Sun slowly snaked into the room, struggling up to the disarrayed bed. Quiet flesh spread across silver sheets. Newly awake in the rising glow, Sherry delicately took Pete’s flaccid penis in her fingers, exploring it as if meticulously diffusing an explosive.

What strange animal! In this morning state it was such a silly thing, like a mushroom, or a worm. Her amused conclusions were punctuated with Pete’s happy snores. “What now?” she wondered. Despite the events of the last twelve hours, it was now that Sherry wished she could stretch time. But she couldn’t; that was clear. She released the gentle, radiating heat and rolled out of bed to look for her clothes.

She had to be at the airport in two hours. Should she leave a note? Quickly composing five separate sentiments in her head, Sherry ultimately decided against it. She would miss his laugh, his eternal five o’clock shadow.

In the bright rows of the venetian blinds it all began to seem like another life. Over and done. On to business.