6. Hungry Hearts
By Gavin Trevain

Saturday February 13, 12:29 p.m. - A Park in the Heart of the City

His heart halts as a torrent of terror transfixes him.

Looking through the binoculars J sees the man approaching her reach into his
raincoat pocket.  K is sitting on a park bench - blindfolded and defenseless.

Several thoughts dash through his head in a mind-numbing flash.  I never meant
to put K in any real danger.  Have I carried this game too far?  I couldn't live
with myself if anything happened to K.  How could I be such a dumb sunavabich?

J has only one thought when the adrenaline kicks in.  Will I be in time to save
her?

Sunday February 7, 1:45 p.m. - Warren Towers Residences

"I'm going out to get some fresh air.  Can I get you anything?"

"Yeah," Olga says.  "How about a pizza?  I'm famished."

The voice at the door laughs.  "This mean you're tired of eating Chinese?"

"Not a chance!"  Olga smiles and blows a kiss as she gets back to her canvas and
oils.

Sunday February 7, 1:55 p.m. - Warren Alpert Mall

"I've made some plans for a romantic Valentine's weekend," states the handsome
young man who is working towards his MBA.

The young woman seated next to him pauses before speaking.  "I'm sorry but I
think you're going to have to change them."

"Why?  I haven't told you what I have in mind yet," he says, puzzled.

"Look," she speaks eventually without looking at him, "there's just no easy way
to say this, especially since you're such a nice guy."

"Say what?" he asks, with growing concern.

"I'm breaking up with you."

Sunday February 7, 2:00 p.m. - Bay State Road Residences

"I didn't wake you up did I?" asks the voice on the phone.

"What time is it?"

"It's two o'clock.  Time to rise and shine, sleepyhead."

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you for an absolutely fabulous time."

"The feeling is mutual," she sighs dreamily, still tingling from the experience.

"I'm honored that you shared that experience with me."

"Even if everything didn't go exactly as you had planned?"

"Even so.  I guess most of live under the illusion that we actually have control
over most the events around us."

"Fate is too capricious and quirky for that."

"I suppose.  All we can really control is our attitude and our responses to
events."

"I've always admired your positive attitude."

"It never ceases to amaze me that you have such a capacity for trust."

"I guess I've always been that way."

"But have you ever encountered an experience where you felt your trust was
violated?"

"I guess so but you just have to roll with the punches.  It takes courage to be
vulnerable and sometimes you do get hurt.  But the potential rewards of meeting
and making friends who share your values far outweighs the bad experiences.  I
can't picture myself living my life always assuming the worst in people."

"I want to compliment you again on your courage because it made the date an
unforgettable experience."

"Considering it's only been a few hours since you brought me home, I would be
deeply disappointed if you had forgotten already."

"I hope I never disappoint you," he states sincerely.

"You haven't so far and it better stay that way."

"I wasn't planning on it," he concludes.  "Speaking of planning, I was just
thinking that St. Valentine's Day is a week from today.  I know you have a busy
calendar but I'm wondering if you'd like to spend all of Saturday and part of
Sunday with me."

"What dastardly perils are you planning for Pauline?"

"Nothing specific yet," he concedes, "but I'm sure the evil villain will think
up some of the usual kind of distresses for the damsel."

"I don't have a problem with that," she smiles to herself, sensing that his
fertile imagination is already at work.

"Excellent!  Details to follow later."

"Bye, sugar," she lets the term of endearment slip.  She laughs to herself,
shrugging it off.  She feels it is going to be a great day as she raises her
sleepmask to her forehead and removes some eye patches.  K heads to the fridge.

Sunday February 7, 5:15 p.m. - A Diner in the Back Bay Area

He has been wandering aimlessly for three hours before he stops at a diner.

It's not a place he's been to before.  It's pleasant enough but he hardly
notices for he isn't in a pleasant mood.  The waitress who takes his order is
pleasant, too.  It isn't until she is walking away that her tall, striking
appearance registers in his subconscious.

As the shorthaired brunette brings him his food she observes that he seems
preoccupied.  She can't help staring at him, though.  Three for three - tall,
dark and handsome.  How often do you see that?  A pretty package but what's
inside?  Not that you'll get a chance to find out, Ange.

Tuesday February 9, 10:15 a.m. - Rafik B. Hariri Building

J curses to himself as he sips his black coffee during a break between classes.
He should have planned ahead if he expected to get a vacancy this weekend.

"Hi, J!" voices the handsome man who has just walked into Starbucks.

"Hi, Dan!" J replies, looking up at one of his best friends.  "What's up, bud?"

"The worst.  I've just been dumped."

"You're kidding!"

"No," he says compunctiously, "and I never even saw it coming."

"When did this happen?"

"Sunday.  I guess I missed the warning signs."

"I thought things were going well between you."

"The trouble was communication.  It was a strain to try to figure out what she
was thinking all the time since she didn't take the time to talk."

"You mean she tried to avoid confrontation at all costs?"

"That sums it up exactly.  And I screwed up, too, by falling into the trap of
assuming everything was O.K. when it really wasn't."

"I'm sorry to hear it.  Is there any possibility of getting back together?"

"I suggested that but she's already sleeping with someone else."

"Wonderful!  You probably should get yourself tested."

"I'm doing that today."

"Good.  As your friend I'm going to also suggest to you that you should consider
going to counseling.  You can do that right here on campus."

"You think that's a good idea?"

"Yes.  Even though you have to work this out for yourself, just spilling your
guts to someone else can be beneficial."

"I'm not sure if I'd be too keen on that."

"You need to grieve your loss so you can come to terms with it and move on with
the rest of your life."

