He turned, walked back up the stairs and scanned the spectacle below. ‘It’s good to see that Christianity is alive and well and thriving in these ...roubled times.’Peter met David at the entrance of the building. “So Peter, what do you think of the Jordan River?”Getting the hint from David’s voice he laughed, “I guess Pete Seeger never visited the Jordan River,” he said referring to the lyrics of his version of the old African American spiritual song, made popular by the Highwaymen in the early. "Just missing you" I sighed.A few nights later at closing I was working away when Nikki again appeared in my office. "What do you think?" she asked as she strutted about in a pair of sports shorts. I smiled and gave her a thumbs up and went back to work. Within minutes she reappeared in a black lace bodysuit. I almost gasped as she approached my desk. Her dark nipples were visible through the lace as she pushed my chair back and sat in front of me."Like what you see?" she purred seductively.. I did it that Monday.” Mom gaped at this. “I had been thinking about it for a while, and finally got up the nerve.”Mom said, “I could never...”I said, “Cool! Where’d you go? I’ve been thinking about getting my belly button pierced.”“Amber!” Mom shrieked.Amanda and I laughed at this. “I’m eighteen, Mom. I can even get a tattoo!” Like I would ever do such an idiotic thing! Mom shuddered at the idea.“They do that, too,” said Amanda. Mom and I looked at her, Mom in apprehension and me in curiosity.. “That is not nearly enough, Ada.”“Five.” She was aware that it was a bad strategy to cave so easily and make a counter-offer hastily, but she was sweating through her garments and had the urge to use a chamber pot. “Five, then.”“Ten.” Charles stood straight again, letting both his palms rest on her upper arms, making her feel small. “Ten, and not a stroke less for your mindless indulgence.”“Fine,” she conceded through clenched teeth. “Ten each. Five thousand strikes. Forty each day. That is….