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They were now passing City Hall, and heading out John F. Kennedy Boulevard, past the construction sites of what the developers said would be Downtown Philadelphia Reborn.

Louise turned and looked at him.

“You’re a really nice guy, Peter Wohl,” she said. “Anyone ever tell you that?”

“All the time,” he said.

She laughed, and changed the subject: “When we get to your place, I have to go inside.”

“Why?”

“Because my underwear was still wet, and I couldn’t put it on,” she said.

The logical conclusion to be drawn from that statement, Peter thought, is that she is at this moment, underwear-less. Phrased another way, she is naked under her dress.

“You should have seen your face just now,” Louise said.

“What are you talking about?” he asked.

“Your eyes grew wide,” she said. “Does that turn you on, Peter Wohl? A woman not wearing underwear?”

“Get off my back,” he flared.

“It does!” she said, delighted. “It does!”

He turned and glared at her. She wasn’t fazed. She smiled at him.

He returned his attention to the road. Louise noticed that he was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white.

They said nothing else to each other until they reached his apartment. He pulled the nose of the Ford against the garage door, turned off the ignition, handed her the apartment key, and laid his arm on the back of the seat.

“I would just run along,” he said. “But I’m going to need my key back. I’ll wait here.”

“I’ll throw it out the window,” she said.

“Fine,” he said.

She went up the stairs and he leaned on the fender of the Ford LTD. A minute or so later, he heard the window in his bathroom grate open. He turned and looked up at the window. All he could see was her head; she had to be kneeling on the toilet seat.

“Can you come up here a minute?” she said. “I’ve got a little trouble.”

He went up the stairs and into the apartment.

Louise’s head peered at him around his nearly closed bedroom door.

“What’s the trouble?” he asked.

“I don’t want to go to work,” Louise said. “Not right now.”

“Then don’t go,” he said. “Stay here as long as you like.”

“You really are a very sweet guy, Peter,” Louise said.

“You seem to be a little ambiguous about that,” Peter said.

“You’re sore about the way I teased you in the car, aren’t you?”

“You enjoy humiliating people, go ahead,” he said.