“What?”

“It’s about a woman. That a woman is more valuable than any pearl…I can only imagine Sarah’s face if she saw me now. Is your shower working?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll go get you a fresh towel.”

She got up and, in a minute, I heard the rustle of the oilskin shower curtain and the sound of running water from the shower.

***

In the morning Jenn was putting makeup on by the mirror. She was already in her dress, her hair brushed, lips made up. Yet she was still barefoot; her shoes were in the hallway.

I was making coffee by the stove and peeking at Jenn through a square gap in the wall separating the kitchen from the room. Shortly I brought out two cups of coffee, a sugar bowl, and milk from the kitchen into the room and placed them on the table.

“Don’t leave. Now we don’t need to rush anywhere,” I said.

“Adam, dear, do you really think that there can be something serious between us? You’re silly. My son can be your friend and I am old, fat, and sick. If I start listing my diseases you will get scared.”

She stepped away from the mirror, and then looked at the walls covered with sketches, where she was in the image of a Black Swan, ballerina wearing a tutu, “nude.”

“It’s an art gallery dedicated to Madam Jennifer Levy, right? It turned out I was not just a supervisor for you, but also a model. I hope not a bad one.” She came to the table where I sat making final changes to the setting with teaspoons. “That’s it. I decided. Can I ask you a favor, Adam? But promise that you will do what I’m about to ask.”

Looking extremely serious, I continued laying out two teaspoons, fixing one by the cup, then the other.

“Forget about me. You hear? I will write you an excellent evaluation for completing the internship. So be happy that you fucked your supervisor; enter me into your list of conquests.”