Jamie was in the exercise room when Nils came in.

“Hey Nils, did you come in to spot me on my bouncy ball?”

“Well, not exactly,” Nils admitted. “The button on my sweatpants popped off, and I was wondering if you knew were the sewing kit got off to.”

“‘Got off to,’ that’s a funny way of putting it.”

“Yeah but that sewing kit seems to have a mind of its own. Sorry you don’t like the way I talk.”

“Oh, I love the way you talk. For instance you don’t use needless adjectives.”

“I don’t?”

“No. Like for instance when you said ‘The button on my sweatpants.’ Some guys would add an adjective to button.”

“They would?”

“Uh huh. Like ‘stupid button,’ or ‘blasted button,’ or ‘fucking button,’”

“Actually I kind of like ‘fucking button,’” Nils said.

Jamie laughed. “Now you’re making me lose my balance.”

“Maybe I could steady you,” Nils proposed.

A moment later Nils was steadying her.

“This is better,” Jamie said. “Great balancing. That cat was useless.”

“What do you mean?” Nils asked.

“Oh, he considers himself quite the gymnast. Like the other day we were at the beach, and we had a sort of competition. We each tried to outdo each other. For a while it looked like he was having the better of it. The little cheater.”

“What happened?”

“Claws,” Jamie said.

She laughed. Nils laughed. They almost lost their balance.

“Steady me,” Jamie said.

Nils steadied her.

“This is nice,” Jamie said. “But now it’s time to bounce.”

“Aren’t you afraid we might—”

“Bounce me,” Jamie said.

Nils bounced her.

They bounced until they fucking exploded.