What the hell was he talking about?

He smiled. The game was not over. Not by a long shot. Stan, my man, was still in control. He still held the winning ace: Gloria Ayars, aka Miss Instability 1989.

He turned the corner and found a phone booth. He dropped a coin in the slot and dialed.

Gloria’s voice answered. “Hello?”

“Hello, beautiful.”

Her tone held its normal nervous quiver. “Stan?”

“Yes, my love. How are you feeling on this fine day?”

“Fine. And you?” she ventured.

“Sinfully happy. I’m flying high.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” Stan replied. “You’re the best thing to happen to me in years. I can’t wait to see you again.”

“I’ll be off in a couple of hours,” enthused Gloria.

“Sorry. Can’t wait that long. Let’s meet right now.”

“Stan,” she said with a little laugh, “I’m working.”

“Let’s disappear for a few days. Just you and me.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“Then let’s do it. Let’s go to someplace secluded and romantic.”

“I know just the place.”

“Where?”

“The Deerfield Inn. It’s a small country inn about an hour and a half from here.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“But, Stan, I can’t just take off from here. I have work to do.”

His voice was filled with disappointment. “I just thought it would be really special if we could just share a few days alone together. I need to be alone with you so we can explore our feelings.”

“Can’t you wait a few hours?”

He hesitated. “I guess so. I shouldn’t have pushed you like that. I’m sorry. I got a little excited because last night was so special for me. I understand if you don’t feel the same way.”

“But I do feel the same way,” she assured him. Gloria thought for a moment, her hand wrapping the telephone cord around her fingers. “Oh, why not? Let’s do it.”

He almost laughed at her gullibility. “Do you mean it?”

She smiled, feeling good about her decision. “Sure. I’ll just go tell Laura—”

“No,” he interrupted. “Can’t we just keep it our little se- cret? It makes it all the more spontaneous and secluded.”

“But she’ll worry if I just disappear.”

“Leave her a note that you’re going away for a few days. Just don’t give her any details.”

There was a pause. “I guess that’ll be okay. But—”

“Great. I’ll meet you downstairs in ten minutes. And, Gloria?”

“Yes?”

“I feel really good about this.”

“So do I, Stan.”

LAURA locked her office door. She moved toward her private bathroom, stripped out of her clothes, and stepped into the shower. She was still dazed, still not sure she believed what had happened. The whole experience had a dreamlike quality to it. Now she wondered if Stan had really attacked her or if her imagination was running rampant.

No. It had happened. Laura’s imagination had never been that good.

She finished showering, stepped out, and dried herself off. Tears began to well in her eyes as the numbness subsided. Her shoulders heaved. She threw the torn clothes into a waste basket and put on some fresh ones she kept in the closet. She sat on the bathroom stool, her arms wrapped around herself in a hug. Her leg was shaking.

Help me, David. I need you so badly. Please come back and tell me what to do.

She continued to cry. She had handled Stan all wrong, and now she was not sure what her next step should be.

Gloria.

Gloria was going to be devastated. What could Laura tell her?

“Gloria?”

“Yes, Laura?”

“The man you slept with last night was by far the largest piece of scum on the planet Earth. He makes your past boyfriends seem like Gandhi.”

There was no way she could do that. A few weeks ago, it had seemed that Gloria would never trust a man again. Her past experiences had made her conclude that all men were out to destroy her. Gloria must have very deep feelings for Stan Baskin if she had let him break down that wall of suspicion and fear.

What was Laura going to do?

The answer came to her. She would call Gloria’s psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Harris. Dr. Harris would know what to do. Though psychiatry had a strict rule protecting patient confidentiality, Gloria had insisted from the beginning that Laura be involved in her treatment. After seeing the two sisters together, Dr. Harris had agreed.

Laura sat down at her desk and made the call. They exchanged pleasantries and then Laura told Jennifer Harris the entire story. She started with Stan’s first visit at the funeral and ended with him storming out of her office.

When she was finished, Dr. Harris was silent for a moment. “Gloria has mentioned Stan Baskin to me. You’re right. I think she is somewhat infatuated with him.”

“What should I do?” Laura asked.

“Gloria has not come close to risking a relationship with a man since her breakdown,” Dr. Harris explained. “If she finally did sleep with someone, it was by no means a quick decision. She’s probably very scared right now, wondering if she made the right choice. But understand this, Laura: if she thought there was the slightest chance that Stan Baskin did not have strong feelings for her, she would have never risked it. In other words, there was no risk in her mind. Deep down, she was sure he cared about her.”

“But he’s scum, Doctor.”

“Not exactly a medical term but I get your meaning. You have to tread very gently here, Laura. You can’t just burst into Gloria’s office and tell her that the man she cares about is a louse.”

“But I can’t just sit back and let her keep falling for him either. I have to tell her the truth.”

Again a pause. “Yes and no.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You might want to try subtle disapproval but I wouldn’t go into too many specifics right away.”

“Why not?”

“Because if Gloria really has fallen for this man, then she won’t listen to you. She’ll get defensive and isolate herself from your words. You may actually end up pushing her toward Stan rather than away from him.”

“So what am I supposed to do?”

“You can help her, Laura, but in the end, Gloria has to come through this by herself. We can’t force her to see what she doesn’t want to.”