“That,” she said with a sly grin aimed at the frightened painter, “is the possessive and very jealous boyfriend I mentioned. I warned you he wouldn’t appreciate you staring at my backside.”

The painter defended himself quickly, throwing his hands up as though to ward off blame. “It was for the sake of art!” he insisted before jumping onto a nearby bench for safety.

His abrupt movement brought to mind an image of a startled monkey seeking refuge in a ...