e, Martha ran out of comment on her book and then
there fell a deadly silence because James couldn't dredge up another
lively subject. Desperately, he searched through his mind for an opening.
There was none. The bright patter between male and female characters in
books he'd smuggled started off on too high a level on both sides. Books
that were written adequately for his understanding of this problem signed
off with the trite explanation that they lived happily ever afterwards
but did not say a darned thing about how they went about it. The slightly
lurid books that he'd bought, delivered in plain wrappers, gave some very
illuminating descriptions of the art or act, but the affair opened with
the scene all set and the principal characters both ready, willing, and
able. There was no conversational road map that showed the way that led
two people from a calm and unemotional discussion into an area that might
lead to something entirely else.

In silence, James Holden sat there sinking deeper and deeper into his own
misery.

The more he thought about it, the farther he found himself from his
desire. Later in the process, he knew, came a big barrier called
"stealing a kiss," and James with his literal mind provided this game
with an aggressor, a defender, and the final extraction by coercion or
violence of the first osculatory contact. If the objective could be
carried off without the defense repulsing the advance, the rest was
supposed to come with less trouble. But here he was floundering before he
began, let alone approaching the barrier that must be an even bigger
problem.

Briefly he wished that it were Christmas, because at Christmas people
hung up mistletoe. Mistletoe would not only provide an opening by
custom and tradition, it also cut through this verbal morass of trying
to lead up to the subject by the quick process of supplying the subject
itself. But it was a long time before Christmas. James abandoned that
ill-conceived idea and went on sinking deep and feeling miserable.

Then Martha's mother took James out of his misery by coming in to
announce dinner. Regretfully, James sighed for his lost moments and
helplessness, then got to his feet and held out a hand for Martha.

She put her hand in his and allowed him to lift her to her feet by
pulling. The first contact did not stir him at all, though it was warm
and pleasant. Once the pulling pressure was off, he continued to hold
Martha's hand, tentatively and