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“Oh.”

“I need time to think, and if I see you, I won’t be able to think clearly.” She paused. “Matt, will you do me a big favor?”

“Name it.”

“Forget what happened last night.”

“How the hell am I supposed to do that? It happened, and at the risk of repeating myself, I found it to be an entirely delightful experience.”

“I’m not saying it wasn’t,” she said. “My God, couldn’t you tell? What I’m saying is that I don’t want anybody even to guess about it until I can think about it, really think about it. Will you do that for me?”

“Whatever you say, Mother.”

“Thank you.”

“I suppose your having a look at my hand is entirely out of the question?”

“What’s wrong with your hand?” she asked.

That’s genuine concern in her voice.

“I believe you described it as a ‘puncture wound.’ ”

“And I also told you to stop at an emergency room on your way home. You mean you didn’t?”

“I seem to have forgotten that instruction. I must have had something else on my mind. Bleeding to death didn’t seem important at the time.”

“You’re bleeding now?”

More genuine concern.

He looked at his hand.

“No, but it looks unhealthy.”

“Matt, go to an emergency room, please. Right now. I’ll see you at work.”

“How about doing me a favor?”

“If you want me to come there, I will,” she said after a moment.

“What I want you to do is tell me now if you’re trying to… let me down gently.”

“Oh, God! If I was trying to dump you, kindly or otherwise, I would not have offered to come there.”

“You mean that?”

“You think last night was a one-night stand for me?”

“Oh, God, I hope not,” he said, and laughed.

“What’s funny?”

“I seem to have acquired your penchant for ‘Oh, God!’ ”

“Are you all right to drive with your hand?”

“Sure.”