They have taken advantage of me.”He reached for her hand. “Let’s make figuring out how you fit into this big, broad world part of our trajectory...together.”She nodded. “Yes, lets. I feel your faith in me. I wish I had more in myself.”“I think that will come.”“Well — after last night and this morning, this was a downer of a conversation,” she remarked.“But, a necessary one. We’re just getting to know each other.” He finished his coffee. “Warts and all. It’s Saturday. When do you need to be back. ’ ‘Not at all, although I’d guess that many of the women there have had a bikini wax or two… or three, or twenty.’ There was a certain glimmer in Jeff’s eyes which I had come to recognize as signaling something naughtily significant was about to be said. ‘It’s on the north side of the city, not too far from the racetrack. It’s a hands-only place where people from the tri-state area will flock to on the weekends to get their cars cared for with love… by babes in bikinis!’ I noticed Charlotte. This frightened her immensely, as she knew she would be completely at her buyer’s mercy, and there was little hope of a happy life. She dropped her head and tuned the voices out, focusing on calming down and remaining passive… Sometime later she was taken down from the posts, and she was left untied for the first time in months. A silky tunic was dropped over her head, coming down to brush the bottom of her buttocks. Someone took her hand and led her along a paved path. They came to a canal,. "I'm sorry. What did I do? I didn't throw up, I know that. Did I call you names? I didn't proposition you in public, did I?" Suddenly, she paled, and Hope wondered if she'd remembered. "Did I say something about your mum?" Not me, Shawna. Marcus probably didn't bring a glass of water to bed for your because he didn't sleep in there with you." He... what?" He slept on the couch." The kettle clicked off behind her, but Shawna didn't even start to turn."What did I say to him?" she whispered."Lots.