In the time she spent pondering how or whether to say this all, another text arrived: Regardless, my plan is to use whatever time we have left to make up for all the orgasms you didn’t have that summer. That’s why I’m asking for a number.

She cracked up. “Sorry, sorry,” she said when a woman she didn’t know glared at her.

She’d better take this outside. And not just because of the laughing. She was getting a little warm.

Sawyer: Are you still there?

Eve: Yeah. I was at the library. I laughed so hard at your last text that I kicked myself out.

Sawyer: I’m not sure you should be laughing. It’s going to mean a lot of orgasms for you.

He was serious.

Eve: That’s such a man thing, to get all fixated on some artificial number.

Sawyer: Let me say this again: it’s going to mean a lot of orgasms for you.

Eve: So I would be stupid to scoff at this plan, is what you’re saying?

Sawyer: You said it, not me.

Okay, so what was her hurry? She could hang around a little longer for Orgasm Fest.

Eve: You know what, the selection at this library sucks. I could do so much better with my own Little Free Library.

Sawyer: Are you trying to bargain with me to get me to build you a Little Free Library? Because you don’t have to do that. All you have to do is ask.

She had not been. But now that he mentioned it…

Eve: Sawyer, will you build me a Little Free Library?

Sawyer: Done.

Ten days later, the orgasm count was up to thirteen, there was a Little Free Library in front of the Mermaid, and Evie was about to do something stupid.

Her phone rang at ten sharp.

“Professor Chen, hello.” They were having a call to discuss details of the job offer.

“You have to stop calling me that. We’ll be colleagues now. It’s Linda.”

“Linda, then!”

“You got the formal offer?”

“Yes. Thank you. I’m thrilled.”

“There’s not a lot of room on salary. Provincial budget cuts have been punishing.”

Eve was more than happy with the salary on offer. It was much higher than her current one—well, than the one she was on leave from. Currently she was living on her line of credit, adding to the pile of debt that had her so freaked out.

But, she reminded herself, when she sold the Mermaid, she would wipe that all out.