get smudged.'
'How do you happen to have a cardboard tube on hand? I thought you didn't keep stuff.'
'I don't, but if I pull the rest of the paper towels off the roll I'll have a tube.'
'Clever.'
'I thought so.'
'If you think it's worth it.'
'How much is a roll of paper towels? A buck nineteen, something like that?'
'I don't know.'
'Well, it's something like that. Of course it's worth it.' She extended a forefinger, touched the sketch.
'When this is over,' she said, 'I want this.'
'What for?'
'I want it matted and framed. Remember what he said, 'Suitable for framing'? He was joking, but that's because he doesn't take his work seriously yet. This is art.'
'You're serious.'
'You bet I am. I should have gotten him to sign it. Maybe I'll get in touch with him later, ask him if he'd be willing. What do you think?'
'I think he'd be flattered. Listen, I was going to have a few Xerox copies made, but now you're giving me ideas. What I'll do is I'll run an edition of fifty and number them.'
'Very funny,' she said. She moved her hand and laid it gently on top of mine. 'Funny man.'
'That's me.'
'Uh-huh.'
There was more of that utter silence, and I cleared my throat to break it. 'You put perfume on,' I said.
'Yes, I did.'
'Just now?'
'Uh-huh.'
'It smells nice.'
'I'm glad you like it.'
I turned to put the sketch on the table, then straightened up again.
My arm moved around her waist and my hand settled on her hip. She sighed almost imperceptibly and leaned against me, her head on my shoulder.
'I feel beautiful,' she said.
'You should.'
'I didn't just put on perfume,' she said. 'I got undressed.'
'You're dressed now.'
'Yes, I am. But before I was wearing a bra and panties, and now I'm not. So it's just me under these clothes.'
'Just you.'
'Just me and a little perfume.' She swung around to face me. 'And I brushed my teeth,' she said, tilting
her head, looking up at me with her lips slightly parted. Her eyes held mine for a moment, and then she closed them.
I took her in my arms.
* * *
It was quite wonderful, urgent yet unhurried, passionate yet comfortable, familiar yet surprising. We had the ease of old lovers and the eagerness of new ones. We had always been good together, and the years had been kind. We were better than ever.
Afterward she said, 'I was thinking about this all night. I thought, gee, I like this guy, I always liked him, and wouldn't it be nice to find out if the gears still mesh after all these years. So in a manner of speaking I had this planned, but it was all in the mind. Do you know what I mean?'
'I think so.'
'My mind was excited at the prospect. Then you told me I was beautiful and all of a sudden I'm standing there with wet panties.'
'Honestly?'
'Yeah, instant arousal. Like magic.'
'The way to a woman's heart—'
'Is through her panties. Can't you see new worlds opening up for you? All you have to do is tell us we're beautiful.' She put her hand on my arm. 'I think the reason it worked is you made me believe it. Not that I am, but
