pontheenormousbarrensquareofanabdomen，whichwaslikearesoundingdrum．Thenhecametoherprivatepce,thatmoisttenderspot,andclimbediively．PerhapsRomithoughtitwasanantcrawlingoealofabeautifulflowerandherbodyshiveredslightlyiion,buttoMr.Fihatslightshiverwaslikeahquake．Hepeedintinaandherwombaledthere,reminisgonhisexperienceasafetus．

    "Sexualansaresacredbecauseoftheirfunofproliferatiohought“Whyisitthattheyarealwaysectedwithprofanity?IfRomicmpedherbeautifulloightlytogether,Iwouldsuffocate．No,shewouldn’tdothat!Sheislikethemarblestatueofagoddess,runningjoyfullytowardsthesun．Likethegoddess,sheistobeadmiredandworshippedfromafar,andshouldnotbedesecrated.”Theatmosphereinthedenwasheavy,aseachwasdeeplyimmersedinhisorherownthoughts．Romibrokethesilencebyherexcmation，

    "Ah!Iknownow．Theghostinmythoughtismythirdhusband．Wouldyouliketohearmystory,Dimitri?"

    "Mypleasurema’am,ifyouwouldliketotellme.”

    OneFridayafternoon，asRomileftherofficebuildingfortheparkinglottogethercar，shesuddenlyrememberedsheshouldcallherwyertoaskaboutthedivorceproceedingswithhersedhusband．Shestoppedatthepayphoneandytolearnthatallwasgoingsmoothly．Shenoticedamanpagtoandfrobeforethebooth,butgettingallthedetailsofthedivoretime．Sowhenshecameout,shesmiledatthemanandsaid，

    6

    "I’msorrytohavetakensolong,butthecallortant.”

    "I’mnotwaitingtomakeacall．It’syouIwaswaitingfor.”Romiwasnotagirltobeeasilypickedup,butthemanwastall,darkandhandsomeandshehappeobeingoodspirits．Hisrgesoulfuleyeswerefullofexpressionandhehadawonderfulphysique，stronglybuilt，butnotoverlymuscur．Inaword，themanradiatedaggressive，maseattra．Theysoongotmarriedafterawhirlwindcourtship．Romiknewinherheartthatsheyingwithfire,thatAIlenwasnotawisechoice．Hewaslikeaballoffire，fasatingandentingtolookatfromafar,butifyougottoo，youwouldsurelybeburnt．Butshecouldnotescapehismagicpersonality．Hewasextremelyattentiveandcouldalwaysmakeherughandhaveagoodtime．OftheonehundredcouplesofhoneymoonersonboardtheLoveBoatontheircruisetoMexico，theywerethemostattractivepair，themostenvied．Onthedancefloor，theyweretheterofattentionwherealleyeswerefocused．Romiloveddangbutseldomfoundapatiblepartner．InAllen，whocouldexecutethemostintricatestepswithstyleandaplomb，shefoundtheidealdangpartheydahenightawayandRomiwasdeliriouslyhappy．

    Butoheywerebaealeddowntotheireverydaylife，Allen’struecolorscametolight．Hesideredhimselfanartist,andassuchhadnostablejob．Romicametorealizethatunderhathandsome,glitterieriortherewasnotalent,sohecouldoshortsporadicbookingsatsed-ratenightclubs，andthatonlybecauseofhishandsomeface，magnifitphysiqueandsocializingskillswhichattractedsomepatrons．HespentRomi’smoneyfreelyasamatterofcourseandwouldstealfromherpursewhenheneededmoney．Buteverytimehehadsexwithher,hewouldpayher500．Atfirst，Romiwasangry，butAllenexpihatitwasjusthiswayofexpressinghissatisfaathavingsuchawonderfulwife．Sometimestheymadelovemorethanonceaday,hewouldinvariablypayupandsay"Heylookhowmueyyoumadetoday!"Hemaytakethemoneyfromherpurseterontospendonwineorcards,buthealaidher．Romigo

pontheenormousbarrensquareofanabdomen，whichwaslikearesoundingdrum．Thenhecametoherprivatepce,thatmoisttenderspot,andclimbediively．PerhapsRomithoughtitwasanantcrawlingoealofabeautifulflowerandherbodyshiveredslightlyiion,buttoMr.Fihatslightshiverwaslikeahquake．Hepeedintinaandherwombaledthere,reminisgonhisexperienceasafetus．

