Jake grinned at her. He was a handsome man, with steely gray just starting around his temples.

"What do you mean, we? Let Tom take responsibility for his own fuck-ups. You were the hit of the party. There wasn't a man there who wasn't sorry to see you go."

She smiled ruefully. "Thanks, Jake. I needed the ego boost."

He reached out and gave her shoulder a brotherly squeeze. "See you later, beautiful."

"See you, Jake."

When her neighbor was gone, Heather stared ruefully at her husband who was snoring peacefully on the bed. He had passed out the minute Jake laid him down.

She felt a sudden fierce surge of anger. Her whole evening was spoiled! And now, while everyone else was having fun, she was going to have to sit around listening to a drunk snore! She kicked her shoes across the room. They scattered and fell in opposite corners. She stripped off her dress and flung it into the clothes hamper in the closet. When she had removed her underwear and stockings, she admired her nakedness for a moment in the dresser mirror.

Ripe out thrust tits; tight waist; shapely hips; long, lean legs. Jake was right she was beautiful. And where was it getting her?

Nowhere! Sitting home with a dead drunk for company while the music from the party next door filtered in through the bedroom window.

She felt horrible. Lonely and neglected and frustrated.

The redhead slipped a bright-green kimono over her naked body and went downstairs to the kitchen. She had drunk only a small glass of wine at the party. But now she felt like a good stiff drink. She made herself a double gin and tonic and went out to the back patio.

It was a beautiful starlit night. She sat alone in a chaise longue on the patio, in the dark, listening to the hum of voices and music next door. She took long gulps of the drink to ease the pain of dissatisfaction gnawing at her belly.