O+F

the kitchen table with his mother. Paul was weighing the heart in his palm as

said, seeming to note the absence o

um sized, sinewy, and graying-surprisingly light on his f

l wavy blonde hair broadcast femaleness like a lighthouse. The good body could be taken for granted. You might as well assume it, the message flashed, cuz you sure as hell weren't going to be lucky e

at Paul. "Sun's over

tward around the Spring Point light. Oliver's mother bragged about his niece, Heather, and her latest swimming triumphs. She complained about the

rkening harbor. "I wish I had known my grandfather," he said t

in Paris. When he wrote, I called him at the hospital-but he didn't w

t time you saw hi

etically. "I guess I never told you that story," she said to Oliver.

he beach-wine, great food, fireworks . . . After the fire

e dark. 'Very good,' my father said. He hugged me. Then he said, 'Now, we will say goodbye. You are grown, and I will not be s

ars slide down hi

wiped away her tears.

that shit,

were

ight," Ol

ht us back to New Haven. We li

New Haven,

her . . ." She

he ladies,"

he do?" Ol

the day he died. They were tight, though-don't let anybody else say anything against

iver's mother r

you," Oli

Paul

got on with a shore din

e white dove flew upward and then with her hand to her mouth as her father walked away. "No need of that shit." He was glad Paul was

nd for sixteen years. She'd come back from Hawaii to Connecticut, pregnant, and eventually married Owl Prescott. They raised him and Amanda, his half sister. His mother had ma

my life, he thought suddenly. What am I going to do? He knew that he needed to c

drew in long low arches. "That's better." The top should overhang. Should its edges be

hasp and lock. Why not? He could make the whole thing out of one eight foot piece and h

e original scratched walnut. "Nothing but the best for Team Oliver." He looked a

etail saw and made several cardboard templates for the joints. It was a way of thinking

?" Jennifer Lindenthwaite

box," Ol

at's ex

han it looks-f

solid blonde, Nordic, with broad cheeks and a big smile. "I worry about R

iver said. "A

shed to see Francesca's friend in the doorway. "Jacky is one of our volunteers. She does a lot of

onde hair, cut short and swept back. Her eyes were hazel colored. She had a winged messe

k her hand. "Did you

ntua

said. "You kn

ly. Hell is being in one room with two women, Owl sa

led them to another room. "Le

said as they

like a program

nk y

is what we have. It would be nice to be able to print maili

d. "And probably s

mbers are summer people. We need

's wi

the 4th of J

eep individual winter start and end dates for each n

bers on it, and people who aren't members but who are interested. Also, media people. And le

meet the following Saturday morning. Jacky left, and Oliver g

but something had stopped him. He wanted to know Jacky better. She was sure of herself and moved comfortab

by. But when he fit the first two ends together it seemed as though it had been

g. More snow was possible, but the chances were against it. Oliver put away his

vain expression, as though he had a full day ahead of being admired. Francesca's head was down. She walked carefully. As they passed, her eyes met Oliver's and he realized that she had already recognized him, had known that he was there. Her face was resigned with traces of humor around the edges. He was struck by her calm, so much like his. They shared a moment

id out on paper before you sat in front of a computer. It was too slow and expensive to rework code. Now, you could make changes ea

re forsythia bushes. "Go get 'em," Oliver said. His house was on the south side of the hill overlooking the harbor.

a red Toyota truck and waved one hand. "I've got

He installed the software wh

e looked at his hiking boots, light colored jeans, and dark plaid shirt. It was Saturday, for God sake. Every day was Saturday for Oliver as far as clothes were concerned. What difference did it make? Jacky

that he had jammed everything in as a beginning, so that they could see what they were workin

She smiled enigmatically a

," sh

's wr

" She turned the ke

d leaned his head over the engine. "Try it again." He could hear the solenoid clicking. "How about the lights?" The

nt through the same procedure and then

me?" Oli

nd," Jacky said.

e city and pointed out his house as they approached th

er

quiet street in a residential neighborhood. He stopped in her d

hungry,"

He was s

spacious than it appeared from the front. A long living room opened to a sun porch at the back. "I have a double lot," she said, showing him the porch. Two large wi

," he

." She led him to the kitchen. "There's mayo, mustard, horseradish-if you're feeling wild. Bread's in the

sandwich?" he c

just nibble," she

," he said when she came back, "the horseradish." Jacky took a lon

a good truc

said. "Toyotas are fin

" she said. He

you,"

maybe you were a teacher." When I sa

said. She looked at him di

s." He was apologe

ok like someone who k

firmed with a nod and too

Oliver?" Whoa! His throat closed,

d," he manage

ance, have you ever been restrained?" She spoke qui

n and returned with a pair of handc

iver sai

elt something inside him start to slip, to accede to her. "Hold out your hands," she said. Her eyes were large. He held up his arms without taking

ad," h

ething." He followed her into a large bedroom. She opened a dresser drawer and took ou

he sheriff

out this." He heard it as a challenge. She dragged a chair over without letting go of the belt. "Put your hands over your head." He raised his arms, and she stepped up on the chai

nice, Oliver. Just a moment." She went out to the kitchen and came back with their ale. She drank some of hers and said,

d. "How sweet! You blush," she said. "You are my captive. I can tease you now . . ." She went to the dresser and took another swallow of ale. She tugged at the bottom of her jersey, tighteni

own. "Very nice," she said, "but you have

" he

s?" He nodded, not trusting his voice. She tipped the glass enough for him to take a small sip of ale. "I am in control," she said, looking down at him. She was close, almost touching. She smelled of hone

ted to prove himself. H

el

he pr

heavy wooden ruler that you have decorated. You are to buy it at an office supply store, saying that it is for your mi

t deny the urge he had to surrender to her, to obey her. It pulled at h

f the bar. "Hey Buddy, how's you

Oliver felt more like himself, but as he walked through the Old Port he passed an office supply store, closed for the weekend, and he remembered the ruler. Decorate? Could

a blue box in a far corner of the store. "We sell mostly plastic ones," she said. "But some prefer these. They last." He bought an

ttern of triangles along both sides of the ruler. The reddish brown color on the black background gave it a Navajo look. If you're going to do something, do it well, he reminded himself, pleased. That was another of Owl's sayings; one that Oliver had made his own. Poo

said. He took a shower, put on clean clothes, and parked tentatively in Jacky's driveway. He rang and waited. When

hardonnay for each of them and held up one glass in a silent toast. "Salud," she said. Sh

lady didn't say anything-proba

ky said, lookin

aw out," O

d before. He was ready for her to tell him what to do. He wanted her to. "Yes," she said as he put down his glass. She waited. His eyes opened and a

ink bedspread under his arms. Jacky went into the bathroom and came out a few minutes later wearing a red cott

e said. "A long week." Crack. He grunted more loudly and squeezed the ball. "Yes," she said, hitting him again, harder. To his astonishment, he began getting an erection. She reached underneath him and felt it. "You like

. "Over here." She hooked him to the eye bolt and slowly pulled down his shorts. "You please me," she said. Oliver's senses were spinning. "You present yourself well," she said. She put her hands on hi

resser and stood directly in front of him. She brought herself toward orgasm, looking into his eyes, making small noises. He began to whi

her. She came back to hers

ue. She shook her head and put it firmly in his mouth, waiting and smiling while he sucked on it. "Very good," she said, removing it. "Y

ng. You are to save yourself for me." She cradl

" he

Mist

Mist

tly. "Good. Now go-a

"Mistress," he rememb

lated. Save yourself for me. An order. An imp