Terri began to walk away from Lynn but then suddenly turned around and said, "What was that bartender's name last night? I think I may have shorted her on our drinks."

"Her name is Sam, but she's not just the bartender, she's the owner."

Lynn's eyes wandered to the bar looking for Sam and saw her sitting at a table with Matt and Chris. She definitely didn't want to go over there. She motioned to Terri. "She's over there."

Terri nodded, turned, and walked over to the threesome.

Climbing back onto the stage, Lynn organized the other women and started rehearsal again.

"Sam?" Terri asked as she leaned on the table.

Sam looked up to see Terri. She answered with a nod. "Can I help you with something?"

"Hi. I'm Terri." She paused, looking at the group, then continued, "I'm afraid I may have shorted you on my drinks last night, I was a little preoccupied*"

Sam smiled. "Yes, I noticed."

Terri blushed. "You see, when I got home I noticed that I probably gave you two ones instead of two fives." Terri handed over the two five-dollar bills.

Sam raised her hand up to show that she was not going to take her money. "Don't worry about it." Then, remembering her manners, she scooted out her chair and stood to make further introductions. "Terri, these are Lynn's friends, Matt and Chris."

Terri gave a full smile and extended her hand to Chris. "So, you're Chris! Oh, and Matt, nice to meet you, too!"

Chris shook her hand in confusion, not understanding why Terri knew her name.

"Please join us," said Matt.

"No, I really need to get going, but thanks anyway." Terri turned to Sam, again offering her the cash. "Are you sure you won't take this?"

Sam shook her head. "Nope. Just grace this place with your pretty face again sometime!"

Terri nodded and left.

"G.o.d! Was I just flirting?" Sam said in embarra.s.sment.

Matt patted her on the back. "I believe you were!"

"Whatever you do, don't tell Beth!" Sam made Matt promise not to tell.

Matt placed his hand over his heart. "I promise. Now if you two will excuse me, I need to visit the little boys' room." Matt stood and walked toward the restrooms.

Sam turned to Chris. "As if he's a little boy!"

The two sat in silence for a moment watching the action on the stage.

Chris broke the silence. "So, I've been in here several times now and I've never seen your .,. significant other."

Sam looked down, still tearing at the label on the bottle. "Beth doesn't come in very often. It's hard for her* she's a recovering alcoholic." Looking up at Chris, she smiled. "Imagine that*a bartender falling in love with an alcoholic." Then looking back down at the torn paper she explained further, "Of course, that's not how we met or anything. She had gone on the wagon way before she met me. But I already owned the bar, she knows I love it, so*"

Sam stopped in mid-sentence and looked Chris straight in the eye. "It just goes to show you, you can't help who you fall in love with. Sometimes your heart just has a mind of its own."

Chris nodded, then contemplating if Sam had an ulterior motive with the statement, c.o.c.ked her head to the side and reexamined the look on Sam's face. Sam just smiled and went back to work on her label.

Later that night, Lynn arrived home and threw her keys on the table. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the dim light of the television, but she could see Chris sitting by herself on the couch. Lynn placed her jacket across the back of the couch, signifying to Chris that she was not going to stay at home. Chris muted the sound on the television set.

"You going out again?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, I'm going over to Terri's place," Lynn replied, not meeting Chris's eyes.

There was silence for a minute while Lynn emptied her pockets on the table.

"You didn't sleep with her," Chris stated quietly.

Lynn, pretending to review the piece of paper that she had found in her pocket, replied, "Matt has a big mouth."

"Why?" Chris asked.

"Excuse me?" Lynn asked back.

Chris rephrased her question. "I mean, why didn't you sleep with her?"

Lynn looked up and found Chris's eyes waiting for an answer. "I'll answer that if you answer a question for me."

Chris shrugged and motioned for Lynn to continue.

Lynn paused, trying to figure out exactiy how to pose the question. "Why do you want to know?"

Chris was clearly taken aback by the question. "What?"

"Why do you want to know?" Lynn's voice took on a frustrated tone. "I mean if you don't know by now!" Lynn started pacing, then stopped. "I think it's obvious, Chris! I think it's pretty d.a.m.n clear just exactly why I couldn't have s.e.x with her!" Exasperated, Lynn raised her hands and strode over to the hallway.

Trying to calm her temper, she stopped and looked back. "Let's just say that it was tempting but it wasn't who I really wanted*" Lynn paused, then continued, "And if there was a chance, well, I decided that it was worth the wait." Looking Chris straight in the eye, she asked, "What do you think?"

