Was she? the naive blonde wondered. She had, after all, never been given a massage and had no idea of the usual procedure. And Larry had been so kind to her that it seemed insufferably rude to act as though he was trying to do something bad. Maybe she was being childish, still acting as though she was home with her puritanical parents. And what he'd said about thinking that Verne was here with her made sense; she'd actually been doing that already, for the two friends had very similar athletic builds and strong, capable hands.

"Here, have a little more of this scotch. It'll help you sleep, too," she heard Larry say, and as the glass was pressing right against her lips there seemed nothing to do but gulp it down. The clear brown liquid tasted nastier than ever, but it blurred her tangled thoughts to the point where it seemed unnecessary to do anything but close her eyes and try, as Larry had instructed, to pretend that her husband Verne was here beside her on the couch instead of in a hospital bed miles away.

Strong, gentle hands seemed to be caressing every curve and crevice of her nerve-tensed body, and she allowed herself to fall into a semi-trance where there was no remembrance of motorcycle accidents, lewd lace nightgowns, or vague suspicions and guilt about what her husband's friend was doing to her. Verne, her wonderful husband, had magically arrived home safe and sound to calm the flames of desire that had been plaguing her for the past two weeks while he was away on tour. He was making her whole body vibrate in the most pleasant way imaginable, and instead of the nervous, undirected energy that had burned inside her, a flowing honeyed current of pure relief was humming through her veins. All she had to do was keep her eyes shut tight and not let her mind think of anything but Verne's handsome face with its lopsided grin and his sun-bronzed, virile body… that was all she need do to feel happy again…

"Ummmmmmmmm… oooohhhhh…" she purred low in her throat, letting her hands fall limply to her sides as all vestiges of guilt vanished from her conscious mind. "Oh, Verne, Verne… ooooohhhh!"