it said 'Jumbo.' I turned the cards over. The hotel name and room number were written on the back, along with a phone number.
'That's his cell phone number,' James said.
'Dawn got one, too?' I said.
'Sure,' Christine said.
She picked up James's cigarettes, took one, put it in her mouth, and leaned toward James. He lit it for her, and she inhaled and let the smoke out slowly, with her lower lip forward so the smoke drifted up in front of her face. Dramatic. I wondered how often she'd practiced. It was odd to sit with two people smoking. I had quit years ago, and it was odd even to see people smoking. Smoking was mostly something done by some shivering isolate outside an office building in the winter.
'He focus in on her?' I said.
'Nope,' James said. 'He was ready for any of us.'
I said, 'It doubles the dating pool, I guess.'
'You interested?' James said.
'No.'
'You don't find me attractive?' James said.
'Stunning,' I said. 'But not my type.'
'What's your type?' James said.
He was having fun.
'Female,' I said.
'You married?' Christine said.
'I keep steady company with the girl of my dreams,' I said.
'So I don't interest you, either?' she said.
'Sadly,' I said, 'no.'
'Because of your girlfriend?'
'Exactly,' I said.
In fact, of course, I had never been aroused by anyone with maroon hair.
'That's amazing,' Christine said.
James grinned.
'Old school,' he said.
'So how come Dawn was the one ended up in Jumbo's hotel room?' I said.
'Too fat for me,' James said.
He dropped his cigarette butt on the floor and stepped on it.
'Christine?' I said.
She squinched up her face.
'Gross,' she said.
'But Dawn liked him?' I said.
'Dawn wasn't choosy who she hooked up with,' James said.
He lit a new cigarette.
'And for crissake,' Christine said, 'he was a freaking movie star. You know?'
'She would care about that?' I said.
'Of course,' Christine said. 'Who wouldn't.'
'You?' I said.
'Sure,' she said. 'But he's too icky.'
'But not too icky for Dawn,' I said.
'No.'
'Why not,' I said.
They were silent for a moment. James let the smoke from his new cigarette drift out through his nose.
'Not many people too icky for Dawn,' he said.
I looked at Christine. She shrugged.
'Dawn wasn't choosy,' she said. 'She was a good kid, but she, you know, went for pretty much anybody with a winkie.'
'A winkie?' I said.
