But he did see the blonde on the sidewalk downstairs. She seemed to bewaiting for someone, tapping one foot impatiently on the ground. Withinmoments, ...nother blonde in a white convertible Ferrari pulled up to thecurb. The other blonde got out. She wore a white, strapless halter dressthat showed off her gorgeous legs and ample breasts. She looked to be inher early twenties. But other than the apparent age difference, shecould've been the suited blonde's twin. Mother and daughter then. Thegirl. ”“What’s your dad say?”“Dad’s just Dad. He doesn’t say much. And he’s certainly not gonna contradict Mom.”“You don’t think this has something to do with your sister’s hospital stay?” Lena’s little sister had gone in the hospital with a ruptured appendix, the result of a bit too much time spent on home remedies.“Ughhhh! I know. But why am I a target?”“Stressed out. People get stressed, they don’t follow logical thought patterns.”“She said that she thought you and I had a thing going.”“Uh .... Join us in celebrating the arrival of the New Year.”Frances put her hand to her mouth. “I forgot to tell you, Reg. You are going to be our First Footer.”Reg’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “I don’t know the routine, Frances.”“It is easy, Reg. We put you outside the front door before midnight, and once midnight has chimed, you knock on the door and we let you in. You hand over your gifts and say something like, “May this New Year be a blessing on your house.”“Gifts? What gifts, Frances?”“A pound. Me, I was 17. I think I wasn’t sure what I was getting into and made it up as I went along. I was a withdrawn kid, and found some of those old magazines when I was young with young women on the cover, half-naked and tied up, filled with tales of rape and mayhem. I had only had one girlfriend at the time, and had freaked her out with trying to play a little game of bondage, and word had gotten around. So, I realized I would have to fulfill my fantasies by force. I started carrying around.