It’s so simple. An orgasm, at its core, is a mind thing.

But, yes, she had to call her office. Where was the fucking phone? In her mind she saw it on the bed and she went to dig through stacks of paper there. There, under the pillow she was sure she felt it. Shit, it was the remote. She tossed it in frustration and heard behind her the crash of glass and the thud of wood.

She leaped across the bed to investigate, scattering clothes and paper. One of her favorite pieces of art was a small collage by James Denmark. Now the glass was shattered. The frame was broken. And the work itself had a two-inch rip.

And as she went for the broom and dustpan, the phone began to ring. Where was it coming from? She listened, cocking her head. The kitchen. She stumbled through the mess. The fridge. The fridge. The goddamn phone was in the fridge.

“Hello,” she said frantically.

“Hi, Sylvia. How are you?” It was Lewis.

She checked her watch. It was almost nine. “I can’t talk now, honey. Ring me at the office.”

“What’s the hurry?”

“I have a meeting with Virgil and I’m already late. Is it something urgent?”

“Actually, Virgil asked me to call you to tell you that the meeting won’t be happening till tomorrow.”

“Why would he ask you to do that?” she asked, leaning against the fridge. The closeness of Lewis and Virgil had always bothered her. “I work for him, not you.”

“Well … he’s here at my place. The other night, at Lincoln Center, we started a dialogue that might turn into something big. So we’re having a breakfast meeting. It started early and now it’s running over.”

She toyed with a jar of black pepper as she composed her thoughts. “You’re not his messenger boy, Lewis. Let me speak to him.”

“Sylvia, calm down.” It sounded to her as if he had placed his hand over the receiver. “Virge and I have a friendship that goes back before you. Don’t forget that. Don’t encroach on it.”

“Do you know what, Lewis? Whatever … this just shows complete disregard for me as a professional. I hope you know that. To ask you to call me to cancel a meeting.”

“Well, if you’d been at the office as you were supposed to I’m sure I wouldn’t have to do this.”

“First of all, I’m always on time, so there’s no need to call me out on that, okay? And second of all … I don’t have time for this. Look, I’ll talk to you whenever.”

She hung up.

He called back. “Don’t you ever fucking do that again!”

“Leave me alone, Lewis. You are just so small to me right now. Just leave me the fuck alone.”

“I did the other day and you came running back.”

She threw the jar against the wall. It exploded like a powder keg.

“Are you saying that you don’t want this? Just tell me if that’s what you’re saying. Be big about it,” she said.