the third one herself and still managed to close the trunk and hold onto her keys. As we traversed the parking lot again, Dominick carried his with one arm, tucked against his body. Victoria and I found this method too precarious, however, especially since the melons were still wet and slippery, and we ended up cradling ours like a baby against our stomach.

Once we had returned and all was made ready, everyone settled down to munching peacefully on sweet, juicy slices of that enormous pink fruit. In the end, all were well contented and a fine crop of seeds had probably been deposited in the surrounding earth. Everyone seemed very content to sit and talk for a while, and the day crept irrepressibly onwards. Eventually, some decided to go in swimming again, while others simply opted to relax in the shade. I was for the former, and I made my way down to the water, now assured, at least, that no one would be coming up on me from below.

Beneath my towel, my suit was covered with dirt from where Dominick had dropped it, and a swim proved an excellent opportunity to clean it. I did not stay in long--just enough of a dip to cool off again and rid myself of the debris. When I was done, I air dried a bit in the sun, and then I was more than ready to change back into my clothes. I went in search of my beach bag.

Everyone had plopped their stuff down around the picnic tables when we arrived, and I found my bag sitting just under one of the benches. I walked over to it and bent to retrieve it. As I straightened up, a figure sitting at the other end caught my eye. Angelique was sitting there quietly, making a grand show of putting on lipstick in front of her little compact mirror. I froze. Though she hadn’t turned to look at me, I knew that she had seen me.

"I warned you," she finally said, the words coming out calmly between applications of pink. Her eyes were still fixed on her little reflection like Narcissus. "You take care now."

I was taken aback by this unexpected threat, and, before I could answer, she bounced out of her seat. My mouth was stunned into a gape as I watched her walk away with a haughty swish of her posterior. My expression soon morphed into a suspicious and pondering glare.

I now knew why she was so after Dominick, but why had she said anything just then? Had she seen Dominick and I together? I didn’t think so, but I couldn’t be sure. Whether she had or not, the important question remained: Was she all bark?

I asked that of myself as I slowly made my way to get changed for the ride home.

By the time we returned to the house, it was quite dark. Although I had gotten plenty to eat at lunchtime, I found that I felt unusually hungry. I must not have been the only one either, for Victoria laid out an assortment of goodies upon the counter as soon as we got in. Everyone gathered around casually, and we chatted for some time over grapes and cheese and shrimps and bread and whatever else she had left over.

This little kitchen raid did not last too long, however, as most of us were too exhausted from all of the exercise and fresh air, and we were only too happy to clean up and go to sleep early. Saying goodnight to everyone who hadn’t already gone, I took some crackers in a napkin and carried them with me as I went back to my room. I dumped my little snack on the bed and took a few nibbles as I stripped to get into the shower.

There was a loud whoosh as I turned the faucet, and I waited until the water was warm enough before climbing in. When the temperature was just right, I stepped under the gentle stream and let it melt into my head. It felt good to just stand there and enjoy for a moment.

A line of those shampoo samplers from hotels sat neatly on the ledge, and I selected one and got my head worked into a fine helmet of lather. I ducked face first into the water to rinse out my hair, and, when the last suds had slipped down to my heels, I backed up. My back made contact with human flesh.

"Ah!" I screamed in surprise.

I nearly slipped as I spun around to see Dominick standing behind me.

"How did you get in here?" I asked with a laugh of relief.

My eyes wandered along his body before returning to meet his.

"I have my ways," he answered elusively as he pulled me to him in his arms.

"Fine," I said, "then what are you doing in here?"

"I thought you might need someone to wash your back?"

I shook my head at him. "Again?" I asked in amazement, although, to my surprise, I suddenly found myself in the mood again.

"What can I say? The full moon is coming, and it’s driving me crazy. Besides, I want to see the record broken."

"Record?" I asked.

He moved his mouth to my ear. "Current record for female orgasms is about fifty," he said. "I think we have a chance."

"Uh," I spat at him with a slap of his chest, "I ought to wash your mouth out with soap."

He laughed heartily. "You can try," he challenged.

He grabbed the soap from off of its niche behind me and began to move it down my back. The cool bar moved down in circles until he brought it to my tailbone. Suddenly the routine of washing became erotic as he continued to rub it over my skin, sending chills along every inch. He went down one leg and up another, rising to face me, and he slid it gently over my stomach and chest. With a mischievous smirk, he lathered his own chest with suds and brought me sliding into his muscular arms. The slipperiness was stimulating. Neither could get a firm hold on the other, and we only returned to the rinsing water as we grew ready for serious action.

When the massaging spray had cleared the white foam from our bodies, Dominick turned his attention to cleaning me with his tongue. He had a knack for finding the most remote of erogenous zones on me, as if I had a map traced out on my flesh. I tried to keep quiet despite the camouflage of the pounding water.

He straightened and returned to my lips. One hand ran along my side, whisking off the droplets of water that clung to my skin. I felt a tingle as it wetly slipped behind my thigh and pulled my leg up by the back of my knee. He slid himself into place with me, and the warm, familiar feel of him inside me just seemed to obliterate all other sensations.

His body began to move in and against me as the water cascaded in sheets down his back. The only sound that rose above the pounding of the water at our feet was the symphony of our breathing as it escalated to an excited pant. The passion was building to an electrical release. Was he feeling what I was feeling?

"Make some noise," he demanded of me kinkily.

I allowed a few sounds to escape my lips as he pushed faster. My back was pressed up against the cold smooth tiles, and the occasional grout line scratched at my buttocks. I could feel it coming--that sweet-sour pleasure that builds you up just to tear you down again--and I wanted it and pushed it off at the same time.

"Let the whole world know," he coaxed again, barely getting the words out.

As the tempo of our lovemaking increased, he suddenly began making over dramatic moans and shouts.

"Shshsh," I said with a laugh as I pressed my hand against his mouth.

He did not obey, and his teasing made the energy jump from between my legs to fan out over my whole body. I silenced him with a kiss just as we climaxed together. As we stood clasped together under the beating of the water, words fluttered to my mouth that I wanted so much to speak, but I held them cautiously at the back of my teeth.

Both of us were reluctant to part bodies, and, even as we did, we held close to one another. I took the bar of soap and began to rub it gently over his skin. He let me do this between kisses, and he continued to look into my eyes with an expression I had not seen there before and did not dare interpret.

"Can’t you stay with me tonight?" I requested hopefully when we were dried and dressed.

He was practically out the door already, and I was desperate to make him stay. He gave me a sympathetic kiss.

"Not tonight," he answered, "but soon."

With his hand on my cheek, he gave me one final passionate kiss. It slipped from my face even as he slipped out the door, and I watched him longingly as he sneaked quietly down the hallway.

Even after he was out of sight, I was slow to close the door, wishing beyond reason that he might surprise me and come back. He did not return, though, and I suddenly felt very lonely. Why did I have to be his secret lover? Why couldn’t we just tell everyone? I regarded the question with new sentiment and realized that I did not understand.

X

The next day, I awoke early and joined Victoria and a couple of others for pastries and English muffins out on the back deck. It was a pleasant breakfast--one that takes on the flavors of the people and atmosphere around you. Though it wasn’t bright enough yet to be sure, it seemed like it was going to be a clear and pleasant day. This made me happy, especially since it was my last one there. In the back of my mind, however, I knew that I would have to leave by the afternoon if I was going to make it home at a reasonable hour.

"I just love mornings like this," Victoria was saying. "When I was growing up, we used to always do this. It really started the day off right."

Everyone nodded in peaceful agreement and continued sipping at their coffee and nibbling at the edges of their food. Although no one made a sound, it felt as though we had let out a collective sigh of satisfaction. The sun was growing stronger, and its first amber trickles were slicing across the table, making everyone feel even mellower. The only disruption was the sound of the door opening and the initial yawns of the other guests as one by one they came to join us.