"Grieve?  No one's dead.  I'm just seriously pissed off..."

"Your relationship is dead.  You do need to heal and your last comment confirms
to me that you're in denial.  A professional will be able to suggest coping
skills or strategies."

"I'm not sure."

"Look, why don't you go just once?  After that, you can decide if you want to go
again."

"O.K., I'll do it."  Dan pauses before appending, "Damn!  I forgot to cancel my
hotel reservations for this weekend."

J does his best impression of a puppy-dog that has just found its long-lost
master.

Saturday February 13, 9:29 a.m. - Bay State Road and Beyond

There is a familiar knock on her door.  She has already packed a few things for
an overnight stay.  She has no idea where she will be staying or what they are
going to be doing; but whatever it is, she is sure she will be delighted.

They latch lips as he smothers her with his embrace.  "Morning!  Gee, you smell
good."

"You're looking good."

"Especially since you got to see me so much of me on our last date?"

"It was the only way I could put up with you for so long."  K grins as she
wonders how much she'll get to see him on this date.  She doesn't have long to
wait for her answer as she watches him reach into his pocket.

"Well, if you prefer it that way," he smirks, "may I blindfold you?"

"Now?"  She feels her heart rate race.

"As good a time as any."  He starts to fold a large red square silk scarf into a
neat narrow band.

K admires his handiwork and she gets gooseflesh as he steps behind her.  J
places the center of the band over her eyes and knots it once behind her head.
He moves to face her as he overlaps the band and knots it once in front over her
brow.  He takes a second red silk scarf, folds it into a triangle, places it on
her as a headscarf and ties the ends behind her neck.  To complete the picture,
he folds another red silk scarf into a broader band and fastens it behind her
head with a double knot.

"I think you're ready to go."

"Do I look O.K.?" K queries.

"I think you look terrific," he assures her, as he grabs her overnight bag.

She is aware of voices and is a little anxious as J guides her to the
Expedition.  "Are you going to keep me blindfolded all day?"

"You'll see."

"Literally or figuratively?"

J laughs.  "Just sit back and enjoy the journey.  We're going to have a great
time."

They drive for a while before J parks the Expedition somewhere.  K feels his
lips on hers and surrenders to a lingering kiss.  She notices that he makes no
move to remove her blindfold.  Instead, she hears the driver's side door slam
and hers open as he helps her out.  She has no idea what's in store for her and
starts to feel a little self-conscious, as she becomes aware of the presence of
other people around her.  She tries to not let it bother her because she reckons
they are strangers and she can't see them anyway.

After a while she feels sure she is on the sidewalk of a fairly busy street.  A
little later, she feels she is more in the open, as the noise of the traffic
seems to abate.  Finally, they stop and she feels J's free hand start to move
her right hand down to touch something wooden.  As she moves her right hand over
the flat surface, she walks around and gauges for the depth of the bench before
she seats herself.  She hears J sit next to her and feels his arms around her as
his lips press against hers, persisting for a while.  His lips vacuum her upper
lip and then her lower lip.  She is still blindfolded and feels extremely sexy
engaging in this public display of affection.

Saturday February 13, 10:03 a.m. - Foolish Games

"Do you know where you are?" he queries, having reluctantly relinquished her
lips.

"On a park bench," she iterates, "which I'm presuming is located in a park in
the city."

"Full marks.  But you don't know which one?"

She shakes her head.  "Would you like me to guess?"

"Actually, no.  You're going to play a game I call 'Treasure Hunt.'"

K feels her body tingle as a wave of excitement envelops her.  "What do I have
to do?"

"To begin with, I want you to feel what I'm going to put next to you on the
bench."

She senses J moving away and hears a soft thud next to her.  On his signal, she
reaches over and gropes for the object.  Running both hands over it she says,
"It seems to be a large rectangular shopping bag like the kind you might find in
a department store."

"Absolutely right.  Now I want you to reach in and guess what's inside."

K reaches in with her right hand and finds a hard, smooth object inside.  "Can I
take it out of the bag?"

"Go ahead."

"It's hard and plastic and seems to have grooves along the edges but I haven't a
clue what it is."

"Use both hands and try to open it."

Bewildered, K explores further until she blurts out, "A cell phone!"

"Very impressive!"

"What now?"

"Reach into the bag again and tell me if you find anything."

"It's plastic and it's heavy.  Oh, it's a bottle with some liquid in it, maybe
soda pop."

"Feel some more."

K explores further and feels a narrow plastic tip, which she finds she is able
to pull out.  "A water bottle!"

"You're terrific!  Reach in one more time."

K reaches in for the last time but does not find anything until she gropes the
bottom of the bag.  She withdraws the item and feels it with both hands.  "An
envelope."

"You're correct again."

"Is that the end of the game?" she asks, a little disappointed.

"It's only the beginning," he assures her.

"So what's next?"

"You just have to follow directions from now on."

"Are you going to make me play Blind Man's Buff in the park?"

"An interesting idea but I think we'll save it for another time.  In the next
five minutes or so you are going to embark on a treasure hunt.  When I kiss you
goodbye, you are going to keep your blindfold on..."

"You're not leaving me here all alone - I don't even know where I am."

"Yes, I am," he insists.  "You have to promise to keep your blindfold on and
count slowly to 300.  Then you will remove your blindfold and open the
envelope."

"This is terrifying.  Why do you have to leave me here alone?  How am I supposed
to find you?"

"There's no need to panic.  You do trust me, don't you?"

"I do, but I'm still scared."

"There's no need to be.  This should just be an exciting game I think you'll
enjoy."

"O.K., she says, a little more calmly, "but tell me what I'm supposed to do."

