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from ever going back there.
"The zoo!" Justin snapped his fingers. "Now
there's an idea. Since the sun is shining for what
seems to be the first time in weeks, let's take
advantage of it, Stacey. Let's go to the National
Zoo. I think I'm the only person in the D.C. area
who hasn't seen the pandas."
"You haven't seen the pandas?" She pretended
to be shocked. "After years of reading about the
intimate details of their life together on the front
pages of the Post, no less you still haven't seen
them?"
"Remiss of me, I know. Shall we rectify the
situation?"
She plunked herself down on his lap and pre-
tended to adjust the lapels of his white toweling
robe. "Can we rectify it a little later?" She nibbled
delicately on the hard, tanned column of his neck.
When Justin rose to his feet, swinging her high
against his chest, she shivered with delicious
anticipation. "Insatiable little wench." He smiled
down at her with loving amusement as he carried
her into the bedroom.
"It's all your fault, you know," she accused ten-
derly, slipping the robe from his shoulders. "You've
gotten me addicted to you."
He kissed her, long and lingeringly. "I love you,
Stacey."
Her heart somersaulted in her chest. "And I love
you, Justin." If only love were enough. The bleak
thought slipped past the protective walls in her
mind. But it wasn't, not for them, and sometime
soon she was going to have to deal with it. But not
now. Stacey gave herself completely to their
lovemaking, which was as sublime as ever, and
succeeded in keeping all thoughts of the future
firmly at bay.
It was a sunny, crisp November day and Justin
and Stacey shared the National Zoo with the inevi-
table tourists and several busloads of school-
children. Justin wore his new loafers, his tan
cords, yellow shirt, and tan sweater. He looked
wonderful and Stacey couldn't keep her eyes from
him. She had located the laundry room in Justin's
building and was thus wearing Brynn's red-and-
black ensemble again.
They stood at a railing overlooking the pandas'
outdoor living area and were soon laughing at the
animals' complete lack of antics. One panda
snoozed in the sun and didn't move a muscle. Far
away from its mate, the other one sat on a rock,
equally still. When the panda on the rock turned its
head slightly after twenty-five motionless minutes,
Justin applauded. "Now that was worth waiting
for!"
Stacey grinned. "It's another hour and a half till
their feeding time. Do you feel like staying to
watch?"
"I'm sure that the sight of Hsing-Hsing munch-
ing on a carrot is one of life's great moments, but
would you mind if we missed it?"
She shook her head, laughing. Justin took her
hand, lacing his fingers with hers, and they
walked to the nearby souvenir stand, which was
filled with panda memorabilia.
"I think we should buy a memento of this visit,
Stacey. What would you like? A panda shirt? A
panda watch? Panda salt and pepper shakers?"
She eyed the merchandise. "How about none of
the above?"
"Oh, I see. You want something a little more
practical." And before she could stop him, he
bought her a three-foot-high stuffed panda with a
bright blue ribbon around its neck.
"You're crazy!" she cried as he dumped the over-
sized animal into her arms.
"I'm crazy about you," he corrected her and
kissed her right in front of the panda souvenir
stand as a giggling group of elementary school-
children trooped past them.
They spent the rest of the afternoon back in
Justin's apartment, in bed, making love, talking
lazily, and making love again. When the phone
rang at six-thirty, they were both asleep, having
earlier drifted into a deep and sated slumber.
Justin answered the phone. "Marks here." His
voice was drowsily husky, nothing at all like his
usual sharp stacatto bark, Stacey noted with a
sleepy smile of amusement. He handed her the
receiver. "It's Brynn."
"Hi, Brynnie." Stacey snuggled against Justin,
running her hand along the hard angles of his
body with possessive satisfaction.
"Just checking in from the Planet Earth, Stace."
Brynn's voice was dry. "I know you two lovers are
lost in some galaxy of your own, but there are a few
practical details here in the real world we've got to
iron out."
Stacey's lips quirked. "Such as?"
"Such as what to tell the people who keep calling
you here at our apartment. Your mother has called
four times, various friends have called and worst
of all that odious insect Cord Marshall called. I've
been telling them that you're out shopping, but I
don't think your mother believed me the last time,
Stace."
Stacey's hand stilled and she came abruptly,
unpleasantly awake from her blissful dream world.
The idyll was over. "I'll be back tonight, Brynn,"
she said in a tight little voice.
"No!" Justin protested. He lifted her hand to his
mouth and pressed his lips against her palm.
"Stay with me tonight, Stacey."
"I I I'll cook dinner here and then come back,"
Stacey stammered into the phone. Her gaze locked
with Justin's and she felt the forceful pull of his
magnetism. His eyes were glittering like brilliant
obsidian jewels. There had always been a tautness
about Justin Marks, something akin to a coiled
spring on the verge of being sprung. Before, he had
always directed that tense energy into his work.
But for the past two days, she had been the focus of
his attentive intensity, and Stacey didn't want to
give it up. She felt so close to him now, closer than
she'd ever felt to anyone, even Brynn, for there was
an intimacy between her and Justin that went
beyond what friendship could provide. It went
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