"I love having company," Victoria said, as if continuing after only a short pause. "I’m so glad you all could make it."

A series of thanks were spoken around the table in gratitude to our generous hostess. The door opened once again, and Dominick quietly came out.

"Good morning," he greeted, surveying the rest of the company who was up. "And I thought I was up early."

"Early enough," greeted Victoria. "Come have some breakfast. We were just enjoying the morning."

He gave an assenting nod and took a seat on the other side of the table, facing me at a diagonal. Feeling lazily comfortable, my eye only casually followed him, but it was enough for me to catch the small wink he threw my way. I smiled and looked down at my coffee cup.

We chatted quietly over our morning meal, and the sun climbed speedily towards its throne. All of the other guests had gotten up and joined us, and we had reached that antsy stage that marks the end. We were ready to get going.

"So what are we going to do today?" came the question that was on everybody’s mind.

"Well," Victoria answered--the question having been directed at her--"you know I’m willing to do whatever you would like. Seeing as how nice it is, though, I was thinking we might just spend the day here. What do you think?"

A quiet murmur traveled around the table, but there really was no discussion needed. It was a unanimous agreement.

"Good," she said. "I’ll bring out some games for us."

Now that we had a plan of action, the day’s entertainment commenced in earnest. Among the games that Victoria brought out for us to play on the lawn was a badminton set. We attacked the erection of the net with great zeal, and, after much fussing, succeeded in setting everything up. Dominick started us off.

There was a slicing sound as Dominick’s first attempt missed the birdie all together. Whack. The second attempt sent it into the grass about five feet in front of him. Finally, the third try sent the target arching over the net, and it was coming directly at me.

"Got it!" I yelled.

I ran in for it, managed to hit it, but sent it spiraling into the net, where it stuck and hung. I walked over and plucked it out.

"We can do better than this!" Dominick shouted confidently from the other side.

I concentrated hard, trying to prove him right.

At last, we got the game going, and we got steadily better as we went along. We soon found ourselves shouting and laughing over a rambunctious rally as a birdie was swatted through the air with no particular skill. The long, small-faced racquets made swooshing noises through the air along with the boinks of the rubber-tipped shuttlecock against the strings. Hither and thither we dove and ran, and, all together, we had a fantastic time.

We continued playing until lunchtime rolled around, and we were just starting to feel like experts when we had to quit to eat. Victoria had tuna melts all made up on a platter, and she brought these out to the deck and set them on the table with some glasses and a pitcher of ice tea. Everyone found their seats, and we gave a relieved sigh that communicated good exercise and thankfulness for the rest.

As I went to sit down, I noticed a vacancy next to Dominick. Not willing to run the risk of hesitation--I had learned my lesson on that--I instantly grabbed it and claimed it as my own. I managed to do this very casually, and no one, not even conniving Angelique, appeared to have noticed. I smiled happily at the man by my side, and I waited patiently as the platter began its journey around the table.

After lunch, the promise of a nice day had been completely fulfilled, and it had grown quite humid. Wanting to cool off, the ladies and I moved the table out under a large oak towards the far side of the lawn. It made for a pleasant spot, and from there we could watch the men, who had decided to work off the meal with some football. I found myself sitting quietly in the shade, watching their game.

"Wooooo!" came the noise of the players as they broke from a little pile-up of bodies they had made.

This was just one of the many noises they had been emitting--another hoot, holler, bark, or cheer in the cacophony of their roughhousing game. They had been playing for almost an hour, and they had blades of grass clinging randomly to their clothes. They were what might be generously called sportily disheveled, and I found it more amusing than anything else. No matter how old they got, boys would be boys.

As the cluster of mock warriors darted in one direction, my gaze drifted lazily after them until a stationary figure caught my eye from out of the fold. My amusement instantly dissolved as I beheld who it was. I watched suspiciously as Angelique enticed David away from the game with one beckoning hand and a come-hither expression in her sharp little eyes.

"Now what are you up to?" I whispered out loud to her distant figure.

"I’m sorry?" asked Victoria from beside me.

I returned my attention to the table.

"Oh, nothing," I dismissed quickly. "These guys love their sports, don’t they?"

She nodded, and I looked back at Angelique. She had apparently succeeded in pulling David aside, and they were now walking off by themselves. She appeared to be whispering intently in his ear, and, though I could not figure her purpose, I was certain it couldn’t be anything good.

"Would you care to go for a walk?" Victoria asked of me very hopefully.

I wondered whether she had been following my gaze, or if it was just a coincidence. I finally did her the courtesy of looking at her again, feeling very bad for having ignored her in favor of my thoughts.

"Sure," I accepted happily.

I got up with her for a stroll, and we made our way out to the road. Our pace leveled out as our feet moved from the grass to the smooth pavement, and we turned right and continued side by side. Though she was looking dead ahead, my eyes were moving around in a casual survey of the neighborhood.

Most of the houses were charming, and they were spread out with generous stretches of lawn so as not to look too cluttered or overwhelming. It was a nice, familial area, and I thought it was the kind of place I wouldn’t mind ending up someday. That someday, I thought sadly, often seemed a very long way off, though.

As my interest returned to the companion who strolled by my side, a thought scratched at the back of my brain. I had to look at her several times before I could bite into a decision, and I gently wrung my hands together before opening my mouth. I turned my face towards her.

"Victoria," I said, "can I ask you something?"

She turned her face towards me and raised her eyebrows. "Sure."

"Well, I’ve seen how close you and Dominick are, and you’ve known him for a long time, right?"

"I’m surprised you noticed," she said with a delighted smile. "Most people don’t; but yes, our families are very close."

"I feel kind of funny asking you this, but…well…has he had a lot of girlfriends?"

She laughed. "Ah! Now we’re getting somewhere."

I felt embarrassed and was sorry that I had asked the question. I dropped my head, but a gentle pat on my arm by Victoria brought it back up.

"That’s okay," she said. "Well, there are certainly enough women who’d love to get their hands on him, but no, I haven’t seen him serious about too many of them."

"And Angelique?" I asked hesitantly.

"I see," she said, sounding as though she did indeed. "I really like you, so I’m going to answer you with a piece of advice. You’ve got friends here, people who will look out for you. But, as much as they might grow to care for you, if they sense for one second that you’re weak, they’ll tear you to pieces. Angelique understands this, and she is nothing if not persistent. Perhaps you’re a little too sweet."

I was both surprised and disturbed by her response and did not ask any further questions. We continued the rest of the way in silence.

When we had lapped our way around the block, we returned to the house. As we passed the side of it, I excused myself from her company and went in through the back door. I discovered that it was a good deal cooler inside, and I gave a little, "Whew," to the conditioned air as I entered. Walking down the hallway, I looked at the doors until I finally found the one to the guest bath. Stepping inside, I closed the door behind me and walked to the sink.

Leaning over the top, I gave myself a long look in the mirror and let out a big sigh.

"Too sweet," I whispered under my breath to the glass, rolling it over in my head.

With an agitated twist of the faucet, I turned on the water. I washed my hands and gave a cooling pat on each cheek before reaching for a towel. As I did so, I happened to glance at my watch. I still had plenty of time before I would have to start the drive back, which was a good thing, because I had not psyched myself up for the departure yet. Actually, I just was not in any hurry to leave Dominick. I was really enjoying having him around, whatever anyone else might think or say.

Returning the guest towel to its place, I gave my hair a quick check in the mirror before turning to go. A perfunctory stroke with my fingers did it, and I opened the door.

"Hu!" I inhaled in a gasp.