"I don't have to.  Just read the directions."  He kisses her deeply and receives
her promise to keep her blindfold on until she finishes counting.

K starts to count and feels her fear returning.  She pictures herself sitting in
a park and wonders what onlookers must be thinking.  Part of her wants to rip
off her blindfold and part of her is tingling at the excitement of this game.
Maybe J is just trying to scare her and he is really close by watching her.  She
is tempted again to remove her blindfold before she finishes counting, but true
to her sense of fair play she doesn't.

At the count of 300, she unties the double knot behind her head and places the
scarf in her lap.  She reaches behind her neck and undoes the headscarf, which
she also sets in her lap.  She reaches behind her a third time until she
realizes the knot is in front.  She blinks as she undoes the last layer of her
blindfold.  Placing the third scarf on top of the other two, she looks around
but sees no sign of J.  It takes her a minute or so to figure out where she is
when she sees a familiar landmark.  Quickly, she rips open the envelope to read
the instructions.

Greetings, Blindfold Blizzard Bunny.  Your mission, whether you choose to accept
it or not, is to locate the required treasures in the allotted time.  Identify
yourself by your code name, K, at each treasure location that will contain a
clue to lead you to the next location.  The treasures must remain unopened as
they are packed in special explosive wrapping that can only be defused by IMF.
If you succeed, you will meet a deviously delightful man who will be radically
romantic with you.  If you fail, the invisible atomic fusion pellets concealed
in the cell phone will self-destruct resulting in the end of civilization, as we
know it.  As usual, IMF will disavow any knowledge of your mission.

Place the scarves, water bottle and cell phone in the shopping bag, which you
must carry with you at all times when you collect your treasures. The cell phone
is to be used only to contact IMF in case of an emergency or if the agent is
more than ten minutes behind schedule.  As you can see, the number for IMF is
labeled on the phone.  The water in the bottle is safe for drinking while you
are on your mission.

To smell even more scent-sational than you do, find your first treasure at the
proper counter of the largest department store in the complex facing you.  You
should be there by 10:30.  This message is written in invisible ink and will
disappear shortly.  Good Luck.

Delighted by the concept of this romantic game, K sets off on her quest.  It's
like being blindfolded without actually being blindfolded.  She finds a neatly
boxed package at the perfume counter on the main floor.  Before placing the
treasure in her bag, she tears open the envelope to find further instructions.

She takes the T for a short ride a few stops away to a specialty food store that
has an adorable aroma.  She doesn't know what is in the package that she's been
handed, but she's sure it will be another splendid surprise.  There is another
envelope attached to this package.  Chocolate is sweet and so are you...

Her journey takes her back one stop in the direction that she came from.  She
deposits the package from the confectionery store and heads back to the stop she
started from.

She is not sure exactly where the shop is and asks for directions.  She looks at
her watch and finds she is right on schedule.  A large wrapped package is
waiting for her at the florist.  She has a pretty good idea what's inside but
she doesn't peek.

K rips open the envelope and feels a smidgen of embarrassment as she spots the
next location.  The dog!  This will be a first...  Again, she is not certain
exactly where it is and asks the florist for directions.  The florist smiles a
knowing smile.

She strolls to the next location and finds that the envelope contains a note and
a second envelope.  The note instructs her not to open the second envelope until
she reaches the park bench from whence she commenced.  As she is supposed to get
there by 12:25 p.m., she finds she has a few minutes to window shop.

K gets to the proper park bench five minutes early but finds a woman eating her
lunch.  She sits down at the other end of the bench and opens the envelope.  Her
pulse quickens and her body tenses as she reads the instructions.

The directions tell her to find the nearest vacant park bench if the one she
started from isn't vacant.  She debates whether she should move before she
carries out the next step.  She sees that the bench to the right and left of her
are both occupied.  Suddenly, she spots another bench about thirty feet away
behind a clump of bushes.  She decides this will give her a little bit more
privacy to comply with the final instruction.

As she reaches the bench, she glances around.  J isn't there but she suspects he
must be close by.  The last instruction is to take one scarf from the bag and
blindfold herself at exactly 12:30.  K is terrified but takes one last look
around before she folds the red square scarf into a band.  She looks at her
watch that says 12:30 before bringing the band to her eyes and tying it behind
her head with a single knot.  It is not as snug as she would normally tie it,
but she is still unable to see.  K doesn't realize that her watch is five
minutes fast and that this would make any difference to J.  Time seems to drag
by very slowly and she is tempted to peek.  Even though she is petrified, she
decides that J must be watching and would be disappointed if she cheated at the
game.

He has planned the exercise with military precision and made allowance for the
usually intolerable driving conditions in this city.  However, J runs into an
unexpected traffic tie-up due to construction while returning from his errand.
He scrambles to find a vacant spot and is tempted to call her on the cell phone
to warn her of a possible delay in his arrival.  But he changes his mind as he
gets to his vantage point at exactly 12:23 p.m.

He scans the bench through his binoculars and sees a woman who is not K.  He
peers first at the bench on one side and then the other but doesn't see her.
Altering his field of vision, he glimpses a figure walking away and disappearing
behind a bush.  It must be K!

He starts to pace very quickly at a sideways angle so he can catch a glimpse of
her.  He keeps peering through his binoculars every minute or so.  At 12:28, he
confirms that it is she even though his view is somewhat obstructed.  She is
already blindfolded.

At 12:29, when he looks through the binoculars again, he is about 250 meters
away.

J drops the binoculars and sprints madly.  He was on the track team in High
School but was not fast enough to make it in the collegiate ranks.  That would
have been true on any day except today.  He was not a hurdler but he now finds
himself dodging people and other obstacles in a manner that would make an
Olympian proud.

