If you don't like sex stories, don't read it.

If you are below the arbitrary age set for your area, don't read it.

If for any reason it is illegal for you to read this story, don't read it.

This story may not be reproduced in any form for profit without the written permission of the author. This story may be freely distributed with this notice attached. The author may be contacted at 'MyStores at normdeploom dot com'

The Blushing Bride

By

Norm DePloom

artha thought God had answered her deepest prayer, most of her friends were already married. Some of them had children. Martha felt more and more isolated from her community, every day that passed without a man in her life seemed like a curse. Then Frank appeared. He seemed to be everything she ever wanted in a man. He was good looking. He was serious, but could still make her laugh when he teased her. Most of all, he wanted her. How glorious it made her feel to be wanted. The wedding had been grand, and now, now she was setting next to her husband in a first class seat on her way to Hawaii. How could life get any better?

She held on to his arm and laid her head on his shoulder. She had been nervous about her first flight, but felt that nothing could harm her as long as she was with Frank. Mrs. Frank Talker, she sighed and snuggled down into the airplane seat. When Frank leaned over toward her, Martha leaned towards him thinking he wanted to kiss. Frank stopped just short of her mouth and spoke to her in quite earnest tones.

"There is something I would really like for you to do for me." He said softly, looking deeply into her eyes.

"What is that honey" she replied captivated by the prettiest eyes she had ever seen.

"I want you to go into the rest room and take off your panties, then bring them to me." Martha continued to stare into his eyes. Her mind was trying desperately to make sense of what it had just heard. It seemed to her that Frank had just spoken to her in a foreign language. She understood each word, but the whole seemed too preposterous for her to have heard him correctly.

"What?" Was all she could get out.

"I want you to go into the rest room and remove your panties and bring them to me." Frank repeated the instructions, "Come on, humor me, do this for your new husband." Martha thought about it for a minute. Why not? He is my husband, no one else will know. The 'naughtiness' of it was beginning to excite her. She got up and made her way to the restroom. Once inside she reached under her skirt and pulled her panties down to her knees, then sat on the toilet seat and pulled them off her legs. As long as I'm here, she thought and relieved her self. She then wiped, and noticed how wet she was 'down there'.

As she walked back to her seat, her panties balled up in her fist, she felt the cool air against her nether regions with each step. Martha had never gone without panties, even while she was asleep, for as long as she could remember. Her face turned red, she was sure everyone could tell that she has not wearing her panties. She felt very vulnerable, and also very exited.

Martha sat down in her seat, and handed her panties to her husband, trying to make sure no one saw what she was handing over. She felt flushed, and warm all over, she could feel her 'wetness' spreading 'down there'. She desperately wanted to put her hand between her legs and relieve the feelings. Like she would have if she had been alone in her bed.

"Thank you." Frank said as he took the panties from her. Keeping them in a tight ball he brought them up to his nose and inhaled. Martha's red face turned even redder. Frank leaned over toward her, "You really smell good." Her blush deepened and spread, and her nipples hardened and she felt hot and open 'down there'. Frank put his arm around her and gently kissed her on the cheek. Then he whispered in her ear. "There is something else I want you to do, I forgot to mention this before."

"What?" Martha asked with a combination of fear and excitement.

"Go back to the bathroom and take off your bra and bring it to me." No, she thought, I could never do that. Every one would know. She was wearing a very expensive silk blouse that Frank had purchased for her. The material was thin, and people would be able to see her breasts bouncing underneath it. They would be able to see the outline of her nipples. No, she thought again, I could never to that.

"I can't." she said quietly.

"What?" Frank asked with exaggerated surprise, "don't you take your wedding vows seriously?" Martha was mortified by the question.

"Of course I do!"

"All of them?"

"Yes!"

"Love, honor and O-B-E-Y." Martha squirmed in her seat. The shame she felt being asked to 'display herself' by her husband fed her sexual excitement.

"Please," she pleaded quietly, "don't make me do this. It's indecent."

"You are my wife now, and I will tell you what is decent and indecent. Your will do everything I tell you to do." He pulled her closer and spoke softly in her ear. "Now quit making a scene and do as you are told."

'Making a scene' according to her mother was the worst thing a person could do. Martha often thought that her mother would quietly allow herself to be raped rather than scream for help and 'make a scene'. Martha slowly got up from her seat and walked to the restrooms again the last thing she could bring herself to do was 'make a scene' about anything.