He stood just inches from me, and I had nearly run right into him.

"David," I said, "you scared me."

The smile fled my face as I realized that he did not appear to be waiting for the bathroom. I looked past him, but did not see Angelique in sight. My eyes returned questioningly to him.

"I think we have something to talk about," he said, taking a large step forward.

"Oh?" I said uncertainly.

My eyebrows lowered suspiciously, and I took a step back away from him. Looking around me at nothing but tiled walls, however, I immediately regretted the move and discovered myself penned in.

"Okay," I said slowly, trying to think fast. "Why don’t we just go out to the living room and...."

"No," he said, stepping all the way in with me, "I think we’re just fine where we are."

Though unsure of exactly what he was going to do, I sensed danger in my position. I summoned all of the courage I had and looked him directly in the eye.

"David, let me out."

I straightened my back and took one bold step forward, but he closed the door shut behind him and leaned his back against it.

"No, I don’t think so," he said playfully.

My heart was now thumping violently.

"Look," I said even more forcefully, "I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I am telling you no. Now let me out."

"Uh-uh," he refused with a childish wag of his head.

I bolted forward and tried to push him out of the way to get at the doorknob. He grabbed the hand that reached for it and slammed me against the door. He pinned my hands up beside my head with his fingers digging into my wrists, and our faces were practically nose-to-nose. I could feel his breath.

"Help!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"What’s the matter?" he asked in a sneer. "Nobody but Dominick can touch you?"

"Let me go," I commanded as I struggled to get free.

His hands only gripped harder, and I could not budge.

"Help!" I screamed again.

"It’s no use," he said, "they can’t hear you."

I screamed again, but I realized that he was right.

"One little nip, and you think you’re something special. You think you’re one of us? You think you’re just going to leap over the rest of us and go straight to the top? Well, this time you stuck your nose in where it didn’t belong," he said menacingly.

His eyes slid over my body in a way that made my skin crawl.

"Where did he get you anyhow?" he asked as he began to slide his hand over my chest. "He’s so discreet."

Adrenaline surged out into my limbs. "No!" I shouted through my teeth as I threw out my knee with all of my might.

I had thought to see him doubled over. In the movies it was always a debilitating attack; it always worked. But he had turned his leg just in time to block, and I had only made the situation worse.

"Wo! Now that wasn’t very nice," he said.

He was obviously angered, but he was toying with me as well. I knew that, no matter what, I had to get out of there now. With a jerk of my head, I plunged my teeth towards his right arm and bit in as hard as I could. He yelled, and his grip loosened just enough for me to slip free.

"You bitch!"

I pulled the door open against him and took off running, but he was already sprinting after me, his arms outstretched ready to recapture me.

"Help!" I screamed as loudly as my lungs could handle.

He was right at my back and would have me in his grip at any moment. Tears of despair were already forming at the lids as I waited for the awful instance. I tried to put on an extra burst of speed and darted for the door.

Two arms sprung around me, and I was jolted to a halt. I cried out. This was the end! But wait. I suddenly realized that these arms came not from behind, but from in front of me. They were Dominick’s.

I spun as he thrust me protectively behind him. David had likewise come to a complete standstill, and the two men stood in a face-off, bodies slightly sideways to one another. It was like the calm before the storm as each stood stark still, seemingly frozen motionless. My heart pounded violently.

I myself could not move either, and I waited in stricken stillness to see what would happen. I could not see Dominick’s face, but the concern on David’s seemed to speak of an intimidating sight. Dominick widened his stance and raised an accusatory finger towards him.

"I warned you to stay away from her," he said in a calm and deadly tone.

The other remained silent, but the blood rising to redden his face seemed to answer for him. In less than a blink, the men suddenly sprang at each other. I saw a blur of arms and heard the low thud of knuckle to flesh. I let escape a gasp and stepped back from the fray, fearing a stray punch might connect with me. The unevenness of the match became evident almost instantly, however.

I had thought my eyes to be wide open, but I suddenly found them clenched tightly shut. When all was silent, I loosened the lids to see David lying sprawled on his back on the tile floor, his nose little more than a bloody pool. Dominick towered over him like a predator, his fist still ready for another strike. The fallen man held up the flats of his hands in surrender as he choked and sputtered.

"Come near her again, and I will kill you," Dominick threatened with a growl, the look of blood in his eye no doubt lending weight to the claim.

David gathered himself slowly up off the floor and slunk off down the hall away from us, probably to go to his room and nurse his wound. When he was sure his opponent had gone for good, Dominick turned to me, the anger melting away from his face.

"Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.

I nodded timidly, still in a bit of shock.

"You’re bleeding," he said, pointing at my mouth.

I wiped at my chin with the back of my hand.

"Not mine," I said.

He smiled understandingly. "Good."

"Oh," I said, "but your hand."

"Not mine either," he said. He chuckled. "It looks like we won two-zip."

I smiled--probably a bloody smile--and started to walk shakily towards the kitchen. He lent me his arm to steady me as I went, and he appeared to still be searching me for any injuries.

I went first to the roll of paper towels hanging over the counter and tore one off. Turning on the faucet, I rinsed and scrubbed my mouth of the awful, sticky mess until I could no longer taste it. When I was done, I took Dominick’s hand in mine and carefully cleaned it. I was happy to see that his knuckles were merely a bit red, and his face appeared to be completely unmarred. Still holding his hand in mine, I turned my eyes up into his.

"Thank you," I said.

He gave me a little nod.

We made an effort to collect ourselves, and Dominick offered his arm to lead me back out. I was surprised; it was the first time we had ever appeared together so. At the same time, however, it felt very natural.

As we crossed the lawn, I saw that Angelique was sitting at the table under the tree, talking to everyone and looking as innocent as ever. As she beheld us together, however, she could not keep up the façade, and her features contorted with petulant rage. She didn’t wait for us to reach her, but, without so much as a goodbye to her hostess, she jumped up and stormed past us towards her car. There was a squeal of tires as she sped away. I for one enjoyed the visit much better without her.

When it was time to go, Dominick walked me to my car. I wanted nothing more than to stay with him, and our parting was almost more than I could bear. He had played the part of the hero--my personal protector--and, though I had only dared accept him as a great lover, I now began to realize that he was truly my great love. Perhaps my heartbeats had known it before I had.

"I could get used to having you around every night," I said to him with intimation in my voice. I did not want to scare him off, but I wanted him to know how I felt.

"Same here," he said, relieving my heart.

I turned the key within the car door and opened it, but my hand lingered upon the edge. My fingers played with the rubber stripping of the window for a moment.

"When will I see you again?" I asked hopefully.

"Soon." He answered with a smile, but it faded from his face. "I just need a few days to take care of some stuff."

I pulled my lips back tight in grudging understanding, but I quickly tried to lighten up.

"Well," I said, "Just don’t take too long."

He imparted a kiss on my lips and gave my arm a squeeze to reassure me. Standing back, he looked me dead in the eye.

"I won’t," he agreed with an assuring rise of his eyebrows.

We kissed each other again as goodbye, and I climbed into my car. Dominick closed the door for me, and I gave him a parting wave as I went. His gaze pursued me until I was out of sight, and I watched him watching me with a satisfied calm.

XI

The image of Dominick as the brave and undefeated knight soothed my thoughts during the whole journey home, and I hardly noticed the pavement growing darker under the fading light. It was a long drive, and, by the time I got home, it was extremely late. Fortunately, I had somehow made it through without eyestrain, but I was still very exhausted. After all, it had been a very hectic and taxing weekend, not the least of which were the events of that day.

