”“Then I’ll take my payment later. Too obvious otherwise.”“Yeah, they’d be shocked to hear that we fool around sometimes...” Heather sai..., rolling her eyes and sliding the curtain closed.I stepped over to peek out at her. “Don’t worry, you’ll get what’s coming to you,” I quipped. “But you’ll have to wait!”She shook her head and then left the bathroom. I spent another five minutes in the warmth, and then turned off the water. As I stepped out onto the floor mat, I looked around and then. "Just as I thought," he muttered, "No brassière."He looked at her with a gleam of anticipation in his eyes. He strode over to the dressing table and drank a glass of wine from one of the bottles. Then he rummaged in the drawer."Do you know what this is?" he asked, brandishing the knout."Y-yes," said Molly, the fearful stammer far from play acting."Over the chair arm, if you please. I'll teach you not to disobey the Sisters at school."Her 'Papa' was still playing the rôle in which he had cast. Turning away from her locker on one hand, she said, "Run it."Ken's broad, brown face appeared in a subset window next to Tim's on the screen wall. He backed away from the camera, and she knew just by the knit of his brows that he was calling off for the night. "Jeri? I can't come in," he began, sure enough. "I really can't. Penny's sick, and I don't want to leave her alone." Penny's sick?" she echoed."She really is, I swear. Here, look." Ken indicated the sofa, where his daughter was bundled up. "As long as Stephen is not taking care of you properly, how about just the four of us and once in a while a very big client?"She looked at me without a word. I'd better sweeten the pot."We could really make it worth your while."Still nothing. "How about double your salary?"Now I could see her mind at work, and the silence didn't scare me anymore."I can't justify a raise like that at home; it'll have to be cash off the books. And I need enough time to do good research. Someday it'll be time for.