She looked at him with horror in her eyes. He meant what he said. He really thought that she wanted him. ‘I’d rather make love to a St Bernard.’

‘You teasing little whore.’

She held the ripped parts of the blouse against her chest. ‘Get out of here, Stan. Get out before I have you thrown in jail.’

He smiled crazily. ‘You don’t mean that, Laura. You still want me, don’t you? Admit it. You’re just jealous of Gloria.’

She started to crawl away slowly. ‘You’re slime. Get out of here. And leave my sister alone.’

He shook his head. ‘Not until this is finished, Laura.’ Her eyes grew frightened. ‘It’s finished, Stan. Get out.’

Stan rose, his face pinched in confusion. He walked toward the door and opened it. ‘Finished, Laura?’ he repeated with a shake of his head. He turned to leave. ‘Not by a long shot.’

Stan sprinted out of the building and onto the street. What the hell had happened? One minute he had a million dollars and the next it was gone.

Damn that fuckin’ T. C.

But it was not just T.C.’s fault. It was that cold bitch sister-in-law who had truly betrayed him. And the reason was obvious. Laura did not care about his past. That was just an excuse. The real reason was jealousy. She was pissed off because he had fooled around with her sister and not with her. That was why she suddenly had a bug up her shapely ass. Oh yes, she wanted him. Craved him. And worse, her hubbie had just died so she could not blatantly come on to him. I mean, how would it look? Yes, Stan thought to himself, Laura was a bundle of frustrated cravings.

Cravings for him.

But right now, Stan was in big trouble. The B Man was after him and he had no way of paying him back. The million dollars was lost… for now anyway. He would have to hide, have to find a new scam, have to…

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, a.k.a. 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 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 chord 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 secret? 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 dream-like 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 swell in her eyes as the numbness subsided. Her shoulders heaved. She threw the torn clothes into a wastepaper basket and put on some fresh ones she kept in the closet. She sat on the bathroom stool, her arms wrapped around her in a self-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?’