CHAPTER 6

Next I took him to the groomers and asked for a bath, nail trim, anti-shed treatment, the works. They asked me to come back at six, in four hours, and I gave him a kiss and hug and left. Four hours to take my cards out for a drive.

First I went to the Betsey Johnson boutique in tourist land, Michigan Avenue. I wasn't up on designers for the most part, but I knew I liked her. It took all three hours but I got five dresses, six tops, four skirts, and five pairs of shoes there as well as underwear from down the way. At La Perla I got seven bras with fourteen panties that matched, and five garter belts plus ten pairs of silk stockings.

I was a little late picking Diego up but of course they didn't mind, as well behaved as he was. Any time I'd ever taken Diego into a groomer's they practically begged to keep him there. I really lucked out when my dog chose me to go home with.

He looked great and so I drove him home, changed into one of the simpler outfits, and had to wish a better winter jacket and boots into existence. I took him for a walk and then spoiled him with delivery food.

Then I drove the used Honda I'd bought and went out to the dealership way up on the north shore that I wanted. There were a few raised eyebrows at the rattle-trap Honda, but when I stepped out dressed now in a Betsey Johnson dress and heels, looking groomed, the salesman took notice.

After a solid hour of negotiations I traded in the Honda and drove off in my new Tesla Roadster. Feeling elated, I pulled out the box at a stoplight and wished for a new smartphone with the same phone number, ringtones, contacts. When it came, fully charged, I called my friend Desiree and asked her out to dinner.

To me, everything had changed, but to her I'd always been like this. Oh, the car was new, but she said I'd been talking about buying it for weeks. We discussed her moving to New York as we ate, and I ate whatever I wanted, enjoying the hell out of it.

She noted several men looking at us, but honestly I didn't care. Oh, I missed sex, I really did, and thought it about often, but I didn't want to find somebody right then. Magic was real, and the knowledge rocked my world. It had transformed me and now it was transforming my life. I was on a journey, on a plane in the sky. I couldn't worry about finding someone until I touched back down.

She had energy and I had money, so we went to a club. Her scene, not mine, and of course men descended within minutes. I left her with one and some cab money, then drove home. The first day of my second week of trials had been busy as hell. When I fell into bed I went to sleep right away, the dog curled up at my side.

The next day I took Diego for a long walk as it was warming up and we played in the park with neighbors for a while. I'd have to leave my run down ranch house soon so I made an appointment with a realtor for before lunch.

I explained what I was looking for and watched the dollar signs light up the realtor's eyes. She printed off several possible properties and passed them over. In the car I used my little box to summon a nice designer briefcase and put the papers inside.

Next stop was the salon.

There I turned myself over to the experts. Highlights in my hair came before a cut and style, keeping long but layered. My skin was scrubbed and scraped and moisturized until it was raw and soft, then soothed and oiled and moisturized again. I got all new makeup and learned how to put it on, how to style my hair.

When I looked in the mirror in the designer outfit, fully groomed, I looked at last like one of those women I thought I could never be. It wasn't right. So I made a phone call and set an appointment for the next day to tan, went home and walked the dog and played with him for a bit.

These days had been long, but it was a challenge to get all this done. In two days I'd done a lot, so that night I decided to take it easy. Online I found the latest fashions, figured out what would look good on me, and summoned it all with the box.

I had a Tesla Roadster in the garage and a designer wardrobe. I lived in a crappy rental, but soon that would change. So with big plans, I went to sleep.

The next step took three of the five remaining days. I wanted to be fair so it took some leg work, but I found the home I wanted, which was a brownstone of five apartments. I had to make sure everyone in them wanted to move, which meant creating more and more money in my account. It cost thirty-two million to buy everyone out, but I did, and the building was mine. It would just take two months until I could move in.

So for the interim I bought a house in the Old Irving Park neighborhood, a nice Victorian. I donated all my old furniture, hired movers to box everything else, and spent the last day conjuring furniture for my temporary home.

On the fourteenth day I just knew Alessandra would find me, and indeed she did. My doorbell rang and I answered it nervously. The mirror by the door showed a slim, attractive woman dressed in a tight sweater dress and tall black leather boots. A stranger with a tinge of familiarity.

I opened the door and she was grinning. "Anna!"