I hoped you didn’t notice. Ever so slowly, your thumb traced the side of my knee, small circles that sent more small currents rippling through me, t...ough more concentrated now, a slow inferno beginning to build. I couldn’t take it anymore. I knew what I wanted. I also knew I would have to be the one to ask. “Please,” was all I had to whisper. You turned to me, a smile beginning to play at the edges of your lips as your fingers slowly moved up, grazing my skin, feeling the heat that was rolling. Querulous, odd tone to it.I took a deep breath and was about to turn to look at Dulcie. Out of my depth, yes. But she was there beside me, radiating serenity.“Alice,” she was speaking quietly. “Look at me, Alice.”“No ... stay away from me. Who are you? Like Don. He scared me too.”“Alice ... don’t you want to be free?”“Free?” That voice was different again. “If Alice is free, what happens to me?”“AH!” Dulcie’s voice held ... what? Satisfaction? “Religious spirit, leave her! In the Name of Jesus. But Steve didn't want to undress. So theycompromised and had Steve strip to his underwear."Too much body hair," Karen observed. "We'll need the hairremoval gel." I'll get it," Mary volunteered, running out of the room.When she returned, she handed Karen a jar. Karen opened thejar, and picked some green gel up with her fingers, andstarted applying it to the stubble on Steve's face."Ouch," Steve said, "it's starting to sting." Good!" Karen said, "That means its working."Soon after, Karen removed. He means so much to me…It was the summer of 2008. I had just turned 16 in May and purchased my first car: a worn, but still beautiful, 1978 Camaro. My dad and I planned to restore it in the coming years, and the final project in turn it would become my graduation present. This summer, as always, my family and I were on vacation in a small beach town in Florida. I woke up early that morning and decided to try running along the smooth sandy beach while the weather was still somewhat cool. I am.