Crown's Law by Wolf Wootan Page A

home and started reworking her equations.
    “I have to make it easier for them to
understand,” she told Sam. “My new math is confusing too many of
them. I’ll have to restate things in terms that they can
grasp.”
    ***
    On Wednesday, April 25th, Sam got a call from
Sue wanting to see him on Saturday the 28th. She didn’t say why. He
had been seeing her once or twice a month ever since that first
delicious sexual encounter. She was as satisfied as he was with the
nonexclusive dating arrangement, so he couldn’t guess what she was
up to. Maybe she had thought of something sexual to do that they
hadn’t tried yet!
    He arrived at her house at 6:00 P.M. on
Saturday as he had been instructed. She greeted him at the front
door with a kiss. Her body was completely covered in a floral
muumuu.
    “Come on out to the patio. I’m cooking you
dinner out there tonight. Hence, my covering garb,” she said as she
floated down the hall and out to the walled-in patio. Coals were
turning gray in the barbeque.
    “What’s the occasion, China doll?” he asked
as he approached her from behind and put his arms around her,
cupping both breasts with his hands.
    “As you know, we’ve enjoyed a comfortable,
nonexclusive relationship. I met a man about six months ago. It’s
become serious. He asked me to marry him and I’m going to say yes.
I would’ve said yes already, but I wanted to see you one last time.
This is our farewell fling, Sam. I plan to be a faithful,
monogamous wife. We can still be friends, of course, if you wish. I
hope you do.”
    He was sad it was over. She was special.
    “Well . . . I wish you all the happiness you
can grab, Sue. You deserve it. Since you’re engaged, we can skip
the farewell fling.”
    “Technically, I’m not. I haven’t said ‘yes’
yet,” she said as she leaned into him.
    “That’s a quibbling technicality. You’ve
already made up your mind,” he said as he nuzzled her hair, missing
her already.
    “We’re both good at quibbling with
technicalities. I couldn’t tell you this over the phone, and I knew
if I saw you, I’d want one last fling. OK?”
    “OK. Are you moving?” asked Sam, thinking of
Becky.
    “No. I’ll drop some patient load by attrition
and cut back to a 3-day week. He lives in La Jolla, so we’ll split
time between here and there. He’s an art dealer and his store
wouldn’t do as well in San Clemente as it does in La Jolla. Don’t
worry, I’ll keep Becky for as long as she needs me.”
    “Thanks for that. Does she still need you? We
never talk about it,” said Sam.
    “For a while yet. I’ve become quite a
lifeline for her. Maybe I can start cutting her time back from once
a week to twice a month. She’s maturing quite nicely . . .
considering.”
    “So . . . you’re settling down. At times, I
thought you might make a good mother for Becky,” mused Sam.
    “No! Definitely not! One can never be both
mother and analyst, Sam! I have to play adversary at times.
Sometimes Becky hates me, sometimes she clings to me. A mother
can’t handle the swings in emotion,” exclaimed Sue. “She wants a
mother desperately, however. I can reveal that much. Why don’t you
put an end to your endless search for new women and find a wife?
It’s time.”
    “I don’t have any candidates right now.”
    “You avoid the right kind of candidates. For
example, what would you have done if I had asked you for a
commitment?” she asked, a coy smile on her lips.
    He thought for a moment, then said, “I don’t
know.”
    “Find someone, if not for yourself, do it for
Becky,” she said. “If she’s not enough of an incentive, then you’re
hopeless.”
    ***
    The sex had been slow and satisfying, Sue
riding him on top. They both held back as long as they could, not
wanting it to end. But it did. They lay on her bed in silence for a
bit, absorbing the impact of Sue’s decision to marry.
    Sam finally spoke. “I know you’re not
supposed to talk about Becky, but something