And the boy wouldn't have to go up for adoption. Yes, at the time, it had seemed a good idea, but Dot still felt pained by the circumstances. She was married now, after years of teaching grade school in the Philadelphia school system, and well married according to many of the other young matrons in town, to the busy head of a main line real estate firm. But even Nick had suggested, when she had confessed her indiscretion to him, that it would be best not to tear the boy away from the people he thought of as his real parents and she supposed they were right. Yes, perhaps it was the best course after all.

The martini was making her feel unusually mellow, and there was something definitely soothing about being in Art's house, the comfortable suburban home her sister had loved so much. She seemed to sense the children sleeping in the bedrooms beyond the closed living room door. There was a peacefulness in the air and slowly she abandoned her worries about her son. Finally, she let Art draw her into a conversation about more pleasant things.

When he got up to fix her another drink, she protested meekly and then smiled and accepted the cool glass. After all, it was silly not to. Didn't she deserve to have a good time every now and then? As if having read her mind, when Art handed her the frosty glass he said: "You deserve a pleasant evening, Dot. Why I haven't seen you smile in ages. Are you and Nick getting along any better these days?"

It was a secret to no one that she and Nick didn't get along very well. Anyone with half a mind could have seen that. But still, it was embarrassing to talk about, so Dot changed the subject and soon they were discussing safe things like their favorite movies and the sorry state of Philadelphia politics. Dot hardly noticed when after her third martini, Art sat down next to her. She moved over slightly on the sofa, feeling herself grow oddly warm. A light film of perspiration formed on her upper lip and she could feel her arms growing goose-pimply. She tried to avert her eyes from his, but it was difficult now that he was sitting right next to her… besides, she knew that she wanted to look into his eyes… really wanted to study his handsome, rugged features.