She had hushed the raucous place into silence while assuring us her thoughts were miles away.It wasn't long before she was sitting at my table. I didn...t even have to ask, and I was sure I was the luckiest guy in the place. Thinking back, it's hard to imagine believing the fantasy that seemed so elusive at the time. A waitress arrived, and I ordered drinks. Hers was tequila, a double.Yes, this was her first night. She was from Missouri. No, she didn't know a soul here yet. She liked Billie. What I didn’t appreciate at the time, was how Xena was playing the long game, to catch me in her web and use me, along with her host of other emasculated men, to realize her own perverse fantasies.This was in the early days, when my contact with Xena was limited to social occasions. Then, as I said, she was always engaging, flirtatious and fun to be with. What I eventually discovered was that, consistent with the accounts Mandy gave me about Xena’s proclivities, she was quite narcissistic. Like. "They answered in the affirmative and slowed down. More people came up and Mary Anderson said, "Let's all sit down and get acquainted. They have a story and shouldn't have to tell it hundreds of times. Ours will make more sense if only one tells it."George, you were elected leader six months ago. Here's a chance to lead." She chuckled.George now said, "Welcome to Port Lavaca. We call ourselves Lavacans now. We fish, farm, and refine gas for our boats and vehicles. Our story is simple. We were. Since I'd exchanged those letters with Kaci, that memory no longer carried the sting it once did. I made the decision, then and there, to tell another person something I was certain I'd carry with me to the grave. I proceeded to relate the entire Kaci story to my girlfriend, leaving out nothing. In typical fashion, she took it all in stride."And that," I said at the end, "is why the topic of kids is a touchy one for me. But since I made amends with Kaci, it's nowhere near as touchy as it used.