Act I – You can talk to me

June 2000 – The Mark Hotel – Upper East Side, New York

The Madison Suite was gorgeous, with its luxurious furniture and sumptuous textiles. Still, Michael barely paid attention to the surroundings. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the living room, the elegant crystal coffee table, the bottle of cognac, and the two glasses. Both empty.

The heat crawled from the back of his neck up to his skull. He felt he was about to get pounded by one of those horrible headaches that would always manage to sour his mood and ruin the rest of his night. However, there was nothing to be pissy about. He had just enjoyed a lovely, enticing, relaxing evening with a sexy girl, and – and that was the best part – he was about to go back to his penthouse at the Trump Tower and chill out. Without anybody around. He just had to hang on just a little longer and then he would be able to bolt, no strings attached.

Leaving his female friend there right after screwing her would have been impolite, utterly rude. So he had stayed in bed with her just a little longer than he had initially expected, gently playing with her hair, not having much to say. After all, earlier that day he hadn’t asked her out planning to have sex with her. Well… Not necessarily, although it had been in the back of his mind. He had just been in the mood for some uncomplicated company. But indeed, it had been convenient that he had booked a suite in one of the classiest hotels in Manhattan. Just in case he and Leah needed some privacy as they chatted and enjoyed a drink.

Everything else had pretty much happened naturally, without him prompting her to do anything. They had been sitting in the living area, each on their own love seat, just sipping a glass of that very expensive cognac, talking about trivial, easy, noncommittal stuff. She had told him how much she loved being a manager and bossing male employees around. He had just laughed in return – knowing well that he would never be one of those males. His days of being bossed around by the ladies were over and he managed his own circus, now.

And then, at one point, Leah had simply stood up, walked over to him and knelt down between his legs, her hands on his knees. Her eyes had stayed on him for a moment before her fingers came to cup his crotch. No thoughts of acting dominant with him at all – quite the opposite, in fact. She had taken his glass from his hand and quietly rested it on the coffee table as he tried to keep the conversation going for a little longer. Michael knew well what was about to happen… not because he would take things for granted, but simply because it had already happened a couple of times or so in the past months. Leah was one of the friends with benefits he knew he could ring up whenever he was in New York and didn’t want to spend the night alone, at least not until he felt relaxed and worn out enough to go back to his place.

The blow-job had been a pleasant ice-breaker and, at that point, it had become inevitable for things to progress in the bedroom. And sure as heck she had been perfectly compliant, just the way she knew he liked it.

“Don’t tell me you’re flying back to L.A. tonight.”

Her voice reached him almost like a faint mirage – barely audible – and Michael tried to refocus. He pulled up the zipper of his pants and began fastening his belt as he turned to look at her. She was still in bed, naked, and looked disheveled. Satisfied.

Good.

“Tonight? You mean now? Ah… No, I don’t think so.”

He remained purposefully vague – aloof. His plan was to take his kids to the American Museum of Natural History later in the morning, and maybe relax for a couple of days before returning to the ranch. However, he wasn’t prone to sharing that information with Leah. They didn’t have the emotional intimacy or personal confidence that made him feel comfortable talking about his whereabouts or inner thoughts. Their whole thing was merely sexual, and he was OK with it.

“And where are you staying, then? Now that you no longer have your place at the Trump Tower….”

Michael frowned.

“What?”

“You can spend the night here if you want. With me. You said this suite is booked until tomorrow, after all.”

Oh, right. He had told Leah that he no longer stayed at his penthouse at the Trump Tower whenever he was in New York because it was no longer in his possession. Which was a lie, of course. The fact was that he didn’t want to take her to the place he had once shared with Lisa, but he also didn’t want Leah to think she was just some piece of ass to him. Even though she kind of was.

“It is, but it’s fine. I got some friends in town and promised I would spend the night at their place.”

“Female friends?”

His eyes narrowed as he slowly began buttoning up his shirt. What was that about? Was she getting jealous and possessive of him all of a sudden? Yes, the question had been delivered in an ironic tone, but he recognized the undercurrent. The unsaid. And just like that, he didn’t feel so guilty about having lied to her at all.

“Family friends.”

Apparently, he didn’t have any problem with another lie either.

“Oh… I understand.”

Maybe she did, but she looked disappointed anyway. There was nothing he could do about it.

“Yeah…” He sighed.

