soon as Miss Elizabeth walked in the room, he would shut up and change the subject like a child caught telling a story”.

“They were such a great couple, made for each other. I often wondered why they never had children.” She said.

“I think they regretted it. Elizabeth always got this sad look in her eyes when the subject came up.” Jeremy added as he led his wife to the couch that Ian had silently offered them a seat on while they talked. “She would get so mad when Herman would call that painting ‘The Unfinished Masterpiece’, and he’d just chide her, “well you know it is.”

“It looks finished to me.” Ian said.

Susan slipped her bag off her shoulder, opened it and reached inside. “It’s still playtime for us. Would you mind if Jeremy joins you in a smoke?” She pulled a cigarette and a lighter out of her purse.

Ian was a little shocked. “Sure. No problem, if you don’t mind.”

“Actually I enjoy it now and again.” And she looked at her husband who had a twinkle in his eye. “And he does love it so; I can’t deny it to him all the time.”

“I let her control it.” He took the cigarette in his hand, put it to his lips and bent down to the flame she flicked. “That’s my Suzie, my control.”

Ian went to the table and found his new carton and opened his own pack. When he returned he found Susan had slipped to the floor and Jeremy to the end of the couch so he could share the large glass ashtray with Ian. He returned to his seat in the easy chair. Susan got up on her knees and opened the little flame for Ian, and he graciously lit his cigarette.

They smoked for a moment in silence. Susan absent-mindedly stroked her husband’s thigh. They were still dressed as they were this afternoon, he in Bermuda shorts and a sleeveless tank top, she in a tennis skirt and a matching cotton pullover. Susan looked at the hair on her husband’s thigh dance as she brushed it with her fingers.

“Ian, we so loved your performance last night.”

“Thank you.”

Jeremy looked at his wife and smiled. “I already told him all about it.” He kissed her and smiled.

She turned and looked at Ian. “We don’t get away too often. Sometimes the children need grandparent time and we try to take full advantage of it.”

“I understand.” Ian said as he put his cigarette out.

“You do?” she asked.

“Of course, it must be tough to get private time when you have small children. You have to make the most of it.”

“We try.” She said.

Jeremy kissed his wife again and then looked at Ian, his eyes doing a little dance. “We thought that maybe, er, hoped that you might want to help us make the most of our last hour of playtime tonight?”

Susan leaned back between her husband’s legs and rested her head on his crotch, and looked at Ian. “Would you mind terribly playing with us…?”

Ian had fantasized many times about Susan Andrews. He had