I left 情侣鸟 sleeping peacefully, hotfooted it down to the corner bakery for a couple of almond croissants, and back home, with L still sound asleep, I started the coffee and slipped into the shower.

Not ten minutes later I was out of the shower and toweled dry, and 情侣鸟 was seated at the kitchen counter about to take a bite of an almond croissant. A decorative plate and a coffee cup were on the counter, but the second croissant was nowhere to be seen.

“I was so piggy,” 情侣鸟 whispered, a bit of croissant in her mouth, an impish twinkling in her eyes. “It was so good.”

“That’s okay,” I said.

“Maybe we could share this one,” she said, and she took another bite. She chewed slowly, thoughtfully, and the tip of her middle finger caressed the rim of the empty plate. She noticed me noticing.

“Don’t want to waste the crumbs,” she said, and she took another tiny bite.

“I like these painted plates, don’t you?” she said. “The little flowers...” She touched one with her middle finger. “Sort of like happy little cunts, don’t you think? Or maybe they’re more like little assholes, so sweetly tight but deep down wanting to be fucked.” She pressed her finger against one of the flowers. Tapped her finger. The plate wobbled almost imperceptibly.