Breathlessly, he continues to race.  He notices that the figure holding
something in its hand is lunging toward K!  He puts on a charge of Herculean
proportions, kicking into a gear he never knew he had.  He is about to scream a
warning.

Abruptly, the figure stops and staggers off away from her.  J eases off the gas
but only slightly during the last 30 meters.  He ends up collapsing at her feet,
panting like a dog.

K jumps at the sound of the panting dog.  "K!" she hears the dog speak.

The dog climbs on top of her and licks her face.  It speaks again.  "K, are you
O.K.?"

"Yeah," she says, calmly wiping off the drool, "but you don't sound it."

"Thank God you're O.K.," he praises, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"You certainly took your time," she admonishes.

J looks at his watch.  It is exactly 12:30.  He looks at hers and comments,
"Next time it will work better if we synchronize our watches."

"By the way, I promised the homeless man you would give him a fiver."

For the first time, J turns around to look at the unkempt man staggering away
and still holding on to a bottle.  "He looks like a drunk.  Why did you say he's
homeless?"

"I haven't lost my sense of smell.  I also heard a shopping cart and put two and
two together."

Sure enough, as J looks around he sees the shopping cart.  "Be right back."

J walks over and pulls out his wallet.  The smallest bill he has is a twenty.
He extracts it and holds it out to the disheveled man who finally turns to look
at him.

As the man accepts the alms, J looks into his eyes for the first time.  They are
the eyes of one who has been betrayed by his country, a tear in the fabric of
the most prosperous nation on earth.  They are the eyes of one that has long
forgotten the meaning of trust.  But J glimpses the glimmer of gratitude in his
eyes as the man nods curtly.  They are still the eyes of a human being.

As he walks back to her, J realizes that although her eyes are concealed they
are the trusting eyes of one very special person who was almost betrayed by a
friend.  He promises himself that that will never happen again.

"You weren't scared of the man?"  J asks her.

"He didn't sound threatening - more lost and confused.  I guess since I couldn't
see him I didn't make any judgement based on his appearance."

Saturday February 13, 12:35 p.m. - Afternoon Delights

"I've collected all the treasures.  Do I get to take my blindfold off now?"

"Congratulations, Mr., I mean, Ms. Phelps, on the successful completion of your
mission.  However, permission to remove your blindfold is denied."

"Then you'll have to tighten it up a little.  I think it's getting a bit loose."

"I'll do better than that," he states, as he reaches into the shopping bag and
draws out the two remaining scarves.  "Keep your eyes closed while I blindfold
you properly."

J unties her loose blindfold and sets it aside.  He uses a narrow band overlap
and knots the first scarf over her brow.  He uses the scarf that was around her
head earlier and ties it identically.  He takes the third scarf and folds it
into a broader band.  He places the center of the band over her eyes and ties it
at the back her head, knotting it twice.  The third scarf effectively obscures
the other two from view.

K finds the blindfold very snug and realizes that she can't tell if it is night
or day.  She allows J to guide her and finds she is less uncomfortable than she
was earlier.  After a while, she notices that J pauses and releases his grip.
"Why are you letting go?"

"Please stand still for just a minute," J requests, as he retrieves his
binoculars.

At length, K finds she is back at the Expedition.  J helps her in after he sets
the shopping bag in the back.  They drive for a while and J removes her
blindfold when they reach their destination.

They go to a casual restaurant and enjoy a long, lazy lunch before returning to
the SUV.

Inside the vehicle, she finds that J blindfolds her in the same way as he did in
the park.  The drive seems a little longer this time, and this time J doesn't
remove her blindfold when they park.

"Let's try a new game.  I'm going to take you somewhere blindfolded.  I want you
to try, as best you can, to gauge time, distance and direction.  You will not be
blindfold when we return.  Your job will be to try to find the Expedition
without my help."

"That sounds interesting.  I'm not sure I'll be able to do it but it will be fun
trying."

K tries to keep mental note, especially of the turns, but finds that it is
extremely difficult, if not impossible.  Soon she finds that she is in a movie
theater again.  They ignore the snack counter as they have had a satisfying
lunch.  She wonders which movie she will 'see' today as she takes her seat.  But
she is surprised when J removes her blindfold.  She observes it is already dark
and that they are in the last row of an almost empty theater.

"I figured you might want to really see the movie you didn't really see the last
time," he comments.

When K realizes they are going to see 'At First Sight' again, she suddenly gets
an idea.  "Since I was blindfolded the last time, why don't you let me blindfold
you this time?"

J is a little diffident about being blindfolded in public but decides that it
might be an interesting experience.  He agrees to be blindfolded for the
duration of the movie and retrieves a scarf from his coat pocket.  But K
requests a second one, as well.

"It will be no fun if you can peek," she advises, as she overlaps the first
scarf and ties it over his brow in a narrow band.  She makes a second narrow
band and secures it behind his head with a double knot.  "Can you see anything?"

"Not a thing," J assures her.  He correctly identifies when the blindfold scene
with Mira Sorvino is to take place.  He tries to identify the points in the
movie where the boom mike is visible, but K says she sees nothing.  He wants to
rip off his blindfold to see if she missed it.  But K insists he keep his
blindfold on and assures him that she didn't see the goofs he talked about.  As
the movie ends, K undoes his blindfold and reiterates that there was no mike
visible in any scene of the movie.

"Come to think of it, when we saw the movie the first time it wasn't centered
exactly on the screen and there was a little gap at the top."

"That shouldn't have made a difference," K posits, but it's a mystery they
cannot resolve.