Her face burned with embarrassment. She just knew that everyone in first class knew what she was going to do. She entered the restroom and locked the door behind her. She sat on the toilet, and began to cry gently. After a few minutes she wiped her eyes and stood in front of the mirror. She thought about just staying in the restroom for the rest of the flight, but she could not face hours in such a small room. Oh well, she thought, let's get it over.

She began to unbutton her blouse. She looked around the small room to make sure no one was looking, then smiled at her self for doing it. She slipped the blouse off her shoulders and let it slip down her arms. She hung the blouse on a hook on the inside of the door and looked at herself in the mirror. She moved almost like she was in a trance as she reached behind herself and unhooked her bra.

She held the bra in place for a minute before she let it slide down off her breasts. She watched herself in the mirror as her breasts came into view. Her nipples were hard. With out forethought she reached up and began to squeeze and pinch her nipples making them stand out even further. She could actually smell her own sexual excitement in the small room. She reached under her skirt and gave herself three or four rubs. She could not remember ever being this wet and open. She reluctantly pulled her hand away from herself and felt a wave of shame at having given in to that evil urge.

She put her blouse on and tucked it into the skirt. Martha was shocked by how much her nipples showed through the thin material. Again, without intending to, her hands reached up and felt her nipples through the silk blouse. A low moan escaped her throat before she pulled her hands away and leaned against the rim of the sink. She took three deep breaths then turned and opened the door.

The walk back to her seat seemed to take forever. With every step her breasts would bounce and sway gently. The soft silk would rub her nipples keeping them hard. She deliberately looked straight ahead. She admitted to herself that she was not sure which she feared the most’ that everyone was looking, or that no one was. She could feel the heat of her blush spreading over her face, then down her neck and across her chest. When she got back to their seats Martha stepped over Frank's legs and sat down. Frank held out his hand and she placed her wadded up bra in it.

It was getting late, and most of the passengers were beginning to settle into their seats trying to get some sleep. Frank signaled one of the flight attendants and asked for a blanket. He spread the blanket over himself and Martha then put his arm around Martha and pulled her close. They sat for a minute and Martha enjoyed the closeness of their bodies. Then Martha felt Frank gently pulling her blouse out of her skirt. She tried to push his hands away. He whispered in her ear.

"If you try to fight me you will make a commotion and everyone will notice what is going on." She stopped trying to push him away. As a child she had been admonished not to 'make a commotion' almost as often as to not 'make a scene'. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend that she was asleep. Frank pulled her blouse out from her skirt, then unbuttoned it. She felt his hand move up her stomach then across first on and then the other of her breasts. Despite her attempts to feign sleep her breathing quickened and she suppressed a moan only with the greatest of will power. This was the first time in her life that someone else touched her breasts.

With the blanket pulled up around their necks, and Martha pretending to be asleep, Frank pinched and pulled her nipples working them into ever greater states of excitement. He heard a faint whimper when he abandoned her nipples and ran his hand over her trembling stomach to the waistband of her skirt. Martha was wearing a skirt given to her by Frank, it was long enough to be modest, but had buttons all the way down the front. She realized what he was going to do, and grabbed his wrist with both hands.

"Please," she whispered, "don't do that." Frank ignored her plea, and unbuttoned her skirt from top to bottom. Martha realized that she was now naked beneath the blanket. Frank wrapped one arm around her so he could continue to work her nipples while he gently pushed her legs apart and caressed the inside of her thighs, coming close but not quite touching her warm wet pussy. Martha gave up all resistance and relaxed, allowing her legs to open even further. Frank slipped his hand over her bushy growth of pubic hair and slid his fingers across her clit and down over her cunt lips.

"Oh God!" Martha caught her breath at his first touch. She laid back in

Frank's arms and concentrated on the feelings coming from her breasts and pussy. She tried to block out the vibrations of the airplane, and the sounds of people all around them. Martha let her eyes open just a crack, and saw one of the female flight attendants walk by and grin at her. Oh God, she thought, that woman knows what he is doing to me. She could feel her face and chest turning red with humiliation. How could Frank do this to me?

