"Uh-huh. Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"Not just for the coffee. Thanks for hanging my dress up like that. It was nice of you."

"It was nothing."

"You're so good to me. Even this…" Elspeth, made a gesture with the coffee cup. "Breakfast in bed, practically. Except that it's night, not morning."

"You can have it in the morning, if you'd like. I get up before you do and make a pot anyway. I'll bring some in to you tomorrow."

"Hey, you are good to me."

"Well…" Joan hesitated. Then, almost as though she had rehearsed it, "You're my roommate and I like doing things for you. It kind of makes me feel close, you know? Incidentally, I washed out your panties and hose again."

"You did? Really?"

"Sure. It was no bother."

"Real sweet of you. I mean that." Elspeth squinted quizzically across the rim of her coffee cup. "After all, you didn't even have the fun of taking them off me."

Joan dropped her gaze, cheeks turning pink. Elspeth felt suddenly bold, brazen; she had spoken on impulse but certainly had no reason to regret her words. That blushing face told her all she needed to know – and now, unaccountably, she was finding the role of wicked seductress rather stimulating.

"Well? It's true, isn't it, Joanie? You do have fun doing that. I'll bet you'd like to make love to me."

"Oh! You-you're so beautiful…"

"How come you waited so long to tell me? Why didn't you say that the night I moved in?"

"I-I wanted to. But I felt guilty."

"Guilty? Guilty about what?" Then, abruptly, "Oh the hell with it, let's have some action." Elspeth flipped the sheet all the way down, kicking it off with her feet. "There now, do you really think I'm beautiful? Tell me. Would you like to kiss my beautiful body?"