I stood there gawking. Finally I got the idea. She didn't want me to get all wet. Or, she didn't want my robe to get all wet. She wanted her lovely back scrubbed. Or maybe we could do some mutual scrubbing. She wanted me there in the shower with her.
I began to take the robe off. She smiled at me through the half-open sliding door of the shower. She glistened with water. She looked all tan and silvery and sleek, sleek as if she were made out of tight-stretched leather.
And then chimes rang. We both heard them. She looked at me and sighed. I looked back at her. I hoped it wasn't too obvious. I hoped my tongue was between my lips and back a bit. She smiled and leaned against me and gave me a shower-water-wet and playful kiss. "Oh, well, darling," she said, as if we could do later whatever we hadn't had a chance to do now. "I guess that must be the Fosters. I guess they're early. Better get the door. I guess I'll have to scrub my own back."
The shower door slid shut.
I remembered Mr. Xlptl and his mission. There was no doubt about it now, it was going to work out exactly as Mr. Xlptl said it would work out. He'd given me the power, all right. I said: "Janet, there's only one thing."
"What?" she shouted over the hiss and roar of the shower.
The chimes sounded again.
"Mrs. Xlptl," I said in a loud voice.
"What was that? What did you say?"