She started to laugh, coming to a stop. ‘Did you like what you saw?’ she asked, finding it odd that she honestly wanted to know. ‘Yes, very much...so,’ he answered as he turned to face her. ‘Your panties were in the way, but, other than that, I liked what I saw very much.’ She quirked an eyebrow, and assumed a questioning, yet seductive, posture. ‘Are you coming on to me, sir,’ she asked coyly. He looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding a little. ‘Yes. I think I would have to be crazy not. Yet he doubted the fuzz paid much attention to this run down establishment. Anyway, by 1930, everyone was breaking the law. Prohibition had become an unenforceable joke. The couple continued their argument. It got ugly when the man shouted profanely and slapped her across the face. Then he stormed out of the place leaving her sobbing with tears rolling down her cheeks. "This woman needs a drink," Cliff said to the man serving the prospector. He complied refilling her cup from an unmarked. She seemed interested in knowing what I have done and with whom, she even asked me what I thought about her daughter. Her daughter was just 16, not bad looking but I made a mistake to tell her I like them older than me. I didn’t mean that older meant really older ,but she took it that way. “Well “ she said “older women can really show you a lot”,then smiled “and like me we like younger men”.Helen must have seen that I was getting a bit nervous because she placed a hand on my chest.”Relax. It was nice, in a way, not to have to be pining over Makeeda, or over Sara. The one was down in L.A., pursuing her career, getting some recognition as well as a paycheck. The halo of sweet, throbbing, aching emotion they had shared would linger with both of them until her return. Sara was getting what she had wanted: novelty, fresh attention, scintillating new sex. No one, least of all Laura, could deny that that had its charms. And Laura was getting Arthell, who sat next to her in the car.