”I planned to ignore that. Joel wasn’t happy. I don’t think Belinda was either. However, Belinda was taking a cue from me and not showing her ir...itation. I hoped they would go back to their chairs or find someone else to converse with.Mallory said, “Steve, don’t you like my body?”I sighed. “Mallory, you need to let it go. I’ve never gone with you and am even less inclined now that I’m engaged.” She had been drinking because her voice had a slur to it.Joel said, “You don’t think my wife is. "What? I thought you wanted the 'ride'" Neil teased, pulling out a leg cuff and swinging it around."OK... Neil, I'm serious. I don't do 'tied up'... OK? Not my thing. I'll do anything you want... I'm serious... but not that."Neil stopped swinging the cuff and tried to make sure Harriet wasn't kidding. "OK. I guess we need a safeword then." The safeword is unlatch me right now" Harriet said, trying to work the cuffs off.Neil walked over and unclipped one, and Harriet had the other one unclipped. She had had to run across the road and dive down the steps and press the buzzer - all without hesitation or thought, lest she change her mind.Now she stood before him, recovering her breath, her heart in her dry throat, as he took her umbrella and gazed at her. He wore a loose silk shirt and wide olive-green trousers that ended at his calves and she noticed how brown his legs were with fine black hairs. His feet were bare and she thought how shapely they were compared with Tom's, which she had. Yes, you’ve lost your legs and that is something that weighs on me and Rodney too, every day, heck every waking hour of every day. Rodney, without even talking to me about it got those specially made artificial legs for you and arranged for you to have them adjusted, as you will need to do periodically forever, at no cost to you. Jim, you have to accept that from us as our gift to you for all you have done for us. No argument, Jim. You owe it to yourself to let us pick up the tab for it. We’re.