She leaned forward to hear Chris's quivering whisper. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. I just know that I*" Chris was trying to organize her thoughts and, looking at Lynn, finally was able to spit out, "want you here with me." She looked at Lynn and tried to blink away the tears in her eyes.

Lynn didn't know quite what to do. She broke away from Chris's gaze, walked to the bathroom, and shut the door quietly. She turned on the light and leaned against the counter. Lynn's wall, that she had worked so hard building all day, was crumbling. Her memory kept repeating what Matt had said, "Just give her a little more time." She opened the door a crack and saw Chris still struggling with her tears. Running her hands through her hair, Lynn called out, "If I stay, do I get some popcorn?" She saw the smile emerge on Chris's lips, and the nod that followed. Lynn closed the door, looked in the mirror, and said to herself, Yes, I'd like to buy another ride on the roller coaster, please.

Lynn grabbed the popcorn bowl, set it between them, and plopped down on the end of the couch.

"Don't you need to make a call?" Chris asked Lynn. Lynn looked confused.

"To Terri, to tell her that you're not coming over?"

Lynn smiled and shook her head. "I wasn't really going over to Terri's."

"Where were you going?"

Lynn shrugged. She really didn't know. She just hadn't wanted to stay there.

After a moment, Chris asked, "Are you going to sit way over there?"

"I'm afraid so," Lynn replied. "I believe it's probably safer that way."

"Safer for whom?" Chris teased.

Lynn smiled. "Probably for both of us." She stuffed a handful of popcorn in her mouth. Swallowing, she asked, "What are we watching tonight?"

"Ghost is on the movie channel," Chris said after scanning the TV Guide.

Lynn, remembering the scene in the movie at the pottery wheel, vetoed that selection. "I don't think so."

"Aliens is on another channel," Chris said sarcastically, then looked at Lynn.

"Yeah, that's safe," Lynn replied.

Chris shook her head and switched the channel to Ghost anyway. Looking over at Lynn, she smiled mischievously. "I believe whoever has possession of the remote control, gets to decide!"

"Is that right? Well, we'll see about that!" Lynn said as she lunged toward the remote. Chris drew it into her body, protecting the device. As the two began wrestling, they fell off the couch and the popcorn spilled onto the floor.

"Hold on." Lynn motioned for Chris to be quiet. "Was that just a knock on the door?"

The two listened for a moment. Then came another knock.

Lynn tiptoed over to the door and looked into the peephole.

"It's Charles and Marie!" Lynn whispered. "What kind of people drop by at eleven o'clock at night? Go get Matt!"

"Just a minute!" Lynn called to the couple at the front door, then turned back to Chris, who hadn't budged.

Chris shook her head. "I guess I neglected to mention that he's not home. He left with some guy named Paul."

Lynn ran her fingers through her hair. "What are we going to do? Both of your cars are out there! Isn't that going to look kind of funny?" she asked Chris, who looked like she had just had a brainstorm.

Chris jumped up and hurried down the hall. "Go ahead and let them in!"

"What?" Lynn said, panicking.

Chris stuck her head around the corner. "Trust me! Go ahead and let them in!" Then Lynn heard a door shut.

Lynn swung the door open. "I'm sorry it took me so long! I spilled my popcorn," she explained as she pointed to the mess on the floor.

"No problem, dear." Marie's eyes searched the living room. "Where's the kids? We saw Chris's car still out front and thought we'd stop by for ice cream." Marie held out a bag from a local creamery.

"Umm*" Lynn searched for something to say, then as if on cue, she heard a door open and Chris's voice from down the hall.

"What do you want, babe?" Chris said loud enough for her voice to carry. Then pretending to answer Matt's question, she laughed. "G.o.d, Matt, let me have a break! I need sustenance!" Lynn heard the door close lightly and footsteps coming down the hall. Just then, Chris emerged.

Clad in just one of Matt's b.u.t.ton-down oxford shirts, Chris emerged from the hall, looked over at the couple still standing at the door, and pretended to stop dead in her tracks.

"Mr. and Mrs. McKinley!" Chris exclaimed. Acting embarra.s.sed, she pulled the shirt, which had only a few b.u.t.tons b.u.t.toned, unevenly at that.

Charles turned away and remarked to his wife, "See, I told you that eleven o'clock was too late!" Then turning back to Chris, trying to hold in a smile of pride for his son, said, "I'm sorry, please forgive us. We'll see you all tomorrow!"

