Mystery　downed　the　dregs　of　Rusty？s　martini　and　gazed　exhaustedly　at　Dan　with　droopy　gray

eyes。　？Every　time　Rusty　mentions　your　name　I　feel　the　heat　creep　up　my　thighs；？　she　confessed

throatily。　？I？ve　been　drowning　in　desire　all　week；　but　I　managed　to　channel　that　animal　energy

into　my　book。？　She　giggled。　Her　teeth　looked　like　they？d　been　colored　in　with　a　yellow

crayon。　？Parts　of　it　are　totally　X…rated。？

Pauper　turns　prince。　To　coin　a　phrase；　I？m　crowning。

Dan　reached　for　a　cucumber　sandwich　and　shoved　it　in　his　mouth；　chewing　it　violently　without

even　tasting　it。　He　was　supposed　to　go　home　and　write　his　memoir。　He　was　supposed　to　have　a

girlfriend。　He　was　supposed　to　be　freaked　out　by　this　decidedly　insane；　yellow…toothed；　horny

chick。　But　the　truth　was；　he　was　horny；　too。　He？d　lost　his　virginity　twice　already；　and　he　couldn？t

wait　to　lose　it　again　and　again。

？e　on；？　Mystery　beckoned；　holding　out　her　yellow…nailed　hand。　？We　can　get　a　room　and　put

it　on　Rusty？s　tab。？

Dan　picked　up　his　observation　book　and　followed　her　to　the　front　desk。　Poetry　be　damned。　He

couldn？t　resist　following　this　story　line　to　the　next　chapter。

lis　for　love

Jenny　couldn？t　be　sure　that　the　L　who？d　sent　her　a　note　on　Valentine？s　Day　was　actually　the　boy

from　Bendel？s。　He　could？ve　been　a　total　nerd　or　even　a　gross；　perverted　old　man；　but　secretly　she

was　already　in　love　with　him。　She　felt　like　a　girl　in　a　fairy　tale　in　love　with　a　man　in　a　mask；　and

she　was　determined　to　ride　the　Seventy…ninth　Street　crosstown　bus　until　she　met　him　face…to…face。

Monday　and　Tuesday　she　rode　the　bus　alone　until　7P。M。　with　no　luck。　On　Wednesday　after　school

Elise　came