K wonders if she is going to be blindfolded again, but then realizes that she
has to try to figure out where he parked.  She searches her memory, as best she
can, but finds she cannot locate it within ten minutes.  She tries to use logic
but fails again.

Eventually, J leads K back to the Expedition and blindfolds her the same way,
once more using three scarves.  After a longer drive, J parks the vehicle again
in what seems to be a parking structure.  He retrieves the shopping bag but does
not remove her blindfold.

K allows J to guide her and realizes she is in a building of some sort.  She
becomes aware of voices and the presence of people when she hears a ding.  She
correctly deduces that she is in an elevator.  After three dings, she feels his
arm move and follows him out.  Soon she hears the pop of a door opening and then
closing after her.  Still blindfolded, she finds J leading her to a chair on
which she seats herself.

"We're going to dinner shortly and we both need to change.  I just need ten
minutes to get ready and I'll go first."  He walks over to her and lifts her to
her feet.  "Why don't you strip down to your bra and panties and I'll explain
what I'd like you to do."

K is a little hesitant and notices he has not offered to remove her blindfold.
"Now?"

"That would be nice."

K doesn't hear him move.  "You're watching me?"

"Well, I think a hardworking guide deserves some rewards."

K shyly removes her sweater and jeans, laying them on the chair.  She doesn't
know precisely why but she feels deliciously sexy.  "What now?"

He orients her to show her the location of the empty drawers and her overnight
case that is on the bed.  "While I'm getting ready, I'd like you to pick out the
clothes you are going to wear and set them on the bed.  You can put away the
rest of the stuff in the drawers."

J notices that K points to her blindfold.  "Yes, you have to leave that on for
now.  When I'm done, I'll guide you to the bathroom.  Your blindfold will be
removed for fifteen minutes to allow you to get ready.  Before you emerge, you
will be blindfolded again."

K complies and is able to manage quite well in spite of being unaccustomed to
her surroundings.  She packs her clothes neatly in the drawer and selects a
black lace bra and black high-cut lace panties to match her short black dress.

J leads her into the bathroom and kisses her before he unravels the layers of
her very secure blindfold.  He uses the twenty minutes she takes to sort through
her gifts and put the flowers in water.  He blindfolds her with a single red
scarf formed in a narrow band.

K finds that J does not offer to put on her coat.  He guides her out the door
and into the elevator.  She is tingling with the fear of the possibility that
she might have to utilize cutlery while blindfolded.  As they emerge from the
elevator, she hears voices.  Fairly soon, they stop and she hears an unfamiliar
voice.

"Table for two?"

She finds she is walking single file until she comes to a chair and sits down.
As the host leaves, she feels her blindfold being untied.  As she opens her
eyes, she notices a few faces looking in her direction; but then they turn away
and her anxiety abates.  She realizes they are in a charming restaurant, very
crowded but very warm, with a fireplace.

Saturday February 13, 9:00 p.m. - Ain't Even Done with the Night

K is quite relaxed after a long and very romantic dinner.  Before she enters the
room, J blindfolds her again with a single red scarf.  He leads her to the bed
and turns on the TV.

"I'm just going to have a quick shower.  During that time, I would like you to
remain blindfolded and relax here on the bed.  When I'm done, I'll draw a tub
for you."

"Come here a minute."  She pats the bed next to her.  As he sits down, K reaches
over and gives him a long kiss.  "Thank you for an unbelievably romantic day."

"I ain't even done with the night," he sings.

K giggles with anticipation.  "I'd like to thank you for something else, too."

"What would that be?"

"For the roses."

J laughs in astonishment and heads to the shower.  When he is done, he prepares
the bathroom for his Valentine.  He yells out to her, "Why don't you get out of
that dress - you don't want to get it all wrinkled."

"I'll bet my dress isn't the only thing that's all wrinkled."  J almost drops
the bottle of bubble bath into the tub.

K enters the bathroom still blindfolded.  "Hmmm...cinnamon candles."  She dips
her hand into the tub and draws it to her nose.  "Strawberry, I presume."  She
doesn't see J shake his head in awe.  She feels J behind her undoing her bra and
then delicately caressing her breasts.  As she feels his hands reach her waist,
she gently draws them away.  "I would prefer that you didn't see me completely
naked."

"I'll keep my eyes closed when I take them off.  There are so many bubbles in
the water, I won't be able too see anything when you're in the tub."

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"O.K."

J closes his eyes as he pulls her panties to the floor.

K steps out of them and into the tub.  "You can open them now unless you were
cheating."

"I wasn't," J insists.

He uses a wash cloth to tenderly wash her upper body.  He does the same with her
feet and legs but deliberately stops short of Tennessee.  For his excellent work
he is rewarded with a face full of bubbles.  He splashes her in return soaking
her blindfold.

"Now see what you've done," she moans.  "J, I need to take off my blindfold to
wash my hair.  Do you think you could give me a little private time to relax by
myself?"

"Yes, but keep your blindfold on until I warm up your water and shut the door."
There is a reason J buys time.  Some wrinkled things don't stay that way for
long.  Besides, there is no point in trying to scare the poor girl to death - at
least not yet.

"J, I'm done," she yells.  "Can I come out now?"

"Close your eyes."

K waits for a blindfold to be placed over her eyes but feels his hands on her
eyelids, instead.  He asks her to walk and she extends her hands in front of
her.  She walks a few steps before she feels him remove his hands.  She takes a
look at the room.  It is not very large but has a very warm, soft glow to it.
The bed is an old-fashioned four-poster one.  "The room is very romantic.  Thank
you again for the beautiful red roses."  It strikes K as she breathes in the
aroma of the cinnamon candles that she feels she belongs here.  She feels very
comfortable in her white terry cloth robe.  K turns around and looks longingly
into his eyes before she wraps her arms around his towel-clad torso and kisses
him.

