Michael was sitting on the step outside his apartment when Cody arrived.
“She in there?” Cody asked, not sure where the car was or what was next.
“Nope,” Michael said, staring at the play of light on the fountain.
“You know where she is?”
“Nope.”
“You want to tell me what happened.”
“Nope.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“Not much to tell,” Michael said with a shrug. “Milan came blowing in here like Katrina. She and Gianni took her car and her driver and her stash and took off.”
“Did she say anything?”
“Yep.”
“What?”
“She said you should ask Fab for your old job back,” Michael said, careful to repeat it exactly. “Does that make sense? I didn’t know you were a decorator.”
“I’m not,” Cody said. Michael didn’t ask, so he didn’t have to lie.
They remained where they were for a moment. Michael sitting, Cody standing, both silent in the moonlit courtyard.
“You holding?”
“Nope.”
“Gianni, huh? I thought he was on your team.”
“It’s a highest bidder kind of thing.”
“Yep,” Cody nodded, getting it.
Silence.
A door slammed above them. Ric came thundering down the stairs at full gallop.
“Ric, come back here and talk to me,” Cat screamed down at him from their living room window. “Just tell me what’s going on.”
Ric didn’t look back as he bolted through the gates, the motor court and out onto the street without ever breaking stride.
“See you,” Cody said to Michael after a second’s hesitation. He ran after Ric.
“Hey, Cat,” Michael called up to her after a minute or two.
“Hi, Michael,” she said. “You want a drink?”
“I could use one,” Michael said, rising.
“Martini?”
“That’s what they call the last shot of the day,” Michael said, taking his time as he climbed the stairs.
“What is?”
“The martini.”
“This place is crazy,” she said. “We should run away and be pirates, Huck.”
“What? And give up show business?”
“I suppose you’re right.”
~
Ric was waiting for the light at Fountain and Sweezter when Cody caught up to him.
“Where you heading?” Cody asked.
“This is your fault,” Ric said. “What is your game?”
“My fault?”
“She doesn’t know.”
“About your movie career?”
“I didn’t tell her.”
“Did you tell her you were gay?”
“I’m not.”
“Then you deserve an Oscar.”
“Funny.”
The light changed. Ric crossed Fountain. Cody followed.
“Where you headed?”
“I don’t know. A bar.”
“On Sunset?”
“A bar where I won’t be recognized.”
“Because no one in the bars on Sunset ever watches gay porn.”
“Fuck off.”
“I’m buying.”
“Then you pick the place.”
“Bar Marmont makes a great martini.”
“Long as you’re buying.”
“I’ve got Milan’s black card.”
“Martinis at the Marmont.”
“That should get the evening started.”
. . . to be continued
Eric Shaw Quinn 
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