So she set out to seduce you and failed. She wondered what was wrong with you. She actually asked were you gay!’ ‘It worked though,’ said Tracey... ‘Eventually you broke her down. I remember her coming home in floods of tears. We thought you’d dumped her but it turned out you had been stern with her and told her to stop messing you about. ‘You forced her to talk to you, and apparently you listened while she poured out all this invective about men in general and you in particular. She accused you. Nadine explained that she and most of the other women on the street had married early and were destined to remain in Atown for the rest of their lives.Two weeks later I was sitting on the porch again and I heard Nadine talking on the phone. She sounded upset and telling whoever she was talking to that George was going to be mad as hell about the telephone bill and her not being able to pay it this month. Nadine complained that “the fucker should make more money so I could at least talk to my. ’ Disbelief again… ‘You’re NOT available as far as I know! And that’s not what I’m saying!’ ‘Yes it is! You want me to be all over you all the time, and I’m not doing it!’ ‘NO! That’s not what I’m saying! I just want you to touch me SOME of the time in public! Why is that so hard?’ Tears well up again. Rejection rejection rejection… An angry glare, dark glower of condemnation, ‘Because you’re trying to control me.’ ‘I’m NOT! But everyone else can touch you! And if I try to you pull away or you. .." Because you're not really a girl?" Yeah." I'm not judging you, as far as I know you were going to a costumeparty. How you're dressed does not affect my treatment. You need tostay, so..." Susan! My God! What happened? Did Max do this to you?" He came home, saw me, and went crazy mom. He...he..." This fellow Max beat her badly. We're going to keep her for a few daysto make sure there aren't any lingering problems." Can I talk to her...alone?" mom asked. When the doctor left..."Susan,I'm so.