Why did he always feel so short around Bess? There were women who literally patted him on the head, but something about the way her gaze landed. It made him feel like her gaze had to staircase all the way down her plus-one, down the desk, down past the subterranean level of the earth, and then stutter back up like she’d gone a flight too far in finding him – even when she looked him right in the eye.

He bet she didn’t even realize he was shorter. Silly him.

“I did,” he said, reaching into his pocket.

On the counter he set down four large, golden rings.

“I was clearing out the closet. How are you and yours doing? Have there been any other thefts since we last spoke?”