The Final Detail - By Harlan Coben Page 0,38

threw her head back and laughed. Myron looked for an Adam's apple. She had a black ribbon tied around the neck. Made it hard to tell. The laugh was a touch hoarse, but oh, come on now. This couldn't be a guy. Not with that cleavage. Not when the catsuit was so tight about the, er, nether region, if you catch the drift.

"What's the difference?" Thrill asked.

"Pardon?"

"You find me attractive, don't you?"

"What I see."

"So?"

Myron raised his hands. "So-and let me just state this plainly-if, during a moment of passion, there is a second penis in the room... well, it definitely kills the mood for me."

She laughed. "No other penises, eh?"

"That's right. Just mine. I'm funny that way."

"Are you familiar with Woody Allen?" she asked.

"Of course."

"Then let me quote him." Myron stayed still. Thrill was about to quote the Woodman. If she was a she, Myron was close to proposing. " 'Sex is a beautiful thing between two people. Between five it's fantastic' "

"Nice quote," Myron said.

"Do you know what it's from?"

"His old nightclub act. When Woody did stand-up comedy in the sixties."

Thrill nodded, pleased that the pupil had passed the test.

"But we're not talking group sex here," Myron said.

"Have you ever had group sex?" she asked.

"Well, uh, no."

"But if you did-if there were, say, five people- would it be a problem if one of them had a penis?"

"We're talking hypothetically here, right?"

"Unless you want me to call some friends."

"No, that's okay, really, thanks." Myron took a deep breath. "Yeah, okay, hypothetically, I guess it wouldn't be a huge problem, as long as the man kept his distance."

Thrill nodded. "But if I had a penis-"

"A major mood killer."

"I see." Thrill made small circles on Myron's thigh. "Admit you're curious."

"I am."

"So?"

"So I'm also curious about what goes through a person's mind when he jumps out of a skyscraper. Before he goes splat on the sidewalk."

She arched an eyebrow. "It's probably a hell of a rush."

"Yeah, but then there's that splat at the end."

"And in this case..."

"The splat would be a penis, yes."

"Interesting," Thrill said. "Suppose I'm a transsexual."

"Pardon?"

"Suppose I had a penis, but now it's gone. You'd be safe, right?"

"Wrong."

"Why?"

"Phantom penis," Myron said.

"Pardon?"

"Like in a war when a guy loses his limb and still thinks it's there. Phantom penis."

"But it's not your penis that would be missing."

"Still. Phantom penis."

"But that doesn't make any sense."

"Exactly."

Thrill showed him nice, even white teeth. Myron looked at them. Can't tell much about gender from teeth. Better to check the cleavage again. "You realize that you're massively insecure about your sexuality," she said.

"Because I like to know if a potential partner has a penis?"

"A real man wouldn't worry about being thought of as a fag."

"It's not what people think that bothers me."

"It's just the penis issue," she finished for him.

"Bingo."

"I still say you're sexually insecure."

Myron shrugged, palms raised. "Who isn't?"

"True." She shifted her rear. Vinyl on vinyl. Grrrr sound. "So why don't you ask me out on a date?"

"I think we just went over this."

"You find me attractive, right? What you see, I mean."

"Yes."

"And we're having a nice talk?"

"Yes."

"You find me interesting? Fun to be with?"

"Yes and yes."

"And you're single and unattached?"

He swallowed. "Two more yesses."

"So?"

"So-and again, don't take this personally-"

"But it's that penis thing again."

"Bingo."

Thrill leaned back, fiddled with the neckline zipper, pulled it up a bit. "Hey, it's a first date. We don't have to end up naked."

Myron thought about that. "Oh."

"You sound surprised."

"No... I mean-"

"Maybe I'm not that easy."

"My mistake for presuming... I mean, you're hanging out in this bar."

"So?"

"So I didn't think most of the patrons in here played hard to get. To quote Woody Allen, 'How did I misread those signs?' "

Thrill didn't hesitate. "Play It Again, Sam."

"If you are a woman," Myron said, "I may be falling in love."

"Thank you. And if we're reading signs from being in this bar, what are you doing here? You with your penis issue."

"Good point."

"So?"

"So what?"

"So why don't you ask me out?" Again with the smolder. "We could hold hands. Maybe kiss. You might even sneak a hand under my shirt, go for a little second base. The way you've been ogling, it's almost like you're there anyway."

"I'm not ogling," Myron said.

"No?"

"If I've been looking-and note I said if- it would be purely for the sake of gender clarification, I assure you."

"Thanks for straightening that out. But my point is, we can just go and have dinner. Or go to a movie. We don't have to have any genital contact."

Myron shook his head. "I'd still