Yawning, she sat up to examine this morning’s bedroom. Sunlight spread across the lush plum carpet, slightly obscured by the gauzy lavender curtains that hung languidly across the large bay window facing the bed. Anita couldn’t make out much of the view itself, but thought she saw the outline of a classic balcony railing.

The bed itself was an ebony four-poster, a style certainly not unfamiliar to Anita, although she had never seen wood quite so dark as to give off glints of deep purple. The frame was swathed all over with heavy velvet, the same bright violet fabric that adorned the mattress itself.

Having witnessed her latest partner’s chromatic taste, she braced herself to look to the other side of the bed.