It was clear what she wanted the moment she walked in. The bottle said it all. She would be trouble, and if I'd seen her coming I'd've pretended no one was home. Too late for that now. She crooked her finger and, sucker I am, I came.

I'd like to say I had some kind of plan, some clever twist that would turn everything around in my favor, but the truth is that I'd always been a pushover for her. Ever since she first skritched me behind the ear, all she had to do was say my name and I'd come running. I could draw a direct line from that first meeting to now, a chain 'round my neck that meant I'd walk willingly where she led, even into a trap.

She led me to a small room, all tile, nice and clinical. Perfect for betrayal. The raised section, clean and white... I'd been here before. I'd thought I was free of it, but fate had brought me back. Fate... and her. Two forces in my life that always have the last word.

I'd survived before, and I'd survive again. Face it: Sometimes you just have to take a bath.