“Oh.. just startled, I guess but he was interested, wasn't he! Hmmmm..." Paulette replied with a smile.

"Eat your bacon and forget you're a pin-up type." I told her.

*

Several days went by, casually and comfortably enough. Paulette used my name to charge some really-her-own clothes for herself. She moved into the guest-room where she could hang her things, have her own boudoir. She soon found, other than the usual lecherous stares, she was quite happy when tradesmen came in. Paulette (and I, too, I confess) tasted high adventure on various firsts.

The first time out on the street at night-then the first daytime foray. The first wolf to slow his car and whistle at her- -she was holding her clutch-coat too tight plus letting her hips respond too much to her movement. Things any just-growing girl must learn to avoid. Her first face-to-face purchase of nylons and groceries at the super-market. Her multiple joyous firsts were like growing up into womanhood again for me. Don't know who loved it most.

The real, first moment-of-truth occurred, however, when Paul's sister returned from a trip which she'd had to leave on the day after she'd wished her brother on me. I was brought down to the enormity of our adventure when Meg asked, "How's my Hippie brother doing?"

I confess I blurted out "What Hippie brother!" I'd forgotten how Paulette had started out!

"Oh Meg-Meg, it's too complicated by phone. We've solved some problems and you must come right over to see how far we've got. No . . . no. Can't explain now. You gotta see to believe." I left a frustrated Meg at the other end to see if my Paulette was perfectly herself.

She was wearing a zany-colored "Hippie frock" she'd bought at I. Magnin's. It seemed to hang dangerously from the tips of her high breasts, and to expose dangerously (to my square mind), seemingly end- less net-hosed legs. A girl couldn't be more feminine if nude! I decided not to arouse her anxiety about her sister's coming.

Meg flew in, asking first (as I expected) about her fur coat . . . then about her brother. Paulette, with just a primary flicker of surprise,

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