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Pandy stood up and laughed “Did the hat give me away?”

SondraBeth dropped her pose and smiled “Maybe” The herons, startled by the s and sped across the water like two small, shiny jets

“Beautiful,” Pandy murmured

“Aren’t they?” SondraBeth leaned over and splashed her face ater She slicked back her hair and looked at Pandy “Are you co in? The water’s fine”

“Sure,” Pandy said in surprise She removed her shorts and took a step toward the water SondraBeth shook her head and laughed

“You have to be naked, too Otherwise it’s not fair”

“Oh” Pandy considered her request Normally, Pandy did not do naked, especially in front of other wo rooure out howto look around and wanting to act like it wasn’t any big deal She aded to be like therained self-conscious embarrassment at her body’s flaays prevented her SondraBeth was apparently free of such mundane concerns, but on the other hand, she actually did have a perfect body—or once had, anyway, before she became so thin And she had certainly performed her share of sex scenes, albeit tasteful ones, in front of the camera Pandy supposed that after a while you became desensitized, like all those topless sunbathers in France

What the hell, she thought, unfastening her bikini top and sliding out of the bottom She carefully folded the pieces into little squares and wrapped theht breeze tickled the fine hairs on her arer had any reason not to own her nakedness She strode confidently into the water

The botto in a bowl of oathed and raised her arly “Cool, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Pandy said

“You can walk forfarther out

“A,” Pandy murmured as she followed her

“You’re a, too,” SondraBeth said “Think about what you created An entire world came out of your head Think of all the people who benefited”

The sun and the warm air were like a dozy lullaby

“I don’t ever want you to think that I don’t appreciate what you’ve done for me,” SondraBeth said