Page 20 of Alone With You in the Ether

“I have a boyfriend,” she decided to announce.

“Doesn’t answer the question,” he replied.

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

“Anything else?” asked the waiter, prompting her to jump.

“Just the check, please,” she said quickly.

By the time the waiter had gone, Aldo had raised one hand to his mouth, observing her from his vantage point across the booth. The other hand was resting on the table, forearm tensing while he drummed his fingers in silent agitation.

“So,” Regan said, “if I answer this question, you’ll leave me alone, is that it?”

Aldo’s mouth twitched. “Probably not,” he said. He tapped his fingers on the table again. “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

“I asked you first,” she countered even though she hadn’t, and he shrugged.

“I thought maybe we could be friends,” he said. “Or, if that sounds like too much work, then maybe we can have five more conversations.”

She might have said yes to being friends, even just to be polite, but the follow-up offer was too strange not to question.

“Five?” she echoed. “That’s very specific.”

“Yes.”

“Why five?”

“Seems like a reasonable number.”

“Is that supposed to have some sort of mathematical significance?”

“I think theoretically the mathematical factor would be compiling the sum of your parts.”

“Which you think you can do in six total conversations?” she asked, and then blinked, registering what she’d just said. “Ah,” she murmured, shaking her head at him. “Bees.”

His mouth was most crooked when he was pleased; one side of it lilted up in concession while the other fought to remain in place. “You can refuse, of course.”

“You know I won’t, though.” She sipped the rest of her wine. “Was that just a guess?”

“Oh, yes,” he said, “absolutely.”

“The check, whenever you’re ready,” said the waiter, reappearing at Regan’s side, and she paused him, reaching for her credit card before sending him scurrying off again.

“Alright. Six total conversations,” she agreed slowly, returning her attention to Aldo, “but you have to tell me what you learn about me each time.”

“Fair,” he said. “Will you do the same?”

She shrugged. “If you want.”

“What did you learn today?”

“That you don’t have very many friends.”

His smile broadened.

“And you?” she asked. “What did you learn about me?”

“That you’re so bored you’ll agree to six meaningless conversations with a stranger,” he said.

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