After they snuggle for a while, he announces, "Gift-giving time."

"Oh!  I have something for you."

She removes a wrapped gift to which a card is attached.  J also hands her a gift
and a card.  They read each other's cards at the same time.

K's card reads:

Dear J:  Thank you for being my Valentine.  Whenever I'm with you, I feel
beautiful and very special, and I feel it's because of you.  You make the time
we spend together romantic, exciting and intimate.  I think you are becoming my
best friend and I find that my feelings toward you are growing into something
more than friendship.  I hope you feel that way, too, and I look forward to
spending many more special times with you.  K.

J's card reads:

Dearest K:  My Funny Valentine.  My Bright Valentine.  My Courageous Valentine.
My Sexy Valentine.  There are simply not enough adjectives to describe the
wonderful qualities of your character and your soul that you reveal to me every
time you see or speak to me.  You constantly amaze me, surprise me and delight
me.  I feel honored, blessed and very lucky to have you as a special friend.  I
am starting to grow fond of you and I sense you may return some of those
feelings.  I treasure the precious moments I spend with you.  J.

Neither speaks a word as they finish reading.  They look deeply into each
other's eyes before they embrace and engage in their longest kiss.

J opens his gift and is thrilled with his 'Broncos Superbowl Champions' T-shirt.

K opens hers and finds three sleepmasks.  Each has a different heart design.
"These are really cute.  Where did you get them?"

"A place called 'Eye Pajamas.'"

"They're wonderful.  Thanks so much."  K tingles with anticipation as she
guesses what's coming next.

"As you recall, earlier today you went on a treasure hunt and collected five
gifts.  Each was to honor your senses.  For your sense of sight you received the
roses.  And since you are a very special person, you will receive the rest of
your gifts in a very special way."

Her heart rate accelerates as he sits next to her.  First he puts the 'Little
Hearts' sleepmask on her, tightens it suitably and then removes it.  He does the
same with the 'Candy Hearts' and 'Pretty Hearts' sleepmasks.  Finally, he asks
her to stand up and places the 'Little Hearts' sleepmask over her eyes.

She shakes her head when he asks her if she can see.  K is standing in front of
him wearing only her terry robe.  She hears a rustling sound like paper ripping
before she senses him in front of her again.

"To honor your sense of touch, I'd like you to feel this before you put it on."

K feels the flimsy fabric with her fingers and discovers there are two silky
pieces of clothing.  "It's obviously lingerie," she giggles like a little
schoolgirl.

"More specifically, my dear K?"

"I was thinking teddy but as I can't detect snaps or hooks, it's some sort of
camisole top with a bottom.  And not much of a bottom, either."

"Close enough, although it's not quite right.  Now hold onto my shoulders and
lift your right leg slightly."

She complies, raises her other leg and finds his hands and the fabric sliding up
her thighs.  She giggles again as the back of the g-string nestles where
g-strings are wont to nestle.  "You've given me butt floss!" she cries, as she
gently pounds his chest with both fists.

J grabs her hands, draws her closer and kisses her before reaching for the sash.
As the robe falls to the floor he pauses to drink in the majesty of her form
before he attempts to put the top on.  It is a slightly complicated exercise but
he succeeds on the second try.

K can't help but feel the fabric and is dying to see what it is and what she
looks like, but she doesn't know if she will be given the chance.

Holding her by the waist he instructs, "Lead the way to the bathroom."

She tries to remember where she is as she extends her hands in front of her.
She starts off uncertainly but feels the pressure of his hands on her waist
guiding her in the right direction.  Once in the bathroom, she feels J pointing
her in one direction.  She feels his hands on her face as the sleepmask is
raised onto her forehead.  "Can I look now?"

As he agrees, she opens her eyes and sees herself in the full-length mirror.  A
stunningly sexy woman who has been presented her first gift of lingerie by a man
looks back at her.  The reflection is wearing a white stretch lace and chiffon
baby doll with an embellished applique, crisscross shoulder straps and a
contrasting hemline, that is to say slightly longer in the front and back than
at the sides.  The matching g-string, barely covered by the hemline, is also
white.  K cannot believe how sexy she looks and feels.  "You have excellent
taste, J."

"In lingerie or ladies?"  J pats himself on the back for going romantic, not
raunchy.

"Both," she smiles at him devilishly.

"I think you've seen enough," he suggests, as he pulls the sleepmask back over
her eyes.  He places the remaining pair of sleepmasks over her eyes and adjusts
them until he is satisfied.  "Do you think you'll be comfortable sleeping in
these?"

"I think so."  She has to try to find her way out the same way and ends up
sitting on the edge of the bed.  On the return trip, it does not escape her
attention that J's hands playfully wander in a northerly direction.  She knows J
has no plans for sleep, at least for now.  She feels him sit next to her and
kiss her again.

"For your sense of hearing you will have to earn this gift."

K feels the object he places in her hand.  "It's wooden, shaped kind of like a
basket with a top, and it has three long, narrow metal rods attached to it.  I
don't know what it is."

"Feel it some more."

"There seems to be a small circular piece of plastic or something smooth on one
side of the wooden part, and a round hole on the other side.  I still have no
clue."

"It's a fridge magnet," states J, as he takes it from her palm and shakes it
gently.

"Chimes!" she exclaims.

"Exactly.  Assisted by that sound, you will attempt to locate the magnet.  But
to make it a little more challenging, the magnet will be moving around the room.
You will succeed in your quest if you can tag any part of my body with both your
hands."  He helps her to her feet.  "First, I have to disorient you."

