“Or like a cop sketch artist, only for the perverted. Guy would say, ‘Make her ass wider and put in a dog.’ And Raf would look real worried and he’d say, ‘A dog. That’ll be twenty more. They’re hard!’ ”

We drove. Raymond wagged his head and smiled. He said, “Raf could draw anything you wanted.”

“I’m so proud of him,” I said.

At a stoplight we heard a siren throbbing and Raymond pushed his hand between my legs.

“This is a different record you’re playing,” I said.

“No,” Raymond said. “It’s the flip side of the same.”

Back at the motel, Raf seemed only murkily aware of us.

A car-wreck movie played on the jumbo color television. The movie had a wet-lipped stripper, shiny with sweat, strolling a shiny runway in a shiny saloon.

Raf told me my legs were better than hers.

“I think she’s a man,” Raymond said.

Raf said, “Paige’s a man? You been hanging out in the wrong restrooms, amigo.”

“The film person there is a man,” said Raymond.

I agreed with him. “That’s a guy, Raf. And still his legs are better than mine.”

“Wicked world,” Raf said.

Raymond said, “Well, I’ll be off. But if you’re around tomorrow, Paige, and if you feel up to it, Raf, I’m driving over to see the Consul General of Mexico. Cónsul Hen-e- rail du Meh-he-co.”

“Give him a blow job,” Raf said.

“Might turn out that way. You know that amnesty deal for illegal aliens?”

“Don’t trust that shit. It’s a trick to deport some and skin the others for back taxes,” Raf said.

“Luisa’s got a brother who might qualify if there’s still time. I’m gonna find out—no names named. You all wanna come along, you’re most welcome.”

“Tempting,” I said.

“Afterwards, I was gonna take you to lunch,” Raymond said. “ ’Cause see the consulate’s over in the fag-museum- boutique area they call the Montrose district.”

“Raf won’t go if there’s no horse manure for him to toss around in,” I said.

“Yeah,” Raf said. “True. It’s not an authentic day for me unless I degrade myself in so many ways.”

I dreamt Raf lay beside me in a cold room. I dreamt a freak snowstorm had fallen and left a snowy pudding on the floor and I was thirsty. Someone caressed me, and I liked the caress, but explained, “Wait, wait. I need water first.”

I came to at four a.m. and heard the wenk-wenk of my wristwatch. I unbuckled the strap and flung the watch at the sliding glass doors.

“What’d you do that for, Paige?” Raf asked me. He was awake.

“The sound,” I said.

“Hey, hey,” he said. “Easy. It’s just another night.”