There it was, the dreadful moment of goodbye. Michael noticed that it was getting worse lately, more strained and uncomfortable. It had been much more manageable the previous times, but then Leah started getting a little too attached. The pounding in his head began to increase and his need to leave that place – and her – became almost unbearable. Maybe whoever had accused him of not being able to stay in a relationship wasn’t wrong, after all.

“Look, Leah… Why don’t you just stay here for the night and relax? You can take it easy and enjoy a nice little breakfast tomorrow morning. The pretzels here are something else, I’ve been told.”

“Oh, I know how generous you are and that you’ve already taken care of everything. Thank you, Michael. Well… I was planning to go back home, but you have kinda worn me out… So maybe I will take up on your offer.”

She smiled and he smirked back at her. It was nice to know that he could still give pleasure to a woman, as recently he hadn’t been really out there having affairs at all. It had happened maybe a handful of times over the past year, since he and Lisa had decided to part ways for good.

“I take it as a compliment.”

“It is.” She sat up and held her hand out to him. Hesitantly, he stepped closer and took it in his own. “Hey, why don’t you just stay for a little longer, at least? Maybe we can try out that huge Jacuzzi in the bathroom.”

“Sounds fun, but I gotta go back to my babies… You know that…” He kissed the back of her hand and sighed again.

“All I know is that you never stay for the night…”

“Leah… I’m a dad.”

She laughed, a bit forcibly.

“Right. But even dads are allowed to spend the night out, every now and then.”

“Not this dad.” Bad enough that he was sometimes forced to stay away for days because of his business. But to not say goodnight to his kids because of a meaningless fling? No. Not at all. He squeezed her hand gently, then let it go. “But it was nice to see you again, Leah.”

Leah fell back into the pillows, her breasts exposed, and watched him quietly for a moment. Her eyes on him felt unsettling, and he decided to distract himself and retrieve whatever piece of clothing was still scattered on the carpeted floor. His tie, for example. He picked it up and frowned, then pushed it into the back pocket of his jeans.

“This is never gonna be more than what it is now, right?”

Biting the inside of his cheek, Michael put on his jacket.

“I am sorry. This is not the right… time… to talk about any of this.”

“No, I know. It never is the right time. I get it. Sorry for asking.”

“It’s totally OK.”

What else was he supposed to say? He knew that, deep down and despite her easygoing attitude, she was disappointed he wouldn’t give her more than a few hours of mindless sex every few months. However, he had always been clear about his intentions and mindset. It wasn’t just that he wasn’t looking for anything serious at the moment. It was also that he could not get there mentally. He needed some emotional space of sort. Space to breathe in and breathe out, to think things through, and to accept that maybe he would never be the man he had thought he could be for such a long time.

“Do you do this often?”

That had been the question Leah had asked him after they had hooked up for the first time. By this, she had meant having sex with women he barely knew and he didn’t have any emotional attachment to. Women to whom he would usually send a bouquet of flowers, the next day, but nothing more than that.

“No, not often.”

She had seemed to assess his answer.

“Does your wife know?”

It had been a normal, even more than justified question, yet his mind had short-circuited for a moment. His wife? What did Lisa have to do with him sleeping with another woman? They were no longer together, and he had never cheated on her when they were. Neither had she. But things were different now, and he was more than allowed to…

And then it had hit him like a ton of bricks. Leah had been talking about Debbie, a woman that Michael had never been able to see as his wife – simply because she wasn’t. Even though the damn papers said otherwise.

“It’s all good. We both have our… friendships… and we’re about to divorce anyway.”

“Really?”

Leah hadn’t sounded surprised at all. Of course, she couldn’t know that his marriage to Debbie had an expiration date from the get-go, but probably the whole thing didn’t look all that authentic from the outside either.

“Yeah.”

“And she never minded you having other… friends.”

It had been one of those questions that didn’t sound like questions.

“Nope.”

“Not even friends like Lisa Marie?”

That had been the first and only time Leah had brought up Lisa’s name. Probably she had seen how easy it was for him to clam up whenever his ex-wife was mentioned, and had decided not to touch that tickling bomb any longer. Michael had been more than relieved, and possibly that was why he and Leah had seen each other again after that first night together. As long as she shut up about Lisa Marie, maybe they could still fool around.

