“He is really cute,” laughed Maria, and I blushed.“Easy, baby,” grinned my friend, as he pulled his nurse into his arms and gave her a scorchi...g kiss.”Millie grinned at me. “Well, if that is all it takes to get my hubby’s attention, I’ll flirt with you anytime.”“Easy Wifey. I can always put you over my knee,” grinned Malok from his clinch. When I looked over at Maria she had a dopey expression on her face like she had just had an orgasm.“Promises, promises,” laughed Millie.Malok extricated. Never before had she felt the need to spend 5 minutes, never mind half an hour, picking out clothes to wear. And to the library no less! As a show of defiance for the odd feeling Deryck cast over her, Ryn pulled on her basic, black-framed glasses and rumpled her hair, destroying her careful 20-minute styling. Now she felt more normal. All of the sudden hands closed around her eyes. For a moment she was startled beyond belief, then she was angry. ‘Hey!’ Ryn protested. Deryck dropped his hands. She was utterly outrageous!And it was funny. For both Kris and me it was like truly coming home. There was none of the “what have you been doing lately” nonsense. For one reason, I knew that Mom and Kris talked on the phone every day, and I would have lunch frequently with Dad. They knew what we had been doing lately at least as well as we did ourselves. It was Friday night, and after cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, Mom served a beautiful dinner. It was French haute cuisine, and was superb. She. “I don’t want to lead him on,” Kia sounded a third her size. “I’m not ready for sex or anything and I was afraid I--”“He had no idea that’s what you were doing,” Zoë snapped. “If you’re smart, you’re done with her and you’ll go see Marin today.”“What! No, I could--”“Yeah, force yourself to do something you’ll end up hating him for. He’ll love that.” Zoë scoffed. The bus was lumbering up the street, its brakes beginning to squeal. Zoë cracked my chest. “Come home for dinner. We need to talk.”I.