Marie, obviously embarra.s.sed, rushed to Chris and handed over the bag of ice cream. "Here, it's his favorite," she said. She turned and was escorted out the door by her husband.

Lynn closed the door and gave a sigh of relief.

"This worked out great!" Chris laughed, holding out the bag of ice cream. "Makes up for the spilled popcorn!" She opened the bag, pulled out a carton of orange sherbet, and shrugged. "Figures!"

Lynn rolled her eyes. Chris was getting too good at acting.

Chris leaned over to pick up the receipt that had fallen out of the bag. "Come on! Let's dig in!"

Lynn unconsciously watched as the shirt fell away from Chris's skin to reveal just enough of Chris's b.r.e.a.s.t.s to make her quiver.

"Umm* not until you put some more clothes on," Lynn said to Chris, who shrugged, handed Lynn the ice cream, and pattered back down the hall. Lynn thought there was nothing s.e.xier than a woman wearing only a b.u.t.ton-down shirt.

Lynn picked up the remote and changed the channel to Aliens. Setting the remote back onto the table, she walked into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of spoons. Chris had added a pair of shorts to her wardrobe and was changing the channel back to the previous movie.

"Chris!" Lynn whined as she motioned toward the picture on the tube.

Chris took the remote and slid it under the band of her shorts. "Sorry. If you want it, you'll have to come and get it!"

"Okay, then you can't have any ice cream!" Lynn teased, plopping down with the carton and the spoons on the far end of the couch.

"Fine!" Chris replied, plopping down in the other corner.

Lynn took the lid off of the ice cream and dug a spoon in the center of the mixture. She could tease just as well as Chris. Besides, it would do Chris good to receive some of her own medicine. She put a spoonful in her month and slowly withdrew the utensil. "Ummm*" she moaned as she let the ice cream linger in her mouth.

"Sure you don't want some?" Lynn smiled as she dipped the spoon into the ice cream again. This time drawing out only a tiny bit of the substance, she waved the spoon in Chris's direction and coaxed Chris out of her corner. Chris crawled across the couch on her hands and knees and reached for the spoon with her mouth. Lynn brought the spoon close to Chris's mouth, then pulled it away; brought it close, then pulled it away; and finally let the spoon rest on Chris's awaiting tongue.

Another spoonful was dipped, this time more than overflowing with the mixture. Lynn offered it to Chris, who took it all into her mouth. A drop escaped from her lips, and made its way down her chin. Lynn leaned forward, so close that Chris thought Lynn was going to capture the liquid with her tongue. Chris swallowed hard, feeling her heartbeat grow faster. Chris wiped the cream from her chin with her index finger and offered it to Lynn. Lynn took Chris's finger in her mouth and sucked off the orange juice.

This teasing is getting pretty serious, Lynn thought to herself, as her body began to overheat. She took the next spoonful and playfully licked it off the utensil, savoring every last drop. Then dipping in again, Lynn took the spoonful, and leaning forward, traced the full spoon up Chris's bare skin, from the first fastened shirt b.u.t.ton all the way up Chris's neck to her chin, and finally, to her mouth.

Chris felt the liquid dripping down her warm skin, then felt the excitement of Lynn's tongue as she licked the melting dessert from her skin. "Oh my G.o.d!" Chris let escape under her breath.

After removing the creamy treat from Chris's skin, Lynn brought her face up to Chris's face. "Excuse me? Did you say something?" Lynn whispered, her lips only a breath away.

Chris looked into Lynn's eyes, then paused, trying to regain her composure. Her heart was racing, her skin hot, not to mention the burning below. She scooted back and away from Lynn's hot body. She watched as Lynn's eyes traveled from her eyes, down her neck, to her b.r.e.a.s.t.s and then watched as Lynn's mouth slowly formed a smile.

Chris looked down to find her nipples taut, pushing their way through the cloth. She crossed her arms, trying to hide her arousal. "You know, I'm suddenly feeling exhausted!" she said as she stood, ready to make her escape, "No more ice cream?" Lynn teased.

"No, I think I'll just head off to bed," Chris replied, feeling her face hot with desire. She turned and staggered down the hall, stopping as she heard Lynn's voice.

"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" Lynn called.

Chris paused and turned around. Forgetting something? Like wanting to tear off this shirt, right here and now, to expose my nipples for you to lick and bite and suck until I come in your arms? she thought to herself, suddenly recalling pa.s.sages from the book she had read the previous night.