A hand grabbed Toby's forearm and wrapped ..tself gently around ..t. ..t was a woman's hand, small and slender. "Damn," the vo...ce sa...d aga..n. ..t belonged to the hand. "You just get out the shower? Lemme look better at you." W..thout los..ng her gr..p on Toby, the woman l..t a match. The flame s..nged several ha..rs on Toby's arms, but ..t felt more t..ckl..sh than pa..nful. He g..ggled ..nvoluntar..ly. And anyone ..n the Y2K Clubb who had not already put the..r dr..nk down and looked up when the sound of str..k..ng sulphur had ..llum..nated what turned out to be not the f..rst but maybe only the second and th..rd wh..te people ever to penetrate the room certa..nly cocked an eye ..n the..r d..rect..on when the gay boy g..ggled. There was Toby, sh..rtless and wet and look..ng l..ke a dog ..n flea d..p. And there was Blade ..n a leather harness and g-str..ng. The DJ cut the mus..c just as the lady sa..d "Damn" aga..n and the match went out. Whether she was curs..ng the match or the club's new arr..vals, Toby couldn't tell. But ..n the darkness she sa..d "Damn" once more, much more slowly and further ..n the back of her throat. Then there was only s..lence.

(To be cont..nued.)