“I guess you were distracted with trying to cover your ass about your nose job.” His hands were on the steering wheel and his eyes straight ahead.

“I wasn’t trying to ‘cover my ass.’ It was no big deal. It wasn’t a nose job—it was for my breathing problem.”

“Well, he didn’t do that great of a job. Your nose may look fine, but you still snore.”

“I know I don’t snore like I used to.”

Dave gunned his VW through a yellow light.

I was tired of being defensive, and I didn’t want to start crying. I focused my attention on looking out the window.

After a few more traffic lights, Dave broke the silence. “So did all the guys you used to sleep with tell you that you snored? Is that why you decided to get the surgery?”

Deep breath in, then out. Guys and their madonna/whore complexes. Now, because he knew I used to snore a lot, I was a slut. I stayed silent and kept looking out the window.

“Anything else?” he prodded.

“I think I’ve said all I need to on the subject.”

“No, is there anything else you’ve had done? Any more surgeries?” He reached across the seat to touch my face. “Those beautiful lips? Are those yours, or did you pay to get them plumped up?” His hand left my face and started to wander down my woven seatbelt. “How ’bout these? Did you pay for these too?”

I swatted his hand away. “I think that’s enough, okay? I don’t need this shit from you, Dave.”

“Hey, baby, you’ve got to understand why I’m so upset. I would always tell the guys that you were 100 percent ‘factory’—as in, this is how you came. All your equipment was standard, not like you were made in a factory.”

This was the meanest he’d ever been. As I tried to figure out how to tell him exactly in which manner he could go fuck himself, I was mortified to feel my eyes start to well with tears.

“You can just fucking back off with all this shit, okay?” I stammered out. “It’s not fair—I am ‘all factory’ as you put it. You know that seeing my mom is tough enough for me—now I have to deal with you in addition to all of her shit? That’s so not fair! You should be on my side when it comes to me and my mom. The two of you aren’t allowed to joke about me like that. So fuck off!”

EIGHT

EIGHT

Dave dropped me off at my house without another word.