The weekend after that argument, Sam arrived at Valerie’s after dark on Friday. There was a single light on in her apartment, but no sign of Valerie. Sam gathered her bag and went up the darkened stairway to the door, which was unlocked. Inside, she found Valerie asleep on the bed on top of the bedspread.
Sam set her bag down and crept up to kiss her lover on the forehead. Valerie woke with a start and then grabbed Sam roughly, pulling her onto the bed.
An hour or so later, Sam and Valerie lay naked in the bed, legs entwined. For Sam, these moments still felt magical—a huge contrast to the experience she had on the now rare times she had s*x with Barry. She sighed contentedly.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Sam was startled out of her reverie, but Valerie seemed to take it as