Yet he knew that, if she refused to hang out with him from now on, he wouldn’t give a shit.

About twenty minutes later, Michael was in the car, quietly staring at the dark road outside – swirling and twisting just outside the window like an endless snake. He was physically drained and not really in the mood to talk to the driver who, after a bit, had decided to put some music on. Some instrumental tracks, piano and saxophone taking all the space.

Michael’s emotional state hadn’t improved at all despite the robust sex session he had allowed himself to get lost in. He was still somber, quieter than usual – and not in that shy way so many people had experienced when meeting him. He was simply folded into himself, pensive. At times remote. He had been that way for months and despite not feeling really depressed, sometimes he wondered if something was wrong with him. With that dullness he felt – as if he didn’t care about anything except for his children and his music, and even the latter being optional at times, lately.

Once back to the penthouse, he planned to make sure Prince and Paris were nice and cozy in their little beds, thank the babysitter for her service and then go to sleep – or at least relax for a while, hoping to get some rest. He would think about everything else later in the morning, when he would maybe be a little more clear-minded.

Glancing at his watch, he noticed it was past 2 AM and cursed under his breath. Damn. He hadn’t planned the whole thing with Leah to run so late. Yet, at the same time, he was a man and had needs, and could give himself some slack for wanting a few hours for himself every now and then. Just not the entire night.

“It’s all good. I’m gonna be OK.”

“What, boss?”

He hadn’t even noticed he had mumbled those words out loud.

“Nothing. I’m sorry.”

“Do you want me to turn off the music?”

“Hell no, crank it up.”

He didn’t care, really. But at least the driver wouldn’t hear him if he spoke to himself again like a loon.

He closed his eyes and zoned out from the mild headache he was experiencing. He just tried to feel his destination approaching. In that perfect darkness, in that absolute visual nothingness, he felt more comfortable at the moment, and so he just felt. Minutes passed and something changed. He wasn’t sure, but from the way the driver was slowing down the car, he could tell they were almost at the Trump Tower.

He decided to keep his eyes closed even when it became clear that they had entered the underground garage. He half-smiled to himself and undid a couple of buttons on his shirt. Oh, thank God for small favors. He loved to have his private entrance and, after all, it wasn’t inconvenient that it was so late. Nobody would be there for once, and he would be able to quietly take the elevator up to his penthouse on his own. Of course, there wouldn’t be Lisa feeling him up in that secluded space, like it had happened countless times through the years, but it was OK. He would get used to that at some point in the future. To not seeing her every time he wanted. He was starting to get used to that, in fact… he just needed a little more time to assess.

Michael politely asked his driver to wait in the garage, wished him goodnight, then walked out of the car and into the elevator.

The kids were OK, and he could tell that Susan, the babysitter, was relieved that he was finally back. Michael felt guilty. Susie was a university student he would usually call whenever he was in town, because Prince and Paris loved her and also because her resume in childcare was spotless. He also paid her well and was happy to help her with her studies. However, he usually didn’t keep her up until past midnight. Where had his mind been?

“I am so sorry, Susie. I don’t know where my mind was… it’s never gonna happen again.”

Susan grabbed her backpack and threw it on her shoulder. She smiled, but it was obvious that she was tired and needed some sleep. Yeah, he could relate.

“Mister Jackson – stop apologizing, please! It’s perfectly fine.”

“No, it’s not. I should have called. I wish I did.”

She just shrugged as they walked together toward the foyer.

“Sometimes we just have to care about many things and forget about something. It happens and it’s no big deal. Besides, I finally had the chance to finish reading a book I really didn’t like. So thank you for that.”

Michael giggled.

“Well, then…”

He handed out the money – a little more than Susan expected – and she smiled again, putting the dollar bills in her back pocket.

“Wow. Thank you, Mister Jackson. I do hope you had a great night, by the way.”

He squinted.

“I can’t complain. Please, don’t forget to let me know when you’re home and safe. A text will be fine.”

“Gosh, you sound just like my dad. Your driver will walk me straight to my door, you know that, right? He does it every time, even though I told him it’s unnecessary.”

Of course Michael knew. He had left specific instructions about Susie the very moment she had started working for him. He couldn’t imagine letting her walk back home by herself, or take the subway, or a cab. Especially not this late at night.

