When he arrived it was already dark out, and cold. I'd left my door unlocked for him,so the first I knew of his arrival was the tinkling of the chimes...as he opened the door. I was waiting for him in the livingroom upstairs, dressed as he'd requested, all in hot pink lingerie with the darling pink-and-white streaked mid-length wig he'd admired in my online gallery pics.He didn't wait overlong before suggesting we move upstairs to the bedroom, where I was instructed to remove his clothes and then. Who needs a bus driver who can’t concentrate? Not being able to pay the rent meant I lost the flat. I took to sleeping rough in public places, which, at night, was actually preferable to being indoors alone. I took comfort from being around people, even night people — dossers, thieves, madmen, anyone, they were all preferable to the alternative. That’s why I’m here. I’m reduced to begging strangers for cups of tea in railway stations in the endless hours before dawn. All around us now, cocooned. ‘I said: it’s a bad idea because I don’t know if he feels the same.’ From a few feet away, Karen stared at Rainey as she played with a lock of hair that had fallen over her shoulder. ‘Rainey, from what you just told me—and I’m sure you gave me the tame version—I don’t see how you can even think he isn’t attracted to you.’ ‘That’s not the point. I mean, I know he is,’ she could feel herself blushing but she forced herself to say what she was thinking. ‘I just…I don’t know if that’s *all* he. I called Mrs. Johnston to come over and watch after you while I’m gone. She should be here in a few minutes, she had to get her little girl Ashley dressed.’ ‘Okay Daisy,’ Mama replied as she ate her eggs, ‘Can you hand me the salt and some raspberry jelly before you leave, please?’ ‘I sure can, Mama,’ I said as I picked up the salt and retrieved the jelly from the fridge, placing them withinher reach. ‘They are to the right of your plate Mama at about the two o’clock position of your plate.’.