As I walked through the door, a dark and empty place gaped before me. It almost seemed like there should have been an echo. I tried not to let it affect my mood as my fingers sought out the light switches to drive the shadow away, but I could not keep it entirely out. I trudged to the bedroom and basically just threw my suitcase in the corner, thinking that I could bother with it tomorrow when I felt like it.

Slipping back into the familiarity and routine of my place, I moved to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and slipped comfortably into a nightgown, and I practically zombie-walked over to the bed. As I crawled beneath the covers, however, I found that it too felt very cold and empty. I could not get comfortable until I grabbed the pillow from beside me and hugged up against it. It was a poor substitute for the warm body that I wanted there, but I at last drifted off, and my slumber was long and peaceful.

I slept soundly until the obnoxious squawk of the alarm clock jolted me awake in the morning. As I went through my antemeridian routine, I discovered that I harbored the same mixed mood that had pervaded my weekend, and I can only describe it as being precariously happy. By the time I got to work, however, I had mulled things over enough to feel more confident, and I walked through the front door smiling.

I gave a friendly hello to everyone at the front desks, and I stopped long enough for a sociable chat with a few of the ladies that I liked there. I got updates on all of their respective husbands and kids and laughed as I heard the latest escapades of both categories. My senses felt alive, and I enjoyed the smell of coffee wafting in the air as I left them and continued down the hall in quest of my humble little cubicle.

With meeting rooms secluded to my left and a clutter of desks to my right, I passed quickly with small waves to those few who made eye contact. As I went, I looked up to see Rebecca stepping out from the copy room, and I raised my hand in a returning wave to say hello before plopping down at my desk. Now it was time for office mode.

With a tremendous sigh, I came crashing down to earth and tackled my duties of the day. It was a good day to make phone calls, and I started a nice game of phone tag as I was forced to leave messages on everyone’s machines. I worked steadily through the day and got done what I needed to, but, all the while, there was a certain person on my mind.

By the time rush hour rolled around, I was more than ready to head home. The first thing I did when I walked through my door was to remove my pinching high-heels and free my toes to the cool tile. I headed straight for the closet, and, after I had relieved myself of the day’s clothes, I slipped into something more comfortable for the remainder of the night.

"I’ve got to get a new job," I declared to the laundry basket as I fed it the apparel I had just removed. "Something where I actually get to see sunlight once in a while!"

I popped the lid down with a snap to accentuate my point.

Moving out to the kitchen, I trotted over to my refrigerator. Opening it up, I peeked inside to see what my options were for dinner. It didn’t take me long to realize that I did not feel like cooking, and it was only a matter of minutes before I was on the telephone picking numbers off of a takeout menu.

Forty minutes later, there was a knock at my door, and I opened it to see the delivery man standing there with my order. I gave him a generous tip and took the brown-bags to my room. Using a beach towel as a tablecloth, I enjoyed a little picnic of Chinese food on my bed as I laughed along to a comedy on TV.

"Mm mm mm," I sounded in approval as I ate enough food for three.

A little egg roll, a little vegetable lo mein, a little fried rice. Everything smelled and tasted so good, and I was so hungry. Over the next hour, I proceeded to gobble every last scrap, and I practically scraped the boxes clean when I was done. Delicious!

"You deserved a night off," I told myself.

I reached for the four corners of the towel and lifted it straight up into the air. Carefully, I brought it to the trash can in the kitchen and slid the aftermath into the garbage. Throwing the towel in the laundry, I returned to the bedroom and clicked off the television with a punch of the button. With a sigh, I turned my head around slowly and looked at the room in quest of occupation.

What to do? As I glanced from wall to wall, one eye caught the suitcase still sitting in the corner. Walking over to it, I lifted it up off the floor and popped it open on the bed. I began to extract the wrinkled garments as I hummed to myself, throwing this and that article into the laundry basket as I sorted it through.

"Going to have to do the wash soon," I reminded myself out loud as I watched the basket filling higher and higher.

As I reached in to pull out one blouse, my hand hit something hard and fuzzy, and I had a pleasant surprise. I had forgotten. The necklace box sat quietly where I had left it, and I smiled as I slowly pulled it out. As I opened it, I removed the note from its grasp and began to reread it to myself.

"…and your dreams will always be of me," I said, reading the last part out loud.

I ran my finger lovingly over the words written out in Dominick’s fine hand. Those would be happy dreams indeed, I thought to myself, especially since I couldn’t have him here with me live at the moment. I smiled and pulled the jewelry out of its box. As my fingers ran over its glittering edges, I thought I could see the faint glimmer of an odd and finely hidden script in the metal, but it disappeared as quickly as I saw it. With a shrug, I walked over to the mirror to hook the chain around my neck. The links pulled tightly against each other as my fingers released the weight. It was heavier than I remembered it being, but it seemed to shine twice as much.

I finished putting all of my clothes away, and my thoughts kept me company.

Afterwards, I wasn’t feeling very well--probably indigestion from overeating, I thought--and I tried to settle down in bed to watch a movie. Unfortunately, what had once been such a common routine for me now seemed like the most boring evening I had had in a long time. My mind seemed filled with memories of dinners and dreams and rocking chairs and moonlit walks. Everything else dimmed in comparison. Not for the first time, my fingers strayed up to the cold heart upon my collar and brushed its smooth surface, and I hoped that he would come for me soon. I drifted off with that hope in my heart.

The night had deepened to the stillness of death when I awoke with a start and sat bolt upright in bed. I had been dreaming again--a screwy, twisted dream. Dominick and I were walking together on the beach, then in the woods, then on the beach. He kept trying to tell me something, but a howling wind blew away his words every time he opened his mouth, and I could not hear what he said. Strange. The dream was not what had disturbed me, though.

I listened carefully, lending a straining ear to the slightest pin drop. It must have been a loud noise to startle me awake so completely, but there was no sign of any such thing now. I turned and looked at the bedside clock. It blinked twelve on and off, so I could not be certain what time it really was. It felt like several hours had passed. I didn’t know why, but the little hairs on my skin had pricked up at attention. I listened again and squinted to look through the room.

Peering through the darkness, I caught two points of pale blue light just outside the bedroom. They were framed in the door about halfway up, and they flickered. I stared incomprehensibly for a long moment until my focus adjusted. They flickered again--not flickered, but blinked--and I realized that I was looking at a pair of iridescent animal eyes.

A face protruded forward into the room, and, with one step, a massive beast of a wolf took shape before me. When a thing of that sort appears so out of context, it takes a long moment for you to truly sense the danger. So it was with me, and only as it came nearer did I begin to tremble.

The wolf stepped all the way in and sniffed the air, its deep lungs making a hollow sound as it inhaled. I could smell the pungent odor of earth rising out of its thick fur, could see the muscles twitching anxiously beneath. And then it hit me. Even as I stared at this killer, it hit me: those eyes! I knew those eyes!

I saw it and knew it, and yet I could not accept it. How could those eyes be in this monstrous body? Even as my mind asked the question, a million disconnected images suddenly came into sharp focus: the Lycanthropic Society, Dominick biting me, the dreams, the pain, the landlady’s complaints. But why wasn’t I…my hand reached for the necklace around my throat.

"Oh my god!" I said out loud.

The beast let out a guttural snarl that froze my blood, and it crouched down low, sending up its shoulder blades in angular points. Its lips were drawn back taut from its dripping white fangs, and the deadly display scrunched the fur of its nose and narrowed its eyes to sharp slits. It was going to attack me.

Suddenly it sprang up onto the bed, jaws snapping. I threw myself off just in time and could hear the loud click of its teeth in the air by my ear, could smell its fowl breath. I hit the floor with a jolt and got to my feet just as the wolf pounced at me again. It hit the space I had just vacated milliseconds before, and my heart was thunderous in my chest as I raced for the door. I tried to close it behind me, but the beast slammed into it before I could get it in place. The knob flew out of my hand, and I lost my balance and was sent sprawling. My head made a sharp thud against the floor when I landed.