He also loved how normally she treated him. She wasn’t starstruck at all, she never had been, and she didn’t seem to want anything from him. Instead, she seemed to genuinely enjoy spending time with his kids and was easygoing, grounded and fun. It was so refreshing to have the chance to interact with regular people every now and then – folks who weren’t gravitating around him just because of some grandiose delusion.

“I know, but I just want to make sure.”

“Yes, sir!”

She playfully saluted him, like a soldier, and he watched her walk into the elevator that would take her straight to the private area of the garage. He waved at her and waited until the elevator doors closed. Then, he let out a deep breath. Maybe he needed another drink before going to bed. Some iced tea would be fine. No more alcohol for tonight!

Removing his shoes and throwing his jacket on the armchair in the foyer, he walked over to the kitchen and noticed that the answering machine was blinking. Uh-oh. Someone had called. Susie hadn’t told him anything about it, but after all she had been in another wing of the penthouse with the kids. And it wasn’t her job to take his calls anyway. Michael considered waiting until the next day before listening to the messages, but then just shrugged and pushed the little red button. As the machine began doing its thing, he opened the fridge and took out a pitcher of tea, pouring some in a glass.

“You have… one… message…”

Dang, he hated that voice. Why did it sound so weird and mechanic and constipated? Maybe he should record his own welcome message. Or maybe not.

Then he heard the standard beep signaling the beginning of a message. Then static. Then a long sigh. And then a voice he hadn’t heard in a month. Lisa’s voice.

“Hey, you…”

From those words alone and the way she had pronounced them – the slight slur, the Southern accent a little more pronounced when usually it wasn’t even there – Michael already knew that she had been tipsy when she had called. And vulnerable.

“Yeah, don’t even start… I know it’s quite late over there… here too… and actually I don’t even know where the heck you are at the moment… I called Rebbie and she told me you’re probably still in Switzerland with the kids… She wasn’t sure when you’d return, but she told me you might have plans in New York this week, so…”

Michael sat at the kitchen island, his hand gripping the glass tightly. The iced tea was pretty much forgotten. His entire body was tense, almost vibrating. Why hadn’t Lisa called him on his cell phone? She had his number! He had given it to her personally when they had started talking again, a few months back! Besides, she had missed him by maybe an hour or so, as she had called around 1 AM.

“…If you’re listening to this, you’re probably wondering why I haven’t called your mobile phone…”

Yeah, no shit!

“It’s just that… I am not sure I want to bother you with this crap… And Rebbie wasn’t sure you’d be in New York either… So it seemed like a win-win situation for everyone. In short, the landline seems safer.”

Oh. That was why. Lisa wanted to talk to him but also didn’t want to talk to him. Michael could totally understand the process going on in her mind because he often felt the same way. He frowned, his eyes staring into space as he listened carefully. He could tell that she was upset. What was going on?

“Shit, I’m sure I’m gonna regret doing this tomorrow, but still… I haven’t heard from you in about a month and things… kinda changed since we last spoke. So I, uh… I just thought that maybe I’d be lucky for once and you’d magically be in New York listening to my stupid message and of course, that was super-dumb ‘cause right now I’m here talking to myself like a lunatic.”

She was indeed a lunatic. She always had been. And right now, it sounded as if she was speeding right off the gate as usual. However, Michael’s heart softened and he found himself smiling wearily. His whole posture relaxed and, just like that, he wished her phone call would come now. He wished he could just pick up the phone and speak to her, and understand what was going on and why she had decided to call him so late on a Saturday night. And most of all, what had “kinda changed” since they had last spoken.

“But anyway… I was just thinking… If you ever hear this, and you’re up to it, maybe you can call me back. Whenever you want, ‘cause I’ll likely be awake. And even if I’m asleep, it doesn’t matter. I promise I will pick up the phone, no matter what time it is. Even if I’ll be regretting having called you at all by then.”

She sounded tired. Michael’s eyes closed and he could almost see her smile. He also knew that hers had been a sad, tiny smile similar to the one that had found space on his lips just a moment ago.

“…And maybe we can talk for a bit. I just…” Another sigh. “…I wanna talk to someone who truly knows me. Someone who has the tools and skills to understand me. And you… you do know me, Mike. You’re that person for me, regardless of what went wrong between us. So yeah… Maybe I’ll hear from you later… or one of these days. Until then… night-night, handsome.”

Click.

