haven't I?" and opened the restaurant bag to begin unpacking it on the desk. As she sat down to eat, she eyed Cade and asked, "Am I going to be the only naked person in this room?" Pretending vast surprise, Cade said, "Oh! Yes'm, I'll get right to that. Very sorry, ma'am. I was so wrapped up in eyeballing your gorgeous bod that I just completely forgot. You know how it is, don't you?" Laughing, Beth said, "Yeah, sure. I know how it is," and dug into her food. A few bites later she asked, "Hey, Cade. If I'm so gorgeous, how come all the other guys don't act like you?" "Simple ignorance, ma'am. They don't know how." "So how did you become so knowledgeable?" "I had a good teacher early in life." "Who was she?" "One of my teachers in high school." Glancing up incredulously, Beth asked, "Really?" "Yup. I was sixteen. She was twenty-six and kind of pushy, just like you. I learned a lot at that lady's knees." Beth nearly choked with laughter. "At her knees...? Uh, yeah, well, I suppose... That's where you'd have been..." Patting her back, Cade said, "Yup. Most of the time, too, as I prefer to recall. Just try to breathe for now, Beth. Talk later." Beth managed to eat most of her steak and Cade finished what she couldn't, then they spent the rest of the afternoon like newlyweds on a honeymoon. At six-forty-five her ride to the airport pulled up at the front doors and -- to Cade's surprise -- Beth hugged him and kissed him long and hard. Holding her close, Cade whispered, "Somebody might see." Snickering, she said, "Screw 'em. There were cameras in the halls, anyway. Everybody who doesn't know now will know by tomorrow. I'll deal with it." "Would saying 'thank you' sound trite, ma'am?" "Not if I say it first. Thanks, Cade." Then she made a show of glancing at her watch, making an apologetic face and an excuse about long check-in times these days, and hurried into the waiting car. They waved good-bye as the car rolled down the ramp, then it turned left at the street and she was gone. Cade sighed once, then turned to go back upstairs. A tall, thirtyish, brunette woman in a sharp, shades-of-green skirt and jacket business ensemble asked, "Your wife?" Stopping to meet her gaze, Cade said, "No. A friend." After a short pause, he added, "A very nice lady." The woman had ice-gray eyes like fine gemstones that were nearly on a level with Cade's. Her face at first seemed rather plain, or perhaps she simply wore no makeup, but her strong character shone through her features like a beacon. A very impressive woman. Her full lips parted and Cade realized she was speaking again as she said, "Are you all right?" Shaking off her spell, Cade said, "Uhm. Yes, ma'am. Sorry. You have... unique eyes. They're a color I don't see often enough. Very lovely." With a grin, he added, "I guess they kind of shorted out my little brain for a few seconds.