Excerpt: Other Places

"My masculine side took over, there was nothing I could do, I recognized the stirrings instantly. And I was not alone. She placed us all under arrest before she read us our rights. Short, classic cocktail dress, black, linen, straight, elegant lines. Understated pearl necklace, black pumps, not too high on the heels. Draped casually but meticulously over her shoulders a pashmina, probably silk, I want to guess a soft taffeta, because only taffeta has that you-can-see-me-from-a-distance sheen. It collected the ambient light and magically reflected it back into the room to put us all under her spell. Her energy, quiet, calm and magnetic, had the same effect on all of us, I am sure. We would have flung ourselves immediately in front of hurtling boxcars, or anything,only to get her attention. Not to mention under her dress."