Michael swallowed. He hadn’t been expecting that little goodbye. Not flirtatious, but tender nonetheless. And honest. All of a sudden, he thought that maybe sleeping could wait for a bit. He was tired, yes, but he also needed to make an urgent phone call.

And just like that, the headache that had threatened to make his head explode ten minutes earlier was gone. Magic.

When he finally decided to stop stalling and dialed Lisa’s number on his cell phone, Michael was lying on his huge bed, right in its center. He had removed his shoes and unbuttoned his shirt and pants, just to feel a little more comfortable. For no apparent reason, he felt a bit nervous. What time was it now, in L.A.? Around midnight, maybe? If Lisa was even in Los Angeles at all, ‘cause sure as heck he had lost track of her in the past month.

Yet, it made sense that they would be talking again, given that this friendship they had been trying out seemed to be working somehow. Amazingly.

Michael and Lisa had started reconnecting on a friendly level a few months earlier, mutually, and at first the road had been kind of bumpy. There was still so much that remained unsaid between them, so much love and sadness laying there unspoken. They had never seen each other again since their final breakup, and Michael was not sure he was up to facing her in person anytime soon. However, cell phones and texts and landlines seemed to work just fine. He and Lisa could do that. Hell, they had been doing that!

Of course, they hadn’t shared endless heartfelt conversations like they had done countless times before, right before getting together, while being together and in their various push and pull phases. Still, their calls had become more comfortable as time progressed and lately it almost felt like they had found some rhythm again. There was some harmony and peace in what they were doing, and Michael had welcomed the novelty and relief that came with it. If anything, the past year had taught him that not having Lisa in his life at all was way more painful than not getting along with her when they were together… or still having her around in a different way.

When they had last talked, before he left for Switzerland with the kids, she had told him that she had started seeing some guy. That she had begun dating him a few weeks earlier, in fact. The revelation had hurt Michael in a way. Of course, he would never admit it with her, but hearing her say those words – imagining her going out with someone who wasn’t him, possibly even having sex with the dude – had stung.

He had reprimanded himself inwardly. She had all the right to move on with her life. After all, he was doing the same, wasn’t he? With all those women peppered all over the country, ready to sleep with him whenever he was in town. Of course, randomly hooking up with a bunch of girls was different than consistently going out with one single person, but he couldn’t fault Lisa. She hated being alone and had always needed stability. In a way, lately, he had started to feel guilty for not being able to give it to her when they were together. He knew she deserved it.

His had been some kind of unexplainable epiphany. All of a sudden, a few months after their last breakup, he had begun to see things differently, almost from her perspective. He had also started to evaluate his own behaviors in a much harsher light, forcing himself to admit that he hadn’t always been the flawless partner he had believed he could be. Let alone husband. He had made so many mistakes in that department… And yet, for a long time he had only been able to see Lisa’s.

It was different now, which was why he hadn’t cut off contact with her when he had discovered that she was dating someone else. It had to happen at some point, and maybe he could still be close to her in a different way. They could still be in each other’s universe.

He had loved her so much, with such intensity. It hurt him to know that she had not always believed that. But he knew that she had loved him just as much. So at least there was that.

As Lisa’s cell phone began to ring. Michael wondered if she still loved him a little bit, ‘cause he sure did. He always would. Some things were just meant to be forever… even when they had to remain secret and unspoken.

“Hello? Mike?”

He smiled.

“Lisa…”

“Well, shit. I can’t believe you called.”

He could tell she, too, was smiling.

“Hey, you said I could.”

“I sure did…”

Her voice dropped an octave and that, coupled with her husky tone, made him feel in some type of way.

It was so odd. He was finally home after having sex for hours with another woman, yet what he had felt with Leah – physical completion, relaxation, the satisfaction that came with fulfilling a purely bodily function – could in no way be compared to the tingling feeling underneath his skin right now. Maybe he shouldn’t even be surprised, knowing the kind of connection he and Lisa had always shared. So hot and intense and raw on every level. Physical, sexual, emotional, and mental. Sex with her had always been mind-blowing and, deep down, Michael knew that the chances he would feel that way again with another woman were slim to none. And if just hearing her voice do its trick over the phone caused him to feel this way, how could he be wrong?

“So, yeah…” He cleared his throat. “I heard your message, and I wanted to make sure you’re OK. I also wanted to know what’s going on.”

