Page 21 of Forbidden Arrangement

“Hello,” he said, looking me up and down.“You’re the man who Valentina met the other night?”

“Yeah, I am.”I looked at Valentina.“You told him about us?”

“Yeah.I mean, I told him that we met.”She gave me a look.

“Oh, you didn’t tell him everything?”

“No.”

“Was there something else I should have known?”Shane asked, looking around.

“Well, yeah.I thought …”

Valentina grabbed my arm and squeezed.“No, Shane, nothing else.Come on, let’s get some nachos for Gabriella.”

“Is she eating again?”Shane shook his head.“How will she ever lose weight if she’s always munching on something?”

I watched Valentina frown.“That’s not cool, Shane.”

“Well, I’m just saying, she’s always complaining about her weight, but she’s always eating.If she wants to lose weight, maybe she should get off her fat ass, and—”

“Hey, dude,” I interrupted him.“That’s not cool.Not at all.”

“Okay.Are you going to fight me or something?”he said, pressing his lips together.

“Well, I mean, we are at an underground fight club.”I stared at him and squeezed my fingers together.“So if you want to get in the ring, I wouldn’t say no.”

“I don’t go for such acts of violence.I am a lover of peace.I am a Yogi.I’m going to India next month so that I can …”

“He’s just joking, Shane.”Valentina gave me a look.“You shouldn’t tease him, Sam.”

“Sorry,” I said, even though both Valentina and I knew I wasn't teasing.

“Why don’t you take Shane back to the seats?”I said to Valentina.“And I will go get the nachos.”

“But I thought you wanted some help,” she said.

“I think Shane needs more help.Don’t you?”

She pressed her lips together.“I thought he’d enjoy it.”

“I’m right here, you know,” Shane said, looking around.“This feels otherworldly to me.I feel like I’m in a movie.”He blinked.“A movie that I would never choose to watch.But I suppose this is a reminder that rough and gruff people are all around us.”He smiled beautifully.“I just thought of a new poem.”

“You did?”Valentina looked up at him.“That’s cool.”

He stopped and held his hand up in the air.“I feel rough.I feel gruff.I feel seen.Look around, and you’ll see men who are fiends.I am pure.I am light.I am air.But all around me are men who do not care.”He put his hand down and then looked at Valentina and me.I stared at him with my jaw open.Was this guy for real?Valentina started clapping.

“Oh my gosh, did you come up with that just now?”

“I did.Perhaps I need to come to these places more often.I feel so inspired.”

I stared at him for a couple of seconds, not knowing what to say.How the hell was Valentina impressed by this crap?

“Hey, Valentina?Actually, you want to come with me and get these nachos after all?”

“But?”

“Come on,” I said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away from Shane.

---