Just then his finger slipped past her outer lips and into her hot, wet, eager cunt. She squeezed her eyes shut and began to gently rock her hips, fucking her self on his fingers. Frank slipped a second finger into her and Martha was thankful she had practiced having 'quite' orgasms when she touched herself at night with her parents in the room right across the hallway.

She grabbed his wrist with both hands, but this time she pulled it harder against herself as she fucked her pussy on his fingers. Her Cunt muscles clutched at Frank's fingers and with a quiet "UUNGGHH... UUNNGGHH" Martha's body tightened. For the first time in her life Martha had an orgasm induced by someone other than herself, her whole body was washed with a wave of pleasure she never could have imagined.

She relaxed totally and with her eyes still closed, enjoyed the feel of Frank's fingers gently moving in and out of her open wet cunt, while she listened to the drone of the jet engines and the murmur of voices from seats around her. Martha rode Frank's fingers to another orgasm, then fell asleep under the blanket.

She woke up with a start, it took her a few minutes to realize where she was. When she remembered that she was naked under the blanket and that her new husband had finger fucked her with all these people around the feelings of humiliation and shame overwhelmed her. Tears began to flow down her cheeks as she began to button her blouse. She jumped when Frank spoke to her. His eyes were closed and she had assumed he was asleep.

"I didn't tell you to button your clothes." He said quietly. Martha froze in mid button. Her mind rebelled against the implication that she could not button her blouse without Frank's permission. She took her hands away from the buttons before she spoke.

"You shouldn't do these things to me." She whispered. "It's indecent to do this in public. I can't lay here with only a blanket." Her objections died down as Frank reached over under the blanket and began to caress her breasts. He worked her nipples until they were both hard. One of the female attendants walked by and Frank spoke to her.

"Could you help me with something?" he asked her in a low voice. Martha noticed it was the same one that had grinned at her earlier.

"Of course I can." She said, grinning at Martha again. Martha blushed with shame and humiliation. The blanket bulged and moved as Frank squeezed and pulled on her nipples. Frank had one arm around her back holding her right arm, while he manipulated her nipples with his other hand.

"My new bride and I are on our honeymoon, and I would like your opinion about something."

"Congratulations." She winked at Martha. "I kinda guessed that." She licked her lips and smiled at them..

"Do you think these-" Frank suddenly pulled the blanket down to the middle of Martha's stomach exposing her bare breasts. "-are nice looking tits?" Martha struggled trying to pull the blanket back up, or at least cover herself with her hands, but found her arms were being held down by Frank. Marsha blushed a bright crimson that spread over her face, then down her neck and across her chest, clear down to her hard nipples.

Her struggles died down, despite the shame and humiliation, or maybe because of the shame and humiliation her nipples were getting harder than they had ever been before. Her cunt was so wet she could feel it oozing out onto her thighs. The attendant swallowed and licked her lips showing more interest in Martha's tits than would be expected from a heterosexual.

"They're beautiful." Was all she could say.

"Why don't you touch them? Se if they feel as good as they look?" Frank suggested to the attendant. Martha thought she was going to die. 'How could he do this to me?' She asked herself. Followed by 'Why am I getting so wet?' Martha tried to pull away when the woman's hands touched her breasts, but Frank held her tight with her arms penned to her side. The attendant gently squeezed Martha's breasts, then 'bounced' them in the palm of her hands like she was trying to judge their weight.

"I...I...have to go back to work." She said reluctantly releasing Martha's breasts. Frank covered Martha with the blanket.

"You can button up your blouse and skirt now." Martha straightened up and buttoned her cloths as best she could by feel. Tears were once again streaming down her cheeks.

"Why are you doing these things to me?" she whispered through clenched teeth.

"Just for the fun of it." He responded. "You've got to learn to relax and enjoy yourself." He smiled at her, "If you don't your going to lead a really miserable life."

"I don't want to do this. I want to go home." She was beginning to sob gently. Frank took her in his arms and stroked her hair while he talked softly in her ear.

"You will do everything I tell you to do." He told her. "If not you will be punished. It's because I love you that I must train you to obey." He gently pushed her away and wiped the tears from her face. “Now for you next lesson, I want you to go into the restroom and take off your cloths. When I knock twice let me in."

"No. I can't do that." She pleaded with him with her eyes. "Please don't make me do that." Frank held her head with a hand on each cheek and looked into her eyes.

