Sitting on the red bucket seat, the interior smelling of cigarettes and the console between them a mosaic of cracked vinyl, she felt like nothing had changed at all. She stared forward, watching one of the twins light a joint. Colby switched on the radio and immediately switched it off. He said, “Boy.”

“Boy,” Karen said.

“This is a hell of a reception.”

“If you were expecting some kind of parade, I’m sorry. They don’t give parades for two-timing assholes.”

He tapped his fists against the steering wheel. “I get the feeling there’s something you want to say to me.”

“You called this meeting,” she said, then turned and found his face just inches from hers.

She pushed her tongue into his mouth. He tasted like whiskey.

When they broke apart, she said, “You can go to hell, by the way.”

“Jesus, you’re one crazy girl. You know that? You’re a certified lunatic.”

She glared at him. “Who was that blond slut?”

“Blond slut … you mean, back before I got busted?”

“I mean the one I caught you with. The one you had your secret rendezvous with on the beach.”

“You were following me.”

“Of course I was following you—because I knew you were screwing around.”

“She was a friend of Darryl’s. And for the record, you didn’t catch us doing all that much.”

“It was enough.”

“Remember your little trick with my license plate?”

“How many times have you been laid since then?”

“Since then? Jesus, Karen, I’ve been in prison. It’s not the best place to pick up girls.”

“That doesn’t mean you weren’t getting laid,” she said with a smirk.

“You’re a riot. I was half the time in that hellhole, and half the time doing community bullshit. And since I’ve been out, well, that’s my business. You’re the one who broke up with me, remember?”

She wiped her mouth and refolded her arms, staring forward again. After a minute she said, “So what now?”

“How should I know? Day by day, baby. I’m not going to be pushed around anymore, I’m sure of that much.”

“Nobody ever pushed you around.”

“Plenty of people pushed me around!” he all but yelled. “And I’m telling you, I’m done with it. I’m different.” He jutted his head forward to kiss her again, but she pulled back.

“Different how?”

Instead of answering her, he started the car and put it into drive, rolling forward without turning on the headlights. They barely cleared the passenger side of Talbot’s Newport. The group standing alongside the terminal stepped back against the wall and watched as the Firebird passed close by them like an errant parade float. Colby steered around the side of the building.

“What are you doing?” Karen asked.

“What I feel like doing. Get it?”