A girl's assets? Hers? Mine? A vague thoughtevaporated before I could grasp it.I learned later that immediately afterward she'd gone home andbroken...up with a guy she was seeing at the time, quite clear in hermind that I was to become his designated replacement. Her friendGretchen told me much later that the guy she'd been "turning" justbefore me was "unpersuasive, so it wouldn't have worked outanyhow." Which made no sense. But I didn't want to know what shemeant, so I never asked. We ran. So, we are eating and laughing. I am telling daddy all about school and my friends and everything, just like always. Daddy even lets me have just the tiniest sneaky sips of wine. He is NOT getting me drunk though, not even close.At some point after dinner, before dessert, daddy looks at me and tells me ... he is not stern or forceful or anything, but in his fatherly way, tells me to go to the ladies room ... take ... take off my panties and ... and to bring them back to him. I just stare at. Namrata informed me that you have been neglecting your work and disobeying her. I think I didn’t punish you enough last time when you forgot to pay the electric bill”. I knew that these were lies fed by Namrata but I kept quiet and so did dad. We knew better than to argue with mom. Mom then told dad to go and clean up her dirty clothes from her trip and warned him not to make any more blunders.It was my turn next to be chastised. Mom looked at me for a while and then began “beta I don’t know. But you are clearly thevictim in this thtory." Okay. But who would we even athk?" Heather questioned with a raisedeyebrow."Firtht of all, we athk Anya and her grandmother...they did it in thefirtht plath. And thecondly, ithn't there anyone you know who might beable to help you?" I asked."Well, maybe an old friend of mine I haven't talked to thince all ofthith happened. Hith name is Gene, thometimeth Jean," Heather said,laughing about the bit she said at the end."Well?" Heather asked after I.