"You will do it, and you will do it now. If you don't I will drag you to the restroom by your hair. Just think how that will look to all these other passengers." When he released her, she rose from her seat and walked to the restroom. She was beginning to tremble and could barely get the door latch open. Once inside Martha started shaking violently.

'Oh my God' she prayed, 'what have I gotten myself into?' She had no doubt that Frank was going to come into the restroom and have sex with her. Being groped under a blanked and fucked in the airplane restroom was a far cry from her 'wedding night' fantasy. She locked the door and looked at herself in the mirror.

What she saw startled her. Red eyes from crying, hair going every which way, blouse miss-buttoned, the top button of her skirt was not even fastened, her hard nipples plainly visible through the thin silk of her blouse, she looked like she had just had sex. It would have been obvious to everyone she walked by on the airplane. She was overcome with more waves of shame and humiliation.

How can he be doing this to me? I love him. I thought he loved me. She sat on the toilet seat and rested her head in her hands. Mixed with the pain of her shame and humiliation was the memory of how wonderful it felt when he touched her, and though she was not ready to admit it, how wonderful it felt when the women touched her.

Her entire body jumped when she heard the gentle knock on the door, she yanked her hand out from between her legs. How did that get there? Two more gentle knocks on the door. NO. I won't let him in. I must put a stop to this. I will stay in here until the plane lands, then I will get the next plane back home. She heard a scraping sound followed by a click, and the door swung open and Frank stepped in. He shut the door behind him and locked it again.

"You didn't think they would build these things without a way to bypass the lock do you?" The question was obviously rhetorical. "Why haven't you taken your cloths off? I expected to come in here and find you naked."

"I can't do this anymore. Please don't force me. As soon as we land I want to take a plane home." Tears were flowing again. Martha was trying to ignore the fact that pussy juice was also flowing. Frank pulled her to her feet and began to unbutton her blouse.

"You just do what your told and everything will be fine. You'll have plenty more of those wonderful orgasms and we'll all have a lot of fun." He pulled Martha's blouse off her, then unbuttoned her skirt. Soon she was standing before him naked. Martha had rarely been naked even with herself, much less someone else. She flushed red again as her skirt fell to the floor and Frank lifted her up and sat her on the edge of the sink.

"It's time to fuck now." His crudeness added to her feelings of humiliation and shame. It also added to her feelings of lust. She watched with growing interest as he unbuckled his belt and undid his pants. As his pants fell to the floor, Martha's mouth hung open as she stared at his hard cock. Frank lifted her legs up and pushed them apart opening her wet cunt.

"Hold your legs." He ordered her. Martha put a hand under each knee and held her legs up and apart as she watched Frank grab the base of his hard cock and begin to rub his cock head up and down her pussy slit. She could see the lubrication from her pussy as it began to glisten on his cock head. Martha began to rock her hips forward each time Frank's cock head reached the top of hr pussy to increase the stimulation of her clitoris. Each forward rock was accompanied with an almost inaudible moan.

She watched in fascination as Frank began to work the head of his large cock into her open wet cunt. She pulled her legs further apart to open herself more for him. Soon his hard cock was sliding in and out of her eager young pussy. It didn't hurt, she thought with amazement, they said it would hurt the first time.

Each time Frank thrust his large cock into her hot wet cunt her cunt lips would be pulled into her cunt, pulling her clit down against the top of Frank's hard cock and bringing her closer and closer to her first fuck induced orgasm. She watched intently, panting with lust and moaning loader than before. She was entranced by the sight of an object that big sliding in and out of her body. As her orgasm peaked Martha wrapped her arms and legs around Frank and locked her lips to his thrusting her tongue into his mouth and moaning loudly. The peak passed and Martha took her mouth away from Frank's.

"Oh God that was good." She said, as she leaned back against the mirror again so she could once more watch the giant cock fucking in and out of her hot cunt. A sheen of perspiration covered both of their bodies. Frank picked her up and held her by her butt while he thrust deeply into her. Martha wrapped her arms around Frank's neck and her legs around his waist. They kissed deeply while Frank's muscles tightened rhythmically. Martha could feel his huge cock pulsing inside her as he shot her cunt full of hot cum.

