"Sure. Come, I'll wash you, little minx-"
"No, no. I'd feel embarrassed," Tanya said in protest. "I prefer to take my bath alone."
"Bashful, eh?" Kevin said, taking her to his bedroom. A king-sized bed with a brass headboard took the central stage. The yellow bedspread, with gigantic arabesques in the middle, was matched by the long curtains, topped by wide balloon valances. A dark mahogany triple dresser, two chairs, and a side table, all in Louis XV style, completed the furnishing.
The room isn't crowded. Everything's in good taste, nothing's cheap. That's Kevin's style, Tanya thought. She entered the bathroom and eagerly plunged in the bathtub letting the water flow on her body.
Soon after, Kevin walked in to offer her a dark blue housecoat.
"Big," Tanya said as she got out of the tub. "Long. Don't you have anything for girls?" She teased him.
"No, ma'am. I got rid of your predecessor's stuff last week." He looked at her tenderly. "You'll be in charge of refilling that department. Soon, I hope." He cuddled her in his housecoat. "I love you," he said as he massaged her body with soft, slow stokes.
Tanya melted in his arms. "I love you, too, Kevin," she said after several moments. "I feel so safe in your arms…"
"We have time for all of that," he said, slightly pushing her away from him. "Let's go to the kitchen. You didn't touch any food for twenty-four hours, Paul told me. He recommended that I feed you-first thing on the list. Come. I've prepared one of your favorite dishes-smoked salmon on rye bread. And plenty of fruit. The bottle of Moët & Chandon may not be too cold, but it will do for tonight."
***
Malcolm found Paul staring at an empty aquarium. "No time to think or talk about fish and the like," he said as he entered his office. "Let's sit. I'd like to 'argue' with you, about Tanya's case-the pros and cons of it. What went wrong, what she did wrong, what we did wrong, if any-" He sat behind his desk and gestured Paul a chair in front of him. "First of all: What do you think are her feelings for Kevin Matwin?"
"She's in that state called 'being in love,' the closest state to dementia."
"You're an expert, from what I gathered," Malcolm said with a grin.
"You may say that," Paul replied placidly.