“Jack was crucial, Lorelei. He knows everything. I showed him your diary last week.”
“You what now?”
“Yeah. After we made that scene in the restaurant and had our fun. You were sleeping so I went looking for him. I was going to pound his face for dating you. Instead, when I found him, we talked. He’s a nice guy, Lorelei, and I apparently get off on setting you up with guys.”
“You’d be a great pimp,” I murmured.
“Jack really likes you. I think he likes your go-get-‘em attitude.”
“He read my diary,” I repeated. My diary was full of—oh, crap.
Dean watched my conflict with transparent delight.
“He’s on board with your abnormal fantasies, Lorelei. He’s obviously as perverted as you are. He won’t hit you during sex, though. He didn’t like you with the black eye.”
“Black eyes are hard to explain anyway.” I kissed Dean and gave him another hug. “I know we have a weird relationship, but you understand me, Dean. You were always the asshole I needed.”
“Time to graduate to nice guys,” he said softly.
We sat for a moment and then he shook me. “Thanks to you, we have $130 to get us to Dayton. Go get Jack. I’ll drop you guys off at Ohiopalooza before I turn myself in.”
I nodded, unsure what I was feeling. Elated? Sad? Relieved?
“One last time on the road.”
FOUR MINUTES
Theo Fenraven
They didn’t “meet cute.” Their eyes locked across a crowded smoky room that smelled of booze, sweat, and desperation, and after the requisite two drinks at the bar and exchange of basic information, Ad took Ben home.
“What the hell kind of name is Ad?” Ben asked, groping him in the taxi.
“Short for Adair. I guess Mom was hoping I’d be famous one day.”
“All parents hope their kids will be famous one day. So, are you?”
“Fuck, no… but you are.”
“I know.”
Ad had recognized him right away.
They spent the night rolling around in sheets from Walmart. They saw each other again the next night, and then Ben flew off to NYC, where he had meetings scheduled.
* * *
Ad was in bed watching a movie when Ben called. “How’s New York?”
“Great. How’s Chicago?”
“Cold. Why’d you call?” Hearing from Ben again was the last thing he’d expected.
“Was reading something that made me think of you: The Science of Love.”
“That reminded you of me?”
“It’s an article online. There are three stages of love: lust, attraction, and attachment.”
Ad laughed. “Let me guess… we’re at stage one.”
“Actually, it’s an interesting article. At the end… hang on… it says, How to Fall in Love and then lists three things. Number one, find a complete stranger. Two, reveal to each other intimate details about your lives for half an hour. Three, stare deeply into each other’s eyes without talking for four minutes.”
“Are you serious?”
“The article is, yeah. A psychologist has been studying why people fall in love. Following those three steps, many of his couples felt deeply attracted after thirty-four minutes. Two subjects got married later.”
Ad said, “So you’re not just a pretty face.”
“Surprised to find I also have a brain?”
“Absolutely flabbergasted, and utterly delighted.”
* * *
The next night, they were on the phone again.
“What are you doing?” Ben asked.
“Putting on eye makeup.”
There was a long pause. “Do that a lot?”
“I’m going out. I was in the mood.” Peering into the bathroom mirror, Ad smudged the shadow under his left eye. “You’re an actor. You wear makeup all the time.”
“Only on a set. Send me a picture?”
“Sure. Gotta go now.”
* * *
Two days passed before Ad heard from him again.
“Nice picture. While looking at it, I revealed intimate things about myself for half an hour and then stared into your made-up eyes for four minutes.”
“Did you feel deeply attracted?”
“Depends. What would you call jacking off afterward?”
“I’d say you’re still in the lust stage.”
“Why don’t we change that. Come visit me in New York. I’ll be here for another couple of weeks.”
“I have work. Also, you and sharks, man.”
Ad almost heard him puzzling that out, and then Ben was laughing. “We both have to keep moving, true, but what does that have to do you with visiting me?”
Ad’s grin faded. “What’s the point, Ben? We had a good time and moved on.”