"We showed up at the restaurant without calling ahead. He tried to pull that macho bullshit 'I don't have time for you right now' act he does, but we ...eren't having it. I'm not going to say he's a teddy bear under all that bluster, because he isn't." She paused and looked from one to the other of us, probably wondering how much we knew of Mr. Z's rather colorful past, and apparently decided it didn't matter. "But he loves Persephone and Hebe and that means he's got to pay attention even if he. I’m looking forward to living in the city. I want to go to museums and I want to visit the libraries. I want to see a real nightclub and go to an amusement park. I’m finally free. Neither of my parents will make bail once they’re arrested. My brother caught a bus home to look for a job. My sisters are going to have to sell everything they own to keep their husbands out of jail. Their in-laws won’t even speak to them, according to my brother.“But I’m out of it. I have a life and I’m the only one. I was turned away from him strugglingwith my bra strap, but now wearing my skirt when I felthim behind me. He grabbed both my breasts and thrusthis hips against my buttocks. Through the thin materialof my skirt I could feel his rock-hard erection in hispants. He was breathing hard and pulling on my breasts:“You know you want it Annie, I bet you haven’t had adecent cock in years; there is no-one else here and no-one will ever know… come on, bend over the table andI will fuck. Wendy—wearing a little knit cap—crawled into her place behind Drew and hugged me as I began reading The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas. When that was done, I pulled out a tattered copy of The Night Before Christmas. It was Mom’s book and was old the first time she read it to me.“Now,” I said, “you all know the presents under the Christmas tree are gifts we give each other, right?” Drew and Damon gave a nod. Melody handed me my laptop open to the screen that I’d kept active. “Well, Santa comes.