Playful banter between good friends was all it was.Julio made his appearance through the kitchen doorway, immediately shook his friend’s hand, and o...fered another welcoming hug. “Hello, my friend. Hello.”“Aye, Julio!” Maria exclaimed. “I told you to stay out of that pot until the food was ready. I made enough for everyone, even for your big butt,” the playful bantering continued.“What? I didn’t do nothing! How can you believe I would ever mess with your cooking before it is finished, Mama? I. The plank was a short wide piece of padded timber suspended from the ceiling by a chain at each corner. The chains were not vertical but rather in a “v” formation. The plank was well above floor level. I soon understood the arrangement of this piece of apparatus. Acolytes helped Lisa onto the plank, and fastened her arms at the wrists and legs at the ankles to the chains by leather straps. Accordingly her legs and arms rose upwards and outwards from her body. The plank was shorter than her. ”“You’re not talking about just the shower here, are you?” he asked as he kissed her forehead.She shook her head and tilted it back as she rose onto her toes to kiss his lips, “I’m talking about our lives together, now and in the future. And on that point, can you share with me what happened to Brad? You did arrange for him to disappear out of my life, our lives, didn’t you?”She felt his body tense and hugged it closer to hers as reassurance that his answer would be welcomed, regardless of what. I was able to watch her walk for several yards so I could study her and remember everything about her. Her hair was blond and silky and fell past her shoulders. Today she had on black slacks and a royal blue cardigan with a white shirt underneath. She carried a black briefcase. Her shoes had small heels. She walked really fast. Of course I went back the next day. This time I expected to see her and even planned my day around it. I went by my apartment that afternoon to brush my teeth and pick.