On a 7-9, Shasta offers you another trade

You park a little bit to the side of Mary Forbes' double-wide trailer and give Shasta a look.

"Hey, now that I know what I was getting into," you tell Shasta. "Can I get a bonus kiss?"

Shasta laughs. "Now you know what I have to go through in this town," she says. "Hmm, a bonus kiss? How about you do me another favor."

"This gonna be like the last one?" you ask.

"Aw, c'mon, Tom, that wasn't so bad," she says. "You got to be my knight in shining armor."

You laugh. "And you were the princess with her head ducked down getting out of town. So what is it?"

Shasta has a devilish smile on her face. "Let me run Dad's beer in and I'll come back and tell you," she says.

Shasta comes back out lugging two big mesh sacks.

"Washer's busted. Wanna be my date to go out and do laundry?" Shasta says, puckering her lips to make a kissy-kissy face.

"Aw, heck, sure," you say.

Shasta leans over the driver's door and gives you a kiss. Her lips are a little softer this time, and she holds it longer. You feel your heart thump and your ears warm with blood. You start kissing back. She parts her lips and...pulls back as the door opens.

"Shasta!" her sister calls. "Could you do the towels too?"

Shasta runs up to get another laundry bag.

"So where should we go, I mean, did you want to go back to town with me to the laundromat? After you had me cover for you in the drugstore?" you ask.

"I know where to go," Shasta says.

She's got that look in her eye again.