“‘Jaded’?” she said, scoffing. “The second, emotional half? I’m not about it. It’s all about ‘Mob Ties.’”

“‘Mob Ties’!” I said, leaning back and erupting.

Our legs made contact.

I immediately had an impulse to move it, but then didn’t.

To see if she moved it.

She didn’t.

We stayed like that a sec.

But then, like clockwork, lil pup bounded in between us, face up close to hers, panting.

She looked at me, apologetic.

“Better get back to it.”

Just like that.

“You sure?” I said, cocking my head.

“Think so.”

She stood.

Raised her arms in farewell.

Going in for a hug, I tried to initiate groin contact.

But she was leaning forward, hugging me shoulders up, in the most professional, non-intimate way imaginable.

5

ROOMIE BRO

July 2018

Roomie bro was done with the spot.

Lease was about to be up, and he wasn’t tryna re-sign.

He probably woulda been, had I given any indication I too was tryna.

But I’d been talking about how I was ‘probably gonna skip town, any day now,’ for days now.

Since the day I moved in.

“Oh you know, maybe hit my Humboldt plug and get back into the weed game.”

“Or you know what—might move back into my van and just fkng roam, bro.”

“Or fuck it: sell my van and just start walking again. Maybe probably through Mexico this time. Bro—you fuck with Mexico?”

I doubt he ever believed me; same time, he wasn’t about to sign on for another year of counting on me as a roomie.

But roomie bro’s wifey’s friend from college had a beach house in Delaware.

They were headed out there for a July 4th weekend hang.

“Tryna pull up?” he asked on July 2nd.

“Shiiit, I’m down,” I said. “Ain’t got shit else going.”

“Only thing,” he added. “Is…you tryna drive?”

Roomie bro’s wifey had gotten called into work; her whole crew had already caravanned out there.

They needed a ride.

“Ha,” I said. “For sure,” slightly hurt but also not caring. Just happy to be included.

Hadn’t driven with two passengers for days.

Maybe ever.

Only with a sidekick.

A partner in navigation.

Had to see what was good back there.

I went out back, entered the back of the 6' x 6' x 10' box through the side door.

Folded down the futon couch into bed mode, wedging it into the back corner with my cooler and tub of roof paint I’d had since 2015—that I’d been planning to paint my van’s roof with, since 2015—so it wouldn’t jostle around.

After picking up roomie bro’s wifey from her work, roomie bro agreed to ride in the back, lounging on the bed.

“Crack those Reflectix curtains it gets too dark back here,” I said.