It took me a little while to pick myself up off the bed and make my way to the dresser where I kept my intimate friend, the dual-motor Aphrodite. God, that thing was wonderful, and I was seriously going to miss it. But I set it on the floor outside of Miss Baxter’s bedroom door just as she had instructed.
I was a little sad at our parting, but it was over quickly enough. I spent a lot more time in the kitchen trying to get rid of all the burnt crud from the pot that was supposed to be my lunch. Miss Baxter came in once during that time, not to check on my progress, I don’t think, but just to get a drink from the refrigerator.
“I’ll be out the rest of the afternoon,” she said, her only form of acknowledgment. “I run a tab at Capone’s Deli if you’d like to order out. Please don’t use the s
