Aber Frau Kent war unerbittlich. Nach dem Fr?hst?ck schob mich Frau Kent geradezu zum Auto. Ich hatte so Angst. "Komm schon Betty", grinste Nancy, "Du...siehst sooo s?? aus". Stacy lachte wie bl?d. Unser Weg f?hrte uns in die Shopping-Mall und dort als erster direkt zu einem Laden f?r Ballett und Tanz. "Komm Betty, sag der Tante, was DU m?chtest", sagte Frau Kent vor der Verk?uferin. Ich schwieg nat?rlich. Frau Kent nahm mich zur Seite und sagte: "Du machst jetzt keine Schwierigkeiten, sonst. " Did that hurt or something?" No… not at all. Just surprising is all. Probably like if something grazed your nipple or something."Sam narrowed her eyes and wondered if he was getting at something. "Like what? Give me an example of something that could 'graze' me there," she challenged, knowing he wanted to take the bait.Freddie offered one of his trademark grins that made her heart melt a bit, and then raised his hand up and used the pad of his thumb to gently rub a circle around her right. Together they cleared the weeds, grubbed out some roots, laid out spaces for guano and other fertilizer, hammered in stakes for the fence they intended to erect, drew rough plans for two open-sided sheds to cover their goods and unloaded several reels of barbed wire and a small pile of steel fence posts.As puffy clouds climbed and darkened in the late afternoon, Zed mounted to the driver's seat with Robert beside him, his collarless shirt limp in the early summer heat and his short boots orange. ‘Spikenard, like in the poem,’ you say. I smile. You’ve been looking for the rare spice since before we met. It cools me. ‘Water?’ you ask. I nod. You bring the cup to my lips again. I sip. And swallow. I look up at you through my tears. Pleading. I can sense you hesitating. ‘More’, you say neutrally. I know you’re not talking about water. I nod my assent. You place the cup down, and walk back. My wrists and my legs are painfully stretched, but I try to tilt my spine and present my buttocks by.