K steps forward and is thoroughly disoriented in the same way that she was for
the game she played on the night they first kissed.  The room is unfamiliar and
she proceeds cautiously, so as not to bump into the furniture.  She listens to
the chimes but each time she feels she is near J, he escapes using the
diving-over-the-bed-to-the-other-side ploy with great effect.

After a fruitless five minutes or so, K cottons on and takes her own leap onto
the bed and stretches her hands out.  She meets with success as both her hands
touch J's bare skin.  "Gotcha!"

J jumps on top of her and smothers her with a kiss.  As K moves her arms around
him, she notices he has lost his towel.  She can't tell if he has anything on.

"Now for your sense of smell," he says, after a while.  He allows K to unwrap a
gift.

It is a box of some sort and she opens it up to find a bottle that has a
familiar shape.  She opens the bottle and takes a sniff of a familiar scent.
"Obsession!"

"Absolutely correct.  You've won the right to proceed to the Double Jeopardy
round.  However, if you make even a single error, you'll lose your top for the
rest of the night."

This time K has to identify the odors of various containers placed in front of
her nose but she is not allowed to touch any of the containers.  She guesses
several including cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.

To throw her off track, he dangles a single red rose in front of her nose.

"What is something by any other name..."

"Damn, you're good.  OK, next item."

"It's a spice of some sort but I can't think of the name."

"Tic... Tic... Tic... Sorry, time's up!  The correct response is, 'What is
saffron?'"

"Geez, I knew it!"  K doesn't realize that J was prepared to go on with the game
for as long as it took.  With mock reluctance she slowly removes her top.  Her
pulse quickens again as she senses his gaze.

"Before I describe how we play Final Jeopardy, I'm going to add two scarves to
your blindfold."

"I really can't see anything."

"I need to keep your hair out of the way and this will work well enough."  J
retrieves the three red scarves.  He ties the first at the back of her head but
just right of center, leaving the ends dangling.  He takes a second scarf and
ties it just left of center.  He gathers her hair together and wraps it in the
dangling ends of each scarf before tying the ends.

She feels J place something very small in her hand.  It is pointy at one end and
round at the other.  It isn't until J asks her to unwrap it and put it in her
hand that she exclaims, "Kisses - chocolate kisses."

"Peel the wrapping off ten of them and hand them to me."  She complies and feels
the electricity as J explains the game.

"Hair and clothing, such as it is, off-limits?"

"Sure," he agrees.  "Oh, and to make sure you can only use your lips and
mouth..."

She breathes harder and protests mildly but acquiesces when he assures her,
"Just loosely."

J takes the last red scarf and loosely ties it around the crossed wrists held
behind her back.  J drinks in the pretty picture and senses her excitement as he
guides her to one side of the bed, stopping when her legs touch the edge.

K bends at the waist and leans over the bed to begin her quest as she hears the
ring of the chimes.  Her mouth contacts flesh and it takes her a while to figure
out that it is his leg.  She moves her mouth until she gets to his feet.  She
decides to go from south to north.  It's a very simple game - find five
chocolate kisses on the surface of his body and eat them.  At least it sounded
simple enough.  She finds she has to work carefully to avoid dislodging the
kisses.  She succeeds in finding a kiss on his shin but knocks the second one
between his thighs, diving in quickly with her mouth.  As her mouth moves toward
his hip, she notices he has something on.  Meticulously exploring his belly, she
almost misses the one in his navel.  She encounters no success on his chest and
neck and decides to try his face.  She starts to explore his face with her
tongue when she intuitively moves to his lips.  She is rewarded with a kiss and
rewards him with a moist one in return.  Finding the last kiss takes ages but
she is eventually triumphant when she reaches the bend in the elbow of his far
arm.

J removes her blindfold and kisses her deeply.  K laughs with glee when she sees
his black g-string that is struggling to contain the crown jewels.

K applies the trio of sleepmasks to his eyes.  As she starts tying a scarf, he
asks if it is necessary.  "Fair is fair.  Besides, it will avoid any possibility
of sleepmask slippage."

The hardest part for K is trying to keep perfectly still.  J discovers she is
extremely ticklish and files it away in his memory banks for future reference.
A couple of times K loses control and spills kisses.  Replacing them in the same
spot makes it very easy for J to find them.  He finds four kisses faster than
she does but the fifth one is not as easy.  After several safaris in either
direction, he ultimately locates the last kiss in between her eyebrows.

K allows J to blindfold her again with the sleepmasks with the heart designs.
Much later, she falls asleep peacefully in his arms.

Sunday February 14, 8:30 a.m. - Touch Me in the Morning

The morning is another blur of sensual delights.  K enjoys being fed her
breakfast in bed while she is blindfolded.  She thinks the meal is over until he
gets her to sit in a chair.

Still blindfolded with the sleepmasks and clad only in her g-string, K accedes
when J asks if he can tie her hands loosely to the arms of the chair.

J feeds her several chocolates and a dozen different fruits using his fingers
and his lips.  K tingles with the surprise and delight of each bite as she
guesses what she is eating.  J saves the best for last - strawberries and cream.
Cream, even if whipped, as K finds out, is not sufficiently trained to always
end up in her mouth.  J does his dutiful best to use his mouth and hands to
clean up the mess on his helpless, squirming companion.

K is exhausted from laughter and in desperate need of a shower when he is done.

J leaves to check out and return the key.  He knocks the secret knock on the
door of the room.  He kisses the woman who gropes her way to find the door.  He
drinks in the sight of the beautiful woman who leaves the room blindfolded in
exactly the same manner in which she first entered.