    "Sexualansaresacredbecauseoftheirfunofproliferatiohought“Whyisitthattheyarealwaysectedwithprofanity?IfRomicmpedherbeautifulloightlytogether,Iwouldsuffocate．No,shewouldn’tdothat!Sheislikethemarblestatueofagoddess,runningjoyfullytowardsthesun．Likethegoddess,sheistobeadmiredandworshippedfromafar,andshouldnotbedesecrated.”Theatmosphereinthedenwasheavy,aseachwasdeeplyimmersedinhisorherownthoughts．Romibrokethesilencebyherexcmation，

    "Ah!Iknownow．Theghostinmythoughtismythirdhusband．Wouldyouliketohearmystory,Dimitri?"

    "Mypleasurema’am,ifyouwouldliketotellme.”

    OneFridayafternoon，asRomileftherofficebuildingfortheparkinglottogethercar，shesuddenlyrememberedsheshouldcallherwyertoaskaboutthedivorceproceedingswithhersedhusband．Shestoppedatthepayphoneandytolearnthatallwasgoingsmoothly．Shenoticedamanpagtoandfrobeforethebooth,butgettingallthedetailsofthedivoretime．Sowhenshecameout,shesmiledatthemanandsaid，

    6

    "I’msorrytohavetakensolong,butthecallortant.”

    "I’mnotwaitingtomakeacall．It’syouIwaswaitingfor.”Romiwasnotagirltobeeasilypickedup,butthemanwastall,darkandhandsomeandshehappeobeingoodspirits．Hisrgesoulfuleyeswerefullofexpressionandhehadawonderfulphysique，stronglybuilt，butnotoverlymuscur．Inaword，themanradiatedaggressive，maseattra．Theysoongotmarriedafterawhirlwindcourtship．Romiknewinherheartthatsheyingwithfire,thatAIlenwasnotawisechoice．Hewaslikeaballoffire，fasatingandentingtolookatfromafar,butifyougottoo，youwouldsurelybeburnt．Butshecouldnotescapehismagicpersonality．Hewasextremelyattentiveandcouldalwaysmakeherughandhaveagoodtime．OftheonehundredcouplesofhoneymoonersonboardtheLoveBoatontheircruisetoMexico，theywerethemostattractivepair，themostenvied．Onthedancefloor，theyweretheterofattentionwherealleyeswerefocused．Romiloveddangbutseldomfoundapatiblepartner．InAllen，whocouldexecutethemostintricatestepswithstyleandaplomb，shefoundtheidealdangpartheydahenightawayandRomiwasdeliriouslyhappy．

    Butoheywerebaealeddowntotheireverydaylife，Allen’struecolorscametolight．Hesideredhimselfanartist,andassuchhadnostablejob．Romicametorealizethatunderhathandsome,glitterieriortherewasnotalent,sohecouldoshortsporadicbookingsatsed-ratenightclubs，andthatonlybecauseofhishandsomeface，magnifitphysiqueandsocializingskillswhichattractedsomepatrons．HespentRomi’smoneyfreelyasamatterofcourseandwouldstealfromherpursewhenheneededmoney．Buteverytimehehadsexwithher,hewouldpayher500．Atfirst，Romiwasangry，butAllenexpihatitwasjusthiswayofexpressinghissatisfaathavingsuchawonderfulwife．Sometimestheymadelovemorethanonceaday,hewouldinvariablypayupandsay"Heylookhowmueyyoumadetoday!"Hemaytakethemoneyfromherpurseterontospendonwineorcards,buthealaidher．Romigo