“You know what I mean,” he said, pulling the wastebasket to rest between his feet while he split the Dutch over it. “Why do we have to go into this now?”

When Marlene peeped the move, she knew she had him on the ropes. Whenever Paul didn’t want to answer something honestly, or couldn’t think of a politically correct response, his hands started moving. Normally, he would start sketching or mixing paints, but he didn’t have either within arms’ reach. The blunt would be his buffer.

“Paul, how come every time I wanna talk about something that’s important to me, you don’t?” She moved to stand in front of him. Even sitting, he almost reached her five foot two. “You make me feel like the things that move me aren’t important to you.”

“You know it’s not like that with me, Mar. Of course the things that are important to you are important to me.” He tried to reach out and pull her closer, but she stepped out of reach.

She fixed her eyes directly on his, to make sure she had his undivided attention. “You don’t act like it. Paul, let’s keep it funky,” she began, which bothered him because she rarely used improper English. “We’ve been together for a while now, and what have we accomplished?”

He put the finishing touches on his blunt and glared up at her as if she’d offended him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? You left the city and went with a private firm with more perks, and I’ve given up scamming to go legit. I know I haven’t sold a painting yet, but I’m creating a buzz. Soon it’ll be on and popping!”

“Paul, I think you’ve misunderstood me,” she said seriously. “Both of us have accomplished a great deal of noteworthy things individually, but what have we done together?”

He responded by lighting the blunt.

“That’s the kind of shit I’m talking about.” She threw her hands up. “I say things to you and they go over your head!”

“Marlene.” He exhaled the smoke. “You ain’t gotta be yelling. I can hear you just fine from here.”

“Sometimes it seems like that’s the only way to get a reaction out of you. Do I have to scream like a fool for you to understand that I love you?” she asked, eyes threatening rain.