“I just don’t like all that nosing around, you know? Where they count the days since you called, and they know exactly what you said you’d be doing, and they remind you of it when you say you did something else? I mean, I think I’m a sensitive guy, but I can’t watch everything I say all the time. I can’t just take care of them all the time. It’s too much responsibility, I’m not ready for that. I don’t know if I’ll ever be.

“At this point, I’d rather make good films than a good home. I’m not saying this is an ideal outlook, I’m just saying it’s how I see things right now. I do think this new picture’s gonna be really good, which will be a drag in a way. Because then, you know, I won’t be able to tell whether women like me for myself or for Ziz! . . .”

“I was at Helena’s Friday night and I saw George there,” he said. “He was so cold to me I couldn’t believe it.”

“Who were you at Helena’s with?” she said.

“I don’t think . . . I’m just telling you about George,” he said. “I don’t think that that matters.”

“It’s not that it matters,” she said. “Look, we’ve known each other for three months. I know you don’t see me exclusively, we’ve gone over that. Who were you with?”

“Well, you’ll probably hear about it anyway,” he said. “Charlene Hasselhof.”

“The girl from television?” she said. “The television actress?”

“Yeah,” he said.

“Really?” she said. “I wouldn’t have thought you’d go out with somebody from television.”

“Actually, I normally wouldn’t,” he said. “I find it a very limited medium, as you know. But it turns out she’s very . . . She’s bright. She’s almost as . . . No, I would just have to say she’s as bright as you are.”

“She’s as bright as I am,” she said.

“Uh-huh,” he said.

“Is she funny?” she said.

“Well,” he said, “she’s not as funny as you, but she is funny. Yeah, she’s funny. I mean, I was very surprised.”

“Why would you tell me this?” she said. “Why would you tell me this?”

“What do you mean?” he said. “You asked me. I thought you’d want to know that there was another smart girl out there.”