The huge kiss had apparently been just another example of her doing the kind considerate thing, in spite of his upcoming place on her menu. He ultimately meant nothing to her as a potential boyfriend, and yet her lunch or dinner plans for him were foremost in her mind.

He dropped off for a few hours, and then awoke to see her elegant face beside him in the moonlight. He looked to see that the curtains had been left open, but the window was well and truly locked, even if he could have somehow gotten down from the bed and made it to the window ledge. There was probably enough cling vine outside the window to see him all the way to the street level of the apartment block’s garden, but no way to get out of the room.

He looked at Margaret’s soft white cheek, and decide to gently snuggle against it. Maybe he would pull it off without disturbing her sleep.

He felt her facial skin against his cheek and shoulder and the right side of his chest, as well as his right leg. Then he felt her stirring a little, but keeping her cheek in the same position.

“You’ve made yourself comfortable,” she murmured.

“I hoped you wouldn’t mind, or wouldn’t wake up.”

“It’s fine,” she replied, “It’s the least I can do for you really.”

“When you pronounced my final fate, you said ‘Think about that’. I have been thinking, not just about that, but about everything that’s happened. I’m really sorry about all the times I let you down in the office.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that, but don’t worry about it anymore. You’ll soon make up for it in your little way.”

“You always did kind things and said kind things for me, no matter how much I got on your nerves at work. You said nice things at the band concert. You wrote nice things on my cards. You even invited me here when you moved in, when you could have enjoyed the housewarming without the goofball of the typing pool in your way that night. I could never understand why you were like that, all things considered. You’re not just very beautiful. You’ve also been very thoughtful. It’s no wonder I’m in love with you.”

“It’s nice of you to say so, even nicer of you to have remembered all those things. It won’t do you any good though. By this time tomorrow night, you’ll be down in my tummy.”

“I know.”

“I just didn’t want to lead you on and let you build up any false hopes.”

“Of you becoming my girlfriend, or just of you changing your mind about eating me?”

“Both of those things. I’m going to gobble you all up, little Pierre.”

“I guess this is one time I will be doing something good for you.”

“You surely will. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“I’ll try to look forward to making you happy for once then, no longer the failure as a secretary.”

“Well you’re certainly not a failure as a science student. You invented a size reducing vapour without even trying to.”

“I don’t think I’ll be as successful in coming up with the antidote.”

“You might, if I would have given you the chance. We’ll never know.”