Call Ashok, that bad boy.

Keith and Ginny stood at the bottom of the stairs with their stranded guests Sanjay and Anjali, all dressed in bathing suits for the hot tub. Anjali's pregnant belly hung over the bottom of her two-piece aqua-blue suit.

"You said you wanted to let Ashok know you were okay?" Keith said. "Did you want to try calling him at Cave Springs?"

"Yes very much, thank you," Sanjay said. "Do you think the roads will be open tomorrow?"

"I'm sure we can get you back down to the main highway tomorrow, but I'm afraid this is it for Garnet Pass till next year," Keith said. "You'll have to loop around. Not too bad, you can make Cave Springs by mid-afternoon. Let me set up the phone for you."

"I'll check the water and make sure it isn't too hot," Ginny said, eyeing Anjali's pregnant belly.

"No, stay," Anjali said. "If the pass will be closed, maybe you could come along with us to Cave Springs tomorrow."

Sanjay and Anjali followed Keith and Ginny into a side room where the radiophone was set up. After a minute of tuning and fiddling, Keith patched a line through to the Cave Springs resort where Ashok expected to meet them tonight.

"Let me put this on speaker for both of you," Keith said. "You don't want these nasty old headphones." He punched another button. There was a crackle, then a ring. "And when you're done, this one turns it off," Keith concluded.

The automated switchboard answered, and Keith showed Sanjay how to punch in Ashok's room number. Again a ring. "Hello? Who's this?" an accented tenor voice asked.

"Ashok!" Anjali called. "Sanjay and I are here. We got stuck and cannot make it tonight. We're here with..."

"You're stuck?" Ashok asked. "How is the truck?"

"Ashok, you are a monster!" Anjali said. "You and your truck!" She laughed. "Your truck is just fine, it was stuck when the pass snowed up. We will get it pulled out and drive it round the long way tomorrow. Maybe we will bring..."

"Very well then," Ashok said. "Are you all right?"

"Yes we are fine," Sanjay said.

"Yes of course!" Anjali said. "Now that you decide to ask. We are staying over at the highway rescue station tonight. More like a nice cabin. We are going to have a nice bath in their hot tub. And they said they might..."

"Ah. I will miss you tonight. I was hoping we could scandalize the regulars. They all seem to be swinger and exhibitionist couples, quite straight and vanilla, and a few lonely fellows like me. Mostly pasty white Americans. The White Whale in winter," Ashok said. "When they see us, they will pester us with questions on tantra and the Kama Sutra."

Anjali laughed. She glanced at Keith, a little embarrassed. "Ashok, we're not al..." she began.

Ashok continued. "I will take you both to the steam grotto. When I start by fucking you, my beautiful pregnant maharani, that will draw smiles. When Sanjay takes a turn, that should turn some heads. Then when I bugger Sanjay, that will make the night quite exciting. Especially if I make him come in you while I spear his bum. Or should I make him spray his seed all over your pretty buttocks?"

"Ashok, you are a naughty boy!" Anjali said.

Keith couldn't help smiling at Anjali, amused by how she said it.

Ashok said, "How is my little baby cuckoo doing? I hope she is not kicking her sister too hard."

"Ashok, you are horrible," Anjali said. "The twins are not kicking yet."

Ginny smiled. Though Anjali was scolding Ashok loudly, her tone of voice was affectionate and she was smiling toward the radiophone.

"Tell her to settle down or her daddy will give her a poke," Ashok said.

"Stop joking about the twins," Anjali said. "You are horrible!"

"But it must be true," Ashok said. "Sanjay and I both had you twice on your wedding night. By rights one must be mine."

"Well Ashok," Anjali said. "I was going to tell you that I wanted to invite the highway rescue people to come to Cave Springs. A beautiful tall black man and his little blonde wife. So polite and hospitable. They have been to Cave Springs in winter before and enjoyed it. But they are a very nice couple and they would never want to meet a rude boy like you."

Keith cocked his head, shrugged and gave a half smile, indicating Ashok's big talk didn't annoy him. He looked at Sanjay, but the Indian man seemed undisturbed by Ashok's loose talk.

Ginny put a hand over her mouth to stifle a little giggle. She spread her hands, shrugged and smiled.

"Oh dear. It's always good to meet nice new people, and I'm afraid I've made a complete mess of it for you," Ashok said with exaggerated politeness.

Keith and Ginny smiled and nodded.

"Well," Anjali said. "I will try my best to convince them, but don't expect anything."

"I am glad to know you both are all right," Ashok said. "Will I see my t... Will I see you tomorrow?"

"You will see us and your truck tomorrow," Anjali said. "Good night, Ashok."

"Good night, Ashok," Sanjay said.

"Good night," Ashok said.

Sanjay broke the connection, and Keith went about putting the radiophone back in order.

"Well now," Keith said in his low voice. "Quite a friend you have there."

"Ashok," Anjali said. "I cannot help myself, he is such a charming devil. But so rude, and always the roaming eye," she said. "But I will be glad to see him again."

"Did you really want us to come with you to Cave Springs?" Ginny asked.

"Why yes of course!" Anjali said. "I would love you to come."

"Yes, certainly," Sanjay said. "We would be pleased to treat you to thank you for saving us. Maybe our lives."

"Shucks, it's just our job," Keith said. "We couldn't just..."

Ginny kicked the side of his foot lightly.

"Okay, I'm overruled," Keith said. "We'd be happy to go with you tomorrow, assuming they close the pass for the year like I think. We'll know tomorrow morning."

"To be fair," Ginny said. "Maybe we could tell you about our time at Cave Springs. Should we adjourn to the hot tub?"

"After you, ladies," Keith said.

"And I can tell you about me and Ashok last winter, maybe," Anjali said.

"I wouldn't mind just soaking quietly," Keith said. "But I'd be happy to talk about my favorite hot spring hotel."