Frank sat Martha back down on the edge of the sink and leaned against her as he let his cock rest inside her. She clung to his body, and rested her head against his shoulder, luxuriating in that special 'just fucked' feeling. Frank gently caressed her back, and ran his hands over her hair, holding their naked bodies close.

After a few minutes Frank pulled his half hard cock out of her cunt and they both watched as a stream of his cum and her lubricant flowed out of her pussy and puddled on the counter. Martha covered her mouth with her hand and giggled at the sight. Frank pulled two paper towels out of the dispenser and handed them to Martha.

"You will be expected to have warm wet washcloths and towels available to wash your partner after fucking." He instructed her as she took the proffered towels. She moistened one of the towels with warm water and knelt in from of Frank to wash his shrinking cock. She took her time, this being her first opportunity to examine a cock. By the time she was finished it was beginning to grow hard again.

"Now kiss it." He instructed her. She hesitated, then gently kissed the tip of his manhood. While she was still kneeling Frank pulled up his pants. After zipping and buckling up Frank picked up her blouse and skirt then turned to leave the restroom.

"You wait here." Was all he said to her before he closed the door. Martha felt shame and humiliation crashing back down on her. She had felt loved and cared for while they were making love, but to be left kneeling naked in the middle of an airplane restroom was degrading. She got off her knees, grabbed some toilet paper, cleaned herself, then sat down on the toilet.

What, she wondered, was going to happen next? Barely had she asked herself that question when the door opened and the flight attendant who had caressed her breasts stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Martha heard the lock on the door click. She crouched over on the toilet seat and tried to cover her breasts.

"What are you..." Was all she could get out. The attendant grabbed her by the arms and picked her up off the toilet. She enveloped Martha in her arms and cut off her question by inserting her tongue into Martha's mouth. The attendant's hands roamed over Martha's back and sides as her tongue explored the inside of Martha's mouth. Martha's arms were in between herself and the other woman, and she tried to push her away. The attendant was much stronger than she looked.

She easily held Martha in her arms as she kissed her deeply and began to massage her butt cheeks. The attendant demonstrated her strength by picking Martha up and setting her on the edge of the sink without breaking her deep kiss. As she pushed Martha back against the mirror she let her mouth slide off Martha's and began to plant wet kisses down her neck as she lifted Martha's legs and pushed them open.

"Please, don't do this. I don't want to do this." Martha pleaded.

"Your...husband...said...it...was...OK." The attendant spoke between kisses as she worked her way towards Martha's firm young breasts.

"But I don't want to do it." Martha insisted. The attendant stopped kissing her breasts for a moment and looked at her.

"I'm not going to hurt you honey. What I'm going to do will make you feel real good."

"But..." The attendant held up her hand to silence Martha.

"I'll make a deal with you. You look at your watch and when three minutes are up if you still want me to stop then I will." Without waiting for a reply the attendant leaned over and sucked Martha's right nipple into her mouth and tongued it with obvious expertise. At the same time she moved her hands up the inside of Martha's thighs and began to insert her left forefinger into Martha's wet cunt while she gently circled Martha's clit with her right thumb.

Martha starred at her watch with determination. She was not going to give into this. When three minutes were up she was going to tell this woman to leave her alone. She was going to demand her cloths back, and when the plane landed she was going to....

A loud moan escaped from Martha's throat as the attendant began to stroke her clit between her thumb and forefinger, and inserted a second finger into Martha's hot pussy. She left Martha's right nipple and kissed her way over to the left one. Martha began to rock her hips in counterpoint to the attendant's fingers fucking in and out of her sensitive cunt.

"No...no...no..." Martha's mouth continued to say 'no', but her body was saying 'YES!'. The attendant finished sucking on her left nipple and began to kiss her way across Martha's firm stomach toward her open legs. She continued to work Martha's clit and pussy with her fingers while she kissed and licked her inner thighs right up to her cunt lips on each side.

Martha hooked a hand under each knee and pulled her legs further back and apart, opening herself for the attentions of this nameless woman. The attendant planted her hot wet mouth on Martha's hot wet cunt and began to flick Martha's clit with her tongue. At the same time she reached up with both hands and began to massage Martha's breasts, paying special attention to Martha's hard nipples.

Soon Martha was almost bouncing up and down on the edge of the counter humping her cunt against the attendant's mouth. The attendant suddenly removed her mouth from Martha's wet pussy and looked up at Martha's face.

