Jim! Please! I've only started to--"

I swung around at him and threw his hand off, panic making my actions
loose. Then I saw his spaniel eyes, sad, pleading. I glowered at him and
ran my hand through my hair. Looking back at the pint-sized beauty I
socked my fist into my hand and stalked back to the drawing desk. I
reached out for her. She squeaked and cowered away.

Willy let out a holler that just about scared the pants off both of us,
and was tugging at my arm again.

"I just want to _touch_ her," I roared. "I won't kill her."

"You touch her like that and you _will_ kill her," Willy cried. "Sit
down, will you? Listen to me--"

"If I can feel her with my hands," I said, still whoozy but cooling
down, "I'll believe she's there. Otherwise I go home and sleep it off."
I rubbed my forehead. "This kind of stuff isn't for me, kid. You keep
your bloody mirages--"

"Please, Jim."

* * * * *

I scowled and dropped into the chair. Willy fumbled for his cigarettes
and offered one to me and then in his nervousness proffered one to the
redhead, who had held her palms pressed to her ears while we shouted at
each other. Red shook her head, smiling. Willy chuckled his
embarrassment and sat down in the other chair. We were both facing the
desk but I couldn't bring myself to look at the girl.

Suddenly she leapt from the desk and was standing in my lap. While I
groaned and held my breath she stretched her arm out.

"You may touch me, if it will make you feel better."

I glanced at Willy, who nodded, and touched the point of my finger to
her palm. She was there all right. I drew my hand away quickly, and she
laughed. It sounded precisely like the voice of a full-length girl
coming from another room. I studied her with my chin resting on my fist,
and saw that she was indeed a beautiful creature. Full-size, she'd be a
knockout; I'd be falling, as the saying goes, all over her. But a foot
high!

Then I remembered that Willy had sketched her. She was a drawing.
Tri-dimensional, but nonetheless a figment of Willy's imagination. Yet
she was solid. I was getting confused again, trying to tie it, so to
fend off a return of the shakes I forced another blank into my mind. It
was easier, this time. The whole thing was so ridiculous it was
intriguing.

"Who is she, Willy?" I asked. It was easier to talk to him.

"Like I told you. Red. My dream girl."

I looked at him. "Yeah. M-hmm." I looked down