Days later, Dean couldn't get Sophie out of his mind and every time he saw her, he felt as if his body was burning. As far as he knew it, he was burning...in hell. He didn't have to talk to his preacher or read the bible to know that he was sinning. He could feel it in his soul. He spent many nights thinking about her and when he made love to his wife a fews nights before, he thought about Sophie. He wondered what her skin would feel like to the touch. Was she as wild and carefree as her hair and her personality in bed? He had heard about people in the circus, and he wondered if she was something as amazing as a lion tamer or a contortionist.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Stanton." Sophie said smiling as she pushed the broom across the floor.

"Good afternoon..." he trailed off before trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He reached for his glass of water, but found it empty with the clink of left over ice. He watched her sway a little in time to the music coming from the radio as she swept the floor. She looked graceful and sensuous at the same time, and he wondered how she got that way. There was something about the way she moved her body that reminded him of something dirty.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle Parker." Del greeted her. "you sure look lovely today. Doesn't she, Mr. Jingles?" he said as he held the mouse in his hand.

"Merci, Del...et merci, Mr. Jingles." she said to them, and Dean was perplexed that she actually humored Del by talking to that mouse as if it were a person. "I swear if I was a girl mouse, I'd ask Mr. Jingles to take me dancing. We do have something in common..."

"You're both born for the circus."

"Yes. I do miss it, and I promise you, if I was still working in the circus I'd make sure we would have Mr. Jingles there...you know why?"

"Because that there is a smart mouse." John Coffey answered in a soft voice.

"That's right. And how are you, John?"

"I'm feelin' mighty fine since you showed up. And you, Miss Parker?"

"Oh, I'm feeling fine myself...well, if it wasn't for this heat." she said fanning herself with her hand somehow mocking the Southern Belle persona. Well, I hate to leave you fellas, but I really must be going." she said and was greeted with a chorus of goodbyes from John, Del, and Mr. Jingles. She glared at Wild Bill and he gave her a sly smirk before she walked to the desk and stood in front of it. It was almost time for Dean to end his shift at the desk and she wanted to talk to him before he left. She didn't know what it was about him, but she felt he had something to say to her and she didn't know what it was. Sometimes, he would stare at her as if he was trying to figure out something about her. She know she left his question about what she was during her time in the circus hanging in the air, but she had to in order to hide her shame of what she really was.

"You're heading off, Miss Parker?"

"Yeah, Toot needs help with another block, but I think I'll rest here a bit. May I?" she said holding her hand over his glass of ice and he nodded. She reached in and pulled out an ice cube and rubbed it on her throat and chest. "Geez, it's hot in here. It wasn't nearly like this in California."

"I thought it gets hot there. I've heard of the nice weather, but I heard it's gets awfully hot there also. Is it not true or something?"

"Yeah, it gets pretty hot, and it is nice weather. But this...this is torture...it's muggy and uncomfortable. I hate it...And I have this horrid uniform, it's like a sweat house glued to your body." she said getting another ice cube and rubbing it between the valley of her breasts...and this didn't go unnoticed by Dean.

"Well, maybe you should've stayed in California, Miss Parker..." Percy said in a smug tone and both Dean and Sophie wondered how he got there, especially wearing those squeaky shoes, and how long was he standing there. "Dean, I'll relieve you of your duties here. Paul needs help in the office."

"Okay." Dean said as he got up from the desk and looked at Sophie and smiled and nodded once before leaving. "Well, I'll see you around, Miss Parker." he said before taking a longing last look at her before joining Paul in his office.

"Likewise, Mr. Stanton." she said and smiling. Her smiled faded when she turned around and Percy and standing his front of her.

"So, Miss Parker..." Percy drawled as he stared directly into her eyes as they were the same height. She had to fight the urge to roll her eyes and tell him to go to hell because he might threaten to run to his aunt and get her fired. She hated that he pulled that card out without any shame that he's leaving his manhood in question. "When are you gonna let me take you out of here and make a lady out of you?" he said getting closer to her.

"I'm already a lady, so..." she said as she moved her lips closer to his and paused before they touched. "no, thank you." she whispered and pulled back slowly smiling. Sure, it was wrong to tease him like that, but she knew it was fun.

"Miss Parker, I don't think it's wise to play with a man with such power as myself..."

"Percy Wetmore...if you think threatening me will scare me, you are mistaken. You forget that I have connections also."

"What? Circus freaks?! Besides, I know I will get you fired if the warden finds out that you spend most of your time down here chatting up the inmates..."

"At least, I'm not abusing them like you do, Percy. What is it about kicking a man already down lower to the ground? It makes you feel good or something. Or are you making up for your short comings?" she said knowing that making fun of his height and the size of a very sensitive part would burn him up, and she was already fanning the flame.

"You little..."

"Percy!" Paul called out. "you either get back in here or do your job at that desk, but you will stop wasting Miss Parker's time."

"She started it..." he said sounding like a child about to be punished and Sophie laughed at the image of Paul turning Percy over on his knee and having a go at him.

"I don't give a rat's ass who started it, Percy. Now, do your job." he ordered him.

"Yes, boss..." Percy said as he sat behind the desk. "This ain't over, Miss Parker..."

"I know..." she said as she left suddenly feeling slightly frightened whether she would have a job the next day. She had never regretted slight banter before in her life, and now she was wondering if she took it too far. With Percy you had to be careful. She knew if she had said that to Dean he would've laughed it off and he'd return a comment or two, though he remained reserved most of the time. But, he had been acting strange around her ever since he saw her naked. "that's it..." she said in a tone full of realization. He was attracted to her, and unfortunately, she was also attracted to him. She didn't know why she didn't see it before, but she felt utter despair as she thought about it because he was a married man, and for her, that meant he was off limits. She didn't want to take another woman's man, because she had seen her mother do it and she wasn't her mother. "I'm not..." she vowed, silently.