Flopping carelessly into a soft chair and flinging his boots onto the surface of the beautifully inlaid coffee table, Ray watched her, narrowly, as he sucked on his own drink. If I can get another one of those down her… she'll be fucking like a mink! Christ! I can hardly wait…! But, I'll have to play it cool… cool as hell!

He flipped through some of the long-play records stacked on top of the stereo unit at his elbow, selected a driving, hard rock, put it on the spindle and started the machine. The driving twang of the guitars and the high, nasal vocal thundered into the room through a special hi-fi speaker system.

Charity listened and sipped at her drink; before she knew it she had finished it. In a few moments, Ray thrust another at her, a big friendly grin on his face.

"No, thank you," she said, politely.

"We're having another round, too… you might as well drink up…" He left the pernod on the coffee table before her.

A few moments later, she reached for the drink, automatically. She hated to let it go to waste. Sipping steadily she was more than halfway through the second drink when it hit her. There was a warmth in her belly, seeming to exude to all parts of her body… and there was a certain headiness, an almost giddy feeling. More important, though, she felt glowing warmth in her loins, and she shifted her position. Strange! She hadn't felt it before! God! What was that stuff? Is it s-some kind of… sex drug… something that would make people do it?

Abruptly, she set the glass down, a wild, cornered look appearing in her eyes. "Ugh!" she said aloud.

"What's with you, doll… I thought you liked that drink?" Ray Donahue asked.

"I-It tastes good… but I think there m-must be something in it… something strong that sneaks up on you!" She felt a sudden weakness in her knees as she tried to stand up.

Instantly, the tall youth was beside her, steadying her; he leered down at her, as he slipped a sinewy arm around her waist. "That was pernod you had… it's almost as good a turn on as pot!" he explained.