“Oh, they come over sometimes. Mostly, I think, to sell dope to high-school kids.”
“Can’t you stop them?”
“Can I stop kids from buying dope?” Jesse said.
Jenn nodded.
“Or selling it?” Jesse said.
Jenn nodded again.
“No,” Jesse said.
“You can’t?”
“No,” Jesse said. “But I don’t feel too bad about that. Nobody else can, either. Anywhere.”
“Are you suggesting we just ignore it?”
Jesse was silent for a moment, looking at her.
Then he said, “Are we on camera?”
“Oh, God, Jesse, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be inquisitorial. I just get so caught up in being Ms. Journalist, you know? Always ask the follow-up question.”
Jesse nodded.
“I would like to investigate the gang thing, though,” Jenn said.
She smiled. The force of her smile was nearly physical. Jesse always felt as if he should grunt from impact.
“Not a good career move,” she said, “to go back and tell the news director that my ex says there’s no story.”
“No,” Jesse said.
“Are you mad ’cause I was, like, cross-examining you?”
“No.”
“I care about my job, you know.”
“I know.”
“It matters to me, just like yours matters to you.”
“I know.”
“I guess it makes me sort of a pill sometimes,” Jenn said.
“Everyone’s job corrupts them a little, I imagine,” Jesse said. “And you could never be a pill.”
Jen smiled at him.
“Even your job?” she said.
Jesse nodded.
“What has your job done to you?” Jenn said.
Jesse was silent for a time.
“I guess,” he said finally, “you could say it has narrowed the circle of my expectations.”
Jenn stared at him and widened her eyes.
“You want to talk about that?” she said.
“Not much,” Jesse said.
“Please,” Jenn said.
