It was chilly outside. Natalie had asked Sonny to come pick her up. She wanted to give him his bimonthly haircut at his place. He said he’d be right over. She always cut his hair in the bathroom, so he closed the bathroom window completely. She didn’t like drafts. He put on his jacket and ski cap, walked out to his car, and drove to her place.

Because she had just finished a difficult work project, Natalie was in a good mood. After they walked into Sonny’s apartment, however, her mood seemed to change. Sonny pretended not to notice, but wondered what was going on. He took the chair, the scissors, and the hair clippers into the bathroom. She didn’t help, as she usually did. He changed into a T-shirt and shorts and sat down on the chair. “I’m ready,” he yelled out to her in the dining room. She didn’t respond.

He walked out to the dining room. She was looking at ads in a magazine. “Didn’t you hear me?” he asked. She gave him a look, and then told him that his apartment was as cold as the outdoors. Yikes, he thought. He apologized to Natalie, and turned on the central heat. But it was too late.