He first went to the chapel to pray, then stripped and bathed ritually, purging his flesh and his soul. He first donned an undergarment of white linen... then, his squires began the time-consuming process of preparation.They dressed him in layers. First came a thick, heavy, padded cloth, covered with layers of leather and leather shoes. Over this, he put on a hauberk of chainmail that covered his upper body. They also wrapped his legs in chainmail. Over this, came the heavy, articulated plate. ” I went to push the white knickers down but she held her hand up and stopped me. “No,” she said, “leave them on, I won’t be long and anyway I’m leaving these on it’s not that sort of appointment and they’ll keep me nice and wet until I get back.” With that she got off the bed and dressed, with me doing the same and we both left her flat, me heading for mine and Hazel heading for the doctors.About an hour after I’d got back to my flat, I call from Hazel saying she was home and for me to go on. Steve mumbled something as he got dressed. Then there was a click.When Jennifer eventually sat up on the bed, Steve was gone. However, he had left his half bottle of Bundy on the bedside table. As she reached for it, Jennifer grinned. The boy was too insensitive and stupid to have left it knowingly behind as her consolation.And as she took her first burning mouthful of Bundy straight, she swallowed with it the knowledge that she was now too old and would, from now on, be too wise to get. Anyway, see you tomorrow. Bright and early!”Great. Just fucking great. Maybe I can stage a fake wrist injury and get out of this. Hell, I’d even settle for a real one... That night, he treated himself to a ridiculously expensive and overindulgent dinner centered on sous vide beef tenderloin, black summer truffles, and porcini ravioli in a foie gras cream sauce — he was glad he and Bill didn’t share a cardiologist — and opened one of the exact sort of wines he was childishly wishing he could.