7:35PM: steve martin banjo music has been playing on radio. i said ‘do you want to listen to something else?’ louis said ‘nah i don’t care.’ i said ‘me neither.’

7:37PM: i said ‘this shit is killing me, i can’t take it,’ walking to radio. louis said ‘what?’ i turned off the radio. i said ‘the banjos.’ louis grinned and shook his head, making a noise like ‘tssssssh.’ like ‘there goes my silly girl again, turning off the banjos.’

he asked for a glass of water. i said ‘you want ice?’ he said ‘okay.’ heard fabric rustling and thought ‘oh shit, will there be another shirt or just.’ it was another shirt. louis said ‘sorry i had to take my shirt off, it was too hot.’ i said ‘you do what you gotta do.’

7:43PM: some things have been established: louis has been at ikea for two months, has lived in the bronx 20 years. we agree that there is crime in philly.

8:15PM: imagining saying something like ‘wanna help me break in the bed,’ leading to sex. realistically imagining sex. nudity. a new person. it would feel bad, i think.

8:32PM: louis is in rubber fastening hell. wonder if i’m going to say something about his white sox hat.

10:09PM: helped louis put the frame on bed. i said ‘that seemed hellish.’ he said ‘what?’ and looked at me with his soft slow smart louis eyes. i said ‘putting it all together, seemed hellish for you. i appreciate it.’ he said ‘nah.’ he said ‘i’ll help you put the mattress on?’ i said ‘that would be great, thank you.’ we did it. there was a moment of us looking at it like ‘we did it.’ he said ‘you wanna jump on the bed or something now?’ and smiled a little. i thought ‘this is your moment. this is when your 24-year-old self would’ve flirtatiously asked him to jump on the bed with you.’ i got on the bed doggie style and hopped and said ‘hooooo-hoohoo. it works!’ tried not to look at louis. then i did. he was smiling. i’m smiling. he asked to use the bathroom.

HERE COMES THE LOUIS BATHROOM FACT:

EXTREMELY OF INTEREST TO ME:

louis did not close the door all the way. he left the water on. i heard him peeing. thought ‘man and wife. it’s true, it really is true, what i’ve been thinking the whole time. he thinks it too. bathroom door open.’

when he came out he seemed sleepier. i said ‘do you have to do this tomorrow too?’ he thought a minute and said ‘hm. y-eah, tomorrow too.’ i said ‘early?’ he said ‘mm-hm. like eight a.m.,’ smiling a little. i initialed a paper. how can i describe louis better? his demeanor. the slow louis demeanor. ‘the louis way.’ slow-cooked louis. his face was so interesting. like, barely expressive but…expressing…i don’t know, he had scars i think, he was…who does he look like…so handsome. shit. kind of like lil b + wes bentley. wish he left his sweaty ass t-shirt here.