“Nice answer,” Jesse said.
“It’s true. I do miss you,” Sunny said.
“Yes,” Jesse said. “I miss you, too.”
“And,” Sunny said, “I want a favor.”
Jesse nodded.
“Don’t they always,” Jesse said.
“Ohmigod, the weltschmerz,” Sunny said.
“I’m trying it out,” Jesse said. “How’s it play?”
“Sucks,” Sunny said. “Here’s what I need.”
Jesse smiled and nodded.
“You remember my friend Spike,” she said.
“Sure, big guy, beard, looks sort of like a bear.”
“That would be Spike,” Sunny said.
She opened her sandwich and picked up a slice of bacon and took a small bite off the end of it. Sunny always looked as if she’d recently stepped from the shower, combed her hair, ap-plied her makeup carefully, and dressed. There was a freshness about her that made her seem always nearly brand-new.
“He owns a restaurant in Boston,” Sunny said. “Spike’s. Near Quincy Market.”
“Clever name,” Jesse said.
“He wants to expand,” Sunny said. “And he’s looking to get a place up here.”
“Spike’s North?” Jesse said.
“Yes,” Sunny said, “in fact. How’d you know?”
“You got something really clever,” Jesse said. “You probably like to work with it.”
Sunny took a red lettuce leaf from her deconstructed sandwich and nibbled on it.
“I thought being down with the chief of police might be useful to him,” she said.
“How useful has it been for you?” Jesse said.
“More than maybe you know,” Sunny said.
They were quiet for a moment, waiting for the conversation to go to another place.
“I could put him in touch with my friend Marcy Campbell. She’s a real estate broker.”
“Good friend?” Sunny said.
“Yes.”
“With privileges?” Sunny said.
“Why do you ask?” Jesse said.
Sunny nibbled on a tomato slice. Then she put it down and patted her mouth with her napkin.
“How’s Jenn,” she said.
“Gone to New York,” Jesse said.
“To work?”
“Yes.”
“She go by herself?”
“No.”
“Man?” Sunny said.
Jesse leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling, as if he were stretching his neck.
After a time he said, “Of course.”
Sunny nodded. She sipped some iced tea. Jesse sat forward and smiled at her.
“How’s Richie?” Jesse said.
“I don’t exactly know,” Sunny said. “We decided to try a sabbatical from one another. I mean, you know, for God’s sake, his current wife is having a baby soon.”
Jesse nodded.
“And Rosie?”
Sunny shook her head.
“I had to put her down,” she said. “This spring.”
“Oh, God,” Jesse said. “I’m sorry.”
“I know,” Sunny said. “I’ll get past it.”
“Hard,” Jesse said.
