“You’re ready to go out? Are you going to keep the sitter?”“Not quite. Love you.” And she hung up. He’d told Carolyn once that long conver...ations with one’s wife weren’t good executive behavior. She took brevity to an extreme, though. Anyway, he’d not pick up any food on the way home, which would bring him home maybe 20 minutes earlier. Now, it was time to go back to work.At home, he got his trench coat into the living-room closet and his suit coat and tie into the bedroom closet without. " She stopped for a few moments to allow that to all sink in, then went on. "Now, just like in school, if the bottle points to someone who is the same sex, give it another spin." "Sounds like fun, Rita," I tossed in. "Oh, there's more. The first gal to get naked pairs up with the first guy to get naked and they can go off and be together. Now if they're already a couple, then the second one naked pairs up." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The game was to pair us off with another person's. After cleaning up, I went to my bedroom to read for a while. I could still hear the women chattering as I fell asleep. Freya and Zulie surrounded me when I woke. The gave me the shortened version of the conversation, 'because a man wouldn't understand all the details.' It turned out that they had omitted some important ones."Poor Hana," started Freya, "she thought she must be crazy because she understands figures better than other people. Fortunately, Zulie showed her that she understood them,. Anyway I just didn'twant you to feel that we were doing anything sneaky, behind yourback, as it were."Laura smiled at him. And understanding, open, frank, now you areold enough, feminine enough, all-girls-together, kind of smile. "So much to look forward to Sophie dear! Especially for you forwhom there is so much to learn, so many boundaries to explore. Nowthat the first inspection is passed, and a little of the pressureoff, I do so hope that you will be able to settle down and enjoythe new.