Every night Eli gets ready for bed at 10 PM. Claudia follows suit at 10:15, and Max joins them at 10:30. The threesome watches television until 11 or so, and then one of the humans reluctantly escorts the pup to his pen. But sometimes Max is so well-behaved — i.e., cute and cuddly — that the humans feel guilty for kicking him out.
“We wouldn’t want him to think he was being punished,” Eli says.
“Definitely not,” Claudia agrees. “That could mess with his training.”
They decide it can’t hurt to let him sleep with them — “just for tonight.” They are wrong.
At midnight Max moves from the foot of the bed to the middle. At 3 AM he hears something outside — a leaf — and he barks and growls protectively. At 4 he stands, circles three times, and lies down into the exact same position he was in before. At 6:30 he stands again, shakes and scratches, and then licks Claudia’s face.
“Worst. Idea. Ever,” she grumbles.
When she rolls over and covers her head with a pillow, Max walks to Eli and licks his face instead.
“It was your idea,” Eli says. “Two’s company, but three’s a crowd. Everyone knows– OW!”
Claudia’s pillow plows into Eli’s face, interrupting his lecture.
# # #
“Wanna go to the museum with me–”
“Sure!”
“–and Theresa?”
“Oh.” MJ’s expression falters. “Um, wouldn’t that be… weird?”
Felix frowns. “Why? We all work in the lab together.”
“Yeah, but…”
“I thought you were okay with me and her.”
“I am. But you and her and me?”
“My two best girls.” He grins. “Come on! Please? She’s really into art and I don’t know a thing. I need someone to help me sound intelligent.”
Eventually MJ acquiesces.
On Saturday, the three take the Underground to a modern art museum. Without thinking, Theresa reaches for Felix’s hand on the subway, but Felix casually extricates his fingers from hers. MJ pretends not to notice.
At the museum, Theresa leads them through the galleries, ooh-ing and aah-ing over her favorite pieces and turning to ask Felix’s opinion. He nods in agreement with whatever Theresa says, but as soon as she looks away, he rolls his eyes at MJ. Not one to be outdone, MJ makes a face at him. He sticks his tongue out. She puts her thumb on her nose and wiggles her fingers. He bursts out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” Theresa asks, wanting to be in on the joke.
They sober up immediately. “Nothing,” Felix says. “MJ…”
“Tripped,” she finishes sheepishly. “I tripped and he was making fun of me.”
“Oh.” Theresa smiles. Gamely, she squeezes MJ’s shoulder. “Gotta watch out for those perfectly flat marble floors, huh? They’ll get you every time.”
They all chuckle, and the sound echoes hollowly off the museum walls. When they move on to the next gallery, Theresa takes Felix’s hand, and this time he doesn’t let go.
# # #
Rather than cancel their plans to attend the annual Eggernaut music festival, Sophie and Diego decide to invite Reggie. At first he declines — “I don’t want to be a third wheel,” he says — but they remind him that they are no longer together, thus there is no third wheel. So Diego buys the extra ticket, and in exchange Reggie agrees to drive, while Sophie will cover food and drinks for them all.
The Eggernaut features five different stages, each with its own schedule of performers. Sophie and Diego previously agreed on which to see, but Reggie makes a face at Sophie’s list.
“You know, I think I’ll check out the Murderers instead of Fiona Lewis. How about I meet up with you guys after?”
“Actually I wanted to see the Murderers too,” Diego says. “Soph, do you mind if I go with Reggie? We can all rendezvous here after the first set.”
“Oh, uh, sure,” she says. The guys are already walking away.
Sophie tries to enjoy Fiona Lewis, but a long-haired dude smoking something that is definitely not a cigarette notices her alone. Without even introducing himself, he begins to talk to her… and he doesn’t stop until the whole set is over! At that point, Sophie politely excuses herself and runs to meet Reggie and Diego.
They arrive almost twenty minutes late, laughing so hard that Reggie has tears in his eyes. Despite Sophie’s expectant look, no one explains the joke to her.
“Where to next?” Diego asks.
“Kanye East,” Reggie says at the same time Sophie answers, “TwoDemocracy.”
Diego chuckles. “Music is clearly not the foundation of your friendship. Soph, let me see your list.”
She hands the paper to him, and they all spend the next few minutes negotiating which musical acts to see. Sophie pouts as one of her favorite acts is crossed off in favor of one of Reggie’s picks. “No way. I’ve already sacrificed three performances. I really want to see Dustin Timbershake.”
“Majority rules. D, do you want to see Timbershake, or the Kitty Kat Girls?” Reggie gyrates his hips in an imitation of the girl group’s signature dance move, then winks at Diego.
“Do you really have to ask?”
“Yes!” Reggie pumps his fist in the air. “Two against one!”
Sophie starts to protest, but then she remembers the creepy dude who wouldn’t stop talking. “Fine,” she mutters.
When the new list is finished, Diego smiles. “Good. I knew we could reach a consensus.”
As he and Reggie lead the way to the next stage, Sophie frowns at their backs. Consensus? I miss having my way! She decides this will be the last time it’s two against her.
