“Stick it in your desk drawer if you have to.”

“I’ll keep it on silent,” Michael said.

Carla gave one nod and walked back down the carpeted hall.

Michael looked at the empty square on his paper calendar for tomorrow afternoon.

The blank white box looked peaceful.

He wrote the word presentation in small, neat letters right in the middle of it.

At seven o’clock Michael stood at his kitchen counter.

He dropped a handful of dry penne into a tall steel pot of boiling water.