Are you what is called a lucky man? Well, you are sad every day. Each day has its great grief or its little care. Yesterday you were trembling for the health of one who is dear to you, today you fear for your own; tomorrow it will be an anxiety about money, the next day the slanders of a calumniator, the day after the misfortune of a friend; then the weather, then something broken or lost, then a pleasure for which you are reproached by your conscience or your vertebral column; another time, the course of public affairs. Not to mention heartaches. And so on. One cloud is dissipated, another gathers. Hardly one day in a hundred of unbroken joy and sunshine. And you are of that small number who are lucky! As for other men, stagnant night is upon them.

Before she could ponder what on earth he meant or come up with a proper response, he took their charade a step further.He kissed her.

How old are you?___ld enough to know better, but still young enough to do it again.

I don__ want to go home yet._ He twisted at the waist and patted the seat behind him. __ake a walk on the wild side with me.

Doubt filled her eyes. __hat are we betting for, anyway?__e hadn__ thought about that, but it took his brain all of three seconds to come up with an answer. He knew damn well what he wanted from her. Had for years.__ kiss._ The words slipped from his lips before he could stop them, but once out, he didn__ want to take them back. __ne kiss after you come back and see she__ all right.

You're gonna have to hold on tight, because this rodeo is just getting started.