I peered around frantically from the floor, squinting through the pain. A weapon, a weapon! My eye caught a silver glimmer from up high. I sprang up from the floor and darted towards the kitchen with the beast right at my heels. My hand just closed around the handle as the biting fangs came towards me, and the metal edge sung falsetto as it sliced upwards through the air.

I pulled the steak knife around and sunk it into the beast’s neck just as its crushing weight nearly broke my back against the counter. The impact tore the breath from my lungs so I could not give voice to the scream that wailed out from my vertebrae. The steaming blood sprayed into my face and burned like acid in my eyes. I was nearly blinded. The animal emitted an awful gurgling sound and came crashing down on top of me, still moving. I wriggled out from under it as fast as I could and retracted the weapon. I struck it again, this time under the ribs. It writhed on the floor horrifically, but at last it became motionless. The blood pooled around the body and crept towards me, as if still in pursuit. I could not move.

I was pale and shaky as I sat on the floor, propped up in the corner between two cabinets. I watched it until I was sure it would not suddenly reanimate like the monster of a horror movie. I looked at the bulk of fur in front of me until the tears rose to wash the blood from my cheeks and obstruct my eyesight. I knew the truth: it was no mere animal I had just killed. It was like the sinking sickness with the thud beneath your tires, only this was ten million times more wretched. Nothing could have prepared me for it. The full horror of it struck me, and the knife dropped from my hand and clattered to the floor with a loud clang. I broke down into sobs.

I don’t know how long I sat there before I noticed the banging at my door. When I did hear it, it was like the thunderous tom-tom of a massive drum. It seemed to startle me out of myself, and I suddenly became very aware of my surroundings as if everything were outlined in bold. I rose shakily to my feet and tiptoed around the body on the floor, leaving a trail of crimson footprints behind me.

After fumbling with the lock, I finally got the door open only to discover Mrs. McKenzie standing on the other side. For the first time, I beheld her countenance with something other than dread, and she mine with an expression very different from irritation.

"My god, are you all right?" she asked with true concern. Her eyes stared with horror at my bloodstained face.

I thought as quickly as I could under the circumstances.

"It was a terrible animal!" I exclaimed, pulling her into the apartment to show her. "It nearly killed me."

She let out a short scream when she saw the body on the floor and called on her lord in less than reverent tones. She turned to face me again, and her demeanor was one of attentive sympathy.

"Are you hurt?" she asked worriedly.

I lifted my hand to my brow and trembled as I swept away some of the blood. My back was throbbing, but it was more than likely just a terrible bruise.

"I don’t think so," I responded slowly. "It’s not my blood."

Mrs. McKenzie insisted on calling an ambulance, and animal control or some such organization arrived soon behind them. Once I had been all cleaned up, it was as I had thought--only a nasty bruise on my back was discovered, but I was otherwise unharmed. They wanted to take me to the hospital just to be safe, but I refused.

As the men cleared the body from the floor, they kept repeating how lucky I was not to have been harmed.

"A wolf…here? Now I’ve seen it all. You’re lucky it didn’t bite you," they marveled.

I noted that no one ventured to guess how it had even gotten into the apartment.

"Yes," I agreed quietly, "lucky."

They had no idea how lucky.

Once the body was removed and everyone had finally filtered back out through my door, I looked around with a feeling of detached shock. It was as though everything were now painted in reddish brown, almost like brick. The smell was acrid to my nose, and, whether it was just in my head or not, I thought it was getting worse. I had better clean it up right away before it really dried and stained.

The bucket of cleaning gear was in the cabinet beneath the kitchen sink--one of the very areas that required cleaning. I tentatively reached out one hand and grabbed the handle, but the stickiness of it made my stomach turn. I had to turn my face away from it and hold the back of my free hand to my mouth just to hold it together.

My mind made a struggle to think of something else: blue skies, puffy clouds, cool breezes... Besides, it’s glue, not blood, just glue--no big deal. I reached for it again and pulled it quickly open with one jerk. I had to overcome a gag before I could look again.

I reached inside and removed what I wanted. I dumped out the contents on the counter, selected a scrub brush, and filled the bucket with hot water and dish soap. Inch by inch, I began the tedious task of scouring off the semi-dried blood in my home. I worked ceaselessly until dawn, my occasional tears the only thing slowing me down. What had I done?

After I managed to rid the kitchen of the entire mess, I turned my attention to myself. Though my skin had been cleared of all stain, my nightgown was still spattered and soaked by it, and it had dried so much that it was now as hard as leather. I quickly pulled off both my nightgown and my underwear and threw them directly into the garbage. Then, walking naked through the apartment, I climbed into my shower and begun to scrub as roughly at my skin as I had at the kitchen. That and the scalding water made my skin turn red, but I didn’t care. I had to get clean. I had to.

By the time I was done and dressed in clean clothes, I was so exhausted that the whole fiasco felt like a distant nightmare. It just didn’t seem real anymore. How could it be? It seemed so preposterous--it must be the stuff of nightmares. It sounded good, but I couldn’t sell myself on it, and the bloody garment in the trash can was there as proof.

"I can’t stay here," I announced out loud to the walls.

I looked at the clock and saw that it was 6:30 a.m. Tina was probably up already. As I picked up the telephone, I felt the fatigue and stress creeping into my brain, and I suddenly could not remember the number. When I finally found it in my address book, I carefully copied it from paper to buttons and waited with my ear to the receiver for any sound save the hollow, distant ring.

"Tina?" I said as soon as the line was open.

My voice even faltered on that two-syllable name, so, by the time I asked if I could stay with her for a while, she had heard enough to know it was something serious. She quickly agreed and even offered to pick me up. I thought about it for a moment, but decided that I was well enough to safely drive my own car over there.

When I got to her door, she took one look at me and called into work for us both. I don’t know what excuse she gave them, but I was glad to have that taken care of for me and to have her staying with me for the day. I didn’t want to be alone.

When we were seated on the sofa in her warm, sunny living room, I at least felt like I wouldn’t crumble to pieces. Daylight and company provided the courage I needed to face the things that were too dreadful in the night.

"Tina," I said, still speaking in the wavering monotone of the traumatized, "could I have a dictionary please?"

She didn’t understand the request, but she agreed. As I flipped through its thin pages and found the final proof I needed, a bitter smile came over my face even as shiny tears danced upon my eyelids. Tina put her arm around me as I shook my head from side to side.

Although I needed very much to talk, I knew I shouldn’t tell her what had happened. Though after the trip we had remained close, and I had told her about Dominick and a few other things during our weekly phone conversations, I had discovered that I had to watch what I said. Whenever I mentioned the society or any of the people involved, a strange silence would occur at the other end of the line. She was obviously still squeamish about this topic. So, as Dominick was now inseparably intertwined with the society in my mind as well as in hers, I thought it best not to say too much. She listened quietly to my every mumble, however, and it was enough that she was there for me.

I did not go into work for the rest of the week--I needed to get my head on straight. I spent the time dashing aside sporadic tears while alternately smiling ironically to myself. Still unsure of what my next step should be, I did at least feel like I was drawing close to answers. My I-can’t-believe-it’s had gradually been replaced by what-do-I-do-now until the latter lost their despair and became a quest for action.

All the while I stayed with her, I didn’t want to be a burden to Tina. I chipped in for groceries, made sure I cleaned up after myself, and generally tried to stay unobtrusive. She was ever the good friend, and she tried to cheer me up with her own pep. She assured me that she didn’t mind my staying with her.

