6:54PM: this is going fast on the radio now, it’s a woman and a man going back and forth like this, typing everything i can discern:

‘excuse me the oxygen is failing’ ‘is there somebody else’ ‘i don’t care to talk about it’ ‘dr. harris’ ‘i need time to think i’ve told you that before’ ‘because you badger me’ ‘please don’t tell me over and over’ ‘alright i’m sorry’ ‘hand me a needle’ ‘needle’ ‘thread’ ‘thread’ ‘i don’t even know what i’m doing’ ‘i have this joke for you’ ‘knock knock’ ‘knock knock’ ‘who’s there’ ‘catgut’ ‘cat gut who?’ ‘stop trying to cheer me up’ ‘this is absolute blackmail’ ‘dr. harris you’re a doctor, a doctor’ ‘the oxygen is failing again’

stopped typing to laugh. ‘what the hell is this.’ louis said ‘what?’ i said ‘i wasn’t even paying attention and the radio just started being this.’ he said ‘oh no yeah, i know, it’s weird.’ i said ‘yeah, what is this?’ he said ‘i don’t know, it’s weird.’ now he is using a drill.

7:17PM: louis said ‘just so you know, this is a two-man job.’ i said ‘oh shit, i can help.’ he said ‘no no, that’s just why it’s taking so long, usually two guys.’ i said ‘so, the other guy…you usually…’ he said ‘yeah i usually got a helper.’ i said ‘but he just didn’t show up?’ he said ‘yeah he didn’t show up today.’ i said ‘shit.’ it was quiet. looked at bed frame and said ‘when i saw that thing in the store, it looked so complicated—i thought it’d come already put-together.’ he said ‘nah, i gotta put this together. it’s annoying.’ i said ‘your helper friend is, like, at a fun memorial day party.’ he said ‘yeah, and i’m here.’ i said ‘he sucks.’ he said ‘i know.’

have periodically…when i first saw louis i thought ‘i wonder if we’re going to have sex.’ he has kind eyes. kind intelligent ‘i’m not just cruising somewhere behind these’ eyes.

7:25PM: stepped over skeletal bed frame to get red bull and said ‘are you sure i can’t help, this seems annoying.’ louis said ‘nah.’ i said ‘so how does it work, how do they pay you?’ he said ‘well you pay for the assembly and furniture together, right?’ i said ‘yeah, at the store. er. i think so. there were two lines.’ picked up the receipt. he said ‘you see that seventy-nine dollars?’ i said ‘yeah.’ he said ‘well i get half of that,’ chuckling a little, like, mournfully. his voice is soft. i said ‘that’s all?’ he said ‘y-eah’ and looked at me slowly. i said ‘well at least you don’t have to split it with another guy.’ he said ‘what?’ i said ‘like, your helper. guy. at least you don’t have to split it again.’ he said ‘oh, y-eah.’ i said ‘they pay you by the hour though also, though, right?’ he said ‘nah.’ i said ‘what’ and made a face. he said ‘nah nothing by the hour.’ i said ‘i feel like that’s…not allowed, somehow.’ he made fists and said his fingers hurt from stretching rubber on the skeletal thing. i said ‘do you want like, a beer?’ he said ‘oh, no, thank you.’ i said ‘i have like, beer, a beer, hummus, and. cat food. i wish i could offer you something.’ he said ‘no, that’s fine.’