“One time, I tied Hawthorne to the bed, and I decided to make him sweat it out a bit to heighten the anticipation, you know?” “Oh, dear God,” I mutter. “I waited an entire thirty minutes for my treat. But then,” he pauses, his words dissolving into soft giggles, “then, when I got back to the bedroom, Hawthorne was asleep.” He sounds fond, and I shake my head in disbelief.