This escape was just what I needed, and, by the weekend, I felt strong enough to go home. I thanked Tina profusely and hugged her goodbye.

"Do you want me to stay with you for a while?" she offered, still looking a little concerned about me.

"No. Thank you. I’ll be okay."

"You sure?"

"I’m sure."

"Well, you know you’re always welcome back here," she said.

I hugged her again.

The drive home seemed to pass quickly, and suddenly there I was in front of my door. I hesitated a moment before opening it, and I only slowly turned the handle and pushed, peering cautiously inside before stepping in. It was empty, of course, but I felt like every dark corner could hold hidden dangers. It is a terrible state not to feel safe in your own home. I tried to shake the feeling.

Dropping my purse on the nightstand, I slowly sat down on the edge of the bed and just looked around. A loud exhale dispelled some of the feelings in my chest and broke the silence of the room. As I freed myself from an odd feeling of torpor that I supposed was aftershock, I caught a red blinking light out of the corner of my eye. It was the answering machine.

Leaning closer to it, I was surprised to discover fifteen messages blinking on the digital counter. I pressed the play button and sat back to listen:

There was the sound of a phone hanging up.

Beep.

"Hi. It’s Dominick. I’m home again, and I was hoping to get together. So, just give me a call when you get in."

Beep.

"Dominick again. I’m not very good with these machines. Please call me right away. There’s something I…well, that I want to talk to you about."

I’ll bet, I thought cynically to myself. You have a lot of explaining to do.

Beep.

"Me again...."

As I continued along the messages, I discovered that thirteen of them were from Dominick. The other two were automated solicitations. As I listened to each and heard the desire and anxiety increasing, I could not help but smile. It wasn’t easy to stay angry with Dominick, especially when he was being so uncharacteristically sweet. I realized that I still wanted him.

As that soaked in with me, a thought suddenly hit me out of nowhere. It swept all else aside and left me with an impish smile. I knew what to do now. I wanted him, but I also wanted to get back at him, and the best revenge just might be to play him at his own game. He certainly enjoyed trying to shock and surprise me; maybe he should suffer a little himself. Shouldn’t be too sweet.

I thought on it for a moment longer, and a conniving plan unrolled itself before my mind’s eye. I picked up the phone and dialed, propelling it into actuality. After the second ring, I got an answer.

"Hello, Monica," I greeted with a purposeful tone.

After my conversation with Monica, I was much pleased and assured that my plan was going to work. According to her, there was going to be a grand ball at the end of the month to celebrate the lunar eclipse. Her father was hosting the occasion at his home upstate, and it was going to be a very large and honored event. All of the society members were invited, so it was no problem for me to attend; and, when I explained everything to her, woman to woman, she was more than happy to help.

Dominick was supposed to head up the week after next to help prepare for the party anyhow, so it was not too difficult for her to arrange it so that he’d go a week earlier. That was just perfect as it left me with only one week in which I’d have to avoid him, and I knew just how to do that. As soon as I hung up with Monica, I turned right around and dialed out again.

"Tina," I greeted when my friend answered the phone, "can I please hide out at your place for another week?"

By the time I was done making all of the arrangements, my mood was incredibly uplifted. The feeling just took over, and I was excited by this new game I was playing with Dominick, even though he had no idea that he was playing it. There’s nothing like turning the tables on someone.

I packed a week’s worth of clothes into a bag--something I was getting very proficient at with all of my recent travels--and slung it and my purse over my shoulder. Out of one of the drawers, I grabbed up a sheet of paper, a pen, and a piece of tape. With a quick scratch of the pen, I scrawled out what I wanted to say and adhered the tape to the top. I didn’t want to worry Dominick too much, and I knew better than to leave him without anything, so I stuck the note to the outside of the door as I left. I looked it over as I locked the door. It was short--just enough to tease:

"Dominick, anticipation is half the fun. See you at the ball."

That should do it, I thought to myself. String him along a little bit and show him what it’s like to be on the waiting end. Now I’d test his loyalty. I just wished that I could have seen the look on his face when he read it.

Tina greeted me merrily when she saw me again, although she was very surprised to have me coming back so soon and even more shocked to see me in such good spirits. Knowing that she didn’t want to hear the truth, I explained that I needed to stay away from the landlord for this week. She had heard my horror stories about that woman before, so she accepted this without question. I felt bad about telling her a lie, but, since it was an unimportant one, I figured that it didn’t do any harm.

Keeping in mind that I had a ball to go to in just a couple of weeks, I knew I had to work fast. My job obviously kept me occupied throughout the days, but, as soon as I got off work, I shot straight over to the mall. I went out shopping every night, going through near miss after near miss in dresses until I found just what I was looking for.

"Yes!" I exclaimed as I beheld it.

It was absolutely the one, and I knew it, as all women do, the moment I stood back and looked at it on me in the mirror. Anything that looked that good under the flickering, fluorescent store lights had to look fabulous in real illumination.

Dominick, you better look out! I was ready to go.

XII

When the first week had passed and I was assured that Dominick was safely away at his father’s place, I moved back into my apartment, once again feeling much indebted to Tina for her hospitality. All that was left was time, and I could now face the wait with patience, confident that my plan would finally win me what I wanted. I counted off the days.

My moment of glory at last arrived, and, as always, no matter how long the wait seems, it always feels like such an event sneaks up on you so quickly. Here it was, and I found myself looking left and right in awe as I followed a trail of limousines along the long drive leading to Dominick’s father’s small palace.

You certainly wouldn’t have known from their demeanor that Dominick and Monica came from money, but the Tudor-style mansion that rose to greet my wide eyes heralded the affluence inside. It was a magnificent sight, and it made me feel insignificant as I rumbled along in my humble little compact. I knew, however, that it wouldn’t matter how I had gotten there once I was out on my feet and shining with all of my radiance.

As the drive curved, the drivers deposited their contents at the front door. I bypassed this line and drove on until I found a clandestine little spot to park my car. I pulled comfortably to a stop, happy to be away from the hustle and bustle of those obscenely long vehicles competing over the front entrance.

Opening the door, I checked myself one more time in the mirror on the back of the driver-side visor. I blotted my lips together to make the ruby red lipstick shine out even more fantastically, and I let my white teeth sparkle with approval. Remembering Monica’s lunar reminder, I took a last look to insure that my silver necklace was still securely fastened about my neck. It glittered there discreetly. I was ready to go. After a short battle with the seatbelt, I carefully got out and ran my hands along my stomach to smooth out any wrinkles.

Everything was perfect. I had never looked more beautiful, and I had managed to be seductive and classy at the same time. I wore a brilliant red sequined dress with a sunburst pattern over the chest. Curving up from the bust line to form an oval, the straps clasped at the back of the neck, and the back plunged way down low from there. With all of the overlapping sequins, it was heavy as could be, but, as long as I didn’t breathe, it was fine.

The house was lightly wooded on either side, and the crickets were chirping quietly with their violin legs. I imagined that they were playing especially for me, and I smiled as I strode confidently towards the front door--woman on the prowl.

My apparel and situation could not fail to strike me, and I let out a self-indulgent chuckle.

"Like a naughty little girl on her way to grandma’s house," I said out loud with a grin.

I reached the front door and slipped into place with the small parade of people who were entering. It almost felt like the Oscars or something, and I thought to myself that news cameras would not have seemed out of place at such a hifalutin affair. As I passed through the door, the ceiling immediately rose up high and a large foyer opened around me. There were people crowded everywhere in their best gowns and tuxedos, and a whole sea of taffeta extended in both directions into the large rooms to left and right. The sound of an orchestra, however, attracted my attention towards the back of the house, and I gathered that the ballroom stood somewhere in that direction. My heart beat even more excitedly.

