“You were in there a long time. What did Laura say?”“Well,” Will said, leaning his elbow against his door, “she started off saying she didn�...�t deserve to see me again after what she did, then she went back to crying and apologizing over and over. I gave her a hug and she calmed down—”“You what?” Alaina shrieked, glaring at him.“Hey, I gave your mom my keys before I went in, and my wallet’s in the armrest there,” he said patting the center armrest. “Only thing I had on me was my phone—”“No, I. There was an article about a ship that had run aground. I had to make something up quickly, to retain his attention. “Yeah Cory, I’m glad you’re here. What’s the difference between floundered and foundered?” I asked. I knew full well what the difference was, but it was the best I could come up with. He looked at me quizzically and I wonder even now if I’d been rumbled. “Foundered means sunk or stuck on the rocks. Floundered means it was just in trouble.” “Ah OK, that makes sense now,” I said,. That would make a royal mess of things, and would pretty much wreck everything I’d planned. I grabbed my address book, my hand shaking, and went to Melanie’s room to use her phone. I shut the door behind me and picked up the phone. I dialed the number, filled with extreme trepidation.“Minister Voronin’s Official Residence,” a male voice answered.“This is Stephen Rayevich calling for Tatyana Ivanovna, please.”“One moment. She is expecting your call.”I waited two minutes, which seemed more like. “Okay.” He makes to stand up. Steadying himself, he puts both hands on my feet. An electric charge runs right up through them, energising my whole body as it pulses up to my brain. No one has ever touched my bare feet before. Man, that was a jolt of something really hot, a couple of seconds of pure ecstasy. I realise that I'm rooted to the spot, in a sort of no-mans-land. Simon has climbed onto the bed and is laying back with his head against the wall, looking at me from behind. “Come on then..