"Oh, don't I know that." Her mother patted her greying hair. "It's funny how Robin and Steve were always close and you two girls fought so. I'm only hoping that your sister can talk some sense into that boy's head, get him to come back home."

Marcia stood up, sucked awkwardly at the cigarette. "Don't wait up for me tonight, Mom. Sam said something about keeping me out late."

"Oh?"

"A party. Special kind of party with some friends of his."

"Well, I trust you, Marcia. I always have I guess. Even when you wanted to drop out of college, I told your father that I thought you were smart enough to know what you wanted."

Marcia heard the car pulling up in the drive. She grabbed her sweater. "Night, Mom."

Her mother came over and took her gently by the shoulders.

"Marcia… I… well I never talked to you must about what girls should know… about men. I just hope that you use good sense… you know what I mean."

"Everything's all right, Mom." She leaned forward to kiss the wrinkled, slightly damp forehead. "Everything's just fine."

They were just sliding onto the freeway before Sam turned to look at her. He smiled.

Marcia smiled back. His dark hair hung in heavy curls over his forehead. He was older than he looked. Or maybe his age didn't matter, his physical age anyway. She could see him as a boy, the kind of kid that had dirty pictures and showed off the dirty rubber he carried to the others. The boy who talked incessantly about pussy and cunt. Talked about it in a twisted, vulgar way.

For an instant Marcia wondered why she had let Sam put that damned gold watch on her wrist the weekend before. Four dates they'd had. Four too many. She was in over her head now. She was trembling. She clasped her fingers together.

"You smell like something against the law, baby." Sam's eyes were shining like snake eyes. "I thought I'd stop by my room at the Hilton and we'd have a little drink before going over to the party. You hungry for anything?"