My confidence soared to greater heights as I caught the number of male eyes upon me, and with not too shabby owners either. I would remember this moment for the rest of my life, I was sure. There was only one man I wanted, however, and I was not to be distracted from my purpose.

My eyes scanned back and forth in search of a familiar face in the multitude, and Monica’s was the first to attract my attention. She was socializing with a little cluster diagonally in front of and to the right of me, and I immediately gave her a friendly smile and wave, both relieved and happy to have spotted her. She however, returned a smile that communicated more than simple greeting, and she gave a wink and nodded with her head to direct me to look to my left.

I followed her gaze to discover Dominick standing not ten feet to my left, looking sexier in formal wear than I had ever seen him before. He was staring at me most intently, and what an expression he had! Though his jaw was not literally dropped, his face appeared as though it were, and his cheeks burned with a satisfied glow. He almost seemed hesitant to approach me, but, when he did, he maintained the same awed expression. Though enamored myself, I struggled to keep the cool, victorious countenance I had been practicing in the mirror all week.

"Wow," he said under his breath as he closed the distance. He fumbled for a moment for something to say, but could not seem to find the words. He let out a short exhale. "I’m speechless."

I smiled broadly. "You?" I dragged out teasingly.

Dominick did not even respond to this, and I realized that he really meant it. My heart warmed even more, and I was immensely pleased. This was even better than I could have ever hoped.

He blinked hard as if to dispel his amazement, and he shook his head slightly.

"You look so sexy," he said in the same tone of awe and excitement.

"Thank you," I answered.

"No, I mean it," he repeated as if to dispel any doubt. "You’re gorgeous."

"Thank you," I answered again, this time with a tiny blush.

The very sight of him ignited my heart, but I tried to keep control. He too seemed to suddenly regain his own usual composure.

"Well, I hope you are happy with yourself," he said, his voice now returned to its usual confidence.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Not returning my phone calls, teasing me with little notes--how very coy of you."

I laughed lightly, knowing that he was only poking fun at me. He reciprocated with a small, slanted smile, before lapsing into an intense stare. I remained silent and allowed his eyes to fix upon me. His gaze burned intensely for a long moment as it penetrated my eyes. At last his own eyes broke their hold upon me as he leaned in and gave my lips a light kiss.

"Come with me," he said.

He held out his arm for me, and I accepted it as he began to escort me through the room.

"Where are we going?" I whispered to him as we went.

He smiled and brought his head closer to me to speak confidentially into my ear.

"I want you to meet my father," he said, content.

My eyebrows lifted in surprise, but I nodded. This was a very good sign.

We wove our way through the crowd into the next room, and Dominick brought us to a stop just behind a man with his back to us. With his free hand, Dominick gave him a light tap on the shoulder.

"Father," he interrupted, "I’d like you to meet someone."

The man turned around to face us with a broad smile. He was slightly shorter than Dominick, and a little stout, but he had the same eyes, and the hair was identical save that his had begun to get wisps of salt on the sides. He reached a warm hand towards me.

"So this is the pretty lady we’ve heard so much about," he greeted affectionately.

"How do you do?" I returned.

So Dominick had been talking about me? I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps I had not been as much of a secret as I had thought. I hastened to make a good impression.

Though as host Dominick’s father needed to make the rounds, I discovered that he was especially generous with his time with me. He spoke with me about all sorts of things: about his family, about when his son and daughter were children, about the society, and about his own life. I asked him how long his family had been in the society, remembering what Victoria had said.

He laughed and answered, "Forever and a day."

"That’s exactly what Victoria said about her family," I challenged with a smile, "and she said that yours went back even further."

This made him chuckle even more. "Well, then make it forever and a week."

I could see where Dominick got his odd sense of humor.

In addition to the tales he told me about his own kin, Dominick’s father also appeared most interested in my background as well. He questioned me at length about my own family and ancestors, their places of origin, etc. Though I didn’t think I had very much interesting to say, he seemed very pleased with all of my answers. We must have talked for at least an hour, and, if there was one single impression that I carried away from our conversation, it was that he was very welcoming of me. This relieved me greatly, and I did not regret his company.

During the course of my conversation with the father, however, Dominick had been pulled away. I was unhappy at having lost sight of him; so, when his father could no longer neglect his other guests and took his leave of me, I took the opportunity to go in search of Dominick. After a bit of navigation through the crowd, I discovered that he had not actually gone very far from me, and I came upon him from behind.

He was talking friendly to a man along the wall, and I could stand around the corner concealed and still hear every word. Only Dominick’s elbow stuck out from the wall against which I stood listening, and I resisted the urge to reach out and touch it just yet.

"I don’t believe it," the man exclaimed, "finally a woman who has tamed even mighty Dominick’s heart!"

"I know, I know," Dominick answered. "Who would have thought it, huh? But it’s true; it’s happened. I’ve never loved anyone like this before. She is the one, my friend."

I couldn’t believe my ears, and I almost had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. A soft glow fanned up from my heart to my cheeks, and I smiled so hard I almost cried. Listening carefully for more, I held my fingers over my lips to keep from making any sound.

"Well then," the other man answered, "it sounds like congratulations are in order. Here’s to you!"

I got the impression of a glass raised in the air in toast, although my only visual cue remained the slight motions of the jacket sleeve at the corner.

"It’s not that easy," Dominick responded sadly. "I haven’t told her what I’ve done to her yet. I don’t know how she’ll take it."

"Oh boy," the man said sympathetically. "Well, that’s the trouble with women: damned unpredictable." He let out a short laugh, followed by an exaggerated, "Good luck."

I decided the timing was right. I quickly ran my hands over my face to wipe away any revealing expression I might have displayed there. With a quick reassuring breath, I walked boldly around the corner, sliding my hand over Dominick’s shoulder as I went. He almost jumped as I touched him.

"Hi," I said.

"Hello," he answered, trying to play it cool. "Sorry I left you, but...."

"That’s all right," I assured him. "I love your father. He was wonderful company, and now I’ve got all of the low-down on you." I punctuated the last word like a poke to tease him.

"Uh-oh," he said. He tried to make it sound playful, but it was obvious in his voice that he was still flustered and off-guard.

I kept expecting Dominick to suddenly regain himself, to make some quip or act cleverly all of a sudden, but he didn’t seem to be himself at that moment. It took me a moment, but I realized that he was actually trying to be resolute and perhaps was having a hard time with it. He audibly took a deep breath, and his eyes shifted back and forth in thought for a moment.

"Walk with me?" he finally requested very seriously.

I glanced over towards the man he had been talking to before, and I saw that he practically had his head under his wing just trying to turn his back and get out of range from this one. I thought it very funny, but I didn’t want to give myself away. I looked back at Dominick.

"Sure," I answered very lightly. I felt confident that I had the upper hand for once.

We wandered among the people, and Dominick brought me to a relatively open niche in the corner of one of the far rooms. The only ones who seemed to be paying the least bit of attention to us were the glossy-eyed heads of deer and moose that were mounted high upon the wall. He apparently deemed this sufficiently private to begin an important conversation.

"I probably shouldn’t tell you this here, but I’m afraid that if I don’t say this now, I may never be able to," he said very quickly.

I was surprised to see Dominick in such a state, and it almost made me want to reveal myself right then and there. On the other hand, however, he had certainly taken enough pleasure out of my discomfort in the past. I decided to split the difference.

"Why Dominick, I thought you were Mr. Courage-to-take-the-direct-route," I teased rather cruelly, remembering his words upon our first meeting so very long ago.

"Quite right," he said with a conceding smile, seeming to find new bravery from the challenge. "Well, I know this may be hard for you to believe, but...."

