Finally escaping her naughty, sexually gratifying, where-did-that-come-from clutches, Anton had somehow convinced Magdalene that it was okay for him to walk home.  The sun was shining, birds were singing, and he needed the fresh air anyway.  Cobwebs needed to be cleared from his muddled head.  She still managed to saddle him with enough taco fixings for a complete meal.  He didn’t argue about that.<br/><br/>The walk home would easily take 20 to 30 minutes, depending on his pace.  And this was assuming he took the most direct route.  Instead, Anton zig-zagged his way home, knowing there was a medium-sized park with benches and a fountain nearby.  A tree and its comforting shade, however, turned out to be his place of rest.  Sitting on the grass and leaning against it, he could see and hear birds chirping on the branches above.<br/><br/>Thoughts steered toward an event from yesterday, particularly his brief conversation with Magdalene.  The one about Stella.  Could she be right about her?  If so, he never saw it for himself.  She was nice to him and his cat, but he had always figured she was just being neighborly, never anything beyond that.  She was attractive with a body to match.  He recalled that day when she was in his apartment wearing yoga pants.  Shapely ass, too, he remembered.  He pondered as to whether or not Brad was tapping that.  The birds continued to sing and cheep, as if offering their advice.<br/><br/>Magdalene seemed thoroughly convinced of her assessment of Stella.  She even threw her women’s intuition weight around for emphasis.  So now what? he wondered, clearly stumped.  He was pretty sure Stella wouldn’t do or say anything at this stage, especially with Magdalene’s display at the ice cream parlor still fresh in his mind.  And he was hesitant to do likewise, in case he and Magdalene were wrong.  Always a possibility.<br/><br/>The birds had been entertaining, if nothing else.  Anton knew it was time to head home.  He wouldn’t go out of his way to avoid Stella, but he was equally unsure about the dynamic between them the next time they bumped into each other, cat related or not.  And speaking of cats, there was no doubt that he’d be on the receiving end of an earful from Licorice.