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“You’re not feeling bad about what happened yesterday, are you?”
“I don’t know how to behave around men right now,” Barbara said. “It makes it worse talking to you, Michael. I’ve done some terrible things. I just want to do something to make myself feel better. Anything.”
“You probably don’t want to go out to the Tivoli gardens this afternoon, do you?”
“No,” Barbara said. “It’s just that I can’t. I told Cynthia I’d go somewhere with her. She’s going to show me the Forum, if she can remember how they got there, and then we’re going shopping. I’ve got to go find her. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore. Bye.”
He watched her push through the crowd towards the exit. He pulled out the second bottle of Pepto Italiano and cracked the top. He wished he had brought aspirin as well.