I interrupted him. "Oh, you are most certainly right! I don’t believe it."

"Please," he said, "I’m serious. Let me say this."

He sounded like he was getting frustrated, and I found it terribly funny that he was so focused on what he was trying to say that he wasn’t picking up on what was right in front of him.

"No," I threw back even more dramatically, "I won’t listen to a single word. I don’t want to hear any of your ludicrous tales about werewolves and full moons and all of that nonsense."

"But...." he started to continue.

Suddenly his face contorted into the greatest shock I had ever seen, and it pleased me no end.

"You knew?" he gasped.

I laughed and gave him a sly little glance in answer.

"But how did you know?" he questioned with unabated surprise.

"I figured it out," I answered.

He shook his head in amazement. "But how? How could you?"

The corners of my lips arched up more broadly. "Let’s just say I had some help from a very unlikely person. Besides, I finally looked it up."

"Looked it up?" he asked.

"Lycanthropy," I said very seriously, "People believing they are wolves--who would have thought?"

His surprise seemed to dissipate, and he regained his good humor and threw his arms around me.

"I’m going to have to watch you," he exclaimed. "You’re too smart."

"Why thank you."

I finally let down my guard and gave him a little kiss on the lips.

"Missed you," I whispered warmly into his ear.

He gave a little shake of his head. "You drive me crazy."

"Good," I said, "Maybe you should try a little more craziness; you might like it."

A pat of his chest ended the game, and he smiled at me as I delivered it.

"Now," I added, "are we going to stand around talking all night, or are you going to take me out on that dance floor?"

In agreement, he gave me a little bow.

"Nothing would please me more," he said happily.

Taking my arm, he led me back through the front of the house to the ballroom floor. Once we had secured a spot, he took my hand in his, and I brought my arm across his broad shoulder. His other hand cradled my lower back, laid bare by the low dress, and I felt his thumb rub against the skin a few times as if marking me. We began the motions, and neither of us could stop grinning as we slowly moved our feet.

There was the obvious dance that all could see, but below that was a much sexier, much more intricate one. Our eyes locked us together as a pair, even in the very end when Dominick bent me slowly backwards over his arm in a final dip. It was just as I had planned: perfect.

"It’s time everyone," our host’s strong, clear voice belted out over the chatter.

The music had stopped mid measure at the announcement, but Dominick and I continued standing together as if still dancing. We were left in the middle of an empty floor as everyone began to stream out the door to see the eclipse. When the last group was funneling through the foyer, Dominick stepped back and pulled at my hand. By the look on his face, I could tell we were not going to follow the crowd.

I trotted after him as he led me hurriedly down the hall. He pulled me through the third door into a small room lit only by a fireplace. I barely glimpsed the sparse décor as Dominick whisked me through the doorway and, in one smooth move, closed it behind me and pressed me against it. He kissed at me excitedly, and ran his fingers over my chest and down to my hips. Though the armor of sequins numbed his touch quite a bit, the warm press of his palms alone was enough to arouse me.

"Why did you wear this dress?" he asked breathily between kisses.

"To tantalize you," I said provocatively, though truthfully.

"It worked too well," he answered, moving to touch my breasts again.

His hands strayed down and tried to pull up the hem of my dress. He tugged upwards on the skirt, but it was wrapped too tightly against my skin to simply slide up. He had to catch it up in folds and inch it up in a process that was agonizingly slow. At last he got it up around my hips, but my pantyhose still stood as a barrier. He allowed another kissing intermission before his hands went for my waist to begin trying to pull at them to get them down. I had stuffed myself into the slenderizing type in order to fit more nicely into the dress, however, and he had trouble even getting his fingers inside the elastic. I had also grown quite warm at this point, and it proved quite impossible to remove them.

As Dominick continued frantically pulling, the situation became more comical than anything. I couldn’t suppress it any longer, and I began giggling out loud. He gave up with a loud sigh and brought his forehead to rest against my shoulder. Despite his frustration, he too could not refrain from laughing. I took his face in both of my hands and pushed it up to look at me.

"Tonight," I said consolingly.

I gave him a quick kiss and slipped away, leaving him with his head bumping against the door. I quickly untwisted my dress and smoothed everything back into place just as I could hear the guests reentering the house. Dominick returned to my side looking composed, though a little flushed, and offered me his arm to lead me back out. The rest of the evening was spent in furtive glances and torturous anticipation.

The party continued into the early morning, but at last the guests departed. I returned to my car to get my bag out of the trunk, and Monica showed me to a guest room up on the second floor. It had a gorgeous view of the bright moon, and I thought it the perfect setting for a long-awaited romance.

Dominick had somehow disappeared during the last hour, but I knew that he wouldn’t stay away for long. Once I said goodnight to Monica and her father, I hastened to my room to get out of my dress and into a sexy negligee I had brought along. I sat on the end of the bed, just waiting for that knock on the door.

Tap tap! I was on my feet before the second one hit my ear, and I opened the door with a ferocious fling, practically ready to jump him. I blinked stupidly when I saw nothing but empty space.

Tap tap; it came again. It wasn’t at the door. I spun around in surprise as I realized that the sound came from the window, and there, framed on top of the sill, crouched Dominick. He rapped one knuckle against the glass again, and I rushed to open it and permit him entry. He swung in agilely to his feet.

"What are you doing?" I asked, tickled, as I looked down the two stories to the ground. "Wait, where’s the ladder?"

He smiled cockily. "Anybody can do this with a ladder," he said with mock disdain.

I stared out in amazement at the large oak outside the window, its gnarled branches cut a good five feet away from the house. I returned focus to him and gave an approving smile.

"I want you more than anything," he confessed longingly as he reached to embrace me.

I held him off for a moment. I wanted to hear it first.

"And what about what I want?" I asked coyly.

He was bewildered and had to take a step back. "What do you want?" he asked obediently, though obviously disturbed by the delay.

I smiled. "Your heart."

He flashed a deep grin of satisfaction, and a twinkle danced in each eye like excited fireflies.

"You already have both halves," he responded romantically.

I smiled and grabbed him with both arms around his neck. There was a sliver of cold metal enfolded in the hot skin, but it warmed beneath my fingers even as our lips pressed together for a long, lingering moment.

"Say it," I said, separating between kisses.

"Say what?" he asked innocently.

"You know what," I accused. "Say it."

He laughed and calmed his voice to a soft, tender tone. "I love you," he said slowly, separating the words into three.

I rewarded him with an even more passionate embrace. He reached down and tore off his shirt, sending buttons flying everywhere and tapping to a standstill on the floor. My hand lowered to his belt, and I unhooked it and whisked it through the loops and off of his hip, as if starting up a pull-cord engine. His feet had already worked off his shoes and socks, and he now brought off the rest of his clothes in one quick push. I jumped up into his arms with my thighs around him as he walked us backwards to the bed and lowered down on top of me. We kissed wildly as he brought the negligee off over my head, and then he reached down and pulled my underwear down off of my legs.

"Grrr," I playfully growled at him.

He took his time and gave due homage to the rest of my body, every millimeter. I was more than ready for him when he finally slid in. Very gently, he began to move with me. Face-to-face, lips and bodies sliding together, we found that zone where hearts could be both tender and wild.

Our motions grew faster and more forceful, and I lost track of who was who. Hands remained busy, and it felt as if we had melted into one another. When the final moment came, it was more beautiful than anything we had ever had before, and, as he coaxed me to fruition and collapsed against me, his mouth whispered at my ear.

"I love you," were the words that hung in my mind as we held one another, and I knew that he’d still be there in the morning to tell me again.

A glowing smile warmed my cheeks as I felt the glory of conquest. In the end, the best woman had won, and they’d never recognize that bitch’s body.

The End