The Greatest Lie Part 17

I was happy for my friend's happiness, but I couldn't share it. I was neglecting too many problems of my own during this forced sabbatical. "Don't let me ruin your meal. Enjoy your first days in the West. I suppose we both lost weight on our trek through the Thai mountains," I finished off, by way of conciliation.

Nancee pointed to a slice of butter cream torte that had collapsed to the platter when she her piece. "You must try this. It's the best thing I've ever eaten."

I gave her a skeptical look, and she said "I mean food, not cock. Try it." She licked a stray bit of cream from her exquisitely curved upper lip. "Mmm, better than cum."

I shook my head. "I'm too worried to eat. It's been hours since I called L.A., and I still haven't heard anything." Moments later, a nurse tapped a cell phone on the window and wordlessly put it into the air lock. It was a call from my mother.

"Oh darling, we hadn't heard from you for days, and when we called that horrible school you chose there, they told us that you and Tran had been expelled. What are you doing in Switzerland? Will you visit your father?"

"I'm locked up for ten days of quarantine at his institute here in Lucerne. I got exposed to SARS in Thailand. Actually, I'm expecting him at any minute." I looked up as a masked, white suited figure strode past the glassy walls of the isolation ward

"SARS? Oh dear, that's terrible."

"I'm sure Father won't let me die. He wouldn't want to miss the chance to torment me more."

"Oh, darling, don't be silly. Do try to patch things up with him. You have far more in common with one another than either of you would care to admit."

"I'll quote you on that. How are Alyssa and Marta?"

"Oh dear, that hasn't worked out as well as we had hoped. I mean, Marta and the baby are wonderful, but we've had such a time with the nannies. I think they are stealing," she whispered.