"It's been more than three minutes, do you want me to stop?" she asked.

Martha was panting and moaning.

"Oh God no, don't stop." The attendant resumed her ministrations to Martha's eager cunt. Martha released her legs and grabbed the woman's head with both hands pulling the attendants face firmly against her pussy and humping her hips. She was determined there would be no further interruption of this pleasure.

"Ohhh Goood. Ooohh Goood...." She chanted over and over again as wave after wave of orgasmic pleasure washed through her body. He whole body tensed, every muscle tightening, her leg's clamped around the attendant's head, she rose up off the mirror. "OOOOHHHHHGOOOOOOD" she whispered, then relaxed, her body gong totally limp. The attendant stood up and pulled Martha into her arms once again, stroking her hair and back.

"That was wonderful. Wasn't it?" The attendant asked Martha.

"MMMHHHMMM." Martha responded nodding her head as it rested on the woman's shoulder.

"I have to go back to work honey." The attendant told her. "You just wait here and your husband will be right back in with your cloths." The attendant unlocked the door, and started to leave.

"Oh, by the way, I'm Cathy." She turned and walked out the door shutting it behind her.

Martha turned and looked at herself in the mirror. How quickly my resolve disappeared once she got her mouth on me, Martha thought. She reached down and gently ran a finger over her wet cunt and in small circles around her sensitive clit. As she rubbed herself she closed her eyes for a minute remembering what it had felt like to have that wo... Cathy lick her most sensitive places.

Then the voices started in her head. 'This is wrong. No matter how good it felt, it's a sin, a terrible sin. It's evil, and if I go along with it then I'm evil and dirty.' She stopped touching herself and sat on the toilet again. The things she had been told while she grew up came rushing through her mind. Pleasure was the bait the devil used to get us into his trap.

I'm being punished, she thought, for all those times I rubbed myself at night in my bed. For all those secret pleasures I never told anyone about. Maybe this is my chance to redeem my self. If I can just resist these temptations then maybe that will make up for all those times I've had given in and pleasured my self. She jumped when the door opened. Frank walked in. She was relieved to see he was carrying a blouse and a skirt for her.

Martha dressed in the almost transparent blouse and short tight skirt that her husband had handed to her. Both were much to revealing for her tastes. After she was dressed Frank handed her a pair of high heels. Martha looked at them dubiously, they were much higher than she was used to wearing. Martha sat on the toilet and put the shoes on. Frank took her hand and helped Martha stand up. Her feet wobbled as she got used to the heels. Frank reached into his coat pocket.

"One more accessory for you to wear." He announced as he pulled a diamond-studded collar from his pocket. Martha tried to back away, but found herself against the wall with no place to go. Diamonds or not Martha did not want to wear a dog collar.

"No-" she said her voice cracking as she shook her head. "-no, please, no. Don't make me wear that." She looked up at him begging him with her eyes to spare her that humiliation.

"Now Martha,-" he said, in a stern parental voice. "-I spent a lot of money on this diamond collar for you." Tears streamed down Martha's face as Frank placed the collar around her neck and buckled it into place. After buckling the collar Frank tested it by slipping three fingers in between the collar and her neck, then, after digging in his pants pocket, produced a small gold pad lock witch he placed on the buckle to keep the collar from being taken off.

Frank pulled Martha over in front of the sink and stood behind her as she looked at herself in the mirror. As she watched their reflections Frank's arms surrounded her and his hands began to fondle her breasts. As he tugged her nipples back into maximum erection Martha decided that, despite of the humiliation she was feeling, she did look extremely sexy.

When Frank was satisfied with the erect-ness of Martha's nipples he released her breasts and held his arm out for her. Martha took Franks arm and he walked her slowly back to their seats. As she walked Martha's breasts swayed gently inside her sheer blouse. Martha looked straight ahead as they walked, not wanting to see the lust filled stares of the men. Nor did she want to see the smirks or looks of disapproval from the women.

"That's the slut who's been fucking her way to Hawaii." She heard a female voice whisper as they neared their seats. Martha could not remember ever being called a slut before. Hearing the woman sent a blush to Martha's face, to her surprise it also sent a thrill through her body.

"Oh, by the way," Frank said as they sat down and fastened their seat belts for the landing, "I have invited Cathy to spend the weekend with us before she flies back to the mainland."