Brint slipped under the covers, his face composed in the most insolent expression he could manage. "Working at what? Screwing? I know those 'world's best photographers' – just the world's horniest cocks, if you ask me. I'll bet you miss it!"

"How dare you… how dare you even dare say something like that!" Fran sputtered, thoroughly enraged, groping for a reply that would wipe that expression from Brint's handsome, even-featured face. "Besides, what about you… you and that… that whore you used to go out with! The bleached blonde with the bad legs. Besides, you might be wishing I were still working, since we're going to have your brother living with us! He eats like a horse, judging from the last time he came to dinner. I couldn't believe my eyes!"

Brint's face colored, the combined effect of Fran's insults to his old girl friend and his brother sending him into a near fury. It had all been very controlled up to now, and he'd been enjoying himself. Now, it was no longer a question of enjoying himself by getting Fran's goat… he was legitimately angry with her.

The cords in his neck tensed as he spat out his reply. "You bitch! That whore I was going out with had better legs than you do… plus she was a better piece of ass than you are!"

"Then why didn't you marry her? I'm sure we'd both be much happier! Why don't you look her up right now… I'm sure she's working in the nearest whorehouse somewhere!"

Fran hastily began backing up as Brint jumped out of bed. She saw that she'd really gone too far, and regretted having brought the whole thing to this point. When her husband lost his temper she was really afraid of him, and she could see that he wanted to kill her now. He came toward her with his fists clenched, and Fran backed steadily toward the far wall.

"Let me alone… let me alone, Brint!" she warned.

"You little cunt! You couldn't even get a job now if you wanted to – 29's about retirement time in the modeling business, ain't it?" He grinned evilly, certain that his reference to his wife's age had sufficiently wounded her to get even.