"Wow, another sorry," he said.

"You're a bad influence on me. What's that sound?"

"I think it's a helicopter. Drove down the bank into the culvert. Guys that make beer runs to the District do this to outsmart the cops."

"You really do have a criminal mind, don't you?" she said.

"That's Sligo Creek Parkway up there. We could hike up, and take a back street to the house. We can probably make it without being spotted."

"What house?"

"Where my grandparents live." He stared through the stark treetops, then shut his eyes. "I'm so tired. I could sleep for a week."

"I know."

"At least you got a nap." He smiled at her.

"Ha, ha, funny man. I wouldn't be bringing that up again, if I were you. Gosh, my feet are cold."

He picked her up, and carried her to the car. She slid across the back seat, and he got in beside her.

"Come on," she said. "I'll be your pillow. Just don't get used to it."

They peeled off their wet pants. He laid his head on her lap, and she covered them both with her coat.

"Roll over, away from me," she said.

"I have to snuggle into my pillow." He snaked his arm around her, and fingered her button flap. "I could never resist a woman in uniform."

"And they sayI'm weird," she said.

"That's what I'm counting on. Need some help getting out of that?"

"Where's that gun?"

He held his hands apart. "Frisk me. I'll give you a hint. It's in my shorts."

She laughed. "I thought you were just glad to see me."

"No way. That's a concealed weapon, I swear."

"Sh," Glenn said, and laid her hand on his head. "Go to sleep."

For the first time in months she drifted into slumber without the sight of Bobby's tortured face popping up under her eyelids. She was asleep, just like that. Her thought factory shut down. Little dream-helpers carried picket signs that called for an immediate end of operations. Production of thoughts was outlawed. A cease-and-desist order was issued to all memory cells. And then, some scab sneaked across the line, and threw the switch. The machinery steamed into production, and the usual nightmare was manufactured, and dumped into her brain.

Glenn reared up, and smashed herself against the window. She scratched for the door handle, but couldn't claw it open. She swatted the glass with her open palm. It wouldn't go away. Then, she found the handle, and threw her weight against the door.

"Whoa," Geoff said.

The tunnel wall stopped her. The door wouldn't open more than six inches. Maybe she could squeeze out. She detected the scent of freedom, and was sure that if she wriggled hard enough she'd surface. Geoff's hands hooked around her hips, and reeled her onto his lap. She flopped on her belly, and tried to swim past him to the other door. He held on. She writhed, and twitched, and gasped for air. She sat up, and fumbled for her clothing. Unable to locate her pants, she ran her hands over her face, then squinted at the window for signs of daylight. She tried to see out another window, but it was fogged. She continued the search for her pants.

Geoff reached for her. "You're embarrassed," he said. "I don't believe it."

"Am not," she said. "I'm frustrated because I can't find my stupid clothes."

"I've got 'em."

She looked at him. "Give 'em here."

"Not until you admit you're embarrassed."

"Puh-lease. What do I have to be embarrassed about?"

"Nothing. But, youare embarrassed. It's cute."

"Gee, Geoff, do you suppose you could be a little bit more annoying? I haven't completely lost all will to live." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I need a drink." She cranked the window down, and felt the air on her face.

"If you're not embarrassed, why are you avoiding me?"

"I'm not. I'm trying to forget." She rolled the window back up, and stared at the water streaks left by the steam. "Bad dreams. It has nothing to do with you, although your ego makes you think it must. Sometimes, I have bad dreams, and it makes me feel weird when I wake up."

"It doesn't make you feel weird to wake up with a half naked man?"

"It would take more than the sight of your boxers to make me run screaming."

"I'm glad to hear it," he said. "Here. Let me hold you. Women like that."

"You have a lot to learn about women. We are not all alike."

"Teach me," Geoff said.

She had to smile. Stretching along the length of him, she tucked her head under his chin. "Why do you want to make me talk about this?"

"It makes me feel close to you."

"You want intimacy? Let's get real intimate. Tell me your middle name."

"I'll give you a hint, it starts with 'C'. And Bobby's started with a 'B'."

"I read it somewhere. Robert B. Duncan, B... B."

"Burns. Robert Burns, like the poet," he said.

