Page 49 of Two Marlboros

I also had to take Steve’s lecture, great. If I stood there, it was only because I didn’t care about Nathan, certainly not to be a doormat.

“He’s free to do what he wants.”

“Why don’t you pull out some dignity and go get him back? You’re the one who was invited to the party, not him.”

That conversation would have gone on forever if I hadn’t done something. Steve’s cheeks were beginning to color from too much ardor or too much alcohol - who knows.

“So, what should I do?”

“You go over there and tell them the ten minutes are up! Look at you - you make me want to slap you like you so hard. So? What are you waiting for?”

Steve’s sentiment was almost touching. All he was missing was the bandana with Nathan’s name written on it.

“Alright, I’m off. Thanks for the company.”

“Wait! What else are you going to say to him?”

Getting rid of him seemed more complicated than expected: I had known him not even twenty minutes and already he was sticking to me like a leech. I shrugged.

“I don’t know, I’ll tell Harvey I’d like to spend some time with Nathan.”

He slammed his glass down on the table. “No. You have to be more forceful. Try telling him, ‘You didn’t tell me you wantedto have a threesome, Nathan.’ He’ll be so taken aback that he’ll drop it right away.”

Far from being taken aback, Nathan’s jaw would have dropped straight off. It was not a phrase that suited me, but it might have been fun to watch his reaction.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

“Way to go!”

Perhaps, in addition to the bandana, he was also missing pompons and some trumpets.

My head felt light, floating, and my body weighed at least fifteen pounds less. The competition among alpha males had begun, and to me it felt like walking on the moon. As Nathan saw me walking toward him, he did not take his eyes off me. Eventually Harvey had to turn around too, and my stomach twisted once again. As soon as I reached them, I cleared my throat, ready to enjoy the reaction of the two, who looked at me in amazement.

“You didn’t tell me you wanted to have a threesome, Nathan.”

His lips, from straight and flat as they were, opened in a perfect circle. Harvey pointed.

“Is he your boyfriend?”

“No!”

Nathan paled.

“What do you mean? I’m not your boyfriend?”

“No. Alan, with him it doesn’t--” and he rubbed a hand over his eyes. “With him it doesn’t matter.”

“Maybe it’s better if we talk about this in private. Even because the ten minutes are long gone and, you know, I’m taking him back.”

“Alan, have you been drinking?”

Now even his eyes were as wide as his mouth.

Harvey, on the other hand, had not reacted. He crossed his arms and remained serious.

“Go on, don’t worry. I’ll talk to you another time.”

Just hearing Harvey’s voice twisted my stomach; I didn’t know if it was because of his lived-in attitude or the molasses in every sentence directed at Nathan.

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