She laughed dryly.

“Of course you did. That’s sweet of you, Mike. I wasn’t expecting you to call tonight… I thought you would have at least waited until tomorrow….” A pause. “But I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Well, I am too. Are you at Hidden Hills?”

“Yeah.”

That burning feeling again. Michael closed his eyes for a minute, wishing he knew exactly where she was inside the house they had once shared. Doing what. Wearing what.

“The kids?”

“In their rooms, sleeping. What about your babies?”

His eyes still closed, Michael smiled.

“They’re asleep, of course. It’s quite late here in New York.”

His cell phone vibrated and he pulled it away from his ear.

“Hold on for a second, Lise…”

Squinting at the screen, he noticed Susie’s text – confirming that she was alive and well, and safe in her home. He replied with a simple “:)”.

“What was that buzz?”

“Huh?”

“I heard something in the background. Some noise. Are you messing with your phone?”

“No, I was just… It was just a text from Susan, the babysitter. I had to reply.”

“Wow! Is it normal that you guys exchange texts at three in the morning?”

Michael giggled.

“No, silly. I came home a little later than expected and just wanted to make sure my driver dropped her off at her place safe and sound, that’s all.”

“How gentlemanly of you.”

“Well, you know me…”

“Do I, now? Who knows. Maybe a little bit.”

This staying friendly thing wasn’t going bad at all. Michael only hoped Lisa wouldn’t ask him why he had gotten home so late at night. If at some point in the past he would have probably liked to rub it in, having her know that he was seeing some women wasn’t something that he was willing to share with her at the moment.

“And I know you, Princess. Maybe a little bit. So, tell me. What the heck is going on? What’s wrong?”

This time, Lisa didn’t laugh. She just stayed quiet for a minute. Michael knew she was still there. He could hear her breathing. His eyes still closed, it almost felt as if she was there with him, at a hand’s reach. Almost.

“I can’t talk about it now. Not in detail. But I think I need to get out of town for a while.”

His eyes opened and fixed on the wall in front of him.

“What do you mean? You wanna fly over to New York?”

“No, I was thinking… Would you… Could I stay at your ranch for a while? For a few days, I mean. In different circumstances I would probably pick Graceland – but the kids are gonna be with Danny here in L.A. and I don’t wanna be too far away… you know, just in case they need me.”

Michael’s mind was reeling. Not in a million years would he have imagined that she would ask him to stay at his place for a while. He was utterly caught off guard, but not in a bad way. Not at all. It was true, he wouldn’t have asked her to see her right now, and he thought he wasn’t up to meeting her in person again after so long. Still, now that the chance was concretely on the table… well, of a sudden, it felt different. It felt like a possibility, and a good one at that.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Of course, what?”

He blinked and sat up.

“Of course, I understand why you don’t wanna be too far from Hidden Hills. And Neverland is…”

“Just a couple of hours away,” they finished in unison. Michael smiled to himself.

“So… what do you think? Look, Mike, I am sorry. I know this is kinda out of the blue, but you know me. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t think it was the best option. If anything, your place is peaceful and quiet. A perfect place to clear my mind.”

“What you gotta clear your mind about, Lise?”

He had to ask again ‘cause he hadn’t really been able to understand what was going on with her yet. She wouldn’t tell him, and he realized that whatever it was, he wouldn’t find out now. She wasn’t going to spill the beans over the phone.

“A lot of things. My present. My future…”

Mh. That was kind of vague.

He sighed.

“OK, then. When were you planning to visit? I plan on-”

“What about tomorrow?”

Michael’s eyebrows sprung up.

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah…” Lisa sounded insecure all of a sudden. “Too soon? Maybe it is a bad idea after all. You’re a dad – you sure got plans with the kids. Or maybe you just got stuff to do… Business stuff. I am so sorry. I didn’t even ask you about your plans and probably you are so busy – ‘cause I damn well know you always are. I shouldn’t have even called and gotten you involved with this and…”

He had to laugh.

“Whoa there! Slow down!”

Lisa stayed quiet. Which was a feat in itself.

“Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong with you when I see you?”

Another pause.

“If you want me to… sure. I can try.”

“I definitely wanna know. So… tomorrow it is. You know what? Tomorrow is perfect. Make sure to honk at the gates late in the afternoon, and I’ll be there. I promise.”