"Robert Burns, the poet. And, you're Geoffrey C. Duncan. Clyde, Cecil."

Geoff laughed. "You'll never guess. What's your middle name?"

"It starts with an 'L'."

"The 'L' word. It must be Love, Glenda Love."

"No, it's not Love. There's no love in me," she said.

"I know. The 'L' stands for Lancelot," he said.

"That's not a girl's name."

"That's right, I keep forgetting. You're a girl." He touched the side of her face. "You have the most amazing eyes. Do you know what I see when I look in them?"

"Shutters?"

"Not when they have that soft sparkle. I see you with a child, a daughter. She has a golden ponytail, and she's talking a mile a minute. Then, I walk in, and you say something like, 'it's about time you got home'. And I, of course, rescue you, pick the little darling up in one arm, and grab you with the other."

"This appeals to you?" Glenn asked.

"This is my dream. To come home to you every day."

"How come in this dream you don't see me working outside the home?"

"I'll tell you a secret about men. No matter how evolved we become, no matter how much we want to see our wives succeed, we still want her there when we come home. We go out, and plug away at a job for a boss we hate, day after day. But, it's all worth it."

"How do you know this? You been married before?"

"My dad told me. After 25 years, he's still crazy about my mom. That's what I want, I guess. What they have," Geoff said.

"They have boys. I thought all men wanted boys, clones of themselves."

"You have a lot to learn about men. I want half a dozen girls, the spitting image of you, right down to that temper."

She put her head on his chest, and sighed. "Leigh. My middle name."

"Glenda Leigh. That would sound great with Duncan at the end of it."

"Let's get something straight. I may marry you, I may even bear that brat pack of yours, but I am not taking on the name of my oppressor," she said.

"Aw, you feeling oppressed again?"

"It's a matter of principle. Prentiss is my given name, my birth name. Duncan, well, that would be my slave name."

"You've been hanging around with Jacqmel too much. I don't think I'm going to let you two play together any more," Geoff said.

"See what happens? You bear a man's child, and the next thing you know he's choosing your friends for you."

"Chaucer," he said, and groaned. "Mymiddle name."

She drew figure eights on his skin with her finger. "It's grand sounding, but not very human. What was your mother thinking? From now on tell people it's Cow. Say it like 007. Cow, Geoffrey Cow. And, they'll laugh, and you'll give them a fat lip."

"You sure do know how to win friends, and influence people."

"Yeah, it's a gift." She lay still listening to him breathe. "I hope your parents are all right."

"They're asleep in a hotel room in Jamaica. Let's go there on our honeymoon."

She lifted her head. "Are you sure they got there? You saw them leave?"

"I said good-bye to them before I came into town to find you."

"So, you didn't really want me to write a note to your mom?"

"Not really. But, you were so angry when you saw me, I had to come up with something to put you on the defensive. You did have a baseball bat, remember." He put his arm behind his neck. "What I said about Mom was true, though. And, it was rude of you to run off like that."

"You saw them get in the car, and leave the house?" Glenn asked.

"You still on that? If you must know, I drove them to the airport."

"But, you didn't see them get on the plane?"

"Technically, I can only vouch that they made it to the airport terminal an hour before take off. Is it important?"

"I don't know." She gazed out the window.

"They said they'd call when they got settled. There should be a message on the machine. Let's go find out."

"That's not safe," Glenn said.

"You sound sure of that."

"I am." She sat up. "I've got to tell you something."

"Come here, and say it." He put his hand on her arm.

"I'd better be on the other side of the car when I tell you this." She pulled her shirt around her. "Promise not to hit me."

"I'd never hit you."

"Geoff!"

"Okay, I promise, cross my heart. I can tell by the look on your face, this is going to be bad." He sat up, and stared at her. "What have you done now?"

"Now remember, I didn't have any choice. I was forced into it. And, I'm not supposed to tell you about this under any circumstances. I could be executed for treason. So, I'm really taking a big risk confiding in you. Remember that."

"I'm really gonna hate this." He rubbed his eyes with both fists.

"You know the night I came to your house?" She drew her knees under her coat. "I didn't come for the exact reason that I said I did."

"I knew it. I had a gut feeling," Geoff said.

"I came there," she said, and took a breath. "To bug your house."