Gruen said. “Where you were, I don’t know. This was thirty minutes ago.” Ned said, “I was indisposed. Go ahead.” Gruen said, “Well, this happened. Outside the kitchen there’s a deck and a hatch and stairs that lead down to another deck. On the lower one you’re out of sight and private and you can enjoy the sound of the creeks the livelong day. So there Iva was on a bench and looking very shaky to me. I asked if she was all right and she stood up and asked if I was a smoker by any chance. “Well I am, I hate to admit. I’m way cut down, but I am. I said something about this being a time when you can be forgiven if you take a drag or two. And I told her, which was the truth, that I didn’t have any smokes on me. “So she said Here, I’ll give you one. I only have two. We’ll share. We’ll split and later you’ll get a pack for me when you go to the store next. Oh, and Marlboro is what I prefer but it doesn’t matter. “And she took a lighter out of her pants pocket and then right in front of me she pushes her hand into her cleavage and comes out with two Marlboros and gives me one.
