Chapter One, Part Three

�Dear Sam and Elise,

� I can't believe I am actually writing this letter, but, sometimes a woman needs a little excitement in her life. � I never thought I would do something like this so forgive me if I ramble on. � You don't know me, but your ad in the paper caught my eye and my interest is certainly piqued. � I am curious as to what you have in mind and goodness know. �s I need to be a bit more carefree and less introverted. � So that fact that I am incredibly shy proves that I am serious in my query to you.

� My name is Delilah, and I have been widowed three years since the death of my husband and since then, I have not really dated or had any kind of romantic relationship as I have had a difficult time meeting interesting men and lately I have felt like I wanted something adventurous� Not that THIS is orthodox adventurous�.

� I suppose a description of myself would be in order:� I am 29 years old, 5 foot 7, long red curly hair that hangs down to the middle of my back, green eyes, and porcelain complexion dotted with a few freckles. � I have a decent build, not fat; no thin. � I actually like my butt. � I have even been told that I am beautiful and intimidate men (maybe the reason for the dry spell?).� In college I studied anthropology and art history and currently do not work but am looking for something to bide my time. � My late husband fortunately left me with enough to be comfortable for some years to come. � I volunteer at the natural history museum 2 days a week and it keeps me somewhat occupied.

� It has been some time since I really had an adventure to speak of and I have heard many things about the two of you that my curiosity got the better of me. � If my letter to you is not too late and if you are interested in meeting with me, I will be at Caf� Jumping Java on the corner of Glenshire and 7th street, one week from today, at 7:30 pm.� Hopefully this will give my letter enough time to reach you. � I cant tell you what I will be wearing, but I think my hair will make me stand out enough.

� I look forward to meeting you.

� Delilah Karma�

� �No, I can�t put my last name,� she thought.� So she scratched it out and then sat there for about 10 minutes staring at her correspondence.� Did she ramble too much?� Did she seem nervous?� Would they meet her?� Was she doing the right thing?� Why was the sky blue?� Eventually, she decided that this was stupid and that she could not ever, no way in hell go through with this.� She wadded up the letter and threw it in the trash.� Holding her head in her hands and shaking it slowly, she half chuckled half cried to herself that she could even BEGIN to fathom something so ridiculous for herself.� What would Daniel think?�

� Daniel was her late husband.� They had met while she was a student in the anthropology and art history program at Princeton University and he was her Late Egyptian Dynasties professor.� Daniel was 17 years her senior, but they knew they belonged together, just like soul mates.� He was the epitome of the rugged tweed handsome clich� of the absent minded, well-traveled antiquities professor.� He always had a pipe that completed the picture perfectly.� He found her shy side endearing and secretly loved it when other men would stare at her when she walked by them on campus.� Raging co-ed hormones.� It always gave him a chuckle.� He had come from a stable and adventurous family who spent their lives globetrotting a la Indiana Jones looking for that next great archaeological treasure like the Ark of the Covenant.� So when he invited her on a dig in the Upper Nile Valley right after the completion of her semester in his class, she was a bit surprised.� She hadn�t exactly engaged him in any manner other than that of professor and student, and shocked herself when she accepted.� He told her he knew there was an adventure girl hiding behind that shy, beautiful fa�ade, and wanted her to giver that side of her the chance to show itself.� They fell head over heels in love and were inseparable for duration of their four and half year marriage.� Then, 3 winters ago, he was suddenly killed in a car accident.� An eighteen wheeler lost its load of pipes, one came crashing through the windshield of Daniel�s Volvo, killing him instantly.� They could not even have an open casket at the funeral.�

� So, what WOULD Daniel have thought of this?� Well, going away on a potentially kinky vacation with two complete strangers may not have been his style, but he probably would not have discouraged her.� Delilah's cuddly tabby Hamby slithered up to her and rubbed her leg, purring for attention.� She picked him up and stroked his fur.� �So Hamby, am I crazy to even have considered this?�� He just purred back at her sympathetically.� �Of course you can�t answer me.� Sigh�. I am going to end up like one of those lonely old ladies in New York who dies alone with her 20 cats and isn�t discovered until three weeks later when the smell drifts into the corridor of her apartment building and when they find her, the cats have partially eaten her.�� She paused, �Now why did I have to go and think of something horribly disgusting like that?�

� She dropped Hamby off of her lap and got up to go make herself a cup of tea.� She didn�t have to be at the museum today and thought she would take a drive over to the house one more time, just to make sure�..

� On the way over a slew of questions popped into her head: �What could happen if she actually met these two.� Would they be good looking and polished?� What did they do for a living?� What did the inside of their house look like?� Would they like her?� Was she their type?� What WAS their type?� Were they into S&M and other weird fetishes?� Were they weirdoes out looking to make a snuff film?� This last thought had not occurred to Delilah when she had originally considered answering the ad.� But after careful consideration, she decided this could not be the case since they were so well known around town and why would they advertise in the newspaper for a murder victim?� When she got to the house she drove down the block slowly, casually, nonchalantly, like she was looking for the house of a friend, and then she saw them.� They were pulling out of the gated driveway in a Mercedes convertible with the top down.� Delilah held her breath as they drove past her.� She got a good clear look at both of them.� Elise had her hair up in a pony tail and was wearing no make-up, but she was beautiful none the less;� Samuel with his black hair waving in the wind.� The stark contrast between their colorings took Delilah�s breath away.

� After they had cleared the end of the block, Delilah turned the car around and made the decision right there and then to go through with it.� She drove home, fished the letter out of the trash, rewrote it on nicer paper, and sat there starting at her communiqu�.� �OK�� she thought.� �You got past THAT part.� Now you have to get it to the mailbox.�� She continued to sit, thinking the worst then thought, �Fuck it.� Just fuck it.� If they show up, they show up.� If not, you have nothing to lose.� And even if they do show up, which I doubt they will, you absolutely have no obligation to go through with anything.�� Her letter was promptly mailed that afternoon.�

� All week long she had trouble concentrating.� She even quit her job search and wrote it off as a half assed attempt to alleviate her sexual frustration by finding something else stressful to occupy her time.� Besides, if she really wanted to, she could always apply for grants and be sponsored by a university to do some research.� She didn�t really need the money.

� When the big day finally arrived, she was nervous.� She wasn�t going to lie to herself, she was going to meet two total strangers who may or may not want her as a sex plaything or some other dastardly doing.� Was she crazy?� No, and meeting them in a public place WAS the right thing to do.� She decided that she would get a facial and buy a new dress just to make herself feel better and relax a little.� She tried to eat dinner but it just wasn�t working for her.� She arrived at Jumping Java right around 10 minutes after 7 and was going to order a double espresso but opted for a decaf caf� latte instead.� She figured her nerves couldn�t handle the caffeine.� She found a secluded table at the back of the room near the readers� corner and established planted her bum right on the fluffiest chair she could find.� She had a clear sightline to the front door and could see everyone who came and went.�

� Seven-thirty arrived.�

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