"I was wondering," the waitress replied. She's one of my favorites, fiftyish, competent, comfortable with the job, her bantering with the Saturday mor...ing regulars was sharp and flirty. I think she saw me as an anomaly, younger than a lot of the regulars, but not one of the occasional smart-mouthed youngsters that showed up, either. "You never showed up with anyone before. And when you do? Bang! Married!" Yeah," I said, doing my best 'Aw, shucks' act. "I found Johanna." And I found him," Jo. He led the way toward the office.There were about a dozen men in the gathering, all dressed for site work, all familiar to Helen and Rummy. As the two of them came in the door, they rose as one, took off their hard hats and began to applaud.Helen was somewhat nonplussed, but recognized the acceptance and affection the gesture implied. She smiled and looked at Rummy, took off her hard hat and swept it in front of her as she bowed as deeply as her vest allowed. Rummy matched her movement, and the. He kissed her neck lightly, her hands by her sides. His hands moved up the side of her body feeling the silk dress against her skin. His hands covered her breasts. She leaned into his body. She started to moan as his hands teased her nipples under her dress. He kissed her neck some more while holding her tightly. She felt his cock against her butt. She moaned again, this time a little louder with more urgency. His hands slid back down the side of her body below her dress. Then his hands slid. ‘Yin failed,’ he said to himself as he stood and walked over to the fire. That night thirty-eight years ago came back to him, sitting in this room he felt the tremors, knew that something…life altering had just happened. Standing by the fire, warming his hands against the chill that always crept in through the ancient mortar of the keep, he wondered if the life to be altered or ended would be his. For the first time in, well, longer than he cared to remember, Nicholas felt the cold clammy hand.