A bottle of wine.

One the informal glass dining table was an empty glass and an open, gigantic bottle of brightly colored red wine with a few glasses missing.

"Try the wine!", her step-mother insisted.

"But I'm not supposed to, my probation."

"Oh, honey, I been on probation lots of times, they won't know, and I won't rat you out-girl scout's honor!", and she held up a salute as she expertly poured the wine to the brim.

Margaret had always been a light-weight, and it didn't take long to loosen her tongue.

"I never do anything like that, normally, really. I don't know what came over me."

"Did you really think you were still wearing your thong?"

"I never would have done the dance if I knew I wasn't wearing my thong!"

"So what tipped you off?"

"When the sprinklers hit my bare pussy!"

Margaret was getting turned on from reliving these experiences. She had had to before, several times, but never like this.

She was already flushed from the wine, and this just made her warmer. She slipped off her sweater to reveal a smartly tailored blouse, which she unbuttoned to midchest.

"You think they'll let me back in school?", she looked plaintively at her step-mother.

"I'll personally make sure of it. I'll have you know, our name still throws a Helluva lotta weight around here. But...do you really want to?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, this is the first year of your probation, and I really wanted to get to know you. I haven't even seen you in 8 years! Ever since your father-well, she changed the subject-Don't you get tired of school? I mean, I know you're a Queen Egghead, but don't you ever just get tired of it, sometimes?"

"Yeah, but my master's is so important to me."

"But it never gets tiring? I mean, you been in school, what? 20 years? If you done a **** you'd a been out by now!"

"Well, some of it is boring, and the professors are daft, sometimes. All the students are obnoxious and rude. And I've felt like I've had quite enough."

"Then take a year off, it'll let this little situation die down, too, give it time."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Do you think the school will allow me back?"

"Oh, I'm sure of it, she slurred, I took the liberty and spoke with them personally."

In fact, the University had warned that a general hearing had been called, and that if Margaret didn't attend she would forfeit all her credits earned at the institution thus far. The hearing was Wednesday.

Too bad the letter had been sent to her new address, her stepmother's.