Sunday February 14, 11:15 a.m. - Young Americans

It is a reasonably pleasant St. Valentine's Day except that it seems a large
portion of the city seems to have descended on the Blue Hills.

There is still some parking available as the handsome MBA student from B.U.
arrives and parks his Chevy.  He is alone and wants to be, even though he had
planned differently a week ago.  On his way up the trail, he passes a couple who
are enjoying the view.  He doesn't notice them, as he does not know them.  He
has a lot on his mind.

The pair, who also happens to be students at the same university, doesn't know
him either.  They don't hold hands because neither is too keen on public
displays of affection.  Their friends and family are not aware of their
relationship, and they intend to keep it that way for now.  One, who idolizes
Georgia O'Keeffe, is a peaceful soul.  The other is restless, torn and searching
for answers to questions that sometimes have none.  As they get to the bottom,
they decide to stop in and browse at the Trailside Museum.

In the meantime, a photographer, who idolizes Annie Liebovitz, arrives.  She is
not there for the scenery but to get candid shots of people.  Her free time is
precious to her and she uses every spare moment to indulge her passion, which
she is determined to turn into a career.  A short while later, she spots a group
of children at play.  She does not see a couple leave the museum and head to the
parking lot.  She would have recognized them had she seen them.

K is in the Expedition again thinking back on how wonderful this extended date
has been.  She is enjoying the long drive even though she has no idea where she
is going.  Finally, she senses they must be nearing their destination as the
vehicle is slowing down.

J searches for a vacant spot and is rewarded when he sees a small Toyota pull
out.  He helps K out and makes sure she doesn't bump into the beat-up Pontiac as
she steps off the running board.  He guides her as they begin the trek up
Chickatawbut Hill.  As he is focused entirely on her, he doesn't notice a
photographer busy setting up her next shot.  J would have recognized her even
though he had just met her recently.  K certainly would have recognized her if
she were not securely blindfolded with three silk scarves.

Much later, the handsome young man bypasses the Trailside Museum as he heads
directly to his Corvette.  He might have recognized the tall, stunning
photographer eating her lunch, even though he had never been formally introduced
to her.  The photographer, who was not one to forget a face, probably would have
recognized him, even though she did not know who he was.

The photographer decides to scout new locations as she finishes her lunch.  She
gets to her dilapidated Sunbird, which is now parked next to a huge black SUV.
It isn't much but it's hers and she paid for it herself.  Her family never had
much money but had given her many more gifts that could not be measured
monetarily.  One of these is an extremely strong work ethic and she works very
hard and saves all her tips.  She knows she is missing something but isn't sure
what it is.  But L knows where she is going and how she is going to get there.

K finds she is walking uphill as she holds onto J's arm firmly.  It is cool but
pleasant enough for a winter's day in this part of the country.  Suddenly, she
hears a scream.

"J!" a strange voice yells.

She notices J stop suddenly.

"Well, if it isn't the devil himself!" J remarks.

"Fancy meeting you here!" the stranger responds.

"K, I'd like you to meet my good friend, Dan Majewski.  Dan, this is K."

K releases her grip and extends her right hand, which is met by the stranger.
"Not the Dan Majewski, who owns the third-largest agency on the West Coast?"

Dan is instantly impressed with the blindfolded woman.  "Actually, that's my
dad.  I'm just junior.  But how could you possibly..."

"That was quite a coup to get the product placement for the picture, 'E-mail in
a Tube.'"

"I'm amazed that you would know that," Dan says, still stunned.

J can't help but interject proudly, "I'll have you know, Dan, that you are
speaking to a future Hollywood film editor."

"Well, I sure hope you remember us little people when you get your first of many
Academy Awards."

"Why soitanly, Mr. Magic Jet Ski."

Dan howls with laughter.  It has been a long time since he has had a really good
laugh.  "J, I don't know where you found this remarkable woman, but I suggest
you better hold on to her with everything you've got."

"I intend to," J states firmly.

"Well, I'm off to grab a bite so I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."  Dan turns
to K and extends his hand.  "K, it's been a very great pleasure to meet you and
I hope we run into each other again."

K extends her hand and shakes his.  "It was nice meeting you, too."

The men say their good-byes.

They continue up the hill and K comments, "He seems like a really nice guy."

"He is."

"But I sensed that he sounded a little sad."

"I'm amazed that you picked up on that.  His girlfriend split up with him last
week."

"Oh, that's too bad."

"It must be part the master plan that we don't understand."

"I guess if things are meant to be, then they will happen."

"Hopefully, it will turn out for the best."

Much earlier, the couple that has been browsing in the museum decides to head
out for lunch.  When the painter gets to her Camry, she looks into her lover's
eyes, sure that the two of them are meant for each other.  She also thinks it is
an odd coincidence, more like a strange sign from above, that each of their
parents had named them after gold-medal winning Olympic gymnasts.  "Should I
drive or do you want to, Nadia?" Olga asks.

Finally, K and J get to the top of Chickatawbut Hill.  J kisses her deeply
before slowly and sensually removing each layer of her blindfold.  K looks at
him and then out on a spectacular vista of the sprawling city.  They hold each
other for a long time.

With a twig J sketches two interlocking hearts on the ground.  He draws a plus
symbol in the intersection before writing a single letter in each of the hearts.
The lessors of the letters lock lips lazily, longingly and lovingly.

"I'm hungry, J."

"Me, too, K."

************************************************************************
Author's Note:

Readers of this story may make a copy for their personal use.  The author's
permission is required for any other use or dissemination of this story in any
form, any such use acknowledging me as the author of the work.  Author's E-mail
address: trevain@home.com
************************************************************************
A Tale of Three Cities  Trevain  (1999-05-23)