(As you may well have noted, much of the trouble I got into in those days was of my own making.) The tavern where I stopped looked ordinary enough to ...me, but I was greeted with stares and mumbling in the smoky room when I ordered a tin of beer and a meat pasty. "What's the problem?" I asked the superannuated inn-keeper."Yer 'at," he said, pointing at the non-descript thing I had pulled down over my ears. "Where's yer cockade, then?"When I continued to look stupid, he jerked his thumb toward the. "Danny?" What?" it came out almost as a growl and I regretted it instantly."Sorry Jen" I forced a smile and laid my hand on her leg, "What is it sweetheart?" Thank you" No need for thanks Jen, I regret hitting him though" What was said that made you snap like that?" Nothing really, it was just the way he said it, like you were some kind of tramp or something!" Tell me Danny" she put her hand on mine,"He just gave me the tape and said, "Here, this is what your fucking sister's really like" and. She steadies me, left hand on my shoulder, the hard points of her nails digging into the skin.In the mirror, her right arm is draped over my shoulder. A finger caresses my cheek and then it is gone.The sensation returns and now I understand.She is tracing the tip of her finger along the first of the stripes she has drawn on my back, a delicate arousal of inflamed nerve ends and tender skin that has me quiver and tremble with its cruel sensuality.Her eyes hard and bright in the mirror, her gaze. He generally walked around wearing fancy earphones and a mean look.I was in the Richmond Braves' sunny outfield shagging flies when Buzzy Harder whistled shrilly and waved me in. He stood near the batting cage looking morose. "How you doing?" he asked when I approached him with sweat dripping off my nose."I'm all right," I said, wishing my knees would stop aching. "Feel pretty good." You're startin' today," he said. "That Powers kid, the one with them funny glasses, he fell up the dugout steps.