Ray unlocked the front door and expected to find Maggie in the kitchen, but instead found a note stuck to the refrigerator informing him that she was going out with some friends at work and wouldn't be home until around ten. He poured himself a glass of wine and walked through the house. He glanced at the computer as he passed the spare bedroom and wondered if perhaps Dreamer might be on. Besides, he needed to send an email to his brother in Kansas. It had been over a month since he had heard from him. Ray was just getting ready to click on the "send" button when he heard the little "chimes" sound and an IM box popped up. He was surprised at the jolt he felt in his chest at the sound.

"Heah, Good Lookin' Are you counting your pennies again?"

"Not this time. I was writing a letter to my brother."

"Now that's better use of your time. I knew you were a writer. How many brothers do you have?"

"I have a brother and a sister. How about you?"

"Oh, I have many brothers and sisters. *smile*"

"I like the way you keep *smiling* Bet you have a beautiful smile."

"Thanks. I like your smile too. By the way, what is your middle name?"

"Ray."

"*smile* Then what is your first name?"

"Ah, my Dear, my beloved father is a preacher and bestowed upon all of his children a Biblical namesake. Wanna try and discern mine?"

"Hmmm...how about Moses...or Nebuchadnezzar? Actually, you would make a good David, I think...poetic and passionate."

"LOL. My father in all of his hypocritical piety had hoped that I would walk in the sacred path of Samuel, although I do hear voices in the night sometimes when I drink too much red wine."

"Samuel Ray...Sammy Ray...Sambo?"

"Anything you want to call me lady. Actually, the name "Peter" would have been much more fitting, considering where my heart is."

"*grin* Fishing?"

"Not exactly..."

Ray got caught up in the bantering and flirting and found it easy to open up and talk about things he hadn't spoken of in years. He told her of his confusing childhood and rebellious teen years. They talked about authors they enjoyed, and which ones he would like to write like. He was fascinated by this mysterious woman who seemed to know things about him that he hadn't told anyone. They had just begun discussing Maggie and his concern over their lack of communication lately when he heard the garage door open and jumped like he had been caught in bed with another woman. He told Dreamer that he had to go and quickly opened some documents, conscious of his erection beneath the desk.

After Maggie went to bed, Ray walked outside to the patio and sat staring into the darkness, wondering where Dreamer was at that moment. A soft breeze moved through the night, sending a shiver through his soul. He was confused about the feelings she had stirred in him. He closed the door and quietly got into bed beside Maggie. She didn't pull back from his touch. He lay cuddled against her back and tried to make sense of it all, wishing he could somehow break down the barriers that separated them.

The next day everything at the store seemed to go wrong. There were wrong shipments, disgruntled workers, and the retail manager's worst nightmare: hundreds of devout housewives with their purses full of coupons. Luckily he spotted Nat before she saw him, and was able to avoid her. It had been a couple of months since he had visited her. It was humiliating to him now to know that he had gotten so lonely that he had actually paid a woman to sleep with him. He didn't want to deal with her right now.

In the midst of the chaos, Ray was surprised to see Freddy staggering into a customer and starting trouble with some fat-ass dude. He looked like he hadn't slept all night and was a little drunk.

"Man, you look like hell!" he told him.

Freddy explained what had happened at the gas station the day before and Ray told him what he had said to the owner. Freddy grinned at that and started spouting off about his loathing of money-hungry tyrants. He began preaching anti-establishment, anti-pollution and anti-greed. Ray's response left him speechless, when he said, "Man, you might be right about a lot of that."

Freddy agreed to leave and sleep it off after Ray agreed to meet him somewhere private so they could talk. He had the next two days off and agreed to meet him Thursday down at the dunes on Tybee Island.

"Hey, you need anything, Man? Have you had lunch?" he asked as Freddy started to leave.

"I'm okay for now. Thanks anyway. I'll see ya Thursday."

Ray didn't get a chance to sign on to the computer that night. Before they fell asleep Ray asked Maggie if she would like to drive out to the River's Edge Restaurant, one of their favorite places, for dinner the next night. "We have both been too busy lately, Maggie. We never talk to each other anymore. Let's just take some time for us, okay?"

"Yeah, that would be nice. We really do need to talk about some things."

"Okay, we haven't been on a real date in months. Let's just leave work and obligations behind and have fun again."

He reached for Maggie and tried to pull her close to him, but she patted his arm and turned her back to him. "Let's get some sleep. I'm so tired. We'll party tomorrow night," she said.