It started with the pants. I bought a pair of gray size 6 Nanette Lepore pants on Etsy. They arrived and they didn’t fit me right around the hips. I posted on Facebook, does someone my size with small hips and good taste want these pants?

Janey Smith responded, yes, but only if you’ve worn them.

I said, Janey, do you want to smell my yeasty woman musk? At that point I was joking and thought she was joking as well.

She said, yes, I do. I didn’t know if she was joking then.

I put the pants on and I tried to do things that would smell. I walked around the block a few times in the sweaty sunlight. Then I took a bath and put the pants back on. I ate a light lunch. I tried to do yoga, but I couldn’t stretch in the pants. I rubbed my perfume on the legs of the pants and then the crotch. I thought about her holding up these pants and breathing in and wondered why I cared what she would think of me. I’d never met this woman at this point. I didn’t even know what she would look like.

I washed the pants and gave them to a friend. I threw away the box on which I’d written her name and address. I threw away the letter that I’d written. I could write to her on Facebook if I wanted to.