In for the Evening

You yawn. "I'm actually a little tired -- and overwhelmed by all this, too -- so I think I'm just going to go to bed."

"Aw, too bad," says Allison with a grin. "Got any plans for tomorrow?"

You answer, "I'm gonna go to my apartment, give 'em my 30-day notice, and get my stuff moved over here."

"Sounds like a good plan. Here, give me your mobile." Allison puts out her hand.

"Um, what --"

"So I can put my contact info in it, in case you need me."

You get your phone out of your purse and hand it to her.

As she types, she says, "Mirela told you not to bother me, right? That just means don't come pounding on the door to my place, especially if it's gonna interrupt me while I'm involved with a lady, or a dude... or both. But a text is okay."

She hands your phone back to you, complete with a new contact entry for Allison Kearney.

"Are you often, um, involved..."

"Yes, you could say 'often,'" she says, standing up and grabbing the box containing the remaining half of the veggie pizza. "See you tomorrow, or not, if one or both of us gets too busy."

She takes the pizza and exits through the door to the garage, with a quick wave behind her.

You realize that you managed to wolf down all but one slice of your meat pizza. Well, that's not an issue anymore -- you have the money now for a super-deluxe gym membership, or you could turn part of the house into a gym, or -- or you could use the notebook for whatever you want to do to your body.

That thought actually wakes you up and sets your heart pounding a bit. You put your phone back in your purse and see the small black notebook right there, looking as innocent as an inanimate object can look.

You decide you want to do your experimenting in your bedroom, and after quickly rinsing out the wine glasses and putting your pizza slice in the mostly-vacant fridge, you take the long walk up the stairs. It's hard to believe this is all yours, but it seems like you might have to do something so this house isn't so empty.

That's for later, though. Tonight you just want to explore solo.

In your giant bedroom, you drop your purse on top of a desk, just taking out the notebook and a pen. There's a fancy wooden-framed full-length mirror in one corner of the room, which you stand in front of.

Allison gave you a few good ideas during the afternoon and evening. You could just improve on your current body in some small ways, or maybe even some large ways. You could make yourself look like someone you know, or even a celebrity. You even wonder if some kind of mythical creature might be possible.

You put the notebook down on the floor temporarily and quickly remove your shoes, then your clothes, piling them onto the floor. You pick the notebook back up and look at your naked self in the mirror.

You've decided on what you want to do. You take a deep breath as you start to write.